《Bonds that bind us (The Alpha鈥檚 Contract P2)》


 Chapter 0001

    Neah


    "You still haven''t said anything," Samara whispers as she eyeballs me.


    "She''s talking to Nyx," Damien tells her.


    The longer Samara waits for me to talk, the more jittery she bes. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, slurping on her coffee or ncing over my shoulder at Damien. "Dakota," I mutter. "She told you that you are my Beta?"


    "Yep. Look... I only know what she has told me. Honestly, it''s not the end of the world to me, maybe her, but not me. I''m just grateful to be alive. You are still allowing me to settle in. Letting me live here. Just because she said it''s true, I don''t expect it to ever be something you acknowledge. You have Damien, and he is good at his job. And you have Eric." She gives h¨ªm a big, but nervous smile.


    "That''s why you are here, isn''t it?" Damien asks. "Because of this Beta business."


    "I''m trying to figure out some things," I sigh. I wasn''t quite ready to discuss my thoughts.


    "You are not nning on running off to help the others, are you?"


    I frown. "You sound just like Dane, but no, I can''t, and I won''t. I''ve just had the girls. And I''m not Cooper. I can''t just project myself into White Cliffs. Though that would be a useful gift to have right now." "Then, at least try and exin your thought process because you are not making any sense."


    "I think I know what she is trying to figure out," Samara mutters. Her grey eyes hover on me. "I don''t have the answer. I only know what I am told by Dakota. She thinks our fates have always been tied. That even though we never grew up together we were supposed to find one another. A renewed bond for Kitsons, a future for Lycans."


    "Go on," Damien encourages her.


    "Dakota thinks with Neah being Alpha and me being her Beta, our bloodline is stronger and thicker than it has been in centuries." Her eyes shift back to me. "And right now, I wish she would stop talking because it makes me sound like I''m trying to make a decision for you. Which I am not."


    Damien snorts but keeps his mouth closed.


    ''Exactly what we are thinking.'' Nyx mutters


    ''A bond stronger than a mate bond?'' I ask Nyx. ''Is that even possible?''


    ''Weirder things have happened. Kitson blood is the backbone of Lycans.''


    I could feel Damien and Samara staring at me, waiting for me to respond. Instead, I leave and head in the direction of the newly built packhouse.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    It''srger than our old house. A house that gave me my first real taste of freedom. There had been so many deaths inside of it that maybe a new house was what we needed.


    A porch wraps around the entire bottom floor, and there are still as many massive windows as there were before, maybe even more. The woodwork is painted in the darkest shade of ck, giving it an almost gothic feel.


    "There you are!" Mallory mutters as shees to a stop next to me.


    "Dane sent you?" I keep my eyes on the packhouse, taking in all the small details.


    "He said you went to get some air, but he knows it is code for you needing time to think. I was just going to link you, but figured you were deep in thought somewhere."


    "He used to get so angry when I kept things to myself. Now, I think it helps that he can get into my head and see what''s on my mind without asking what I''m thinking about. As long as Nyx doesn''t block him."


    ''I''m behaving myself.'' Nyx huffs


    "Does it bother you that he does that?" Mallory asks


    "No." A smile creeps across my lips. "I think it has helped to make us stronger. Sometimes, he knows me better than I know myself."


    "And you came to the packhouse because? You are moving back over hereter anyway."


    "I didn''te straight here. I went to see Damien first."


    "Ah, that was why I couldn''t find you."


    I turn to face her. "Mallory, this thing you have going on with Damien." I shake my head, "It has to stop. He has marked her. She isn''t going anywhere. We shouldn''t be falling out with each other when there are outside threats." Her brow creases, "She isn''t right for him!"


    ""Why isn''t she?"


    "She did so many bad things."


    "Did she? At the end of the day, she yed ir. Everything she said to us was twisted because of Cooper, but she never actually hurt anyone other than ir and herself. She believed in a different life. He made her believe that. Just how


    Cassandra made you believe that I was in the wrong. Just as Trey


    convinced everyone that I killed my parents.


    "Samara''s younger years are almost as messed up as mine, Mallory. Ironic when we carry a bloodline that is supposed to be unlike anything else. Damien is happy with her, and I know he misses you. And not just him, what about Dorothy? You haven''t had her over since you and Damien fell out."


    "I wish it was as simple as you make it sound. And our house is pretty manic at the moment."


    I roll my eyes, she knew exactly what I was saying.


    "Even if I wanted to try. I don''t even know where to start."


    "You tried and tried with me.


    §Ö


    Refusing to ept that I would hate you forever after what you did to me, and now dook at us. Don''t throw a strong friendship away just because you don''t see eye to eye with his


    ??


    mate. Talk to her. Just like how w you wanted to talk to me. Sit down with no one else to interrupt."


    "You don''t have an issue with her anymore, do you?" She asks quietly


    I shake my head and fold my arms across my aching breasts. I needed to get back to the girls before I started leaking. "I trust Damien."


    Her brow softens. "I do miss him. I miss our talks. I miss his presence."


    "Then go and talk to him. He is still at home."


    She turns around, facing the direction of his house, but doesn''t move. "Are you sure you are okay?"


    "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"


    ''It''s starting to get really irritating!'' Nyx grumbles


    "You were in the hospital for ages, unconscious. The birth of the girls was elerated. And going intobour was the thing that woke you up. We have a right to be concerned."


    "I promise I''m okay."


    "In that case, can I ask you a favour?"


    I nod.


    "Can you just push me towards Damien''s? I don''t seem to be able to move."


    I give her a good shove, and she stomps in the direction of his house, watching her to make sure she doesn''t stop.


    ''What does it mean to have a female Beta?'' I ask Nyx as I sit on the porch. The few that I had met had always been male. Even the ones from Dane''s past contracts. Every single one of them was male. Not a female in sight. ''I don''t know.'' she murmurs.


    ''Maybe it is something we need to discuss.'' Dane''s voice rumbles through my head.


    He''s waiting for me at the small kitchen table. The boys chase each other in and out of the rooms, screaming and giggling. They don''t even stop to acknowledge me.


    "Have you been in my head the whole time?"


    He dips his chin, "You think Samara can help?" He asks while gazing at me.


    "I''m not sure. I think there is something. That''s what my gut tells me." I press my lips together and sigh. "I want to help them. I don''t want to sit around waiting for news that Brax and us are dead. But, as you said, they are hundreds of miles away. I just.... I just wondered if there is something in what Dakota told Samara, how she is a preselected Beta for me. There must be a reason.


    "Dakota told her it seemed like it was our fate to find one another. That we are stronger together. But I always thought the mate bond was the strongest thing anyone could have. Am I wrong?" I ask


    Dane scratches the stubble on his chin. "I have to admit that I have wondered the same." He nces over to the boys, "Some would say that it was fate that led me to you. Brax would say that the higher powers had alreadyid out the path that would lead me to you. That I was always destined to find you.


    "I''ve told you countless times that you were thest person I expected to find in Moonshine. Yet our paths still collided. The situation you were in still churns my stomach and floods my system with rage, but I will always be grateful for that first phone call."


    My heart skips a beat. I never saw myself getting out of Moonshine. I thought I was going to die there.


    "If our paths are alreadyid out, that means you believe Samara and I were always supposed to meet. Do you think that about everyone?"


    He nods. "Some are put here to test us, others to join us." His crimson eyes lock on mine. "And I think, deep down, there is a reason why you didn''t kill her. You had a chance. You had multiple chances. Something was holding you back. You have always killed easily." "I''ve let ir live." She had been trying, though I knew there was still drama between her and Samara and it was always ir that started it. But she always tried to keep her mouth shut when I was around.


    "For now." He smirks at me. "Maybe, this is like you epting your Alpha position. You need to ept Samara for who she is supposed to be."


    "Even if I did, how is that supposed to change the things that are happening in White Cliffs?"


    A crease appears between his brows "You belong here, yet ultimately, White Cliffs is yours."

 Chapter 0002

    Brax


    Indy allows Amy to drag her through the crumbling hallways. I stay close, ready to rip Indy away the moment something changes. Amy''s soul is a mess. I knew she was helping, but I still didn''t trust her.


    There are cracks, and then there are holes, and sadly, the remainder of her soul is riddled with them. She is more than broken, the worst I have seen in a long time. How she is still alive is impressive, but Neah has taught me that Kitson blood is strong and that no matter how close to the edge she got, she had always found her way back. But that was Neah.


    And it still didn''t make Amy trustworthy.


    Amy hums to herself as she shuffles along another hallway, unaware of our eagerness to get out of this shit hole.


    Coming to a stop, Indy is wide-eyed as she watches Amy. "We have to keep moving," Indy whispers, gesturing for her to move on.


    "Baby girl, we are here," Amy mutters as she smiles at a stone wall. She drops Indy''s hand and drags her thin fingers across the wall as if searching for something.


    "Secret door," us mutters to the white Wolf. "Like the other one."


    Amy''s humming grows louder as she squats. She moves her fingers over the grooves of the stones, almost as if she is counting.


    Pushing a stone, it sinks into the wall, and something clicks into ce. A ridge appears in the shape of a door. As it pulls back, the sound of stone grinding on stone fills the air. Amyughs to herself as she stands. She spins around, her attention is solely on Indy. "Your home, baby girl."


    us nces at me, and I shrug. Amy believed that Indy was Samara, though she had given Samara up after birth. Did Amy not remember the colour of her daughter''s eyes?


    I know Dorothy''s mother would have recognised our daughters. I had watched my first mate suck in every inch of our daughter, memorising her features. If only she could see our little girl now.


    Or maybe Amy was teetering on the edge, and unlike Neah, she couldn''t make it back. Trapped hovering between life and death.


    Indy is the first to slip through the narrow door, and Amy follows her as she starts humming again.


    "Guys, you need to see this!" Indy calls out.


    One by one, we move through the narrow door into an even smaller passageway. My shoulders pressed to both walls as I shuffled forward. I push my way through hanging clothes and stumble into a well-lit bedroom, where Indy seems to be amazed as she spins around, taking it all in. It is bright and airypared to her home.


    "This is beautiful!" She chirps.


    High ceilings with walls that are littered in colourful stained ss windows. I hadn''t seen this from the outside. Almost like it''s some sort of secret part of the castle, or maybe that was the point. Who knows how Serkan and Thalia work?!


    The room had clearly not been used for some time. Cobwebs appeared in every corner, and a thickyer of dust coated every surface. It made sense if it was Amy''s room.


    "Is this your room?" us asks Amy as Orion starts barricading the main door with random bits of furniture.


    Amy pats her chest and nods at us with a smile, "Mine."


    In this light, her skin is an odd shade of grey, and I see how she squints as the sunlight hits her face. Years of being trapped deep within the castle would do that to anyone. "Does Thalia know about the passageway?" I question.


    "Witch!" Amy snaps, curling her lip up in anger.


    Indy takes Amy''s hands in hers. "We know. Does she know about the secret walk-through?"


    Amy cups Indy''s face. "No." She pulls Indy''s face close to hers, "Baby girl, leave. You have to leave. She will kill you all."


    "It''s okay." Indy smiles at her and gestures to us. "My friends, they are going to help."Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I move to the windows to try and


    work out our position in the castle.


    Right below.us is the sea es


    oveline


    into the rocks that surround the cliffs with incredible force. Dangerous, though it was


    mesmerising to watch. Madison would love it.


    "We are at the back of the castle," I mumble to us. "The only advantage here is that the Witch


    can''t send her minions around to et


    attack us." I nce at Xavi, who is still purely focused on Indy. He really needed to stop.


    "There has to be a way for us to get out," us frowns, "Or a way to lure Thalia away from the others."


    "You are the Witch Hunter." I tut.


    He rolls his eyes at me. "Xavi has been Witch-hunting a lot longer than I have and look what she did to him."


    "Well, what does he suggest? Because all it seems that he wants to do is kill Indy and ughter Thalia. That doesn''t help this situation."


    "He won''t kill Indy." He mutters.


    "You can guarantee that, can you?"


    "No, but he won''t hurt her if I ask him not to."


    Xavi moves towards us. Sitting and wrapping his tail around his feet. His amber eyes fixed on me.


    "What''s the asshole saying?" I knew he had to be saying something. He liked me as much as I liked him.


    "He has agreed that he won''t attack her unless she does something that causes a problem for the rest of us."


    "Does it not count that she has already tried to help us?" I challenge.


    us sighs and rolls his eyes. "Witches only do things for themselves." He hated being the third person in the conversation and passing messages to me.


    I nce over to Indy and Amy. Indy is pulling out clothes for Amy as Amy smiles and ps her hands like a toddler. Being locked up had really fucked her over.


    Indy res at us while holding up a finger and swivelling it around. We face the opposite way, giving Amy some privacy to dress.


    "Does that look like she is doing things for herself?" I snap at Xavi, "She could have let me drown or let the river take me over the cliff edge, but she didn''t. She tried to stop you from going up the tower to look for those people. Every chance she has had, she has helped. She has answered questions. She provided us with a hideout, with food and water." I pause and look at my hand. I had never defended anyone as much as I was defending Indy right now. Blood ties were fucking strong. "Can you not give her a break?"


    "That is why he hasn''t done anything." us smiles. "I''ve told him he needs to understand that you see more than most."


    "I would like it to stay that way." I turn back to Xavi, "You may kill Witches for a living, and we know how rare they are, but I have put more bullets in creatures than you''ve had hot dinners; I''m watching you." us sighs and shakes his head. "He says he is watching you."


    "Good. At least we know where each other stands."


    "When you are done arguing about me," Indy tuts, " You can turn around because Amy has told me there is another way out."


    "Where?"


    She takes a deep breath, "We have to jump."

 Chapter 0003

    Brax


    I cock a brow at her, "Have you seen the rocks below?"


    "Yes." She pivots around to Orion, who is standing at another window. "It''s what she said, okay. The tide isn''t always this low and..."


    "If we don''t hit it perfectly, we die anyway." I tut.


    "I know what she said sounds insane." She stares at me with wide eyes. "Do we really have a lot of choice? The rest of the castle is surrounded by the people of White Cliffs. I don''t know what Thalia is capable of getting them to do, but I also don''t want to find out. We all know there is no way we are walking out the front door and surviving."


    "If we let her live..."


    "She has a point," us interrupts. "If we leave any part of the castle that takes us out ontond, we are outnumbered. You said it yourself, Brax." He moves over to the window and carefully opens it. The crashing waves echo around the room. I see what''s left of Amy''s soul light up at the sound. It was familiar to her, something she had heard every day and every night as she slept in this room.


    "If we survive. We could go back to ck Shadow." us continues, "We would have the numbers. Neah is there. We have the Lycans and Wolves. We coulde up with a better n than hiding in a castle, waiting for death.¡±


    "If we are doing that, would Orion and I be wee?" Indy asks quietly. "I do understand that we are not from there. I don''t know what it takes to be part of it. I just...." She trails off, looking over at Orion. "We want a home. And it''s where Ss is."


    It wasn''t a question I could answer. It wasn''t my decision, and I couldn''t guarantee that Dane or Neah would let her stay just because I said she was okay. us is also reluctant to respond after the whole Eris situation.


    Eris. I hadn''t thought about her for a while. She said she was from White Cliffs, though she didn''t know Ss. How is that possible, given Ss''s role within the pack?


    "What''s that face?" Indy asks. "Do you think we won''t be allowed?"N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    "We can figure that outter," us tells her.


    "Different train of thought," I mutter when she continues to stare at me.


    "Just say it! Neah won''t want us there, will she?"


    I lock my eyes on her golden ones. She had simr eyes to Eris, but that was all they had inmon. Surely they couldn''t be another set of secret siblings? "Eris." Indy frowns. "It''s Indy!" she snaps, tapping her chest. "Or are you just trying to wind me up?"


    "No," I scowl." There was another young woman named Eris who was from White Cliffs." The only thing she told the truth about and that was only confirmed by Damien''s rejection.


    "I don''t know an Eris." Indy turns to look at Orion, who shakes his head. ¡°Are you sure?"


    I nod


    "But no one has ever gotten out unless they were allowed. No one. You''ve seen it. Orion and I have tried and tried. You must be wrong."


    "Jump, jump, jump," Amy mutters to herself.


    "She didn''t know Ss, but she was definitely from White Cliffs," I confirm.


    ¡°Everyone here knows Ss." Indy lets out a heavy sigh. "If only he remembered everyone." "Cooper had her as a prisoner. He told her stories about an Alpha Ss." us mutters.


    Indy snorts. "Ss is as Alpha as my pinky finger. Don''t get me wronge sometimes you can sense power around him, but that wasn''t ever what he wanted. You must be wrong about this Eris person."


    ¡°She jumped. She jumped. Big waves." Amy sings to herself as she fiddles with trinkets on a shelf.


    "Amy," us catches her attention. "Did you know an Eris?"


    She smiles and nods. "Trapped and escaped." She points to the windows. "I said jump."


    If Eris were locked up like Amy, it would have exined her odd behaviour. She should have told us then she might be alive today. Being a prisoner of Thalias and Serkans would also exin why she didn''t know Ss. Maybe that''s why she was with Cooper. He got lucky when she appeared nearby, but being his prisoner wasn''t as bad as being the Witches.

 Chapter 0004

    us shakes his head at me as a warning not to push further.


    I look out at the viscious sea, "She jumped?"Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Amy''s grey eyes are bright as she nods. "I told her, jump."


    "It looks like we are jumping. If Eris could do it, so can we."


    We take turns watching the sea, waiting for the tides to change, timing them. The sea here didn''t act like any other sea that I had seen. Thalia probably had some sort of spell on it.


    As the water level drops, revealing the bare, jagged rocks, it bes obvious that there is only one specific ce tond, and that''s if we are lucky enough not to be dragged out to sea, or pushed into the rocks by the waves. The other problem was that there were six of us, and we wouldn''t be able to jump all at once, making it even riskier.


    "Can everyone swim?" Indy asks. Everyone nods, but we all look at Amy. No one knew anything about her, and she didn''t seem to be able to give a clear answer, instead she smiles and mutters, "big jump."


    Indy grins at Amy, reassuring her by repeating the phrase as I turn to the barricaded door. The smell of burning wood and smoke seeps through the tiny gap under the door. Orion presses his hand to the door and immediately pulls it away. "Fire," Indy mutters what I already knew.


    Thalia knew we woulde here. Did she n this? Did she want Amy to bring us here? Or was this what she expected? So she could block us in with no way out.


    "We have to go now!"


    "But the tide." Indy protests as us breaks a window.


    "It won''t matter. We either burn from the fire or die from the impact. I know what I would prefer. But at least this way, there is a small chance of survival."


    I see us pressing his forehead to Xavi''s. "See you on the other side."


    He climbs through the window, kicking out the remains of the broken ss. With one final nce back, he jumps. Xavi leaps up into the window, frantically searching for us. "There!" Indy mutters, her finger outstretched at a dark object in the water.


    Xavi dives out after his mate as Indy tries to keep Amy calm.


    "Go," I mutter to both women. "Go now!"


    "Orion." Indy mutters, "Please."


    He shakes his head at her.


    "I will follow you," Indy tells him.


    He watches her, but she refuses to move as reach out to my daughter and tell her that I love her and to be good for Damien. I''m not sure if she would hear me, but I had to say something.


    "Indy, listen to me. You need to go now. us and Xavi will be waiting for you." I shove her towards the window, and she drops Amy''s hand. "Orion will be right behind you." ¡°Jump, baby girl, jump. I will see you again." Amy tells her with a big smile.


    Indy trembles as she climbs up into the window with Orion''s help. Her eyes search the thrashing sea


    before they close. She purses heret


    lips, exhaling, and somehow, the crashing waves slow, gentlypping at the cliffside. The calmest they had been since we had been watching.


    Orion nudges me.


    "I see it.¡± But I also see how Amy looks at her and the waves. Her eyes harden, and disgust appears.


    "Not my baby girl!" Amy yells with


    pure hatred. She shoves Indy off the window ledge. Her terrified scream rips through me. I watch her il her arms and legs as she plummets


    towards the water, knowing can do nothing.


    Indy was heading straight down to the rocks.


    I round on Amy, "What the fuck did you do?" "Witch!"


    Sta

 Chapter 0005

    us


    I drag Xavi from the water, thanking whoever was listening for our survival. I just hoped the rest would make it out alive.


    Xavi''s white fur clings to his lean body as he climbs up into the dry cove that doesn''t seem to be affected by the waves. He shakes the water from his fur, spraying me with the salty droplets of the ocean before copsing as he tries to catch his breath.


    I watch the waves behind him. They were changing. Somehow slowing down and no longer acting as if they had a mind of their own.


    "Magic?" I murmur, looking for the clouds that were usually left behind, but there was nothing.


    The waves almoste to a standstill as a blood-curdling scream fills my ears.


    "What the hell?"


    I step back into the calm water, looking up at Indy as her body twists and turns in the air.


    ''What is she doing?'' Xavi asks.


    "Panicking."


    I nce at the rocks slowly disappearing beneath the water rising around us. It was still and calm, almost like it was preparing to break Indy''s fall.


    "Is she doing this?" I ask Xavi as he swims towards me.


    Xavi just stares as we tread water. ''I''ve never... I''ve only seen dark magic.''


    Her back hits the water, sending up a huge spray. While the water bobs, I swim out to her and drag her into the shallows, pulling her floppy body from the water.


    ''Is she alive?'' He asks as I check her airways.


    "Yes." I confirm, "Shock, I think. I have seen something like this before. The body shuts down when it can''t process what happened."


    Two more sshes and Brax and Orion swim towards us.


    "Amy?" I ask while Brax checks Indy.


    "She fucking pushed her!" There is so much hatred in his tone.


    "Thalia?" I ask in confusion. She hadn''t been in the room.


    "Amelia!" Brax spits. "Indy somehow calmed the waves, and Amelia lost her shit. Pushed Indy over and called her a Witch.¡±


    Brax lifts Indy and retreats into the cove, followed by Orion. It was fine for now, but we couldn''t stay here forever. The moment the sea returns to its usual chaos, we will be trapped.


    "She can control earth and water?" I mutter


    "I don''t fucking know!" Brax snaps.


    "What do we do? Amy is trapped. We can''t leave her to die."


    "I think she was always supposed to take us to the bedroom," Brax growls as he brushes Indy''s sodden hair back from her face.


    I was about to say something when he shook his head. "Her soul is..." He frowns and sighs. "It is the worst that I''ve ever seen."


    "Worse than Neahs?" I remember our conversation about Neah. He was fascinated with her soul. but had never understood how she wasn''tpletely broken.


    "Neahs was and is different. Cracks that have slowly healed with eptance of her Lycan. Do you know how rare that is? Amelia''s..." He throws his eyes to the rocks above us. "Hers is cracked and full of holes, held together by the faintest strands. She is not the person she once was, whoever that was. She shouldn''t be able to survive with a soul like that.¡±


    "You think Thalia is controlling her?"


    He kicks off his water-logged boots, "You said the bitch and her men walked away after she realised she couldn''t hurt you. I think she knew Amelia would take us to a ce we were unlikely to escape." He passes Indy to Orion.


    "You couldn''t have told us this before?" I ask, annoyed.


    "Sometimes, when they are that broken, there isn''t much of a soul left to read. I can''t have been the only one to have not trusted her." He looks around at all of us.


    ''He is saying she can''t be helped. That her death is inevitable.'' Xavi mutters to me.


    ''Do you really believe that? She has Kitson blood. Neah has always bounced back.''


    ''From what you have told me, Neah has the family she has always wanted and needed. A family that loves her and honestly, I''m looking forward to meeting her. But Amy hasn''t had that in we don''t know how long, and this is the first time that I have sensed Brax''s sincerity.''


    "You think we should leave her behind?" I mutter in surprise.


    "Do you really think we are getting back inside that ce?" Brax tuts, his tone returning to its usual sarcastic state.


    She was a prisoner, and she didn''t deserve to die at the hands of Thalia.


    ''You already tried to help.'' Xavi reminds me, ''Sometimes, it is out of our control.''


    It still didn''t feel right to leave her behind. Hopefully, she would find her own way out of this mess.


    As darkness falls, we take turns watching sea, sleeping, or keeping an eye on Indy. Everyone was exhausted, and this cove seemed like a perfect hiding spot for now.


    Indy groans as she startsing


    around. She sits up in a panicked state, her eyes shing about in the dark "I''m alive!" She pats herself as though she doesn''t believe it and then groans.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I shuffle towards her, trying not to wake the others. "How do you feel? Do you know what happened?"


    "She pushed me!" She throws another look around at the sleeping men. "Where is she?"


    "She didn''t jump."


    Her brows knit together, "Is she dead?"


    "We don''t know. Brax thinks it was part of Thalia''s n. Sadly, the more I think about it, the more I believe he is right."


    ¡°Like mind control? Thalia does it to everyone else.¡±


    "Possibly."


    ¡°Then we should help her.¡± She pleads with me. "It''s what were always going to do."


    I smile at her. She didn''t want Brax to kill all the people of White Cliffs because of a spell, and now she wanted to help Amy. I don''t think she had a bad bone in her body.


    ¡°Right now, we are not in a position to help her. But you can help get us out of here. We can go to ck Shadow and make a n."


    She snorts. "us, you do realise we are trapped by the ocean. And not just any ocean. One that wants to beat us to a pulp."Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "You stopped the waves from smashing into the rocks. It slowed to break your fall."


    She snorts again and ms a hand over her mouth to stop herselfughing. ¡°No, I can''t do that. If I could control water, don''t you think I would have done something to stop the river?" "You didn''t know you were capable of ripping rock apart until you did it."


    "You are a Witch Hunter. Shouldn''t you be trying to stop me from doing stuff like this?"

 Chapter 0006

    Neah


    Dane guides me into the new office. Instead of just a desk for him, there is now one for me. He pushes the pram through the door and checks on the girls before stepping behind me and looping his arms around my waist. "Every Alpha needs a desk." He muses andN?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    presses his warm lips against my neck. "But you don''t have to use it like that if you don''t want to. I can think of other uses."


    I cast a nce over the new room. The white walls are lined with ck and white photographs of our children. the furniture is painted ck wood, a stark contrast to the white walls. Large windows let in the light, making the room bright and weing. If this was just one room, I couldn''t wait to see the rest.


    I catch Damien and Samara''s scents. Shortly after, Damien calls out, "Neah? Dane?"


    "Office," Dane replies as he presses his lips to the mark he gave me.


    Damien steps in first, giving the office a nod of approval as Samara quietly slips in behind him, not knowing where to look.


    "You wanted to see me," she mutters quietly.


    I keep my mouth closed as Damien makes himselffortable in one of the chairs. He shoots a wink in my direction. He knew exactly why I had asked her toe. However, he was clearly keeping it a secret from Samara.


    "How are you finding things?" Dane asks Samara. I knew he was trying to help me find the words I wanted to say by making small talk with her.


    She nods. "I am so grateful." The words rush out of her as she throws her eyes at Damien, who shrugs. "I will do anything that you want me to. I want to be here. I want to be with Damien. Whatever it is, I can fix it." She adds when Damien gives her nothing. "You haven''t done anything wrong," Dane tells her.


    The girls coo from the pram, and Samara sits up a little straighter. "Your pups are here?"


    "Do you want to meet them?" I mutter. Why was I finding it so hard to tell her I wanted her to be my Beta?


    ''Because almost everyone has fucked us over in some way!'' Nyx snaps. ''It''s natural to be cautious.''


    Samara quietly steps over to the pram and peers inside. I see how Damien is watching her with curiosity. He loved Dorothy, but he wanted his own pups.


    "They are beautiful, Neah." she smiles as she watches them. "You are very lucky."


    "We are," Dane confirms.


    Samara pivots around to face me. "Is that why you wanted me toe here so that I could meet the girls?"


    "I want you to be my Beta." I don''t look away no matter how I surprised I am at my announcement. Though it came out sounding much more aggresive than I wanted.


    Her lips part a little until her jaw is fully dropped. Her grey eyes lock on mine as she starts shaking her head in disbelief. Everyone is quiet except the girls.


    "But..." Samara closes her eyes, and her brow wrinkles up in confusion. "You made it clear... I... We didn''t meet on the best of terms. And you have Damien." She gestures to him, "And Eric, or what about Mallory? She is your friend." "Damien and Eric are Danes Betas, not mine." I smile at Damien, "I know he will protect me with his life, but he was never chosen to be my Beta. You were."


    I turn to Dane who smiles at me and nods. "And maybe there was a reason you came into my life."


    "Right." She looks down at her feet. "Dakota once said we were preselected. But why now? Why do you want me to step into that role now? I am grateful for the offer, but it doesn''t make sense. There are so many better choices than me." "Every Alpha needs a Beta." Dane muses, repeating the simr phrase he had said about my desk.


    "What do you think?" Damien asks Samara as he rises to his feet.


    She closes her eyes. "Dakota says yes, it''s our position, but what if I screw it up. I''m still new to having my Lycan. I haven''t shifted since I ripped off Cooper''s head. I don''t know how good I will be." "Do you think I did?" Damien asks her.


    "Samara, for some, it is just naturally


    built into them," Dane tells her. He looks at me as a small smile spreads across his lips, "Sometimes it takes time to coach it out of them, but the ability is always there." The smile turns into a grin as he picks up an unsettled Wi. I loved the way he went straight to the children if they sounded the tiniest bit upset.


    "What would you want me to do?"


    "Help me destroy White Cliffs."


    "You want to destroy your birthright?" she scoffs.


    ''It''s not a birthright when the man wants to kill us!'' Nyx tuts.


    "It has never been mine." I sigh as Dane passes me Wi before returning to the pram to pick up Aderyn. "It is just an idea that has been washed down over decades, maybe centuries. It is a hope that is long forgotten. A Witch and a mad Kitson are running it into the ground, destroying people''s lives, and I don''t want that. This is my home. This is my children''s home, not somece I have never been a part of."


    "Aldous Kitson would be mortified to learn a Witch is somehow in power," she sighs as her shoulders drop, and she screws up her face. "I wouldn''t even know where to start. I know have already told you that Dakota tells me that this is who I am, but I don''t know how useful I can be to you. And what about the others? The ones who cannot stand my presence. They are not going to


    listen to me."


    "I know who you are talking about," I mutter. "But ir is not relevant in this situation."


    "She already hates me. I can''t do anything right even though I have apologised over and over. If I ept, she is going to want to kill me even more than she already does. I will have to sleep with one eye open. I don''t want to go back to living like that. You must understand that."


    She was right, I knew what that life was like. I had spent years wondering the same, and even now, I would sometimes wake in the night thinking someone was going to hurt me, but it goes away the moment Dane sleepily pulls me against him.


    "You will have the ability to order her to shut up." Damien smirks. "What is she going to do then?"


    "Can I think about it?" She asks quietly.


    "Sure," I mutter in surprise. I had been confident Samara was going to ept it.


    She turns on her heel and walks out. Damien gives me a confused look before rushing after her.


    "That was not the answer I was expecting." Dane frowns. "I thought she would have jumped at the chance.


    I nod as I stare at the empty doorway. If anything, it made her more desirable as a Beta. She wasn''t prepared to dive right in; she needed to think, to make sure it was the right move.

 Chapter 0007

    Damien


    "Samara?" I call out as I follow her. I knew she was heading for home as her pace picked up speed. She wouldn''t even stop to look at me, desperately trying to get out of the sight of others.


    She crashes in through the front door, mming it shut behind her. This was not the reaction I was expecting. When Dane told me why Neah wanted to see her, I thought keeping it quiet would be a pleasant surprise, and that she would be happy. I did not expect it to go like this.


    I find her on the sofa. Her legs pulled up to her chest as she rested her forehead on her knees. She wasn''t crying. There were no snuffles of her trying to hide any tears.


    "We are not doing this!" I tell her, lifting her face until I can see her grey eyes. "Whatever this is, it''s not happening. I am right here. The silence is not needed or wanted. I''ve let that happen once before, and I''m not making that mistake again."


    I see her chest rise as she takes in a deep breath. "It''s risky." Her brow crinkles into a small frown. "There are a lot of people in this pack that don''t want me to be here, Damien. It''s not just ir. They want me dead, and the only reason I am alive is because of you. They know that if they did anything, it would be the end of their life. It''s so hard, Damien. To be told by Dakota that I am made for this, that this is who I am. Do you know how many times a day she reminds me?


    "Too much?"


    She rolls her eyes at me. "What if they me Neah for making this decision? What if it turns everyone against her?" "They won''t."


    "Of course they will. The only reason they don''t say it now is because they are worried they will get punished. Why can''t they see me how you see me?" "Because if they did, I might have something to say about it."


    Her lips curve up a little, but it doesn''t stay.


    "Samara, you have kept yourself squeaky clean, that''s more than most. Even Brax isn''t bothered about you looking after his daughter, and that says a lot."


    "He is just one man." She glides her tongue along her lips. "Dakota wants me to ept. She keeps telling me it is our calling. I know I won''t let Neah down, but all those people outside that door will think it''s the biggest mistake in the world and all because they can''t let go of the mistakes I made in the past. Mistakes that I had no control over." Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "You don''t give yourself enough credit."


    "How can I give myself credit when I''m one of the two most hated people in this pack? Even Mallory won''t talk to you because of me. I know she came by."


    "I knew you weren''t going for a nap." I muse. She had said to me she was going to lie down and secondster, Mallory knocked on the door. Mallory stared at me for a few seconds and then stomped off without muttering a single word.


    "Before you say anything, this is not


    a pity party. I''m just trying to make it make sense. And I''m not wrong with what I said about ir. You know she is a thorn in my side. She already uses the fact that I''m with you as an excuse, telling everyone you are the reason Neah is letting me live. And maybe that is true, but this, this is like rubbing salt into the wound."


    I had been keeping an eye on ir from afar. Yes, she did her job and kept her head down unless Samara was nearby. It was as though ir couldn''t control her anger around my mate. Not enough to make her shift or physically attack Samara. Still, I was waiting for her to cross the line.


    I drop on the sofa next to her. My weight forces her body into mine. "If you don''t want to be Neah''s Beta, that''s fine. She won''t hold it against you." I tell her as I slip my arms around her. She drops her head against my chest and sighs. "She won''t"


    "No."


    She frowns, "I wish the answer were a simple yes or no."

 Chapter 0008

    "I think I understand. You want to do it to support Neah, but you don''t want to be in a ce of position in the pack." It was something I had questioned myself over when Dane asked me to be his Beta, so I understood. "It''s partly that. I just... I don''t understand why now? Do you think she was nning on it when she asked me all those questions yesterday?"


    "Maybe." Neah hadn''t confirmed or denied it when I asked. "What do you think about taking down White Cliffs?"


    "Do you think she actually wants that?"


    "Something I have learned about Neah is that she rarely says things without meaning it. You share a grandfather who tried to have her kidnapped. How do you feel about that?"


    "He shouldn''t have done it. It''s not how families should be."


    "A Witch is working with your grandfather. They sent Ss to collect her. Neah hasn''t said it to me, but it''s clear she wants the Witch and her grandfather dead, and maybe she just wants your help with that."


    She sits up and frowns at me. "Like some sort of temporary Beta? Do you think she will agree to that?"All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I''m sure you can negotiate terms."


    Her head slowly moves up and down. "But what if... what if I be a Rogue?"


    "That''s what you are afraid of?"


    "I''m afraid of many things. Cooper always said I was a beast. Bloodthirsty and a pack''s worst nightmare." "Cooper liked to prey on people, doesn''t mean it''s true. Besides, I will make sure that doesn''t happen."


    "You can''t..."


    I pull her on myp. "I came back from it. A few of us stopped Neah from going down that path. I will do everything possible to keep you from crossing to that ce."


    She loops her arms around my neck, pulling herself tightly against my chest. "I wish I had met you years ago. You help me see things more clearly." She presses her soft lips to mine, arching her back as she pushes her breasts into me. Our kiss deepens just as the front door swings open.


    "Assholes!" Ss tuts, only stopping when he sees us. "Sorry. I will go."


    "Don''t bother. You''ve killed the moment." Samara snaps as she climbs off of me. She presses her lips to my cheek. "I''m going to go and speak to Neah."


    "Do you want me toe?"


    "No. I can do this."


    "You really should use the bedroom," Ssments as Samara closes the door. "Anyone can walk in."


    "My house," Imutter, adjusting myshelf as Istand. "Are you going to tell mewho the assholes are? Or areyou talking about yourshelf?"


    "I offered to help keep watch on the gates."


    "They told you no?" I ask, already knowing why they refused.


    He dips his chin at me. "I take it from your tone, it doesn''t surprise you, does it?"


    "I hate to tell you this, but do you really think they are going to allow that to happen? You are under a spell that is yet to bepletelybroken, one that screws around with your memory. You were sent to collect Neah and take her back to White Cliffs. You are Dane''s twin. Don''t call them assholes when they are protecting their pack."


    He drops into a chair with a scowl. "Is it true?"


    ""Is what true?"


    "Neah and Dane. They have four children? Not just the one she was pregnant with?"


    He was going to figure out the truth eventually. I''m just surprised it had taken him so long to see it. "Yes."


    "Two sets of twins?"


    "Yes. Who told you?"


    "That one that doesn''t like Samara. I think her name is ir."


    "ir?" What a fucking surprise.


    Ss nods. "Neah''s half-sister, right?"Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "I wouldn''t call her that if I were you."


    He frowns, "Why didn''t you tell me? Because of Thalia"


    I nod, "And for the same reason they won''t let you help on the gates."


    "It would have been nice for my boys....." He trails off, shaking his head as he frowns and closes his eyes. "My boys are not real."


    "And that''s exactly why no one will let you help. You may want to, butyou are far from ready. Now, if you will excuse me, Dottie''s teacher is linking me."

 Chapter 0009

    ?


    Chapter 0009 Damien


    I sigh as I leave the house and make my way across the grounds, preparing myself for the worst. I hadn''t been called in since the incident with Kade.


    As I approach, children are already leaving the small school, but the session wasn''t over yet.


    The teacher greets me at the door, her face etched in concern. She gestures for me to follow her. Before she even points her out, I see Dottie''s trainers sticking out from under a desk.


    "I can''t get through to her." The teacher tells me in a whisper. "She is inconsble."


    I hear Dottie''s little whimpers and snuffles telling me she has a snotty nose. "How long has she been like this?" "The tears have been on and off since her arrival. I will be outside if you need me."


    "Dottie,e out."


    Her toes twitch, but she doesn''t move.


    "Dottie, I can move the desk, but I want you toe out and talk to me." The snuffles continue, yet she doesn''t speak.


    Squatting down to the floor, I see she is hugging her teddy bear tightly. Her bright green eyesced with tears. Red, puffy cheeks shine from where she had been rubbing them.


    "Dottie?"


    "Daddy''s in trouble!" She croaks as the tears break free.


    "Brax?"Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Her eyes drift to her feet. "A fire and scary water."


    "Come here," I pull her out and wrap my arms around her. I couldn''t tell her that Brax would be fine, not when I didn''t know what was happening.


    "I think... I think Daddy is going to die." She chokes as she hugs me.


    "How do you know?"


    She shrugs and scrunches her face. "He said he loved me and to be good."


    "You heard him?" I was confused; she was so young, but then again, he was her birth father, and Hunters had abilities that others didn''t.


    "Uh-huh."


    I couldn''t link Brax. He refused to be a part of the pack. That made him unreachable by anything other than a phone. "Have you tried talking to him?"


    She nods.


    "He hasn''t said anything else?"


    She shakes her head.


    "He told you there was a fire?"


    "No." She whimpers, her eyes hovering on mine, "I felt it."


    What did that mean? How could she feel something that was happening hundreds of miles away?


    "When did you hear him?"


    "Breakfast." It exined why she suddenly wasn''t hungry anymore and why she asked to walk to school alone.


    "Is he with us?"


    She shrugs.


    "Let''s go and see Neah and Dane in the new packhouse." I smile at her.


    "I''m in trouble?"


    "No, of course not. I just want you to tell them what you have told me. Can you do that?"


    "Yes, Daddy."


    We walk across the grounds to the pack house. Dottie clings to me the entire way, refusing to let me put her down. I could feel her fear and her worry. It radiates off of her in ways that you don''t usually feel from other children. I was sure she hadn''t even discovered her full range of abilities, at the same time, she still had a long way to go before she gained her Wolf.


    I step into the packhouse, and Dottie finally rxes enough to look around. "Wow!"


    Evrin and Logane charging out of one of the side doors, crashing into my legs as Dane appears. "Boys, try not to knock him over." He pulls Logan from my leg and swings him up onto his shoulders. "If you are looking for Samara, she is in there with Neah." He nods at the office.


    "Actually, we need to talk to both of you."


    His eyes shift to Dottie. "She might be a while. Can you tell me?"


    Dottie nods as I lower her to her feet. "Daddy is in trouble. I think he is going to die."


    "Brax," I add when Dane cocks a brow at me.


    "Let''s get some ice cream." Dane winks at her, and Dottie and Evrin chase him to the kitchen as I nce at the office door. I hoped they were working things out.

 Chapter 0010

    ?


    Chapter 0010


    In the kitchen, Dottie tells Dane what she told me as she waits patiently for her bowl of ice cream.


    "Do you know where he is now?" Dane asks when he thinks she has finished.


    She closes her eyes. Her longshes fan out across the tops of her cheeks. "It''s dark. He needs to turn on a light.


    I think... I think Daddy is hiding." She shakes her head and presses her hands to her temples. "It hurts."


    "You can see his soul?" Dane asks in confusion. "From here?"


    She shrugs and shakes her head. "A feeling."


    Danes eyes move to me. I didn''t have an answer. It was the first time I had heard of it, but then again, she did have a bad feeling about Raven at the end.


    "Is he still with us?" I ask Dane. "You said they were together. I will link him."


    He holds a hand up to me as a strange ze appears in his crimson eyes. A range of expressions from concern to annoyance to anger flicker across his face.


    "He''s mad," Dottie whispers to me. She shoves a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth as she quietly watches Dane.


    "They are alive." Dane finally announces. "They got out before the fire could take hold. Brax, us and his mate, Xavi." His eyes settle on mine. "Ss''s mate, Indy and her friend."


    "Really?" Dottie asks. "They found her Ss''s friend?"


    Dane nods. "And they escaped into the sea."


    "Deepwater," Dottie mutters.


    Dane smiles, "They are hiding in a cove and waiting for the sea to die down so they can return here. We need to be ready for what follows them."


    "What about?" I didn''t want to say her name in front of Dottie. As requested by Neah, I hadn''t told Samara about her mother. I needed to know more before she knew the truth, and I didn''t want Dottie telling her.


    "I don''t know. us said there was an incident. He wouldn''t tell me more than that."


    "Daddy is going to be okay?" Dottie asks.


    "I won''t make that promise to you, Dorothy," Dane tells her with a small smile. "All I know is that he is okay at this moment. And he will be home as soon as he can."Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She nods and shoves more of the melted ice cream in her mouth. "I''m sorry everyone had to leave school."


    "It''s okay." I kiss the top of her head, and she smiles at me.


    "Can I y with the boys?" She asks hopefully.


    "Sure," Dane tells her and helps the boys down out of their chairs. They eagerly follow Dottie from the room, giggling as they chase her.


    "What are you not telling me?" I ask when it is just the two of us.


    "Indy is a half-breed. Half Wolf, half Witch that Ss mentioned. But she and Brax have blood-tied themselves to one another."


    "Blood tie? What about Maddie? You said Indy is Ss''s true mate."


    He frowns. "I don''t know. Maddie doesn''t deserve this, but there must be a reason they did it."


    "That doesn''t make any sense, why would he blood-tie himself to a Witch? After all the shit with Cooper and now


    Thalia."


    "Your guess is as good as mine as to why. We both know Brax likes to work on his own terms."


    I nce at the door where Dottie had left with the boys. "What do you think she meant by Brax turning on a light? Is this woman a threat?"


    "She is not the same person as Thalia, and it sounds like she has been helping them." He shakes his head." Dottie said something simr to Ss. She might be talking about something different, but like I said, we need to prepare ourselves. This might be the thing that brings Serkan out of hiding."

 Chapter 0011

    ?


    Chapter 0011


    Brax


    We watch Indy as she stands at the edge of the cove. Waterps around her ankles as she inhales.


    "I can''t do this. I wasn''t made to do this."


    "Try and concentrate," us mutters while frowning at Xavi.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    "I know you mean well, but telling someone to concentrate really does not help them concentrate." She curls her


    hands up into fists and stares out at the water. "Are you even sure it was me?"


    "It only slowed when you were standing in the window. It didn''t do that for anyone else."


    "And it rose to catch you," us adds.


    "It did?" She sounded sceptical.


    "Indy, you can do this. Just like when the walls were going to crush us."


    "No pressure." She blows out her cheeks. "You want the sea to retreat, right?"


    *Just enough so we can get around the side of the cliff."


    She holds out a hand and beckons for me toe forward. ''Maybe the bond will help.'' She links me.


    Stepping into the water, I grab her outstretched hand. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes. Nothing happens at first. As the minutes passed, I wondered if I had been wrong; maybe she hadn''t stopped the crashing waves, but that would mean someone else had.


    I was about to drop her hand when the sea began to retreat from around my ankles, pulling back on itself as though it was being sucked out.


    Looking at Indy, I see that her golden eyes are wide with a slight ze present. Her brow creased up in concentration. Her soul is incredibly bright to look at, as though someone had just switched on their Christmas lights.


    Souls were bing more and more unpredictable.


    The water continues to pull back until there is a gap of a couple of metres around the edge of the cliff.


    "We need to move," us mutters as he steps onto the wet sand.


    Xavi nces at Indy as he trots past. Orion stares at her in frustration but follows the others.


    ''Keep doing what you are doing.'' I mutter to Indy, ''I will guide you out of here.''


    Tugging her forward, her footsteps are heavy, and she sways a little as though she is drunk.


    We hurry along the sand, keeping as close to the cliff as possible. Looking back, I already see the water is starting to break free, smashing up against the cliff as though it was angrier than before.


    "Indy, we have to move."


    She doesn''t respond and appears to bepletely zoned out.


    The water wasing in faster and faster. If we didn''t move, we were going to be stranded. Pulling her on my shoulder, she hangs there like a rag doll as I quicken my pace and finally, I see our way out.


    Climbing up the sand bank, I put Indy on her feet, steadying her just as the wavespletely break free, crashing around the edge of the cliffs and sending a spray over us.


    "I did it?" Indy asks as she rubs her eyes. "We are free?"


    "Not yet. We still need to make it to ck Shadow."


    She nods and looks around. "Where are the others?"


    "Good question."


    We were alone, standing at the bottom of the cliff that leads up to the Witch. Thalia must be pissed, or she was confident we didn''t survive. I can''t wait to see her face when she sees we are fine.


    Indy''s hand tightens around my wrist as a van approaches.


    "It''s okay, us is driving."


    Her grip on me loosens as she sighs. "Good, because I''m not going back to that Witch ever again."


    "You may not, but she ising for us."


    "Are you certain?"


    "We just royally fucked her off. The moment she realises that we are alive, she is going toe looking for us."


    She nces up at the cliff top. "I wish we could have helped Amy."


    I cock a brow at her, "She pushed you, and you still want to help her?"


    "She was confused and angry. We don''t know when shest got to see someone that wasn''t Thalia. You saw what Thalia did to all those people. You''ve seen what she has done to Ss. All the crap has probably made Amy be like this."


    "How can you be so forgiving?"


    "If I believed everyone was as bad as you make them out to be, it wouldn''t be worth living. I have to have some hope." She gives me a smile as the van stops a few metres from us. "Otherwise, the world is just dark."


    Orion slides back the door and holds a hand out for Indy. He hadn''t looked at her the same since he had learned what she was capable of. She thanks him and takes a seat, "Coming?"


    I climb in after her, and she shuffles over, making room for me.


    "Let''s go." us snaps, tuming the van around and speeding us away from the madhouse.


    Indy sleeps a lot on the way to ck Shadow while Orion, us and I take turns driving. Xavi watches Indy with interest. It wasn''t quite the same look as before. He was more rxed, and now, it appeared he was curious.


    "He''s confused," us tells me when Xavi finally switches off.


    "Because of the Witch thing?"


    "He''s a lot like you. Act first, thinkter." He smirks, "But he was also raised like you. He is a Witch Hunter, his job is to snuff out Witches. Every single one he hase across has been like Thalia, and Indy is different from what he is used to."


    "I get it. It''s the equivalent of me epting some Lycans."


    "Exactly. Give him a break. He has been stuck in Wolf form for a long time. His hatred has grown over that time." "What about you? You haven''t exactly had good experiences with Witches." I ask


    "I grew up not knowing what I was, never understanding why I didn''t fit in. But I guess that helped me look at the good and bad in people. People like Thalia and Cooper are just dark all the way through. However, there are others that fight between doing the right thing for others or the right thing for themselves."


    "Point taken."


    "And Indy has done the right thing over and over."


    I nce over my shoulder at her. She has curled herself up into a ball as Orion drapes a nket over her.


    "Her soul is bright. Like the brightest I have seen in a long time. But when she was focussed, the brightness became like nothing I have ever seen." I tell Brax.


    "There were no clouds." He mutters


    "What?"


    "Magic leaves behind a trail, well, that''s what Xavi told me. I learned to see it. The river outside White Cliffs could be crossed, but you had to find the remnants of magic. Amy''s prison cell was cloaked in it. Above White Cliffs, it


    was dark."


    "Okay."


    "Indy doesn''t have that. There were no traces of magic left with the sea. There were no traces when she ripped a hole in the stone wall."


    "What does that mean?"


    He shrugs at me. "I''m still trying to figure it out."


    "Maybe now that we are all in one ce. We can figure it out together. We are here."


    "Where?" Indy mumbles sleepily.


    "ck Shadow."

 Chapter 0012

    ?


    Chapter 0012


    Neah


    "They are here?" I ask as the boys climb off of me. "They made it back with no problems?"


    Dane nods with a smile, which quickly fades. "us told me that the ride was simple. No issues."


    "And you don''t like that, do you?" I ask as I watch him.


    He leans down and presses his lips to my cheek. "When a lot has happened, it''s hard to imagine anything can be simple."


    "Do they know if they were followed?"


    He shakes his head. "Time will tell. Now, are you going to tell me what you and Samara discussed, or do I need to go looking inside that brain of yours," he mutters as he pulls me up from the chair.


    "I will tell youter."


    The boys run around us as Dane pushes the pram. He keeps ncing at me with a raised eyebrow as I try not tough at him. "You think this is funny? They need to make these things easier for taller men.


    He is hunched over as he pushes the girls. Hisrge frame made him look as though he was pushing a children''s toy pram.


    I shake my head and smile. "Shouldn''t we have left them with someone? You said that us and Brax were not alone."


    "Do you think Brax would risk bringing them here if he thought it was going to be a problem?"


    "I guess not..." I trail off as I see the van lights creeping towards the gates. I had missed us. Even though he often did other things in the pack, it didn''t feel right without him here. Apart from Dane, he was one of the first men that had gained my trust.


    The vanes to a stop, and us jumps out with a big smile on his face. His eyes settled on mine, and already, I could see something had changed. For one, he had cut off his long hair, but his presence just seemed... different.


    Brax is next to get out and slides the van door open. A white Wolf leaps out, followed by a man with deep blue eyes. Brax turns back to the van, holding his hand out for someone else. The woman, who was Ss''s true mate, climbs out and keeps her face turned down. Her hair is whiter than paper. I had never seen that on a Wolf.


    "Congrats," Brax mutters, eyeballing the girls as the boys throw themselves at us. "They are going to keep you busy."


    The three strangers hold themselves back, watching us with a mix of concern and worry, especially the woman with white hair. She couldn''t take her eyes off Dane.


    "Neah, this is Xavi. My mate." us introduces the white Wolf. "Thalia cursed him years ago; he is trapped this way."


    "He is also a Witch Hunter," Brax adds.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "This is Orion. He is unable to speak. Thalia cut out his tongue." us continues, ignoring Brax. "And this is Indy." The half Witch.'' Nyx whispers.


    "It appears Thalia has angered everyone in some way." Dane frowns.


    Indy was still staring at Dane.


    "It''s his twin," Brax mutters as he walks towards her.


    "I know. It''s scary how alike they look," she continues to stare. "I know you are not Ss," she looks around, "Is he here?"


    "Yes," Dane tells her. "Though he is under some sort of spell."


    "I know," she sighs sadly. "I just hoped being away from White Cliffs would somehow break it."


    "He is trying; he knows the truth now, but he does forget."


    Her golden eyes light up as she looks past us. "Ss!" she screeches and charges across the ground, hurling herself at an approaching Ss. Indy leaps into his chest, throwing her arms around him. "Oh, I have missed you so much."


    ''Dane didn''t say Ss can''t remember her.'' Nyx mutters.


    He looks at us with confusion, keeping his arms wide as though he is afraid to touch her.


    "Ss, it''s me, it''s Indy." She tells him


    "You are the half-breed from White Cliffs," he mutters. "You are only a teenager. How did you end up here?"


    That memory charm is some fucking good shit. Nyx sighs.


    Like me, Nyx had been hoping Indy would snap him out of it, but whatever Thalia had done, it was more powerful.


    "Do you see it?" us mutters to his mate, Xavi.


    "See what?" Dane asks.


    us sighs, "The curse on him is strong. A ck cloud hovers above him."

 Chapter 0013

    I look at Ss, who is still standingpletely still as Indy tries to hug the shit out of him. But I see no dark cloud.


    "A dark cloud? You mean like the darkness that can take hold of Lycans?"Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    us shakes his head. "This is different, and ites from dark magic. Xavi has one." He points to the air above him.


    "Going away helped you, didn''t it?" I ask quietly.


    He looks at his new mate, and a smile slowly appears. "It was one of the best things I have ever done." his hand casually runs through the white fur, and Xavi butts his head into us''s leg. "Now we just need to kill the Witch to break the curse." "In the meantime, what do we do about that?" Dane points to Indy and Ss. She was still holding onto him.


    "I''ve got it," Brax scowls. He starts walking towards them but stops and pivots around to face us. "Where''s Madison?"


    "Probably with ir in the gardens," I tell him.


    "Maddie seems to keep ir from getting into trouble."


    He nods and turns back to Indy and Ss.


    "Will you be staying?" I ask us.


    He looks at Xavi, "For now. This curse needs to be broken."


    "She needs to fucking die," Dane growls.


    us rolls his eyes. "Xavi says, in the most glorious way possible."


    "That can be arranged." Dane smiles and winks at me.


    "Indy, you have to let him go." Brax snaps.


    "If I let him go, I might not get to hug him again." Indy cries.


    "What will you do if he recognises you? You are blood-tied to me, so you can''t do anything until we get that taken care of."


    "What?!"


    I spin around to see Maddie and ir. The pain is written all over Maddie''s face. Her eyes widen as her bottom lip quivers, and a tear rolls down her cheek.


    "You blood-tied yourself to someone else?" she croaks as ir drapes an arm over Maddie''s shoulders.


    "Madison, can we go somewhere and talk about this?"


    "You won''t even mark me, and yet you willingly blood-tied yourself to someone. Why would you do that to me, Brax? I thought... I thought we were good now. Is it because she is a Wolf? Do you think she is better than me?" "It''s not like I''ve slept with her." Brax snaps. "You weren''t there, Madison. It was a life-or-death situation."


    She opens her mouth to speak but stops and shakes her head as she slowly backs away.


    "Madison!"


    ir leaves with her, and Brax hurries after them.


    "Yes, whenever Brax is involved, there is always drama," us mutters to Xavi.


    "At least he isn''t killing anyone," Dane mutters with a smirk as I watch Orion drag Indy away from Ss.


    "Yes, twins," us confirms, nodding at Xavi.


    I didn''t like only listening to one side of a conversation, but it must be hard for Xavi to only be able tomunicate with us.


    "Lycans," I add, assuming Xavi was asking about the boys. I nce at my boys, who are casually trying to reach Dane''s pockets, likely looking for snacks.


    Evrin had grown a lot in the past


    week and was now a good few inches taller than his brother. He was definitely developing at a much quicker rate, and he even looked older He didn''t have the little round baby face any more. Yet there are still no signs of Logan shifting.


    It shouldn''t worry me, but it does, especially when I watched Evrin shift almost nightly. Why could one twin shift now while the other can''t? Would Logan have to wait until he was thirteen? "us, why don''t you take the guests to your ce?" Dane suggests.


    Dane waits until they have moved away and wraps his arms around me. "You need to stop worrying. You were the one who told me that it is normal for Lycans to shift at thirteen. Look at them both. Evrin is a miniature version of you..


    velive shifted early. He is just following in his mother''s footsteps."


    "I know, but..."


    "If Logan gets to thirteen and it doesn''t happen, then we will find out why." He presses his lips to my cheek. Confident and unphased. couldn''t put my finger on it, but something just felt off when it came to the boys.


    Mallory called it ''mother''s intuition.''

 Chapter 0014

    Brax


    "Madison, stop!"


    ir shoots a re in my direction. cing her hands on Madison''s shoulders, she stops her from looking back and pushes Madison forward. "Madison!"


    "Fuck off, you traitor." ir snaps as I jog to catch up with them.


    "You are a fine one to talk, and this," I wiggle a finger between me and Madison, "doesn''t concern you,"


    "She is my friend. How could you be so cruel?"


    "You''re asking me why I''m cruel? You must be fucking joking, Lone Wolf?" I spit out the stupid name she once used.


    Her eyes lock on to mine. "Don''t call me that."


    "Isn''t that what they always called you?" I sneer.


    "Let''s go," ir mutters to Madison.


    Madison tries her best to avoid meeting my eyes until I block her path. Her chestnut orbs briefly focus on me and then shift to something behind me. Her face was already blotchy as she tried to hold it together. I was expecting this. No one wants to know their mate has tied themselves to another.


    "ir, piss off and leave us to talk."


    "No chance. Right now, she needs a friend," ir snaps.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I''m pretty sure she wouldn''t be spouting off to me if I had a gun pressed up against her temple. It appears she had be a little toofortable since I had been gone.


    Bare hands could do just as good a job as a gun.


    "Do I need to remind you that you might be ying happy families here, but it doesn''t change what you did to my family."


    "Neah...."


    "Neah isn''t here." I stare her down. "And don''t even try to use the sibling card. I already know which side she will be on." Her face hardens. "You wouldn''t dare."


    "Are you sure you want to pull at that thread?" I muse.


    "Stop. Please stop," Madison whispers. "ir, it''s fine, you can go. I will catch up with youter."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, she is." I snap.


    Madison nods at her. "I will be okay."


    "I will be watching. The front door to Ryken''s is right over there."


    Madison takes a deep breath as ir stomps away, swinging her arms. It was odd to see her care for someone other than herself.


    "You don''t have to be so mean to her. She is trying."


    "Trying with everyone else."I shake my head, "You have to realise I won''t ever be able to forgive her for what she did to my family or the situation she put my kid in. I tolerate her purely because it is what I have been asked to do. But if she crosses that line, there will be no stopping me." She folds her arms across her chest and stares at me for a moment before dropping her gaze. Her red waves fall around her face as she squats to tie up her shoce. "Why did you bind yourself to that woman?"


    "We were in a life and death situation."


    She stands up and bobs her head, "Yeah, you already said that. It doesn''t exin why. Does she not heal? Were you trying to keep her alive?"


    "We were trapped, with walls closing in on us. We were being watched, and we couldn''t discuss anything. The only way was to link one another, which we couldn''t do without the tie. We would have been crushed if I hadn''t calmed her, and it helped her tap into her abilities."


    She nods and looks directly at me, her eyes narrow, "Do you like her?"


    "She''s been very helpful, and her soul is..."


    "That''s not what I asked, Brax. Do you, Abraxas Adler, like her?"


    "She is mated to Ss. You are mated to me."


    "Yet you won''t mark me. I know you are hesitant because I''m a Lycan, and you think you shouldn''t be with me."


    "I haven''t thought that in a long time."


    She rolls her eyes at me. "I don''t think that''s true. You have never considered a blood tie with me, but you did with her, and by the sounds of it, you didn''t even hesitate. I don''t understand why. Did I do something wrong? Are you that angry about my Lycan side? I can''t even shift." Her eyes glisten with tears.


    "It''s not... it was the only thing I could think of. You have not done anything wrong, I promise."


    She shakes her head. "I know you, Brax. You can talk your way out of most things. You have this way with words that either annoy people or somehow make perfect sense. But you haven''t answered the one question I need answering.


    She like you can''t, or maybe you don''t want to answer."


    I frown. "I don''t know anymore."


    Her eyes widen, "What is that supposed to mean?"


    "The blood tie does weird things. I can''t fully exin it. I just know I want to make sure Indy is safe and unhurt. I have a need to protect her from Xavi. I want to know more about her strange bright soul, but if youare asking me if I want to fuck her, the answer is no; that has never crossed my mind. She is not mine. You are."


    "From what I understand, the blood tie didn''t work like that for Neah. So why is it doing it to you?"


    "Neah came from a dark background; it wasn''t ever going to work like that for her. Mine and Indy''s tie was consensual."


    She pulls her shoulders up around her ears. "Are you going to sever the tie?"


    "That''s the n."


    "Then, will you mark me?"


    When I don''t answer, she hits me in the chest and stomps off towards ir, who is happily smirking at me.


    "That looked like it went well," Damien mutters as he walks out of the trees.


    "She''s mad because I blood-tied myself to Ss''s mate."


    "Dane did tell me. Because it''s you, I assume you thought it was your only chance at survival. Though, I am curious what you would have done if you had marked Madison?"


    "I guess we will never know."


    "She has a right to be angry."


    "I know that." I tut. "I see her soul. I know she is hurt and frustrated, but she would be more upset if those walls had crushed us. ir does not help the situation." I see ir hug Madison. They disappear inside the house without so much as a nce in my direction.


    "As much as I agree that ir still has her issues. She won''t change Maddie''s feelings; those were not created by ir."


    I shake my head. I wasn''t discussing this with anyone other than Madison. "What were you doing in the forest?"


    "Helping toy traps. If you go into the forest, I suggest you go no further than a mile, or you might not being back." "Shit''s getting real."


    "Shit has been real for a long time."

 Chapter 0015

    Damien


    "How about a drink?" I mutter as I watch Brax''s gaze drift to Ryken''s ce.


    "Might as well," he tuts, "She''s not going to speak to me for a while."


    He follows me to my ce and settles on the kitchen worktop.


    "Dottie is changing," I mutter as I slide a ss towards Brax. "She''s growing up. Where is she?"


    "At a friend''s house, she will be home soon." I sigh as I stare at him, "It''s more than her growing up, Brax. I know you are a Hunter, and that is what is developing in her. Yet, she always surprises me. Dottie sees things differently from the rest of us; she feels things differently. And a lot happened while you were away."


    He cocks a brow at me. "Has she talked about souls? Can she see them properly?"


    "Not exactly," I shake my head. "It seems like it is more than that. She was the one who figured Ss had another mate that wasn''t Thalia. She knew that his mind was clouded." I pause, weighing up whether I should mention the next bit. "And?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "She heard you! Dottie knew you were trapped by some kind of fire, and she knew you were in the ocean. She said something about turning on a light."


    "A light?"


    "She said something simr to Ss. Is she talking about the darkness that lives within us?"


    He slowly shakes his head, and a crease forms between his eyebrows, "Doubtful, but I did tell her I loved her and to be good for you." He frowns, which matches what Dottie said. "Our chances of survival were limited. I wasn''t sure if she would hear me, but I had to say it anyway."


    "Did you tell her about the fire or the water?"


    He shakes his head


    "Then how did she know?"


    "It''s who she is."


    "That''s your answer? The whole thing sent her into full-blown panic mode. I was called into the school to help while all the other kids were sent home."


    He jumps off the worktop, drags a chair out from the table and slumps down. Drumming his fingers on the wooden table, he stares into space.


    "You were expecting this, weren''t you?" I ask


    "I wasn''t sure what to expect. It


    wasn''t that long ago that I thought I would never see my daughter again, and I''m not talking about being in White Cliffs. But it was bound to happen at some point. Being around all th¨¨se Lycans probably triggered it. Just like it triggered me when I was younger."


    "And yet she doesn''t have a problem with most of us. Is this to do with her mother? You said Dottie''s mother was a Hunter like you, but you never talk about her. Was she the same as you? A Rogue Hunter? Could she see souls like you, or was she more like Dottie? Or was there something else?"


    "It''splicated."


    "Right. And I guess you will not share that information with me either?"


    He ms his lips together, making it clear that he isn''t sharing anything.


    "Brax, I don''t even know the name of your first mate, and Dottie has questions I can''t answer. Answers that only you can give her."


    His hazel eyes flicker up to me. I had touched a nerve, or maybe a little more than a nerve.


    "You can''t ignore it forever. She isn''t a Lycan, and she isn''t a standard Wolf. You are the only one here in this pack who can exin that side of her. You can''t ignore that forever." "Don''t you think I know that?" he frowns.


    "You don''t act like it."


    He rolls his eyes at me. "You don''t get to lecture me."


    "I do when she calls me Daddy!" I snap in irritation. "I invited you here so we could clear the air and find way to help that little girl. But for some reason, when ites to her, you bury your head in the sand."


    "I do not!"


    "Oh really?"


    "I know what I''m doing," he tells me.


    "Is she broken? Is that why you try to stay away from her? You are afraid to lose her."


    He res at me with so much hate.


    "She had a really shitty start to her life, Brax. She has seen things that most don''t see until their teen years. So it would make sense that her soul is cracked."


    "Our souls don''t break."


    "What?" I scoff, "What the hell are you talking about? You have made it quite clear that they do. You have said that too many cracks can tear someone apart, like what almost happened to Neah."

 Chapter 0016

    "Hunters." He sighs, "A Hunter''s soul doesn''t break."


    "How is that even possible?"T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    "It''s the way we are born. Maybe it is why I can see souls so well." He shrugs, "When our own is whole, we see things differently."


    I look over at his ss. He has only had a tiny bit of brandy and slowly swills the liquid around the ss.


    "You didn''t think to tell me this before?" I ask.


    "Would it have changed anything? You care for my daughter, and as much as I don''t like admitting it, I am grateful. You were the Dad she needed when I wasn''t around." He knocks back the rest of his drink.


    "Even if you are grateful, what happens if Serkan or Thalia find out about her? I know Dottie is capable of something more. I feel it in my bones. She is powerful in her own right, and that means she could be useful to them. We already know Cooper got to Kade. We don''t need the same thing happening to Dottie."


    "They won''t touch her if they know what''s good for them. Besides, they want Neah."


    "What better way to go after someone than to hurt the children Neah holds close to her heart?"


    "They can try." He sneers and taps his empty ss on the table, lost in thought.


    "Is it Dottie''s mother?" I try again, eager for answers. "Just give me a yes or a no. I can do my own research."


    He dips his chin.


    "And I guess Dottie''s mother is why you won''t mark Maddie! It''s not anything to do with her being a Lycan, is it?" I press.


    Annoyance shes in his eyes.


    "You told me to let go of Raven, to let myself be happy with Samara. Why can''t you do the same?"


    "It''s not that easy." He spits through gritted teeth. "She was a big part of my life and gave me a beautiful daughter. I promised to love her until the day I die."


    "You can''t move on because you haven''t grieved for her." I stare at him in surprise. He was big on letting people ept death. He encouraged people to grieve, yet he hadn''t, and it had been years since her death.


    He gets to his feet, "Thanks for the drink."


    "You''re not going to talk about her or Dottie, are you? It could be important given what is going on."


    "What do you think? Now tell me, where can I find my daughter?"


    I let him know where she is, and he nods as he struts out of the kitchen, mming the door behind him.


    The Hunter, aware of others'' souls, couldn''t see that this was holding him back.


    "Hey?" Ss mutters as he slowly opens the door, "Can Ie in?"


    I wave him forward.


    "I didn''t want to walk in on anything again." He mutters as he waits.


    "You''re in luck, I''m alone."


    "Good." He takes the chair Brax had been sitting in and groans.


    "Indy?" I mutter. I had seen the white-haired woman hugging him but had kept my distance.


    "Dane asked me to meet him at the gates, and the one with white hairunched herself at me. She wouldn''t let go, clinging to me like glue while telling me repeatedly that she was so happy to see me, her mate." He frowns.


    "That''s because she is your real mate."


    He doesn''t answer and stares at me. Slowly, he closes his eyes, "Not Thalia."


    "No. That was Indy, the half Wolf- half Witch you spoke of."


    "She''s a teenager."


    "Is that how you see her?" From my position, she looked to be in her mid-twenties.


    "She like fourteen or fifteen." He shakes his head in disgust, "Why would I be mated to a minor?"


    "She''s not that young. I think this is part of the spell. Designed to stop you from wanting to go to her."


    He props his elbows on the table and you thes his face in his hands.


    He mumbles. Content bohat < she was hurt by That


    "She lost you, so I would say, yes, she did get hurt. She probably had to watch you two together, knowing you were right there, in touching distance, with no idea who she was.¡±

 Chapter 0017

    ?Chapter 0017


    Neah


    "You are overthinking again," Dane loops his arms around me to stop me from pacing and presses his lips to my cheek. "Damien and Eric have set traps. Everyone else has been wamed to stay out of the forest, or if they do go in, to go no further than a mile."


    "You can''t smell them," I mutter. "The Wolves cannot smell the Lycans. Then there are the new arrivals."


    I knew I was more jittery than usual, just like after the boys had been born. It is a feeling that is hard to describe but makes you feel constantly on edge, as though there is a threat around every corner. It passes eventually, well, it did with the boys. Now I worried about other things with them.


    Dane''s arms tighten around me as I nce over to our sleeping girls. They looked so tiny and fragile.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Dane''s lips linger over my mark, his breath teasing my skin as he asks, "Do you trust Brax, and do you trust us?"


    I close my eyes, lean back on his chest and sigh, "It''s not about whether I trust them."


    "I agree."


    I turn in his arms to look at him, not understanding why he would ask me if I trusted them. "Who do you think I trusted when I walked into Moonshine?" he asks.


    "Eric and Jenson," I mutter. They were the ones who were there with him when he came to collect me.


    He smirks at me. "Eric, yes. But not Jenson; I merely took him along to keep him out of trouble here." He rolls his eyes. "The only person I truly trusted was myself. That is why I came alone on my first visit. Yes, I listened to others, but other than that, I didn''t trust anybody other than Eric. Now, I have added a few more to my inner circle. Damien and you. What does that tell you?"


    "That you have a hard time trusting anyone," I snort, making him smile.


    "You could say that, but I believe it has done me well all these years. It''s kept the pack strong."


    "There is still a war looming," I mutter. It was obvious Thalia was going toe here. "She can''t win."


    "She won''t."


    You need to start finding your faith, Nyx murmurs. We haven''t lost yet.


    "You are always so certain," I mumble, answering both Dane and Nyx.


    Pulling away, I go to check on our sleeping daughters. He pulls me back into him and cups my face, locking his eyes on mine, "I believe in you." He looks behind me, "The girls are fine; I can hear them breathing, I can hear their hearts, and I know you can as well. Now I need to know what happened with Samara. You haven''t mentioned one word about it, and Nyx is keeping me out."


    "She has agreed to be my Beta, but only for the stuff with White Cliffs. She doesn''t want the rest of it, even though Dakota is telling her to do it."


    He nods at me, but a frown appears.


    "She thinks it''s a mistake," I tell him.


    "Fighting with White Cliffs?"


    "No," I shake my head. "That she is being offered this role. I get it. She... her history makes her feel differently. I tried telling her that I was the same and denied it. She said she thought we were cursed. Me being raised the way I was, and her being raised the way she was." "Cursed?"


    I nod, "She called it ''The Kitson Curse."


    Moving away from me, he sits on the edge of the bed, "What do you believe?"


    Ishrug.


    "Neah, talk to me."


    I nce over to the girls, "I wondered if she was right. Aldous Kitson was a leader of a great war. But besides him, no other Kitson was recognised until I came along. us managed to do a family tree that matched the one in that book I found, but none of the other names are known."


    "That doesn''t mean..."


    "Doesn''t it? Don''t you think it''s a bit of a coincidence that both Samara and I have had shitty upbringings, both kept from who we really are. Neither of us knew where we came from, yet I am supposed to be thest fernale Lycan Alpha, and she is my Beta. It is almost like someone was trying to get rid of us the moment we were bom, and when that failed, our identities were wiped..."


    No! Surely it couldn''t tie all to her?


    ''I think you might be right. It all adds up.''


    ''Everything?''


    ''Minus that dickhead, Roan."


    "Neah?" Dane cocks a brow at me.


    "Everything that has happened has been one problem after the other." I stare at him. "Do you think Cassandra knew Thalia?"


    ''I bet she did,'' Nyx grumbles.


    "No, that would have been years ago. It would mean Thalia is a lot older than Ss suggested," Dane scowls.

 Chapter 0018

    "That could be possible, right? Cooper projected himself, us told you that Indy destroyed rock and controlled the ocean. What if she can change her look? What if Thalia was the Witch who bound me when I turned eighteen?" I mutter.


    "Brax did mention that there was no scar visible," he frowns. "But Cassandra and Trey wanted you for different reasons."


    "That doesn''t mean they were not involved. Thalia also knew Cooper. She chose to attach herself to someone who looks like you when she could have chosen anyone. That would mean she would need information from someone to know I''m here. Ss was sent this way to find me. Cassandra could have given her that information."


    "Cooper was after ir," he mutters as he studies me.


    "What if that was something that got out of hand because Samara had started thinking for herself? The very person Cooper was trying to keep from meeting me made her way here. Cooper''s job might have been to keep us apart because together, we are a problem."


    ''I think you are definitely on to something.'' Nyx mutters in excitement, and I briefly feel the pain from my ws at the tips of my fingers.


    "Let''s say you are right. What is Thalia trying to gain out of this?"


    I shrug as I sit in therge chair and pull my legs up under me. "What everyone like that wants, ultimate power." I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and sigh; I was thest female Alpha. Is that what she wanted? Did she want to destroy Lycans?T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    White Cliffs was once a ce that all Lycans went to for refuge, yet others never went to the pack in the North, like Ryken and many who are here.


    My ability to link and request them toe here caused a problem. Cooper couldn''t get more of them into White Cliffs for Thalia.


    "You said us told you that the dead line the streets in White Cliffs?"


    "Apparently,"


    "Lycans, Wolves or something else?"


    "He didn''t rify."


    "Who will be able to give me answers?" I ask.


    "My best guess, Indy." He goes to the closet and pulls out a shirt, "I will go and get her."


    "You are not just going to ask us to send her over?"


    "No, I need him to watch the other two." He leans down and kisses my cheek, "Meet me in the office in ten. I will ask one of the omegas to watch the girls and check in on the boys."


    Dane ushers Indy into the office. Her golden eyes are wide, and she has a hood pulled up over her white hair.


    ''Do you think she believes we are going to kill her?" Nyx muses.


    Dane gestures for her to sit, and her eyes remain on mine as she moves to the chair. "Is this about Ss?"


    "No," Dane tells her.


    "You have questions?" Indy whispers.


    "Can you tell us about the bodies?"


    "Oh," she lowers her gaze. "I thought... us didn''t tell you?"


    "No."


    "They are victims of Serkan and Thalia. Ones that Serkan has fed on, or those that have pissed off Thalia."N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    "Wolves, Lycans or something else?" I ask.


    "Every type. But I guess more are probably Lycans."


    Looks like you were right. Nyx mutters gleefully.


    "They just fill the streets?" Dane asks.


    "The people don''t see it. They walk over them as though the bodies are invisible. Some don''t see that they are trampling their loved ones every day. It''s a sick and twisted game, but


    everything about Thalia is sick and twisted."


    "Don''t we know it," Dane mutters.


    "But you are not under a spell?" I stare at her.


    "When she started controlling Ss, I knew something was happening. I took precautions and made sure she couldn''t get to me."


    "Yet she let you live," Dane states as he watches her.


    "I told the others. I don''t know why. I think secretly, she enjoyed it, knowing I was suffering, knowing that I couldn''t get out no matter how hard I tried."


    "Why didn''t you stop it? You are part Witch? I challenge.


    "Part, being the key word. I''m not strong. I can barely control whatever it is I can do. And I could only do it after Brax tied himself to me. Before that, it only happened once. If I could do something, I would have done it. I want this to end; I just want to be with my mate. And right now, he doesn''t even recognise me."


    "Give it time," Dane tells Indy.


    "It''s been years," she mumbles. "I''m not even sure if it''s possible to kill her. There were two Witch Hunters there, and they couldn''t stop her. I mean this in the nicest possible way, but I don''t think any of you realise how powerful she is."


    "She hasn''t dealt with Neah," Dane muses." And she hasn''te face to face with my pack."

 Chapter 0019

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    Dane


    "I don''t know what that means," Indy mutters. "Is it some kind of threat? Because I''m not going to cause any trouble. I promise." She stares at me with wide eyes, likely regretting the offer ofing here.


    "Hopefully, you won''t have to find out," I tell her.


    Indy nods, her golden eyes settling on Neah, "Honestly, I''m just happy to help. In any way that you need me to. I hate Thalia. I hate everything she has done. All the family and friends I lost... Ss," she shakes her head and frowns. "She makes me sick to my stomach."


    "Ss just needs time," I remind her.


    Indy leans forward, nting her hands on the desk as she studies Neah, "Thalia is out of control. How can someone be that power-obsessed? So obsessed that they don''t care who they hurt or who loses as long as they get exactly what they want. It''s ridiculous... Why can''t everyone just be happy?"


    "White Cliffs was and is shut off from the rest of the world," I scowl. "Battles happen all the time between packs."


    "But to be so focused on the power?" she asks quietly. "What causes that?"


    "It happens," I tell her. "Though some have better ways of handling the power they were given." I nce at my mate, who seems to have lost the ability to converse. Instead, Neah stares back at Indy with curiosity.


    "Everything changed so quickly," Indy sighs. "One minute, White Cliffs was the best ce to be. Next, it was shrouded in darkness, but the others couldn''t see it happening, not like me and Orion. And even he took some convincing to see the truth."


    "You never questioned it before?" I challenge. I didn''t believe that it could suddenly just change overnight. There had to have been something brewing long before.


    She runs her hands through her white hair and slumps back, "If there was, I missed it. Ss and I were..."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "Figuring things out?" I offer.


    "I guess you could say that."


    "Did you ever try to help him see the truth?"


    Indy nods, "For a while, but it got harder and harder to get closer to him. And then Thalia made him see me differently. I was no longer the woman he fell in love with."


    1 feel bad for her.'' Aero mutters. ''It was hard enough when you wouldn''t do anything with Neah, and I had to sit by and watch. But to see her mate, knowing he was in the same pack and unable to do anything for so long, must be hard.''


    "Can you still sense Ss as a mate?"


    Indy shakes her head. "But I won''t give up; we are supposed to be together. I know it! And I believe that once Thalia is dead, everything wille back, just like Xavi''s curse will be broken."


    "Then you should get the blood-tie taken care of. Staying attached to Brax won''t help your situation or his."


    "I know. Is the breaking of it as painful as they say?"


    I nce over to my mate. She had been in pure agony as it worked itself out of her. I don''t think I have ever heard that type of scream from her since. No one could stay in the house for long, me included.


    "Yes."


    She sighs heavily and nods, "Sometimes, we have to endure pain to get what we want."


    I was about to agree when Neah finally asked a question.


    "What about Serkan?"


    "He''s different." Indy closes her eyes, and I see her hands ball up into fists, "If I tell you something, will you at least consider what I say? Every time I have tried before, no one believes me. Everyoneughs, and I get it; they are trapped in their own minds, but I know what I have seen thest few years."


    Neah''s eyebrows shoot up, "What do you see?"


    "I don''t think he is real, or at least not the original Serkan. This one is an imposter, Made to look like the real one." Neah''s eyes sh to me because it is something we have already considered. Neah''s inability to link Serkan or find any connection to him didn''t make sense, especially when he was supposed to be family.


    "He''s odd," Indy continues without noticing the look Neah and I shared. "It probably doesn''t make sense to you guys, but..." she shakes her head. "Do you ever just get a feeling, one that weighs heavy in the pit of your stomach? You know something isn''t right, and you just can''t put your finger on it?"


    ''Far too often,'' Aero mutters.


    I dip my chin in agreement.


    "I don''t know when it happened or when, but I would bet my life on the man not being a Kitson. The man I remember had blue eyes, like yours," Indy mutters to Neah, "Now they are dark, distant, if anything, I would say he had spent to much time in the poppy fields."

 Chapter 0020

    ?


    Neah cocks an eyebrow at me.


    ''It''s another way of suggesting he is high on drugs.'' I link her.


    I didn''t think Neah''s eyebrows could go any higher, but they do.


    "Going Rogue can do that!" I mutter to Indy, remembering what Damien had told me.


    "It''s not just that. The face shape is different," Indy licks her lips. "He never had a beard before, and he has one of those bum chins, you know, with the dip in the middle. Now it''s like the beard is to hide something that isn''t


    there."


    Indy waits for a reaction, but when she doesn''t get one, she continues, "If I had met you years ago, I would know that you were rted; you, Amy and Serkan, but thest time I saw Serkan," she uses her fingers to air quote when she speaks his name. "I don''t even know, gut instinct, I guess."


    "You think Thalia killed him and reced him with someone?" Neah asks.


    Indy nods, "Mad, right!"


    "Maybe not as crazy as you think," I mutter.


    "Everywhere we look, it seems to be full of crazy assed people now, Aero grumbles.


    ''And these all seem to be connected,'' I mutter back.


    Indy locks eyes with Neah, "You are the Lycan Alpha; can you not stop him? At least that would be one problem dealt with."Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Neah''s brow dips as she presses her lips together and slowly shakes her head.


    Indy jumps up, "But you are thest female Alpha. You are supposed to lead the Lycans to a new world. You have to be able to stop him!"


    "Indy," I warn.


    She looks at me and shakes her head. "They heard her. I know they did; it was the only time I saw any form of recognition from them. They went crazy, and then Serkan stopped them from leaving."


    "No," Neah puffs out her cheeks and ttens her hands to the desk. Droplets of blood appeared at the tips of her fingers, a sign her ws were trying toe out. "No," Neah''s voice is low. "The Serkan imposter didn''t stop them. Thalia did." Her eyes are almost dark from Nyx hovering close to the surface, and Indy shuffles behind the chair as Neah''s ws break through the surface of her skin.


    Indy may feelfortable speaking freely, but Neah''s quietness made her nervous and now, she ispletely rattled.


    ''Our mate is angry,'' Aero mutters.


    1 see that."


    "Indy, you can go," I tell her.


    "Back to us''s?"


    "Yes."


    She hurries from the room, and just as I close the door, I see Brax crash through the front door. They really need to sort out their blood-tie before it bes a problem.


    "It is as we suspected," I turn to see Neah with her eyes closed, her head tipped back over the seat while the ws still protrude from the tips of her fingers.


    "Who is he?" she asks quietly.


    "The man that pretends to be Serkan? I don''t know."


    "He can''t just be anyone; he must hold some importance for Thalia to use him. Some connection?"


    I walk around the chair and ce my hands on her tight shoulders. Her eyes slowly opened, but they were still dark.


    "She feels betrayed," Neah mutters.


    "Indy?"


    "Nyx," she tells me.


    Her shoulders rise and fall as she takes deep breaths. Leaning down, I press my lips to hers, tasting the strawberries she had eaten earlier.


    "Indy has done nothing wrong. Why does Nyx have a problem with her?"


    As she opens her eyes, I''m grateful that the usual bright blue has returned. "I need to know if it was Thalia who bound me," she states, ignoring my question.


    "You said you don''t remember meeting a Witch."


    We had discussed this, and while I believed her, I didn''t want her to focus on just that.


    "I don''t, but that doesn''t mean I didn''t. There are still gaps that are not filled in, ones that make no sense, no matter how hard I try." She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she stared at me, and I already knew that tonight, while she slept, I would be digging into her mind to see what I could find.


    Using my thumb, I pull her lip free, "I will see if there is anything else I can get out of Ss, and..."


    We turn to the door as a horrified scream rips through the house.


    Tearing up the stairs, Neah was right behind me. We almost broke down the bedroom door in our hurry, knowing it was where the girls were.


    The Omega, who had been keeping an eye on the pups, stands with her back pressed against the wall, crying as blood pours from her arms. She points to the other side of the room, where two tiny Wolf cubs are getting ready to attack her.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 0021

    ?


    Chapter 0021


    Neah


    ''Is that... Nyx murmurs. ''Are they Wolves?" She sounded just as confused as I did.


    We were certain; everyone was. They were supposed to be Hybrids. But two small ck Wolves stalk towards the Omega, who is whimpering and crying.


    "Girls, stop!" Dane nts himself in front of the Omega while I remain glued to the spot. They weren''t even two weeks old but acted like they had been in the world for months.


    Blood dripped from their faces as their feet stilled. They are quick to bare their teeth and shuffle towards each other, standing shoulder to shoulder. If it weren''t for their eyes, I wouldn''t be able to tell them apart.


    They are identical, even down to the ridge of hair that runs the length of their spine. The longer I looked at them, the more I realised they looked slightly different to other Wolves. Their snouts are a little longer, and their tails are a little shorter. Maybe it was because they were cubs.


    Aderyn''s blue eyes shift to me. Using her shoulder, she nudges Wi, and very slowly, they creep towards me with their heads low as though they know they are in trouble.


    The girls circle my feet and then start pawing at my legs. Nyx is silent, and so is Dane as he watches them. The pawing at my legs became more frantic and desperate. A sudden sharp pain rips through my calf. As I look down, Wi is dragging ws through my flesh, ws that look like they belong to a Lycan.


    "Go get that checked out!" Dane tells the Omega as he creeps forward. His hands wrap around Wi''s middle as he pulls her away. She lets out a tiny cry and squirms about, trying to get free.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    Another cry prates the air as I turn to see Damien pulling Aderyn from me.


    ''Neah,'' Nyx mutters, ''You can''t just stand there; you need to do something.


    I couldn''t move; my legs were heavy, like cement had suddenly been poured over them.


    The girl''s cries grow as the men wrestle to keep them in their hands. I watch Wi squirm, tiny ws digging into Dane''s flesh as she attempts to escape.


    "Wi, stop!" I heard themanding tone of Dane''s voice, but I was still at a loss. I could order Lycans; I wasn''t afraid to rip out someone''s heart. I had ovee so much since meeting Dane, but when it came to my children, sometimes, I was thrown; it was like my brain couldn''t focus or function.


    Wi freezes, and Dane tells Aderyn to stop. I look between the men, trying my best to say something. But I see how the girls hang there, like rag dolls, with pure sadness in their eyes.


    I knew Dane wanted to hug me, but I also knew that the moment he locked his arms around me, I would cry. Not because I was sad or angry but because this was another thing that wasn''t normal. It was like I couldn''t get a moment to think or n.


    "This one is shifting," Damien mutters.


    I turn my gaze to him and watch the fur fade from Aderyn. Her bones don''t crack or make any noise, and in seconds, she returns to being a tiny newbom.


    Damien changes his hold on Aderyn, cradling her with one arm while inspecting her fingers. I looked back at Dane and Wi; she had also shifted.


    ''Their bones,'' Nyx whispers.


    ''Their bones are more flexible when they are babies,'' I manage to mutter back, remembering what Raven had told me when I had been afraid of hurting the boys.


    "They didn''t cry like Evrin did,'' Nyx reminds me.


    ''Yep,'' I pop the p.


    "Neah, it''s fine; the situation has been handled," Dane tries to reassure me.


    Handled, is that what he wanted to call it? Our tiny newborns had attacked an Omega; Wi dragged her ws through my leg. They shifted, and even though they looked simr to Wolves, I knew they weren''t.


    "Aderyn is asleep," Damien tells us and moves to the shelves. I watch him grab a wet wipe and subtly attempt to wipe the blood from her face. They had both feasted on blood.


    "Is Tallen okay?" I force out.


    "She''s fine; she is already at the hospital," Dane replies. I see that concem in his eyes. A look that I hadn''t seen in a long time. The one where he thinks I will run away from my problems. He knew me so well.

 Chapter 0022

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    Chapter 0022


    "I... I need to check on the boys." I hurry from our bedroom and into the boy''s room, grateful to see they are


    asleep. Slowly and silently, I reach up to the top of the door and slide the lock across; resting my head against the wood, I take a few deep breaths, trying to gather my thoughts.


    ''You can''t run away from this,'' Nyx tells me.


    I''m not. I''m just... I need time to think, Nyx. And before you start, I know what you are going to say. They are my children; Dane and I created them, but I can''t think when Dane looks at me like he was just now.''


    ''We can''t abandon them."


    I didn''t say I was going to, did I?'' I snap back as I check on Evrin and Logan. Both are heavily asleep, knees tucked under their bodies, bums stuck up in the air without a care in the world. The girls had shifted before Logan; how was that even possible?


    I drop into the rocking chair and sigh. The girls were already hunting their prey; as they grow older, it will only get worse.


    ''Unless we nip it in the bud,'' Nyx mutters.


    If you are telling me to consider..."


    ''Fuck, no. The girls are ours; there is no way I want them bound. It was hard enough with us.


    ''Good, because that is not an option!'' I snap.


    ''Good!'' Nyx deres, ''I''m d we are on the same page.''


    ''But it doesn''t give me an answer on how to deal with it, I sigh.


    ''Actually... I think we already have our answer.


    "What are you talking about? Are you suggesting I let them stalk someone?''This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    ''No. Aderyn and Wi responded to Dane''s order.''


    ''The boys are the same,'' I mumble.


    ''This was different, they practically went limp.''


    I mull over her words when someone gently knocks on the door, "It''s me," Damien mutters.


    Quietly, I creep across the room, trying not to wake the boys. Usually, the slightest sound stirs them, especially Evrin, but thankfully, neither of them moves.


    I pause at the door and puff out my cheeks. Quietly sliding the lock back, I open the door a little to see Damien leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. Stepping out, I pull the door closed, "No Dane?"


    "He thought it would be best if he kept an eye on the girls. He nces down at my ripped jeans. I had been so busy talking to Nyx that I had forgotten that one leg was in tatters. The blue denim was stained with my blood, yet there was no evidence that I had been injured. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m not sure," I stare at his dark eyes. "Dane called you?"


    "I was on my way over anyway." He smiles at me. "I remember the first time I saw a Lycan. One of Cassandra''s minions, to be precise. I was freaked out for weeks. Learning and knowing that there were other creatures in the world other than asshole Humans was a big shock to the system. I''m pretty sure you felt the same when you saw your first Lycan."


    "It scared the crap out of me," I mumble, remembering how I had tried stacking chairs in front of the office door. "But you already expected to be a Wolf. You already knew that there were more than Humans in the world."


    "I guess. It took you weeks?"


    He gestures to himself, "I may look calm and collected, but that hase with age. Even when I was Human, I was very much ''my way or no way. The idea that there was something more powerful than the bastards I dealt with daily wouldn''t sink in. It was a lot, and then I saw my first Lycan. A monster of a man." He smirks, "I honestly thought I was dreaming and that someone had spiked my drink."


    "Why are you telling me this? You never talk about your time as a Human."


    "Dane said you were internally panicking. I just thought that maybe another perspective might help."


    I nod and fold my arms across my chest. "It''s not that I''m panicking. I can''t make sense of it. First, there is Evrin, and Logan hasn''t evene close to shifting. They are Lycans. Are you still certain that Logan is?"

 Chapter 0023

    ?


    Chapter 0023


    "Yes, his time wille. He is just moreid back than Evrin," he smirks at me. "One was always bound to bezier than the other."


    "Even if that is true, the girls are tiny, and they... why are they already capable of doing that? Tallen had been helping out with the boys for over a year until the house needed rebuilding. They have never hurt her. Why would the girls do this?" I hear the wobble in my voice as I try to make sense of what Dane and I created. Were they going to be worse than Lycans?


    "I can''t answer that. I can make suggestions, but I am not sure if you are ready for that."


    ''I''m all ears,'' Nyx mumbles.


    I close my eyes and nod, wondering how bad it could be.


    "Don''t you think it''s curious?"


    I open my eyes in confusion, "What?"


    "The girls shifted, and even when they were trying to climb up your legs, they barely reached your knee."


    I looked at my ripped jeans; he was right; Wi''s ws hadn''t reached as high as my knee.


    "Curious, don''t you think, when the blood was pouring from Tallen''s arm?"


    Is he trying to tell us that Tallen did this?" Nyx growls.


    "Maybe she was sat down or was on the bed.." I didn''t want to believe she would try and hurt my children, but then, at the same time, I wanted to believe that Aderyn and Wi wouldn''t attack without a reason.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Dane''s first thought, too. The only ce we found blood was on the girl''s faces."


    Nyx growls as my heart pounds against my chest, "You think.... you think she was going to hurt them?*


    "I''ve seen Lycans triggered into shifting. Not as pups, but I''ve seen it happen and always as a result of something they highly dislike."


    "Dane let her walk right out of here!"


    "Do you believe Dane would let her go without someone watching or asking her questions?"


    "Eric?"


    Damien dips his chin as little spikes of pain spark across my fingertips. I was so angry with myself. The twins didn''t go to Dane; they came to me. Dane had positioned himself in front of Tallen; maybe they thought he was on Tallen''s side.


    The girls had been desperately pawing at me, and I had just stood there. I didn''t even try. I had let my pups feel abandoned when they came to me for help.


    "No!" Damien grabs my shoulders, "Don''t you dare start ming yourself. You walked in on an unknown situation. There was blood and two mini-hybrids with an Omega screaming out in pain. Everyone, including Dane and myself, would have jumped to the same conclusion."


    "I''m their mother!" The guilt is eating me alive; my stomach twists and turns as I look towards our bedroom.


    "I''m not biologically Dottie''s Dad, but knowing how Brax is with her, I would say even he misses things. Like you said, you have a son who can already shift. You are constantly waiting for it to happen to the other. There is a threat to the pack; there are new guests. You have just had pups, and things have slipped through. It''s just how life is. We can''t be perfect. We are never designed to be perfect. Life would be boring if we were." He winks at me. I nod as Dane calls for Damien, and Damien gestures to me to lead the way.


    I take the few steps to our room and push open the door. Dane sits in therge chair, cradling the girls against his


    bare chest. His crimson eyes lock with mine. "I have had news."


    "From Eric?"


    He dips his chin as his hands make small circles on the girls'' backs.


    "Tallen was going to take one."


    ''What!'' Nyx roars.


    I stared at him; the thought of losing one of my children made me sick to my stomach. I couldn''t imagine anything worse.


    "Please tell me that this has nothing to do with Thalia?"


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 Chapter 0024

    ?


    Chapter 0024


    Dane


    "She is babbling a lot of shit," I tell her. "Eric only managed to get a little information; the rest makes little to no sense."


    "What does that mean?" Neah frowns.


    "It means she isn''t giving us what we need. Eric says he has never seen Tallen like this before. Confused, disorientated. She can''t even tell him what happened here."


    ''Bullshit!'' Aero growls.


    We won''t know more until we can talk to her, but we can''t leave the girls unattended.


    "Is this definitely Thalia?" Neah asks me again.


    "Possibly."


    "But how? Tallen is here, in the pack. Thalia is far away. How can that be possible?"


    ''We don''t know that Thalia is far away,'' Aero mumbles. ''And Serkan is still somewhere.''


    "Tallen loves the boys," Neah scowls, folding her arms tightly across her chest and almost hugging herself. "She''s been a part of Evrin and Logan''s lives when we had things going on. She worked in the old pack house and this one. She helps Mallory and Eric out with Luca. Tallen helps at the school with the children."


    I could hear the disbelief in her words.


    Neah runs her thumbs across the tips of her fingers, a sign that the ws are ready and waiting toe out. She''s never hurt the boys, ever. But the girl''s..." Her eyes settle on the sleeping twins on my chest. "They were afraid, and I..."


    "Damien," I mutter, getting to my feet. "Do you think you can handle the girls and keep an eye on the boys while they sleep?" As much as the girls needed me, my mate did too.


    "Do you mind if I ask Samara toe and help?" Damien asks.


    I dip my chin and pass the sleeping girls to him. It looks odd watching him cradle tiny beings, even though I have seen him cradle the boys when they were young, though it will be good practice for his own.


    Damien sits by the window as I grab Neah''s elbow and tug her from the room. She hadn''t touched the girls since we found them trying to attack Tallen, but it wasn''t because she feared them.


    The instinct to protect them was present; I could feel it, but I also remember how Neah felt when she first discovered she was a Lycan.


    ''She thinks she has created monsters,'' Aero sighs.


    "Are they okay?" Neah quietly asks as I pull the door behind us closed.


    "They are, but you''re not. You are worrying that this has something to do with Thalia, so you don''t have to deal with what you are feeling. I get it. I''ve watched you deal with new information constantly, but this is different."


    Neah leans into my chest, her arms sliding around my waist as she sighs. "They are not Wolves, and they are not Lycans."


    "That is not what is bothering you, I saw what you saw, but we always expected the girls to be different," I remind her. "And if they weren''t, this scenario could be very different now. We could be looking for a missing pup or a dead one. Instead, both girls are healthy and fast asleep."This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Her head nods, but she isn''t convinced as she nces at the closed door. "They are younger than Evrin when he first shifted."


    ''Is she rejecting our pups?'' Aero asks


    ''No, she feels she hasn''t done enough to protect them. She feels like she has failed as a mother." Her feelings of sadness and failure run through me like a cold de.


    I had felt a lot of things in the years Neah and I have been connected, but this was different. My words wouldn''t be enough, but maybe killing someone for revenge would be.


    "Damien will watch the children. Will youe with me to speak to Tallen?"


    "Yes." It was more of an obligatory answer than a desire to want toe.


    Neah lets me hold her hands as we walk across the grounds. She screws her face up, "Are we not going to the hospital?"


    "No."


    We walk past a few of the wooden houses that sit out by the edge of the forest, and I see her look of confusion as we step into the trees.


    "She never went to get her arm looked at. Eric followed her out here and chained her to a tree."


    Neah doesn''t respond. Her hand remains tightly locked with mine as we make our way through the trees.


    She suddenly stops and tugs me back. "You said there are traps!"

 Chapter 0025

    ?


    Chapter 0025


    "There are, but we are not close yet."


    "If this were always her nned escape route, she would have killed herself and whoever she took," Neah murmursThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    I didn''t answer her because that thought had already crossed my mind.


    It''s not long before singing fills our ears-bad singing, like a cat being swung around in a sack. Neah drops my hand to cover her ears, wincing at the sound as we head toward the noise.


    "Will you be quiet!" Eric yells at Tallen, but it just makes Tallen burst into a chorus of another song.


    "Tallen!" Eric roars at her. The forest is quiet for a moment before Tallen starts singing the nursery rhyme "The Wheels on the Bus.'' What was wrong with her? She hated nursery rhymes.


    "Tallen, what the fuck!" Eric yells. "Stop it. Stop, you are hurting yourself!"


    I drop Neah''s hand and run to Eric. A chain is looped around Tallen''s waist, tying her to the trunk of a tree, but her hands are free, and she is digging her nails into her face, splitting the flesh apart andughing like a maniac at the blood.


    "Tallen, stop!" I ordered, but she continued as though the order didn''t affect her.


    "I failed. I failed. I failed." She grins at me as she shreds her cheeks. "I failed. I failed. I failed. Now I die. Now I die. Now I die."


    "Why were you going to take my pup?" I demand.


    Tallen smiles and leans forward on the chain, giggling as she foams at the mouth, "A secret surprise."


    She suddenly pops her head up, and all theughter and songs are long gone. Instead of bright, caring eyes, I see lc ones full of hatred, just like us described when he told me about Thalia.


    "Thalia?" I growl through gritted teeth, praying that Neah would stay back.


    Her lc eyes lock with mine. "This is very much Tallen''s body, but it was so easy to get into her mind, Alpha Dane."


    "Tallen is a Wolf!" I growl. "Not a fucking Witch!"


    "Yes, she is a Wolf, isn''t she? But she is a weak one. Though it would seem our bloodlines are connected." She smiles at me, "Poor little thing. I bet thest thing she expected was me to slip into her mind and be my little puppet."


    "I will kill you."


    "You would be killing Tallen, Alpha Dane, not me, for I am far away, where you cannot reach me. Tell me, how is Ss? I do miss him."


    "He knows the truth."


    "And yet he is uncertain." She smiles smugly as white foam appears at theers of her mouth.


    "You are fucked up!"


    "Now, now, Alpha Dane, that isn''t very nice."


    "You Witches are all the fucking same," I growl.


    ''Madame Curie was alright,'' Aero mutters.


    "Are we, Alpha Dane? Or are we just fed up of living the same shit lives over and over where Lycans and Wolves get to have control?"


    "You are doing this to get control? Really? You think people will want to follow this?" I gesture to her as Eric snorts.


    "They just need to understand." She res at me.


    "And you are going to force them into understanding? I know what you have done in White Cliffs, Witch."


    "Quite clever, don''t you think? Your little crew almost ruined my ns, but s, their bodies were lost to the ocean. Three Hunters in one strategically nned move, rather brilliant, don''t you think?" The white foam dribbles down her chin as she speaks.


    She didn''t know that they were alive.


    I hear the quiet steps of my mate as she steps forward.


    "Ah, little princess, it has been a long time since I have seen you," Thalia muses as her eyes find my mate.


    I half expected Neah to attack her, to drive her ws into the Witch''s cold, evil heart, but Neah stayed silent, her eyes flickering between blue and ck as she assessed the situation.


    ''Kill her? Eric links me.


    ''Not yet; she clearly has something to say,'' I reply.


    "Why?" Neah asks as she res at Thalia.


    "You will have to be more specific, little princess."


    Neah''s hands open and close. She is struggling to keep Nyx contained


    "Why would you try and take a baby? My baby!"


    "The blood of an Alpha is strong."


    "I am thest female Alpha!" Neah''s eyes narrow.


    "Thest female Lycan Alpha, but those girls are not Lycan''s."


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