《The Alpha鈥檚 Contract》 Chapter 0001 Chapter 0001 Neah ¡°Where the fuck is she?¡± I hear the Beta scream. I already knew Beta Kyle was talking about me, the only servant of the house. I groan and get to my feet, grabbing the cleaning basket and taking it with me. The moment Beta Kyle sees me, he strides towards me and his hand slices against my cheek. I don''t make a sound. Years of experience has taught me to keep my mouth shut at all times and only speak when spoken too, even if what they are doing to me hurts. ¡°Alpha Trey and I are expectingpany and you still have not cleaned the office like you were asked.¡± Beta Kyle spits at me I nod my head and my hand tightens on the cleaning basket. If I could just find the courage to swing it at his head. it would make my day. I resisted he was stronger than me and I didn''t need locking up for another week with no food. My stomach already hurt enough. ¡°We are trying to make a good impression on Alpha Dane. Do you not understand how important it is for us to join ourselves with his pack?! I don¡¯t answer, I know it''s a trick, to try and get me to say something so that he can give himself a reason to punish me. I keep my eyes low so that I didn''t have to look at his face. Alpha Dane, I had only ever heard rumours about him. Words exchanged between the other pack members when I was in the room. From what I gathered, he was a ruthless man, a Wolf feared by others. He didn¡¯t mess around and he had thergest pack. ¡°He is the Alpha of ck Shadow, the biggest pack in the world. we need him!¡± Beta Kyle continues. Yet he doesn¡¯t tell me why. We had never been attacked and we had never attacked anyone, so why did we need another pack to help us? He ces his hands on my shoulders, digging his nails into my thinning skin and turns me around, kicking me in the ass as he shoves me towards the office. ¡°Useless fucking Wolf.¡± He mutters as he moves away. Quietly closing the door, I lean back against it, observing the already clean office. There was nothing out of ce, it looked perfectly fine for a meeting with this so-called powerful Alpha Closing my eyes. I slide down to the floor. I hated this house. I thought that when I turned eighteen, I could finally escape, but four yearster, here I still am, a ve in my own home. Doing all the dirty tasks for my brother, Alpha Trey and the pack. While my ex mate, Beta Kyle waltzes around reminding me of how worthless I am. Someone clears their throat and I freeze, I thought I was alone. Leaning forward, I see a handsome man sitting in a chair, just around the corner. A foot propped up on his knee as he nurses a ss of alcohol. His short hair is dark and his eyes are a deep crimson colour, that don¡¯t quite look right. They suddenly shift to me and I throw myself back against the door as my heart pounded ¡°Is this the way you greet all Alpha¡¯s?¡± His deep voice rumbles through the room, there was an edge of amusement to his tone. ¡®I''m sorry.¡± I whisper, getting to my feet. ¡°I... thought I was alone.¡± I had no idea who he was but I could feel the power radiating off of him, even without my Wolf. He doesn''t introduce himself either, why should he? ¡°Come forward.¡± He orders and I already feel a lump forming in my throat. Alpha Trey was going te kill me I step around the corner, doing as I¡¯m told, allowing him to see me properly. I close my eyes, expecting the worst. ¡°You smell funny. Yet you are a Wolf, correct?" I nod, though I couldn''t tell how he was going to react. Mostughed when they found out about me. ¡°I would prefer it if you spoke to me.¡± He growls, ¡°I''m not in the mood to y games.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I whisper. I couldn¡¯t help but think of all the punishments I was going to have to endure. A whipping maybe? Starvation for another week? ¡°Why do you smell strange? And how is it possible for you to not know I was in the room? You should have scented me.¡± ¡°l.....¡± [hated the question ¡°Spit it out, I haven''t got all day!" He takes a swig from his drink. I knew why I couldn''t scent him. I knew why I hadn¡¯t been aware of his presence, but telling people why was not something I ever wanted or liked to do. They never let me tell my side of the story. All they do isugh and mock me. ¡°You should open your eyes when you are talking to someone. It¡¯s rude to not look at them. Has your Alpha not taught you anything?¡± His deep voice sends a shiver through me. Slowly. I open my eyes and lower them, there was no way I was making eye contact. "My Wolf abilities were bound,¡± I mutter. Twice, I wanted to add. Twice my abilities were bound. But he probably wasn''t interested in that part. He leans forward, carefully cing his ss on the small table next to the chair. I could feel him staring at me. ¡°Why would someone do that?¡± If this is the Alpha that my brother is supposed to be meeting with, I knew I could screw everything up for him by saying too much. "It was a punishment.¡± I whisper. It wasn¡¯t far from the entire truth but it was the simplest answer I could give. There''s a twitch in his cheek. Was he angry to hear of such a punishment? Or maybe, just like the others, he was amused by it. I couldn''t tell. The door swings open and my brother screeches at me "Neah, what the fuck are you doing in my office?¡± He turns to the crimson eyed man. ¡°I am so sorry that my sister is bothering you, Alpha Dane.¡± Crap, it was him. My brother spins around, his hand stretching out to hit me. I close my eyes, bracing myself, ready to feel the burn. ¡°I wouldn''t do that if I were you.¡± Alpha Dane¡¯s voice rumbles through the room. Peeking through slits, I see Alpha Dane has risen to his feet, his hand coiled around my brother''s wrist. He was taller than my brother, more muscly too. ¡°Nleah,¡± My name rolls off of his tongue ¡®was kindly showingme to your office, Alpha < Trey, as-you failed to meet me atthe frontef your house like I requested. I was lucky someone was present, at least someone understands the importance of this deal.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.OrgCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. What? I had no idea what he was talking about. And he had no reason to lie for me. My brother res at me, clenching his jaw tight. I was going to pay for thister. I would have to try and steal some food ¡°Go and get Beta Kyle.¡± Alpha Trey seethes. ¡°Tell him that our guest is here.¡± I nod my head and hurry from the room, thest thing I wanted was to be caught between bickering men. ¡°Beta Kyle,¡± I whisper as I enter the dining hall. He instantly res at me with his dark eyes. I had spoken without being spoken to. ¡°Alpha Trey is in the office with Alpha Dane. I was sent to inform you.¡± He ms the newspaper down on the table and res at me as he walks by. ¡°You''re lucky that the Alpha sent you to get me, otherwise you wouldn''t be seeing sunlight for a few days.¡± Pausing behind me, he yanks my head back, locking his fingers in my hair, leaning in close to me, I feel his hot breath on my skin. He doesn¡¯t speak. it was just his way of proving that he could do what he wants when he wants. I try to keep myself busy so I can stay as far away from the office as possible. My peace doesn¡¯tst long when I hear my brother calling out to me. Quietly, I pad towards the office and ster a smile on my face as I open the door. ¡°Neah, go get the champagne and some sses, we are celebrating.¡± I bow my head and hurry to the drinks cab. Quickly finding what my brother has asked for. As I re-enter the office, I can feel Alpha Dane watching my every move, even the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. No one ever watches me this closely. Approaching the small table by Alpha Danes chair, I start to fill the sses. He takes the champagne bottle from me, telling me he is more than capable of filling his own ss. I feel my cheeks me, not from embarrassment, but because I knew that I would-be punished for this. Ix should have been quicker. I should¡± have filed the sses before ¡é> enteritig the office. I should have... Mycrain freezes when I see my brother ring at me. Caftent belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Neah is your sister, correct?¡± Alpha Dane questions my brother. ¡°She is.¡± Alpha Trey mutters with disgust. He looks away from me to focus on the man asking questions. ¡°Why do you treat her like shit?¡± Straight to the point, my brother wouldn''t like that. He only liked sharing information on his terms. No one had spoken to my brother about his treatment of me because everyone.took great joy in beating ? me. I did''t know what todo.I =< couldnt move but I knew I had get out oftthere. If this deal goes-to pot because of me, then that would be rity fault too. Content bngs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Neah was responsible for our parents¡¯ death.¡± Alpha Trey spits I closed my eyes, battling back the tears that were threatening to break free. ¡°Responsible how?¡± Alpha Dane¡¯s voice rumbles through me. He was definitely angry. ¡°She served them Wolfsbane. Chapter 0002 Chapter 0002 Neah, don''t make a sound. Don¡¯t make a sound. I knew Alpha Dane was studying me. They all did; no one could ever quite believe how someone could do something so disgusting as poisoning their own parents. I stood there with my head hanging low, wishing for the ground to open up and swallow me. There were movements around me. He was standing directly in front of me. With a rough finger, he tilted my face up towards his, forcing me to look at him. Slowly, his handtched onto my throat, but he didn¡¯t squeeze. ¡°You poisoned your parents?¡± ¡°I was six,¡± I spluttered. ¡°I just made them lemonade.¡± My voice came out all squeaky as I tried to defend myself. I could barely remember my parents, but I could remember all the guilt I had been made to feel since that day. His crimson eyes shed to my brothers. ¡°Hardly seems fair to me a six-year-old.¡± ¡°A six-year-old should know the difference between nts,¡± Alpha Trey snapped. ¡°Sounds to me like she was set up,¡± Alpha Dane shrugged his shoulders, letting go of my throat. "We all know that standard wolfsbane doesn¡¯t affect us anymore. We evolved from that shit centuries ago.¡± What? What did he mean? Wolfsbane wasn''t lethal. It had been drummed into me since I could walk. ¡°Which only leaves Blood of Wolfsbane,¡± Alpha Dane muttered. ¡°You weren''t there, Alpha Dane,¡± my brother muttered through gritted teeth as his eyes narrowed to slits. ¡°It was wolfsbane.¡± He nodded his head. ¡°You are right. I was not present.¡± Great, now there was someone else who could remind me of something I had done by ident years ago. ¡°But tell me this, where would a six-year-old get Blood of Wolfsbane?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you here to talk about my ve!¡± Alpha Trey spat. ¡°Or what happened to my parents."N?velDrama.Org owns this. Alpha Dane grabbed his leather jacket from the chair. Unlike other alphas, he seemed to dress more casually. A simple ck tee and jeans covered his huge frame. And unlike other alphas, his arms were bare of tattoos; not a single bit of ink poked out anywhere. ¡°You''re right, and now I have a few things to mull over.¡± ¡°I thought we agreed,¡± my brother eximed. ¡°Nothing has been signed. Now I will show myself out.¡± The moment he was out of the office, both my brother and Beta Kyle rounded on me. ¡°What the fuck did you say to him?¡± my brother demanded, mming a hand into my stomach. ¡°N-nothing. Well, he just asked me why I smelled funny.¡± ¡°Did you tell him?¡± Beta Kyle demanded. He was practically spitting in my face. I hated him. I hated him so much that I had vowed to one day get my revenge and rip his stomach out through his mouth. ¡°WELL?¡± my brother yelled when I didn''t immediately respond and smacked me across the side of the head. My head involuntarily moved up and down. ¡°But I didn¡¯t say it was you.¡± I tried to sound strong and confident, but it just came out as a whisper. If they weren''t wolves, they probably wouldn¡¯t have heard me. My brother''s hand locked into my ck hair as he yanked my head back, sending shooting pain through my skull. ¡°If you have ruined this, you won''t see daylight again.¡± He dragged me by my hair from the office and down the hallway towards the basement door. ¡°Please...¡± I begged. ¡°He was an alpha... I... I had to answer him.¡± My cheeks burned with my tears as he flung the door open. On the other side of the door was Alpha Dane. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded, staring out at us. My brother''s hand fell from my hair, relieving the pressure on the back of my skull. ¡°Alpha Dane, I thought you had left,¡± Alpha Trey murmured angrily. ¡°I said I would show myself out. I thought I had found the door, but instead, I find a basement, riddled in your sister''s strange scent. Is this how you treat your family? ¡°As I said,¡± my brother held his ground, ¡°She is responsible for the death of my parents, so yes, this is what she deserves.¡± ¡°You should keep your nose out of other packs¡¯ business!¡± Beta Kyle added. Alpha Daneughed. ¡°If I agree to this deal, everything about your business bes my business. So tell me, what would your punishment be for her? No food, locked away for a week, beatings?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t a Really?¡± He cocked a brow, ¡°You really expect me to believe that you would have just let her sleep? I have already stopped you from hitting her once. "His eyes roamed over me. ¡°She is underfed, bags hover under her tired blue eyes. For a sister of an alpha, she is certainly not treated like one. Regardless of what she allegedly did when she was a pup.¡± ¡°She did do it!" Alpha Trey seethed. ¡°And she has nothing to do with our deal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for me to decide.¡± His crimson eyes flickered around the hallway. ¡°Where is your mate? I would be interested to know how she feels about this.¡± I closed my eyes, silently begging my brother not to call his Luna. Luna Cassandra was worse than Beta Kyle and Alpha Trey together. ¡°On second thoughts, why bother her. I''m certain she is just as vile as you.¡± He sneered. I peered through slits to see his crimson eyes on me. There was no reason for him to defend me, and yet he was. I was a nobody, no one special. Just who everyone called a traitor. Only instead of being given a death sentence, my brother had decided to make me spend my life suffering. ¡°I have a proposition for you, Alpha Trey.¡± Alpha Dane was smirking at my brother. ¡°We have already agreed on terms.¡± ¡°Well, I''m adding one. And if you don¡¯t agree, you will not get my help. Instead, you will be my enemy. And we both know, you don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°I take it that your new terms have something to do with her?¡± Alpha Trey muttered through clenched teeth. ¡°You would be correct. Let me take her away to my pack, and then you, Trey, will have a deal.¡± Me? Why would he want me? As my brother and his beta discussed me, Alpha Dane was still studying me. His look made me nervous. What could someone like him possibly want with me? ¡°Deal.¡± Alpha Trey stuck out his hand for Alpha Dane to shake. He didn''t take it. Instead, his crimson eyes shifted from me to my brother. ¡°I will have paperwork drawn up and will return tomorrow.¡± He reached a hand out and cupped my face, ¡°Ensure you have everything packed.¡± He dragged his thumb across my bottom lip and strode to the opposite end of the hallway and straight to the front door. He knew exactly where the front door was, so what was he up to? He paused at the door. ¡°If I find out any one of you hasid a hand on her, the contract will be thest thing you need to worry about.¡± He strutted out, mming the door behind him. ¡°Get out of my sight!¡± my brother snapped at me. Hurrying away, I made my way up the stairs and into my tiny bedroom. It was practically empty; the only things I had were a few changes of clothes. It would take me less than a minute to pack. By morning, I hadn''t slept. Alpha Dane¡¯s questions were on repeat, and why was I so interesting to a wolf like him? There was a reason he had the biggest pack. They were known for their fighting abilities; that''s why my brother wanted to link Moonshine with Alpha Dane¡¯s pack, but where did I fit into all this? And what the hell is Blood of Wolfsbane? Chapter 0003 Chapter 0003 Dane ¡°Tenth bride¡¯s the charm.¡± Jenson mocks as the driver pulls up in front of Moonshines packhouse. ¡°Shut up!¡± Eric snaps at him ¡°Both of you shut your fucking mouths. Before you say something you regret! He will never learn.¡¯ My wolf, Aero muses. The driver pulls open the door. ¡°Just give me a second, I need to speak to my men.¡± The door closes and neither one of them speaks. ¡°She isn''t like the others. Don¡¯t speak to her, don¡¯t look at her. And you Jenson, keep your fucking hands to yourself or you might just lose them this time.¡± I was more rattled than usual. Neah was different to the previous selected mates. I didn''t know what it was or whether it was because I was used to confident women, but there was something about her. And Aero appeared to like her too, more than any of the others. I had to have her. ¡°I mean it!¡¯ I snap at Jenson''s smug face, "Being my brother won¡¯t change my mind!¡± He runs his fingers over his lips as though he was zipping them shut. They follow me from the car. Standing in front of the old packhouse, all three of us stare up at it. Because until a month ago, I knew nothing about them and even after my visit, all I had learned was the Alpha is a dick. My knuckles hammer on the door. It''s barely open an inch when I force myself through making his Beta stumble back. I spot her straight away. hiding herself behind a corner. "Are you ready?" I call out. ¡°If you just want to....." Beta Kyle starts. ¡°I was not talking to you. I was speaking to Neah.¡± The expression on Beta Kyle''s face was a picture. His jaw hung open and his eyes are wide. He clearly had never been told what to do, even by his Alpha. Neah steps out from her hiding spot. clutching a barely full carrier bag. She drags her teeth across her bottom lip and nods her head. ¡°Where are the rest of your things? I told you everything needs to be packed¡± ¡°That''s all she has.¡± Trey snorts as he makes his appearance. ¡°That''s it?¡± I stare at him. "That''s all her belongings? She¡¯s what, in her early twenties and that¡¯s all she has?¡± ¡°What more does she need?!" His Beta sneers. Kill him, let me rip out his throat and he will regret the day he crossed us.'' ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± I hear a horrible shrill voice that seems to vibrate through the floors. Looking away from the Beta, I see a woman holding on to a statue of herself that sat at the bottom of the stairs. Her blonde hair hung in waves around her face as her green eyes studied me and she sways her hips as she moves to Trey. I noticed Neah¡¯s reaction yesterday. When I asked Trey where his mate was. Her whole body had tensed up in fear. She was afraid of this woman and I wanted to know why. ¡°Take her Alpha Dane. I''m sure she will be as useful a ve to you as she is to us.¡± Her shrill voice goes straight through me. ¡°Look at the stupid girl, she¡¯s going to pass out.¡± The blonde bimboughs ¡°You don''t get to talk about her like that anymore.¡± I re at the blonde, "She is not your toy. She is not your ve and I suggest that you, Alpha Trey keep your wife in check. There is only so much disobedience that I will tolerate.¡± ¡°DISOBEDIENCE!¡± The woman screeches just as Neah¡¯s ass hits the floor. ¡°How dare you! If anyone is disobedient. it''s that rat in the corner.¡± ¡®Who the fuck is she calling a rat?¡¯ Aero growls ¡°You should make yourself familiar with our agreement.¡± I snap. ¡°It seems your mate has not told you everything.¡± Waving Eric forward, he pulls a thick wad of paper from the folder under his arm. The contract that I have drawn up. ¡°All that for your help?¡± His mate''s eyes are wide ¡°I don¡¯t do half-witted contracts.¡± Taking the contract from Eric, I shove it against Trey¡¯s chest ¡°Shall we go to the office?¡± Trey leads the way with his mate clinging on to him and his Beta hurrying behind. My men follow them while I stay behind to check on my new mate. ¡°You are more than wee to join us, after all, you are involved in this deal. Or my car is outfront, you can take your stuff and wait there for me. ¡°Are those my only options?¡± she whispers, keeping her eyes low ¡°For now. Personally, I think you should sit in with us. It will give me great pleasure in pissing off that mate of your brothers. She keeps her blue eyes low as she continues to clutch that bag of hers. This close to her, I could really see how ill she looked. Even her heart beat is slow, like it''s fighting to hang on to life. ¡°So what will it be? ¡°I...." Her head rotates between the front door and the direction of the office. ¡°I..... The office I guess.¡± ¡°Good choice.¡± I hold out a hand for her but she doesn¡¯t take it. Pushing herself up to her feet. She wobbles a little, but steadies herself. Walking a few steps behind her, I see the evil res she receives from Trey and the other two idiots as she enters the office.. ¡°Take a seat.¡± I whisper as I walk past her. My hand grazes her lower back and she immediately tenses up She stands, frozen to the spot. Only her eyes dart about when she shakes her head. ¡°Sit!¡± I say it a little louder ¡°She doesn''t have that privilege here!¡± The blonde snaps, with her lips curved up in amusement ¡°Sitting is not a privilege.¡± I growl, wondering what else they were forcing her to do. I couldn''t see any bruises on her arms or legs, a good sign, I hoped. It better be!¡¯ Aero paces in my head. He wanted her out of this ce as much as I did The blonde physically recoils in her seat. Her mouth falls wide open, shocked that I had said something. ¡°And I suggest,¡± I look at Trey, ¡°You tell your mate to Keep her mouth shut. Or I can shut it for her.¡± ¡°Alpha Dane, you are in my home ¡°And you want my help, correct?¡± The three of them were fuming. No one liked being told what to do in their own home, yet they were doing just that to Neah. I point to the empty chair between Jenson and Eric and she finally sits down. ¡°Let''s just get this done.¡± Trey snaps, ¡°The sooner she is gone. the happier I can be.¡± ¡°You should read the contract.¡± I muse ¡®I agreed that you could take her as part of our deal.¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Eric murmurs. He knew as well as I did that contracts should be read before they are signed They sign without reading and practically throw the contract back at me. ¡°Done.¡± Trey mutters ¡°Good, you can get her out of my house.¡± Trey¡¯s mate screeches. If I had it my way, I would just take Neah, then I wouldn''t have to put up with the twats, but this way, they can¡¯t have her back. Even if they begged. A contract was a contract and it was impossible for them to get out of. Getting to my feet, I hold a hand out to Neah, ¡°Come, we are leaving this shit hole before I lose my temper.¡± Her warm fingers slip into my hand as she rises t0 her feet. Her other hand clu ches the bag to her chest. as she walks with me to the front= door. she doesn''t even look back to say goodbye and that confirmed everything I needed to know: She Hated them as much as they hated her. She pauses at the open front door, her hand falling from mine. Her blue eyes are wide as she stares at the limo. ¡°Come.¡± I instruct Eric and Jenson are standing behind her, watching her curiously. Is she okay?¡¯ Eric links me. ¡°Neah?" I step in front of her and she doesn¡¯t move. She seems to be staring right through me. ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Her lips barely move She takes a step forward, almost as if she is in slow motion. Her hands grip the dor frame, her knuckles ~ turn whit¨¦ as her heartbeat x Increases. Her lips part a little arid her ¡®band falls from the door frame justas her eyes roll to the pack of h¨¦t head. Content belongs¡®to NovelDrama.Org ¡®I''ve got you.¡± -Nmutter, catching her just before ste hits the floor. Her entire body. tenses up as I lift her and carry hemo the car. She was so weak and was even lignter than. I expedted. She probably didn¡¯tweigh raweh more than a small ofild. Jenson and Eric get in the car first. Jenson cocks his eyebrow at me and has a smirk stered to his face as I slide in with Neah on myp. ¡°Keep your thoughts to yourself, Jenson! I hold her close, listening to her breathe and her heart as it slowed. Letting my fingersb through her dark hair as she bes a little more with it. Suddenly, she sits up right. moving away from me and trying to make herself as small as possible: Deciding not to force her to do anything, I keep my attention on my Beta and my brother, talking about pack stuff while casting a nce over to her every so often to make sure she was alright. ¡°Come.¡± I mutter as the limoes to a stop. I don¡¯t wait for the driver and get out myself, holding a hand out for her. ¡®I''m fine.¡± She speaks atst while ncing at the others and shuffles herself forward to the open door. She stares up at my home, gasping a little. It was easily three times the size of her previous home and I hoped that she would be happy here. That I could provide her with a life that was better than herst. ¡°Let me give you a tour.¡± I suggest as she continues to clutch that carrier bag to her chest. She follows me in, not speaking a word. I had no idea if she was listening to what I was saying or not ¡°The omegas swap out on a rotational basis. Good for the youngsters to learn some responsibilities before they get proper jobs.¡± I tell her while showing her the dining hall with a table long enough to fit twenty people around. We move through to the kitchen. Where I point out a board on the wall. ¡°If there is anything you need, you just add it to the board and it will be ordered in. Her brow furrows and still she says nothingCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Picking up a pen, I smile. Maybe she felt intimidated by me. "So tell me, what do you need because there is no way you are living under my roof with just the things that are in that bag.¡± Her dazzling blue eyes dart around the room ¡°Well?¡± I ask. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything.¡± She whispers Sighing. I start scribbling things down. Underwear, jeans, workout clothes, dresses, shoes, anything I can think of that will cover her for a few days. Holding the pen between my teeth, I grab her around the waist. My thumbs meet just above her belly button and my fingers touch her spine. She was so thin, how was she even alive? Chapter 0004 Chapter 0004 Dane She looked like a deer caught in headlights as I write her size down. She was tinier than I thought. Skin and bone. If I had moved my hands up any higher, I would have felt every rib sticking out. It sickened me, she should be strong, powerful, she had Alpha blood running through her veins. I also saw how she scrunched her face up when I measured her. It wasn¡¯t fear, it was pain. She was hiding something underneath the baggy maids dress. ¡°I know you want to say something, so just say it. I''m not interested in the crap Trey drummed into you. You don''t have to wait until someone asks you a question. You are free to say what you want. Are you injured?" "No." She was lying, I could feel it. She shakes her head as if it would confirm her answer and a lock of her ck hair falls from the band that was supposed to be holding it back. Neah was going to be a tough girl to crack. Alife of being starved had made her quite protective over herself. I will make Trey pay for what he has. done to her. ¡°You have to say something, Neah. I cannot read your mind. When I mark you, at least I will know what you are feeling.¡± ¡°Mark me? I didn''t think her eyes could get any wider. ¡°Yes, I will mark you.¡± She waspletely and utterly shocked by the idea. Her pink lips part a little as she continues to stare at me. I thought she knew. I thought that was why she came so willingly. My Beta had kept asking me if I was certain I wanted her as my bride. There was no doubt about it, she had a strange scent but something was luring me to her. I couldn''t take my eyes off of her when I first saw her. My Wolf Aero was going mad for her too. Though he hadn''t said a word about her. Annoyed with me for not taking her home with us yesterday. ¡°You....You brought me so that you could mark me.¡± She takes a step back, walking into the kitchen ind. She winces a little and quickly covers up her pain, rxing her face.. ¡®If Trey had bothered reading the contract, he would have discovered that you are to be my bride, not a ve. He would also have read that if he or his ridiculously stupid mate tried doing anything to you going forward, that pack would be mine, or rather, yours. I never bought you, Neah, you were always destined to be mine. ¡°I''m a murderer.¡± She gasps. ¡°Why would someone like you want me for a bride?¡± Blood¡¯ Aero growls interrupting my thoughts. I nce down at her baggy dress. A blood stain had appeared right where I had my hands wrapped around her. ¡°What''s that? Are you injured?¡± I demand, I had barely touched her. She covers the stain with her hand. ¡°It''s nothing. It''s just a cut that I keep knocking and it opens up again. I forget it¡¯s there.¡± Forget? How could she forget a wound? ¡®Why isn''t she healing?¡¯ I feel Aero''s panic. ¡®She''s been with us less than two hours and already she has some form of injury.¡¯ His need to protect her was strong It hadn''t urred to me that herck of abilities included not being able to heal. I would have to find someone who could reverse the binding and soon. ¡°Show me! ¡®It''s fine.¡± She mumblesThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . I was already so sick of hearing that phrase. ¡°It''s not optional.¡± I mutter. ¡°If you won''t show me, I will have to find a way to look, myself.¡± Her heart skips a beat. She looks around the kitchen. ¡°Can.... can we go somewhere more private?¡± ¡°Private?¡± I didn¡¯t really do privacy. What Wolf did?! She bobs her head but still keeps her focus slightly off of me. Almost afraid to look me directly in the eyes. Office,¡± Aero mutters. I was just going to suggest that!¡¯ I snap back at my Wolf. I feel his eyes roll as he retreats to some dark corner of my mind. ¡°This way.¡± I gesture to the door. Neah waits for me and follows closely behind. The scent of blood steadily grew stronger. it was more than just a cut. I already knew that. In the office, Lit the remote and the blinds start ko drop, blocking out the sunlight. ¡®Neah hesitates and slowly begins tc t¨¦-unfasten the buttons of the dress but only where thecge blood''stai n was. Keeping everything els? cove ed from me. Content belongs to ? She pulls the dress to one side. The wound was about four inches long and already fairly infected ¡°See, it''s fine.¡± she whispers. ¡°You need to stop saying that. She closes her mouth and starts to fasten the buttons. jo.¡± I grabbed her hands, I had caught sight of another bruise. "Let me see the rest of them.¡± It wasn''t optional. She gasps as my fingers rip apart the rest of the buttons. Her sports bra had seen better days, just the same as her panties. But it was the bruising I was most concerned about. Bruise upon bruise, scars that hade from whips. Her hip bones and ribs stuck out too. Turning her afeund, and pulling the dress from Aer, I find that her back is just the same Yet interestingly, <> there was nothing above her chest and nothing below her thighs. Mer arms.werepletely bare of wounds too. 4 There was only one reason why someone would do that. To either hide what they were doing to . someone, or to keep up x appearances. They didn¡¯t want guests to see. More importantly, theyt didn''t want me to see, censidering the meeting was arranged over a month ago. Content belongs to ~ She fumbles with the dress, pulling it tightly around her thin frame. ¡°You need to see a doctor.¡± ¡°It''s ....." she trails off when she sees the anger on my face. ¡°It always heals, eventually.¡± ¡°Did Trey do this?¡± I mutter with my teeth gritted and gesture to her body She lowers her blue eyes. ¡°Cassandra?¡± She still doesn¡¯t answer me. ¡°That prick that follows Trey around? All three of them?¡± She pulls her dress tighter around her and silently nods. She brings her hand up to her face, brushing her cheek, wiping away an escaped tear. ¡°Anyone else?¡± ¡°The pack.¡± She whispers. I''m going to kill them all.¡¯ Aero growls. He will have to getin line, ¡°Because of what you allegedly did to your parents.¡± She nods. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you were responsible She tilts her head up towards me, her brow knits together as her eyes finally find mine. ¡°Because of Blood of Wolfsbane?" Chapter 0005 Chapter 0005 Neah ¡°I... don¡¯t know what Blood of Wolfsbane is?¡± I whisper He frowns at me. ¡°Your brother said you knew the difference between nts.¡± ¡°I...¡± I didn''t have an answer. I couldn¡¯t remember, not fully. ¡°Blood of Wolfsbane is Wolfsbane fed by our blood. The leaves will have a red hue to them. I can¡¯t imagine a child would know what it is because it is not freely grown. Your brother¡¯s story doesn''t add up.¡± ¡°Oh. ¡°I won''t stop until I find out who did this, Neah.¡± His crimson eyes narrow. ¡°I will make them pay for the suffering you have endured.¡± He sits on the edge of his desk, studying me. ¡°Right now, you do need to see someone about the infection. I kept my mouth closed, I was still trying to process his news of me being set up. Why had my brother never considered it? ¡°Come. I will show you our bedroom. You can shower before we see the pack doctor.¡± Frozen to the spot, I don¡¯t move. Did he just say ¡®our bedroom,¡¯? As in, we are sharing a bedroom? I guess he thinks he can have sex with me whenever he wants if I''m his contract bride. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought. ncing up, I see him watching me. He is stood at the open door, waiting for me. Ensuring my dress has me covered, I step out into the hallway. No one was around and the hallways were quiet. As we moved, Alpha Dane would tell me what each room was, but he seemed more focussed on getting me to the bedroom His bedroom is huge, with massive windows, just like the rest of the house. The bed sat pressed up against the wall. All around it. thin drapes hung from the ceiling, but they were tied back at each bed post. What surprised me the most was that the bath and the shower were in the same room. Only the toilet was in a small room to the side of the shower. No privacy, whatsoever. Though, he didn''t seem to care about that. He makes me jump when I feel his warm breath on my skin. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid. I may not be able to smell him, but he would be able to scent the changes in my emotions. Crossing the room, he pulls open the ss door to the shower and turns it on. The moment he closes the door, the steam of the shower quickly fogs up the ss. And still, I find myself afraid. He gave me no clue as to what he was expecting from me. ¡°Hey,¡± His rough fingers tip my face up. ¡°It''s just you and me and for now, I will let you shower in peace.¡± Walking away, he pulls his phone out of his pocket and messes around with it before cing it on the bedside table. ¡°The rm is set for ten minutes. I wille back then. I will bring you something to wear so just stay in the towel. Understand? He stares at me, waiting for an answer and I just nod. Aten minute shower. I was lucky if I got a minute shower back home and the water was always cold. He moves to the door and with his hand resting on the door knob he looks back over his shoulder at me. ¡°I really wish you would talk more, Neah. Alpha Dane leaves me in peace and I make a mad dash for the shower as if I''m in some kind of fantasynd and this was all a dream. Maybe it was. maybe I was about to wake up in the basement of my home. The smells of the soaps and shampoos are divine as Ither them into myself. And my hair has never felt so clean. The wound on my stomach stung as the hot water hit it, but I didn''t care, it was worth it. Someone in the room clears their throat and I freeze. Thanking the steam for keeping me semi hidden. ¡°Neah, are you done? The rm went off five minutes ago.¡± Alpha Dane¡¯s voice seems louder in here. I had been so caught up in the freedom of a simple shower that I hadn''t even heard the rm or the Alphae back into the room. ¡°Coming.¡± I mutter, turning off the water and pulling a towel around me to hide the hideousness underneath. Stepping out, I already see that my ripped dress, underwear and worn sandals had been removed from the floor. Alpha Dane sits on the end of the bed with what looked like folded clothes on hisp and a pair of trainers. ¡°It''s not much, as we don¡¯t have anyone with as small a waist as you.¡± He smiles as he hands over the clothes. A matching navy blue sweatshirt and joggers. ¡°You will have to make do without the underwear for now. Should be here first thing tomorrow.¡± He watches me with a cocked eyebrow as I pull the joggers on and tug the sweatshirt over my head before removing the towel. Maybe he was used to the women parading themselves in front of him, or throwing themselves at him because he has power, but I wasn''t like that. ¡°Let''s go.¡± He rises to his feet and this time, I follow him. Something told me that if I didn¡¯t get this wound looked at, it would put him in a bad mood. The pack doctor was young, unlike the one back home who was old and afraid to let anyone take over from him She smiles at us as we enter the pack hospital and rewraps her dark hair into a bun. ¡°Raven, this is Neah.¡± Alpha Dane introduces me with a grin I keep my eyes low as I hear Raven say, ¡°Alpha Dane, what seems to be the problem apart from the strange smell she has brought with her. It didn¡¯t sound like a hurtfulment like I was used to, but more ament of curiosity. ¡°She will tell you herself when she finds her tongue.¡± ¡°I have a wound.¡± I whisper. ¡°And you are not healing?¡± Raven asks, confused ¡®I don¡¯t have my Wolf.¡± I hated saying it. It was just a constant reminder that I did not fit in. ¡°Her Wolf was bound when she was a kid.¡± Alpha Dane tells her. ¡°That''s why her scent is strange. Her Wolf is there, locked away, waiting to be freed.¡± My eyes flicker up only to find him staring straight back at me. I had always believed that my Wolf was gone. Not that she was trapped. Raven''s dark eyes hover on me. ¡°Wow, okay.¡± She grabs my hand. ¡°This way, let¡¯s take a look at this wound of yours. She leads me into an empty room and asks me toy on the bed and to show her my wound. Pulling up the sweatshirt, just enough for her to see the wound. Her eyes widen, a flicker of rage passing over them as she takes in the infected wound and the bruising that surrounds it. Her fingers carefully press around the wound. ¡°How long ago?"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°A few days.¡± I mutter, though I wasn¡¯t sure. Every beating blurred into another one. Any day that I wasn¡¯t hit was a good day. Raven shakes her head. ¡°This is longer than a few days ago, the infection has had at least a week to develop. ¡°Neah, you need to tell us the truth.¡± Alpha Dane orders ¡®I don¡¯t know. ¡°NEAH!" His deep voice rumbles through me and I close my eyes, fearing his anger. Anger brought punishment, punishment brought pain ¡°I swear, I don¡¯t know. The beatings, they happen so often that they just kind of.... I''m never not bruised.¡± There''s silence and I was too afraid to open my eyes. Alpha Trey had said it over¡®and over, that if anyone. ielreI out he would make my lifea misery-more than it already was: ¡°I used.te wonder who would ever find outthat didn¡¯t already knowsNow here was, sitting in another pack¡¯s hospital, revealing the truth. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~ ¡°Heal her!¡± Alpha Dane shouts after what seems like forever. He storms from the room, pulling a phone out of his pocket. ¡°You will have to forgive my brother. His temper is short, especially when ites to things like this.¡± Raven mutters as she gently inspects my wound ¡°Your brother?¡± I whisper, opening my eyes ¡°Ah, I see he informed you. I''m guessing he didn¡¯t tell you that Jenson is our brother too?¡± I shake my head, I''m guessing Jenson was one of the men that came to my brother''s house. She chuckles. ¡°Jenson is considered to be our brother''s Gamma.¡± ¡®Gamma?¡¯ I had never heard of the term ¡°Yep and Alpha Dane has a love/hate for me working here. He wants me terepresent our family, but he knows this is what I''m good at.¡± She grabs a pot of cream from the cypboard. ¡°Now this needsto be applied three times a day. It should clear up the infection, if it hasn''t changed i in a couple of days, I will take another look. My brother is waiting for you out front.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Thanks.¡± I mumble, taking the pot of cream from her. I looked at thebel, but couldn¡¯t read it. I had never learned to read. She bobs her head at me as I hurry out to find Alpha Dane on his phone. snapping at someone. He hangs up as soon as he sees me and asks what Raven said. ¡°Cream, three times a day.¡± I show him the pot and he takes it from me. ¡°Good,e.¡± He strides off and I have to run to keep up with him. I follow him through the house and into the office ¡°Show me.¡± He orders. pulling the lid off the pot. It wasn''t going to be negotiable, not when he had used the same tone moments before he ripped my dress open earlier. Slowly lifting may sweatshirt, he crouches down in front of me and gently smothers the wound in the ? cold cream. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to lies to me-Neah. Not ever. If you cati''t remember, that is what you need to telkme. Is that clear? I don¡¯ twant to Have to guess what you mean.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I couldn¡¯t say anything else, I was too focussed on the warmth of his hands. One presses against my lower back, holding me steady while the other gently rubs cream into my wound. The only touch I had received from another man was a beating ¡°Stop holding your breath.¡± He tells me, getting to his feet. "I am not going to hurt you.¡± It seemed impossible to believe given my history. The act, the wordsing from him, it just didn¡¯t feel real. Chapter 0006 Chapter 0006 Dane She didn''t trust me. Not a single inch of her which only made me question her history more. I wanted to know everything. I wanted to know her inside and out. I wanted to know who it was that had turned her life upside down all those years ago and why they had chosen to pin it on a child. While she was being seen by Raven, I put in a call to my Beta, Eric, he was keeping an eye on the Moonshine pack and I wanted to know if there was anything that he had found out of ce. So far, the answer was nothing. which only made me wonder how much they were keeping hidden from the world. How deep did their secrets run? Because until Trey reached out to me, I had never heard of the Moonshine Pack. A pack that lived less than fifty miles from us. I wondered if Neah knew that. I told him to head back, the pack run is tonight and he needed to be here for that. I culdn''t help but notice how Neah hadn''t smiled once since I had met her. Not once did her strange scent change to show that she was even a little happier. Something that I would need to change. especially if she is to be my mate. Running my hand across her stomach, she holds her breath and keeps her eyes off of me, finding anything else to look at ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± I ask directly as she lets her sweatshirt fall down Of course she is, just look at her. Aero mutters as he paces in my mind. I see how she bites the inside of her cheek as she thinks of something to say. ¡°Everyone is.¡± She mutters breathlessly. I cock an eyebrow at her. ¡°You have the biggest pack. You''ve gone to war and absorbed other packs. You have killed multiple Alphas. People ask for your help, you don¡¯t ask for theirs. It would be stupid to not fear you.¡± I smile and I could feel Aero¡¯s joy too, we had worked hard to be the Alpha that we are. Neah was smarter than what her brother made her out to be. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I know my position in the world. I''m talking about you. Are you, Neah, afraid of me?¡± Quickly, her eyes fall to the ground. I wish she wouldn''t do that. I could stare into them all day. ¡°I am not them.¡± I announce when her silence continues. I would never stoop as low as them. I would never beat a woman for my own benefit. ¡°Were there others like you?¡± Normally where there was one. there were multiples, hidden away from sight. She shakes her head. ¡°Only me.¡± It made it a hundred times worse knowing that they only hurt her. That everyone else was considered to be above her when she carried Alpha blood. ¡°You are one person who never needs to fear me. I want you to know that. She pulls the sleeves of the sweatshirt down over her hands. Hiding more of herself from me. By nightfall, she still hadn¡¯t spoken first. Every conversation came from me and always ended with her just nodding or shaking her head. She was. almost impossible to read, but I loved a challenge. ¡°You need to sleep.¡± I mutter, guiding her towards the stairs. She had no Wolf and would not be able to join us for a pack run. Her blue eyes move to therge clock hanging on the wall, still she keeps her mouth closed, keeping her thoughts to herself. She follows me through the house back to my bedroom. Allowing me to put the cream on her stomach again. Just like before, she holds her breath, only this time, she doesn''t seem as afraid as she was earlier and watches me instead of closing her eyes. ¡°Goodnight.¡± I mutter. As I lean in to kiss her on the cheek, she tenses up as her heart races. I was expecting her to run, but she stays rooted to the spot, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She lets out a little gasp as I walk back to the door. ¡°You''re leaving?¡± she whispers, surprised ¡°It''s a full moon tonight. I lead the pack run. I will be back in a few hours but you will most likely be asleep.¡± ¡°Pack run?¡± she mumbles, her brow knitting together ¡°You know, when the pack goes on a big hunt altogether.¡± Her eyes grow wider the more I talk. ¡°Moonshine don''t do a pack run?¡± As far as I was aware, everyone did it. She shakes her head I give her a reassuring smile. ¡°You will get used to them. Get some sleep. Because when you have your Wolf back. you will be joining us. As I start to close the door, she still remains in the same spot, staring at me, confused. Downstairs, I find Eric and Jenson waiting for me. ¡°How''s it going with the new girl?¡± Jenson asks, unbuttoning his shirt. ¡°Neah is staying and Moonshine doesn''t do pack runs.¡± I mutter, mulling over Neah¡¯s words ¡°Are you serious?¡± Eric questions. ¡°I thought that was standard everywhere. All Wolves are empowered on the night of a full moon, and it''s the best time to hunt.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. I frown at Eric, ¡°You sure you didn¡¯t see anything unusual?¡± "From my.position, they acted just like everyone else. Some went to.¡± work, some stayed and trained, > others: harvested their crops¡¯ He cocks! a brow at me. ¡°Why, what do your think they are hiding?¡¯ Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°For starters, who really killed Neah¡¯s parents.¡± ¡°Trey?¡± Eric suggests ¡°I don¡¯t think Trey is smart enough to do that. The idiot didn''t even bother to read the contract.¡± Jenson mutters ¡°I think we should pay them a visit tomorrow.¡± Jenson suggests ¡°Surprise them?¡± I mutter ¡°Sometimes, it''s better when they don¡¯t know we areing!¡± "True. Trey was pissed about my arrival.¡± When the hunt is over, I confirm with Eric and Jenson what time we will be heading out before making my way upstairs for a shower. Slipping quietly through the bedroom doer, I was d to see Neah fastadleep in the bed. I half ~ expectedher to have ran. To have> used th@ opportunity to escape¡± Instead, she¡¯s curled up in a small batt-hugging a pillow, still iathe sWeats I had given her eafrtier. She doesn''t wake while I shower, she doesnt even stir when I flick the light on. Almost like she was used to sleeping in a confined space, at any time of the day. Drying off, I climb into bed with her. Pulling her tiny, weak frame against me. She makes a few funny noises as she starts to wake, but quickly falls back to sleep. Waking before¨¦vier, I couldn''t help but watch hersleep, At some point during thenight, she had rolled = => herself over, facing me. In the eany morning 1g light, you could see a faint sttering of freckles acrossvier nose. S swnovel. She gasps, suddenly sitting upright and rubbing her eyes. ¡°Where am I?" ¡°Neah, you are in my pack, remember.¡± Her blue eyes lock on mine before they drift downwards, to my bare chest and then to the sheet that was barely covering me ¡°Are you.... Are you naked?!" There''s a rosiness to her cheeks that didn¡¯t make her look so fragile. ¡°I prefer it that way, especially in my own bed.¡± I smirk at her She pats herself down, checking that she was still wearing clothes and lets out a sigh of relief as she realises she is still fully dressed. ¡®We could strip her.¡¯ Aero mutters. ¡®We could show her what we really want.¡¯ We need to take it slower.¡¯ I mutter back. ¡®She isn¡¯t like any of the others.¡¯ Aero sulks at myment, slinking off to the back of my mind. Thankfully, as I had gotten older, I had be better at keeping him under control. Neah crosses the room, shutting herself in the small room with the toilet. I could hear her muttering to herself about keeping it together. ¡°When you are done.¡± I call out. ¡°we need to put your cream on.¡± Ten minutes pass before she makes an appearance. She eyeballs me as I pull on a ck tee ¡°Eric, Jenson and I have an errand to run. You will be staying here.¡± I grab the pot of cream and gesture for her to lift her top ¡°Alone?¡± she asks, her voice quivers as she rolls her top up. ¡°Alone.¡± I confirm. ¡°Well, there will be others here, so notpletely alone.¡± My hand hovers on her stomach a little longer. ¡®She¡¯s right here.¡¯ Aero growls Dropping my hand, Aero sulks. He wanted to prove a point. To im her as ours, to finally put a silence to the rumours surrounding us. Chapter 0007 ? Chapter 0007 Neah ¡°You know my brother really likes you.¡± Raven smiles at me as she shoves a crumpet into her mouth. My eyes sh up to hers across the breakfast table. She had been put on babysitting duty while Alpha Dane runs those errands he had mentioned. Clearly myment about being alone had made him reconsider. He hadn¡¯t told me where he was going and I didn¡¯t ask. I didn¡¯t think it was my ce. ¡°You are prettier than thest girl.¡± Raven mutters, distracting me from my thoughts. ¡°Last girl?¡± I almost choke on my juice. ¡°You are his contracted mate, right?¡± I nod my head. ¡°Did you really think you were the first?¡± It wasn¡¯t something that had crossed my mind. I was more concerned about what Alpha Dane was going to do to me. He hadn¡¯t made a move except for holding me against him while we slept. He hadn¡¯t tried sneaking a hand between my thighs. He hadn¡¯t insisted I sleep naked, nothing. And that only made it worse. Waiting for the unknown. He didn''t seem like a man that would wait. ¡°Hopefully, you will stick.¡± She adds, reaching for another crumpet. ¡°I will stick?¡± I wasn¡¯t used to these phrases or the way she spoke to me so casually. Orders and abuse, that was what I was used to. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t be the one telling you this but it¡¯s better for you to be prepared.¡± She takes a deep breath. ¡°My brother has been looking for his mate for a long time. He¡¯s twenty eight. Doesn¡¯t have an heir yet. The others, they stay no more than a few weeks, some run. Some are killed.¡± She tells me with a shrug of her shoulders, like it was normal. ¡°Because they won¡¯t give him an heir?¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Because he loses interest.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me?¡± I whisper. I would prefer not to know if I was going to be killed. ¡°There¡¯s something about you. He looks at you differently. I saw it at the hospital.¡± Her words don¡¯t exactly make me feel better. Everyone looked at me differently. They always had because of my strange scent. ¡°Your biggest concern will be if he finds his true mate.¡± She mutters. Beta Kyle had been my true mate and he had rejected me the second I turned eighteen. Barging into the basement in the middle of the night and screaming his rejection at me. He had beaten me ck and blue until I epted his rejection. "You have a mate, don''t you? I can tell by the way your eyes just flickered." "Had." I whisper. "He rejected me." I remember the pain I had felt and not just from the beating. It had felt like my heart was being torn from my chest. And because I had felt the bond, my brother had me bound for a second time. That is when I stopped being able to heal like everyone else. "I know what that''s like. Mine rejected me too." She sighs. "The moment he found out what pack I''m from and who my brother is, he wanted nothing to do with me. Anyway, like I said, my brother seems to like you, more than he has liked any of the other women." Is that supposed to make me happy? Knowing that I might justst a little while longer than the others. That because he likes me, he might keep me like a prized possession. Raven takes me along to the hospital. She had to work and apparently Alpha Dane had told her to not let me out of her sight unless it was to use the bathroom. Maybe he thought I was going to be like some of his other brides and run. As if I had the energy to do that. No onees into the hospital. Raven spends most of the time doing inventory. It almost seemed pointless having a pack hospital. No one needed it, everyone could heal. "Hey." She smiles as shees towards me. "I''m going to be here for a while yet, so I brought you some trashy mags to read." Raven dumps them on the table in front of me with a smile as I just stare at them. I had no idea who the people were in the photos, nor did I have a clue what was written about them. "Not your thing?" she asks curiously. I just shake my head, I didn''t want to admit the truth. She stares at me from the other side of the counter, her eyes slowly narrow to slits. "You can''t read, can you?" How did she know? I shake my head, feeling my cheeks me "I''m guessing you didn''t go to school?" "No." It was so embarrassing having to admit it. What twenty two year old couldn''t read or write? "Does my brother know?" "No." "Well at least now, I have something to do other than counting." She smiles at me and sits in a chair next to me. Hours passed and I still wasn''t getting the hang of it. But she was patient and kept trying. Suddenly, she grabs the pieces of paper and shuffles them all into a pile and shoves it into one of the drawers.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "My brother is back." "How do you know?" "A pack thing." Secondster and the doors swing open. Alpha Dane moves towards us. He looked angry. His crimson eyes were darker than usual. His brow creased and all of his attention is on me. "I need a word with my mate!" He snaps at Raven. "Sure." she mutters and quickly escapes, leaving me alone with him. He waits for her to be out of sight and turns to face me. My eyes drop to the ground as his voice rumbles through the hospital. "Where has Trey gone?" "Huh?" "Do I need to repeat myself?" I open my mouth to tell him that I didn''t understand. "There was no one there, Neah. No one." I feel his re on me. That didn''t make any sense. How could there be no one? "Homes empty. The packhouse, empty. Where have they gone, Neah?" I shake my head, confused. "You... you went to see my brother?" I whisper, refusing to meet his gaze. "Was this all a lie?" He gestures to me. "A set up so you could get some dirt on me?" He was so angry. "What does Trey want?" I close my eyes like I always do. It was easier if I didn''t see the beatinging. "NEAH!" His hand grabs my chin. "I said you would never have to fear me. But that was when I believed I was helping you. Open your fucking eyes and look at me!" Tears creep out of my closed eyes. Raven was wrong, this was going to be the end of me. Opening my eyes, his crimson ones are staring at me. Slowly his face starts to soften. "You don''t know what I''m talking about, do you?" "No." I mumble He lets go of my chin. "The pack is empty!" "Abandoned?" I whisper "No, nothing is gone, everything is still present but there were no people anywhere. It was like they just disappeared and trust me, we searched. You said they don''t do pack runs, but they clearly do something." "I don''t know." I gulp. "I have never left the pack until yesterday. I... I never went further than the gardens." I frown "But sometimes, the house would be empty. If I wasn''t locked away, I would steal bits of food." "How often?" He questions "Every couple of months, I think." If it weren''t for the times the house was empty, allowing me to steal food, I probably would have died of starvation years ago. "No one talks about it?" I shake my head. "Are you sure, Neah?" "They might, just not when I''m around." Suddenly, he holds a hand out to me, "Come, we are going home." Hisrge hand envelopes my small hand as he pulls me up from my chair and against his chest. His arms lock tightly around me, squeezing the air from my lungs. "You better not be lying to me, Neah. I don''t tolerate liars." "I promise." I whisper, trying to ignore the pain from my wound, and instead of looking away, I couldn''t help but stare at him. Even without my Wolf, right now, I could feel his power and it was overwhelmingly intoxicating. Chapter 0008 Chapter 0008 Dane I could see it in her eyes. She was just as confused as I was, if not more. She walks next to me, almost jogging to keep pace with me as we head back to the house. Her eyes remain low, focussing on her feet as we moved. ¡°Take a seat.¡± I tell her as I walk her into the office. She doesn¡¯t hesitate like she did at Moonshine and takes one of the empty chairs. She sits with her legs mped together. The sleeves of her top pulled down over her hands. Her face turned down in submission. ¡°Neah?" Her back straightens as I say her name and her heart starts to race. Thest time it did that, she almost passed out ¡°I swear I don''t know. If I did, I would tell you.¡± The words tumble from her mouth as though she is fighting for her life. Sne speaks as though those words were what would keep her alive. Something I hadn''t felt in years flooded my veins and that was guilt. She shouldn''t feel like that, not around me. ¡®You are upsetting her!¡¯ Aero growls ¡°I shouldn''t have shouted at you.¡± I murmur, sitting on my desk. ¡°You didn''t deserve that.¡± I pause. frustrated over the other thing she told me. ¡°You stole food?¡± ¡°I had too.¡± she whispers. The more I find out about that pack and what they did to you, the more I hate them. When the timees, the entire lot of them will be killed. Finally something we can agree on.¡¯ Aero murmurs Neah¡¯s eyes sh up to me and she bites on her bottom lip. I will eradicate her entire past. Contracts were simple. Every single contract I had drawn up, always favoured me. The other side were always too far up their own asses to bother to read it or negotiate and they always lost out. And this time, it would be Trey and his pathetic pack that would lose everything ¡°Tell me about Cassandra.¡± I speak softly, aware that my Alpha tone puts her on edge There was a flicker of rage across her face. It goes as quickly as ites. I had seen it before, when the stupid bitch had called my bride a rat. ¡°What do you want to know? ¡°Everything and no lies. How long has she been with Trey?¡± She shrugs her shoulders. "She has been around for as long as I can remember. Trey is twelve years older than me. They went to schoo! together. ¡°She''s his true mate?" Neah nods her head. ¡°She was nice once. before I killed my parents. She used to bring me presents, toys mostly. It all changed after she became Luna and I became nothing.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t kill your parents.¡± When would she ept it was a lie? ¡°And you are not nothing. Not anymore.¡± She puffs out her cheeks and her brow furrows. ¡°Talk to me.¡± I mutter, ignoring Aero¡¯s rumblings ¡°I will be nothing when you cast me aside for a new bride.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Raven?¡± She nods her head at me. ¡°Raven needs to learn to keep her mouth shut.¡± Grinding my teeth, I stare at her, I had asked her for the truth, it was only fair I did the same. ¡°Raven isn¡¯t wrong. There have been other brides, but none that I have truly wanted by my side.¡± ¡°You killed them?¡± Raven really needed to learn to keep her mouth shut. It was her that had freaked out my other brides by telling them the same shit as she had told Neah. She was the reason some of them had ran. ¡°Some of them." She nods, keeping her eyes low. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill them because I was bored of them. Some were passing information back to their old packs. Others were money grabbers, or desperate to be hanging on my arm at all times. If I had to go do samething, they would whine at me that they weren''t getting enough attention.¡± ¡°Oh. ¡°Raven likes to do this. She likes to test my brides. But do you know what they all had inmon?" She shakes her head ¡°I never marked them. I could never bring myself to do it. Something held me back.¡± Neah was the only one I had considered marking and I still couldn''t figure out what it was that drew me to her. She¡¯s perfect.¡¯ Aero sounds smitten Grabbing the pot of cream, she automatically stands and lifts her top to show me her wound. She lets out a little gasp as my fingers brush against her skin and I hear her heart skip a beat as she closes her eyes. She had a habit of doing that too. Afraid to witness what was happening or maybe it was a fear of looking me in the eye. I couldn''t tell My fingers pause over her stomach and she holds her breath. ¡°Breathe Neah.¡± I whisper and her heart skips a beat again. She lets her lungs expand and tears creep out th¨¦corner of her eyes. "I NO. don''t wantto die.¡± Her eyes sh => open, locking onto mine. It was.the first time since meeting her that she trulytooked at me. Her breathing hit¨¦hes and her lips part a little. There''s a growing need inside of me, the need to make her mine so that she cannot be imed by anyone else. How the hell could she make me feel this way? Mate!¡¯ Aero growls Not possible, her Wolf isn''t present.¡¯ I tell him Mate!¡¯ he repeats a little louder, growing more agitated You''re wrong!" Neah¡¯s blue eyes are still locked on mine. The tears had stopped and her brow dips a little as she stares at me. ¡°I have to......" I mutter, turning away. I waspletely thrown by how she was looking at me, so I storm out of the office. Go back!¡¯ Aero demands. ¡®Go back, we need to mark her!¡¯ I could feel him pushing forward, trying to break free of my control. The more he pushes, the more I fight back. keeping him shut away. I had to get out of the house. Striding across the grounds, I head towards the pack hospital. I wanted to know what else Raven had told Neah Asleep at the desk, she is startled when I wake her. ¡°What the fuck did you say to her?¡± She rolls her eyes at me. ¡°She needs to know the truth. It''s not fair if she doesn¡¯t know what''sing.¡± She rubs her eyes and yawns. ¡°Why, has she done a runner?¡± ¡°No, she is in my office.¡± ¡°Then no harm done.¡± She shrugs her shoulders at me. ¡°If you want my opinion, she is nice, different from the others.¡± m well aware, why do you think I chose her?" Because she is our mate¡¯ Aero mutters gleefully. I try to ignore hisment, he had to be wrong. Her Wolf wasn''t present. It would be impossible to know. Raven walks around the desk, leaning on it and smiling at me. ¡°I was right, you do really like this one, don''t you?" ¡°She has a name.¡± I snap. turning on my heel and walking away. ¡®Why are you fighting it?'' Aero asks as I stop in front of the house. How do you know?¡¯ I mutter ¡®When she looked us in the eye. Her Wolf is buried deep, but it''s strong. I can feel it. Maybe even stronger than us.¡± Pushing open the door, I could still smell her strange scent. I had given her another opportunity to run but she was still here. In the office, she is sitting in a chair, hugging her legs to her chest. Aero practically screams at me to im her as mine. Instead I ask her why she is still here? ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me to go anywhere.¡± She keeps her eyes low and I wondered if she knew. "And I have nowhere to go."Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Have you looked through my stuff?¡± I mutter, ncing around at the paperwork on my desk. It didn¡¯t look like it had been touched but that didn¡¯t mean it hadn''t. She shakes her head at me. Her hair falls around her face. ¡°I don¡¯t tolerate lies.¡± I remind her. "I don¡¯t do scheming women. She frowns. "I didn¡¯t look because......¡± She drags her teeth across her bottom lip and her cheeks me. ¡°I... I can¡¯t read.¡± It waspletely not what I was expecting her to say. The others, they would make up some crazy lie. ¡°School?¡± She shakes her head. I should have guessed that she never went. Not if she has been a ve since she was six. ¡°Raven tried teaching me a bit. But I didn''t understand.¡± Why didn''t-Raven tell me? Was it because she actually liked Neah >> too? Because she had never been interested in any of my other brides. In fact, she had hated every single one of them. - ¡®I get it.¡± SRe mutters, ¡°You regret > choosingsme. But please don''t kilt me. I can work, I can clean, I car¡¯do anything you need me to do.dust please don''t kill me.¡± Content belongs to ~ Pulling her from the chair, I nt my lips on hers. Chapter 0009 ?Chapter 0009 Neah His lips are rough and yet soft, but I pull away. He looks annoyed, frustrated, maybe even angry as he studies me. I couldn''t be sure. His hands that had been clenched around my upper arms, drop as he takes a step back from me. I had rejected an Alpha and he was an Alpha who most likely had never been rejected before. What had I done? His crimson eyes hover on my face until I lower my gaze. I felt mortified that it had even happened, it was definitely not how I expected my first kiss to go. ¡°You can go!¡± He snaps, turning away and moving to his desk. ¡°Go? Go where?¡± I whisper. Fully expecting him to throw me out of his pack. ¡°Out of the office!¡± I pause at the door, wondering if I should apologise. ncing back, he was focussed on the paperwork. He flicks his hand at me, shooing me away. Stepping out into the hallway, I feel my cheeks burn. ¡°Are you okay?¡± A deep curious voice asks Looking up, I see one of the men that hade to my brother¡¯s house with Alpha Dane. The more I looked at him, the more I saw how much he looked like Raven. The same dark hair and dark eyes. ¡°We haven¡¯t really had a chance to speak. I¡¯m Jenson.¡± He smiles ¡°Alpha Danes brother?¡± I whisper as he strides down the hallway towards me. He smiles. ¡°And I believe you have met my twin too.¡± ¡°Raven?¡± She had just said brother, she had never mentioned that Jenson was her twin, not that it was important. He leans against the wall next to me. ¡°That¡¯s the one. Is everything alright? You seem a bit¡­.. flustered.¡± ¡°Just tired.¡± I lie, I didn¡¯t know who or if I could trust anyone around here. And I definitely didn¡¯t want to spill my guts to Alpha Dane¡¯s younger brother. ¡°And just trying to remember the way back to my room.¡± "I can show you." His dark eyes drift down past my face to my chest before shing back up. I had seen that look so many times, but not here, only at home. "You will do no such thing!" Alpha Dane snaps as he rips the office door open. "Shouldn''t you be training right about now?" I see how Jenson frowns and holds his hands up. "Just trying to be friendly." Jenson mumbles, but he has a smirk on his face before he turns and walks away. Alpha Danes crimson eyes settle on me, "I love my brother, but I would prefer it if you were never alone with him." His tone had changed from how it had been in his office. I find myself staring at him, after all, he was the one who sent me away. Or was this some kind of test? My brother and Beta Kyle would like to test me now and again. I should be used to it, but I was always caught off guard. "Neah, if you have something to say, say it." Alpha Dane presses Hold your tongue, don''t say anything, it''s a trick. I shake my head, keeping my eyes low. "You''re tired?" He asks, not pushing for more information. I nod my head, it was the easiest answer.N?velDrama.Org owns this. "This way." He walks in front of me again, leading me through the maze of hallways and up a flight of stairs before stopping in front of a familiar door. "I shouldn''t have kissed you. You were clearly taken by surprise. Although I have control, Aero has a tendency to break through now and again." He tells me as he moves into the bedroom. Who the hell is Aero? "You were lucky I stopped him before he did anything more. While I am a little more patient. He is not." "Aero?" I mutter. "My wolf." Now he really made no sense. How could his wolf be someonepletely different? Chapter 0010 ?Chapter 0010 "Trey''s wolf had a name too, right?" He mutters as he enters the bedroom "No." I find myself frowning in confusion, as I try to make sense of his words. "He never mentioned it.... ever." Alpha Dane''s crimson eyes lock on mine. He thought I was lying, I could feel it by the way he looked at me. I really wanted to look away but found that I couldn''t break the gaze. Almost as if he was forcing me to look at him without even touching me. Could Alpha''s do that or was it just him? My voice drops to barely a whisper. "I swear." I didn''t know what else I could say. "I''m.... I''m telling the truth." I stutter as he continues to stare into my eyes. "Okay." He mutters, yet it felt like he didn''t believe me. *And I guess, because of your binding, you never got to meet your Wolf?" I shake my head. "Theye when we are thirteen. I know that much." He frowns but doesn''t speak. As he breaks his gaze and looks away, my body finally rxes, only to be met with searing pain, radiating from my stomach. Ignoring it, I stay still, watching Alpha Dane move around the bedroom. It looked as if he was having a conversation with someone. Maybe this Aero? I had so many questions. Did this Aero live inside of him? What happens when he shifts? He mentioned control. Did Aero have full control when he shifted? As far as I was aware, anyone that could shift, just shifted. They didn''t be someone else. As Alpha Dane continued to move in a figure of eight in the bedroom. I press my hand against my stomach. And even through the fabric of my top, my skin feels like it''s on fire. I feel my own heart running rampant in my chest, just like when I left Moonshine for the first time. My hands feel mmy and my mouth is dry. I reach out to grab the bedpost, to steady myself and stop my legs buckling underneath me. "It hurts." I mutter as the pain radiates through me. *Neah?" He spins around to look at me and I let my legs give way. He catches me before I hit the floor, concern etched all over his face as he pulls up my top. *Shit!" I had never felt pain like it. All the beatings, all the punishments, this was nothing inparison. Alpha Dane lifts me from the floor, holding an arm under my knees and under my back as he raced me though the house and out into the cool evening air. His feet pound the ground as he moves quickly. He ms his back against the door to the pack hospital, almost taking it off of its hinges as he forces us through. *It''s not what we first thought." He shouts out to Raven as he lowers me onto a bed. "You need to look at this!" He tugs up my top, ignoring me squirming in pain and then tries to hold me down so Raven could get a better look. He cups my face with onerge hand. "Look at me Neah, look at me and breathe." Everything burned, my entire body felt like it was tearing itself apart.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . "Is this what I think it is?" Raven questions "Yes." Alpha Dane mutters as he holds my shoulders down. "I''m sorry Neah. This is going to hurt." Raven calls out. *I can help." Another man speaks as another wave of pain shoots through me. *Hold her legs." Alpha Dane instructs. I feel something hot and sharp press into my stomach. I let out a scream as I thrash against the men holding me down. They were going to kill me Moments before I pass out from the pain, I hear Alpha Dane say. "A fucking blood tie." Chapter 0011 Chapter 0011 Dane ¡°Did anyone have a clue?¡± I demand as I watch my sleeping mate. She was out cold and likely would be for some time. Raven had gone as far as stitching her up once she was certain the tie had been severed and Neah''s body had been pumped full of drugs. Someone''s head is gaing to roll! Aero growls ¡°No.¡± Eric replies. ¡°Surely if Neah was mated, she wouldn''t have left Moonshine so easily. ¡°But she didn''t though, did she?! She practically copsed at the door.¡± ¡°I thought you said that was because she had never left? You said abination of fear and illness.¡± I turn around to see him leaning against the wall, studying me. He was the only one I had confided in, telling him what Aero had said about Neah being our mate. ¡°Maybe he was nearby.¡± He shrugs his shoulders at me as my eyes shift to my sister. She was staring into her coffee, trying to not draw attention to herself, but the silence told me she knew something. The girl barely stay silent for more than a few minutes ¡°Spit it out!¡± I snap at her. ¡®Why the fuck is it always Raven?¡¯ Aero prowls around the back of my mind. I already knew he wanted to have it out with Raven¡¯s Wolf, Midnight ¡°I don¡¯t know anything.¡± Raven keeps her eyes low ¡°Raven! I nearly killed her by kissing her because of this stupid fucking blood tie! A blood tie can only exist if she has a mate that is still alive.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. You don¡¯t need to go all Alpha on me. She had a mate. All I know is that he rejected her. ¡°Are you certain? She nods her head. ¡°Did she ept?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I''m sorry, talking about it made me think of Salem okay. f kind of went off talking about why he rejected me, okay! If I had known thatwas the reason for this,then I would have questioned her more.¡± ¡°Come on Dane, you know she is telling the truth.¡± Eric mutters. He moves next to me and peers in through the window at Neah. ¡°I''m more interested to know how she knew she was mated.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said she was bound, right?¡± Eric frowns I hadn¡¯t even thought about it. I had been too wrapped up in the blood tie news. ¡°She shouldn''t have been able to scent him.¡± I mutter, ¡°How could she have known? Sitting by Neah¡¯ s bedside, I watch her in silence, trying to choose the words Fwanted to say. There was a ot of information to unpack, though already knew it would be tad much other to handle at once. Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ In the bright lights of the hospital, she looked a little better, her skin wasn''t as dull and her eyes no longer appeared so sunken Raven appears regrly to check her and to check the newly stitched wound. Eactscheck up, she would apologise to me, telling me that she never meant to keep it a secret.and that she hadn''t thought much of it. Because in her words, who creates a blood tie when they have rejected their mate. Which just adds to the list of questions I have for Neah. It''s almost one in the morning before her eyes open.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She groans and tries to sit up, freezing when she sees me. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± Her blue eyes sh around the room. ¡°I¡¯ve caused problems. I didn''t.... Ow.¡± She holds a hand to her stomach and lies back down. ¡°Raven stitched you up. It¡¯s probably going to be ufortable for a little while. She blinks back tears, ¡°Am I in trouble?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°The pain came on so quickly.¡± ¡°No Neah, I¡¯m talking about your mate. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you were already mated?¡± She drags her teeth over her bottom lip as she closes her eyes. ¡°He rejected me. He forced me to ept his rejection. He....¡± she hesitates as she peers though slits at me. Chapter 0012 Chapter 0012 ¡°He beat you?¡± I finish her sentence. She only moves her head slightly, but she confirms my question. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Beta Kyle.¡± She whispers. ¡®But she¡¯s ours now, right?¡¯ Aero grumbles in a panic. ¡®Let me finish!¡± I snap at him. ¡°How did you know that prick was your mate?¡± I study her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I could smell him.¡± She screws her face up. ¡°He was the first person I scented since I was a kid. I don¡¯t know how or why. But he was so angry. So disgusted.¡± Neah hugs herself as she looks up at the lights in the ceiling. ¡°He hated me and I paid for it.¡± ¡®She could scent him?¡¯ Aero mutters. ¡®How if she was bound?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m getting to that if you will just be quiet for five minutes.¡¯ ¡°How old were you?¡± ¡°It was my eighteenth.¡± She keeps her voice quiet and sighs. ¡°And he was the one who did that to you?¡± She looks at her stomach and shakes her head. ¡°Luna Cassandra... I think.¡± She pauses, pressing her pink lips into a thin line. ¡°Was it badly infected?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it anymore. The problem has been dealt with. It will heal properly this time.¡± Rising to my feet, I was about to tell her to get some rest. But I couldn¡¯t help myself. ¡°Why could you scent him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I swear.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°They bound me for a second time after that. I haven¡¯t been able to heal since.¡± I wanted to push for more answers, but I could see she was exhausted even after all the rest she has had. ¡°Get some sleep. I will be back in the morning.¡± Leaving the hospital, I find Eric hovering outside, just as I had asked. ¡°She awake?¡± Nodding, ¡°She answered some of my questions. But I¡¯m letting her get some rest until the morning. Eric, she has been bound not once but twice.¡± ¡°Twice? Are you sure?¡± He looks puzzled. ¡°I heard it from her own mouth.¡± ¡°She must carry some powerful Alpha blood if she needed binding twice.¡± ¡°She is possibly more powerful than Trey. What other reason could there be that would make them treat her like this other than fear? Why else would they set her up for the death of her parents?¡± I don¡¯t sleep. Neah had only slept in the bed for one night and it already felt odd to not have her here. By six in the morning, I was back sitting beside her bed in the hospital. Watching and waiting for her to open her eyes. She groans first, stretching a little before opening her eyes. I see how she panics before quickly remembering where she is too. ¡°Hospital?¡± she whispers, looking for confirmation. ¡°Yes.¡± I watch her as she pushes herself up on the bed, ignoring her pain, and I wondered how many times she had to do that while living in Moonshine. I wondered if she had ever gotten a break. If Trey and the others just let her be for a single night.N?velDrama.Org owns this. Neah pulls her top up, studying her own stitches with a frown. ¡°She made the wound bigger.¡± She mumbles. ¡°Raven had too. At some point between Cassandra injuring you and me bringing you here. Kyle, blood tied himself to you.¡± ¡°He what?¡± she asks, confused. She really didn''t know much about our kind at all. ¡°Blood tie. It can be a mate thing. It doesn¡¯t have to be.¡± ¡°I... I epted. H...h... he wanted me to ept the rejection. I did.¡± She stutters. ¡°I think because you were still bound to a certain degree, that the rejection didn¡¯t work properly. Or at least not how it should.¡± ¡®She¡¯s our mate!¡¯ Aero roars inside of my head. ¡®He¡¯s not having her. I won¡¯t let him. I will kill the entire Moonshine pack if it means that she gets to stay with us!¡¯ ¡®Trust me, there is no way she is going back to them.¡¯ Chapter 0013 ?Chapter 0013 Neah It was a lot to take in. First the Blood of Wolfsbane and pack runs. Now a blood tie and still sort of being mated to Beta Kyle. shing my eyes up to Alpha Dane, I lower them immediately. He was staring straight at me. ¡°I swear.¡± I whisper again. ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± ¡°And that is the most frustrating thing, Neah. I know you don¡¯t have a clue what I¡¯m talking about.¡± I wanted to ask why he was so angry, instead, I keep the question to myself. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to be near Beta Kyle.¡± I mumble and from the corner of my eye, I see his face rx, there was almost a hint of a smile on the corners of his lips. ¡°Good, I have no intention of giving you back.¡± He rises from his seat. ¡°Raven has said you cane back to the house. Are you up for walking or would you prefer I carried you?¡± ¡°I can walk.¡± I mutter Slipping out of the bed, I straighten myself up, only to feel a long sharp pain rip through my stomach. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Alpha Dane asks. I nod my head, I had been through worse. I had worked through worse. But he seemed almost disappointed that I was putting a barrier between us. He lets me take my time. Not saying anything even when I stop because the pain is so bad. They had said it would take a while for it to healpletely, but how long was a while? Stopping again, I nce back over my shoulder and realise I was barely fifteen metres from the hospital and still had a long way to go to get to the pack house. Alpha Dane moves in front of me, ¡°Let me help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­. I can do it.¡± ¡°Neah,¡± His rough fingers gently tip my chin up to look at him. ¡°I can see that you are in a lot of pain. Just let me help.¡± He does that thing, where he changes the tone of his voice to basically tell me that it wasn¡¯t optional. Reluctantly, I nod and he wastes no time in sweeping me off my feet. He is pleased with himself as he carries me through the house and into the bedroom. But he doesn''t put me down on my feet, he puts me straight into bed. "As I said, this is going to take some time to heal. Blood ties are not the easiest thing to dissolve. The pain you are feeling now will likely increase." "Increase?" Surely it couldn''t get much worse. He sits next to me, his crimson eyes lock on mine and a shiver runs down my spine. "Usually yes, but given that you were unaware of the tie and the fact you are still bound. I don''t know how it will affect you." "Why would he do it? Why would Beta Kyle do this after making me ept his rejection?" "That is something I am still trying to figure out. As for calling him Beta, stop. He doesn''t deserve that title and neither does your brother deserve to be an Alpha." I was a nobody, it was my duty to call them by their titles. It as disrespectful to call them by their names. "Tell me; when you found out that he was your mate. Did you hope it would change things for you?" I shake my head, still remembering the hate that was in Beta Kyle''s eyes. "It was a nightmare." "Did your brother know?" I shake my head. "I don''t think so."N?velDrama.Org owns this. Alpha Dane just nods his head, he suddenly reaches out a hand and I flinch. I hadn''t flinched in so long. I had learned to control it because flinching means a worse beating. Alpha Dane pauses, and then slowly reaches up to my hair and pulls something from it. He shows me a little feather. "Get some rest. I will check on you in a little bit." He flicks on a screen on the wall opposite the bed and hands me the remote. "I''m sure you will find something you like." I didn''t have the energy to tell him that I had never watched television. It just made my life sound even more depressing. Alone, I slowly get out of bed and make my way towards one of the big windows and sit in the bigfy chair while trying to ignore the pain in my stomach. Sitting and mulling over everything I had been told, I couldn''t make any sense of it. Why would Beta Kyle continue to beat me if he knew we were still connected? Or maybe that was why, maybe he was so disgusted by it, but then why would he force a blood tie on me, what did he hope to gain from it? I watch as Alpha Dane appears outside. He walks like he is on some kind of mission and a few momentster, Jenson and Erice from another direction, meeting Alpha Dane almost directly in front of the window. The three of them have a quick conversation and then disappear into the trees, out of sight. I wondered where they were going, so I just watch, waiting for them toe back. Chapter 0014 Chapter 0014 ¡°You are supposed to be in bed, not sleeping in a chair.¡± Alpha Dane¡¯s voice is quiet as he slides his arms under me and moves me back to the bed. He pulls the nket up over me, but I try to sit up. ¡°Sleeping will help you get over this quicker.¡± He gently pushes against my shoulders, trying to get me to lie back down. lo." I push back against him. ¡°Somethings wrong.¡± ¡°I told you your wound will hurt for a while.¡± lo." I mutter sleepily. I couldn''t even make sense of what I wanted to say. ¡°It¡¯s a trick.¡± I mumble. ¡°I think it¡¯s a trick. ¡°A trick?" I nod my head but my tired eyes remain closed as I fight the sleep demons to tell Alpha Dane my idea. ¡°Get some sleep. we will talk about it when you feel better.¡± He orders When I woke, I made myself get out of the bed, there was no way I was letting myself get all sleepy again before I had a chance to exin myself. Sshing water on my face. I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My blue eyes were a little brighter and my skin no longer looked as dull. ¡°You''re awake.¡± Alpha Dane mutters, making me jump. I hadn¡¯t heard hime in. He walks right up behind me, his eyes locked on to mine in the mirror as I feel the heat that his body produces ¡°How are you feeling?¡± He asks as his hands move to my hips. I feel my own temperature increase as my neck and my face turn pink. His fingers creep under my top slipping inside the waistband of my joggers edging into my panties as his lips meet my neck and I let out a quiet moan. ¡°Neah?" My eyes snap open to Alpha Dane who is standing over me ¡°You really should be sleeping in the bed, not the chair.¡± He mutters. It was just a dream. Just a dream. But the dream didn¡¯t hide the fact that he could probably smell my arousal. So I mp my thighs together. ¡°Do you need help?¡± He asks ¡°No!¡± I blurt out a little too loudly and he cocks a brow at me. ¡®I was only offering to help you get to the bed.¡± I see the small smirk on his lips. He could smell me. I lower my gaze. ¡°I like to sit here, I like to watch.¡± I mutter, trying to keep the topic off of my dream. ¡°It''s different.¡± ¡°Different?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to do anything. You are letting me sleep for as long as I need. And the food...... It''s just different.¡± I couldn''t exin it any more than that but he nodded anyway. ¡°Not everyone is a bastard.¡± He tells me as he changes his ck tee to a red shirt. He turns back to face me as he fastens his buttons. I was right when I first noticed no ink. Not a single tattoo could be seen, it was strange. Everyone in Moonshine was covered in them. ¡°Yes?¡± He asks ¡°Nothing ¡°Neah, I may not have known you for long, but I know when you have a question to ask. Ask!¡± ¡°You have no tattoos.¡± ¡°That''s not a question.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They''re not really my style. I know others havethem to show their dominance or to show they belong? toa pack But I''m sure you will agree that I don¡¯t need them.¡± He points to his etimson eyes. ¡°These areenough tc oshow my position in the world. " He was right, I had never seen another Wolf with eyes like his. Though I thought it was some kind of trick, contact lenses or something. ¡°Trick.¡± I mutter out louder ¡®I can assure you that these are my eyes.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. lo.¡± I shake my head. ¡°No, I was thinking about everything you told me before I fell asleep. The blood tie and still being partly mated.¡± His eyes narrow when I say ¡®partly mated.¡¯ ¡°What if it S-a trick? You said blood ties allowcthe mate to walk around freely ip the other''s pack. Raventold me that Moonshine had neverbeen heart I of and you said the bldod tie was 5 recent.¡± < He is just staring at me ¡°You told me that some of your other brides had been snooping. I haven''t.¡± I add when I look up at him. ¡°Could they get in, undetected because of the blood tie with me?¡± It was probably the most I had spoken in one ge since being here. ¡°It''s a good idea, but no. You would have to be a member of my pack officially for that to work. ¡°Officially? You mean if you mark me?¡± I ask quietly. He had mentioned it but had said no more since. ¡°If I mark you. " Alpha Dane confirms. ¡®But I can''t do that while you have % a mate out there. You think the blood tie pain is bad, it''s nothing in. ~ comparison to being marked by one yetmated to another. It will kill you." Chapter 0015 Chapter 0015 Dane It was a surprise that she had said so much. More than a sentence and she would usually m up. Maybe she was finally rxing enough to feel she could talk more freely. You still haven''t told her we could smell her arousal.¡¯ Aero mutters I don''t need to. I¡¯m pretty certain she has already put two and two together. The rosy skin was a give away.¡¯ I know he is desperate to have her, to im her. Just as I was, but we had a new problem. Kyle If I marked her, I would watch her die and there would be nothing I could do about it. Neah would be in so much pain as her body burned from the: inside out. I''m cruel, but the Moon Goddess''s rules were on another level. Her eyes hover on my face. slightly off focus. I knew she was fighting back tears again as she reyed my words in her head. Out of all my brides, she was the only one who surprised me. Because she isn''t brain washed like the others.¡¯ Aero muses. No, but her awareness of our world is limited.¡¯ I mutter back as Neah wipes away a stray tear. ¡°Are you going to take me back?¡± She asks in a whisper ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°"Y... You said that you couldn¡¯t mark me.¡± ¡°Yet. I can''t mark you yet.¡± I rise to my feet and turn away from her. ¡°Get some more sleep, Neah. I promise you it will help with the healing process.¡± ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°I''m just going to see someone about unbinding you. You won''t be alone. Eric and Raven will be in the house if you need anything.¡± Meeting my brother in the foyer, he cocks an eyebrow at me. ¡°Bit smart for a meeting with a witch.¡± ¡°She wants us to meet her in a high profile ce.¡± I look up and down at his jeans and hoodie, "I don¡¯t want to bring more attention to myself than needed. I suggest you go and change.¡± He returns ten minutester in a grey shirt and deep blue jeans. ¡°Better.¡± I mutter The driver is standing next to the limo with the door wide open. I give him the name of the restaurant and he bobs his head. ¡°Do you actually think she can help us?¡± Jenson asks as the door is closed on us. ¡°It''s a long shot. Even if she can¡¯t, maybe she knows someone who can help Neah.¡± ¡°You really like this one, don¡¯t you?¡± My eyes flicker up to him. He had been warned one too many times about bringing up the women I was interested in. He zips his lips shut, pretending to throw away the key. The restauranNs buzzing and we are shown tea table where an older woman igalready sitting, drinking a a~ martini. Mer gold bangles rattled as she moved her arms. A purple Scarf coveted her hair and matched her long dress. 4 ¡°Alpha Dane.¡± She greets me with a smile. ¡°It has been a long time. ¡°Madame Curie. Thank you for agreeing to meet us.¡± I watch how she drowns her drink so I offer to get another. ¡°No need, but tell your brother to sit down. He is drawing an awful lot of attention to himself.¡± JENSON! I link him and he silently slides into the booth.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Now tell me more about this girl.¡± Madame Curie asks ¡°She''s my bride, as I mentioned on the phone.¡± ¡°Yes, but why are youing to see me? Have you chosen a human, is that the problem?" ¡°No, no, she is definitely a Wolf, it''s just her abilities have been bound ¡°Twice.¡± Jenson mutters ¡°Twice?¡± Madame Curie asks. She leans back in the seat. "Is this why you want to meet me, you believe I have something to do with it?¡± ¡°No, not at all. I was hoping you would know of a way to unbind her.¡± ¡°There is a way, yes. It won''t be easy, but tell me. Why was she bound?¡± I look around, dropping my voice. ¡°She was used of killing her parents. But she was just six. Then she was bound again when they realised she could scent her mate.¡± She taps her long nails on the table. And smiles I ¡®Strong Alpha blood 2 must rit through her veins. Sa r assume you want her to have her wolfto break the bond with ber mate?¡± Content belongs ta. - ¡°It''s a little moreplicated than that, but yes.¡± She purses her lips as she studies me. ¡°It can be done, but it will cost.¡± ¡°Give me a number.¡± She puts her elbows on the table and rubs her knuckles. ¡°One million. Jenson spits his drink out all over the table. "Bro, you can''t be serious. Not just for some girl. You can go out and choose another mate.¡± ¡°Shut up!" I snap at him. Locking eyes with Madame Curie. I nod, ¡°Done, you unbind her. You will get your money.¡± She bobs her head and rises from her seat. ¡°Just one thing, Alpha Dane. as it will help. Which pack is the girl from?¡± ¡°Moonshine. She freezesS-and the colour drains from her-tanned skin. ¡°The deal is Off Alpha Bane. I wish you luck, but? canngt help you.¡± She backs away intos the crowd of people and> disappears from sight. Content b¨¦longs to ~ Chapter 0016 Chapter 0016 ¡°Fucking witches. It would be so much easier if they had a scent.¡± Jenson mutters. ¡°That''s what you are concerned about? It¡¯s a fucking good job you weren''t the first born. Did you not see her face when I mentioned Moonshine? Something is seriously wrong with that pack.¡± ¡°So what do you want to do?¡± ¡°I need to speak to Eric.¡± I drop some cash on the table for our drinks and head back out to the car. "Take us home.¡± I snap at the driver. ¡°Chill.¡± Jenson beams at me, ¡°it¡¯s not his fault that you have your knickers in a twist.¡± He goes to get in, but I grab him and m his body into the side of the limo. ¡°Will you shut, the fuck, up!¡± ¡°Why are you so touchy about this one? What''s so special about her?¡± He climbs into his seat and as I take mine, he looks directly into my eyes. "She''s the one, isn¡¯t she? You have finally found her. I don¡¯t answer him. Because right now, I had no idea how long it would be before I could im her as mine. If the pack never returns home, how are we supposed to kill Kyle and end the bond between them. Back at the pack house, I find Raven and Eric sitting in the office. ¡°How did it go? Is she willing to help?¡± Eric rises from my chair and moves around the desk. ¡°She was going to help.¡± Jenson tells him. ¡°Was?¡± Raven asks. ¡°Jenson, what the fuck did you do?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± He holds his hands up. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°He didn''t.¡± I confirm. ¡°Madame Curie heard the name of Neah¡¯s pack and walked away.¡± ¡°She walked away? Are you serious?¡± Raven asks ¡°Yes.¡± I rub my temples. ¡°Is Neah okay?¡± ¡°Been in and out of sleep. A few screams of pain. What are we going to do? We have never been screwed over by another pack. Is that what they are trying to do? Are they trying to tear us down?¡± ¡°We will figure it out.¡± Eric tells Raven. ¡°We always do. I hear Neah scream. ¡°I will go.¡± Raven mutters. I stop her. ¡°There is nothing any of us can do. There is no medicine to give her. She has to go through it.¡± We can¡¯t just leave her.¡¯ Aero growls at me. ¡®She needs us.¡± I look at Raven and see the sorrow in her eyes. She was feeling guilty because she was almost blood tied to her mate. ¡°I will go.¡± Neah is tossing-and turning in the bed. She haetchanged out of the clothes she\ was wearing and was <> now in ¡®one of my tee¡¯s. Sweat glisteced her skin as she thrashed araue yet her eyes were squeezed . ~ Srovel.ne! oS Moving closer to her, I feel the extreme heat radiating from her. She stills for a second before letting out another blood curdling scream. Four days itsted. Four long ucking daysxWith each new day, he slept. little less, but more was spent screaming or thrashi about4y) pain. No one slept in th¨¦ house. Eric, Jenson, Raven and mast of the omegas left atshightfall, jut so they could get sorte sleep. yal Yn 3 ey ¡ª are The fifth day came and the house was quiet. I had taken to running in the morning just so Aero and I could think more clearly but as I creep into the house, there were no noises. No screams. ¡°Shit!¡± I charge up the stairs, expecting Neah to have disappeared. Instead, she wasid out like a starfish on her stomach. Her ck sweaty hair hung over her face as she slept. Is it over? Aero asks in a whisper as though he thinks she will hear him We won''t know until she wakes.¡¯ Turning the chair around. I watch as she sleeps. I could hear her breathing and the steady rhythm of her heart beating. It was the slowest it had been in days and I hoped it was a good sign. After an hour she starts stretching her limbs. She sweeps back her hair and locks eyes with me. ¡®I¡¯m naked.¡± she mutters ¡°You are.¡± I smirk, happy to see that she was feeling better. ¡°Can you look away? Please ¡°You''ve been naked for days. You were overheating. Raven put you in a tee but even that was too much. So I removed it. Her cheeks turn pink and slowly spread down her neck. ¡°Please.¡± She asks again as her hand searches for the invisible nket. Getting to my feet, I grab the nket that hangs on the back of the chair and toss it to her. ¡°You really shouldn''t be so embarrassed. ¡°You....you didn''t do anything to me?¡± ¡°You were ikand not of sane mind. I am not nay brother.¡± I mutter, turming my bagk¡¯on her. I could see her.> reflection in the window as she got to her¡¯ feet and wrapped the nket around herself, - ¡°You didn''t let Aero do something?¡± ¡°No, he was more concerned about helping you.¡± In the window, I see how she presses her hand against her chest and she lets out a big sigh of relief. ¡°Trust me.¡± I add as I continue to watch her reflection, ¡°You would know if I had fucked you.¡± Chapter 0017 Chapter 0017 Neah My stomach ties itself in knots at hisment. He keeps facing the opposite way to me, but I feel his intent. His patience was waning. The others had probably slept with him on their first night here. He said it himself, he had to hold Aero back. He moves to therge bathtub and turns on the water, pouring some coloured liquids into the running water. ¡°You need a bath.¡± He announces without looking at me. I sniff my armpits, he was right. I stank. He fills the tub until bubbles are practically overflowing. ¡°Get in.¡± m....l. can... I can just shower.¡± At least I could sort of hide myself from him He crosses the room towards me and rips the nket from my body. With his eyes locked on mine, he lifts me off my feet and carries me to the bathtub, slowly lowering me into the hot water. Not once do his eyes leave mine. They don¡¯t roam my face or the rest of me, like his brothers had. Almost like he was trying to prove a point. ¡°You bathe, I need to change the bedding.¡± He walks back to the bed and starts ripping off the sheets. Something my brother would ss as my job. I don¡¯t move or speak, and just let my eyes follow him as he moves around the bed and to the closet to grab more sheets. He pays no attention to me. He doesn¡¯t ask me any questions, his eyes don''t even flicker back in my direction. When he¡¯s finished, he moves back to the closet and rummages through the clothes he had ordered for me ¡°I assume you feel the cold.¡± ¡°Sometimes.¡± I mutter. He pulls out a pair of jeans and another sweatshirt and ces them on the bed. "! will be in the office when you are ready.¡± He didn''t wait for my reply, mming the bedroom door behind him as he stormed out. His sudden anger made me nervous and I was not looking forward to meeting him in the office. Rather than taking my time. I quickly wash, dress and hurry down the stairs. Only to find Jenson blocking the hallway ¡°Someone''s feeling better.¡± He grins I nod my head, trying not to be disrespectful ¡°How''s the wound? ¡°Better. I have to meet Alpha Dane.¡± I murmur, trying to squeeze past hisrge frame. ¡°Dane won''t mind us talking. I mean if you are to marry my brother, we should get to know each other. You will be family after all" .¡± What was I supposed to say, Dane didn''t want me to be alone with him. But it wasn¡¯t like I could escape. ¡°Hey, you don''t need to panic.¡± He drapes his arm over my shoulder and hugs me as my whole body tenses up. ¡®Seriously Jenson!¡± I hear Raven? shriek down the hallway. ¡°What isit with you and our brother''s brides?!¡± She strides towards us, pulliog me out ¡°of his grip. ¡°I''m just being friendly.¡± He mutters in annoyance ¡°A little too friendly. You are always like this!¡± She res at him and growls as she guides me away. ¡°Where are you going?¡± She asks as we round the corner away from her twin. ¡°Alpha Dane wants to see me in the office. ¡°Funny, he asked to see me too.¡± She gives me a small smile as we stop in front of the office door. Beta Eric is with Alpha Dane. They drop theieconversation as Raven¡¯ opens the door. Alpha Dane''s ey¨¦s go toray wet, tied up hair, out he doesn''t say anything. His look almost made me want to let it down. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Beta Eric asks softly. He always spoke to me with a kind voice and was never in my face like Jenson. I nod my head. ¡°Raven, check her wound.¡± Alpha Dane orders I turn to Raven before she has a chance to say something and lift my top just high enough for her to inspect it Her fingers carefully press around the scar that was forming. She ~ smilesat me. ¡°It looks really gaod. I would: say the blood tie is definitely broken.¡± Content belongs I to 7N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Good.¡± Alpha Dane still sounds annoyed. What had I done? Did I say something when I was out of it? Chapter 0018 Chapter 0018 ¡°Neah, we will be returning to Moonshine tonight!¡± I feel my stomach drop. He was returning me. He finally realised that I was no good. My eyes close and I feel my breath catch in my throat. I should have been like the others Raven had told me about. I should have thrown myself at him. I should have tried harder. I shouldn''t have used him of stuff. I feel his rough fingers on my chin as he tips my face up. ¡°Neah, open your eyes.¡± I keep them squeezed shut. ¡°Neah, I am not returning you.¡± Continuing to keep my eyes squeezed tight, I didn''t believe him. I knew it was going to happen eventually. ¡°I will try harder.¡± I plead. I may still not know what the future holds for me here, but it had to be better than going back to my brother. ¡°Neah, you are not listening. I am not returning you.¡± I peek through slits. ¡°We,¡± Alpha Dane peints to Beta Eric and himself. ¡°Are going back tonight.¡± ¡°Is that a good idea?¡± Raven mutters. She nces at me and sighs. ¡°What if that''s what they want?¡± ¡°Raven, I can handle myself and the pack has barely a hundred members. I could kill that many in my sleep.¡± ¡°Are you taking Jenson?¡± Raven asks ¡°I wasn''t nning on it.¡± Alpha Danes'' gaze shifts back to me. ¡°But now I think it is a good idea.¡± ¡°And what if they aren''t there, likest time? ¡°Then we will burn it ta the ground.¡± He shrugs his shoulders, ¡°Or I might just do that anyway.¡± I see how he watches me, waiting for some kind of reaction ¡°If you see Beta Kyle, rip his insides out through his throat. Raven''s jaw drops open as she looks at me. Beta Eric was staring at me too but Alpha Dane, he had a smile creeping over his lips. ¡°dly.¡± He muses. He shifts his gaze to Beta Eric. ¡°We leave at nightfall.¡± Beta Eric responds with a simple nod and leaves the office. He pulls a protesting Raven with him, leaving Alpha Dane and I alone. ¡°You''ve thought about his death?¡± He asks, curiously ¡°Beta Kyle ¡°Don''t call him Beta. Twat. prick, spunk bubble, you can call him anything but Beta. I told you he doesn''t deserve the title.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I have more questions about him, but tell me why I can smell my brother on you. Does it have something to do with why Raven asked me if I was taking him with me?¡± ¡°He said something about getting to know me.¡± I didn¡¯t want to cause problems between them. ¡°Let me guess. Because you will be family one day.¡± I nod and see how he frowns. I really wanted to curl up in a small ball and pretend that none of this was happening. I didn¡¯t need to be causing more problems. His head suddenly turns to the window. "Neah, stay here. Lock the door behind me.N?velDrama.Org owns this. Alpha Dane doesn''t give me a chance to ask any questions as rushes out the door. I see Jenson, Eric and some other men catapult themselves out the door, some already mid shift. Quickly closing the door, I slide the lock across had no idea what was happening. They could obviously ~ sense samething that I couldn''t. by my panic, I shove the chairs in, front of thedoors and sit under the~ window, hugging my legs tomy chest. Content belongs ta NovelDrama.Org Moonshine had never been attacked and the pack had never attacked anyone, I had no idea what to do. Peering over the window frame, a huge beast Was being dragged out of the trees by the Wolves. It was tal and muser with strange tufts of dark for. A body like a human, but its head was just like a Wolf only much larger. I had never seen anything like it Q It digs its back feet into the groun as the Wolves try to drag it into th clearing-Large ws swing at the Wolves as it tries to break free-until someone grabbed hold of itsnec ripaing it from it¡¯s shoulders ¡®Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ mi Chapter 0019 Chapter 0019 Neah I duck back down. What the hell was it? I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look again and when there is a knock on the door, I jump. ¡°Neah. It¡¯s me, you can let me in.¡± Alpha Dane''s voicees from the other side Sitting in silence, I stare at the door as the handle is fumbled with. I didn¡¯t want to move, I didn¡¯t want to leave my safe spot and I was grateful for the bolt on the door. ¡°Neah, I know you saw. The beast has been dealt with. It''s dead. You don''t need to be afraid.¡± Pushing myself off the ground, I look out the window. All the Wolves had disappeared from sight along with the monster. I start to move some of the chairs out of the way and slowly slide the lock back. Alpha Dane pushes his way in through the small gap. easily forcing the rest of the chairs back. His crimson eyes look around the office, but he doesn¡¯t mention the chairs and I was starting to realise that the stack of chairs wouldn''t have really made a difference. He had pushed them back like thay were nothing more than a stack of pillows. Between shifting back to his human form anding back to the office, he had found a pair of grey shorts. They hung low on his hips, showing off all his muscles. I find myself looking away, almost embarrassed about the thoughts racing through my mind. ¡°What..... What was it?¡± I mutter, trying to force my thoughts elsewhere. ¡°We don''t know. ¡°"Y...you don''t?¡± It shocked me that someone like Alpha Dane didn''t know what the beast was. He shakes his head. ¡°I have seen a lot of things, but nothing like that.¡± ¡°You killed it?¡± ¡°It was trying to attack some of the pack. It was the only option.¡± ¡®It had a head, like a Wolf.¡± I mumble ¡®I know.¡± ¡°But the rest... it looked like. ..it looked almost human apart from the tufts of hair and the size. ¡°I know. But now the beast is dead. You don¡¯t need to worry about it. Not worry about it? It would be all I could think about until the beast had a name. Though I could see that he was done with the conversation ¡®Moonshine will have to wait too.¡± He tells. me as he begins putting. the chairs Back in their correct ces. ¡®Didyou really think the chairs would stop someone from getting''in?¡± I shrug my shoulders because at the time, yes, I did believe that. ¡°I think it might be time to enrol you into our training sses.¡± ¡°Training?¡± ¡®Most kids-would have learned a? great det school, but you didnt go. And I i would feel a little better knowing that you could protect yauirself on some level.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~~ ¡°You want me to train with the pack? He straightens.up and turns to face me. "Maybe Rat with the pack just yet. They-have a stronger sense of smell, hearing, and they are quicker. ids would have an upper you. That would be~ putting you at a disadvantage. No, y6u can train with me.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Y...you?¡± I stutter. He was a strong Alpha. I didn''t stand a chance. ¡°I can control myself far better than any of the others that are sparring. And if yound a hit on me, I won''t feel the need to attack you back.¡± My stomach was tying itself up again. I had spent years closing my eyes whenever a fist came at me. How on earth did he think he was going to sessfully train me?This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Now?¡± I ask. ¡°A couple more days. I want to wait until that scar haspletely formed. It is not my n to put you back in the hospital.¡± My hand goes to my stomach, feeling the bumps of the scar through the sweatshirt. ¡°Is it hurting?¡± He was staring directly at me. Chapter 0020 Chapter 0020 ¡°No.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. Thest time you held it like that, you copsed.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt, I swear.¡± ¡°Then why are you holding it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­.It¡¯s nothing.¡± I didn¡¯t want to tell him that the scar was a reminder of how weak I was. It was going to be a permanent reminder of my weakness. Bruises fade, smaller wounds heal, but this would be there forever. A constant reminder that even though the blood tie was broken, I was still mated to Beta Kyle. Yet even when he dies, it will still be there. A reminder of the horrible life I had. His crimson eyes narrow as his brow creases into a frown. He leans back in his chair, studying me when I don¡¯t exin myself. ¡°Scars will fade over time. It won¡¯t always be so prominent.¡± How could he know what I was thinking? Or was it that obvious?This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°You should look at it as a survivor''s wound.¡± He continues. ¡°A survivor¡¯s wound?¡± It wasn¡¯t something that was on my radar at all. He nods at me. ¡°It caused you a great deal of pain and suffering. But look at you, standing in front of me, probably looking the healthiest you have in years. You survived, Neah. You may not think it, but deep down, you are a fighter.¡± He had such high hopes and time will show him just how wrong he is. The only person I¡¯ve ever really wanted to kill is Beta Kyle. Other than that, I wasn¡¯t a fighter. When there was no news of any more beasts in the forest, Alpha Dane told me I didn''t need to stay in the office any longer and that I was free to explore. Standing at the open front door, I watch the snow start to fall, little white wispy kes blow around and there were already children running around trying to catch the kes on their tongues. I take a step outside and immediately step backwards across the threshold. I had never been outside alone. "Are you going to do that all night?" I turn to see Raven sitting on the bottom of the stairs. Her elbows propped on her knees, her chin resting on her hands as she watches me with a smile. I hated that I couldn''t scent them "It''s snow. You''ve seen snow right? I mean Moonshine is not that far." "I''ve seen snow." I mutter, looking out at the falling kes. The snow was getting heavier now and starting to settle on the grass too. "Then what''s wrong? I''ve been watching you for a good twenty minutes and I can''t figure out what the problem is. Is it because of that beast, because we have the all clear. It''s dead." I didn''t even realise I had been standing here for so long. I hear her footsteps as she moves towards me. She stops still and links her arm with mine. "You are not alone here. There is always someone to help or talk to." She freezes and rips her arm away. "You''re not thinking of running are you?" "No. I''ve just..... I''ve never been outside on my own." She grabs my arm again, beaming at me. "It''s like I said, Neah, we are never alone here." She pulls me out into the snow,pletely unphased by the cold as she spins around in jeans and a vest. She stops and smiles at me. "Everyone thinks that we are this horrible, raging pack that just wants to kill everyone. But what we believe in is loyalty. Here, everyone will protect each other. If you are outside and someone was to attack, you can guarantee that everyone wille to your side." "Because I am Alpha Dane''s bride?" I ask quietly. "Partly, but mostly because that is who we are, we protect our own." But technically, I still wasn''t part of this pack. Chapter 0021 ?Chapter 0021 Dane Centuries of recorded research and there was nothing to describe the beast that had tried attacking my pack. I m theptop shut just as Jenson makes his way into the office. ¡°Have you seen your mate?¡± He asks with a bemused expression and drops down into a chair, sticking his feet up on my desk. ¡°Yes.¡± Raven had already made me aware that Neah was having some kind of meltdown about going out the front door, but I had decided to keep my distance. There were just some things she would have to figure out for herself. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just surprised that you have left her alone.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t alone,¡± I smack his feet off my desk, ¡°What do you want, Jenson?¡± ¡°I thought we were heading over to Moonshine.¡± ¡°ns have changed.¡± ¡°Well thanks for telling me!¡± He rolls his eyes. ¡®Does he always have to make it about him?¡¯ Aero grumbles ¡°I¡¯ve been a little preupied. As you should be.¡± I snap at my brother ¡°The forest has been checked. There is no sign of anything else. What do you want me to do?¡± He shrugs, unphased. ¡°We are well trained. We have dealt with other creatures and if more of those thingse, we will deal with them too.¡± He was so optimistic. But that was how he had always been. Even when I caught him in bed with my first bride. He had beenpletely and utterly unbothered. And strangely enough, that is what made him the perfect Gamma. He was able to keep such a level head that he could see problems where others couldn¡¯t. ¡°If it puts you at ease, I will up the number of Wolves on duty.¡± He mutters when I don¡¯t say anything. ¡°Do you think it was here for her?¡± It was already a growing suspicion that I had. The breaking of the blood tie, what Madame Curie had said and now something like that turns up, it couldn¡¯t just be a coincidence. Nothing in my life was ever a coincidence. ¡°Neah? No, I mean, I don¡¯t want to sound rude, but she isn¡¯t exactly anyone special is she? She is just someone that you happened to have found and added to a contract. Just like all the others.¡± "She is not someone we just found! Aero snarls in my head. "She is our mate. Tell him if he puts another hand on her, I will be the one to bite it off." I smile at Aero''s words. "Is he saying something?" Jenson asks. "Is Aero talking about me?" "He just wants to remind you of the importance of keeping your hands to yourself." There was a flicker of grey in my brother''s dark eyes, his wolf Aspen was close to the surface. Aspen had been desperate to challenge my Wolf Aero for years, but he knew he didn''t stand a chance. Yet it still doesn''t stop him from pushing and it was always fun to let him try. Deep down, he knew he didn''t have the strength or power to beat us. The grey fades and Jenson stares at me with his dark eyes. "If we are not going tonight, what do you want me to do?" Tell him to shove his head up his own arse? Aero muses "See if you can gain a location on Madame Curie." "Seriously? Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier." I roll my eyes at him, "You saw how she reacted. She knows something. Just see what you can dig up." "Fine" He heads out of the office as I stand at the window, watching Raven and Neah throwing snowballs at each other. Both of themughing and smiling as they ran around. I feel my own heart skip a beat at seeing the happiness on my mates face. After a few minutes, Neah suddenly copses on the floor and is holding her hand to her chest. I was out the window and tearing towards them before I had a chance to think. "Neah, Neah, what happened?!" "You really need to chill out." Raven snorts. "She''s just out of breath. She doesn''t have her Wolf back yet. She can''t keep going for hours and hours like we can. Talk about an overreaction!" "She''s right." Neah mutters breathlessly. "I''m fine." "Then that''s enough for today." I pull Neah up off the ground. "You need to change, you are soaked." Neah nods and makes her way back inside.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. "I was trying to get her to have some fun." Raven mutters as she folds her arms over her chest. "I see that now." "You are worried about her, aren''t you?" My sister questions. "She''s not always going to be injured or thrashing about in pain. If she wasn''t allowed to do anything at Moonshine, she just isn''t going to have the standard fitness levels of other Wolves. It will take time." Her dark eyes linger on my face and she sighs, "But you have something else on your mind, don''t you?" She was my only sister, but also the only one in the pack that knew when something else was bothering me. "This isn''t about her being out of breath, is it?" "No." "Do you want to talk about it?" She offers with a small smile. "No, not until I know more." I return her smile hoping it would reassure her, "Nothing to worry about." "I may be a few years younger than you and you may have raised Jenson and I after our parents were killed. But it''s been a long time since I was a child. Maybe I can help." "Just keep an eye on Neah when I''m not around." She nods her head before turning and walking in the direction of the hospital. ''Now you!" I snap at Aero. "Don''t fucking do that again!" ''I''m sorry. I panicked. You would be pissed if we hadn''t done anything." He moans, "I had to make sure she was okay My control over him was usually strong, but in that moment, when we saw her copse, he took over. I find Neah in the bedroom. A nket wrapped tightly around her upper body and she had changed out of the jeans and into some grey joggers. The nket hid her top, but I assume she has changed out of that too. "I''m okay. I swear." She mutters as soon as she sees me. "Good." "Are you mad?" "No. Yes, but not with you." I tell her and she just stares at me with her big blue eyes. She was definitely growing morefortable with looking directly at me and I didn''t mind. She sits on the bed and the nket slips from her shoulders, revealing one of my tees. "....I was trying to go outside by myself. I....I wasn''t trying to run." she stutters. "I know, Raven told me." She presses her lips together and nods her head. Taking the chair, I watch her reposition the nket on her shoulders. She shuffled herself further back on the bed so she could sit cross legged. I wanted to rip the clothes and the nket from her and bury myself deep inside of her. The thoughts were getting harder and harder to ignore, which I was certain that Aero had something to do with. Thankfully, the idea of it killing her was what was holding me back. ''The sooner we kill Kyle, the better.'' Aero''s voice rumbles through my head Chapter 0022 Chapter 0022 Dane Neah drops her eyes, her fingers fidget with the edge of the nket as she waits for me to say something. She¡¯s like a forbidden fruit.¡¯ Aero muses. ¡®So close and yet so far away. Are you sure it will hurt her?¡± I hear the desperation in his tone. I knew how he felt because I felt my own urges anytime her blue eyes locked with mine. It wasn''t just Aero that wanted her. I wanted to feel the satisfaction of knowing she was mine. Until her matebond with Kyle is truly broken, we have to wait.¡¯ I tell Aero It wasn''t what Aero wanted to hear and it wasn''t what I wanted to admit. You truly believe she is our mate? Destined to be with us and no one else?¡¯ I ask I feel it in my bones.¡¯ Aero mutters smugly ¡°You....You haven''t said anything?¡± Neah whispers. Her eyes are still low.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Even her little stutter had me turned on ¡®I have a few errands to run,¡± I say as I stand up She bobs her head and as usual, doesn¡¯t question me. However, I do feel her eyes on me as I walk out the door. Moving through the house, I could hear my brother arguing with Eric ¡°You can''t be serious, Eric!¡± My brother hollers ¡°I am deadly serious.¡± Eric snaps back. ¡°You think just because you are Dane''s brother, I will let you get away with crap. Well not this time. It''s not happening. Regardless of who you are, I outrank you!¡± ¡°Come on, Eric, I will make it up to you.¡± I frown ¡®What the fuck has he done now?¡¯ Aero groans ¡®You know Jenson, he has probably lured Eric''s partner into bed.¡¯ Pushing the door open, I re at my brother. "What the hell have you done now? ¡°Go ahead.¡± Eric snarls, ¡°Tell him!¡± ¡°It was ages ago.¡± My brother pleads. ¡°We got drunk, okay. That was it, just one night. It never happened again.¡± His dark eyes sh to me and I knew immediately that I had been right. ¡°Seriously? You slept with Kelsie? What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± I snap Eric and Kelsie had been together since they were thirteen, they had two kids together. Maybe it wasn''t his hands that needed cutting off. Aeroughs at the thought. Eric was livid even though he hid it well. Eric''s eyes sh at me. ¡°Tell me you are not going to let him get away with this?!¡± I loved my brother, but he was out of control ¡°Jenson.¡± I mutter coldly. ¡°I know, I¡¯m temporarily grounded. Won''t leave the house unless apanied by you or Eric.¡± ¡°No, not this time. You have had warning, after warning and you don''t change: To you it is all fun and.~ games: "I keep all of my emotions out of my tone. ¡°So I will giv¨¦you a chaice.¡± Content belongs ta¡± - He stares at me with his dark eyes. ¡°Banishment or. My eyes sh to Eric''s, he knew what wasing next and even he was surprised by it. ¡°Or what?" Jenson asks. ¡°Death.¡± I state clearly. His jaw drops open. "Are you actually serious? I''m your brother. You raised me and Raven. I will change. I won''t do it again ¡°Clearly I did not raise you well enough!¡± ¡°All because I slept with his other half?¡± Jenson scowls. ¡°But it¡¯s not just Kelsie, is it? What about all of my-brides that you slept with? Wha about all the women that you havebedded that belongto > someone else. It''s almost as if itis a challenge for you. To have thec women that are already taken. Endugh I is enough, Jenson. As said, you have had warning after warning and you have still tried to hit on my bride.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± He is on his feet. His eyes turning grey. If Aspen wanted a fight, Aero was right here and ready for him "Really? Whatis thement you made about Neah being family? Implying that she is to be shared! - Raven tells me everything, Jenson If you wapt to chase women that don''t bng to you, go elsewhere and do it-tMless with the fucking humans for tent belonggto + swnovel.ne ¡°Better yet, leave and take Kelsie with you.¡± Eric snaps ¡°You want me to take your boys?¡± He asks with a cocked brow. ¡°No, just her.¡± Eric growls ¡°Bro, you can¡¯t do this!¡± Jenson pleads with me ¡°Eric isn''t the first to tell me this. I have a list as long as my arm. Now your time is up, what do you choose? Chapter 0023 Chapter 0023 Jenson shakes his head, his dark eyes wide in shock. ¡°I will leave.¡± He mutters. ¡°I just.... I just need a few hours to pack my stuff.¡± He mutters in shock. "Supervise him!" I tell Eric. "Not a problem." Eric follows Jenson from the office as I link Raven. ''Are you free?'' The news would be bettering from me. ''Sure, where?'' ''Office.'' ''On my way.'' She chirps happily ''She isn''t going to be happy.'' Aero states what I already know. ''And that''s why it is bettering from us.'' Raven is quick to appear. She''s her usual happy self which means that Jenson was yet to link her. "Is this about Neah?" "No. Your brother has been up to his usual tricks." "You said this isn''t about Neah." "It''s not. It turns out that Jenson slept with Kelsie." "Are you serious?" Her dark eyes are wide. "Why the hell would he do that?" "It was some time ago, but has onlye to light recently. Raven, he has chosen to be banished." "You''re banishing our brother, my twin?" "It''s gone on long enough. He has been given warning after warning and he still doesn''t change. Do you know how manyints I receive every day because of what he does? I can''t fault that he is an excellent Gamma, but sadly, his abilities no longer outweigh his activities." She folds her arms, "Crap. Where is he going to go?" "I don''t know." "You mean you don''t care!" "Of course I care about my brother, Raven. But there are only so many warnings I can give him. If it had been anyone else, they would have been long gone and you know as well as I do, that he has taken advantage of being my brother." She slowly nods her head and sighs, "I understand." ''She''s taking it alot better than I thought she would.'' Aero mumbles and I agreed, but then again, for twins, they weren''t exactly the closest "You can stay in touch if you feel the need. You are his twin, I will not hold that against you. But from this day forward, he is no longer a member of this pack. That means not giving him information, not telling him of mine or anyone''s location. No filling him in on any attacks. You tell him nothing. Understood?"N?velDrama.Org owns this. She nods. "Raven, I need to hear you say it." "I understand. I will not in any circumstances give him information." "Good. I believe he is in his room packing if you want to say your goodbyes." She doesn''t say anything as she leaves. ''She will get over it.'' Aero mutters, ''We have to do what''s right for the pack.'' I wasn''t aplete arsehole. I gave him keys to a car and handed him enough money that should see him through for a few months until he figures things out. But essentially, he was on his own because no other pack would take him. "You made the right call." Eric tells me as we watch the ck car disappear from sight. "I know. It''s been a long timeing." "Would you have killed him if he had said death?" "I don''t know." If it had been anyone else, yes, I would have done, but could I have gone as far as ending my brother''s life? Who knows. "What about Kelsie? She didn''t leave with him." "She''s trying to use our sons as a reason for us to stay together. Fifteen years we have been together, and she throws it away on fucking Jenson." He looks up at the house where we both could see Neah sat in the chair by the bedroom window. "Good job you got him out before he got to her." And in that moment, I realise that is all it would have taken for me to kill Jenson, finding out he had fucked my mate. "Have you told her yet?" Eric asks. "About?" "Her being your mate, obviously." "It''splicated." I sigh "It''s a little unfair to not tell her, considering you made her part of the contract." "She''s still mated to someone else." "You do want her, right? I mean surely you wouldn''t have brought her here if you didn''t want her." "I want her, but I also need her to want me and not just because of some fucking matebond." Chapter 0024 Chapter 0024 Neah In the kitchen, I find Raven shovelling food in her mouth. Her dark eyes were tearful and her face blotchy from holding back the tears ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be in your room!¡± She snaps at me ¡°I was.... I''m hungry and um.... Alpha Dane said that if I ever was, I could... help myself.¡± I stutter. Raven had never been short tempered with me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask quietly. ¡°Jenson has been banished.¡± she splutters and the tears break free. ¡°Oh,¡± I puff out my cheeks as I think of some words of reassurance, but all I coulde up with was an apology.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Her dark eyes linger on my face. ¡°It¡¯s not because of you. It''s because he is an idiot. I warned him so many times that Dane would only put up with it for so long. And I''m trying not to cry, but Midnight is grieving for her twin and I can¡¯t control it.¡± ¡°Your wolf?¡± I couldn¡¯t remember if it was her or Alpha Dane who had tald me the name of her Wolf. ¡°Yes, because not only are Jenson and I twins, the Wolves we were gifted by the Moon Goddess are twins too. Midnight knows it was his own fault but still she sobs. Slipping into a seat opposite her, I frown. I didn¡¯t understand the separate Wolf thing. None of Moonshine had them, well not that I knew of. But then, it wasn¡¯t like they told me anything. ¡°Can I ask you something? ¡°As long as it''s not about Jenson.¡± ¡°Is it normal to have another voice, your Wolf, like living inside your head?" She tilts her head to one side as she stares at me. ¡°We all have one. Well, not you, but we all have one. When we shift, they take over and we be a voice to them. It''s a spiritual thing. Surely you know that.¡± I had already sort of mentioned it to Dane, but alot was going on and I hadn¡¯t brought it up again. ¡°It''s just, all of you here talk about them. My brother never did, in fact I never heard of anyone referring to their Wolf at Moonshine. Is that weird?¡± ¡°Super fucking weird. If they have a Wolf that is anything like Midnight, who doesn¡¯t ever stop talking, you would soon know about it. Have you told Dane?" ¡°Sort of, I haven''t discussed it because....¡± I look down at my stomach ¡°and then there was an attack and now he seems to be avoiding me.¡± ¡®I''m telling you, Neah. That is really weird and Midnight wants to know if you have ever seen their Wolves. I shake my head ¡°You saw us shift and take down that beast. Are you really saying you have seen nothing like that at Moonshine?¡± ¡°My brother had a rule. Shifting was to be kept in the woods.¡± ¡°You need to tell Dane.¡± She shoves a bit more food in her mouth. Raven seesmy hesitation and offers toe with me. ¡°It¡¯s better that.He knowseverything you know. And I''m sorry''I snapped at you.¡± She gives mea small smile. Conten belongs to NovelDrama.Org - She links Alpha Dane for me and asks him to meet us in his office. We were waiting almost thirty minutes before he appeared. The waiting made me panic more. It was a remind¨¦r of some of the abuse* had reg@ived from Moonshine. Sometimes, when I knew it was. coming, they would make me wait, t¨¦Pmenting me further. G@ntent belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Even I can smell your panic. And I am not an Alpha.¡± Raven mutters ¡°I thought my scent was weird.¡± ¡°It is, which means your panic levels are stupidly high. You need to rx." The door evings open and Alpha -~ Dane strides in. ¡°You wanted to talk.¡± His voice was still cold and norenially he would be watching me, instead his. eyes are on Raven. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~ Chapter 0025 ?Chapter 0025 *Neah needs to tell you something." She smirks at him *So why are you here?" He replies *Support." He snorts at the word. "..." I take a deep breath. "I told you my brother never spoke of his Wolf." "You lied to me?" He interrupts me. *No. Nothing like that. I didn''t realise that everyone has a Wolf that is someone else." His eyes shift to me and he cocks a brow. "I thought, when you talked about Aero, it was an Alpha thing. I...." I nce over to Raven who gestures to keep going. "I didn''t know it was everyone." *And now you do?!" "I never saw them at Moonshine." "You never saw them?" He asks curiously I shake my head and tell him what I had told Raven. *No one talked about their Wolf? No one ever shifted in front of you?" I shake my head. I knew how stupid it sounded. I grew up in a Wolf pack but had never seen a shift, not until the attack here. "It''s weird, right?" Raven asks "Never?" He asks me again "I never thought about it. I didn''t need to. My job was to clean and be beaten." I didn''t mean to say thest bit, it just slipped out. There is a sh of anger on his face. "Being beaten is not a job." For a moment, the room was silent and all I could hear was my own heartbeat pulsing through my body. *My brother had a rule. Shifting was only allowed beyond the trees." I shrug my shoulders. "I never went in the trees." Alpha Dane closes his crimson eyes. "They never shifted even when they....hurt you?" "No." His eyes sh open. "Then it looks like we will be going to Moonshine after all. Raven, go find Eric, tell him to round up the best." "We are attacking?" She mutters "Possibly." His eyes settle on me. "You areing too, Neah." Alpha Dane tells me to change into something more appropriate than joggers and a tee. I change into a pair of ck jeans and pull on a pair ofbat boots. He walks into the bedroom just as I pull a sweatshirt over my head. He doesn''t say anything about the clothes I have chosen as he grabs his jacket from the closet. The same one he had the day I first met him. *Ready?" "....I think so?" "Good, the cars are waiting." "What about the snow?" He stops to look at me. "The snow isn''t that deep, but that''s not what you''re really worried about, is it?" I shake my head "I''m not taking you back. I''m taking you to piss them off." He smiles at me I open my mouth to say something but close it again and take a deep breath, giving him a small smile. "Do you think you will get the answers you are looking for?"This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . "I''m not leaving until I do!" I follow him as we head out of the house. Severalrge vehicles were lined up with people already getting in them. Except the vehicle at the front which was the limo I had already ridden in. The driver stood next to the car, holding the door open. *They will follow us so far, and will hang back, but will be close enough to attack if your brother doesn''t cooperate." Alpha Dane mutters. "We don''t want to appear as if we are nning to attack." I watch Beta Eric get into the limo first. *And you won''t be left alone with anyone." Alpha Dane adds While I sit in silence, the men have an open conversation about the n. Every so often, I could feel eyes on me but neither ask me any questions. "Well, it''s not abandoned." Beta Eric mutters as he looks out the window. I look out of my window and see the people that had taken great joy in beating me. Chapter 0026 Chapter 0026 The cares to a stop directly in front of the pack house. It really was tiny inparison to Alpha Dane¡¯s home. As the door is opened, Alpha Dane gets out and holds a hand out to me. I didn''t hesitate to take it this time because he had already told me that we needed to annoy Kyle. The warmth from his touch wasforting and strangely unexpected. Luna Cassandra is standing on the steps in a long white gown. Her blonde hair circles into tight ringlets that bounced around her face ¡°Alpha Dane.¡± Her shrill voice made me wince and I knew my hand had automatically tightened around Alpha Danes. ¡°We were not expecting you yet. I believe the contract stated that you would return after thirty days.¡± So they had read it. ¡°It also states that I will return within fourteen if I''m not satisfied.¡± Alpha dane mutters as he give my hand a little squeeze back. ¡°You got what you want!¡± Luna Cassandra res at me. ¡°And we have not done anything wrong.¡± ¡°There are questions that remain unanswered.¡± There is a darkness to Alpha Danes'' tone that instantly fills me with dread. If I had been on the receiving end, I wouldn¡¯t want to be in Luna Cassandra¡¯s ce right now. ¡°You are more than wee to came in. My husband and our Beta are out hunting right now. I can try and answer your questions while we wait for their return.¡± She hadn''t even flinched at Alpha Danes tone. As we enter the house, my heart races. Alpha Dane had reassured me over and over that he wasn''t going to let anything happen to me, yet it didn¡¯t stop the memories flooding my mind. We follow Luna Cassandra into the office. Her green eyes lock on mine as she closes the door. ¡°Please, take a seat.¡± She mutters through gritted teeth. It must have been so hard for her to say that to me. ¡°How can I help you, Alpha Dane?¡± She speaks so calmly ¡°Who bound Neah? It wasn''t what I thought he was going to say. ¡°Unfortunately, that is information I do not know, Alpha Dane.¡± ¡°But she was bound twice, correct?¡± Her green eyes flicker to me. ¡°Correct. ¡°Because she is mated to your Beta.¡± She sucks tn her cheeks. ¡°Was. He rejected her. Who wants a rat like that as@mate?!¡± She chuckles.> ¡°Have eyOu decided she is worthless, Alpha Dane? Are you trying tO return her?" ~ ¡°No. As I said, I am just looking for answers. ¡°I don''t know what you want me to Say, Alphat Dane. She was bound.as punishment the first time and then againswhen she turned eighteen. The-first witch didn''t do a good enaugh job.¡± - ¡°You used a witch? I thought you didn¡¯t know who it was. There''s a tinge of red to her cheeks. ¡®I don''t know who it was. And we both know only a witch would be capable of doing something{ ike that.¡± . It was a good save, but it also sounded rehearsed. ¡°Then I will wait for Trey to give me the answers that I require.N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Very well, can I offer you something to drink while you are waiting?¡± ¡°Water will be fine.¡± Alpha Dane mutters She leaves the office and returns a few minutes with a jug of water and sses, cing it on a small table in the middle of the room. Alpha Dane is fast as he pins Luna Cassandra to the wall, holding her inches off the ground as his hands coil around her neck. ¡°Do you think I''m stupid?¡± He growls, ¡°I could smell it before you even finished filling the jug.¡± ¡°You.... you shouldn''t be able to.....¡ã Luna Cassandra croaks as she tries to peel his fingers from her throat. ¡°Blood of Wolfsbane.¡± Beta Eric mutters, dumping the contents on the floor. Chapter 0027 Chapter 0027 Dane Cassandra coughs as my fingers tighten against her throat. Her own fingers desperately wed at my hands, hoping that I would free her. ¡°Are you growing it?¡± I demand, releasing my grip, just enough to allow her to speak. ¡°No.¡± She croaks. ¡°Then how did you get your hands on some? Is it Trey or the other fucking idiot that''s growing it?¡± ¡°I found it!¡± she mutters hoarselyN?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Bullshit!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not¡­..It¡¯s not bullshit!¡± She splutters, "It''s...it''s true!" ¡°Who were you trying to kill? Me or her?¡± I demand There is movement behind me and from the corner of my eye, I see Neah step forward. ¡°Was it you?¡± Neah whispers ¡°Don¡¯t speak to me, RAT!¡± ¡°Answer her!¡± I m her body into the wall again. Feeling some of her bones crack as she yelps in pain ¡°I don¡¯t ....know what she is talking about.¡± she gasps ¡°Let me clear things up for you. Her parents were killed with Blood of Wolfsbane. The murder was pinned on her. A six year old. Your husband imed she should have known the difference between nts. But you already know all this. So again, did you kill her parents?¡± "Answer her!" I m her body into the wall again. Feeling some of her bones crack as she yelps in pain "I don''t ... know what she is talking about." she gasps "Let me clear things up for you. Her parents were killed with Blood of Wolfsbane. The murder was pinned on her. A six year old. Your husband imed she should have known the difference between nts. But you already know all this. So again, did you kill her parents?" "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY MATE!" Treyes charging in, sending me crashing into Neah. Her blue eyes lock with mine as Ind on top of her small frame. She lets out a gasp as my chest hits hers and in that moment, I knew that what Aero is saying is true. There was no doubt about it, she was my mate. ''Told you!'' Aero mutters smugly But it still didn''t exin how she could be mated to two people at once. I get to my feet and round on Trey. He was raging about me pinning his mate and was checking the marks on her neck. Slowly, he straightens up. "How fucking dare youe in to my home and attack my mate!" "Can you not smell the blood of wolfsbane?" I snap at him He clenches his teeth together. "She was alone, she was protecting herself!" "I came here for answers. Not a war. But if a war is what you want, then I am only too happy to provide." Suddenly, he holds his hands up, realising that I meant exactly what I was saying "It was a mistake, she shouldn''t have done it. But even you, Alpha Dane, must see that my mate felt the need to protect herself." "Now the problem we have is that, the contract stated if you were to hurt Neah again, this pack would be mine." "She didn''t hurt her though. I assume because you have tipped it on the floor that you figured it out before any damage was done." His eyes shift to Cassandra who was still sitting on the floor, rubbing her neck. "She didn''t break any rules, thankfully." ''He has found his own fucking loophole.'' Aero growls. He had. For the first time since I had started creating contracts, Trey was the first to find his own loophole. "I''m sure we can talk about this... misunderstanding." Trey mutters. He turns to his mate. "Leave us." "I''m not leaving." "Let her stay." I mutter. "Let her stay and give away all of your secrets." I sit back down, watching them both. My eyes flicker to Neah and I hold a finger to my lips. She nods her head, acknowledging that I didn''t want her to speak, but to listen. To listen to all the lies she had been fed over the years. "Where''s the other one?" I ask. Cassandra said Kyle and Trey were hunting together, but Trey had arrived alone. "He''sing." Trey mutters with a clenched jaw. "Good, while we are waiting. I want you to tell me who really killed your parents, Trey." His eyes flicker to my mate. "I already told you." "But it''s not the truth, is it? The fact your mate tried to poison us with the same shit, makes me think that it was her, or at least both of you?" "It was Neah! And what does it matter? You have taken her as a bride, you clearly don''t care about the things she has done in the past." "Because it is not true. Now you can keep denying it as much as you want, but I know it was one of you." My eyes sh to Cassandra, "Or maybe both of you were involved." Cassandra drops her eyes at the mention of both of them. "Did you both n it together?" I ask directly. "Were you so desperate to be an Alpha that you killed your own parents?" I see how his cheeks pulsate as he clenches his jaw. "If you did, then that is your own issue, but to pin it on a child and punish her the way you have is unfair. But I''m guessing if the rest of the pack found out the truth about it, they wouldn''t think of you as a leader, but as a traitor. There would be no ce for you in this pack." "What do you want?" He snarls "Tell me the truth." "Don''t!" Cassandra cries "Shut up!" I growl at her Trey turns to look at Neah. "You did kill them. But it wasn''t supposed to be them. You were too young to remember, you were supposed to have taken the poisoned lemonade to Cassandra''s parents. But you took the jug and served our parents first." I watch Neah, blink back the tears. Her hands ball into fists as she slides them under her legs until she is sat on them. "So you punished her for your actions?" "I had too. She served them and there were too many witnesses." He sinks into a chair. "I couldn''t let her go unpunished." "And yet, you still let everyone beat her, including yourself. Was binding her not enough?" "Then the stupid cow should have followed instructions!" Cassandra snaps. Everything Neah had told me about Cassandra''s attitude changing made sense. She had tried to befriend Neah and get her to do her dirty work. It was all a ploy. "So let me get this straight, if she had killed your parents, you would never have tormented my bride?" Neither one of them answer me. "I thought as much." I was waiting for Aero to say something, but all he does is pace in my mind. I think he was just trying to hold it together until he got more information. "You may be angry with me, Alpha Dane, but it''s in the past. We want to move forward and have a strong alliance with your pack. I know there is bad history between us and my sister, but we can move on from that. Can''t we?" "Bad history?" I snort. "You made her life hell." I look over to my mate, who is staring down at herp. And I had a demanding need to get revenge for her. For everything that had ever happened to her, I wanted them all to pay. Everyst Wolf of Moonshine would feel my wrath. Chapter 0028 Chapter 0028 Neah I was having some sort of shback. The memory wasn¡¯t quite clear but I could hear Luna Cassandra¡¯s voice. Its so hot today, isn''tit, Neah?¡± There was a cheery tone to her voice as she helped me make the lemonade. She had let me stand on a chair at the kitchen counter, helping her. A second jug sat on the counter with some leaves sitting in the bottom ¡°What''s that. Cassie?" ¡°I thought we could make some extra. Everyone loves lemonade on a day like this. The memory jumps forward to me offering the jug to my parents. I had stood and watched as they poured themselves a drink and toasted to something. Then there was chaos. People were shouting and screaming as someone grabbed my arms and dragged me away. Before I was out of sight, I saw the blood pour from my parents eyes, nose and mouth. They had desperately wed at their faces ¡°Neah, what did you do?!¡± "I don''t know.¡± I could hear my own fear in my young voice ¡°Cassie, I didn''t mean to. I''m sorry, will they be okay?¡± Her face hardened as her green eyes became slits. "My name is Cassandra and you, you stupid girl, just killed your parents.¡± I blink a few times,ing back to reality. Just as I look up, Kyle is walking through the door. ¡°Sorry. I had to deal with some things.¡± His dark eyes find me. ¡°Decided to bring her back then? To much of a pain?¡± He muses ¡°Just sit down!¡± My brother snaps. It was just so unlike Trey. He never got snarky with his mate or his Beta. ¡°We have told them the truth about my parents.¡± Trey continues. ¡°It was time for the truth toe out. ¡°If it even is the truth.¡± Alpha Dane snaps I follow his instructions and don''t say anything. I will tell him about my shbackter, hopefully he won''t be too angry. ¡®I''m also here to make sure you reject her correctly.¡± Alpha Dane tells Kyle Everyone looks at him. There was even surprise on Luna Cassandra''s face, but not on my brothers. My brother still knew we were connected ¡°You told me you rejected her.¡± Luna Cassandra shrieks and I cover my ears. Her voice always made my ears hurt. ¡°I did and she epted it.¡± Lies." Alpha Dane snaps. ¡°All 5 fucking: ies. Because if you had teuly rejected her, how could you force a blodd tie on her.¡± Content b¨¦longs to Swnovel _N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°You what?¡± My brother''s chocte eyes are wide with shock Either my Brother was a good liar, or he truly.c dicin¡¯t know about the blood tie. It was impossible for me tatell. I could probably sense it if I had my Wolf. > - Alpha Danes crimson eyes search my face. ¡°Say it. What did he want me to say? ¡°Fucking speak the words and reject her.¡± Alpha Dane roars and I feel myself tense up. ¡°Kyle, reject her. Reject her right now.¡± Trey utters ¡°No.¡± Kyle¡¯s lips are curved up in a smirk. Alpha Dane turns away from me, Squaring upto Kyle. Alpha Dane is easily taller than him, yet Kyle holds his c¨¦srefusing to back down>> Una fratd. IfI was inthe same ? position, I would probably bes¡± 7 preparing myself to die. Content b¨¦longs to ? ¡°Kyle, do as you''re told.¡± My brother shouts ¡°Fine.¡± He moves around Alpha Dane and stands directly in front of me. I drop my gaze not wanting to look directly at him. ¡°Look at me, whore!¡± I could feel my body trembling, and slowly forced myself to look at him. There was so much hatred in his eyes. ¡°I, Kyle Souls, Beta of the Moonshine pack, reject you, Neah Kitson.¡± He pauses, ¡°as my mate, now and forever.¡± ¡°I ept!¡± I mutter quickly, wanting to get this over with. ¡°I ept your rejection, Kyle Souls.¡± While I feel nothing, his face screws up like he is in some kind of pain. ¡°And now,¡± Alpha Dane smiles. ¡°I can kill you!¡± He pulls a dagger out of his jeans and shoves it straight through Kyle¡¯s back and into his heart. Chapter 0029

Chapter 0029

Kyle stumbles forward clutching his chest and Beta Eric quickly pulls me from my seat before Kyle falls forward. He lets out some low guttural sounds before he stills. Both Luna Cassandra and my brother were on their feet. ¡°You¡­you killed him!¡± Luna Cassandra cries ¡°He deserved everything he got. I just needed to make sure that he had rejected Neah properly.¡± ¡°You killed my brother!¡± Luna Cassandra shrieks, rushing to Kyle¡¯s side. I hadn¡¯t known that and for a split second, I felt sorry for her, until I remembered the hell she had caused me. ¡°You better watch your back, Alpha Dane.¡± She growls at him ¡°You don¡¯t scare me!¡± He muses ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t, but when you see what¡¯sing, you will wish that I was the least of your problems.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Alpha Dane demands. "Is that some kind of threat?" ¡°You will see.¡± She mutters as my brother pulls her arm and helps her get up from the floor. They both run from the room and Alpha Dane sends Beta Eric after them.N?velDrama.Org owns this. I stare at Kyle¡¯s dead body, half hunched over the chair that I had been sitting in. I had wished for so long to see him die and now it had actually happened, I felt¡­..relieved. ¡°Are you okay? Did it hurt when he rejected you?¡± Alpha Dane speaks softly to me. Using his fingers to turn my face to his. ¡°No. But it hurt him, I saw the pain on his face.¡± I whisper. ¡°He¡­ he said it differently this time.¡± ¡°I thought that might have been the case.¡± ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t know they were brother and sister.¡± ¡°Does it matter? You are Trey¡¯s sister and they treated you horrendously.¡± "But it was me, I did kill my parents." I mutter quietly. "I saw myself giving them the jug." "What did you remember?" I tell him about the shback, he doesn''t interrupt me once as I try to recall smaller details. It''s only when I finish that he tells me that he still believes that I was set up. The same thing he had been saying all along. "Cassandra said she wanted you to kill her parents, I think that was an excuse. I think the n was always for you to give the poison to your parents. She wanted to be Luna and your brother wanted to be Alpha." "They will never know though. They died believing their daughter killed them." I groan He sighs at my words and before he has a chance to speak, Beta Eric returns. "They''re gone. Everyone has gone. The pack has cleared out." "What the hell are you talking about?" "I followed Trey and Cassandra into the trees and quickly lost their scent. It''s like they vanished into thin air." "That can''t be possible, Wolves don''t just vanish. Where the fuck do they go?" "I''m assuming they have some kind of safe space." Beta Eric shrugs his shoulders. "Set up a search party and hunt them down. I''m taking Neah home." Back in the car, I feel his eyes on me, yet keep mine low. I knew he had questions, but I couldn''t answer them. I knew nothing when it came to my own pack. And it turned out, I didn''t actually know much about Wolves at all. "You don''t have to see them ever again, if you don''t want to." His voice is low. "As far as I''m concerned the contract is void. The one thing that was tying you to the pack, is dead." Lying down on the seat, I turn away, facing the back. I could still feel his gaze like it was burning into the back of my head. He wanted me to talk, but there was nothing I could say. I was too busy, remembering thest time I saw my parents and how they had looked at me. Chapter 0030 Chapter 0030 Dane Neah had fallen asleep by the time we got back. I had watched her shoulders judder as she silently cried, while keeping her back facing me. I had chosen to keep silent. not knowing what to say or do to make her feel better. Even Aero was at a loss. Picking her up, I carry her inside. She doesn¡® stir, she doesn¡¯t make a sound as I observe her blotchy red face. Do you think she is crying over him?¡¯ Aero asks. I don''t know. She said she had felt nothing. A dyed reaction maybe, you know, because of the binding?¡¯ We could tell her she is our mate, we can im her now. She is free of that areshole.¡± No, I think that is thest thing she will want to hear.¡¯ Putting her on the bed, I take her boots off and she instinctively pulls her knees to her chest, letting out a little snuffly sound as she always deos when sleeping I watch her for a little while until I get a link from Eric. ¡®We need to talk!¡¯ He sounded urgent. Maybe the hunting party had found something. Office.¡± I link him. You are going to want to meet me outside for this. We will be arriving in about ten minutes.¡¯ What the hell is that about?¡¯ Aero asks when Eric cuts the link. I guess we will find out!¡¯ I snap back at him. With one final check of Neah, I make my way down the stairs and through to the front of the house. Within a few minutes, a line of vehicles started to arrive, all creating a blockade in front of the house as though Eric didn''t want the rest of the pack to see. He jumps out of the vehicle thates to a stop right in front of me. ¡°Did you find them?¡± I ask and he shakes his head ¡°Not exactly.¡± Eric looks around. ¡°Where is Neah?¡± ¡°Asleep.¡± He nods his head and pulls open the back door of FIsrge car and drags a naked matrout by his feet, tossin him to th¨¦-snow covered ground. Kis wrists and legs were tied together, a thick Metal chain had been looped around his neck and he was¡®only half conscious. Blood and-mud covered him, making it iripossible to tell his age. ¡°You brought me a naked man?¡± I muse, "He''s not really my cup of tea.¡± Eric shakes his head and grabs the end of the chain. He kicks the man on the ground. "Show him! Some of the others that had been with Eric,e forward, all carrying chains. Was the naked man a powerful Wolf? Someone that I didn¡¯t know, because that would be impossible! The man jus lies there, staring up at the star filledSky, dazed. After a few seconds, we hear his bones crack . and wat¡éh is legs and arms SS lengthen, snapping the ropes that hold-timn. Tufts of fur sprouted from hima, but he didn¡¯t turn into awolf, he tarned into a beast, like the creature that had tried attacking my men. Eric calls someone forward and they quickly throw chains around the beast''s legs ¡°Where did you find it?¡± I demand, studying the beast with my crimson eyes. It looked exactly like the one that had attacked us. ¡°During the hunt for Trey and Cassandra. This one was high in a tree.¡± The beast was still sprawled out in the snow, slightly dazed. In a tree?¡¯ Aero murmurs. I had to agree with his surprise, you wouldn''t find Wolves in a tree.N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Have you not noticed the other thing?¡± Eric asks I look at the beast and realise it had no scent. Nothing at all, not even a whiff of body odour. ¡°How is that possible? Eric gives the Qeast a kick. ¡°This one either fell outaf he tree, or the branch caurd no longer carry his weight. Bither way, hended rightin front of us. But if he hadn''t, we¡± woul¨¦ never have known he was there, Dane. When shifted, they can lit@rally hide in in sight=¡°Content belongs to Chapter 0031 Chapter 0031 "Has he said anything?¡± ¡°I haven''t gotten any answers out of him yet.¡± Eric sighs and looks at me. ¡°I think this is what Moonshine Wolves look like.¡± ¡°Take him to the dungeons. Make sure he is secured. We will ask questions. Until then, this goes no further!¡± I snap ¡°What about Neah?¡± Eric asks ¡°What about her?¡± I re at him He closes his mouth, choosing not to answer. ¡°Take the beast to the dungeons.¡± I repeat. Eric bows his head and they load the beast back into the vehicle, driving him off towards the dungeons. She can''t look like that.¡¯ Aero mutters in my head. ¡®She just can''t.¡¯ Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡¯ Aero demands as I move back through the house. Things were starting to fall into ce. The fact I had never heard of Moonshine until the call came. The secretiveness of the pack. How they suddenly disappeared and kept disappearing. How Neah has never seen them in Wolf form. How the beast had been hiding in a tree. Thements Neah had made about getting their Wolves at thirteen. What if that was what we were missing? They didn¡¯t disappear, they went up and out of sight. hiding high in the trees, knowing that we wouldn''t be able to find them. I quietly sit in the chair in our bedroom, watching my mate sleep. Was she one of them and just didn¡¯t know it yet? If I find a way to unbind her, is that what she will be? She¡¯s our mate!¡¯ Aero mutters as though that answered all my questions. I wake to the ngise of the showe running. Thebed is empty, and Neah''s clothes are piled up on the ~ end of the bed. Looking to the = showety see her, sitting on the ttoor, the waiter cascading down over her small frame as she leans agains the gfass. ~ ¡°Neah?" She doesn''t move. Ripping open the shower door, she has her knees¡®pulled to her chest. ¡°l..1 don¡¯ realty remember my parents.¡¯ "she mutters. ¡°Butl see their faces. I... I see the blood ~ runnigg f from their noses and the corners of their eyes. I see the way they w at their throats a& they splutter up blood. I remember how their eyes locked with mine as they took theirst breaths.¡± Content belongs to N I had been worried that she had felt the breaking of her bond with Kyle, when really, she was reliving the final moments of her parents¡¯ lives. It wouldn''t matter how many times I say it isn¡¯t her fault. She was haunted by the final image of them. ¡êN?velDrama.Org owns this. Pulling off my shirt, I step into the running waterSliding myself down the cool tiles¡®until I was sitting on the floor next to her. In one quick > movement, I pull her naked body onto myp and lock my arms?'' around her, holding he tightly¡± against me. Hoping it would be eriough to make her fe tiny bit better. To make her understand that she isn''t alone. She rests her cheek against my chest, taking a few deep breaths. Her rampant heart slows until it''s beating regrly. I really wanted to fuck her and could feel my cock hardening beneath her. ¡°Let''s get you dressed.¡± I murmur, much to Aero¡¯s annoyance. As much as I had needs, now was not the time. Though I was bing more and more surprised by my own will power. Neah standspletely still as I wrap a towel around her, she sits on the bed as I dig out some clothes for her to wear. ¡°The contract is void, right?¡± She mutters behind me. ¡°You are done with my brother, right? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So I''m free to go without you killing me? Chapter 0032 Chapter 0032 Dane Turning back to her, she is staring at me with those big blue eyes. Her bottom lip quivers a little as she waits for my answer. I didn¡¯t want her to go, but what if she was one of these beasts? What would I be letting myself in for? e....Are you going to kill me?¡± She asks again jo." It didn¡¯t matter what she was. She clings to the towel wrapped around her which was hitched up around her thighs and barely covering her. ¡°Put these on.¡± I pass her the sweatshirt and joggers out of the cupboard. I would rather she wore less but it made it a little easier when she was covered up. Because that''s going to stop you!¡¯ Aero muses Turning away from her, I let her dress. ¡°Why do you think I want you to leave? ¡°I''m part of the contract.¡± She doesn¡¯t stutter this time, almost like she found it easier to talk to me when I wasn''t looking at her. ¡°You were.¡± I agree, keeping my back to her. ¡°But I don¡¯t n on killing an innocent woman. Don¡¯t you dare!¡¯ Aero growls at me. ¡°If you want to leave, you can. I will ensure you are set up and will provide you with everything you need.¡± You fucking idiot!¡¯ Aero yells. He wasn¡¯t the least bit bothered that Neah might not be a proper Wolf. I have to give her a chance to think for herself.¡¯ I snap at him. ¡®To let her make her own decisions.¡¯N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Where would I go?¡± Neah asks quietly ¡°Wherever you want.¡± I sigh, it sounded like she had already made her decision. ¡°There are plenty of areas where no packs have control. Mutual zones.¡± ¡®Stop telling her the good things!¡¯ Aero was pacing in frustration. And as much as I didn''t want her to leave, I felt it was only fair to tell her options. ¡®Tell her she will be unprotected. That there are more dicks than Trey. Tell her to stay!¡¯ I hear her pad across the carpet and settle into the chair and turn to look at her. The soft blue sweatshirt made her blue eyes pop even more. ¡°Can I think about it?¡± She asks quietly ¡°Sure.¡± She brushes through her hair and I catch the scent of something different mixed in with her strange scent. Lavender. Yet the more I thought about it, the more I realised her strange scent wasn''t as strong as it once was Matebond!'' Aero chuckles, ¡®About time you believe it!¡¯ Sometimes, I really wished that Aero and I were separate beings, just so I could punch him Hey!¡¯ He moans at me. ¡®I¡¯m not the one who is pretending. Just fucking im her.¡¯ ¡®I have to go and check on something.¡¯tmutter like some fucking school kid who had bumped into thei Kerush, ¡°If you need me someone will be able to link me: Don¡®tworry, I''m not leaving the ba¨¦kgrounds.¡± Content belongs ike) NovelDrama.Org % She nods her head at me while Aero continues to call me an idiot. ¡®Whatever, we have a beast to interrogate!¡¯ I tell him as I hurry from the bedroom and down the stairs. Before descending the dungeon steps. I could already hear Eric demanding answers, but he wasn''t getting very far, the beast was not talking back. ¡°What the fuck are you?!" Eric shouts just as I appear. The man wasin human form and Eric or someone had been decent enough tagive him some basic clothes.ta wear. The man was = huddledin the corner, but now, without the blood and the smeared mud, I could see that he wasn''t that ofa. Maybe eighteen at a.bush. ¡°What''s your name?¡± I ask, keeping my tone level. ¡°He won''t answer.¡± Eric mutters. "I''ve been trying all night, he won''t speak.¡± I turn to look at the young guy in the corner. They had strapped his legs down with chains, giving him little to no room to move. ¡°Are you injured?¡± I ask The guys still doesn¡¯t look at me. ¡°Does Trey know we have you?" He still sits in silence. ¡°Do you know Neah?" His eyes sh my way. They are blue, exactly like Neah¡¯s. ¡°Is she alright?¡± ¡°You are locked in a dungeon and your concern is if Neah is alright? ¡°Please tell me you got her away? That you got her out of that house? Eric cocks his eyebrow at me. ¡°Who are you?" I ask, not giving him any information about Neah. ¡°And what are you?" "She doesn''t know me, or at least I>. don''t think she does. My name is. Devons m her true brother andl''am what''s called a Lycan, the same as Neah.¡± Content belongs Q.. swnovel. Chapter 0033 Chapter 0033 ¡°What the fuck is a Lycan?¡± Eric snaps ¡°Exactly what you saw. Part Wolf, part human.¡± His blue eyes move to mine. ¡°Did you get her out?¡± ¡°What do you mean, true brother?¡± I demand ¡°Neah only has one brother and Trey isn¡¯t him. ¡°Don''t bullshit me! ¡°I will tell you everything.¡± He stretches out his arms ¡°You would be the first.¡± I snap, losing my patience m not loyal to Moonshine. I am a Rogue.¡± Devon tells us He''s fucking nuts!¡¯ Eric links me. ¡°Rogue?¡± It wasn''t a term used among Wolves. You either belonged to a pack or you didn¡¯t. ¡°Rejected by my pack.¡± Devon mutters unphased. ¡°Let''s say you are telling the truth. How does Neah not know who you are?¡± ¡°The same way as she believes Trey is her older brother. I can¡¯t tell if he is lying or not.¡¯ Aero mutters. Devon points to his eyes. ¡°Our eyes. They are identical, passed down through our mother and her mother and her mother before.¡± ¡°Anyone can have simr eyes.¡± I mutter ¡°You are right, they can, but what colour were Trey''s eyes?¡± He smirks at me. "Look, why would I bother telling you this? ¡°To buy yourself time!¡± I snap. ¡®I''m in a dungeon, I can¡¯t go anywhere.¡± He mutters with a sarcastic tone. ¡°Let me see if I can get this straight. You are something called a Lycan. Aman that ims to be Neah¡¯s younger brother. Someone who she doesn''t know. And Trey isn¡¯t rted to her¡¯ ¡°Nailed it. Well almost. I didn¡¯t say he wasn''t rted. I said he wasn¡¯t her brother!¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Our uncle!" So she is an Alpha.¡¯ Aero murmurs in shock. ¡®Being bound twice was not just because she has the essence of powerful blood. She is an Alpha by birth right. The first born.¡± Ifit''s even true.¡± ¡°He doesn''t believe the Alpha role should go to a female." Devon continues, "He portrayed himself as an older brother because of the bigger age gap between him and my father. The pack agreed with him.¡± ¡°How do you know all this? ¡®I had someone on the inside.¡± ¡°Had?¡± ¡°They came here to check Neah had made it here, alive. I believe you killed him.¡± ¡°He shouldn''t have attacked my Wolves.¡± ¡°Oh I know. I tald him to be silent and unseen. It turns out, he did neither.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Neen.¡± Three years younger than Neah. If he had indeed been removed from Neah''s memory. She wouldn''t know. ¡°I Know you dan''t believe me, but you saw me, yousaw what I look like in Lycan forma My adopted parents got a massive shock when I turned = thirteen.¡± ¡®Bless their souls.¡± He smiles, his blue eyes shifting back to me="She doesn''t know what she is, d¨¦es she?¡± He checks his nails, picking dried blood from them ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡± ¡°Trey, I tried, several times. They got craftier. I couldn''t even get near the house.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t kill you? ¡°Oh they tried.¡± He puffs out his cheeks. "Please tell me she is alive. I don''t have to see her. I don¡¯t have to talk toner. I just want to knowthat mys sister finally got out fron@under Trey¡¯ s thumb and that sheis safe.¡± C¨¦ntent belongs to ¡°She got out.¡± I confirm "Is she safe?" "Yes." ¡°Can I talk to you?¡± Eric asks, using his head to gesture to the steps. ¡°Do you think he is telling the truth?¡± Eric asks me the moment we are outside. ¡®I don¡¯t know. ¡°He wouldn''t say two words to me, yet the moment youe down, he tells you everything.¡± "Keep questioning him." I mutter. ¡°I need to check out this Lycan shit: - No violence,¡± I warn him. ¡°If he is¡± truly I her brother, I don''t want her findidg out that you beat hindto a putp.¡± - ¡°No violence.¡± He confirms, ¡°As always.¡± In my office, Neah is slowly spinning in my desk chair. She doesn¡¯t even hear me walk in and jams her feet into the carpet when she spots me. stopping the chair from turning. ¡°Are you looking for something?¡± I ask. The need to tear her clothes from her body was growing more and more intense. She nods, ¡°You.¡± ¡°You should have got someone te link me. ¡°I could wait. I¡¯m used to waiting.¡± She gives me a tight lipped smile ¡°How can I help you?¡¯ ¡°If I give you your heir, will that mean I can stay?¡± Chapter 0034 Chapter 0034 Neah His face wrinkled up into a mixture of surprise and confusion. Maybe there was even a little hint of anger there. But I just wanted to know where I stood with him. My life at Moonshine, although unbearable, was predictable. I knew what I was supposed to be doing and when I was supposed to be doing it. I knew people woulde to my room to hit me. I knew that the only food I was allowed was leftovers. if there was any. Here, each and everything was a surprise. They spoke to me like I was actually one of them. I had thought about it while I was alone. Pulling at every thread of conversation with Alpha Dane. He had said I was the only one he had ever wanted to mark and maybe now that the contract was over with my brother, he would be willing to make a new contract with me. ¡°Is that what you want? You want to provide me with an heir, nothing more?¡± Now I could hear his annoyance. I lower my eyes. ¡°It''s what you want isn''t it? Someone to give you an heir. Wasn''t that the idea of these contracts with female Wolves? So make a new contract with me, just me!¡± I had no idea where my confidence wasing from. ¡°You don¡¯t need a contract. I have already said you can stay.¡± I nod, but I knew what Wolves were like, especially the men from Moonshine. I heard them every night. I wanted to make sure that no one here would touch me ¡°I see,¡± He murmurs, ¡°You want a contract for your safety.¡± ¡°"Y...yes.¡± I knew I was pushing my luck. He was an Alpha, I had no right to request something from him. I feel him staring at me and kept my eyes low and my mouth shut. I had said what I wanted to say. It was his move now. ¡°No." ¡°Oh. ¡°It''s not fair for me to draw up a contract and expect you to sign it when you can¡¯t even read.¡± I feel my shoulders drop with disappointment. I was certain I was making the right move. ¡®I will make you a verbal agreement. One year. You stand by my side for one whole year, three hundred and sixty five days and then if we are happy, you carry my heir.¡± ¡°W...What''s the catch?¡± ¡°No catch, Neah. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡± "What if ygir find your true mate?¡± A. year was.a long time, I was willing-to carry his heir now and maybe then, the fantasies would stop creeping into my mind.. - ¡°L won''t.¡± ¡°You....you can¡¯t be sure.¡± ¡®I''ve searched for ten years, Neah. I would know if I had found her. Do we have a deal?¡± I nce at him and he is watching me, waiting for my answer. ¡°Isn¡¯t this why you wanted to see me, to make a deal?¡± He presses ¡°Why a year?¡± I whisper. ¡°I think a year serves its purpose. There are a lot of questions surrounding my ability to keep a woman. You know what happened to the others.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Who decides when the year is up? What if,something bad happens ity that time? What if... what if I da> something wrong or can never be unbound?" - He smiles at me. ¡°You ask a lot more questions than Trey ever did.¡± ¡°I just..." ¡°You want to be sure.¡± His smile turns into a grin. ¡°You may not be able to read orwrite, Neah, but you are smart. You really should give yourself some more credit. So let¡¯s?. try it thisway. You act as my mate or bride, whichever term you prefer, for arventire year. During which, you wilkbe protected by the entire pack. I Will teach you how to prat¨¦ct yourself. I will search for someone to unbind you. I will provide you with a life that you deserve. I will get yo a tutor so you can learn to read and write. I will provide you with anything you need.¡± c sa A life that I deserve. It didn''t seem possible. ¡°Okay.¡± I mutter in agreement Alpha Dane was still smiling, pleased with himself about his new deal. Chapter 0035 Chapter 0035 ¡°Good. Now that is out of the way. You cane with me.¡± He holds a hand out expectantly, patiently waiting as I take it. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I mutter, a sudden surge of panic races through me. ¡°I told you, training would start when you are healed.¡± Walking across the grounds, he keeps his hand on mine. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was trying to make a point or not. Though I didn''t care, his warm hand wasforting. As we move, I spot Beta Eric, standing outside of a small building with no windows and a single door and quietly wondered where it went. Alpha Dane pushes open a set of double doors that lead into a gym. It was already busy with sweaty men and women ¡°Everyone out!¡± Aloha Dane orders.N?velDrama.Org owns this. One by one, they grab their things and exit the building until it is just us. ¡°Right.¡± He guides me to the mats and turns me around. ¡°Make a fist. I ball up my hand and he shakes his head. ¡°Give me a thumbs up.¡± He waits as I do what I¡¯m told. ¡°Now wrap your thumb around the outside.¡± He grabs my newly formed fist, ¡°If you punch someone with your thumb on the inside, you will break it. And while you can¡¯t heal, I would prefer it if we don''t have any more hospital trips.¡± After watching me hit a punch bag a few times, Alpha Dane tells me that maybe it''s better to teach me how to block attacks first. I would have been more frustrated if I hadn¡¯t agreed. The punch bag had barely moved. He spends time teaching me how to defend myself from attacks that came from the front. But the moment he moves behind me and locks his arms around me, I don¡¯t move. Getting lost in the warmth that enveloped me ¡°Neah, are you going to try and do something?¡± His minty breath grazes my skin as he whispers into my ear. A hand is pressed t to my stomach while the other locks my shoulders in ce. ¡°Earth to Neah?¡± He muses, releasing his grip a little. ¡®L...... need..... I need to use the bathroom.¡± I mutter, flustered. He lets go of me and points to the end of the gym Running away, I don''t look back. Hurling myself into the women¡¯s bathroom and shutting myself in a cubicle I had never felt like this around any man, ever. To the point I thought there was something wrong with me. Why did he make me feel this way? ¡°You don¡¯t have to be embarrassed.¡± His deep voicees from the otherside of the door. ¡°I can help you with your....... needs.¡± I could hear the amusement in his voice. ¡°After all. you are mine for the year.¡± He pushes the unlocked door open. His crimson eyes seemed to be ay ittle darker than usual, but they v were heavily focussed on me and-only me. I thought I was ready. I thought I was certain when I said I was ready to carry his heir. As he stared at me with a growing hunger, I knew I couldn''t just give myself to him. ¡°I can help you release that frustration.¡± He smiles. ¡°Or I can teach you how to release your own frustrations.¡± I push the door closed in his face. ¡°I¡¯m not....I''m not ready.¡± ¡°You are apily going to suffer. It will. only get. worse and you will grow. more and more restless, maybe¡± evervangry.¡± Was he talking about hiaiself? Content belongs. to NovelDrama.Org - I rip the door open and re at him. ¡°What does that mean? Are you just saying that to get in my pants?¡± "You are part.animal. It''s a natural instinct. Youmay be able to ignore it for now, but it will start to consume> you and I will be part of yours everyday thoughts. Even right. now, I can-still smell your arousal and it''s only getting stronger.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ? I mp my thighs together and his eyes move down to them ¡°Your underwear is soaked. You feel a dull throb deep inside, an ache, a longing. Chapter 0036 Chapter 0036 Neah He leans over me as I press my back into the wall. His eyes hover on mine and move down to my lips. He makes a quick move and presses his lips to mine and this time, I don¡¯t flinch Alpha Dane pulls back, ¡°Do you trust me?¡± He asks in a gentle tone ¡°Yes.¡± I whisper ¡°We can go slow.¡± he whispers back and my head bobs up and down, epting his offer. His lipse back to mine. kissing a little harder and his hands settle on my hips. He breaks away again and I give him another small nod, wanting him to continue. This time, his lips trail light kisses down my neck and to my corbone. Each one felt as though my skin was being hit by little bolts of electricity. He steps backwards, pulling me from the cubicle and towards the showers. Pushing me up against the wall, he tugs my sweatshirt up and over my head, taking my vest with it and letting my breasts hang freely. He is quick to take a nipple in his mouth, dragging his teeth along it and making me gasp while he kneads the other one. His lips work their way down my body until they meet the waistband of my joggers Inch by inch, Alpha Dane lowers my joggers. His lips nting tantalising kisses on every inch of bare skin and making me moan. ¡°Earth to Neah! Are you okay?¡± I''m suddenly dragged back to the gym with Alpha Dane¡¯s arm still looped around my shoulders, preparing to attack me from behind. ¡°I''m fine¡± I mutter, half hoping that I hadn''t been daydreaming out loud His arm drops from my shoulders, allowing me to turn around and face him. ¡°Are you sure? You zoned out a little.¡± I wondered if he could smell my arousal. He doesn''t say anything just likest time. ¡°Just... just thinking.¡± I murmur. His eyebrows rise a little and I was certain there was a hint of a smile, ¡°Anything that I can help with?¡± ¡°No.. no... I don¡¯t think so. He cocks an eyebrow at me. ¡°Then I think we are done for the day." ¡°Okay.¡± I mutter. I was certain my face was the colour of a tomato. ¡°Are youing back to the house?¡± I ask, refusing to look back at him. ¡°I just need to check on some things in the pack first. I think Raven is up at the house, she will keep youpany.¡± Hurrying out the gym, I practically run across the grounds, hoping that I could get into the house before anyone sees me and my red face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Raven is leaning on a chair as she looks out of the lounge at me. ¡°Why does everyone keep asking me that?¡± I snap and run up the stairs. What the hell was wrong with me? It''s hours before I see Alpha Dane again. ¡°There you are!¡± He mutters as though I was the one who had been hiding. "What''s wrong?¡± He asks as he closes the bedroom door behind him ¡°You could smell me, right?¡± I ask, I had been thinking about it for hours. ¡°Are you talking about the gym or when you fell asleep in the chair?¡± I knew it, he did know! ¡°You didn''t do anything!¡± ¡°Is that a question or an usation?¡± He murmurs. I don¡¯t answer because I wasn¡¯t even sure what it was that I was trying to say. ¡°You are wondering why I didn''t jump on you just because I could smell your arousal.¡± He smiles at me ¡°That''s what male Wolves do, isn''t it.¡± ¡°Not in this pack, no. Have we not had this conversation?¡± ¡°Your brother ¡°My brother doesn¡¯t count.¡± He shuts myment down. ¡®L..../ma.....I''ve never. ¡®I know.¡± ¡°You know?¡± I try to keep the shock out of my voice, it''s not like I went around broadcasting it. He nods hishead at me. ¡°You didn''t go to school. You didn¡¯t leave the > packhatise. Trey never let anyone touch-you in that way. It''s easy enauigh to put two and two together, Neah.¡± . - ¡°You didn''t say anything.¡± ¡°Why did I need to? It¡¯s not my secret to share. Or are you nning on sleeping with all the men in my pack?¡± ¡°No. I.... I made a deal with you.¡± ¡°You did, but there was no mention of you having sexual encounters.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡®Is it a trick?¡± ¡°You tell me. You agreed to be my bride for a year. How do you think I will react if someone else takes your virginity?" I just stare at him. Sometimes, just when I was starting to see the nice side of him. He would remind me of what he is capable of in the most subtle of ways By nightfall, I had shrunk back into my shell. Only speaking if spoken too and keeping my eyes low. Alpha Dane kept asking me if I was alright and I would reply with a simple nod of the head. When there was silence around the dinner table, I knew the others were having a conversation through mindlink. Most likely trying to figure out why I was so quiet. ¡°Is this something to do with earlier?¡± Raven asks when it''s just me and her. ¡°I mean, you looked a bit flustered when you came crashing through the front door.¡± ¡®lm fine.¡± ¡°What has he done?" "Who?" ¡°My brother?¡± I shake my head and she stares at me with narrowed eyes. "Whatever itis, I''m sure he didn''t ~ mean it Dane doesn''t have the ~ greatest track record when it cornes to women. But I promise, he likes yau: Just give him a chance.¡¯ ¡®I''m going to bed.¡± I mutter, quickly escaping. I made the-most of being alone by having a hot shower and changing into fresh clothes before climbing into bed. When Alpha Danees to bed, I close my eyes and pretend to-be asleep. - I listen to him move around the room. He briefly stops in front of me before getting in the other side. Out of nowhere, he grabs me and pulls me in against him. ¡°I know you are awake. You can pretend all you want. I remain still and silent. ¡°You are mad at what I said, but you were the one who came to me about the deal. You agreed to the terms. You didn''t have to.¡± He let''s out a sigh. ¡°I said what I said because it¡¯s true. I don¡¯t want another man¡¯s fingers touching your body¡± He runs his fingers through my hair, brushing it back from my face. Trailing a rough finger down over my cheek, he leans in, pressing his lips to my cheekbone. It was strange because it felt familiar, like he had done it a million times before. Chapter 0037 Chapter 0037 Dane She had gone back to her protective state. Barely talking and when she did, it was either ¡®yes¡¯, ¡®no¡¯ or that phrase that I hate, ¡®I¡¯m fine¡¯. Sne had completely shut down and I can¡¯t even figure out what it was that I had said. I had only told her the truth. Was the truth too much for her? In my office, Raven stares at me. ¡°Are you sure you didn¡¯t do anything?¡± she demands. ¡°She was chatting to me and now, nothing.¡± ¡°I just spoke the truth. I reminded her that she wanted the deal, that she came to me. I told her that I didn''t want anyone else touching her.¡± ¡°Why did you even make the deal if she is already your mate?¡± ¡°She doesn''t know.¡± ¡°You are an idiot!¡± She snaps as she drops down in the chair. ¡°I don''t even know what you could possibly be thinking. Out of all the brides you have had, why do you have to try and push away the one that I actually like? Scratch that, the one who is actually your mate?¡± ¡°Raven!¡± I agree with her!¡¯ Aero spits ¡°I¡¯m not trying to push her away." I snap ¡°Well you are doing a damn good job!¡± You don''t know why she is upset either!¡¯ I remind her, ¡°And you need to watch your tongue.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡®I''m talking to you as my brother, not my Alpha!¡± Raven scowls. ¡°I bet even Aero agrees with me that you are an idiot!¡± I give her a warning re to tone it down ¡°She isn''t like us.¡± Raven tells me. ¡°She wasn''t raised like us. And you seem to be missing the point.¡± ¡°And what''s that?" ¡°She wants ta be wanted. She''s not upset. she¡¯s scared.¡± ¡®I would be able to scent it if sne was that scared.¡± ¡°What if she is in a permanent state of fear? Since before you first met her. What if that is contributing to her strange scent?¡± ¡°Thank you for your input, Raven. I will figure it out.¡± She rolls her eyes at me and leaves the office. ¡®Just im her.¡¯ Aero mumbles. ¡®She is our mate, just im her. Let her know that you have only agreed to this deal because you already know she is our mate.¡¯ Ignoring him, I head upstairs to check on Neah. She had spent so long, pretending to be asleepst night, that I still expected her to be curled up in bed now. Instead, I hear the shower running. Pushing the door open, I Keep my eyes off the shower, hoping it would make herfeel a little better. ¡°Neah,-> I''m going-to be out of the house alot today. You are more than wee to stay put or go over to the > hospital an¨¦ hang out with Raven.¡± ¡¯ Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ? She doesn''t answer and when I look up, I see thatshe isn''t in the shower. But sat on the floor behind the bath: Her baretknees pulled up to her <> chest a8''she rested her head on? therasHe eyes are closed, her li ips parted a little. She was asleep and ths time, she wasn''t faking it. She hadn''t even fully stripped before deciding that taking a nap behind the bath was a good idea. Quietly turning the shower off, I squeeze in b¨¦hind the bath and lift her off the fldor. Her head rolls back. over my arm, exposing her neck. ts was sotem pted to mark her and. imsfer but I just about manage to push the thought aside as Lput her isthe bed. It wouldn''t be fair to do that to her while she was asleep. Moving away, Neah suddenly grabs my hand. ¡°Stay.¡± She sleepily whispers, tugging me towards her. Kicking off my shoes, I slide into the bed behind her. Pulling her back flush against my chest. Trying to ignore how her naked ass was pressed against my cock. After a few moments, she shuffles away. Rolling on my back, I sigh, grateful that I had some morals. Leaving her to sleep, I head outside to find Eric kicking a ball around with his sons but as soon as he sees my face, he tells them to go to their grandparents. Chapter 0038 Chapter 0038 ¡°Have you told her?¡± He asks quietly as his boys run across the grounds, racing each other. ¡°No." I take it she still isn¡¯t talking to you, then?¡± ¡°No." He nods. ¡°Remind me, why haven''t you told her? That dickhead is dead. She has no tie to anyone, she¡¯s yours to im.¡± ¡°It''splicated.¡± I mutter ¡°I get that, but...¡± He pauses. ¡°You wouldn''t be able to hide it if she hadn¡¯t been bound. Or is it because of this apparent Lycan thing? Because Wolves have done alot worse and shacked up with humans¡¯ ¡°About that,¡± I mutter, getting the subject off of Neah. ¡°Has Devon said anymore?¡± Eric shakes his head. "I told you, he won''t speak to me. I don¡¯t know why. ¡°I literally can¡¯t find anything on them. I spent hours searching every database. How can something like that exist and there be no record of it?¡± ¡°I take it that it has something to do with Moonshine hiding. And the rules that Neah spoke of. ¡°I need to speak to him.¡± I mutter Erices with me to the dungeon, hitting the bars to wake up the guy who called himself Devon. ¡°You said you were removed. ¡°Good morning to you too.¡± He yawns sleepily, scratching through his dark hair. There was no denying that there was a strong resemnce to Neah ¡°Yes, I told you, I was ced in adoption.¡± ¡°Then how did you find the pack? If you were three, there is no way you would be able to remember where to find them. You wouldn''t have known where the pack was. ¡°It''s a Lycan thing.¡± ¡°You are saying you can find them?¡± Eric asks. ¡°Even though you were kicked out the pack. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°We are.....connected. The same way I know my sister is here. You lot have the ability to link one another, right? ¡°How did you find them?¡± He shrugs his shoulders. ¡°I can¡¯t exin it. It''s like if there were other Lycan packs out there, they would be able to find Moonshine too.¡± ¡°Are there other packs?¡± "No. Why do you think Trey is so keen on keeping the pack hidden? Our kind axe e dwindling. The ones = you saw¡®at Moonshine are thest of theinkind. My sister is thest. Alpha.¡¯ His blue eyes pause on mine. ¡®You still haven''t told her.¡± Content belongs to ¡°It''s none of your business.¡± ¡°She''s my sister.¡± He argues ¡°You don''t even know her. ¡°Do you?¡± He mutters sarcastically. ¡°You are in love with her and yet you won''t admit it. ¡°Shut up!¡± I growl He makes sense¡¯. Aero tells me and I see Eric cocking an eyebrow at me. Devon holds his hands up, ¡°I''m just. saying, how do you think she wilkf¨¦el about you keeping this from her? A secret ¡®that has been kept fram her, her whole life?¡± - ¡°You know you are lucky to be alive.¡± ¡°I know. But so is Neah. Have you not stopped to wonder why Trey was keeping her alive?" ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Now that is something I don¡¯t know. I''ve beenstying to figure it out for¡± years. Binding her abilities doesn''t even. make sense. If he had brought her ap differently. She would-be just likesthem. ¡° This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°You said he didn''t believe in a female Alpha.¡± ¡°I did, but then why keep her alive? You have to admit Alpha Dane, something doesn''t quite add up. ¡°And you could be making all this up to keep yourself alive.¡± ¡°I could, but even you can see that what I¡¯m saying makes sense.¡± Do you believe him?¡¯ I ask Aero. I don''t know.¡¯ He replies. ¡®He has no reason to lie and yet at the same time, he has every reason.¡¯ If I kill him and Neah finds out.... She will never want to be with me. If he¡¯s a liar and is plotting an attack with Trey. Then I would be stupid to ignore it.¡± There was only one thing for it, to tell Neah the truth, but would she be able to handle it? Chapter 0039 Chapter 0039 Neah Sitting up in bed, I look around the room in confusion. I was certain that I had been on my way to the shower. It takes me a second to realise that I only had my sweatshirt on and nothing on my legs. Looking around the room, I spot my joggers and underwear on the chair. I felt sick, had Alpha Dane done something to me. My eyes sh around the room, checking to see if I was alone. ¡°You are overthinking it, Neah.¡± I mutter to myself as I race across the room to grab fresh underwear and jeans from the closet There was no blood on the bed sheets and everything felt normal. Alpha Dane did say he would never do that, but what if I had involuntarily given him consent because I was daydreaming again? Quickly dressing. I slip out of the room, only to meet Alpha Dane on the stairs. His brow is wrinkled into a deep frown ¡°I was justing to see if you were awake. We need to talk.¡± A lump in my throat forms. What was he going to say? Did he want to end the contract already? Or was he going to remind me again that I insisted on it? ¡°Do you minding to the office? There¡¯s a lot to discuss. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Neah, I need you to talk to me properly. This is important! I know that you are upset or maybe even angry with me. Butif it''s just going to be a one sided conversation, I am not gaing to be able to help you understand.¡± I scowl, what would there be to understand? I just nod. Alpha Dane rolls his eyes, and stands back against the railings to let me pass. He follows a few steps behind, keeping a little distance between us. In the office he asks me to sit as he closes the door and slides the lock across. My heart starts to race, I had never seen him lock the door before. I couldn¡¯t see what he was doing as he stayed behind me for a few seconds, eventually moving around the desk to his chair. The deep frown still sits heavily on his brow. ¡°Neah, we have a man in the dungeon who is iming to be your brother?¡± ¡°Trey?¡± I ask, confused. ¡°No. He ims to be your younger brother. He calls himself Devon.¡± ¡°I....I don¡¯t... There was only Trey. ¡°I know you believe that.¡± Believe? That was my only brother. He had met him, he should know. ¡°But what the prisoner is saying is that Trey isn''t your brother, he is biologically your uncle and I have to admit, the family resemnce between our prisoner and you is unmistakable whereas you and Trey don''t even share the same features.¡± I look all around the room, at everything but him. I had called Trey brother right up until I was forced to call him Alpha. And there had never been another. ¡°Are you.... Are you saying that one of my parent¡¯s had an affair?¡± ¡°No. He thinks that when you were bound the first time. he was erased from your memory. He didn¡¯t grow up in Moonshine, he was rejected by the pack and ended up with humans adopting him.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He stares at me with his crimson eyes as I try to think of something to say. It sounded ridiculous. ¡°You are in fact the eldest child of the Alpha. There is a reason you needed to be bound twice.¡± Alpha Dane states. "When you turned eighteen, you were old enough to take over as Alpha. The Alpha gene surged through you. ¡°I''m not an Alpha. I mean look at me.¡± ¡°You may not think so, but your blood believes otherwise.¡± I lean my head back against the backrest and close my eyes. ¡°It''s a lie. ¡°Is it? You were bound twice Neah. Twice. I don¡¯t agree with binding on any level, but to have it done twice? You would have to be pretty powerful. I think there is an element of truth to his story.¡± ¡°You believe him?¡± It surprised me that he believed a story so easily. ¡°He isn''t holding back.¡± ¡°Are you going to kill him?¡± ¡°Not right now. Neah, look at me.¡± I open my eyes to see him focussed on me but now. the frown had gone. ¡°Do you want to meet him?¡± I shake my head ¡°I will respect your decision, but can I ask why? I shrug my shoulders. I didn¡¯t have a specific answer, I just didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Okay.¡± He mutters. He doesn¡¯t push for an answer. ¡°Where did you find him?¡± I ask quietly. ¡°Eric found him when searching for Trey and Cassnadra. The guy fell out of a tree.¡± ¡°So he is fram Moonshine?" I ask, curiosity getting the better of me. ¡°Yes and no. He was kicked out by Trey, apparently he has been trying to help you.¡± ¡°Me? ¡°The only thing he kept asking me was if yous were safe. If I had gotyou out. Hethas not pushed to see you. He just wants to know that you are safe-And for me to tell you the truth, ¡°.> < ¡°That he is my brother?¡± He clenches his jaw. ¡°Unfortunately, there is more to it. He wasn''t in human form when he fell out of the tree.¡± ¡°He was a Wolf up a tree?¡± Wolves couldn''t climb trees, well not in Wolf form. ¡°No." ¡°L.... I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°He looks like that thing that attacked my men.¡± He studies my face, ¡°He calls himself a Lycan.¡± ¡°Ly....Lycan.¡± What the hell was a Lycan? I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them. ¡®L... I don''t know what that is?¡± "You are not the only one. I''ve been. searching for information and there is nothing. The prisoner imsc¡± Mognshine are the only onesieft. That they are a dying race. ¡°Content belongs to ~~ It didn¡¯t register straightaway. ¡°Are you..... Am I..... Are you saying I''m one of them? ¡°Yes.¡± lo." I whimper. The beast that had attacked was hideous, a monster like something from a nightmare. ¡°We won''t know for certain, not until you are unbound.¡± I had spent my whole life wondering what it¡¯s liketo actually be able to shift. To rurras fast as possible = through the trees. I wondered if the otherstiad truly enjoyed it. If they liked-Bing an animal and feeling total freedom. But I-didn''t want to be a monster. Content belongs to ¡°Don''t.¡± He cocks an eyebrow at me. ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡± ¡°Don''t find someone who can unbind me. Please!¡± I whisper He looks shocked. His eyes are wide, his eyebrows raised as he stares at me. ¡°You don''t want to be unbound?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Not if I¡¯m going to be a monster. ¡°Is that really what you want? For almost all of your life you have been bound.¡± ¡°Then it won''t make a difference, will it.¡± I shrug my shoulders. ¡°You won''t be able to heal. You won''t be able to protect yourself. You won''t. ¡°I understand.¡± I whisper. Lowering my head so he couldn''t see me blinking back the tears that are building. He stands up and moves to the window and I use the opportunity to wipe my tears on my sleeve. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asks quietly ¡°Yes.....I don¡¯t want to be a monster. Chapter 0040 Chapter 0040 Dane Raven had been right about the constant fear. Now I was paying more attention, I could hear it in Neah¡¯s voice but her scent stays exactly the same. The strange scent she carried from our first encounter to now, the only difference was thevender essence that apanied her. I could see her reflection in the window. I could see how she uses her sleeves to wipe away the escaped tears. Barely making a sound. ¡°For what it''s worth. Devon doesn¡¯t sound like a monster.¡± I mutter. ¡°His priority appears to be you and nothing more. As I said, he is very forting with information. ¡°You mean you haven''t had to torture him.¡± She speaks the words slowly as though she was talking about herself. I see how she fidgets on the seat. Her head turns over her shoulder to look at the locked door. Talking about torture was a trigger. ¡°No, it was not needed.¡± I wanted to get her thoughts onto something else. Turning around to look at her, I see how the tears make her blue eyes bright. dust tell her.¡¯ Aero moans Do you really think now is the time? She has just asked me to stop looking for someone to help her. To find out that her mate is right here and she can''t even sense me, what do you think it will do to her?!¡± He rolls his eyes at me and shuts his mouth. Another tear rolls down her face. I hated seeing her like this. Moving around to her, I crouch down in front of the chair and cup her face. With my thumb, I wipe away the escaped tear. Her eyes close and she leans into my hand, like it was afort to her. The words tumble from my mouth. ¡°Neah, I am your true mate.¡± A little wrinkle appears above her eyebrows as they knit together. Slowly, her eyes open. She keeps her face resting against my hand and just stares at me. Properly staring into my eyes like she had when Inded on top of her at Moonshine. My heart thuds and I feel a pull to her. I just about hold it together and stop myself from deing something stupidN?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°My.... my mate?¡± she whispers while still frowning ¡°Yes, Neah.¡± ¡°I was mated to Kyle.¡± ¡°And yet you are mated to me too.¡± It was definitely not the reaction I was expecting. I thought she would be happy. Or at least feel a sense of relief. She pushes herself back as far as she can in the chair and away from me. ¡°Mated....to you? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you sure? ¡°Trust me. I know and so does Aero." ¡°How....how long?¡± ¡°A while.¡± Something told me that if I said, from day one, she would freak out. She presses her pink lips into a thin line and once again. looks over her shoulder, at the locked door. ¡°No.¡± she mutters again. ¡°You...you....you made a deal with me. Why? Is this what you say to all your brides? Is this... Is this supposed to.... make me feel better?¡± The more panicked she became, the more she stuttered. It would be cute if she was happening for any other reason then panic. She really was nothing like any of the other brides or any of the women I would typically go for. Moving to the door, I slide the lock back and hold the door open. "If you need to leave, go. I know I have sprung a lot of information on you and you probably need some time to think.¡± I watch her nod her head, but she doesn¡¯t move from the seat. ¡°You...you didn¡¯t answer my questions.¡± I leave the doer open and sit on the desk direct ys front of her. ¡°Il have never said itto any of the others. I~ told you Chave been looking for my mate fora ong time. Did I expect it to be-you? o. Am I happy it Syou? Yes; I don''t care if you are -atyean or Whatever. That is not important to me." She bites her nails, not quite looking at me. ¡°Is that why yQu were so angry when you found oug what they were doing to me, because of the matebond?¡¯ . She doesn''t stutter this time. "Yous are theenly one who didn''t joinin: And Lou lied to Trey too, you said met you at the front door. You said that I was the one to shoeyou to his office.¡± NS ¡°If I hadn''t lied to him, he would have beaten you. My priority was getting you out of there. I sigh, this was not going at all like the way I wanted it too. ¡°You can''t sense the bend, eah so I understand i that you don''t believe - me. I promise you it is there. Think of the smaller things. Think of how you£¤¨¦elfort when I''m holding yorror how you curl up agairist me in your sleep. I know you feel safe when I am around. You can¡¯t deny that.¡± Aero was oddly quiet too, because this hadn''t gone the way he had hoped. Chapter 0041 Chapter 0041 ¡°You killed Kyle so that you can im me?¡± Neah blurts out ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I''m not... I''m no one special. You are an Alpha. A powerful one and I''m not ¡°You are an Alpha too.¡± She didn''t say much after that. She just asked if she could be alone, to think. Which was just frustrating. It was not supposed to go like this. She was supposed to be happy, not fearful and angry. She was supposed to want me to im her. Not want to run and hide. This is your fault.¡¯ I snap at Aero. ¡®You couldn''t just leave it. You had to go on and on and on. And now look at the mess we have caused.¡± In my defence, I thought she would be happy to find out she is mated to the greatest Alpha. Maybe you should have led with that instead of telling her about the prisoner first!¡± He snaps back at me. Heading to the kitchen to grab something to eat. I spot Raven, stuffing her face with food. ¡°Are you ever not eating?¡± I snap at her ¡°I''m hungry.¡± she shrugs "And something has clearly pissed you off!¡± I m a mug down a little too hard and the handle snaps clean off. Raven gets up and adds ¡®Mugs¡¯ to the shopping list. ¡°We won''t have any left at this rate.¡± She mutters as she sits back down. ¡°So what''s happened now?¡± ¡°I told her. Raven stares at me with her dark eyes. ¡°You told Neah that she is your mate?¡± ¡°What else am I talking about, Raven?!N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Woah, okay. I take it that it didn¡¯t go the way you hoped.¡± ¡°Do you see her?¡± I snap, gesturing around the room She wipes a crumb from her bottom lip. "I would be mad too.¡± ¡°Thanks for the support, Raven. ¡®I''m just saying, not everyone is like Charlene or Daisy or Veronica or. ¡°That''s enough Raven!¡± ¡°Sometimes, I wonder if you actually know anything about women.¡± She shakes her head at me as she takes another bite of her sandwich and I wait for her to continue. "What?" I snap, "I Know you are dying to tell me Raven. Soe on, let''s hear it, seeing as you think you know her better than anyone. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that, did 1? I said you don¡¯t know much about women. And that is something I do understand.¡± She moves to dump her te in the sink and immediately starts looking through the cupboards for something else to eat. "Do you think she expected to find a mate? For-most of us, the idea of finding& mate is a number one¡¯ priority, yourself included. It most likely-has never been her priority and ''raeguessing you just sprung it on h¨¦r.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t sense the bond. How else was I supposed to tell her?¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter anyway, it¡¯s toote, you can¡¯t change the way you told her. But you should be with her and not down here talking to your baby sister.¡± ¡°Alright, smart ass. I''m going.¡± Neah stares at me with wide eyes when I enter the bedroom and once again, I feel that pull. She is perched on the edge of the bed. her legs dangling over, almost like she was waiting for me. I will not admit to Raven that she was right. she already had a big enough ego. ¡°It makes sense.¡± Neah whispers. ¡°You wanted me to sleep in here. You didn¡¯t want me to be alone with Jenson. You said you didn¡¯t want anyone else touching me. That was never because of the contract, was it?¡± ¡°No." ¡°Because you knew?¡± Oddly. she doesn¡¯t sound angry. It was more like she was trying to put the pieces together. ¡ê ¡°Yes.¡± There were very few people that I would allow to talk to me this way. TO allow them to second guess my decisions. ¡°I thought about ~ telling you, so many times. I thought aboutjust iming you and never having to reveal the truth. I didn''t want you to feel obliga edto be with me because of the bond.¡± Content belongs to swnovel.ne ¡°So you used a contract instead?¡± She asks with a slight frown ¡°When you sa\cit like that, it sounds just as ridiculous. "I mutter. Scratching the back of my head, I try to think. @f something to say, but there was nothing that sounded~ rightNothing that seemed like it wauld make her feel better-about my p6or choices. She gets off the bed, pulling her sweatshirt off and revealing a white fitted tee, where I could clearly see her erect nipples. I watch her walk over to the laundry basket and dump the sweatshirt inside. She turns back to me and ces her hands on her hips. "If... if you im me, does that mean you can sense my needs? Will you be able to tell if I need help?¡± ¡°I will know everything about you. I will feel your every need. I will know all your desires. I will know when you need me. She loosely ties her hair back and closes her eyes. ¡°im me then.¡± Chapter 0042 Chapter 0042 Neah His hands grip my thin waist as his crimson eyes search mine. ¡°Are you sure this is what you want?¡± I nod my head. ¡°Neah, I need you to say yes or no.¡± I feel the lump building in my throat. My stomach was tying itself up in knots. Was this really what I wanted? ¡°Will it hurt?¡± I whisper. I knew he needed to bite my neck. I knew he needed to sink his canines as deep as they can go. I knew he needed to taste my blood and to leave his Wolf venom in its ce, permanently connecting us. There was a catch though, to confirm the bond. we had to have sex. ¡°A little.¡± He tells me ¡°Wh...what will happen to me?¡± ¡°Immediately? Nothing other than feeling satisfied. Within forty eight hours you will go into heat. Are you prepared for that?¡± ¡°You mean, I will want sex?¡± I whisper ¡°Want it, need it, be desperate for it.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t have my....monster." ¡°Doesn''t matter, it''s what happens to a female when marked by a male Wolf. If you were human, it would still happen.¡± He cups my face with arge hand. ¡°! promise, I will be gentle, the first time. So is ita yes or a no?¡± ¡°Yes. His lips hit mine with force as he pulls me in against him, holding me flush against his body. His lips quickly move down over my neck. Once again little bolts of electricity shoot through me in the exact spots his lips have touched. He pauses just above my corbone. his teeth rake across my skin, searching for the perfect spot. His tongue flicks over my skin and as his teeth begin embedding themselves, I let out a little whimper. Alpha Dane holds me in ce as his teeth sink a little deeper. A few seconds pass and he starts to suck. I could the warmth of my own blood run down over my skin. When his teeth start to retract, he licks the wound, cleaning up any drops of blood that had escaped and plies my neck with soft kisses, working his way back towards my lips. As he kisses me, I feel that same dull ache inside of me. He pulls the band from my hair, letting it fall freely. His handsb through it, suddenly balling up as his kiss deepens. Was I daydreaming again? ¡°No you are not.¡± He mutters breathlessly He could hear me? ¡®I can.¡± He smiles as he kisses me. ¡°How many times have you fantasised about me, Neah?¡± I haven''t.¡± I lie ¡°Really?¡± He mu make their way h is hot breath n rmurs as his lips down over my neck, nakes my skin tingle. he ~N ¡®So you dict¡¯ t think about me S ipping-my finger into your throbbing pussy? And you definitely di da¡¯t think of my tongue flieking ower you.¡± I could hear the= amusement in his voice. Content belongs to The dull throb bes more of an ache and when his hands slide up under my white tee, I don''t stop him. His fingers quickly find my nipples, kneading them between his thumb and finger. His eyes lock with mine. ¡°You have blood on your top, take it off.¡± I do as I''m told, keeping my eyes on his the entire time. His hands move to my jeans and he slowly unfastens them, letting his fingers skim across my skin, sending more bolts of electricity through me. He pushes them down a little, just enough to get his hand inside and cup my mound. Over my panties, he strokes a finger right over the centre and the ache inside me grows. I wanted to feel him inside of me. He pushes a hand down inside my panties, sweeping a finger just inside. ¡° my mind ls this what you want?¡± He mutters with a smile. Amused that he can read I nod my head and he pushes his finger in a little deeper, making me groan ¡°But it wasn¡¯t just the one you wanted, was it?¡± He is still grinning as he pushes in a second finger, making me gasp and clutch on to him. in and out of me, et moans thate from my ligs* When suddenly he picks meup and falls on top of me on the bed. I could feel his hardened cock pressing up against me,but he moves away, taking his fingers out ofme and burying his face-between my thighs. He moves them enjoying the qui His tongue flickers over my clit, licking up my juices until he pushes it inside of me Alon g quiet moan leaves my lips asN?velDrama.Org holds this content. aa C th S am arts y back arch¨¦s and my thighs p arountt his head. He repeats e process; even when my body > juddering agains tong u@bes more urgent. Ce Intense pleasure rolls through 1 me in waves and as I still, he positions himself between my thighs, the tip of something hard pushing against my swollen pussy. Content belongs to him. Hiss Chapter 0043 Chapter 0043 This may hurt a little.¡± He whispers to me and pushes himself a little into me. Whimpering at the pain, he nts his lips on mine. ¡°It will only hurt the first time.¡± He pushes himself in, a little at a time, allowing me time to adjust. When he is fully inside me, he rocks his hips a little, sliding himself back and forth as he watches me. As my lips part and I moan his name, he drives himself in a little harder, mming himself into me. The more I moaned, the more eager he became, mming himself into me over and over again until once again, my body is spasming from the orgasm. Exploding inside of me, he falls forward on top of me. His lips kiss every bit of skin as he continues to rock his hips, emptying himself inside of me. ¡°Is that what you wanted?¡± He asks quietly My fingers feel the bite mark on my neck and I nod my head ¡°Next time, don''t try and hold your moans in. I would rather you let yourself go.¡± He tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. ¡°Come on, you need a shower.¡± He walks across the room and turns the shower on. Alpha Dane sticks a hand out to me. ¡°Come.¡± I catch sight of the dried blood on my neck and shoulder as I walk past the mirror. Alpha Dane pulls me into the shower with him. Pushing me up against the cool tiles as he forces a knee between my thighs. He passionately kisses me under the hot water as my arms lock around him. "I''m not done yet." He mutters. lifting my legs around his his hips He suddenly stops to look at me and I was grateful that he was holding me steady, I felt like I was going to pass out. My head felt fuzzy and everything sounded so loud. The shower droplets sounded like gunfire as they hit the floor. Even Alpha Dane¡¯s breathing seems ta echo. There was a funny smell that filled the shower, a woody smell, trees, maybe? ¡°NEAH?" My hands go over my ears, why was he shouting at me? ¡°NEAH?" Alpha Dane continues to shout my name as my ears ring. Eventually, he stops and turns off the water. Grabbing some towels, he wraps one around me first. He is frowning, but I don''t think it''s aimed at me. I was just grateful for the silence. He walks me back to the bed and sits me down. I watch him go to the closet and pull out some clean clothes for me before he proceeds to dress himself. He motions for me to stay here and quickly hurries out the room. He returns a few minutester and beckons me to follow, but he doesn''t speak. Alpha Dane leads me into his office where Raven was waiting. The room had that strange woody smell that I had smelled upstairs, but it was mixed with something else.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Why.... why is no one talking?¡± Why did it sound like I was shouting? Alpha Dane and Raven were talking to each other but through mind link. I watch how Raven''s head bobs up and down and frowns. ¡°Will someone....¡± I cover my ears, I couldn¡¯t stop shouting yet I was certain I was talking normally. ¡®I think I have finally figured out why Kyle didn''t reject you properly.¡¯ Alpha Dane¡¯ sfips didn''t move, but his. voice is warm in my mind. Reassuring and cals when it felt like my head was gotag to explode. < To break the binding.¡¯ He continues, ¡®You needed to be imed. You couldn''t be imed while he was still in the picture.¡± Raven steps towards me and holds out little orange foam shapes ¡®They will help. Just until you adapt.¡¯ Raven carefully pushes them in my ears. "Better? ¡°Thank you.¡± I mumble ¡°Everything looks and smells different too, right?" Alpha Dane asks I nod. ¡°That woody scent you smell is most likely my personal scent to you. The other seent i in this room belongs to Raven: Everyone has them, though mine-wi il be stronger because I marked you.¡± Content belengs to - ¡°I''m...l¡¯m no longer bound?¡± I mutter ¡®It seems [ike my mark broke the binding. Everything seems loud and differeat because you never had to adjust to it. It will take time, but you will¡¯¡é get used to it.¡± Content belongs to - ¡®I''m not bound?" I repeat my question, trying to make absolutely sure I understood what he was saying. ¡°No. But I do think that you should meet Devon now.¡± Chapter 0044 Chapter 0044 Dane ¡°Who?¡± Raven splutters ¡°Our prisoner.¡± I had told her same information but not all. I may have neglected to tell her wha he was. ¡°Right. And why does Neah need to meet him?¡± ¡°Because he ims to be Neah''s brother.¡± My mate is standingpletely still, almost like she is frozen in time. She hadn''t wanted to meet him and I didn''t me her, but now, he might be the only one who could answer questions about herself. ¡°Neah? ¡°No¡± she shakes her head at me. ¡°No I....I don¡¯t want to. You said... you said it was up to me. ¡°I did, but now I think it will be beneficial. I can''t prepare you.¡± ¡°Prepare me for what?¡± ¡°For your first shift.¡± Her mouth drops open She has somehow forgotten that bit of being unbound.¡¯ Aero mumbles. ¡°It will happen Neah, and you won''t be able to stop it. The least I can do is make sure you are prepared.¡± She looks pained. Instead of lowering her eyes, they go up to the ceiling as she shakes her head. Her thoughts were just words that made no sense. She couldn''t even think in sentences. Except for one ring statement. ¡®He did this!¡± She med me. ¡°Raven, leave!¡± I order When she hears my tone, she doesn¡¯t even question me and hurries out the door, mming it shut behind her. Leaving me and my mate alone. Taking a seat. I stare at my newly marked mate as she fights with her own thoughts. She mes us?¡¯ Aero sighs. ¡®We only imed her.¡± ¡®And that''s the problem. iming her, unbound her after she had just told me she wanted to stay bound.¡¯ ¡°You me me?¡± I ask after a few moments Her blue eyes leave the ceiling, settling on me and her fingers go directly to the mark on her neck. Tears prick at the corner of her eyes. ¡°You think that I made you a ¡®monster¡¯?¡± She still doesn¡¯t speak to me ¡°Have you ever considered there might be more to why you were bound? I believe that Trey did it because he feared what you would be capable of.¡± ¡®l''m..../m not an Alpha.¡± she shakes her head again. ¡°You keep trying to make outthat this is a good thing.- > But if itiStrue, and...and you really believethat¡¯s why Trey had me.¡¯ bound, then tell me how badof a raorister could I be?¡± Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org < Walking around the desk, I cup her face, etting her feel our connection and hoping it would be enough.to calm. her overthinking mind. She leanginto me, closing her ey¨¦s and I feether fear. A fear of the unknown. Linking Eric, I ask him to bring Devon to my office. If I couldn¡¯t get Neah to go to him, then I would have to bring him to her. After a few minutes of watching Neah internally beat herself up, Eric shoves Devon through the door. ¡°Ah, Alpha Dane.¡± Devon looks back. over his s shoulder at Eric, ¡°You coald have at. least told me this was where we were going. There was noneed to. be all mysterious aboutit¡± He turns to look at Neah. ¡°It''s been so long.¡± Neah doesn''t answer. She sits in the chair in the corner of the room inplete silence. She may not be physically saying anything horrible, but she was definitely thinking it ¡°You don''t know who I am, do you?¡± Devon asks herThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Neah silently shakes her head. ¡°Can you sense her?¡± I demand ¡°Yes.¡± Devon mutters without taking his eyes off of her. "And I see you have imed her. Finally caved to your feelings?¡± I see how Neah pulls her knees to her chest, and yanks her shirt cor up around her neck, hiding my mark. She felt exposed ¡°I assume you haven''t brought me here so your Beta can have his way with me.¡± He shoots Eric a suggestive wink. Does this guy ever stop talking?¡¯ Aero mutters. ¡®He is just like Jenson!¡± Eric smacks Devon across the back of the head, telling him to sit. Chapter 0045 Chapter 0045 ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Devon mutters, holding his hands up and sitting in the empty seat. ¡°Here''s the deal. You tell us everything you know about Trey and his little gang. You tell me and Neah everything about being a Lycan and if you comply, I might just let you live.¡± ¡°Now that seems a little unfair. You ¡®might¡¯ let me live.¡± Devon replies ¡°After I¡¯ve given you all my secrets. I''ve only been too happy to share information.¡± He grins at me "Surely you can at the very least guarantee my life? ¡°It won''t be my decision.¡± I mutter. He turns to look at Neah. ¡°You are letting my sister decide my fate? My eyes move to my mate who hasn''t moved. She was busy watching Devon. ¡°You won''t know who will be making the decision.¡± I tell Devon, ¡°That way you can¡¯t try and butter them up or bribe them into making a decision.¡± ¡°Well yed, Alpha Dane. It seems like you already know my style. So what would you like to know?" ¡°Everything. You say that Moonshine is the only pack of Lycans left. Where did theye from? ¡°The same as Wolves I¡¯m guessing. Packs develop over time, created of multiple different...... ¡± lo... Where did the Lycan originallye from? We are children of the Moon Goddess.¡± ¡°We are too. There¡¯s a story, maybe it''s true, maybe it¡¯s a myth. The story goes a little something along the lines of a Wolf imed a human, but when they marked the human during a full moon, the human began to change. Shifting into what I know to be a Lycan, part human, part Wolf. As more were created, they began to procreate and more were born. Neither a Wolf, nor a human, but something in between.¡± ¡®A Wolf imed a human?'' Aero mutters But that wasn''t my concern. ¡°We have many of the same characteristics as you. Alpha Dane.¡± Devon continues, ¡°We can shift at will, females go into heat exactly the same as Wolves, though I believe our females tend to stay in heat a lot longer than yours. I can¡¯t be certain about that one, females are not my preferred choice. We hunt. We feed. We mate, we mark our imed ones. We are strong, we can heal. The only real difference is that our bloodlines started differently.¡± He shrugs his shoulders at me, like it was standard knowledge. Its impossible to tell if he is lying.¡¯ Aero tells me ¡°You know a lot for someone whe grew up adopted.¡± I mutter I told youhad someone on the inside, but you killed him.¡± He looks overt Neah, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that? couldn''t protect you.¡± Content belongs to - ¡°Were you there?¡± Neah asks quietly. ¡°Were you there the day I killed my parents?¡± Devon shakes his head. ¡°Though I was informed about it, when I was much older. Cassandra should never have put you through that.¡± ¡°Cassandra?¡± I ask Remember what they said about the poison was supposed to be for Cassandras parents?!¡¯ Aero mutters. ¡®It¡¯s no secret-she wanted to be Lung.¡¯ Apparently all the Lycans kaew and really wanted her. to take over. She couldn''t do that while our parents were still around and ste foresul(mmelonarcit withNeah inthe picture and set to be the r¨¦xt Alpha.¡± ¡°They knew? They all knew what Cassandra wanted?¡± Neah asksThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Devon goes quiet. "I can¡¯t say for certain.¡± ¡°They...they all knew I was set up and they still....... ¡± She trails off and her blue eyes fill with tears. ¡°I''m sorry....1 thought....¡± Devon looks back at me. ¡°I thought you had worked it out?¡± ¡°There were still some gaps.¡± I mutter. I could hear my mates heart racing. ¡°im it back.¡± Devon mutters to Neah ¡°I''m not an Alpha.¡± Neah mumbles. ¡°You may feeltike that now, but I promise yousthe blood running through your veins says otherwise!¡±> Devon gives her a small smile but Neah keeps her face unreadable. Onlyrknew all thements that were running through her mind. Chapter 0046 Chapter 0046 Neah ¡°Stop!¡± Alpha Dane snaps. His crimson eyes are on me even though he is looking at Devon. ¡°Don''t you want justice?¡± Devon asks me. "For everything that they did to you? ¡°That''s enough.¡± Aloha Dane¡¯s eyes shift to him. ¡°Not another word. Neah has made herself clear.¡± ¡°I''m just saying...... The pack is hers. She can im it and take her rightful ce as Alpha of the Lycans. ¡°And I''m telling you to stop talking. Right now. You will only answer questions. You will not push her on your own ideas. Do I make myself clear?¡± Devon''s brow creases a little, but he does as he is told and closes his mouth Except for the eyes, he looked a little like my father, well, what I could remember of him. It was hard for me to remember any image of my father except for the one that haunts me. The memory of blood dripping down his face as I was dragged away. ¡°You said they all knew.¡± Alpha Dane is standing in front of Devon. Was he trying to intimidate him? ¡°How?¡± ¡°My spy told me. ¡°Your spy?¡± ¡°You could have asked him yourself if you hadn¡¯t killed him.¡± I was certain Alpha Dane was going to hit him, but he just stood there, hovering over him. It reminded me of what Kyle and the others did to me. Standing over me, telling me the vile things they were going to do to me. Alpha Dane keeps his fists to himself, ¡°Trey had no idea about the spy?¡± He asks "No." Devon''s-eyes flick to me. "He was the onlyone who neverid a finger on you. He hated what they <> were doitg to you. He wanted tobeg them to: stop, but he would have looked weak and he would have looked like a traitor.¡¯ Content b¨¦longs to ? ¡°He still should have helped her though. ¡°He was one Lycan, he couldn''t do anything except give me information otherwise Trey would have known.¡± ¡°What about you? You sat back and let them beat the shit out of her, just because you thought you might die?¡± Alpha Danes¡¯ tone was cold. He looks over,at me. ¡°If it had been Raven, I would have died trying to g et her out; would not have ~ stopped would not have sat back and gathered snippets of ~ inforrtation from an insider. would have¡¯ gone in and ripped peoples Heads from their necks to-save my sister.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that simple.¡± Devon protests. "I told you, I tried getting close to the house. Once Trey figured out who I was, he made it impossible. I tried.¡± Devon''s blue eyes lock on mine. ¡°I really did try. ¡°Not enough!¡± Alpha Dane snaps. He nods at Beta Eric. ¡°Let''s go!¡± Beta Eric grabs Devon by the arm and hauls him out of the office. ¡°That was not how I wanted that to go.¡± Alpha Dane sighs as he moves in front of me, ¡°I wanted him to reassure you that whatever you turn into, is not a big deal. Instead, he gave you even more of a reason to hate yourself. ¡°He looks like my father.¡± I mumble, not really taking in his words. "I.... I don''t want to believe it. But his eyes, they....they are like mine, like my mothers.¡± ¡°Could you sense him?¡± ¡°He smelled..... Familiar.¡± I shake my head. "There¡¯s nothing up here.¡± I touch my temple. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember a baby in the house.¡± ¡°He ims he is neen. That makes him three years younger than you. You don¡¯t even remember a toddler?¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . "No, there is nsthing.¡± I didn''t remember ababy or a toddler. I never ever heard of talk about a man attaeking. I never heard Trey announcing the need to up security. But what I do remember are the fac¨¦s of everyone who hadurt me. ~~ Xu _ ¡°And I will hunt down every single one of them.¡± Aloha Dane murmurs as he takes a step towards me. Chapter 0047 Chapter 0047 ¡°You read my mind?¡± I ask quietly. It was still a weird thing to get used to. ¡°I like to pay attention.¡± He leans in to kiss me when the door is almost taken off of its hinges. ¡°What the fuck, Raven?!" Aloha Dane growls Raven was red in the face. Strands of her dark hair had fallen loose. "We have a huge problem!¡± Alpha Dane rolls his eyes as he turns away from me. ¡°What now?" ¡°She''s here!¡± I look between the both of them. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± Alpha Dane asks Raven ¡°One hundred percent. She is sitting in the hospital right now. And she is furious.¡± "Who?" I ask again because while Raven looked concerned, all I could see was pure anger on Alpha Danes face. Even his crimson eyes appeared a little darker than usual. Maybe Aero was saying something to him? They carried on talking like I wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°I told her you were hunting to buy some time.¡± ¡°Did you tell her about Neah? ¡°I like to test your brides, but I would rather walk into a roaring fire than deal with that one.¡± Another bride? Alpha Dane spins to look at me. ¡°Ex bride. I absorbed her parents¡¯ pack years ago.¡± ¡°The only one who didn''t die.¡± Raven mutters. ¡°Veronica.¡± ¡°Stay with Neah. I will send Eric over too.¡± He gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and leaves, leaving the door wide open. ¡°Who is she?" I ask ¡°He told you, ex bride.¡± Raven smiles at me, trying to brush it off like suddenly, it was nothing major, even though she had practically broken the door down to tell him ¡°I know but.....but you...¡± ¡°It''s nothing. Dane will sort it out. It''s not the first time she has turned up.¡± ¡°What does she want?¡± ¡°Uh... she¡¯s probably heard about you.¡± She potters around the office, straightening Alpha Danes paperwork. ¡°Me?¡± Why was she here because of me? ¡°If I tell you, please don''t panic.¡± I snort because everything made me panic.This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Veronica was like the third or forth bride, I can''t ally remember. She was head over heels, in love with my brothe tothe point she betrayed her own family. By the way,not something that he asked her to do. Butwhen the contract was. ap. Dane decided not to mark her. He didn''t feel that she was the ight one.¡± ¡°So he let her live? ¡°The only one other than you.¡± She smiles at me as if that was a good thing ¡°Why is she here?¡± My instinct was to hate her. I had never even met her but I hated the idea that Alpha Dane was alone with her. "She turns up shortly after a new bride has m¨¦ved in. Reminding Dane N ~ why he chase her all those years =~ ago. She\desperately wants to get back with him. She killed her own truenate so that she could be with Dare.¡± _ S 6 ¡°Killed her true mate?¡± I wanted to make sure I had heard it right. Raven reti¨¦s her dark hair and nods her head"She brought him here.- Then ta-show Dane how much she loved him, she stabbed her mate in the Beart. Believing that the action would please him.¡± Content belongs tS < ¡°It didn¡¯t? ¡°He liked her courage, but sadly, no. ¡°And he lets her juste here? ¡°Technically, because he absorbed her parents pack, she belongs to ck shadow.¡± ¡°And what am I supposed to do? ¡°We sit tight.¡± Beta Eric mutters as he enters the room and hands me a bottle of juice."And hope that she is just passing through.¡± ¡°What if she wants to meet her?¡± Raven asks Beta Eric looks at me with a smirk. ¡°It''s different now. Dane has imed Neah. We do everything in our power to stop Veronicaying a hand on her.¡± Laying a hand on me?? ¡°You....you mean she is here to kill me?¡± Chapter 0048 Chapter 0048 Dane ¡°Well that didn¡¯t take long! Something tells me that your little sister was lying about you hunting. Tut tut. I¡¯m a little disappointed in her.¡± Veronica studies me with her grey eyes. She runs her hands through her long blonde hair, pulling it back from her neck. Showing me that she still wasn''t marked. It was an act, a reminder of why she was here. Why is she here? Stupid bitch!¡¯ Aero growls ¡®You know why. The same reason she always is!¡¯ I sigh ¡°Changed your mind, Dane?¡± She beams at me. ¡°You know I¡¯m here whenever you need me. Ready for you to im me.¡± ¡®I''m surprised it''s taken you so long to arrive. Neah has been here almost a month now.¡± She frowns at me, ¡°That''s not a nice way to greet your lover. ¡°You are not my lover. You haven''t been for years. So what has brought you back this time? Because my answer never changes. You should have: figured that out by now.¡± ¡°Dane, don''t be like that. We were great together. And we can still be great together. I¡¯m just here to remind you of that. We both know this new one won''t stick, I mean, I haven''t even heard of her.¡± I roll my eyes as Aero snorts ¡°That''s what you say about each woman that hase after you.¡± ¡°And I''ve been right, haven''t I Dane?¡± She gives me a smug smiles ¡°Well, I hate to break it to you, Veronica, you are wrong this time.¡± Her eyes turn to slits as she res at me. "I killed my mate for you.¡± ¡°For yourself, you mean. She frowns at me and gets off of the nurses station. "I did it for us, you know that.¡± She takes a step towards me. ¡°Are you still trying to deny how much you enjoyed it? I still remember how you smiled when he fell to his knees, begging you for your help.¡± ¡°Desperation doesn''t look good on you Veronica.¡± ¡°Desperation?¡± She scoffs as her eyes widened. ¡°I''m not here because I''m desperate.¡± "You do this-every time I have anew bride. That screams desperation to me. Turing up just in the hopes that I will cast them aside, that¡¯s pretty sad, veronica, you really shoald maewe on.¡± Content belongs''to NovelDrama.Org - ¡°You can¡¯t talk to me like that.¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, I am the Alpha here. You are the outsider, you were the one who betrayed your family. So you can go.¡± Her grey eyes narrowed to slits again. ¡°This is my home and I am: back fer good." She grabs holdof my fh hands. ¡°Come on, Dane. You know we were great together.¡± That was.a dong time ago, Veronica. I''ve moved on.¡± I pull my hands from hers. ¡°And you need to get a grip: I''ve a ready banished my brother, would your ¡®like to join him?¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~ ¡°Seriously?¡± She gasps, ¡°You actually kicked Jenson out?¡± ¡®I did. So again, I will ask. Do you want to join him? ¡°No. I''ve been grateful that you have let mee and go. I don¡¯t want to be without a pack. That would be torture.¡± ¡°Then I suggest you behave. If you try anything with Neah, I won''t just banish you, I will rip your throat out.¡± ¡°WHAT???? You won''t do that.¡± ¡°Do you want to try me?¡± I keep my tone hollow, to show her that I wasn''t fucking about anymore. ¡°What''s so special about her?¡± She demands This will be good.¡¯ Aero chuckles ¡°I marked her." ¡°You what? You...you actually marked someone? As in, you imed them as yours?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You''ve never done that. You''ve rejected all of us..... You only came close to marking me.¡± ¡°No Veronica. I was never going to mark you. And to think, you were the only one who got to live.¡± Her mouth falls open as her arms fold up under herrge breasts, pushing her cleavage at me. ¡°You made a mistake Dane.¡± Chapter 0049 Chapter 0049 ¡®I agree. She smiles at me. ¡°Oh, you regret marking her?" ¡°No, I regret letting you live.¡± I turn around, walking away. ¡°Keep your distance, Veronica. ¡°You can''t just walk away, Dane!¡± She moans, running alongside me ¡°I can do what I want, Veronica.¡± ¡°Why are you being like this? You used to care about me.¡± ¡°Used to. Like you said, it was a long time ago, there have been others since you and not once have Ie back to you. Why do you think now will be any different? ¡°Because, because it''s me." Has she note up with any new lines.¡¯ Aero groans. ¡®It''s always the same fucking story. Please, we were good together, you let me live, h h h. She really needs to get over herself.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Has she slept with Jenson? Is that why you banished him?¡± ¡°No. Stop trying to dig for information.¡± She purses her red lips, keeping pace with me as I walk back towards the house. ¡°Veronica, go away.¡± ¡°I want to meet the woman that has captured your heart.¡± Coming to a stop, I re at her. ¡°You want to meet my mate?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to meet your bride.¡± ¡°She''s my mate, Veronica. She isn¡¯t just a bride, she is my true mate.¡± ¡°You found her?¡± Her voice drops to a whisper as she stares at me with wide eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°NO!¡± I smile, hearing the disappointment in her voice. It sounded just like the day I had told her it was over. ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t just mark her because I wanted to. I marked her because she is my mate. She is the one that I have spent years searching for. ¡°Where did you find her?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± ¡°I bet she can''t even satisfy you, can she?!¡± She mocks, trying to make little digs. Thest few days of our contract, I had distancedmyself f rom her, she wasa goodshag and in the end, that''s about all I enjoyed about her:> The merhori es made it even more amusing, because it was like ?: Veronica couldn''t see what was happening. My brothe knew, because he kept crackingjokes about being able to sleep with her. Though he never did. Content belongs to Veronica was the only one he had never touched and even that said something. ¡°I would like to meet her.¡± Veronica''s tone changes. her words be lighter as though she was suddenly happy about everything. She¡¯s up to something.¡¯ Aero mutters. "No." I tell Veronica ¡°You can''t hide her forever Dane. I told you, I''m home. It''s time for me to put down some proper roots instead of spending all of your money on travelling.¡± She flutters her eyshes again. I was so tempted to kick her out. but so far, she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong apart from make a fewments ¡°Have you got a job?¡± I ask ¡°I have. It¡¯s nothing major, just a personal assistant to someone in the city.¡± she digs into her pockets and pullscout the credit card I hac given Aer. "Here." She gives mea smileand nands the credit card over. "Guess I don¡¯t need this afhiymore.¡± ¡°What game are you trying to y Veronica? ¡°No game. Like I said, it¡¯s time to stop exploring. It¡¯s time to set up home. I am a Wolf after all and we are useless without a pack.¡± She¡¯s done something.¡¯ Aero mutters. ¡°What did you do, Veronica?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± She halds her hands up. "I swear I''m telling the truth.¡± ¡®Bullshit! Aera snaps and I had to agree with high. ¡®The longest Veronica stayed in one ce was ~ ~N when we were together. And evens then she was desperate to go ? affto DY some far away country. She had never been concerned with.Aeeding terbelong to a pack. It was:one of the things I had liked about her. ¡°Why did youe to the hospital and not directly to the pack house? Are you in trouble?¡± Chapter 0050 Chapter 0050 ¡°Oh you know how I love to wind your sister up. Nothing ever changes with her. I bet it drives Salem nuts. She didn''t know, she wasn¡¯t around to learn that Raven and Salem were no longer a thing ¡°She''s happy.¡± I lie Veronica doesn¡¯t respond. She''s staring up at the house. As I look over my shoulder, I see Neah standing on the doorstep. Raven and Eric stand either side of her. ¡°Is that her?¡± Veronica whispers ¡°Yes.¡± She grips my upper arm. "She isn¡¯t much to look at is she!¡± ¡°Let go. ¡°You think she can take me out?¡± She muses. That wasn''t what I was worried about. I could sense Neah¡¯s jealousy from here. If she shifts, I won''t be able to stop it. Raven and Eric won''t be able to stop it. And none of us knew what Neah is really capable of. Grabbing Veronica''s hand, I bend it back towards herself. She whimpers at the pain of her arm being in the wrong position. ¡°Get out of my sight!¡± I snarl at her. ¡°I''m going. I¡¯m going.¡± She frowns in Neah¡¯s direction before stomping off while cradling her arm. My eyes lock with Neah¡¯s as I approach the house. ¡°Is she leaving?¡± Raven asks ¡°No. I mutter without looking at her. ¡°She''s decided to settle.¡± Neah doesn''t react. She standspletely still, her eyes remain locked on mine. She wasn''t angry, she seemed to be confused about the jealousy she is feeling ¡°You are letting her stay?¡± Raven questions me. ¡°After all that she has done. She''s a lunatic.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree she has made some poor choices. But none of us are exactly innocent. Well, almost none of us. If she tries anything, then she will be gone. I have warned her.¡± And still, Neah doesn¡¯t speak. Raven brushes past me, ¡°I hope you know what you are doing, Dane. Don¡¯t let her ruin this. ¡°Go inside.¡± I tell Neah, "I just need to speak to Eric.¡± Neah¡¯s blue eyes move to my Beta before returning to me. She nods her head and slowly retreats into the house. ¡°How much did Raven tell her? ¡°Everything.¡± Eric murmurs. ¡°Once she started talking, it''s like she couldn''t stop.¡± ¡°And what has Neah said?¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That''s just it, she hasn''t said anything.¡± ¡°Nothing?¡± ¡°Thest thing she asked was if Veronica was here to kill her. And that''s when Raven told her everything.¡± ¡°No sign of her shifting?¡± ¡°No. I watched her like a hawk I find Neah sitting in the kitchen. Her legs folded up underneath her as she studied a bottle of half drunk juice. She doesn''t respond or even acknowledge me as I take a seat opposite. Her head was clouded with telling herself off. ¡°You''ve never felt jealousy before.¡± tell her.¡°It feels strange right? <~ Having this need to attack = =-& sarmeone?¡± Content belongs I to Swnovel aa She stops spinning the bottle and her blue eyes sh up at me. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because ofthat." I point to the mark on her neck. ¡°It will make you feel¡¯ lot of things that you have most> likely ¡ê fever experienced before. Eric tellg-me that Raven told youo everything about Veronica.¡± Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°She told....told me alot.¡± She stutters and a small crease appears on her forehead. "She''s.....she is very. * pretty.¡± Swnovel = She is so angry. Aero mutters ¡°She''s not you.¡± I tell her. ¡°Did....did you tell her about me?¡± ¡°I told her I imed you and I told her you were my true mate. She frowns at me. ¡°There¡¯s something I don''t understand. Raven didn¡® say.¡± ¡°You want to know why I let her live!¡± Chapter 0051 Chapter 0051 Neah ¡°Y...you said you killed them.¡± It wasn''t my ce to ask questions. But he had clearly kept her alive and if she was here to kill me, I wanted to know why she was the only one to survive. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°But not her?¡± I frown, confused. He was deliberately dragging it out. ¡°There was never a reason to kill her. I told you, some of the other brides ran. Some of them were trying to dig up information on me. She wasn¡¯t clingy, she wasn''t desperate for my attention, though that has clearly changed. Veronica didn''t do anything wrong, in fact she was very on board with the arrangement. It was me who grew tired of her.¡± ¡°She killed her true mate.¡± ¡°He wasn''t part of this pack.¡± ¡°She betrayed her own family.¡± ¡°I see Raven told you everything she knew.¡± He stares at me from across the table. "Yes."N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Veronica''s family had an agenda. Just like Trey, they gave her away for the contract. The only difference is, they made it look like it was the worst thing that could possibly happen to them. Yet, all along they had nned to hand her over. They wanted me dead and needed inside information to be able to do that. Veronica figured it out. So yes, you could say she betrayed them, but she brought the truth to the surface. It takes a lot for someone to betray their own family.¡± ¡°You let her live because she helped you te live.¡± ¡®It was the least I could do. The horrible jealous feeling fades away as I look at him. He had this mean, mysterious side but now and again, he really did surprise me. ¡®I¡¯m not saying she is a great person. Or that she''s even a good person¡± He contin ues,¡¯She has be bitter overthe years. In some waysN think theMoon Goddess is ¡ª punishing her because of ki ling her truernate. Veronica knew thatonce she:met him and their bond-had f?med, she wouldn''t be able to do anything with me. Much like you when you were still linked to Kyle. I almost killed you with a simple kiss.¡¯ ! ¡°She loved you.¡± I whisper ¡°More than what I could ever return." He frowns ¡°Raven didn''t know?!" ¡°None of them do. It¡¯s not something that I like to share. As far as they are aware, Veronica had angered me.¡± ¡°And she left?" He nods, ¡°I told her she could go wherever she wanted and that I ould never {¨¦t her struggle financial y. She returns every time k. have a new bride. She tries to persuade me that she is still here and avaliable. I think partly, she is trying to measure up the new bride. But I told her we are mated and I have warned her.¡± His tone deepens as his eyes lock back on to mine. ¡°If she tries anything, she won''t make it out of this pack alive.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org = It was a lot to take in. Alpna Dane sits there, watching me, waiting for me to say something. But what . could I say? I had Trey and < Cassandia who had set me up Someshe in the dungeon wha was iming to be my brother and now this. A woman who was desperate to have Alpha Dane as h¨¦t mate. But how far would she go? Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°lL...¡± I didn¡¯t know what I was trying to say. My fingers feel the bumps of the mark he gave me. He had marked me. I was the only one who he had done that to. ¡°I chose you, Neah. I was meant to find you.¡± He looks up at the clock on the wall. ¡°We need to go, otherwise you are going to bete. ¡°Late?¡± ¡°I have found you a tutor. Like I said I would¡± He announces proudly, rising from the chair. He holds out his hand for me. ¡°Come.¡± Chapter 0052 Chapter 0052 I still had more questions, but I think this was his way of saying the conversation was over. I almost hope that he is reading my mind so he knows how frustrated I am. His eyes flicker to me, but he doesn''t speak as we walk through the house and out the back door. He leads me across the grounds, nodding his head at various people but still doesn¡¯t speak to me. Stopping in front of a house, I couldn''t help but notice how it was run down inparison to all the others here. Run down was the wrong term, not as perfect as the other homes Giant vines ran all over the building, snaking their way around the windows. Weeds stood tall in front of the house and the path that led to the door was full of cracks. Alpha Dane raps on the door and pushes it open before someone even answers. He tugs me into the dimly lit house, giving my hand a little reassuring squeeze ¡°Ah Dane.¡± Aman a simr age to Alpha Dane, steps out from a room, knocking over a stack of books and sends them crashing to the floor. His dark hair is tied up into a bun on top of his head. He peers at me with his deep green eyes. ¡°You must be Neah. And you are right on time.¡± He smiles, sticking his hand out at me. ¡°I''m us, your tutor!¡± He beams at me, his hand still hovering in the air.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. His eyes flicker to the bright orange earbuds I had in my ears. ¡°Ah, the memories.¡± He''s safe.¡¯ Alpha Danes¡¯ voice fills my head. Taking us''s hand, he frantically shakes mine. ¡°This way.¡± He tugs me past the fallen pile of books and sits me at a small table. ¡°Dane tells me that you can¡¯t read or write.¡± I shake my head at him and nce at Alpha Dane. You will be fine. I will be right here,¡¯ His voice fills my head again. us moves around, pulling random books out of the random stacks all over the room.. ¡°us is one of the youngest to have graduated. He even got their¡± before Fdid, skipping a few grades.¡± AlphaDane starts telling me. ¡°if there is anyone that can help you learn to read, it''s him.¡± Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ Hours passed and although I was starting to get somewhere, I felt like an idiot, sounding out the letters. ¡°Keep going.¡± us would regrly cheer mecon. He didn¡¯t rush me, he was patient, much more patient than whend Raven had tried teaching me. But Re still gave me this oddteeling, an it wasn''t good. Content belongs to¡°NovelDrama.Org ¡° Alpha Dane suddenly gets up from his chair, ¡°There''s something I need to deal with. You stay with us. I will be back as soon as I can. He kisses me on the cheek and hurries out the door. Crap, he wasn''t reading my mind. I sit in silence, staring at the door. I didn¡¯t know this man that I had been left with. What was worse is that I wasn¡¯t in the packhouse either. ¡°Neah? Are you okay?¡± us asks me with a smile. I nod my head and go back to sounding out the letters in front of me. At least then I wouldn''t have to talk. ¡°You are not really a talker, are you?¡± He asks curiously as he stands behind me, leaning over my shoulder, practically trapping me. ¡°Could...could I get some water?¡± I ask quietly, just wanting him to move away. ¡°Sure.¡± He chirps, moving away. I use the moment to get out of the chair and prevent myself feeling trapped again ¡°He will be-back soon, youdon''t ~~. need ta, worry.¡± He hands a ss.of water to me with a smile and then holds his hands up. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do. anything.¡± Content belonigs ite) NovelDrama.Org My eyes sh back to the chair. Chapter 0053 Chapter 0053 ¡°Ah, I leaned over you. You don''t like that. Sorry. I won''t do that again. Personal space isn¡¯t one of my strongest areas.¡± He takes a seat on one of the worn sofas under the window. His deep green eyes move to the ss in my hand. ¡°Are you nning on using that as a weapon? ¡°No.....1...." Maybe it wasn''t such a bad idea ¡°It''s not poison. I am not stupid. I don¡¯t need Dane ripping my guts out. Just water, straight out the water machine.¡± He points through to what I¡¯m assuming is a kitchen. I still don''t drink it. ¡°When were you unbound?¡± us asks randomly ¡°Huh?¡± He points to his ears. ¡°Kind of a giveaway.¡± ¡°Not long age.¡± I mumble ¡°It''s a nightmare, right. More the hearing than anything. It makes you feel like your head is gaing to explode. Do they help? ¡°A little. It''s...it''s still loud.¡± ¡°It took me at least a year to get used to it. ¡°You were bound?¡± I couldn''t keep the surprise out of my voice. His head bobs up and down. ¡°Alpha Dane?¡± I knew how he felt about my binding, I couldn''t imagine him doing it to anyone. ¡°Hell no. No, I was born into a different pack. I wasn''t what they wanted. ¡®Too smart for my own good.¡¯ That''s what they would tell me. When I started school, Dane and Eric were the only ones who didn''t bully me. Dane and Eric stuck up for me and brought me back to this pack. Dane has let me live here ever since.¡± Alpha Dane had saved him. He had given him a better life. ¡°You were bound because you were smart? ¡°Stupid right, why were you bound?¡± ¡°I...¡± Iwasn''t even sure if Aloha Dane wanted me to tell people. ¡°I was set up for killing my parents.¡± I tell him, at least I could stay away from the whole first born and monster stuff. ¡°Shit. There is seriously something wrong with people.¡± ¡°You...you don¡¯t have a mark.¡± His neck was bare. ¡°Not every binding is undone in the same way: But for me, Dane found someone ¡®that could undo it. The hearing: will settle eventually.¡± He grins-at me. "Nowe on, you need to practise.¡± Content belongs to¡°NovelDrama.Org - I sit in the chair while he stays on the worn sofa, respecting my need for space. When Dane returns, he walks in without knocking and asks me how I''m getting on. ¡®She''s getting there.¡± us replies ~ and I notice the wink, ¡°But like I said, she won''t be a master reader by¡± morning, it will take some tine. Daily practice.¡± Content belongs.to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Well that¡¯s enough for today. She will be back tomorrow. Same time?¡± ¡°Sure. Just maybe bring a bottle of water with you. I don¡¯t want Neah to keep thinking I''m trying to poison her. Alpha Dane cocks an eyebrow at me as us startsughing. I was mortified. We walk back over the grounds. Alpha Danes hand is tightly gripped around mine. ¡°Did... did you take me to him because. ..because he was once bound?" I whisper as his pace speeds up. ¡°Did it make you feel better?¡± ¡°No....1...¡± I tug my hand free, ande to a halt. I didn¡¯t know how I felt. With his rougkingers, he tips my chin up, making me look at him. ¡° thought itwwould make you feel => better, ktowing you are not the only one. And us is a good guy, Ik woul rather you didn''t use him of poisoning you. " Content.belongs to NovelDrama.Org 4 ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You thought about it.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°l.... You were reading my mind and you still left.¡± Annoyance was creeping in. ¡°I was right outside, if us had tried to do something, I would have known.¡± I feel my scowl deepen, ¡°You were testing me?¡± Chapter 0054 Chapter 0054 Dane ¡®It wasn¡¯t a test.¡± I murmur. ¡°What....what was it?¡± She continues to frown at me. ¡°He is the best tutor I could find for you. And the only one whe I know that will noty a hand on you. I need to know that you will be able to have sessions with him without me present. As much as I enjoy watching you figure things out. I have a pack to run. And I still need to figure out where Trey and Cassandra disappeared too. Her frown retreats. ¡°Not everyone is out to hurt you Neah. le....he asked me why I was bound.¡± ¡®I know. I heard.¡± ¡°Is that okay ....I mean, what I told him? Should I... I have told him more?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t lie.¡± I smile at her. ¡°But I do think it is time for me to have a pack meeting and tell everyone. If you shift. Neah, and I am not around.....¡± I trail off as I look into her blue eyes. She feared peaple knowing what she is. She feared their response. ¡°lL won''t shift.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, you can¡¯t guarantee that. Devon said there are a lot of simrities. You most likely won''t be able to control the first time. It will happen when you least expect it. And honestly, I thought you would have shifted when you saw Veronica.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Her blue eyes start to glisten with tears She hadn''t asked me much about shifting. And from her reaction, I could tell that she hoped to be able to control it so that it would never happen. ¡°Come, you must be hungry.¡± I murmur before her panic has a chance to truly take over. She nods her head and takes my hand, silently walking with me into the house. ¡°Go on through to the kitchen, I just need to check on something.¡± I could smell Veronica in my office and didn¡¯t want Neah to be anywhere near her. ¡®What the fuck does she want now? We made ourselves clear.¡¯ Aero mutters. He just wanted to be with Neah and so did I. I was very aware that she coulde into heat at any moment. Reluctantly, Neah lets go of my hand and heads in the direction of the kitchen. ¡°What do you want?¡± I mutter, pushing open the office door. ¡®Hey Dane;she beams at me from. my office-chair. ¡°I was just = = wondefing if we could go out fora meal? You know, catch Up, like we used to.¡± Content belongs: to NovelDrama.Org Is she out of her mind?¡¯ Aero snaps ¡°No." ¡°Come on, just as friends.¡± Veronica pleads. "I won''t even try anything." Does she even know how to just be friends?¡¯ Aero snorts and I have to fight theughter ¡°No. Get out of my chair. She spins around in a circle before. standing=¡®I''m not trying anything Dane. It¡¯s just, I don¡¯t have friends here-And I could do with at least one and you know me really well.¡± ¡°Then you should have tried harder. I have a pack to run, Veronica, I can''t be swanning off to dinners with you, just to ¡®catch up!¡± ¡°We went out to dinner loads when we were together.¡± ¡°The pack was much smaller then. As you have probably seen, it has grown ten times the size since.¡± The light catches her grey eyes as she grins have seen. I always J knew yeu would be a great Alpha. You just need the right Luna by your side Are you sure she is thevight one?¡± She twirls with her blonde hair. ¡°You shouldn''t judge people you don¡¯t know.¡± Veronica rolls her eyes at me. ¡°I saw her Dane. She is weak, and full of fear, not fearless like me. A Luna who is fearful is a useless Luna.¡± ¡°Like I said, you don¡¯t know her. Now unless you have something of importance to tell me, you can go.¡± She frowns and heads to the door. "She won''t make you happy, Dane.¡± I watch her to make sure she leaves the house. She¡¯s never going to give up,¡¯ Aero mutters. ¡®We would be better off killing her.¡¯ ¡®And when that timees, I won''t hesitate, but right now, she is not an issue.¡¯N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I find Raven in the kitchen with Neah, both of them sharing a tub of ice cream. Chapter 0055 Chapter 0055 "I know you don¡¯t want to hear it, but Jenson is okay." Raven mumbled with a spoon in her mouth. "You¡¯ve seen him?" She shakes her head at me, "He called me." "I know you miss him Raven, but you understand why I did it, don''t you." "Of course. The more I think about it, the more I¡¯m surprised it took you so long. But you did what you had to do." My eyes move to my mate, she was facing away from me and had tied her hair up. Her scent was shifting slightly and beads of sweat had appeared on her neck. I watch her jam her spoon into the tub of ice cream and then quickly into her mouth, like she somehow thought that was going to solve her problem. ¡®She¡¯sing into heat.¡¯ Aero mutters ¡®She¡¯s fighting it.¡¯ I muse, watching her eat more ice cream. My sister''s eyes suddenly widen as she acknowledges the scent change in Neah, "I think I¡¯m going to go." She drops her spoon into the sink and hurries out of the kitchen. "Are you okay?" I smile at my mate as I take Raven¡¯s seat. "Yep." Ites out a little higher pitched than how she usually talks. "I am your mate. If you need satisfying, I¡¯m only too happy to help." When she hits full heat, I won¡¯t be able to control myself around her either. "Is this.....Is this heat?" She whispers, pulling at the cor of her tee. "Yes." I pull her chair around to face me, locking my knees either side of hers and forcing her thighs tightly together. "Though you are in the early stages. It will get worse, if you fight it, you will .....¡± "I know. I......" She didn¡¯t know how to tell me that she wanted to be fucked. In one quick movement, I pull her from her chair and on to me. She gasps as her chest presses up against mine. Her heart races, pounding inside of her. Her legs dangle either side of mine, barely being able to reach the ground as I hold her hips tight. "Here?" She whispers as I pull her tee up over her head. "It¡¯s my house." Her skin is flush and more beads of sweat appear on her brow. Her blue eyes lock with mine as I take a nipple between my teeth. I loved the fact she rarely wore a bra. As she shifts a little on myp, I knew she could feel my cock hardening beneath her. Dragging my teeth over her nipple, she lets out a low moan and pushes down with her hips, squeezing her thighs against mine. She pulls my face up to hers. Her lips hit me hard, with a different kind of eagerness. A deep hunger that was only growing. Something I had never felt with any of the others. Lifting her a little, I rip her jeans, tearing them from her body. A new wave of her arousal fills the room and my cock is desperate to break free, straining against my own jeans. Wanting to fill her tight, wet hole.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Pulling her wet panties to the side, I slide a finger in, making her groan against my lips. "More." she whispers. I was only too happy to provide. I watch her mouth fall open as I push a second finger in, her back arches, and my cock starts to throb. Quickly moving her onto the table, I pull her panties off and let my shaft free, pressing it up against her. "Is this what you want?" I muse, pushing the tip into her. "Yes." she gasps, trying to pull me closer. "Turn around." She looks confused, but slowly turns around, leaning herself over the table. Reaching around to cup her pussy, I spread her lips open and slide myself in from behind. She lets out a low moan as I hold her tight against me, letting her adjust. Her hands grip the edge of the table as I thrust deep inside her. Her moans make my cock spasm and her muscles clench around me, making it even tighter as I slide in and out. I could hear her thoughts, I knew exactly what she wanted as I drive myself in harder. She wanted more and I knew this was just the beginning of her heat. Chapter 0056 Chapter 0056 Dane Four days. Four long, sex fueled days before it started to ease. I had to put Eric in charge of the pack, I had to tell us that Neah¡¯s tutoring would have to wait. Four days where I had no idea what was happening in my pack because all I could think about was fulfilling Neah¡¯s needs. Sprawled out on her stomach, she is fast asleep in bed. It was the first morning since her heat began where her arousal levels had dropped and her usualvender scent filled the room. Pressing my hand to her bare back, I could feel that her temperature had lowered too. Another sign that this heat was over. She could finally get a decent sleep. Finally.¡¯ Aero mutters You were the one looking forward to it.¡¯ I mutter back Not all the tears.¡¯ She was overwhelmed.¡¯ I mutter in annoyance. ¡®She is sore, her body aches. You try being in heat for four days straight after you''ve only had sex once.¡¯ He doesn''t answer me. Neah doesn''t wake while I shower. She shuffles about in the bed a little, but her eyes remain closed, soft snores escape her. Kissing her on the cheek, I leave her to sleep and make my way down to my office. I didn¡¯t like being out of the loop when it came to my pack but I knew they were in good hands with Eric. He is already sitting in the office. His head in his hands. As his jiggling knee repeatedly taps the desk. ¡°Everything alright?¡± It''s over?¡± He asks, "Please tell me you are done!¡± ¡°Yes, four days and she is finally out of heat. Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Four days is a long time.¡± He was purposely skirting the question. ¡°Devon did say itsts longer. She¡¯s asleep and probably will be for some time. So what is the problem?" He won''t look directly at me. ¡°We have a guest.¡± "Who?" ¡°Madame Curie.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡®Thest time I saw her, she wanted nothing te todo with my situation. 2 Now y¨¦u are telling me she is here and I wants to help.¡± I mutter, marching across the grounds. ¡°She says she has valuable information.¡± ¡°Well it''s a bitte, Neah is no longer bound.¡± ¡°That''s what I told her.¡± ¡°You told her and she still thinks she has valuable information? I''m guessing she has a price, she normally does." ¡°She didn''t say, but she has been stressing me out since her arrival.¡± Eric mutters. "Though my boys love her. ¡°Why did you think she should stay at yours?¡± ¡°Would you rather I let her stay in the pack house? It wasn''t like you just stayed in the bedroom.¡± His lips curve up at the corners. ¡°If I remember correctly, you got caught fucking Kelsie in the janitors cupboard at school and privacy doesn''t bother me.¡± ¡®Anyway,¡¯ He mutters, ¡°I told a Madame Curie that we already I know about Neah, that the truth has ¡é¡± alreadye out. But she said there¡¯ s more.¡± - We stop in front of his house where we could hear his boysughing on the other side of the door. ¡°Aloha Dane.¡±"Madame Curie pulls the door opetrto us. ¡°I¡¯m d you could make-it, I know you have bee? a little..." she looks back at the boys and than at me. ¡°Busy. Maybe this conversation isn''t suitable farthe boys. "_ S ¡°Boys.¡± Eric mutters, ¡°Go to your grandparents.¡± They protest, but eventually leave. Eric doesn''t move until he seems them enter their grandparents house. ¡°Thest time I saw you, you were hurrying away.¡± I groan, taking one of the chairs at the small kitchen table. ¡°Yes, And I''m very sorry I left that way, Alpha Dane. I was not prepared to discuss Moonshine with you. ¡°And you are now? I know about Neah, I found a way to unbound her. ¡°I have been told. But what you don¡¯t understand is that Neah has been bound more than twice.¡± Chapter 0057 Chapter 0057 ¡°You didn''t tell me that.¡± Eric scowls at her. ¡°There is much more to Neah¡¯s past that has long been buried. "And let me guess, a million?" "Not this time, this time, you need to know." ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?" I sano, growing impatient. ¡°Neah has been bound a minimum of four times. Perhaps many more. It was not until I heard the name of her pack, that I suddenly realised who you were talking about. The newborn baby that I bound.¡± Four times?¡¯ Aero mutters rmed ¡°What? You bound her as a baby?¡± I was disgusted ¡°You said you are aware she is a Lycan.¡± Madame Curie taps her long fingernails on the table ¡°Yes, though I don''t know much about them.¡± ¡°They shift at thirteen.¡± she smiles like its a great bit of information. ¡®I was made aware. But what does that have to do with you binding her?¡± ¡°She shifted the day she was born.¡± Eric and I look at each other, and speak in unison. ¡°That can¡¯t be possible.¡± ¡°I saw it with my own eyes, Alpha Dane and until a few weeks ago, you didn''t know her kind existed.¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± I snap, rising from my chair. ¡°She was different. Is different.¡± Madame Curie sighs ¡°You said four times. Her eighteenth, when she was six, as a newborn and when?" ¡°Just after the age of one.¡± ¡°One? What the hell can a one year old do? "She started snifting again. Her father was b¨¦side himself. He didn''t know what*o do, so he called me ¡ª again. But this time, when I met her, she was:strong, powerful. I watched her shit in and out of her beast as theugh it was some kind of:game. l4we she knew that was why I was there.¡± ¡°How could a one year old know what you were nning?¡± Eric asks ¡°You tell me. Te seal the bind, she needed to betin human form, otherwiseshe would be bound and? trapped I in Lycan form. We had to~ wait days as she forced herself to stayawake, fighting sleep like she knew what wasing.¡± Content belongs to ? It didn¡¯t sound anything like my shy, stuttering mate. But then she had been beaten so much over the years that maybe they had made her a shell of what she used to be. ¡°You bound her twice, who bound her when she was six and then again when she was eighteen?¡± ¡°I do not know. But I did try to tell you, Alpha Dane. I told you she had strong Alpha blood and I was right. I am right.¡± ¡°Why are you here now? Why did you wait so long to tell me? What do you hope to gain from it?" ¡°Nothing ¡°Nothing?¡± Eric quizzes. "So you have been bugging me for days. just to tell us this. ¡°She isn¡¯t just your bride, is she Alpha Dane? She is your mate, the one destined to be by your side.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . I don¡¯t respond ¡°Hmm, the Moon Goddess does work in strange ways. ¡°What the fuck is that supposed to mean?¡± I snap ¡°You are a powerful man, Alpha Dane. You are either being tested or you have met your match. She will either break you or make you.¡± Madame Curie gets to her feet. ¡°Now I must go. ¡°Is that it? You are going to swan in here with that kind of information and then disappear again. "There is only so much I can tell you, Alpha Dane. I don¡¯t know what that girlis capable of. I just know that she i ist felt it when I was around her as ababy. I felt it the moment I set foot i in your pack.¡± Content. belongs to¡° - ¡°Felt what?¡± ¡°Her power.¡± she looks me dead in the eye. ¡°And that is what drew you to her, long before you scented the mate bond Chapter 0058 Chapter 0058 Neah When I wake, I¡¯m alone. My body ached. My vagina throbbed. The sex had been amazing. And now, I was thankful that my intense urges and desires had calmed. I could finally think clearly. But now I was paying the price. Tiptoeing across the room, I wince at the pain between my thighs. Turning on the water for the bath, I don¡¯t even wait for it to be full when I step in. Easing my aching body into the hot water. The door opens and I catch Alpha Danes'' woody scent before he steps into the room. His crimson eyes move to the bed before searching the room for me. ¡°Sore?¡± He smirks, making his way over to me. I ned and sink further down into the water, until itispping at my chin ¡°It won''t always be like this.¡± He smiles at me as he leans over the bath, kissing my forehead. He moves away and sits in the big chair by the window. "You don''t remember much from your childhood, do you? I shook my head, knowing that he had turned the chair around and was watching me. ¡°Has Devon.... Has he said something?¡± I ask quietly ¡°No.¡± He mutters, but he sounded different, as though his thoughts were elsewhere. ¡°I haven''t seen him.¡± ¡°Did I do it wrong?¡± He was the only guy I had ever been with. I couldn''t be certain that I had done my part properly Heughs and shakes his head. ¡°No, you were perfect. I soak in silence, waiting for him to tell me what''s on his mind. But he doesn¡¯t. He just quietly watches me, the same way he did back in Trey''s office. A look of curiosity. When I get out of the bath and start drying myself. he crosses over to the closet, fishing me out some clothes to wear. Something that I was slowly getting used to. ¡°Are we going somewhere?¡± I ask as he gets out a pair of trainers for me. I was hoping just to stay here and rx. ¡°We need to speak to your brother. I have some questions and I would prefer it if you were there to hear his answers.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He said he hadn''t spoken to him. What had happened while I was asleep? Traipsing ifthe snow to the dungeans''made me feel a little = uneasy, Something had definitely happened and I wasn''t sure ft even wanted to know. Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org 7 Alpha Dane pulls the door open, stepping into the darkness first. He flicks the lights on as he makes his way down the steps. ¡°Devon?¡± Alpha Dane calls out. ¡°Are you awake? ¡°You''ve brought me a guest, how can I not be gwake for my sister.¡± He mutters witta yawnaslstepin . front of Wis¡¯cell. He looked well, x someone had given him a small-bed tosl lee on, some water and ae change of clothes. He had been given more than what I had when Trey and Kyle were punishing me. ¡°You lookfortable.¡± Alpha Dane speaks quietly ¡°Your gorgeous. Beta was kind enough to bang me a few things. He thought itymight make me more => conversational with him. He seemed a littleannoyed that I would only¡± speak to you.¡± He grins. "Te me, is he-Seeing anyone?¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org 4 ¡°He isn''t into men and I''m pretty sure he has made that quite clear.¡± Alpha Danes tone is low ¡°Such a pity. Anyway, how can I help you?¡± He pushes himself to his feet, stretching out his limbs: ¡°Witches.¡± Alpha Dane mutters, ¡°Witches? Any witch in particr? Not that I''ve met any.¡± ¡°You said you had inside information. Was there talk of Witches visiting. particrly surrounding Neah. My head snaps in Alpha Dane¡¯s direction, but he was solely focussed on Devon. Chapter 0059 Chapter 0059 ¡°I don''t know their names, but I assume it was Witches or a Witch that bound her. No one else has that kind of power.¡± ¡°That is why I am asking you.¡± Devon shakes his head. ¡°I don''t know what you want me to say, Alpha Dane. But there was no talk of a Witch or Witches. Trey worked hard to keep that pack concealed from other kinds. He wouldn''t let just anyone in.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Aloha Dane demandsN?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Whoever bound her when she was a child would be the same one who bound her as an adult.¡± ¡°Do...do you know whe he is talking about?¡± I ask Alpha Dane quietly. Maybe it was why he was so off with me. ¡°Not yet.¡± Alpha Dane mutters, He turns to the stairs, holding his hand out. ¡°Come, it''s time for your lesson with us ¡°Lesson? Ooh, what are you practising, fighting?¡± Devon asks as his hands curl around the bars. "Is this us a handsome man too. It gets a bit boring seeing the same faces down here." ¡°Reading lesson.¡± I mutter, not really thinking about it. ¡°It''s about time someone taught you to read and write.¡± ¡°What....what did you say?" I had kept it a secret for so long. Raven figured it out. I blurted it out to Alpha Dane, but I had never told anyone else. Devon doesn''t say anything. retreating back against the wall. ¡°Answer her?¡± Alpha Dane growls ¡°It''s nothing.¡± ¡°How... how did you know that? ¡°My person on the inside told me. Alpha Dane knew I didn¡¯t like talking about it. He knew there was no way on Earth I would easily tell another person. Even Trey thought I could read, when the truth was I just learned to figure out what things were without reading thebel. ¡°Your story is starting to slip, Devon.¡± Alpha Dane paces back and forth in front of his cell. ¡°I knew there was something off with you.¡± ¡°Honestly, it''s what he told me.¡± ¡°His name?" ¡°He never gave me a name.¡± He looks at me. ¡°He was blonde, easily six foot. Almost ck eyes. Always happy¡¯ ¡°You trusted someone in the pack who wouldn''t even give you their name.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t want to be caught. ¡°Bull fucking shit!" Alpha Dane snaps. ¡°I''ve heard some lies, but this takes the fucking piss.¡± ¡°He¡¯s....telling....the truth.¡± I mutter, vaguely remembering someone that looked like Devon''s description ¡°This guy wouldn''t know the truth if it bit him in the ass.¡± Alpha Dane snaps ¡°a He didn¡¯te to the house much... dropped a list that Kyle had given ne.¡± It was like anoldmemory, ?? cratchitag to gain entrance in thes back of my mind. Little pieces shoulders, turning me around "Partial truths do not mean Ke is telling the whole truth.¡± Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°You mean like you are not telling me why you are being so weird?¡± Chapter 0060 Chapter 0060 Dane It was rare, but now and again, snap littlements woulde through taking us both by surprise. ¡®I¡¯m not being weird. There is just a lot going on at the moment.¡± ¡®You are being an idiot again!¡¯ Aero mumbles ¡®What am I supposed to say? ¡®Hey, by the way. you were actually bound more than twice because they were scared of you.¡¯ Or maybe, "You don¡¯t need to worry about shifting. you''ve already done it!¡¯ Do you think she wants to hear that, Aero? She is petrified of shifting!¡¯ Fine,¡¯ He sulks, ¡®Do it your way.¡¯ ¡°You...you still haven''t said anything.¡± Neah mutters. ¡°Ils Aero....is he saying something to you, is he talking about me?¡± ¡°Aero cares for you as much as I do. we just have different opinions when ites to certain situations.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. Her brow dips a little. ¡°He wants you to...tell.....me something?¡± Her frown grows ¡°Not here!¡± I mumble, looking around at my people moving around. Grabbing her hand, I tug her back toward the house, shutting us in my office. Plonking herself down in a chair, she immediately pulls her legs up to her chest. It took me a while to realise it was her way of defending herself, trying to prevent Trey and his crew hitting her rips and stomach. Though now it was bing a habit when she felt unprepared ¡°It''s bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± she whispers ¡°Veronica is back and now you and Aero have decided..... ¡°It''s nothing to do with Veronica. ¡®I don''t..... I don''t understand.¡± ¡°Thest few days, we have spent a lot of time in the bedroom. During this time, there was a visitor.¡± ¡°Trey?¡± she asks rmed ¡°No, a Witch.¡± ¡°Oh, ¡°The same Witch that bound your abilities.¡± It was like tearing off a band aid slowly. ¡°When you were a newborn pup.¡± Her forehead wrinkles as her eyes widen. ¡°No....when I was six. I don¡¯t give her the other information just yet and exin that this is the same Witch that I met with to discuss unbinding her. The same Witch that had bailed when I mentioned the name of Neah''s pack and now I knew why. ¡°She helped Trey?¡± ¡°No, Neah." I sigh, ¡°She helped your father. Her eyes drop from my gaze. Her hands grab the arm rests of her chair and her knuckles are momentarily whiter than white as she squeezes the wood. I feel her sudden rise in anger. ¡°My...my father?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°My....my father. He...he wanted me bound?¡± she spits out the words. Her anger quickly fades and her eyes be filled with tears. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t what you want to hear, Neah, but from what she told me. I don''t think it was just Trey and Cassandra that were responsible. I believe it goes back further than that. She sits there, staring at me with her blue eyes. I felt so bad for her. I had never known a pack like it. Secrets that ran thicker than blood, but they were all centred around her. ''W...why?¡± ¡°They feared you.¡± She lets out a small nervousugh. "Me?¡± I was just going to have to break the news. "You were able to shift at birth, Neah. They hatl you bound and then when you were one, you started shifting again, like your Lycan sidec was fighting it. You, at the age of> one, knew why the Witch was.there. You purposely kept shifting.td a Lygan i in the hopes that she wouldn''t be able to bind you. Nea£¤ that¡¯s unheard of.¡± It is for Wolves.¡¯ Aero mutters Neah stares at me as if I''m nuts. Pure disbelief that I was even suggesting that she had already shifted. Her mind just wouldn''t ept what I was. saying. ¡°You''re...you are wrong. I would know. I.....¡± ¡°You wouldn''t remember. No pup would or could remember that.¡± ¡°l..... That... That can''t... You are wrong. ¡°I''m only telling you what the Witch told me.¡± ¡°You believe her.¡± adame Cure may be elusive at times, but she has always eventually told me the truth. Even if itis like => drawing I blood froma stone. = Sometimes cash tends to make:her more forting. However,this tine, she didn''t even want cash." She¡¯s not listening.¡¯ Aero mutters. I nce back at Neah who has her eyes closed and her nose wrinkled up as she frowns ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I think I''ve heard that name. ¡°Madame Curie?¡± I ask curiously Her jaw clenches as she nods her head. ¡°From someone here?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just....it''s something up here.¡± She taps her head. "Familiar." ¡°Like I said, they feared you Neah. That''s why the Witch was involved. They fear a female Alpha.¡± ¡°?''m not." ¡°You are a rare female Alpha of a dying breed.¡± She gets to h¨¦erfeet and moves around the desk to my window. ¡°I¡¯m not powerful, Alpha Dane. I''m just -> me..../ ¡®myust the girl that was made a ve) I I''m not... I''m not anything powerful And I wish... . Please ¡ì stop saying it.¡± 4 I feel her sadness. She just wouldn''t believe that it was a possibility. ¡°If they are dying, let them die out.¡± She mutters, as she continues to look out the window. ¡°Let them die out?¡± Herment takes me by surprise, that I have to confirm what I just heard. She slowly turns to me and a tear is edging its way down over her cheek but she is so angry. ¡°They did horrible things to me. They don¡¯t deserve to live.¡± Chapter 0061 Chapter 0061 There was that rare spike in her thoughts. Almost a dark side that was trapped by who she had be over the years. Most people would find it unsettling, but it turned me on. It was enticing and I wanted to bring it to the surface There''s a brisk knock on the door that¡¯s apanied with Raven¡¯s scent. Stopping our conversation, and from Neah''s thoughts, I could tell she was grateful for the break. ¡°Come in.¡± I call to my sister ¡°Hey,¡± Her eyes move between me and Neah, trying to read the situation. ¡°Can I take Neah shopping?¡± ¡°Shopping? ¡°There''s a couple of us going into the city. I thought maybe Neah would like to join us. Or am I interrupting something serious again?¡± ¡°It''s up to Neah.¡± I look at my mate, still listening to her thoughts. She shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯m not....I¡¯m not ready for that.¡± her eyes flicker to me,. ¡°It might not be safe." ¡°Nothing can go wrong. It¡¯s neutral territory. No one is allowed to fight there. And I will be there.¡± Raven pleads. ¡°We will keep you safe.¡± ¡°Who is we?" I ask curiously ¡°Me, us...¡± She names a couple of others ¡°us is going?¡± Shopping was definitely not his thing. ¡°He wants to pick up some more books. You know what he¡¯s like. he won''t have them delivered in case someone has creased the pages.¡± She mocks, ¡°And I assumed you would prefer us to have a chaperone.¡± ¡°So you roped him in? "Yep!" I turn to Neah. ¡°She isn''t wrong. The city is neutral. I trust us.¡± ¡°What about Trey?¡± She whispers. ¡®I''m assuming the city is somewhere he wouldn''t go.¡± I fix my eyes on Raven. "If there¡¯s a problem....¡± ¡°We will get her out of there.¡± Moving to Neah, I pull her around to face me properly, "Raven has been to the city at least once a week since she was a kid. She knows it better than anyone. f you don¡¯t want to go, then that is also fine.¡± ¡°You don''t....you don¡¯t want me to go.¡± She keeps her eyes low. ¡°I can feel it.¡± ¡°I would prefer you to be somewhere that I can easily reach you at any point of the day. But that is not going to help you get over your fears. I trust my sister, I trust us, they are not going to put you in danger. And if anyone tries anything, they would be fucking stupid.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°All the Wolves know who my brother is.¡± Raven adds. ¡°Salem made sure of that.¡± She imed she didn''t me me for Salem rejecting her, but certain phrases had me thinking differently. Choosing not to respond to herment, I keep my attention on my mate. ¡°It¡¯s your choice Neah.¡± ¡°What if I....¡± ¡°We will have to trust that you won''t. I could feel Raven¡¯s eyes burning into the back of my head. I still hadn¡¯t told her that Neah was a Lycan. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what??¡± Raven''s eyes immediately go to Neah when I break the news. ¡°Are you seriously telling me that she looks like that thing you killed?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So she isn''t a Wolf?¡± Raven is ring at me as she demands answers. ¡°Technically, from my understanding. they are part Wolf. ¡°Technically?¡± She splutters ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®Well this is going well.¡¯ Aero groans ¡°Okay, so the guy in the dungeon, iming to be her brother. He is one too?¡± Raven asks ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And you are letting him live?¡± ¡°For now. Are you challenging my decision?¡± It was a rhetorical question. A warning to drop the attitude. She turns to Neah, quickly softening her tone: and dropping her attitude: Most likely realising that what she is asking, would apply to Neah. ¡®Are you rokay?¡± Content belongs ite) Neah shakes her head. ¡°Then you definitely need toe into the city. Get away from this crap for a few hours. Clear your head and spend a shit load of my brother''s money.¡± Neah¡¯s blue eyes sh to me. ¡°It''s your choice.¡± Reluctantly, she agrees to go, though she spends the next hour checking that I was okay with her decision She asks me a final time before getting in the car with the others. ¡°Just try to enjoy yourself.¡± I tell her Raven pulls her into the car. "I will keep an eye on her. If it''s too much, we wille back.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t normally like the clingy ones.¡± Eric mutters as we watch the car drive away. ¡°This is different.¡± ¡°Because she is your mate and you marked her?¡± He cocks an eyebrow at me ¡°She''s clingy based on fear, not because she wants me all to herself. She just needs time.¡± ¡°How did Raven take the news?¡± "She mosthyfocussed on the news I was letting Devon live. Took her a momentto realise that if she wanted Devon-dead for what he is, she would be a hypocrite for notuvanting Neah dead.¡± - ¡®Raven dogsn''t usually make new ~~ friends so easily. She must like. Neah. Especially to invite her ¡é shopping. She''s never done that with any of the others.¡± Content belongs to - I nod my head in agreement. My sister had never been the greatest at social engagements, it''s why she preferred the hospital ¡°There''s something I need you to do for me.¡± I mutter as the car rounds the bend and it quickly leaves my sight. ¡°You want me to keep an eye on her?¡± ¡°Just as a precaution.¡± Chapter 0062 ?Chapter 0062 Neah us smiles at me as I settle into the car. Raven introduces the two other women, but thankfully she doesn¡¯t mention the truth about me. I hoped she would keep it a secret, even if it was just for a little while. ¡°You will be fine.¡± Raven keeps her arm linked with mine when I begin to fidget. "We are all here." ¡°I¡¯ve never¡­.¡± I could feel the other women looking at me. ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I suggested it. You can¡¯t stay cooped up in the pack all the time. It¡¯s good to meet others, to learn that it is not just us out there.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Though ck Shadow is the superior pack.¡± us winks at me Raven pulls a small ck card out of her pocket and hands it to me. ¡°This is for you from Dane. He figured you wouldn¡¯t take it from him so he asked me to give it to you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± The other women giggle, amused by myck of knowledge and Raven shoots them a re with her dark eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a credit card.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I take the ck card from her, turning it over in my fingers. I had never seen one up close. I had never needed ess to money. ¡°I will show you how to use it when you buy something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need his money.¡± Raven lets out a snort. ¡°You should enjoy it, it¡¯s not like he is short on cash.¡± For a brief moment, I wondered how he made his money. It wasn¡¯t like he went to a workce. "Taxes." us mutters as he opens up a book to read. "Taxes?" "From contracts." He confirms. *Plus Dane owns a few of the businesses in the city." Raven adds. "He has deep pockets." The other women in the car giggle again and I see us roll his eyes. By the time we got into the city, the scents were overwhelming. Traffic, Wolves, food, others that I couldn''t ce. I screw my nose up. "Like I said, it will take you a while." us climbs out the car and stands next to me and scans the area. There were people everywhere. Some that seemed to be in a hurry while others had a much slower pace. "Wee to the city." Raven mutters as she links her arm with mine. I could already feel my body trembling. "Get it together." I whisper to myself, hoping the others are not listening. us stays a few steps behind us as Raven drags me from store to store, insisting that I pick out a few things and telling me that I can''t go home empty handed. She was enjoying it, but this really wasn''t something I liked doing. I wanted to go back to the safety of the pack. I wanted to get away from all the noise and the smells and silently begged to go back to the car. A handtches around my wrist as I watch Raven root through another clothing rack. Looking up, I see us. He lets go immediately, "I know, personal space, but you are not enjoying this, are you?" I shake my head at him. "Come to the bookstore with me. It''s generally quiet." Nodding my head, he tells Raven who pouts for a minute but then makes us swear to not let me out of his sight. "I''m not stupid. Isn''t this the whole reason I''m here?" Raven gives him a location to meet at in one hour. "If you are not back...." "You will call Dane." us finishes her sentence for her. "I wouldn''t expect any less." Following us out the store, he leads me through a couple of different streets and then down a side alley to a small bookshop. Hidden away from the hustle of the city. He quickly works his way through the shelves, searching for something as I trail behind observing some of the pretty book covers. It made me wish that I could read, there were so many stories here and I could barely pronounce any of the words. Chapter 0063 Chapter 0063 ¡°What kind of book are you looking for?¡± I ask. thinking that if he gave me a description of the cover, I would be able to help him find it There''s no answer. Turning around, I don''t see him and my heart skips a beat. ¡°us? Still nothing Racing between the shelves, I call out to him. There is still no answer, in fact there doesn''t seem to be anyone else here. ¡°KLAUS?¡± I was desperate. My heart starts to race, my breathing quickened as I weakly call out his name again. Turning up the final aisle, I freeze. Cassandra stood perfectly still. A smug smile on her face. Her arms folded just under her chest as she grins at me ¡°So the rat has found her voice." Just behind her, I see a foot poking out. Arge boot that looked like the ones us wears. A thick iron scent was slowly filling the air around me. ¡°Did....did you kill him?¡± She turns and kicks him in the side and he doesn¡¯t make a sound. ¡°The Alpha let you out then.¡± Her eyes settle on the mark on my neck. ¡°I''m not...I''m not alone.¡± I splutter ¡°Oh I know, but they aren''t here with you now, are they?! It''s just us.¡± Shebs her fingers through her long blonde hair. ¡°And where is the good old Alpha Dane? If you are his contract bride, I¡¯m surprised he let you out with these idiots.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s.....where¡¯s Trey?¡± ¡°That is Alpha Trey to you!¡± She spits, ¡°And it is none of your business. ¡°This is neutral territory.....You....they won''t like you here.¡± I nce at us¡¯s foot which is moving a little. ¡°They have their own rules. ¡°Do you think I care about that? You are the reason my brother is dead! ¡°And you are the reason my parents are dead!" My abrupt response takes me by surprise. Cassandra''s eyes narrow at me and I see us roll onto his back. I was so relieved to see that he was alive. ¡°Why...why are you here?¡± I demand, trying to find my confidence. ¡°Trey wants to see you ¡°Why?¡± She smirks at me. ¡°He wants to remind you. us quietly stands up behind her, his hands mp around her throat. "Remind her about what?" Before she answers, Beta Eric charges in from nowhere. He grabs hold of me, pulling me behind him. ¡°Answer me!¡± us demands. Cassandra fights against him. Digging I her perfectly manicured ? nails deep into his wrists, yet us refuses to let go, even when his blood trickles down over his&kin, dripping into small puddles- by his f¨¦et. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Let her go, us.¡± Beta Eric orders ¡°She tried to kill me.¡± Tried. Something tells me that is all she can do ig¡®try. She has most likely never killeckanyone in her life. She sets others up to do her dirty work?¡± He smiles. '' ¡®Dane is going to have a fie dda when I take you to our¡± dungeons. I wonder what he-will remove first. A finger, perhaps a toe. Maybe your tongue.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°As much as you want to kill her, us.¡± Beta Eric continues. ¡°Dane would much rather see to it. after all she is targeting his mate.¡± ¡°Bride.¡± Cassandra spits. She had seen my mark, did she not think it was genuine? ¡®Mate.¡± Beta Eric mutters. ¡°You have crossed over into a different ~ territory. Cassandra. Not only have you} yed with fire, you havegiven yourself the death penalty. ¡°Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~ ¡°Trey wille for you!¡± Cassandra screeches and I cover my ears ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it. And I am very much looking forward to it.¡± He looks up at us. ¡°My van is out the back, take her out to it and lock her in.¡± ¡°Fuck you, you stupid Wolves!¡± us scowls. ¡°Go on then, shift.¡± Beta Eric muses. ¡°I dare you.¡± Chapter 0064 Chapter 0064 Neah Cassandra res at him. ¡°You don¡¯t want that.¡± us looks confused, he was the only one in here who didn¡¯t know what I was, what Cassandra and I were. I had no idea what Beta Eric was trying to achieve. She would show everyone what I would look like. She would show him the monster that I was. Cassandra''s eyes settle on me. It suddenly dawned on me that she didn''t know. She didn¡¯t know the mark from Alpha Dane had broken my binding. That was why she was holding back. Everything that Devon had said about keeping it hidden from me was starting to make sense. They didn¡¯t want me to know the truth.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°I wille willingly.¡± She mutters ¡°Good.¡± Beta Eric and us speak in unison. ¡°us, I¡¯m taking Neah with me. Clean up the mess in here. If this gets out. We will have even bigger problems He nods his head. Grabbing hold of Cassandra. The smell of iron is still thick but I couldn''t see where it wasing from. ¡°She killed the shop assistant.¡± Beta Eric mutters quietly to me, like he was reading my mind. ¡°What you are smelling is arge amount of blood. Cassandra giggles as Beta Eric pushes her forward. The van was parked at the end of the alley in the opposite direction of the busy high street. Cassandra gets in willingly and something just felt off. Beta Eric ms the doors, locking her inside. ¡°Come on, you can sit up front with me.¡± ¡°Some....somethings wrong. He cocks an eyebrow at me and looks around. "What do you mean?¡± I look up and down the alley, trying to make sense of my gut feeling. Beta Eric follows my gaze. "No one else is here.¡± ¡°Are you...sure?¡± My stomach ties itself up in knots. Cassandra hadn''t tried hitting me, which was a first for her. "They never left the pack without each other.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Cassandra was alone when she tried to poison us. ¡°At the packhouse. But when they left. it was always together. Devon had fallen out of a tree. I look up to the top of the buildings. There was nothing When the door to the bookshop swings open. Trey was dragging us along the ground towards us by his long hair. ¡°I will give you him in exchange for my mate.¡± He growls, his eyes locking on me. Beta Eric''s hand istched around my wrist again as he holds me by his side. "ls he even alive? ¡°Barely. But if you take him now, he might just recover.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I whisper. Looking at the trail of blood that had followed them. He sneers at me as I ask him the question and refocuses on Beta Eric. ¡°You have a decision to make and I suggest you make it quickly.¡± ¡°Get in the van, Neah.¡± Beta Eric doesn''t look at me. I do as I''m told and hear Trey mutter something about me actually following instructions. I wanted to say something and hesitate before opening the door. ¡°Van!¡± Beta Eric calls out. Reluctantly, I climbed in, closing the door, just wishing that I had a bit more of a backbone. The van rocks a little and a few momentster, Beta Eric gets in, sighing ¡°Did you hand her over?" I ask quietly ¡°I had too, we don¡¯t abandon our own.¡± ¡°And us, is he....is he alive?¡± ¡°Yes, just. ¡°I''m sorry. This is...this is my fault.¡± ¡®No, you d¨¦n''t need to be sorry. None of rs expected Trey to be here. Dane thought it would be too public for him, especially with the area being a nrutral zone. " Content belongs to ~~ ¡°Why did youe?¡± I ask as moanse from the back of the van. ¡°Why do you think?¡± I wasn''t sure whether to feel pleased or annoyed. But if he hadn''t turned up wherthe did, it might bea > completely different story anc might not be making my way¡®back to-Alpha Dane. - Beta Eric doesn¡¯t speak the rest of the way back other than to confirm that Raven is already aware of what has happened Alpha Dane is waiting at the packhouse when we arrive. He waits for me to get out of the van when he grabs my face and forces me to look at him ¡°Are you hurt?¡± He demands ¡°No." ¡°Don''t lie to me, Neah.¡± ¡°She...she didn''t touch me.¡± He pulls me in against his hard chest, locking his arms around me. ¡°I should have trusted my instincts to not let you go. "You said....you said it was up to me." "It was, I should have known better with them both still out roaming the country.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she knew.¡± I mumble against him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Beta Eric challenged her to shift. She...she looked at me. I don¡¯t think she knew that your mark broke my binding. "She should-have scented you. Or ~~ maybe she was confused. It''s been a long. dime since you were first bound. Maybe she mistook your scent for us¡¯s.¡± Content.belongs t6 - ¡°Make sure us gets seen too.¡± He calls to Beta Eric. ¡°Raven won''t be back for a while, but there will be someone else over at the hospital.¡± Chapter 0065 Chapter 0065 ¡°Come with me.¡± He mutters, dropping his arms from around me I follow him through to his office. I''m not sure what it was, but every time I was brought in here, I felt like I was going to be told off. That everything was going to suddenly crash down around me. ¡°Eric said you had a weird feeling.¡± I nod. ¡°Before Trey appeared. I... I don''t.¡± ¡°You can''t exin it.¡± He mutters as he sits at his desk and leaves me standing in the middle of the room. ¡°No, it just didn¡¯t... it didn¡¯t feel right.¡± ¡°What did she say to you?¡¯ ¡°That Trey wanted to see me. That...¡± I screw my face up because her words just didn¡¯t make sense. ¡°That he wanted to remind me.¡± ¡°Remind you of what?" ¡°She didn''t say. She didn¡¯t really have a chance. ¡°us interrupted her.¡± I shake my head, "Beta Eric. He just wanted to protect me, just like us.¡± He doesn''t acknowledge myment about us. ¡°I should have killed Trey when I had the chance.¡± He mutters with a frown. Slipping into the empty seat in front of him, I watch him scribble a few things down. Wondering what he was writing. ¡°Alpha Dane, how did they know? How did they know where I was? ¡°A question for us when he has healed.¡± ¡°us? ¡®I¡¯m not saying he was involved, but he saw Cassandra before you did. I need to know what happened in those few minutes before she attacked him.¡± He nces up at me. ¡°Are you sure you are not hurt?¡± ¡°Confused.¡± I mumble, trying to make sense of it all ¡°I will handle it." He changes the subject, asking me if I had bought anything nice. ¡°A few bits and bobs. I think Raven has them.¡± I pull the credit card from my pocket and slide it across the desk towards him. He picks up the card and smiles. ¡°I tell you to buy what you want and you barely spend anything.¡± He pauses and his crimson eyes lock on mine. ¡°The city was too much for your senses, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡®The first quiet ce was the bookshop. us said it took him almost a year to adjust.¡± ¡°It did, particrly his hearing. It¡¯s why he lives so far out of the centre of the pack. There are a lot less peopleing and going about their day and it was just easier for him. Unfortunately, you don¡¯t have that luxury.¡± ¡°Because I can¡¯t protect myself?¡± ¡°Because I want you in bed with me, every night. Not hiding out in a house, somewhere in my pack.¡± Alpha Dane takes me with him when he¡¯s told that us is back to a hundred percent. He is sitting¡®on the edge of the same bed that thad been on when! <> thought t was dying. us had taken the band out of his hair, letting-it hangloose around his shoulders. Ane quietly drums his fingers onthe b¨¦d. His eyes see me first and he quickly jumps up. "Are you okay? I nod my head as Alpha Dane gives me a reassuring squeeze. ¡°Are you?" ¡°That fucking arsehole came from nowhere.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± Alpha Dane questions him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The blonde, Cassandra, she was the one who knocked you out first, right?¡± ¡°She asked me if I could reach a book for her. As I stretched up, she clobbered me across the back of my head with something heavy." ¡°Have you met her before?¡± Alpha Dane presses. ¡°Never seen her in my life.¡± ¡°And the when they left, that guy came from nowhere, almost like he came down from above me and sliced all the way down my spine.¡± He nces at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all healed. I''m a fast healer.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°You''ve never met them, spoken to them before?¡± ¡°Are you asking me if I set this up? Dane, why would I risk being almost killed? You know I''m smarter than .. that. Theguy barely missed my x heart. And I would be an idiot toxtry messing with you. I''ve seen what you.do to those that cross you. I would rather be on your side than Standing against you. "Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org My eyes flicker to Alpha Dane but he doesn''t notice. I had only seen him kill Kyle. How dark could he go? ¡°Right.¡± Aloha Dane murmurs, turning away. ¡°Am I clear to go?" ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Are we still having a tutoring session tonight?¡± us asks me. ¡°No, not tonight.¡± Apha Dane answers before I get a chance to say anything. He doesn''t sound angry. But he doesn¡¯t sound happy either. It made me nervous. Because it made him unpredictable. us leaves without speaking another word and Alpha Dane just stands there, with an unreadable expression. ¡°Are...are we going back to the house?¡± I ask after what seemed like forever. My question ssems to pull him from some sort ofttrance. He smiles and nods his head. For the rest of the -> evening, he barely spoke to me bit appeared to be watching my every moveto the point he was making reNervous. Content belongs ike) NovelDrama.Org 4 It was only when I was getting into bed that he asked me if I was identally linking them. Chapter 0066 Chapter 0066 Dane She scowls at me. "Is that.... ls that even a possibility?¡± ¡°Right now, it seems like anything is.¡± ¡°Because I''m a monster?" ¡°You need to stop calling yourself that.¡± She rolls on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Sighing, she rests her hands on her t stomach. ¡°They will all react like that.¡± She mumbles, puffing out her cheeks. ¡°You...you are the only one that doesn''t seem... ¡®I''m not bothered by what you are. All I care about is that you are mine and why are you still insisting on wearing clothes to bed?¡± I pull her in against me. She lets out a little gasp as my hand goes up under her oversized tshirt and grazes her lower back. Unexpectedly, she pushes me away. ¡°I can''t.¡± she whispers and tugs the tshirt back down over her hips. She was fighting hard to try and not think of something. Trying to keep her mind clear so I wouldn''t know what the problem is Pinning her to the bed, I drop my weight on top of her. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°You''re....crushing my.....lungs.¡± I ease my weight off of her just a little. But not enough that she can escape from under me. ¡°Are you still feeling a little tender?¡± She closes her eyes. ¡°And you are embarrassed?¡± I drive a leg between hers, forcing her thighs apart. Her head shakes a tiny bit. ¡°Ufortable.¡± she whispers Kissing the mark on her neck, I tell her I will let her be, just for tonight. Only then, does she rx. She drops off to sleep before I do, curled up into my side. ¡®We need to stop Trey and Cassandra.¡¯ Aero mumbles. ¡®They almost caused a war in the neutral zone.¡± I know.¡¯ ¡®We both know there are others out there that are desperate to knock us down a peg or two.¡¯ ¡®I know.¡¯ I mutter again, running my fingers through my mates dark hair. You know Row angry I¡¯ve been, > Aero. I wish we had been there ons that shehad never gone. But I can¡¯t change what has happened. ¡®ean only make sure something lke that river happens again.¡¯ CoritentN?velDrama.Org holds this content. belongs to NovelDrama.Org Looking down at Neah, her eyshes fluttered on her cheeks as she slept peacefully. Seemingly unaware of the anger that was growing inside of me. I need to run.¡¯ I mumble to Aero, slipping myself out from Neah¡¯s grasp. I think we should speak to Devon again.¡¯ He tells me He didn¡¯t know that Neah was going into the city.¡¯ No, maybe he can give us a better understanding of what they might be nning now. Or maybe he will at least be able to predict their n.¡¯ Pulling ona pair of shorts, I make my way throWgh the house and out into the fallity snow. Thecold beneath my bare feet offered some relief frem the constant warmth-of my body. Walking through the snow tothe dungeon, I see a guard: leaning against the door, Bored out of his mind. Content belongs ike) NovelDrama.Org ¡°Any problems?¡± I ask ¡°No, keeps himself to himself.¡± The guard mumbles, stepping aside to let me through the door. The guard ses the door behind me as soon as I turn on the lights. "Really, it ¡®s-the middle of the night?¡± Devon mutters. He apologises when he sees me. ¡°lim not the greatest whent aven''t had sleep. What can I do for you Alpha Dane?¡± He ? stretches out his limbs and_yawns. ¡°Neah.¡± I mutter ¡°You are going to need to give me a little bit more information than that.¡± He rubs his eyes. ¡°You keep talking about Neah, being this Alpha.¡± ¡°She is. ¡°Right. What is she capable of?¡± ¡°No one knows for certain. I¡¯ve tried researching, but the most I came across is how some in her position will be of great power. They just need to know how to tap into it. ¡°Are you talking magic? Like a Witch.¡± ¡°Honestly Alpha Dane. I don''t know. I just know that she will be able to get us back to our rightful status in the world. ¡°And that''s why they fear her?¡± Chapter 0067 Chapter 0067 ¡°At the moment, I don''t think it¡¯s so much as they fear her. They fear what she might be able to do.¡± ¡°Particrly Trey and Cassandra? ¡°They are the only leaders left, what do you think! ¡°What would Trey want to remind Neah of?" ¡°What do you mean?¡± He rises to his feet and stands face to face with me. Only the bars keep us apart. ¡°What does Neah need reminding of?¡± He cocks an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are asking, Alpha Dane. Is she in some kind of trouble again? You have to let me out of here. You have to let me help her.¡± ¡°She is my mate.¡± m aware, but she is surrounded by Wolves. She needs someone who is her own kind. Someone who gets what its like to be us.¡± ¡°We have been over this, it''s her call.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know you are here, does she, Alpha Dane? All thesete night visits and she is blissfully unaware as you lot try to figure out her past. ¡°Late night visits? I''ve been down here a couple of times since you have been here.¡± ¡°Your bestiees down here a lot. I believe he is having rtionship issues.¡± ¡°Why is Eric talking to you about his mate?¡± ¡°Sometimes a third opinion is better.¡± He shrugs his shoulders ¡°Do you speak about Neah?¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Nope. ¡°What do you talk about?¡± ¡°Like I said, his problems and in return for me listening. he brings me things.¡± He gestures to his cell that now had a stash of fizzy drinks along with the bed, clothes and reading material. I would need to speak to Eric about this, not once had he mentioned it. Devon''s fingers curl around the bars. ¡°I swear to you, Alpha Dane, I am not here to hurt her. You know you can make the decision to let me out. You don¡¯t have to wait for my sister to decide.¡± I still don¡¯t trust him.¡¯ Aero mutters ¡°Why would Trey and Cassandra go into the city?¡± I ask, ignoring Aero as well as Devon''s pleas to be let out. ¡°I''m not following.¡± "They''ve kept themselves to themselves. Hidden away from <> other packs. None of us knew of your I kinds existence and now,they are going to neutral territories. Why would they do that?¡± Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡®I''m guessing for the same reason everyone else goes there. Looking for something or....someone. Neah had a run in with them, didn''t she?¡± ¡°Eric got her out.¡± Devon grins at me, ¡°The hero. I knew he was a good man.¡± ¡°He''s not interested in men.¡± I tell him again ¡®Everyone € an be swayed, Alpha Dane They just havetohave <> that....ufivertainty.¡± He winks at ime. ¡®Anyway, for Trey and the whore to go into the city, there must be a big reason. A n of some kind.¡± ¡°Could they find her?¡± ¡°Not Cassandra, but possibly Trey. ¡°Because of the blood connection?" He nods his head at me. ¡°But they would have already had to have been nearby to know she was theres The sam¨¦as me finding Moonshine. I told you I could sense it, but itg@rew stronger the closer I got. It''s How I knew I was going in the right difection.¡± He ces his hands on his hips and struts around the cell, muttering to himself. Hees to a stop and his blue eyes sh up to me. ¡°Who knew she was going?¡± ¡°My sister, her tutor, and a couple of other females. And obviously me and Eric.¡± ¡°All Wolves, right. You haven''t got any other Lycans hiding here?¡± ¡°Apart from Neah. Is it possible she could have told him, by ident. like open up a link between them?¡± ¡°Unlikely. The only other option is that they were already there for something else and Neah walked right into it. They won''te here, purely because you have the numbers.¡± I stare at him, remembering how he had exined to us how Lycans hade to exist. He said it was a story and no one actually knows, but what if it was the truth? ¡°Devon, can they create more? Chapter 0068 Chapter 0068 Dane ¡®What are we going to do?¡¯ Aero demands I need to speak to my Beta.¡¯ This is bad. We need to gain control over this, right now.¡¯ My hand hammers against Eric¡¯s door. ¡°Woah, woah, woah!" He snaps, pulling open the door, before he even has a chance to see me. ¡°Are you trying to wake my kids?" He freezes when he realises its me. ¡°What''s wrong? ¡°Devon!¡± ¡°Shit, he told you. Look I just needed someone to vent too. And I know you''ve had....¡± ¡°That''s not the issue. Whatever weird thing you have going on with him, is up to you, I''m not worried about that. They can create more.¡± He rubs the sleep from his eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They can create more Lycans.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well, it would make sense, the same as us creating more Wolves.¡± ¡°Eric.¡± He was missing what I was saying ¡°Shit.¡± He mutters, finally understanding. ¡°Are you serious? I mean, the information hase from Devon. ¡°He said it was like an unspoken rule that they were not allowed to do it. Trey would have likely kept it in ce purely to keep the pack a secret. If the pack were any bigger, they would have been more noticeable.¡± I go over everything Devon had told me, including them not being able to track Neah unless they were close by. ¡°Do you think they were looking for recruits?¡± He asks. ¡®The city doesn''t just have Wolves. A lot of humans work there, unsuspecting of our kind. So yes, it''s a possibility." "We should have researched them more." "We weren''t to know. They smelt like Wolves, they acted like Wolves. It'' was as simple as that. However, the contract they wanted was never about needing support or Neah. I believe they are looking for a way to tear me down. And it all started with the very thing I¡¯ve created.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be the first, Dane. There have been plenty over the years including your own brides that have tried to get out of your contracts or ones that were just doing it to gain information. Now if Treya and the rest were to turn a load of people, we both know that we still have the numbers. And they are the most skilled fighters. Your brother made sure of that. He frowns at me, ¡°How is Neah reacting to the information?¡± ¡°She''s unaware. She was fast asleep when I left.¡± There¡¯s a noise from upstairs and we both wait patiently to see if one of his hoys appears. A few minutes passed and there was silence ¡°but we still decided to take the ? conversation outside. Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ ¡°Is she alright?¡± Eric asks. ¡°She was oddly quiet on the way back from the city. Not in the same way as when we brought her back here the first night.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s justsome kind of shock. She seems te-like us and I think seeing someone she likes so close~ to deaththas made her feel a bit aut of sorts." I couldn¡¯t even say she was panicked because that was not thefeeling I was getting from her. ¡°Thanks for getting her out of there.¡± He cocks an eyebrow at me. ¡°You never need to thank me. I am your Beta and I will go out of my way to protect your mate. It''s my duty. ¡°You''ve never been interested in protecting the other brides.¡± He shrugs his shoulders with a smirk, ¡°You never imed them.¡± We sat for hours in his garden, trying toe up with a n. Eventually the sunes up and his boys appear within minutes, demanding food for their ¡®starving stomachs¡¯. Eric looks at me. ¡°She needs to be on board for our next move. It won''t work without her.¡± She needs a hell of a lot of confidence.¡¯ Aero mutters Then let''s help her find it.¡± So much for our run.¡¯ Aero grumbles. Its the pack run tomorrow night. we will have to wait until then.¡± Neah is alr¨¦ady up by the time I get back to the packhouse. Sat in the ~ kitchen; munching on a piece of> toasts ¡°She has braided her hair back fronther face today and I could see she-had removed the ear plugs. ¡°How are the ears?¡± I keep my voice quiet ¡°Trying.... trying to get used to it.¡± She mumbles, screwing her face up at me. ¡°You got up early. ¡°I never slept.¡± "Oh." ¡°Aero wanted more answers from Devon and then I went to see Eric." She takes another bite of her toast but doesn¡¯t say anything. She did that a lot. Keeping her questions to herself. Chapter 0069 Chapter 0069 ¡°I found out something about Lycansst night. She still doesn¡¯t say anything and just stares at me as she eats. ¡°It is to be believed that Lycans can create more Lycans. By biting humans.¡± She drops her toast, her blue eyes are wide, her mouth hangs open. ¡°Is...is that true?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for certain, but it seems like a high possibility. It was how they were created in the first ce.¡± ¡°Why would....why would Trey want more?¡± ¡°Numbers. At the moment, he doesn''t have them. But if he does create them,¡± I pause. staring at her, because I already knew what her reaction was going to be. ¡°They need their true Alpha and not some wannabe.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡®Pm not...¡± ¡°But you are, Neah. It¡¯s in your blood whether you like it or not. If Trey is trying to create a new wave of them, there will most likely be those that hate what he has done to them. They will hate what they have been turned into, they will hate being a Lycan.¡± ¡°Like me.¡± she mumbles, dropping her blue eyes to look at the discarded piece of toast. ¡°Exactly. Do you know how powerful they would be if they had a leader who felt the same way? ¡®I''m not.... Alpha Dane, look at me. I''m...I¡¯m the furthest thing from...a....a...leader. ¡°It''s in your blood.¡± ¡°Stop...stop saying that. My father had me bound, he... he didn¡¯t want me to be a leader. He raised Trey as my older brother.¡± ¡°Our father¡¯s don''t always know what they want.¡± I sigh, leaning back in the chair as she watches me. ¡°I am a bastard. The child of an Alpha and an Omega. My father was growing restless and desperate for an heir. Convinced an Omega to carry me.¡± ¡°I thought ¡°Raven and Jenson had a different mother. Shetook me on as her own. Raised men exactly the same way> as my sistings. Our father¡¯s don''t always) s\know what they want but sometimes, if it wasn''t for their poor de¨¦isions, we wouldn''t be He e.¡± Her blue eyes rise to meet mine. ¡°Your father was the reason your Iife went downhill, long before Trey. Instead of¨¦mbracing you, he sent.? you into @ downward spiral. Thats continded when Cassandra came into.your life. Yet you survived, Neah. Fertwenty two years, you: survived everything that was thrown at you.¡± Her heart was racing. You''ve blown it.¡¯ Aero mutters. ¡°You were too over the top and you have freaked her out.¡¯ She screws her eyes closed and shakes her head. ¡°I¡¯m not.....I''m sorry...I have to go.¡± I don¡¯t try to stop her as she flees the room. Aero was right. I had fucked up any chance of making her feel powerful. Told you.¡¯ Aero mumbles, retreating to the back of my mind. Neah keeps her distance for most of the day. But every time I catch a glimpse of her, she is muttering to herself. Late in the afternoon, I hear her scream and race through the house to find her in the kitchen. Broken ss surrounded her. A deep cut in her hand that was dripping blood all over the floor. Pulling her away, I remove the piece of ss out of her deep wound and watch as it quickly heals. The wound disappears in seconds, not even leaving a faint pink mark. It was like it had never been there. Another sign that shows she is an Alpha. Her blue eyes sh up to mine. ¡°Sorry.¡± she whispers ¡°It''s fine.¡± I murmur, turning her hand over in mine. ¡°Before you were bound when you were eighteen, were you always able to heal this quickly?¡± She nods her head at me. ¡°They hit me," She frowns, "Over and over because the bruises wouldst a few seconds before fading. Why?" I sigh, ¡°I know I keep saying it, Neah. But healing this quickly, it''s normally because of Alpha blood. She tugs her hand from mine and shakes her head. Picking up a piece of ss, I slice it across my own hand for her to see. The wound is gone in seconds. ¡°If it happened to Eric, it would take << longersus''s wound took hours to healThis,¡± I grab her hand again, holding it up to her face. "This is who you are.¡± Chapter 0070 Chapter 0070 Neah Focussing on my hand, I run my thumb over the palm. There wasn¡¯t even a tiny mark. It had been so long since I had healed this quickly. Over the years, Trey and the pack had great fun in trying to make the bruisesst longer than a few seconds. Hitting me harder and harder, sometimes, breaking my bones, only to hit me again once they had healed After I was bound the final time. the beatings continued, just not to the same extent. They got their satisfaction by seeing me permanently wounded. ¡°It''s the Alpha in you.¡± Alpha Dane mutters. ¡°The only reason it took so long before is because of the binding.¡± Curling my hand into a ball, I dig my own nails into my skin, watching tiny beads of blood appear. The moment I release, the small wounds are gone and I''m just left with a few droplets of red, staining my hand. ¡°This is what Trey wanted, Neah. To beat you down, to take away your power, to make you little more than nothing. And you,¡± he tips my chin up with a single finger. ¡°You are not nothing. I need you to see that.¡± His hands move to my hips as he continues to stare at me. ¡°And we are telling the pack today.¡± lo." I shake my head at him. I just wasn¡¯t ready. I didn''t even want to see what I looked like as a monster. ¡°Neah, it¡¯s time. I¡¯ve held off for as long as possible. They need to know.¡± .I don''t have a choice, do I?¡± I whisper, lowering my eyes. ¡°Not this time, no.¡± Maybe it was better that they knew. If they decide they don''t want me here, it would be better to find out now. ¡°They will want you here.¡± I look back at Alpha Dane to see his crimson eyes watching me. He didn¡¯t seem in the least bit worried. Closing my eyes. I ned my head, Still not quite believing that I was agreeing to it. ¡°Good, the meeting is set to start in thirty minutes.¡± ¡°Thirty.... Minutes?¡± I thought I would have more time to talk myself into it ¡°I will be right by your side and Eric will be on the other side of you. But there is also something else you need to do.¡± ¡®l can''t... I haven''t even done it.¡± ¡°I''m not asking you to shift. I am asking you to make a decision about Devon. ¡°Oh. Do....do you think he is a risk?" ¡°Aero still doesn¡¯t trust him.¡± ¡°What about you?" I ask quietly ¡°I''m still on the fence. But at the end of the day. he is your family. I involuntarily snort. ¡°Technically so is Trey.¡± ¡°You have a point. Speak to Eric, he has been having a lot more conversations with him than I have. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡®It''s a long story. "He mutters. He picks up. the ear plugs off the table and hands them to me. ¡°You. are probably going to need these.¡± -\ Quietly pushing them back in my ears, I scan the room looking for a dustpan and brush to sweep up the broken ss.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°There will be someone along to clean it up.¡± Alpha Dane tells me as he tries to guide me from the room. ¡°It¡¯s time to go. Walking over the snowy ground, we pass the trainhsg hall, travelling further southtthan I had ever been. We duc nto the trees, following a> well trodtien trail, moving deeper into the f forest. Alpha Dane keeps his fingets ocked around mine at ¡®all tim¨¦s as my nerves build. Tie growing knot in my stomach wasn''t helping and we had to stop multiple times so that I could vomit. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org We were surrounded by some that had shifted while others were still in humandorm. There were so many of them,more than I had ever seen. It mad¨¦ It even scarier, if they attaked, I didn''t stand a chance. Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ Chapter 0071 Chapter 0071 Beta Eric appears from nowhere, positioning himself on my left side while Alpha Dane continued to hold my right hand. His fingersced with mine as he stood slightly in front Alpha Dane formally introduces me as his mate, dering that he has marked me. There was an eruption of cheers and apuse and I just knew it was going to be short lived. The moment they found out what I was, they would turn on me and their Alpha. ¡°Rx.¡± Beta Eric leans in close, whispering to me. ¡°You will be surprised by their reactions.¡± ¡°As you are all aware, we have had problems with the Moonshine pack. They have not withheld their side of the contract. In fact, it was a plot to try and tear apart ck Shadow.¡± Alpha Dane¡¯s voice is almost deafening and I was so grateful that he suggested putting the ear plugs back in ¡°We kill them!" Someone shouts out. ¡°In time, yes.¡± Alpha Dane tells them, ¡°Right now it is important for you to learn some information about my mate. My heart was pounding and I was certain there were ck spots forming on my eyes. ¡®Is it true? I recognised Raven''s voice. ¡°That Moonshine are not like us?¡± ¡°Yes itis true.¡± Alpha Dane responds and I notice the small curve to his lips. ¡°They are something known as a Lycan, part Wolf. part human, like the one that was killed attacking our pack. He had belonged to Moonshine¡± There is a collective gasp. ¡°What about the new Luna?¡± Someone calls out and I could feel loads of eyes on me. ¡°She isn¡¯t a Luna.¡± Alpha Dane grins, ¡°She is an Alpha.¡± There are whispers. They move around, talking to each other. After a few minutes, Alpha Dane silences them. ¡°Yes, she is a Lycan. One that was torn from her position in the family. Forced to be a ve. Beaten daily until her body was barely hanging on to life. A Lycan who was bound from her abilities, not once, not twice, but four times.¡± Tears quickly fill my eyes, I wanted him to stop. us steps forward from the crowd. "Four times?¡± He sounded genuinely shocked> His green eyes find mine. I couldyrt tell if he was disappointed thatthadn¡¯ t told him after h@had revealed his past to me. Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°Are you certain, Alpha Dane?¡± He asks The rest of the Wolves are silent, waiting for Alpha Dane¡¯s response ¡°What do you know, us?¡± ¡°Stories.¡± He mutters back. His deep green eyes remain on me. ¡°There is nothing recorded about Lycans. ¡®I can''t remember off the top of my head, butFhave books. Story tellings based ofr myths and legends of wolves: ¡°and other cretaures. ~ Fspevially those that had be¨¦n bound.¡± ¡± < ¡°Go look.¡± Beta Eric snaps and us quickly disappears between the trees. There are still mutterings in the crowd of Wolves. I feel their eyes on me and the questions start. ¡®Is she a threat?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Is she going to shift and kill us?¡± ¡°Is she going to pass information back to Moonshine? ¡°Is she going to turn against us?¡± The questions seem to be never ending. Like Alpha Dane was purposely letting them get everything out before deciding to answer. ¡°Any more?¡± He finally snaps when the questions are growing further and further apart. I shouldn''t be here. I should be far away, hiding There¡¯splete silence as Alpha Dane waits for someone to say something. But they don¡¯t, they remain quiet, waiting. They probably knew better than to speak.. "Do you really-think I''m going to bring ina mate that will attack our pack? Others have tried and they > have all keen dealt with. Neah isn''t like theyothers. And if anyone ig¡é-> questioning my decision, just~ remaember I won''t be kind and w¨¦n''t hesitate.¡± Chapter 0072 Chapter 0072 Beta Eric winks at me. "He knows what he¡¯s doing. I knew what he was doing too, it was a backhanded threat. I had heard so many of them over the years. ¡°Everyone meet back here tomorrow at sun down for the pack run!¡± Alpha Dane announces There are nods and a few mutterings. They all begin to move away, disappearing among the trees. ¡°We need to go and find us.¡± Beta Eric mutters, already walking ahead of us. ¡°Don''t do that.¡± I mutter when it¡¯s just me and Alpha Dane. ¡°Don''t do what?¡± ¡°Don''t choose me over them. You...you have worked hard for this pack. Don¡¯t throw it away on me. ¡°You are right, I have worked hard to make this pack what it is, and you Neah, are part of this pack.¡± He drapes his arm over my shoulders. ¡°Now let''s go see what us was talking about.¡± Alpha Dane keeps me glued to his side as we walk back through the forest and into the main pd where Veronica is waiting with her arms folded over her chest. ¡°Well, well. well, what a fucking surprise!¡± She mutters ¡°Watch your mouth, Veronica!¡± Alpha Dane snarls. ¡°She''s not even one of us!" She speaks directly to Alpha Dane,pletely ignoring me standing right here. Her hands move to her hips. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Then you better catch on quick!¡± He snaps at her and turns me away, quickly walking me in the direction of us¡¯s home. The door to us¡¯s is wide open. Beta Eric is leaning against a wall just inside while us seems to be frantically looking through the books randomly tossing one''s onto the table. ¡°Any news?¡± Alpha Dane asks ¡°Not yet.¡± Beta Eric murmurs with a cocked eyebrow. He seemed to be finding the whole thing amusing. us suddenly starts flipping through the pages of books. Fanning them out on the table. ¡°There''s no mention of Lycans.¡± He murmurs, gesturing to the books, but there are references to a beast like you described, half human, half wolf.¡± ¡°Why do you even have this?¡± Beta Eric asks ¡°I was bound, remember. I was trying to figure out how to unbind it. But the only information that I could ever find on binding is on these creatures.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Alpha Dane asks "Because I am a Wolf, it was never relevant and [¡¯sidn''t think...¡± his deep green eyes fdcus on me. ¡°I didn''t think Neawould be anything other than a Welf.¡± He taps the pages of the beak, ¡°This is centuries old information, all of them are. You cotfdn¡¯t find anything, Alpha Dane b¨¦cause they were neverreferred to as Lycans. Instead they were known as Wolf-human.¡± ¡°Wolf-human?¡± I mutter ¡®They....yowdon''t transition into a full Wolf. Yourbe something in = between.¡± He sighs, ¡°And thereds verysittle information on them. A secret almost.¡± 7 ¡°What do we know?¡± Beta Eric questions. ¡°Besides the basics.¡± He nces at me. "Devon likes to talk.¡± I see Alpha Dane frown, but as usual, he keeps his thoughts to himself. ¡°You have been bound many times.¡± us continues. ¡°Right?¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°At least four, that we can piece together. But what does that have to do with anything?¡± Alpha Dane asks us pickS-up one of the books and hands it tAipha Dane, already wittr its pages open. ¡°This here, this states that the only Wolf-human to have beertbound more than once-was bound three times. Content belongs to¡° < ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°The third time killed them.¡± He looks at me, heavy sorrow in his eyes. ¡°In theory, you should be dead. Chapter 0073 Chapter 0073 Neah ¡°Dead?¡± I mutterN?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°From what I understand, that side of you shouldn¡¯t be able to handle the bindings.¡± us mutters, rubbing his chin. He looks at Alpha Dane. ¡°We know bindings is one of the worst things that can be done to a Wolf, trapping their other half. It''s the worst punishment out there and I should know. I''m living proof. But ording to these tales, she shouldn''t be able to survive it.¡± ¡°Well clearly she is here.¡± Beta Eric snaps. ¡°And she is healthier now than the day we brought her home.¡± ¡°Maybe she wasn''t bound properly?¡± us suggests with a shrug of his shoulders. "You think it''s possible that the Witches who bound her, didn''t do it right, four times?" Beta Eric questions "It''s a possibility.¡± Alpha Dane frowns but not once does he look at me. Maybe he didn¡¯t want to observe the panic that was written on my face. I wanted him to say something. To acknowledge what us is saying. Or maybe now, he was finally realising that I wasn¡¯t good enough to be his mate. ¡°Or marking her saved her.¡± Beta Eric mumbles. ¡°Maybe.¡± us mutters. I look up at Alpha Dane who was reading the book us had given him. His fingers follow the words as his eyes race back and forth. Soaking in everything that was written on that page ¡°Alpha Dane?¡± I whisper. He doesn¡¯t respond and suddenly ms the book closed. ¡°This isn¡¯t helpful now.¡± He shoves it back at us, ¡°She can¡¯t be the only one. And why didn''t you tell me you found this information on Lycan''s or whatever they are called?¡± ¡°These are old books, Dane. I thought they were likely just stories, myths even. I didn¡¯t think that I would meet a living one. I''ve been here for twelve years and something like this has never even crossed our paths. How was I to know it would be relevant?¡± ¡°You weren''t.¡± Beta Eric steps in before Alpha Dane speaks ¡°Am I....Am I going to die?¡± All three of them look at me. Yet no one answersme. Tears prick at my eyes and-Kquickly blink them back-~ Years, I had spent thinking that. > deathwould be a better optionover my shitty life as a ve, that.was before Alpha Dane came along. ¡°Preferably not.¡± Alpha Dane gives me a tight lipped smile, one that didn¡¯t meet his eyes. Was he already expecting the worst? ¡°I need... I Reed some air.¡± I mutter, turning away from the men and ¡ª makinginy way outside. None of them stop me, like all three of them were''Suddenly waiting for my impending death. Content.belongs to¡°NovelDrama.Org - Leaning against the wall, I concentrate on my racing heart, encouraging it to slow, just for a moment. Hurrying across the grounds, people ignore me and I was grateful. No one wanted to talk to me, not until I reached the back door of the house. ¡°Finally, just you and me.¡± My eyes lock with strange grey ones. ¡°I assume you know who I am?¡± She spits ¡®er... Veronica. "V...V...Veronica.¡± Sheughs at my stutter. "Do you always do that? You sound like a child?¡± I keep my mouth shut. I couldn''t help the stutter, it happened when I was nervous. It didn''t help that she reminded me of Cassandra. ¡°How the hell are you his mate?¡± She ces her hands on her hips and I decide it''s better not to talk. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± She mocks. ¡°So tell me, what is a Lycan? The others are saying you be part Wolf, is that true?¡± ¡®I don''t....don¡¯t know." ¡°You don¡¯t know! What, have you never shifted?¡± When I don''t answer, sheughs. ¡°You won''tst long here. Dane will see whata mistake you are and he will kithyou, just like he did with the othets, Only I get to survive. Only deserve to be by his side.¡± Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ Chapter 0074 ?Chapter 0074N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°You don¡¯t even know me.¡± She snorts. ¡°And why would I want to? Look at you.¡± ¡°VERONICA!¡± Ravenes running towards us. ¡°You best not be fucking around with my brothers mate!¡± ¡°Raven," she sneers, "I¡¯m just introducing myself.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you told to stay away?¡± Raven snarls ¡°Like I said, I just wanted to meet our Alpha¡¯s new mate.¡± ¡°You mean you want to size her up. Dane doesn¡¯t want you, why don¡¯t you get it through that thick head of yours.¡± Veronica clenches her teeth and res at Raven. ¡°You don¡¯t scare me. You tried that once, and look how that turned out. Maybe Dane needs a reminder of how meddling his baby sister is.¡± ¡°Ladies?¡± Beta Eric strides towards us. ¡°Am I interrupting something?¡± ¡°No.¡± Raven snaps. ¡°Veronica is just leaving!¡± ¡°For now.¡± Veronica smiles at Beta Eric. As she turns to walk away, she tells Beta Eric that she is sorry to hear about him and his mate. ¡°Just go.¡± He waves her off as I look around for Alpha Dane. I knew he could feel my panic and yet he hadn¡¯t shown up. Had he sent Beta Eric to check on me? ¡°Veronica started it.¡± Raven mutters as she res at Beat Eric. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it.¡± He shrugs his shoulders as I scan the grounds to see if Alpha Dane was on his way. ¡°Dane is with us, researching.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I whisper quietly ¡°Shall we go inside?¡± I don¡¯t get a chance to answer as Raven grabs my arm and tugs me in through the back door, muttering how Veronica was a piece of work and that Alpha Dane should have killed her years ago. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Beta Eric asks as he fills a ss of water and ces in front of me ¡°That stupid cow needs to learn to stay away!¡± Raven grumbles as she falls into one of the chairs. ¡°I agree, but maybe you could rise above it, Raven. Dane has made her position in the pack quite clear. And you know as well I do she won¡¯t be thest to fawn over Dane. Learn to ignore it.¡± He mutters at Raven. "You are better than this." ¡°She was taking the piss out of Neah." "Have you not noticed she does that when she is jealous. She has to or otherwise she would realise how desperate she sounds. As much as I despise the woman, she is digging herself a hole. Let her carry on." "What do you mean?" Raven asks Beta Eric''s eyes focus on me. "He has made his decision quite clear." It was supposed to be easier here, simpler, so Alpha Dane had told me. But everywhere I turnedtely, there was a new problem. "Why don''t you go," I hear Beta Eric tell Raven. "I can sit with Neah for a bit, keep herpany." "Are you sure?" "The boys are with their grandparents for the night. I have nowhere to be." "I can stay if you need me too." Raven whispers to me. "I''m okay." I whisper back, giving her a small smile "If you need me, I will be at the hospital." She heads out as Beta Eric takes her seat. "You are a terrible liar." "I know." I mumble quietly "Why didn''t you tell her you weren''t okay?" "Too....too many people are in this mess." "If Dane had an issue with you being a Lycan, you wouldn''t be sitting here, talking to me." "Am I dying?" "Hopefully not." He shoots me a wink. "Devon has said multiple times that there is something different about you. An anomaly." "You believe him?" "I believe what I see. When I first met you, I wondered how you were even alive. You were nothing more than skin and bone. Your face was gaunt, like you were in your final days. Arms like twigs that looked as though they would snap at any moment. Even your heartbeat was so slow, barely beating, like you were hanging on to life by the thinnest of threads." Chapter 0075 Chapter 0075 He smiles at me, ¡°But look at you now.¡± ¡°I''m still small.¡± I whisper. I was inparison to the other women in the pack ¡°What I''m saying, Neah, is that you shouldn''t have even survived the journey here, yet somehow you did ¡°Because I''m a Lycan?¡± ¡°Maybe. Maybe it¡¯s that you were with your true mate. Maybe it¡¯s because you have more of a thirst for life than you believe. Maybe you survived because you are something that the world needs. ¡°Devon''s got in your head!¡± I mutter ¡°Maybe he just opened my eyes a little.¡± ¡°What...what does that mean?¡± ¡°It''s no secret there are more than humans and Wolves in the world. And if we look at it that way, we shouldn''t be surprised when something else makes an appearance. ¡°Me? He nods. ¡°We did fuck up, we went into this agreement blind. We should have done more research, we should have questioned Trey more. Dane probably would have if he wasn''t so interested in you. ¡°You me me?¡± ¡°No in the slightest. I enjoy a good war, no matter how theye about.¡± A war was thest thing I wanted. ¡°Would you like to speak to Devon? I can take you to him if you like.¡± ¡°Alpha Dane won''t like that.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Then why did he suggest it?¡± Beta Eric makes me eat a sandwich first. Telling me he is not having me pass out on him due to hunger. Alpha Dane*still hadn''t returned by the time we were striding across.the Snow covered grass. It made me nervous. After he had forced our closeness, he was now keeping a distance. Content belongs.to - "You came.¡± Devon smiles at me as I step in frontot his cell. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you weregoing toe back after? last time His blue eyes gaze al B Eric, ¡°tis good to see you too.¡± He tumnsto look at the steps. "No ? Alpha Dave?¡± 4 ¡°Not right now.¡± Beta Eric tells him I just stare at Devon. I didn¡¯t know what I wanted to say or ask. I didn¡¯t even really understand why I had agreed toe with Beta Eric. He smiles at me. ¡°I know you are not just here to stare at me. You have questions.¡± ¡®I was.... was bound four times.¡± ¡°That''s not really a question.¡± ¡°Should...¡± I nce over at Beta Eric. ¡°Should I be dead?¡± I see him swallow, he shifts his gaze back to Beta Eric and sighs ¡°In theory, yes.¡± He sits back on his small bed. ¡°You werest bound when you were eighteen, right? I nod ¡°Trey, Cassandra, whoever it was probably hoped it would kill you and yet you survived.¡± ¡°If they wanted her dead, why didn''t they just kill her?¡± Beta Eric asks ¡°I don¡¯t know, dve been trying to figure it out for years. If it was anyone else they would have just ? killed th¨¦ir problem, right? That''s what Alpha Dane would do here> right?And other packs too. Sothere must have been some kindof b¨¦hefit of keeping you alive. Content belongs to ¡°It can¡¯t be because Neah is an Alpha.¡± Beta Eric murmurs. Beta Eric''s eyes shed up behind me, just as Alpha Danes¡¯ strong woody scent hits me ¡°You are right.¡± His crimson eyes lock on mine ¡°It¡¯s because you are able to carry the next Alpha. Chapter 0076 Chapter 0076 Neah ¡°That¡¯s fucking gross. Are you saying our uncle wants to put a pup in her?¡± Devon sticks his fingers back his throat and starts gagging.This is from N?velDrama.Org. I agree, I was horrified by the idea, how could he even suggest that, we are rted! ¡°Not necessarily him.¡± Alpha Dane mutters. He stops next to me. ¡°You said Trey and Cassandra have been together for a long time.¡± I nod. ¡°Since I was little.¡± ¡°And yet they have no pups of their own. Rather odd, don¡¯t you think?¡± It wasn¡¯t something I had ever thought about. If anything, I just tried to keep my head down and make it through each day with as little beatings as possible. ¡°Neah carries Alpha blood.¡± Beta Eric murmurs. ¡°We are a dying breed.¡± Devon adds ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s the only thing thates remotely close to making sense.¡± Alpha Dane studies me. ¡°I think the n was to have someone impregnate you. Most likely multiple times. Producing another Alpha.¡± ¡°No.¡± I shake my head. ¡°Trey never¡­..¡± ¡°He never let anyone near you like that, I know.¡± He finished my sentence for me and it just made it sound ten times worse. ¡°You think he wanted to raise them as his own?¡± Devon mutters Alpha Dane nods "What about the excess bindings?" Devon asks "That is something us is trying to make sense of." Alpha Dane mutters to Devon, "Trey had to have known." "He bound me because of Kyle." I whisper. "He bound me because I could scent Kyle." My voice catches in my throat. "That''s what I am struggling to understand." Beta Eric murmurs. "He must have thought there was a reason why Neah was somehow breaking out of being bound." "Maybe he thought the same things we did. That her bindings were failing" Alpha Dane suggests. Devon groans, "Trey isn''t the smartest cookie out there. Cassandra definitely pulls his strings, that''s for sure. And from what I''ve been told, I think this has more to do with her than it does Trey." "What do you mean?" Beta Eric asks as I try to keep up with how they were working things out. "I haven''t grown up in a pack. But I am aware how packs operate." Devon frowns. "An Alpha normally has a Luna. The Luna seeks the same power as the Alpha. Normally, to ensure their ce, the Luna provides the Alpha with an heir. She hasn''t done that." He shakes out his mop of dark hair. "Fucking bastards!" It was the most anger I had heard from Devon, he was usually soid back, considering he was locked in a dungeon. "If he changes more people, he will have a bigger pack anyway." Beta Eric mutters "What good is a pack if they have no heir to carry it on?" Alpha Dane frowns "If they had killed you, which they almost did, the Alpha line would be dead anyway." Devon''s blue eyes are on mine. "I''m so sorry that I didn''t get you out of there sooner." If the situation wasn''t so serious, I wouldugh. He spoke like the older brother Trey should have been. Maybe it was time to let him out. "The blood tie." Alpha Dane mutters. His hands grab my waist and he holds me steady. "The blood tie was keeping you alive. You were weak, they knew you were fading away. Cassandra knew that they had fucked up." Devon''s blue eyes are full of sadness. His jaw clenched as he shakes his head. "I should have done more." "You are right, you should have." Alpha Danes'' voice is low. "But you can''t change the past, none of us can. We can only put a stop to the shit that''s going on." "This...this is too much." I mumble "Look at me." Alpha Dane orders Hesitating, I slowly raise my eyes to meet his. His hand cups my cheek as his gaze deepens, his thumb runs across my bottom lip. "You are not alone." "If I''m... if they need an heir. Won''t theye for me?" "I would like to see him try." Alpha Dane moulds his lips against mine "Guys, guys. What you get up to behind closed doors is your prerogative. But I don''t want to see it." Devon groans Alpha Dane winks at me and turns to Devon. "Well, if you are staying in the packhouse, you better lock yourself away." Chapter 0077 Chapter 0077 ¡°You''re letting him out.¡± Beta Eric asks and I couldn''t help but notice the slight pinkish tint to his peachy skin ¡°It''s your choice.¡± Alpha Dane mutters to me. ¡°And if you do decide too, there will be conditions that he has to meet. ¡°Anything!¡± Devon beams at us. ¡°I will literally do anything! I''m desperate for some sunlight.¡± What if I make the wrong decision? What if I say yes and all this has beenplete lies? What if the moment I let him out, he brings Trey straight to us? Choices were not my strong point. Stepping out into the snow, Alpha Dane grabs my hand, just as Devon mutters something about the sun on his skin being a glorious feeling ¡°I am never going in a cell again.¡± Devon''s hand catches mine. ¡°Thank you so much. I promise you, I will be the brother you deserve.¡± He straightens up in front of Alpha Dane and clears his throat, trying to force his voice a note lower and making himself sound almost serious. ¡°Alpha Dane, don''t fuck with my sister. I see the small twitch at the corner of Alpha Dane''s lips. He wasn¡¯t a man who could be told what to do. He lived and yed by his own rules. ¡°Ohe on.¡± Devon muses, "I had to do the brotherly thing.¡± ¡°I will let you have that one.¡± Alpha Dane replies, ¡°But I will remind you, that although Neah let you out, I can quite easily put you back in the cell and this time. there will be no benefits.¡± ¡°Sure sure sure.¡± Devon puffs out his cheeks, turning around ¡°Someone¡¯s on a mission. I follow his gaze to see Veronica charging towards us. I would just like to make it a few hours without dealing with her. ¡°Dane, I''ve been looking for you.¡± Her statement was for Alpha Dane, but her eyes were ogling Devon. ¡°Veronica, now is not the time.¡± ¡®I''ve been speaking to some of the others.¡± She continues anyway. ¡°Of course you have.¡± ¡°They are worried about her shifting.¡± She points at me, even though it was obvious who she meant. Devon snorts. ¡°I''m sorry, but I don¡¯t know you.¡± She mutters, a small smile on her face as she uses her biceps to squeeze her breast even higher. She somehow trips, bumping inte me and Devon helps her back up. ¡°You can call me Devon.¡± As she stands, I''m certain I see something in her hand, but no one says anything. Maybe I was imagining things. ¡°Are you a guest?¡± She twirls her hair like a teenager ¡°You could say that.¡± She giggles at hisment. Could she not see that we locked alike? Or was this supposed to be some kind of payback because Alpha Dane had turned her down? Was she trying to make him jealous? Her grey eyes flicker to me anda slight sinister smile crosses her lips before she retunrs her gaze to ~ Devon: ¡°How about you and I get something to eat?¡± She flutters her eyshes at him. Content. belongs to¡°NovelDrama.Org < ¡®I''m sorry, but you can¡¯t offer me what I want.¡± Her mouth hangs open as she frowns. ¡°You don¡¯t even know me.¡± ¡°And yet it is very clear who you are. The disgruntled ex, right? You saw a chance to irritate Neah and it failed.¡± ¡°You don''t know what you are missing!¡± Veronica snaps, curling her hands up into balls. ¡°Oh I do, and it is so not worth it. ¡°BASTARD! ¡°Veronica.¡± Alpha Dane steps in, ¡°You said you had been talking to the others.¡± Her eyes narrow at me. ¡°We want to know when she is going to shift. We want to know if you are putting us in danger! ¡°Who is we? "YOu, Veronica, you mean you.¡± Alpha Dane sighs. He pulls me ing against him, draping his arm over my shoulders. ¡°Veronica, you may have-saved my life, but you are ruaning out of life lines.¡± Cantent b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°I''m only asking a question.¡± She splutters His voice drops to thatmanding tone of his. ¡°You are questioning my decisions.¡± ¡°No!¡± She was.so angry that she wasn''t getting her way. It made me wonder hawemany things she had ~ been alld¨¦wed to get away with over the years. Just for a second, I wished that she could experie iance thedife I had. Maybe then ste wW¨¦uldn¡¯t be such a bitch. Gontent belongs to NovelDrama.Org Chapter 0078 Chapter 0078 Dane Veronica stomps off, both furious and upset that she hadn''t gotten what she wanted. After all these years, I half expected her to be used to it, but still, she remains persistent, looking for a way back in Though I had to hide my amusement at Neahs thoughts. Once again, the darkness in her makes a subtle appearance. Though only I could hear it. ¡°She''s a piece of work.¡± Devon mutters. I agree,¡¯ Aero muttersThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just tell her you''re gay?¡± I ask, ignoring Aero¡¯s ramblings ¡°What would be the fun in that?¡± Devon smiles, still watching Veronica stomping away, over the snowy grounds. ¡°Besides, she was too dumb to follow what I was saying. So what''s the deal there?¡± ¡°It''s a long story. And one that doesn¡¯t really concern you.¡± I tell him, I see how his eyes momentarily flicker to Neah, but this time, he keeps his mouth shut. Recognising that he had no authority to question my decisions as an Alpha. In the house, I ask one of the Omegas to show Devon to his room and insist that he is ced in one of the rooms furthest away from mine. Neah, Eric and I, head into the office. I needed a n in ce. I needed Trey and Cassandra hunted down and killed. There was no way I was letting either of them find my mate or find someone to impregnate her. Neah sighs and rubs her eyes. But just like every other time, she sits in silence, regretting her dark thoughts. Questioning herself on how evil she could be. In my eyes, she wasn''t evil. She just wanted revenge, a revenge that was more than deserved. But when it came to it. I wondered if she could actually go through with killing them. ¡°Take some of the warriors into the city. See if you can find anything.¡± I tell Eric. I wanted time alone with Neah ¡°Do you want me to take Devon? I mean, he should be able to sense them, right. It might make it a little easier.¡± ¡°Don''t let him out of your sight.¡± ¡°Not a chance." As he stands up to leave, I tell him to kill them on sight. And I notice Neahs lips are a little curved up. Her smile disappears when she realises I¡¯m locking at her and she lowers her face, embarrassed that she had been caught. ¡°We have wasted enough time.¡± I tell her. "I''m sick of their games or whatever they want to call it. Death can¡¯te quick enough for them.¡± .. Lalways thought that they ranted me dead but I could never understand why they didn''t just kill e.¡± Shells her legs up in frontef rl begged for death. There were right here I wished the oan Goddess wouldn''t make mewake in the I morning. I even thougat about throwing myself down the stairs¡± ¡°You kept fighting.¡± She lets out a heavy sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°If you hadn''t, our paths would not have crossed You would not be sitting daa me, imed. Instead you''would likely be knocked up, raped by one of the many men i in Moonshine.¡± I wasn''t intentionally trying to scare her, instead, vas toying to give her some hope that everything that has happ¨¦ned has led her to me. ¡°If they do find me....¡± I cut her off, my eyes locked on hers. ¡°I will burn everything to the ground to find you. But they would also need to kill me first. Or it would kill you anyway.¡± To fucking right. The whole world can burn for all I care!¡¯ Aero announces. It was something we could finally agree on She sits quietly, hugging her legs. ¡°You know it would be easier if you just spoke tame. As much as I enjoy reading your mind, you do like to make it difficult, with your thoughts not fostissing on one thing. I ¡®vetold you.b b¨¦fore. You don''t have to\keep quiet here. If you have something ike) say, say it.¡± She shakes her head at me ¡°Neah?" She scowls. ¡°W...why would they agree to bind me so many times?¡± Chapter 0079 Chapter 0079 "We said ¡°No, the um.... the witches?" ¡°Madame Curie said you were powerful. That she had never seen anything like it. She bound you twice and wouldn''t do it again. Fucking bitch!¡± My fist ms against the table, making Neah jump. Neah clutches her legs tighter as she stares at me with wide blue eyes ¡°She knew the consequences. She wouldn''t bind you a third time. That''s what she meant when she said she wouldn''t do it.¡± I was furious. ¡°I thought...¡± Neah whispers, ¡°I thought she told you the truth.¡± ¡°She usually does, eventually.¡± ¡®There are too many trying their luck with us.'' Aero murmurs. ¡®We need to remind them who the top Wolf is!¡¯ ncing over at Neah, her face rested on her knees and her eyes had closed. Is she asleep?¡¯ Aero asks ¡°Neah?" I had just been talking to her. She doesn''t stir as I try waking her. She''s been sleeping a lottely.¡¯ Aero mutters. ¡®Have you noticed that?¡¯ She¡¯s probably still adapting to life here. She was exhausted. Her body is just ying catch up.'' ¡®Who are you trying to bullshit? You''ve been asking her if she feels okay for days now!¡¯ cing the back of my hand against her forehead, I feel the extreme heat she is giving off. It was new, I hadn''t felt it when I had my arm around her. ¡°Neah?" She still doesn¡® stir ¡°Neah?" I try shaking her shoulders to wake her. Her legs fall down as her head rolls back, Her heart is beating just as steady as ever. It didn¡¯t make sense why she wasn''t waking up RAVENT'' I link my sister, demanding that shees straight away. She arrives in minutes and quickly tends to Neah. Checking her over, she tells me that she can find nothing wrong. ¡°Then tell me, why is my mate burning up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She frantically rolls up Neah¡¯s sleeves, investigating her arms ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. A needle site, a bite, she could be having a reaction to something?¡± ¡°She can heal.¡± Neah coughs ig her unconscious State, anda tiny bit of bright red appears at the corner of her mouths Forcing ker mouth open, I smell I the blood kefore I see it. Her mouth> quickly starts to fill with it andif hacin''t leaned her forward, she would likely have choked on it. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck. What has she eaten?¡± Raven mutters as she continues to search Neah''s arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She hasn''t had anything since we have been in the office.¡± Looking around the room. I look for something she might have touched, or something that didn¡¯t belong. Nothing seemed out of ce ¡°I need her in the hospital, Dane. I can¡¯t treat whatever this is, here. Picking Neah up, I carry her on her side so. that she doesn''t choke Ons the blood. There were many things we could heal from, but suffocation was not one of them. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~ By the time we got to the hospital. Neah¡¯s heart is racing. It¡¯s almost impossible to hear a single heartbeat under the constant hum ¡°We need to strip her.¡± Raven mutters. ¡°Something has to have happened.¡± ¡°Surely he wouldn''t be so stupid.¡± I mutter, helping to remove Neah''s top. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Devon. Neah let him out and he held her wrist, moments before he made a threat. ¡°Woah, that is a lot of information in one sentence.¡± Raven murmurs as she tugs Neah¡¯s jeans off. ¡°Where did he grab her?¡¯ ¡°Her wrist.¡± Checking her wrists again, there was nothing. No sign of anything that looked even a tiny bit different. Then I see tt. A small raised bump just off ofher shoulder and as I look at Neal, 1 see blood leaking from her ears and I already knew what she had-been injected with. This@ould natbe happening. Content belongs to¡°NovelDrama.Org ¡° Raven quickly draws some fluid out of the small bump. A clear liquid mixed with a little of her blood. ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± ¡°Blood of Wolfsbane.¡± N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Chapter 0080 Chapter 0080 Dane ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± Raven panics, frantically searching through the cupboards, pulling out small bottles and tubs, looking for something. ¡°Neah, breathe.¡± I beg. She was in agony. I could feel it. I could feel her slipping away. She lets out a harrowing gasp. Spluttering blood all over me, just as more blood starts to drip from her nose. ¡®I can''t find it! Where is it?" Raven cries ¡°Raven,¡± My voice drops to a whisper. ¡°Raven, there is nothing we can do.¡± ¡°I have it, where is it?¡± Raven sobs as she tears through another cupboard It had been a long time since I had seen Raven cry like this. The fear, the panic, the unknown. She hadn''t reacted this badly when Salem rejected her. In fact she hadn''t been like this since our parents died. ¡°Raven, stop!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s here, there is still time!¡± Neah¡¯s rapid heartbeat had slowed. It was barely beating and her breaths are growing shallow. She was in agonising pain and blood was now leaking from the inner corners of her eyes.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°HERE!¡± Raven turns around and jabs a huge syringe straight into Neah¡¯s heart Her heart stopspletely. ¡°What the fuck have you done?¡± I growl at my sister ¡®It''s an antidote! ¡°There''s no antidote for this! ¡°I paid a Witch in the city to help me make it.¡± Big fat tears are rolling down her cheeks. ¡°After you guys were almost poisoned, I had to find something. It has to work. It has too!¡± I stare at my sister. An antidote was just not heard of, not for Blood of Wolfsbane. If there were one, every Wolf pack would have it readily avable. Listen.¡¯ Aero mutters Her heart slowly starts to beat. Faint, but nheless beating. Neah¡¯s lungs are beginning to fill properly too as she sucks in oxygen. She coughs a little, bringing up less blood than before. Raven keeps her distance, afraid toe any closer. ¡°She will need to rest.¡± She mumbles, refusing to meet my eyes. ¡°Why would he do this? He has spent all his time telling us about Lycans, begging me to keep his sister safe. Why would he do this?¡± I mutter more to myself than Raven. ¡°Where is he now? ¡°With Eric, they are on their way to the city to try and track Trey and his bitch. ¡®I don''t know him, but hasn''t he been in the dungeers for ages? He wouldn''t have had ess to any of this. Anckyou said he grabbed her> wrist, She wasn''t injected in her? wrist Raven moves to ano her cupboard, pulling out wipes¡° She St¨¦ps towards Neah, ¡°May1?¡± I give her a nad and she starts wiping the bl¨¦od from Neah¡¯s face as it finally stops leaking out. ¡°That. was nureBlood of Wolfsbane, nots leaves t that had been leftto marinate, That''s fresh from th¨¦ stem, ¡®m certain you told me that it onlysts so long this way Like i has to be used immediately.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org She was right, I had. ¡°It doesn''t add up. Who else has she seen recently?¡± Raven asks ¡°Eric, us. Shit! ¡°What?¡± ¡°Veronica, she saw using from the dungeons. she fell into Neah. ¡°No, surely she wouldn''t do this. Surely.....Actually, I don''t know why I''m even defending her. ¡°Does anyone else know about the antidote?¡± I ask ¡°No, well, just you now.¡± Shebs Neah''s hair back, trying to wipe the blood out. ¡°Keep it that way.¡± Raven scowls at me, her eyes widening. ¡°You are going to tell Veronica she killed her?¡¯ ¡°Well that was her n, wasn¡¯t it? I might as well let her think it worked.¡± ¡°I assume you are....¡± ¡°Of course I am. She isn¡¯t spending another night with air in her lungs.¡± Pressing my hand against Neah¡¯s forehead, I could feel that her fever was retreating. I didn¡¯t want to leave her, but this had to be done. ¡°Don''t let anyone in and definitely do not speak to anyone.¡± I tell Raven Walking out the hospital, I link some of the pack as make my way across the grounds to where ~ Veronicahad conveniently bumpel into us, There was nothing on the ground, nothing buried in the-snow, but:she already knew that itwould b@a mistake to drop something. Chapter 0081 Chapter 0081 I link her to meet me. She was hesitant at first, which is unlike her. But momentster, she appears. Seemlingly happy about the blood stters on my shirt. ¡°You wanted to see me? ¡®I''ve been thinking about what you have said.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± She flutters her eyshes at me. ¡°Have you realised she is not the one for you?¡± ¡°I have thought about a lot of things since your return. Her fingers immediately go to her hair, twirling a strand of it as she focuses on me. ¡°I knew it, Dane. I knew she wouldn''t be enough for you. I knew you just felt sorry for her.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the issue, isn¡¯t it. ''m mated to her. I can¡¯t do anything with you while I''m mated to her. I can''t kiss you. I can''t run my tongue over your sweet skin. I can¡¯t im you and I definitely cannot fuck you.¡± Her brow dips a little in confusion, ¡°Is she not dead? ¡°Now how would you know about that. Veronica? ¡°LoL ¡°So it''s okay for you to stutter but not Neah?¡± I had heard Neah''s thoughts on the interaction Her eyes widen as she tries to back away. ¡°Oh no. Not this time.¡± I grab her shoulders, holding her firmly in ce. ¡°I told you, desperation doesn¡¯t look good on you. I warned you to stay away from Neah.¡± ¡°You owe me! ¡°No, not anymore. Lifting her off the ground she kicks and screams. Fighting to get out of my grip. ¡°Dane please, I did this for us.¡± ¡°There is no us. If you had just left things alone, I wouldn''t be taking you to fight for your life.¡± ¡°Please, no. We protect our own, she isn''t one of us!¡± She screams out ¡°It''s like you said, Veronica. You needed a pack, but we didn¡¯t need you.¡± I drop her at the edge of the forest where many of my people had already shifted into Wolves and are eagerly waiting. ¡°No, please Dane.¡± ¡°You made Neah suffer, I think it¡¯s only fair you get to suffer too.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Tears are running down her face. ¡°I''m sorry. I won''t do this again. I won''t. I will leave. Please! ¡°Run!¡± I take a step back, removing my shirt, watching her slowly turn to the forest. ¡°Thirty second head start.¡± ¡°I''m sorry.¡± The others are growling at her, digging their paws into the soil as they hunched down, ready to pounce. She backs away into the forest, running as fast as she can. I could hear her gabbing as she moved, she doesn''t''s Shift and sticks to running? on tworfeet. She most likely kn¨¦w ther@was not a single hope ¡é of her getting out of this. Content''belongs to NovelDrama.Org 4 Shifting into my Wolf. I walk back and forth in front of the others. They had all been chosen to hunt now because they would be on duty during the pack run, keeping an eye on Neah. As soon as I give the go ahead, they charge ahead-of me, quickly picking up Veronica''s scent. Theirlegs =X power over the uneven ground, SS quickl£¤turning when her scent-> moves in a different direction cowsd still hear her and already knew that she wouldn''t make itfar. I''m quickly linked to say that she is surrounded. I could hear her begging them as I slowly made my way towards them. Piece by piece.¡¯ Aero growls Veronica''s face is stained with tears. The mud in her blonde hair suggested that she had tripped over at some point. Her eyes move between all of us as she begs for her life. It wouldn''t make a difference, her death is certain. I give the Wolves the go ahead. They lunge at her like they would a deer or a stag Her screams filled the forest agthey began tearing flesh fropMier bones. It doesn''t take long for Her screams to be> silenta¡¯s her heart stops beating. Her eyesvare frozen wide as they? continue ripping her apart! hoped that in her final moments? she felt the pain that she put Neah in. Chapter 0082 Chapter 0082 Dane I sit at her bedside, watching every little muscle twitch, willing Neah to open her eyes. She wasn''t dead. I would have felt it if her soul had crossed over. Which meant the antidote had worked on some level, but what irreparable damage had the Blood of Wolfsand done? We wouldn''t know until she woke. Eric still hadn''t linked me either and my patience was waning. It wasn''t like him to go so long without checking in and when I tried speaking to him through mindlink, he cut me off without a single word ¡°You should get some rest.¡± Raven mutters from the doorway. ¡°It¡¯s almost midnight and you have the pack run ¡®I¡¯m not leaving her side. "I can sit with her.¡± "Like I said, I am not leaving her side." She steps in and passes me a folded shirt, ¡°At least change your top, you still have her blood on you.¡± I nce down at my blood sttered shirt and agree that itis probably not what Neah would want to see when she wakes up. ¡°You haven''t said anything since you have been back, about Veronica.¡± Raven mumbles ¡°She''s dead. That is all you need to know.¡± ¡°You hunted her, didn''t you?¡± ¡°Did you expect me to let her final breath be easy?¡± She gives me one final nce and backs out of the room I hate this.¡¯ Aero mutters You and me both.¡¯ We have been in control of everything for so long, but things keep slipping through. Dane. Important shit.¡± ¡®Are you trying to tell me you saw thising?¡¯ I snap at my Wolf No, of course not.¡¯ Then you should have seen it. We both should have. Veronica has done some dark things in her past. I should have known that she would find a way to hurt Neah, especially after I told her she had no chance.¡¯ Blood of Wolfsbane?¡¯ He mutters, ¡®That is something we couldn''t prepare for.¡¯ Raven did! She knew there was a chance it could happen.¡¯ Aero drops into silence, he knew I was internally punishing myself and that wasn''t going to change any time soon Changing into the ck shirt, I seen Neah''s fingers twitch a little. LS Immediately grabbing her hand, talk to her, hoping that my vaice would somehow help her wake up. Raven is soon reced with us, he lightly knocks on the door and frowns as he scans Neah. ¡°Did you find it?¡± I ask without looking up ¡°Yes, and there was plenty of it. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She had a room full of them. Easily forty or fifty individual nts. She knew what-she was doing. Not only I were therents, she had waders,a thi ck jacket and gloves, one of those beekeeper hats. The girl knew. what ~ she Was doing. And she was- nning something big. Sh¨¦ had enough to do some seridtis damage to the pack.¡± ¡°And?N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°We bumed the entire room. Nothing remains, including Veronica''s bones.¡± He takes a step towards Neah and sighs. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Neah has more enemies than you, Dane. For someone who knew nothing about her own life, how could she have made so many enemies?¡± ¡°Her enemies are my enemies.¡± I mutter. us takes a seat in the only empty chair. ¡°I assume the brother doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°He and Eric are yet to return.¡± ¡°I''m sure they are fine. Maybe they have a lead and are tracking them.¡± ¡°You sound confident. ¡®I have to be hopeful.¡± us gives me a small smile ¡°Hopeful?¡± ¡°Think about itsshe is some kind of miracle. Whetelse can say they have been bound¡¯ this many times and live to tell th¨¦tale. And now poisoned-by something so deadly to our kind¡± He frowss as he stares at my mate. ¡®Has she made any progress?¡± ¡°No. Her heart rhythm is steady. Raven says that everything is spot on. ¡°Maybe her brain just needs time to process. Maybe the shock of what has happened has made her body shut down.¡± ¡°Her mind is a mess.¡± I sigh. ¡°None of it makes any sense. I can''t tell if she is reliving memories, or whether she''s dreaming. I just know she is confused." ¡°So talk to her. Use your voice to guide her.¡± ¡°You believe in that?¡± ¡®I''ve heard of stranger things happening. Or if you feel ufortable doing that, I can read to her.¡± He pulls a small book out from the inside of his jacket. Chapter 0083 Chapter 0083 ¡°Go ahead,¡± I mutter, ¡°It can¡¯t hurt.¡± As us reads to her. I watch for any signs that she could hear him, but there is little more than a finger twitch here and there. But it did seem to be bringing her peace. Her mnd wasn''t so hectic. Footsteps echo in the hallway as feete running towards us. us and I quickly move to the end of Neah''s bed, blocking her from view just as Devon crashes in through the door. ¡°Is she okay? Please tell me she is okay!¡± I take a step to the side so that he could see her. ¡°Who the fuck did this? Was it that fucking blonde bitch?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± us answers when I find myself unable to answer. Devon''s reactins are strong, simr to how I would protect my sister ¡°LT will kill her!¡± ¡°You are a little behind. Dane already had her killed.¡± us tells him He moves around me to get closer to Neah, taking her hand in his. ¡°Why won''t she wake up? ¡°We don''t know.¡± us mutters while watching me. ¡°She has had an antidote, all her vitals are good. I think that after years of abuse, her brain has shut down, just temporarily, to recover. ¡°Where''s Eric?¡± I mutter, ¡°He went to check on his boys. Today, made him realise alot of things." My eyes narrow, ¡°Why didn¡¯t he answer me when I linked him?¡± ¡°We ran into a spot of trouble.¡± ¡°In the city? ¡°It looks like you were right. He is creating more Lycans. They were waiting for us. As the light catches his skin. I notice old stains of blood that hadn''t been wiped away properly. No one from my businesses had informed me that they were having problems. ¡°Where too in the city?¡± ¡°Eric called it the Southbank, you know, down by the river that passes through. We were attacked, we killed as many as we could. There was no sign of Trey or Cassandra anywhere.¡± ¡°You couldn''t sense them?" us asks ¡°Yes and No. ¡°What the fuck is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°It means that Trey is doing ne biting, connecting more to him. I means thatte knows what he is doing. Hexs: smaking it difficult for ¡°> me to sitgle him out in a ce that is packed. I never thought of the idiots smart, which makesme thirik this is Cassandra''s idea too.¡± H¨¦ bends down close toNeah. "Wake up, you are Safe. You are protected. You are loved.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Still, there is nothing. If it wasn''t for her heartbeat, she would be presumed dead. When us leaves, Devon takes the empty seat opposite me. He holds her left hand as I hold her right. =~ Unlike th¨¦ others, he doesn''t tell me to leave or to get some rest. He Sits in silefice, which is unlike hina: ¡®He wasreally ying the doting brother but Aero still didn¡¯t trust Kim. A few hours after the sun hase up, Raven returns, checking all Neah''s vitals again. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± She murmurs ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Devon demands. ¡°That''s just it. There is nothing wrong. She should be awake. ¡°Are you sure you haven''t missed anything?¡± She frownsat him and turns a MN monitor around, pointing to the different lines. ¡°Heartbeat, good, oxygen levels, brilliant, bloods pressure, perfect.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org - Raven leans over Neah, shining a torch light into her eyes, ¡°Pupils, reactive.¡± ¡°Raven? ¡°There''s nothing more I can do Dane. She just needs time.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°That wasn''t what I was going to ask. Who was the Witch you saw?¡¯ ¡°For the antidote? The one that you get information from. Madame Curie.¡± ¡°Madame Curie?¡± ¡°Yep, she was very helpful.¡± Raven smiles, ¡°Told me that it wouldn''t be an easy antidote to make, but that it was possible.¡± ¡°Madame Curie is the one who got Neah in this mess in the first ce. She was the one that bound her originally. Why would she help?¡± "I never said it was for Neah. I asked her if there was a way. I told her it was for the well being of the pack and she agreed.¡± "She agreed?¡± "Yes. As simple as that." Chapter 0084 Chapter 0084 Neah I could hear them. Their voices sliced through the thick fog in my brain. Raven and Alpha Dane are arguing about the Witch who bound me. I could hear Raven defending the Witch, not for what had happened in the past but for what she had done now. ¡°She knew exactly who I was, Dane!¡± She snaps ¡°She knows you are my brother. I don¡¯t think she needed a degree to figure out why I was asking for it.¡± ¡°Guys, guys.¡± Devon calls out. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you went to her.¡± Alpha Dane snaps ¡°If I hadn''t, Neah would be dead!¡± Raven snaps back Death. Maybe that was why I was here. Maybe death was what I was made for. ¡°Will you guys shut up!" Devon snaps. ¡°Take it outside, she doesn¡¯t need to hear this.¡± ¡®I''m sorry, Dane. I did what I thought was the best thing for this pack. I did this to protect us. Why can¡¯t you see it?¡± Raven stops shouting. ¡°I did this for ck Shadow. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± ¡°She always has a price. How much?" ¡°I will pay you back. ¡°Raven!¡± I don¡¯t hear what she says and I prefer it that way. But from the collective gasps, I assume it was a lot more than what anyone would pay. ¡°I have it now. She gave me a list of ingredients and the directions to make it myself. There''s silence and I feel myself slipping away into my own fog. Wrapping itself around me like a nket as it cocoons me. ¡°She moved!¡± Devon''s voice drags me back out of the fog. ¡°She''s been twitching since yesterday.¡± Alpha Dane mutters ¡°No, she moved. Her hand opened and closed.¡± Alpha Dane grabs my hand, short little spikes of electricity fly up my arm. jolting my heart. ¡°Did you see that?¡± Raven asks. ¡°There was a spike in her heart rate.¡± ¡°Neah? Neah?" Alpha Dane calls my name. Had he felt it too? I try to speak, but nothinges out. ¡°Take your time, I¡¯m right here.¡± Alpha Dane murmurs. He squeezes my hand and I feel the sparks again. My eyes creep open to the bright lights of the hospital, which forces them closed again. ¡°Turn the lights off.¡± Alpha Dane orders as he reads my mind As my eyes open again, I don''t recoil from the dimly lit room. ¡°Hey,¡± Alpha Dane cradles my head. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± A raspy soundes from my throat as I gaze at him. ¡°It''s okay, take your time.¡± Raven mutters ¡°You scared the crap out of all of us.¡± Devon mumblesThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . I don''t turr-to look at him, instead choosingto keep my focus on Alpha Dane and his strange crimson eyes. It wag-a relief to see him. For just a second, I had thought it hadall been a dream. Who? I wanted to ask. Who did this? Thest thing I remember is listening to Alpha Dane send Eric and Devon into the city. ¡°Veronica.¡± Alpha Dane mutters, reading my mind. ¡°She injected you with Blood of Wolfsbane. Raven had an antidote.¡± I knew the bitch was going to try and kill me. I see Alpha Dane smile. For just a second, I forgot how easy it was for him to read my mind ¡°She''s dead, you don''t need to worry about her anymore.¡± He confirms. ¡°And a good thing too, Otherwise I would have had to kill her.¡± Devon mutters. Now there was just Trey and Cassandra to deal with. Alpha Dane doesn''t say anything, I knew he was listening to me. What was he not telling me? ¡°Can we have a minute alone?¡± Alpha Dane mutters to the others. They leave, though they are not happy about it. He shuts the door behind them and rolls the blind down. It was serious. a "Eric and Devon did go into the city.¡± He tells me,¡°And just as we predicted ye is creating more o Lycans. t He may be doing it just so he carnattack us, but at the same timexit will piss off other Wolf¡± packs. ¡± v 4 My voice sounds like a knife being scraped on a te as I ask why. He frowns, ¡°Talk to me through your thoughts.¡± I nod and he continues to tell me how packs will feel threatened by Trey''s ability to turn humans. ¡®It¡¯s the same as Vampires turning a lot of hurhans I in one go. They doit to invade an area and then kill the ones they turned¡± Content belongs to = ¡®Vampires?¡¯ ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbles, ¡°There are a lot of other species in the world. Though you will never see them here. ¡®I don¡¯t know what a Vampire is'' Chapter 0085 Chapter 0085 He narrows his eyes at me and I shrug my aching shoulders at him ¡°Blood feeders. That''s all you need to know.¡± The way he barely speaks of them, made me pretty sure I didn¡¯t want to meet them anyway. Shifting a little on the bed, Alpha Dane presses a button and the whole bed begins to move, pushing my back up until I was sat up, looking at him. He had a serious expression, his lips pursed a little as a small crease appears on his forehead ¡°You need to tell me when something doesn''t feel right.¡± ''I..... [thought I was just really, really tired. My head felt a little fuzzy, it still does." He leans over me, cing his fists on the bed, inches from both sides of my hips. His face is close, his scent is wildly intoxicating. ¡°I can''t lose you.¡± He mutters in a low voice. ¡°I won¡¯t lose you.¡± His crimson eyes bore into mine. My thighs involuntarily mp themselves together as I gaze back at him. He had this ability of making you want to obey himThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. My head bobs up and down and he grabs my face, kissing me. His tongue briefly skims mine, and he quickly pulls away ¡°I have to let you rest.¡± He sounds annoyed and disappointed. I spot his swollen bulge and I wondered how difficult it was, having to restrain himself right now. ¡°If you were here for anything else. I would fuck you, right here, in this bed.¡± He murmurs He moves away. sitting in the chair and watches me. He doesn¡¯t speak, but his gaze tells me everything. When I¡¯m given the all clear, I won''t be leaving the bedroom It''s hours before Raven lets me go. She puts me through loads of tests. Asking my full name, where I was, if I could tell her what day it was and then there were the physical challenges. The more tests and questions she asked , the more impatient Alpha Dane grew. ¡°Raven, surely you have all your answers by now?¡± He snaps. He still hadn''t left other than to use the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m just being thorough. I don''t need you biting my head off because I missed something. He frustratedly waves at her to carry on. I do everything she asks, but she still insists that when I go back to the packhouse, I rest. ¡°I''m okay.¡± I whisper ¡®I¡¯m not taking any chances.¡± She turns to her brother, folding her arms across her chest. ¡°Nothing physical for a couple of days. His crimsehreyes find mine. His lips. curve up¡¯a a little, he was going to fifid a Way! around her instructions which scared me a little. Especially when I thirik of ourst time togetler. We walk slowly back towards the house, just like the first time I had been in the pack hospital, I refused to let him carry me, insisting that I needed to stretch my legs. Devon hovers closely behind too, like they were both expecting me to drap at any moment or maybe they thought that I was going to be drugged again. Alpha Dane nces at me. He was still listening to my thoughts. ¡°Just take your time.¡± He murmurs. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. I know you are aching. Trey and the others would never have cared about something like that. They would have forced me to work through the pain, ensuring I suffered more ¡°And I will make them suffer too.¡± He adds ¡°You will have to beat me to it.¡± Devon mutters from behind me. "Even that Veronica I would have made her suffer more than just feeding her to the Wolves. I freeze at hisment. Fed her to the Wolves? Did he mean actual wolves or the pack? ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Alpha Dane mutters to me and I see him re at Devon ¡°Sorry, I will keep my mouth shut.¡± Devon sucks in his cheeks, avoiding making eye contact with me. I should have expected it to turn out badly for her And I knew there was a dangerousside to Alpha Dane. I should hav¨¦ put two andtwo together To realise that when heills someahe, it''s never simple anc¡¯ straightforward. Kyle''s death was arobably the easiest kill h¡éfias ever had. Though, it did mak¨¦?ne wonder about the other women''s deaths. Alpha Danedoesn''t say anything and I decide not to question him He was list¨¦ning to my thoughts > anyway, but by the look he gives me, it weuld suggest that the others died inthe same way. Content belongs ite) wat NovelDrama.Org < Chapter 0086 Chapter 0086 Dane Devon leaves us when we make it to my office. Neah lowered herself into a chair so painfully slow that I wanted to help her. She had lied to Raven when she said she had felt fine. She knew I could read her mind, though I didn¡¯t say anything because I knew she wanted to be back here. She somehow felt safer here in the house. ¡°Can I get you something?¡± I ask while she pulls her legs up to her chest. Her head shakes from side to side making her dark hair fall around her face. She hadn''t mentioned anything more about the hunt, she hadn''t questioned if the others had died the same way, but she didn¡¯t need to, she had already figured it out and yet. she still does notment on my decisions. In fact. her mind ispletely elsewhere ¡°Neah, I know you are not feeling yourself.¡± She picks at a thread in the ck jeans she is wearing. ¡°I''m alive.¡± Is she having some kind of mental breakdown?¡¯ Aero asks ¡°Yes you are.¡± I mutter, ignoring my Wolf ¡°I shouldn''t be. I....I should be dead.¡± She grips her stomach and her face screws up in pain. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°It''s just...a little ufortable.¡± ¡°Let me see. She puts her legs down and rolls up her top. ¡°There is nothing there,¡± she whispers and tenses up again. This time her hand grabs my arm. Her nails sink into my skin, creating little half moon shapes. My nose catches the whiff of blood. ¡°Neah, are you on your period?¡± Her nails sink a little deeper into my arm and blood rises to the surface. ¡°I¡¯ve....I¡¯ve never had one.¡± she gasps I hadn''t thought about it until now, but it hits me that she hadn¡¯t had a period since she had been here and she should have done. Her body had been so shut down and frail that its basic systems hadn''t been working. And now, everything was falling back into ce. Exactly how it should be. ¡°Is....¡± She squeezes my arm again. "Is it always this bad? ¡°Come on, I can help you with the pain.¡± I don¡¯t let her walk this time, not letting it even be an option. Lifting her from the chair, I turn her quickly so that she doesn¡¯t see the deep red blood that had leaked through her jeans. Standing her in the shower, I turn the water on, letting it soak the both of us as I strip her from her clothes. She would dig her nails into me each time a new cramp ripped through her. ¡°Take your time.¡± I mutter, letting my lips graze hers. Stepping out, I ran her a bath. I had enough experience to know the hot water would help ease the cramps and if it didn''t. I always had my fingers. A good orgasm would usually do the trick. Turning the water off, I hear her weeping. A hand pressed against the ss door as she sat in at the bottom. A steady amount of blood trickling from her pussy. I move her from the shower to the hot bath, her skin almost sizzles as it hits the water and she lets out a little gasp ¡°Move forward.¡± I mutter, pulling off my own wet clothes. ¡°It''s...it''s blood.¡± ¡°Do you think a little blood scares me? She stares at me for a second and slides herself forward, allowing enough room for me to get in behind her. She sits between my thighs, her back pressed.against my chest. Resting ray hand on her stomach, tx press down, massaging it. She was still sofnin that I could feel herc> cranes beneath the surfaceing instwaves and crashing, onea fter the other. Her hands grip my thighs, and once again, her nails pierce my skin as her whole body tenses. She lets out a whimper and I slide my hand down to cup her mound. She grabs my arm with both hands. ¡°What...what are you doing? ¡°Easing the pain.¡± She doesn''t let go. ¡°But...¡± I let the tip of a finger dip in between her folds, running it back and forth. ¡°It doesn''t have to be a bad thing.¡± I whisper in her ear. ¡°Pain can be turned into pleasure.¡± Her hands stay glued to my arm, preventing my fingers from getting in any further as she mulls over my words. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I ask while flicking my tongue over the mark on her neck. She doesn''t answer, but her hands retreat into the water and rest on my thighs as she parts her legs a little more. Pushing two fingers deep inside her, I curve them around to press against her sensitive clit. Her body tenses up again, but not in the same way it had been with the cramps. Gently stroking her swollen clit, she pushes her hips up. thrusting herself against my hand ¡°Slow.¡± I mutter to her. ¡°It will help more.This is from N?velDrama.Org. Her back arches against my chest. She lets out soft moans as I continue to take my time. Sometimes it wasn¡¯t about my needs, but about watching her, knowing that she will only ever be satisfied by me. She throws her head back against me as I push a third finger in, she is tight as expected, though she responds well and mps her thighs around my hand. My name rolls-off of her tongue as she rocks het hips back and forth, sshingwater over the side of the tub, just 8s she spasms around miy fingers) Abination of her juices and-Btood trickle down over remy fingers. 4 She stills, her breathing heavy, her heartbeat running rampant. ¡°Better?¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± She mutters in a strange voice I could see the pink blush making its way up from her chest and over her neck, heading towards her face. I smile as I listen to her thoughts. ¡°If you want me to fuck you, all you need to do is ask.¡± Rinsing off in the shower, I press myself up against her, squashing her between me and the coo! tiles as my lips smashed against hers. She parts her lips a little to let my tongue in, allowing me to taste her. My hard cock is already pressed up against her leg. she wraps her fingers around it, just like I had shown her. Her hand moves in a steady rhythm up and down my shaft. paying particr attention to the tip. ¡°You,¡± I mutter as I kiss her, ¡°Are supposed to be taking it easy.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± She mutters, pushing her breasts into me We end up in the bottom of the shower with Neah straddling my legs as my cock pushes up against the front of her pussy. Her blue eyestock on mine as she adjusts hers¨¦tf and starts sliding down myndick, Her mouth wide as-~ she takesin my full length. She. lets outa little growl as she adjusts.to me. Bsound I hadn''t heard from her before. s Guiding her hips, I encourage her to move up and down, slow and steady. letting her haveplete control. She was beautiful and she was mine. Chapter 0087 Chapter 0087 Neah He spends hours making sure I have everything I need. Snacks, drinks, nkets and sometimes, he would justy with me. Ensuring that I was comfortable, trailing his fingers along my skin The cramps had stopped the moment I orgasmed and I''m still not entirely sure what came over me, or why I took control in the shower like I did. In that moment, it was like something else had taken over my body. ¡°Neah?¡± He murmurs my name, rousing me from my sleepy state. ¡°I have to go, it''s almost time for the pack run.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I yawn, letting go of him. ¡°There will be guards on the house at all times. And your brother will be here too. He has agreed to stay.¡± I yawn again, nodding as I pull a pillow against my chest. The pack run was a big thing here, I wasn''t going to ask him to stay. ¡°Are you sure you will be alright?¡± He presses his lips ta my cheek ¡°I will just sleep, I think.¡± ¡°I will let Devon know.¡± There is a small frown on his face, but he doesn¡¯t say anything other than telling me that he will see me in the morning By midnight, I am wide awake. The full moon is high in the sky but I had this bad feeling. A sinking feeling, heavy inside of me. I couldn''t put my finger on what it was, I just knew something wasn¡¯t right. There''s a frantic knock on my door. ¡°Neah turn your fucking lights off and let me in!¡± Devon whisper shouts through the door. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± I mutter, opening the door to a naked Devon. I covered my eyes, because seeing my brother this way was not something that I needed. Nor did I want it permanently etched in my mind He ms the door shut behind him and quickly hits the light switch, plunging us into darkness. His hand grabs mine. ¡°You can see me, right?¡± He whispers I ned. Though I still wasn¡¯t used to being able to see so clearly in the dark. ¡°Why are you naked?¡± I match his whisper ¡°They are here Neah. They have used the full moon to make a move. I had to shift to cover my scent. Though they are aware of my presence and probably yours. They are here fo you.¡± I didn''t think my stomach could fall any further, but it sinks to a new low. ¡°You need to shift.¡± ¡°l.... can¡¯t. I..1 don¡¯t know how.¡± I look around in the darkness, tears threatening to leak from my eyes. ¡°The guards.¡± He shakes his head at me. "Dead" We both hear movement outside. Devon''s eyes search the room, looking for somewhere to hide. But there was nowhere, it was too open. I watch as his limbs suddenly lengthen ands body widens. Dark tufts of haicsprouted along his . thickening¡¯skin. His head started to take the Shape of a veryrge Wolf head. 1 try to move away, but he grabs me, pulling me in against him ashe wraps his huge frame around me. A mixture of male pheromones, sweat and something musty fill the ir. fab) I''m trying to hide your scent.¡¯ His voice fills my head in the exact same way as Alpha Dane¡¯s He rubs his long arms all over me, smearing me in his awful scent. They would be dumb to fall for it.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. The footsteps continue straight past the bedroom door. Devon holds me steady, refusing to let me go and for a second, I thought I had screwed up and that this was a trap of his. ¡®Come with mes He links me after a few more mihutes as his arms finally letm¨¦ free. He moves to the? window v, quietly sliding it open. . > shing his blue eyes at me, he¡± holds*out arge hand with massive ws sticking out each finger. From here I could see a few scattered bodies on the ground, in either Wolf or human form, but no Lycans. "W...where are we going?¡¯ Up!" I didn''t understand, there was nothing up but the roof. Alpha Dane told me that if there was ever a problem and he wasn''t here, to go up.¡¯ What choice did I have? Stay here and let them take me, or hope that he was telling me the truth. Devon crouches down, telling me to climb on his back. I wrap my arms around hisrge neck and pray to the Moon Goddess that I could hald on. Because I was either going into more danger or Devon really was a man of his word. He climbs thevouse quickly, only pausing whelr we are on the t roof. He seans the rooftop and ther> does a gtrick loop, looking over the sides ty see if he could see anything. There was nothing here othenthan a small duffle bag. Chapter 0088 Chapter 0088 Shifting back to human form, he quietly asks if I¡¯m okay and pulls clothes from the bag. ¡°Why are we up here?¡± ¡°Like I said, this is where Alpha Dane told me to bring you if I needed to get you to safety¡± Why hadn''t Alpha Dane ever mentioned it to me? ¡°When?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He is still looking out at the grounds and not paying attention to me. I hadn''t heard anything apart from those footsteps outside my bedroom door. I hadn¡¯t seen any other Lycans and the growing pit in my stomach was making me feel sick. ¡°When...when did he tell you? ¡°Yesterday. When you were in the hospital.¡± I didn''t know if he was lying or telling the truth. I just knew this was wrong. Being here, everything felt wrong. And where was Alpha Dane? He must be feeling my panic. I wish I could link him. ¡°Hungry?¡± Devon asks, as I lower myself to the floor. ¡°No." ¡°Are you sure? You haven''t really left your room all afternoon.¡± He had been watching? ¡®I''m fine.¡± I murmur, ncing over to the forest. Hoping that some of them woulde back. Alpha Dane, us, Beta Eric, anyone. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± He mutters. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for me to move. If I don¡¯t fight, maybe it would buy me some time, maybe he would leave me alone ¡°You gave me quite a scare.¡± He mutters, biting into an apple. ¡°That fucking bitch drugging you, that was never the n.¡± ¡°n?¡± I pull my knees to my chest and keep my eyes low. ¡°Alpha Trey¡¯s ns were nearly ruined.¡± He takes another bite of the apple Alpha Trey, he was working for him all along ¡°Are you....are you even my brother?" ¡°Nope. I just have a very strong resemnce to your family. Alpha Trey made sure of it, he knew it would be the only way for you to believe me.¡± ¡°I could sense you. ¡°Of course you can, you dumb bitch. You have Alpha blood coursing through you. Really, Neah, I expected more from you.¡± ¡°You... you linked me.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°And yet you still haven''t figured it out.¡± He tosses the apple core off the roof and points to me. "Alpha blood.¡± As if that answered everything ¡°It was just a game!¡± I feel anger bubbling inside of me. like nothing I have ever felt before. ¡°Just a fucking game! He takes a step back from me,ughing ¡°Is that it, that is all you think I''m worth! I believed in you. I..." Ishake my head, lost for words. "So did everyone here. Eric, us, but you were the biggest believer of all. As if twould hide out in a forest all day-watching Alpha Trey¡¯s house for years, no no, my job was far mere important.¡± - I had been so stupid ¡°You are just going to hand me over te him?¡± ¡°Kicking and screaming if you don¡¯te willingly.¡± He shrugs his shoulders ¡°You are a fucking arsehole!¡± I push myself up on my feet. ¡°I should have let Alpha Dane rip you apart.¡± ¡°But you couldn''t, because you felt sorry for your little brother.¡± He mocks my voice A pain shots through my head as I stare at him. White hot rage burned inside gime. I had spent my entire life being used as a pawn. Being a pun¨¦h bag for when they needed to vert or when they just felt like it.. C¨¦ntent belongs to ¡°You don¡¯t get to do this!" I snap ¡°And what are you going to do to step me? Alpha Trey will be here the minute I call him. I wasn''t being sucked back into that life. I''m not going to let it happen. I look around, there is nothing here I could use to defend myself. Nothing. Another pain rips through my head almest bringing me to my knees and I fight with every ounce of my being to keep myself upright, to not show any weakness to him. ¡°There''s nothing you can do. Neah.¡± He muses. "Your life has already been nned for you and you are all alone.¡± I''m here.¡¯ A female voice rings through my head and pain shoots through my entire body. My body hurls itself at Devon,rge ws appearing at the tips of my fingers;that plunge straight inte his chest-As my handes out> fragments of his heart are attached to-my ws. Content belongs ice ¡° He croaks as he stares at me. The ws quickly disappear, leaving pieces of his heart sitting in my hand. Push him.'' The voice mutters inside my head. ¡®Push him over.¡¯ Chapter 0089 Chapter 0089 Neah His eyes were on my hand. Weird hollow raspse out of him as blood trickles down the front of his top. Very slowly he looks down. Like time had stopped to allow him to process what had happened. His hands shake as he touches his chest, he croaks and his body sways. Without a single thought, I shove him off the roof. Standing still until I hear his body hit the ground with a deafening crack Sitting down, I pull my knees to my chest, letting the cold night air rustle through my hair. I had just killed someone. I turn my hand over to look at it. it had partially shifted. Dried spots of blood still lingered. Running my thumb over the tips of my fingers, I feel nothing no pain, no sharp edges under my skin. The ws had disappeared as quickly as they came I''m sorry about that, but that prick needed dealing with.¡¯ The voice rumbles through my head, unbothered by what had happened. There was no one on the roof but me. And it certainly wasn''t Alpha Dane who was speaking to me. You are right, I am far from a man.¡¯ I hear the amusement in her voice Who...who are you?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I''m Nyx, your Lycan. And it looks like we found each other at the right time.¡± We don''t... You are not supposed to be in my head.¡¯ Its funny what a little Alpha blood and a few bindings can do.¡¯ I was annoyed, if I had a Lycan, why hadn''t she shown herself. ¡®Where have you been?¡¯ I''ve been right here, but those fuckers had me shut down.¡± It was an odd sensation, feeling her roam my mind. ¡®The period?¡¯ I whisper Bingo!¡¯ Stunned into silence, I keep my arms wrapped around my legs. Is this what Alpha Dane and the others feel like when their Wolf is talking? You will get used to me, Neah. My job is to keep us both alive.¡¯ I let out a snort. I had done alright on my own until now. Sort of. From now on.¡¯ She adds By the time the sun rose, my entire body was shivering. lonly had on the tee and joggers I had worn to bed. My feet were bare and even though thy body could give off aot of heat it wasn''t enough tobat the sdld night air and I wouldn''t let \y£¤e forward so we could climb down. I was still too afraid to be a monster. I would rather freeze to death ¡° Neah? Neah are you okay?¡¯ Alpha Dane''s words race through my mind. Looking over the edge of the roof, I could still see Devon''s mangled body alongwith the people he had ~_ killed. There were no others, the x groundsswere quiet. What aboutthe kids2What about the ones who were toa.dld to take part in the patk run. Where were they? How many had Devon killed? I''m on the roof.¡¯ I mumble through the link ¡°Why didn¡¯t he feel my fear or my panic?¡± I ask out loud I blocked it. It was time for you to stand on your own two feet. As much as he is hot, he can¡¯t protect us all the time.¡¯ ¡°You blocked him?¡± I shout out in annoyance She doesn''t answer me and she doesn¡¯t say anything else. Alpha Dane and the otherse out of the forestsThey halt when they see the dead bodies that surround ~ the packhouse. Very slowly, Alpha~ Dane''seyes search the rooftop,? looking for me. The moment te sees meshe just stares back at ie. He th¨¦ught I had killed them:Content belongs to I''ming up.¡¯ He mutters He expertly scales the side of the house like he had done it a million times before. His feet and his fingers quickly finding ledges to hold on too. As he climbs over the top, he just watches me. ¡°It...it wasn''t me! Well, just Devon.¡± I whisper. ¡°Did you shift?¡± ¡°No. a little..... She talks so much. What about the kids and the others?" Chapter 0090 Chapter 0090 His eyes narrow at me. ¡°Eric is checking. Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°Nyx.¡± I mumble. ¡°In my head. A Lycan.¡± I was really struggling to get the words out, between her talking to me and trying to tell me what to say and my own thoughts, things were bing muddled. He grabs my shoulders, his eyes quickly go to my bare feet and he groans. ¡°How long have you been up here?¡± ¡°Midnight.¡± I whisper. I had looked at the clock moments before Devon barged his way into my room. I cling to Alpha Dane like a monkey as he lowers us back down to his bedroom window. Inside he wraps a nket around me and quickly closes the window. ¡°Tell me what happened. Tell me everything?¡± He settles into therge chair, watching me with his crimson eyes I stutter a lot. trying to get all the information out. He just nods his head, letting me get everything off my chest ¡°And ws appeared.¡± I mutter. ¡°I....1 pulled out bits of his heart.¡± I urge at the thought of it, remembering how the pieces stuck to the end of my ws. It still didn''t feel real. ¡°You partially shifted?¡± He asks when I don¡¯t say anymore I close my eyes and nod. I could hear in his tone that he didn¡¯t believe it. That he thought I was lying. ¡°And you have a Lycan who is talking to you? In the same way as Aero speaks to me?¡± I nod again, because it hadn''t matched anything that I had learned about myself. Trey never had a Lycan spirit inside of him. Devon said it didn¡¯t happen. Yet here I was with Nyx whispering things in my head. ¡°Is she talking to you now?" I puff out my cheeks and bob my head. ¡°What is she saying?¡± ¡°That you don''t believe me. But...but you can read my mind, you have to know that I am not lying.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°But it''s not that you don''t believe me, is it. Alpha Dane. It¡¯s that you don''t think it''s possible for me to kill someone like Devon. Even though you can read my mind.¡± His crimson eyes study me. ¡°Partial shifting is not a thing. But then again, these days, I never know what is going to happen.¡± I didn''t want to show him, but he was leaving me no choice. Do it?'' I whisper to Nyx. ¡®Just like before.¡¯ I actually feel her eyes roll and it was the oddest fe¨¦ling. I pull my hand out from under the nket and hold. it out. within seconds, there is a i sharp pain hat shoots through:my entirepody. My hand slowly . transforms, growing bigger.as thick laws inch themselves outof the tips of my fingers. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org The actual shift didn¡¯t hurt, it was the moment before. It was....strange ¡°How does it make you feel?This is from N?velDrama.Org. I turn my wed hand over, inspecting it. Tufts of dark fur spread up my wrist but fizzled out as it met my human flesh "I don''t know." I murmur. I had hated the idea of me shifting. Hated the ~ idea thati would be something else. Enated how this was kept a secret from me since I was & kid. But:the partial shift, it saved my life. See,¡¯ Nyx mutters. ¡®It¡¯s really not that bad.¡¯ ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Alpha Dane repeats I shake my head and my ws retract as my hand shrinks. I''m sorry about your men.¡± I whisper, still staring at my hand. ¡°I believed him. When he said Trey was attacking, I believed him.¡± ¡°You had no reason not to. You fear Trey. If someone tells you he ising. I wouldn''t have expected any different. I frown because I knew I was an idiot "He lied tots all. And we all fell for it. I''m just agmuch to me. I should have known that taking too marty on a pack run would be a mistake: I put my & ttust in the wrong man. That won''t happen again.¡± Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ Chapter 0091 Chapter 0091 Dane The bastard had killed eight men. They all had families. Some were older with children of their own, some were younger, freshly graduated and wanting to prove themselves as warriors. It should have been a simple task, protecting my mate. None of us knew. It was the down side of shifting under a full moon. We were at our strongest, yet we got caught up in the haze of hunting. Drowning out everything that isn¡¯t rted to what we are tracking. As I sit here, watching her turn her hand over. Her big blue eyes study the smallest of marks, trying to figure out where the wse from and where they have disappeared too. I couldn''t help but feel annoyed with myself. Yes she had protected herself, and it is what I''ve wanted her to do since the day she arrived. But that niggling feeling I have just won''t go away. And yet she doesn¡¯t seem upset. Raven had confirmed that everyone had been dead for a while, and I could tell by Neah¡¯s blue tinged toes that she had been out in the cold for a long time. So maybe she hade to terms with it. Or maybe this Nyx had helped her process it. I just knew that she didn¡¯t seem phased which was unsual for someone who had just experienced their first kill. The bodies have been dealt with,¡¯ us links me. ¡®Eric has checked in on all the kids and the elderly. No one has been touched. It just seems to be those who were guarding the house. "I want both of you in my office in ten minutes.¡¯ I tell him. Neah rub¡¯s her toes with the nket, trying to warm them up. ¡°What brought Nyx to the surface?¡± I ask curiously. ¡°My period.¡± She answers quickly, no hesitation or stuttering. "She said it''s what was needed. She says she should have been present when I turned thirteen, but I never went through full puberty. My body was too weak." She brushes her tangled hair back from her face. Grabbing her brush off the cab, I hand it to her and watch as she rakes it through her long dark hair, smoothing out the knots. She sighs as she drops the brush on to the bed next to her, rejigging the nket to cover herself properly. ¡°I know you are mad, Alpha Dane.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± she murmurs. She goes to speak again, but frowns and closes her mouth She¡¯s talking to Nyx.¡¯ Aero mumbles. ''Look at her eyes.¡¯ I worked that out.¡¯ I reply But as focus on her eyes, I see something that I haven''t seen before. A dark ring around the blue ¡°Neah?" Her eyes sh up to mine and the ring disappears ¡°I need you toe with me.¡± ¡°Where? Am I in trouble¡¯ ¡°Only downstairs to the office, I would leave you here but I don''t feelfortable leaving you alone right now.¡± She follows me through the house to the office, keeping the nket tightly wrapped around her. Parking herself in her usual seat, she automatically pulls her knees up to her chest, hiding her legs under the nket. us and Eric appear, arguing about something. ¡°We all fell for it.¡± us snaps, ¡°And from what I hear, you were having nightly visits with him.¡± They stop when they spot Neah. Eric''s arms fold up as us watches her curiously. ¡°Can we just get past the fact he yed us all!" I snap ¡°He kept up this fucking charade for a long time.¡± ¡°Why would he help me kill Lycans if it was a set up?¡± Eric scowls ¡°Because he knew that we would have been on to him. It would have blown his cover. He had to make us believe that he was a good guy, that he was on Neah¡¯s side. He wouldn''t have gotten away otherwise, not that he did.¡± ¡°He said he was going to call Trey.¡± Neah whispers. ¡°That he just needed to let them know I was ready for collection. The doting brother, it was all lies.¡± Oddly for Neah, there is no emotion in her voice. ¡°He deserved it.¡± she murmurs without looking at any of us. That subtle darkness raising its head again ¡°You killed him?¡± us asks in surprise.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡®I did. I ripped out pieces of his heart and then pushed him over the edge.¡± She mutters, unapologetically. ¡°You?¡± Eric is shocked. And I could see why, she was small, she looked weak. You just wouldn''t expect it fram her. But then again, they don''t see the darkness, bubbling under the surface like I do. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± us mutters. ¡°He looked just like you. Same dark hair, same blue eyes. There are even simrities in the way you bath smile. The finalment was an odd one. Was he interested in my mate? ¡°Everything was a setup!¡± I snap, drawing theicattention to me. ¡°And we fell foxsomething as obvious as that.¡± It was like Neah had said, I wasn¡¯Hangry with her. I was angry at myself. I had seen all the tricks over thezyears. I had heard all thens afta still, I fell for it.¡± Content belongs to You should have trusted my instincts!¡¯ Aero grumbles. He was right. I should have. I fucked up and I lost a bunch of my men tonight, but she was still here and she was still alive. My fist hits the desk, startling the men, but Neah just stares at me. It¡¯s probably the longest she has ever held eye contact with anyone. ¡®I''m calling Jenson back!¡± Both men cock an eyebrow at me. Neither say anything and Neah just watches me. ¡°I know what you are probably thinking. I babi ished him, but you both knomas well as I do that he is> skilled irsthe art of war and he probably would have seen all this a mileaway. This is his area of expertise and we arecking in it¡± I had ultimate control, my pack trusted me, but we all had our strengths and we needed him I look at Neah, ¡°He won''te near you!¡± I was trying to be reassuring, but it came out as an order. She bobs her head at me. ¡°Nyx said she will kill him if he tries anything.¡± Her answer is deadpan and both men cock their eyebrows at her ¡°Who the fuck is Nyx?" Eric demands. ¡°Nyx,¡± I mutter, ¡°Is Neah¡¯s Lycan.¡± ¡°No, Devon said it wasn¡¯t possible.¡± He splutters ¡°Devon also spewed a lot of other shit. All the crap he said about Neah not remembering him, don''t you see that it makes sense now. There was nothing.tor her to remember, he didn¡¯texist!¡± Ishout at him. 2¡¯ Whatever thing he had go ing?on with tbe guy, he needed to get. over it. Devon had screwed us arid that was the end of it. Chapter 0092 Chapter 0092 Neah Standing out in front of the house, Alpha Dane¡¯s fingers were entwined with mine. It had been four days since the incident and he barely let me out of his sight, even training and tutoring were out of the question and there was no room for debate. I knew that he was silently questioning my every move while everyone else was feeling the brunt of his anger. It had been years since they had lost a pack member to anything other than old age or at the hands of Alpha Dane. It put the whole pack on edge. There were meetings constantly. New measures were being put in ce. And apart from Jenson, no one else will be granted entry to the pack, not for now at least. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alpha Dane asks without even looking at me ¡°Uh huh.¡± I stare out at the grounds. The snow had stopped and spring was on its way. He asked me if I was okay multiple times a day, like he expected me to spontaneouslybust at any moment. Alpha Dane looks out the corner of his eye at me. Alook I was getting used to, because it wasn''t just him. Everyone that I came into contact with in thest few days, gave me that same look. It wasn''t quite me, because that is a look I would recognise anywhere. One that I received regrly at Moonshine. Here, I couldn''t quite figure it out, but it was definitely something and Nyx didn¡¯t help, challenging anyone who she didn¡¯t like the look of. She would hurtle herself forward, taking control for just a second and I couldn''t figure out how to stop her and she wouldn''t tell me either, like it was some massive secret. A fancy car starts making its way towards us. It wasn¡¯t the one Alpha Dane had sent Jenson away in and as I look up to him, I see the heavy set frown. He didn''t want his brother back, but what had happened four days ago gave him little chaice. Jenson gets out of the car, slinging a bag over his shoulder. His dark hair had grown out since I hadst seen him and was almost shoulder length now. Jenson stops less than a metre from us, dropping his bag on the floor. His dark eyes settle on me. ¡°Well you have caused quite the problem, haven''t you.¡± He didn¡¯t know everything. Alpha Dane suddenly slides his hand into my hair, pulling it back to reveal my neck. More importantly, the mark he had given me. It was a silent warning. ¡°Interesting.¡± He grins at me. ¡°Big bro has finally found someone to settle down with.¡± His dark eyes don¡¯t leave mine. Fucking douche!¡¯ Nyx mutters ¡°Office.¡± Alpha Dane mutters to his brother, ¡°There is a lot that we need to discuss.¡± The coldness in his voice sends a shiver down my spine and not in a good way. I sit quietly in the corner of the office as Alpha Dane breaks the news of my ancestry to Jenson. Though he doesn''t mention that I¡¯m supposed to be an Alpha. Jenson says something that surprises us both. ¡°So they do exist?N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°You''ve heard of them? Why have you never mentioned anything to me?¡± Alpha Dane demands ¡°It was ament I heard in the city, ages ago now. At the time I just thought I had too much to drink.¡± ¡°When?¡± Alpha Dane presses ¡°A year, year and a half. I thought that I had teo much to drink. That my mind was ying tricks.¡± Alpha Danes'' crimson eyes shed tome and I khew exactly what he was thinking, it was the same thing] was. They had been recruiting fora lot longer than we thought. Maybe Devotwas one of the recruits, maybe he had been changeta long tlre ago, long enough to Have learned everything about me. ¡®They are surprisingly decently skilled. Compared to that first one- anyway.¡± Alpha Dane scratches. through the stubble on his chin. ¡°One took out eight of my men. "Content belongs to ~~ Jenson turns to look at me. ¡°Eight? ¡®It was a trap... He... he was going to hand me over to Trey.¡± I mumble ¡°I see that you haven''t lost your stutter yet.¡± He winks at me. "Some things never change." ¡°I suggest you focus on something else.¡± Alpha Dane growls. ¡°I didn''t bring you back so you could hit on my mate. This is a chance to prove yourself Jenson.¡± Jenson turns away from me. ¡°You mean if I am willing to help, you will let mee home.¡± ¡°That is the deal.¡± ¡°Are you going to write a contract for me too?" I hear his sarcasm and Nyx calls him a douche again. ¡°That can be arranged, but I would prefer that you do something for your family other than just think of yourself!¡± ¡®I said I would help.¡± He mutters, ¡°But I also get the feeling you are not telling me everything. I can¡¯t work without all the information.¡± Alpha Dane looks over to me and Jenson does the same. ¡°They want me... they want me so they can put a pup in me.¡± I mutter in disgust because it still made me feel gross Jensons eyes narrow, ¡°But you are marked. It will kill you if they try anything.¡± ¡°They don''t knew that, well we believe they ¡é don''t. I''m not entirely sure what they do and don''t know.? There is &till alot of missing SS informatio surrounding them and it depends if the traitor shared Lany of thesnformation we learneds¡°Alpha Dane murmurs Chapter 0093 Chapter 0093 ¡°Okay, then just show them the mark.¡± He states as though that was it. I thought that would be the answer too, but Alpha Dane said it¡¯s not as simple as that. If they find a way to kill him first, I would be free from my bonds. The same as when he killed Kyle. Alpha Dane tells him exactly that. ¡°For argument''s sake, let''s say they do find a way to kill you.¡± He mutters to Aloha Dane ¡°Why are they so hellbent about putting a pup in her? Surely there are other females in the pack.¡± ¡°She doesn''t just carry Alpha blood, she is an Alpha!¡± Jenson''s dark eyes find me again, hovering on me for longer than before. I shift in my seat, and lower my gaze. Prick!¡¯ Nyx snaps ¡°I will help.¡± He mutters eventually. ¡°Like you said, Dane. This is my home too.¡± He swans from the office, muttering something about taking up his own room. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell him.¡± I whisper ¡°About Nyx? No, I thought it would be more interesting to see how you respond to him, now that you have another spirit residing in you. ¡°You mean you want Nyx to surprise him?¡± He smiles. The first proper smile I had seen in days. ¡°It might remind him to stay in his ownne.¡± ¡°Someone will tell him, it''s not a secret.¡±This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Perhaps, or maybe they will expect him to know. What did she think of him?¡± ¡°She called him a prick.¡± Alpha Daneughs. ¡°Finally a female who can see right through him.¡± He leans back in the desk chair, folding his arms across his chest. "I know I haven''t been easy to live with for thest few days. But something like this just doesn''t happen to my pack.¡± ¡°I know and I''m so He holds a hand up, stopping me from finishing my sentence. ¡°You have to stop apologising, Neah. I know you are sorry, but you can¡¯t feel guilt for something that was out of your control. I was the one who put you in that situation. I left you with just a few guards and the man who imed to be your brother. You have to stop ming yourself. I don¡¯t think I can. Years of being made to feel guilty can¡¯t just be washed away. Some one could stub their toe and I would probably find a way to convince myself it was my fault. I look up at the ceiling, trying to blink back the tears. I was expecting Nyx toment on my weakness. but she too is quiet She had told me she could see everything. Every little memory I had and she hated that she wasn''t there. to prote¨¦tme. She ims that she¡± would-Have slit their throats while theywere sleeping. And I wasalmost jeatous that I hadn''t had the balls to d@ that. Content belongs. to ¡°Hey.¡± Alpha Dane had moved around his desk and was now standing in front of me. ¡°I won''t stop until he is dead. I won''t stop until all of them are dead.¡± He cups my chin, running his thumb along my bottom lip, freeing it from my nibbling teeth. ¡°Let me handle this.¡± My head moves up and down and his hand moves from my chin to my throat as he smashes his lips against mine. He suddenly pauses, resting his forehead against mine. closing his eyes and a low growles out ¡°What''s....what''s wrong?¡± m being summoned. We will finish thister.¡± He tells me He takes my hand, leading me from the office and out the house. We head directly to the forest and not to someone¡¯s house like I was expecting. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I ask quietly He nces at me with his crimson eyes but doesn''t speak. Dread begins to fill my body. Nyx was bing more and more restless too. ¡°Where are you taking me?!¡± I snap at him and instantly feel regret. Nyx was going to get me into a lot of trouble if she kept forcing herself forward. There¡¯s a curigsity in his eyes that I didn¡¯t often s¨¦e. ¡°I just want you with me. A Lycanhas been found in my. forest and us called me to check it out. Bent worry, he is dead." He pauses, looking at me, "I told you, I don''t want you out of my sight. But it ismice to know that you aFe showing yourself.¡± We move deeper amongst the thick trees until voices could be heard. Particrly us who was busy snapping at someone. A half shifted raan was sprawled out on the floordI man I recognised, that woule and beat me = <> regrlyva man who liked to usethe metalof his belt as his form of" torture. I didn¡¯t know his name, but I hat never forgotten his face: ¡°He wandered in.¡± us mutters. ¡°Trying to im he was a human and had lost his way. As you can see, he was killed mid shift. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of him. Someone had torn out his throat. And I could think of nothing else, but to wish that it had been me that had killed him Chapter 0094 Chapter 0094 Dane. Neah can''t take her eyes off of the dead Lycan. A small smile sits on her face. Day by day her darkness seems to be seeping out a little more. ¡°Do you know him?¡± I ask. ¡°He was one of them.¡± Her eyes hover on the belt buckle around his waist. His trousers had started to split from the shift. but he had been killed before he couldplete it. Though the belt buckle remained in ce. She stared at it like she had seen it before. ¡°He used to hit me with that.¡± Her voice is low and she continues to fixate on the dead man. I couldn¡¯t help wonder if she had stared at Devon in the same way when she killed him. ¡°Do you know his name?¡± She shakes her head, her eyes barely leave him to look at me, but I see how dark they are. the blue is barely present. Nyx was right there, waiting to break free. ¡°Just his face.¡± Neah mutters. ¡°Are there any more?¡± I ask us ¡°No, he seems to havee alone.¡± us mutters. ¡°A stupid move.¡± ¡°Unless it is intentional. Maybe Trey thought one would be able to get through.¡± Devon had been alone when we had found him ¡°He wandered in?¡± Neah mutters. She knew everyone avable would be on guard, but it still didn''t stop her being concerned. us points over to the trees that signal the boundary for this end of the pack. Less than two metres from where we are standing. ¡°He didn¡¯t make it far, Neah. That''s our pack edge on this side.¡± Her shoulders drop in relief at his answer. But it made me question if the pack was being watched. Of all the forest, it was where the boundary was closest to the house. Not only that. something Neah had said about her interaction with Devon. That he would call Trey toe, meaning he must be close by. I was trying to keep my concerns to myself, but she was starting to notice. ¡°Get rid of the body." I mutter. ¡°I don''t care what you do with it. But get rid of it.¡± The two men that are with us drag the Lycan to the boundary line as I turn Neah away and take her back in the direction of the house ¡°It''s satisfying isn''t it?¡± I murmur ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asks, carefully stepping over a fallen tree. Her bnce was certainly getting better. ¡°Seeing someone that has harmed you, dead.¡± She doesn''t answer me, pretending to focus on the uneven ground. ¡°You judge me when I kill someone, but I see the enjoyment on your face. You work hard to conceal it, but the curvature of your lips give you away.¡± She still doesn''t speak and I didn''t need to read her mind to know that she was embarrassed. The pink tint of her-cheeks gave her away. And it justinade me want to fuck her, right here i in the open forest. Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ ¡°They creep in.¡± She mutters, focussing on her feet. ¡°I don''t.... I don''t always think like that.¡± ¡°I know. There is a piece in all of us that wants revenge for our past.¡± ¡®I''m not.....¡± She tries to deny it. ¡®I saw the look when I first met you. The nce atkyle. The flitter of rage that crosse¡é your face. Like I said, ~ you hideut well, only now, your Lycan is makifig it harder for you to oO conceal it. How deep does the- darkness go, Neah?¡± I pull her hips tewards me, I wanted herContent belongs to NovelDrama.Org She stares at me, her eyes are aplete pure blue as her lips part a little.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Or is it that you have just needed someone to tell you it''s okay?" I brush the back of my fingers down over her cheek. Hervender scent quickly mixes with the scent of her arousal. A small gasp escapes her as I run a- a finger al€ng her waist band. Her < > eyes darted around the forest. Hhis was.t60 open for her. The riskof too many eyes and ears catching her or US was intimidating. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I lean in close to her ear and drop my voice down until it is almost husky. ¡°I want you more than I''ve ever wanted anything. I want you here and now.¡± The air catches in her throat and she gasps just as I push my hand down the front of her jeans. Just as expected, she is already wet and dripping for me. Chapter 0095 Chapter 0095 ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be caught, don''t make a sound,¡± I challenge her. She usually has the freedom to make as much noise as she wants. This is going to be hard for her.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Pushing a finger into her moist pussy. She keeps her eyes locked with mine. fighting against the need to make a sound. She grabs hold of me. pulling my face against hers, kissing me as she gasps into my mouth ¡°You will have to do better than that.¡± I keep my voice low, pushing her back and up against a tree. Her fight to prevent a noise froming out just made things more challenging. Wet and throbbing, she pushes her hips down on my hand and closes her eyes as if that was going to help She was desperate for release, but I wanted to make thisst for as long as possible and watch her cum over and over. Her mouth makes that o shape. the one she couldn''t control when her muscles start to contract. An almost silent gasp leaves her throat as she grinds against my hand. As her body slows, she opens her eyes. Thinking that she had won. ¡°We are only just starting.¡± I mutter, pulling her around until her back is up against my chest. My fingers start circling her swollen clit again. This time I let her have what she wants, tracing her neck with my tongue, flicking it over her mark. She moans as my teeth scrape the mark. Sometimes it was just as sensitive as her clit and she couldn''t get enough. ¡°Quiet,¡± I whisper. ¡°You might attract some eyes.¡± Pulling her top up, I slip her bra up over her breasts, her hard nipples are easy to find, begging for my touch. Skimming over them, her back arches, pushing her pert tit into my hand. Just as she¡¯s reaching her point, I pull out my fingers to be met with a shocked gasp. ¡°You''ve made a mess.¡± I muse, holding my hand up in front of her face, her juices still on my fingers. To my surprise, a tongue darts out and she flicks them over my fingers, tasting herself. I was hard before, but her willingness made me ready to burst and desperate to sink myself inside her and she knew. Her very own tease for me. ¡°You are ying a dangerous game. She doesn''t say anything and pushes her ass back against me pressing herself against my cock "This is what you want, isn¡¯t it?¡± She mutters in barely a whisper. ¡°You want to tease me until I can take now more. Your want me to wait until the last miyute, making me suffer,¡± knowing that I''m desperate. And the you want to fuck me, right here, tprove a point.¡± Content-belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡®And what point would that be?" I? nt little kisses along her jaw line, knowing it was sending little electfical spikes through her: Mat she was finding hard to resist. ¡°To show that you are in control.¡± ¡°Then bend over and let me fuck you. She leans forward, holding onto the tree for support as I lower her jeans and wet parities. She is still moist ~ and ready. for me and pushes herself up on Ctiptoes as my tip enters her. I was£¤nore swollen than norAral, tueged on by her dark attitude and th¨¦ desire to challenge m¨¦: Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org A muffled squeak breaks free from her as I slowly slide into her pussy. My hand grips her hair, pulling her head back a little so that I can see how she reacts. I''ll fuck her until shees and then finish in her mouth. She tries her hardest to not make a sound, eventually giving in and growling my name as she orgasms. ¡°Turn around.¡± I mutter, she watches as I stroke my own cock. ¡°On your knees.¡± She knew what I wanted and takes my length in her mouth, wrapping her tongue around me. Her sultry eyes lock on mine with the same intensity she had when she was in heat. It doesn''t take me long before I fire my load back her throat. She sits back on her haunches, licking up any remaining beads of cum from the tip of my cock. Pulling her to her feet, I fix my lips on hers, locking my hands in her hair. We were more than a match for each other. We fitted perfectly together in every way. Chapter 0096 Chapter 0096 Neah. The following three days saw more Lycans appear. One would turn up, or sametimes two. They never turned up in the same ce, but they all had the same goal, trying to break through the boundaries. None of them made it far. A metre, maybe two before being torn apart. Some tried in their human form, others had already shifted. I didn¡¯t recognise any of the unshifted ones. And when their bodies were searched, bite marks were found confirming that they were not pure Lycans. Alpha Dane was growing more and more pissed too. He paced more, talked to himself more or rather he spoke to Aero. trying to decide on the next steps. And if he wasn''t talking to Aero, he was snapping at everyone else. Though it worried me that these Wolves were going to hit burnout. Jenson had them working around the clock, with barely a few hours rest in between and if they started to fall, we would be screwed. Still. I had to remain at Alpha Danes side. He never spoke of it, but I knew he would me himself if someone got their hands on me. He''s doing it again.¡± Nyx mutters I look up from the kids book that I''m supposed to be trying to read. Alpha Dane is looping the desk, striding around it with a deep scowl on his face. His feet practically burning a hole in the plush grey carpet. ¡°It doesn''t make any sense.¡± I didn''t know if he was talking to me or Aero. I revert my gaze back to the book, silently sounding out the letters in my head. There wasn''t a lot I could say even if I wanted to. This was not my area of expertise. From the corner of my eye, I see how he picks up the weird little paper weight thing that sits on the corner of his desk. He lobs it at the wall. The act makes me flinch and cower. Memories of the past creeping in. Today was not the first time he had thrown something. And the guilt inside me continues to grow. The Lycans were only here for me. ¡°Sorry.¡± He mutters. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± ¡°Has there been another?¡± I ask quietly, already knowing the answer by the look he gives me. He bobs his head, his crimson eyes not quite meeting mine ¡°Jenson thinks they are trying to find a weak spot. An area that is not as well protected. But my pack is growing tired. We have arge amount ofnd to cover. ¡°They need rest.¡± I mutter absentmindedly m well aware.¡± He scowls. It wasn''t my intention to irritate him. I quickly ask another question. ¡°Why do they send one or two at a time?¡¯ ¡°Easier to lose one or two over thirty or forty. They lose one, they can create another to rece them.¡± I was hoping Nyx had something to say, but all she does is sit and watch him. She did a lot of that. "All becaus@-of me.¡± I murmur. All because my uncle had some fuck¨¦d up idea-about me carrying a child for him and Cassandra. I frown in disgust as I gaze at the kidssbook i in mydiap. ¡°Why..why now?" Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Why make more Lycans now? Why not years ago when numbers started dropping? Devon kept talking about it being a dying breed, about me being a dying breed. They could have just created more.¡± ¡°Because they probably never thought that they would end up in this position.¡± ¡°You mean, they never thought they would lose me.¡± He nods his head, if it were the other way around, I would do exactly the same." He''s right.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. ¡®It''s actually quite a smart move.¡± ¡®Smart for Trey.¡¯ I mutter back. It was probably one of the few things Devon had told the truth about. None of it was Trey, it was all Cassandra and I couldn''t wait to kill her.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Alpha Dane and I hadn¡¯t spoken about it. Not once since we had sex in the forest. It almost felt like it was a forbidden conversation, speaking of the jay I had felt at seeing the dead Lycan That dead Lycan wasn''t the first. Each one, Alpha Dane would take ne to thempasking me to try and . identify trem. And each and every ime, I fotind myself staring at the ead 1 body with it¡¯s torn out throat, a mile etched on my lips. He.was right I had a dark side. Or-maybe it¡¯s ust years of trauma finalfy bubbling to the surface. mo OO mA 2 I look up to see Alpha Dane peeling the lodged paper weight out of the wall. His shoulders are tense, his crimsonyes are a little darker. He¡± puts the paper weight back onthe table knew it was only going to be a matter of time before it was ISaged in the wall again. Content belongs to Chapter 0097 Chapter 0097 The office door is suddenly thrown back on its hinges as Jenson barrels in. He doesn¡¯t even acknowledge me and leans on the desk. The men stare at each other and I knew instantly the conversation was being held through mind link. That is not a good sign Alpha Danes'' eyes momentarily flicker to me. It was quick, and if I hadn''t been paying attention, I wouldn''t have seen it. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± I mumble, half wondering if I actually wanted to know. Jenson turns around to look at me. ¡°The Lycan that has just been taken down asked to see you.¡± "M....me?" ¡®Stop panicking!¡¯ Nyx snaps. * Ask him why?¡¯ ¡°Why... why did he want to see me? ¡°That''s a good question. And it isn''t a he. ¡®It''s... it''s only ever been men that have turned up. Was she bitten?¡± He nods his head. "I think it will be a good idea for you to talk to her.¡± ¡°She''s alive?¡± I splutter in shock. They hadn¡¯t even hesitated to kill any of the others, why didn¡¯t they kill this one? Alpha Dane moves around his desk. ¡°Neah, she¡¯s a kid. There are certain lines I won''t cross¡¯ ¡°A kid? ¡°Fifteen to be precise.¡± Jenson sighs. ¡°She is saying that she was dropped off by a blonde woman. Told to walk through the forest and to not turn back. And to ask for someone called Neah. ¡°Cassandra?¡± ¡°She didn''t give a name, but yes, likely. She is very emotional. She is tired. She wants to go home to her parents. She is very confused. She¡¯s a kid, Neah, we can¡¯t ignore her.¡¯ Nyx murmurs ¡°Where is she?¡± Tears are brimming in my eyes and I have no idea why. I didn''t know her and yet I felt so sad for her, she was turned because of me ¡°With Eric.¡± Jenson tells me ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Alpha Dane eyes me carefully. I nod my head while sucking my bottom lip between my teeth. Jenson leads us across the grounds towards Beta Eric¡¯s house. ¡°He took her to his home?" ¡°Smaller ce to keep an eye on her.¡± Jenson mutters Beta Eric opens the door to the three of us, just like everyone else, he looked exhausted. ¡°She''s cried herself to sleep.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He gestures for us toe in. A young redhead isid on the sofa, curled up in a small ball, much like how I used to sleep back at Moonshine. ¡°Has she said anything?¡± Alpha Dane asks "Her name is Jessica. Thest thing she remembers I is going shopping with her fiends before she woke up> in the catof some ¡®hoity toity¡¯ = woman. ). Then the tears started. agaitand about five minutes-ago, shecrashed out.¡± Content. b¨¦longs to oswnovel. & ¡®Why would they turn a kid?¡¯ Nyx asks. ¡°This is low.¡± Beta Eric murmurs as he drapes a nket over the redhead ¡°We all know that they don¡¯t care how low they stoop.¡± Jenson mutters We let her have-a good thirty minutes to Aap before Beta Eric wakes her. The tears flow the = <> momentshe sees all of us staring¡± at her. Ashe sits up and brushes-her shoulder length hair behind ter ears. S& the bite mark on her neck. . ¡°Jessica?¡± I ask softly. I knew what it was like to be surrounded by these men, to feel way out of your safety zone ¡°Jess.¡± She whispers and her soft blue eyes dart around the room ¡°Jess, I''m Neah." ¡°What''s wrong with me? I''m.... I''m hot....1 feel sick I want my mum. I promised her I would be home for dinner.¡± Big fat tears roll down her face which she quickly brushes away. She doesn''t know.¡¯ Nyx mutters. ¡® She doesn¡¯t know what''s been done to her.¡± ¡°Can someone take me home?¡± She continues to weep. ¡°Unfortunately not.¡± Beta Eric mutters. ¡°It''s not safe for you at the moment.¡± She lets out a little whimper as Alpha Dane gestures for me to follow him outside. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± He asks ¡°Me? He nods his head at me. ¡°The girl has no idea what she is, or even where she is.¡± ¡°Why would they do this? Why would Cassandra do this?¡± ¡°They are appealing to your heart. The men are not working, and they have just discovered that someone has found their way in.¡± ¡± ¡°I hate them.¡± Neel my hands ball up into fists as-{close my eyes. ¡°They ruined mynife and now, they have -~ ruined a young girls too, Who i is what,mever going to be able tago homeagain? Never going to be able to-see her family and friends?¡± ¡°Do you believe her?¡± ¡°l smell her fear.¡± Chapter 0098 Chapter 0098 Dane Anger resided heavily in her heart. Even after everything she had been through, Neah was never this angry. It was odd but fascinating to see the fire in her eyes, all because of this girl. She leans back against the wall of Eric''s house. Tilting her head back to stare at the blue sky. Her body slides down until her ass hits the grass. She had so much anger and she had no idea what to do with it. No idea how to channel it. ¡°Jess will be fine.¡± I mutter, I wasn''t just about to throw a kid out on the streets. A kid that knows nothing of what she will be and I couldn''t risk returning her to her home. Her first shift will be a nightmare and if she doesn¡¯t kill her family, it would be a fucking miracle. ¡°Right.¡± Neah murmurs. Her eyes are almost a solid ck ¡°Someone here will take her in. I won''t throw her out. ¡°This won''t be the first. will it? He will change more kids, and send them our way.¡± She looks up at me. ¡°I knew he was bad, but this? This is sick, this .¡± she trails off, unable to streamline her thoughts ¡°What he did to you was sickening too, Neah She quickly brushes her cheeks, ridding the tears before they had even appeared. ¡°I want him dead, Alpha Dane. I want them all dead.¡± ¡°I know. And I am working on it.¡± His death needs to be slow.¡¯ Aero muses. ¡®He needs to feel every inch of pain that he has caused others. Neah needs her revenge.¡± The door is pulled open. ¡°Guys. I could really do with your help. I hold my hand out to Neah, she pauses, eventually taking it and gets to her feet. I notice how her eyes are almost blue again.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Jess is sobbing, her hands pawing at her skin as she examines the mark on her neck. ¡°What...what did they do to me? Neah seems to freeze. Jess''s words were probably something she had said to herself over and over. To hear someone else say it, it was probably causing shbacks. ¡°Jess,e and have a seat. I need to talk to you about something.¡± I try to keep my tone warm. Her soft blue eyes catch mine and I see her gulp. ¡°Please sir, I just want to go home to my family. To my mum and Dad, to my little sister. Please? I won''t tell them anything. I won''t...¡± Her fingers dig at her neck ¡°We can exin that to you.¡± I offer, keeping myself calm and trying not to scare her anymore than she already is. Her eyes search my face and more tears roll:down over her cheeks. Efic gets hera tissue, but she just stands there,staring at me, not even trying to hide her tears. ¡°I''m not... Ln not going home, am I?¡± Content ¡®belongs to¡°NovelDrama.Org < It''s not as simple as that, I''m afraid." She wipes the sweat from her NN hairline. Eis quietly moves to the open. seat at the table. Tuckings¡± strands of her red hair behindher ears. ¡°Please, please don¡¯t. Hurt me.¡± ¡°I''m going to tell you something that you probably won''t believe. All I request is that you have an open mind. ¡°Your eyes are so weird.¡± She wipes the snot from her nose as she tries to control her racing heart. Crimson eyes would be strange if I were human. ¡°The bite on your neck was from a Lycan.¡± There was no point circling the issue She closes her eyes and shakes her head. ¡°Like....like the stories.¡± ¡°Stories?¡± She takes the ss of water from Eric and drinks it slowly, swallowing everyst drop. ¡°Stories in the library¡± she murmurs, putting the empty ss back dewn How was it possible the human library had more stories about Lycans then we did? ¡°Was I hunted? Was I chosen? Why would you want me? I¡¯m nobody. I barely scrape by at school. They all hate me because. ...well, because they do.¡± Fifteen year ald girls were such hard work. She had missed the point that I was trying to make. I definitely don¡¯t miss being fifteen. "I don''t have all the answers right now. I am working on them." "So." she sighs. "what you are telling me is that you are a Lycan?¡± m not a Lycan ¡°OMG youF ¡®rea fucking Vampire.¡± Her chair is thrown back as she jumps to her feetShe holds her fingers irra cross:as though that would be-the thingtto save her. ¡°The eyes.should hawe known.¡± She screeches C¨¦ntent belongs to NovelDrama.Org Chapter 0099 Chapter 0099? I catch Neah suppressing augh. "I am not a Vampire." I mutter, irritated. "I am a Wolf and you are a Lycan." Her jaw hangs open and her head starts to shake. "No... no, you are wrong." Her soft blue eyes sh to Neah, "Please help me." Her voice is all high and squeaky. "I''m a Lycan too." Neah whispers, her eyes locked with Jess. "Your name is Neah, isn''t it?" Jess asks, sitting back down. "You are the one I was sent too." "Yes." "You did this to me?" The girl wasn''t shy about asking questions. "No. But I can try to help you." Neah looks over to me, sadness taking over. "The people that did this too you were cruel to me too. The only difference is I was born this way. They forced this life on you. That''s why you can''t go back to your family, Jess. You might hurt them in ways that you don''t think is imaginable. And trust me when I say this, you can''t control it. It will happen when you least expect it." She was talking about Devon and how she killed him. "But...." Neah reaches across the table, taking Jess''s hands in hers. "This is something I do know, Jess. We can keep you safe here. We can figure it out together and I will personally make them pay for what they have done to you." Jess pulls her hands back and runs them through her red hair. "I will never see my family again?" Neah looks over to me. Her brow creased. She sighs before returning her gaze to Jess. "No." The tears fall thicker and faster. Sobs leave her lips as her shoulders judder. I felt sorry for her. Fifteen and thrown into a world she knows nothing about. Cassandra and Trey are sick and far more twisted than I am and that says a lot.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Jess stays with Eric. It''s the first house she had been taken to and we believed it made her feel a level of safety. Plus the boys would be home soon and that might make her feel even better knowing Eric was a father. "Is this what''s going to happen?" Neah asks as we walk across the grounds. "Young, innocent kids." "Possibly." "I hate them." She mutters "I know. What is Nyx saying about all of this?" Neah sticks her tongue in her cheek. Her eyes don''t quite meet mine "Neah?" "She isn''t really talking much." "But she has been close to the surface, I saw it tonight, when anger flooded your body." I was trying not to read her mind but when she bends down to untie her shoeces to buy herself time. I give in. "Can you do that?" I snap, frustrated that she hadn''t told me something so important. She looks at me, a pink tinge creeping across her skin. "I don''t know. Nyx thinks I can but...." "It would mean epting your Alpha position." I finish the sentence for her. She frowns. No matter how many times it is brought up in conversation, she tries to change the subject "What if I can, do you actually think it will make a difference? Trey and Cassnadra have a whole pack backing them." "There is only one way for us to find out. You have to ept who you are and then we can see if you can link them all." Her eyes are wide as she nibbles on her bottom lip. "I don''t want to be an Alpha." It was the only thing she was consistently sure of. And she had made herself clear "What if it''s temporary?" "I don''t follow." "When they are all dead, you won''t need to be an Alpha. You can exist as you are right now, as my mate, and one day as the mother of my pups. You can leave that world behind. Let the breed end with you. If that''s what you want." "And Jess, you won''t kill her?." She whispers, rolling with my idea. "You and Jess." I confirm, "And any other children." She puffs out her cheeks. "What... what do I need to do?" Chapter 0100 Chapter 0100 Neah He grips my elbow, pulling me into the house. His crimson eyes search mine, trying to figure out if I was definitely ready to do this. I didn¡¯t even know if I was ready. But something had to be done. It was getting too much. Everything was too much and now kids were being turned. ¡°Beta Eric needs to... He needs to warn Jess.¡± I mumble as Alpha Dane steers me into the office. ¡°If it works, she will be able to hear me too. It will freak her out.¡± I am twenty two and it still weirds me out when I hear Alpha Dane¡¯s voice in my head. Not to mention Nyx. ¡°I¡¯ve told him. He is having the conversation with her right now.¡± I still didn¡¯t know what this would achieve. If anything, it seemed like it would piss them off more. He guides me to the chair, telling me to sit down. I could see it in his eyes now. He knew there was every chance that this wouldn¡¯t work. ¡®ept the role.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. ¡®Will it work?¡¯ ¡®We will find out once you ept it.¡¯ ¡®Fine, I ept it!¡¯ I wanted it over and done with. I wanted to see their heads on spikes. I wanted..... I trail off realizing how dark my thoughts go. ¡®You will have to do better than that.¡¯ Nyxughs. I look up to Alpha Dane. He is watching me. He said he could always tell when I was having a conversation with Nyx. ¡°You¡¯ve got this. And I am right here.¡± He smiles at me. ¡°I ept.¡± I mutter out loud. Alpha Dane shakes his head at me. I knew what he was saying, I had to put it all together. ¡°I, Neah Kitson, ept the role of...¡± I trail off again, could I really do this? ¡®It¡¯s in our blood.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. I slump back in the chair. Devon had kept pushing for me to take my Alpha role back. To take control and lead Moonshine. He had really pushed for it too. Insisting that it is what they all needed. But they all believed a woman shouldn¡¯t be in charge. ¡°Keep going.¡± Alpha Dane insists. ¡°You can do this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trick.¡± I mutter. ¡°Neah, you are panicking.¡± Alpha Dane speaks with a calm voice. ¡°It was Devon that told you who I am. He pleaded with me to lead the Lycans. To take control. He said they needed me. But he worked for Trey.¡± I had been so stupid. I hadn¡¯t seen it. ¡°You think this is what he wants you to do?¡± I swallow the lump forming in my throat. ¡°They never wanted me to lead. This is a trap. This is why Devon was sent here.¡± I blink back the tears. I was so stupid. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ Nyx snaps. ¡®That¡¯s what they have wanted us to do all along.¡¯ She was annoyed to have not figured it out. Her pacing in my mind was not helping at all. She hadn¡¯t been there until the very end. She hadn¡¯t heard all of our chats.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°His n is better than we thought.¡± Alpha Dane mutters. He loops the desk and me, scratching through the stubble on his chin. He pauses and leans on the table with his knuckles. ¡°What if you ept it anyway?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t follow.¡± ¡°As an Alpha, I can block out my pack¡¯s voices. Choosing who I listen to, choosing who I link. The n was for you to link all of them. What if you start singling them out? One at a time. Getting inside their heads to learn the information we need?¡± ¡°And what if it doesn¡¯t work?¡± ¡®He¡¯s right.¡¯ Nyx mutters. ¡®I can help with the block.¡¯ Alpha Dane stares at me, waiting for my response. I sigh, because neither of them are going to like my answer. ¡°We find another way.¡± ¡°Neah...¡± Alpha Dane starts. ¡°I never wanted it, Alpha Dane. Maybe if I was raised differently, yes. But this.....I...I don¡¯t want to be a leader to them. I don¡¯t want them to be able to use it as a way to drag me back. And I definitely don¡¯t want them to put their fucking seed in me!¡± I was practically yelling by the time I was done. Something that I don¡¯t do. ¡°N....¡± ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± I snap, storming from the office. I was furious and Nyx thankfully keeps her mouth shut. Trudging over to the hospital, I hoped Raven would be around. I just needed someone else to talk to or maybe it was silence that I needed. ¡°Hey.¡± She mutters without even looking up. ¡°Dane said you might be heading this way. What¡¯s he done? He was very cryptic in the link.¡± ¡°He wants me to ept my role.¡± ¡°As Luna?¡± I hadn¡¯t even thought about that. ¡°No, Alpha.¡± Her dark eyes snap up, locking with mine. She presses her lips together and moves around the station she is leaning on. ¡°There must be a reason.¡± I catch her up on the conversation with Alpha Dane and tell her about the girl. ¡°I had heard about the girl. Eric is bringing her byter. Thinks it will be good for me to do a check up on her.¡± Chapter 0101 Chapter 0101 ¡°What should I do?¡± I was still so used to everyone having the answers. ¡°Neah, since you have been here, I have watched you gain confidence, little by little. You couldn''t even step out in the snow.¡± Sheughs about it. ¡°You killed a man the other day. And now, you have just made your way here from the pack house, alone. You don¡¯t need me to answer your question. You already know the answer. My shoulders drop. ¡°Do you think we can figure this out?¡± ¡°My brother hasn''t let anything stop him before. If you have truly made up your mind. He will find a way. Plus Jenson is very skilled in the art of war. It might be worth speaking to him, he might be able to give you some advice.¡± ¡°Alpha Dane doesn''t want me to be alone with him. She smiles and gestures around the empty hospital. "I cane.¡± She finds out where he is and quickly writes out a note telling people to link her if they need her and sticks it to the table ¡°Where is he?¡± He had left when we were at Beta Eric¡¯s home talking to Jess. ¡°On duty.¡± I was definitely not supposed to be going in the forest without Alpha Dane. We are quiet as we slip into the forest. Raven ensures we are nowhere near the boundaries as we make our way through the trees and into the darkest parts of the forest. I had asked Nyx to keep Alpha Dane out of my head too. Just for now, so that I could think. The scents were scattered among the trees, making it difficult to pick out individual people. The pack standing guard would change ces constantly to help try and keep them alert and to confuse any of those that break through. ¡°Does Dane know that you are this far out?¡± Jenson asks as he drops down from a tree,nding in front of us. ¡°Why the hell are you up a tree?¡± Raven snaps. ¡°Taking a leaf out of Devon¡¯s book. If that was even his name. How can I help you?¡¯ His dark eyes hover on me and it sends a shiver down my spine. It always made me nervous and in the moment, I was grateful that I was not alone with him. ¡°You wanted to speak to me?¡± He mutters, doing a quick scan of the grounds. ¡°Have... have you figured out a way of dealing with them?¡± ¡°Almost. Why? Do you have some information that could help?¡± Don¡¯t tell him.¡¯ Nyx mutters ¡°l...I just want it to be over.¡± I see Raven give me an odd look. Thankfully she swallows her words. ¡°You came out here to ask me that?¡± He cocks an eyebrow at us. ¡°You know we are all out here for you. My people are working their asses off to make sure no one gets in. They are so tired that they are starting to make mistakes. ¡°Mistakes?¡± Raven quizzes ¡°It''s been dealt with.¡± He mutters, brushing it off. And by the way he looked at me, I knew they had been punished. ¡°I didn¡¯t... I didn¡¯t ask for any of this. He ces his hands on my shoulders. Every muscle in my body clenched as he focused on my eyes. ¡°Are you trying to get yourself into trouble, Neah?" He slowly turns me around until I¡¯m facing the direction we hade from. "Go back to the house!¡± ¡°If I ept my Alpha position, will that help?¡± I blurt out His hands leave my shoulders and he moves around in front of me, a deep frown on his forehead. ¡°I didn''t think you wanted to?¡± ¡°I told Alpha Dane that I think it is what they ar¨¦ expecting,¡± I sigh and look over. toRaven who nods her head at me, wanting me to continue. a] thinkits a trap. I think that Devon was : dupposed to convince me. ¡®to ept it. I think..." I groan, ¡°Alpha Bane thinks I should link tem, one at a time.¡± ¡°No." I was taken back by his response. There was no pause or hesitation, just a t out answer. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what they are expecting. or no, Dane is wrong?¡± Raven asks ¡°Both.¡± He winks at me ¡®I don''t...I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Devon got in-your head, Neah. But what he wasdoing was finding the lengths you-will go to, to ignore the> Alpha blood. It was a game, a test I''ve sean it before. You are oneof a kind\Neah. They know that and we know that too.¡± Content befongs to 4N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°You think she should ept her role?¡± Raven asks ¡°That isn''t for me to decide, what I am saying is if she does, it can work in our favour. ¡°You want me to link them?¡± ¡°Oh no. I thinkNt will piss Cassandra off. I think itil draw the bitch and the otherfudkers out, because a whether they like it or not, they will know who the Alpha is and that¡¯s what counting on. no need ¡®for linking them.¡± 4 ¡°n B.¡± Raven mutters. ¡°n B.¡± Jenson confirms He had been hoping for this all along. "What¡¯s...what''s n B?" Jenson smiles at me. ¡°You.¡± Chapter 0102 Chapter 0102 Hey everyone. I hope you are all well. I just want to thank you all for reading my story and sharing your wonderful gems with me. They are very much appreciated in the Goodnovel world. I would also like to thank those thatment on my chapters. It brings me so much joy reading people''s opinions. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Unfortunately there won''t be an update today. An unexpected,te night trip to the hospital has left me exhausted and as I''m sure you are aware, I do not want to post any chapters without editing first. As long as all goes well today, everything should return to normal tomorrow 7th March. Thank you Taylor West Chapter 0103 Chapter 0103 Neah My eyes flicker between both of them. They had been waiting for this. Waiting for me. Was Alpha Dane in on this? ¡°This...this was your n all along?¡± ¡°Back up n. Dane made it clear that you didn¡¯t want to do this, so it was made the backup option.¡± Jenson muses. ¡°And before you go getting ahead of yourself. we are not physically using you as bait.¡± ¡°It''s the idea of you having control.¡± Raven mutters. ¡°We know you don¡¯t want it. We know you want nothing to do with them. But they don''t know that. As far as they will be aware, you epting your position will mean you want it.¡± ¡°Right!¡± It was bugging me that Jenson and Raven had already discussed this as an option Raven grabs my wrists, locking her dark eyes on me. "They are not justing for you, they will pick us off to get to you. Our pack, as relentless as we can be, are not ready to die. ¡°Raven!¡± Jenson snaps Her hands let go of me as she turns to look at her brother. ¡°I¡¯m just saying we have done loads for her, she could at least do this for us.¡± ¡°That''s not your call!¡± Jenson warns his sister with his harsh tone. "Dane will do whatever needs to be done to protect her. We can only give her her options.¡± Raven frowns and it takes me a moment to realise that she isn¡¯t saying this because she is angry. It''s panic, a fear that the Lycans will do something to the pack she loves. There''s a rustle in the trees and the three of us snap our heads in that direction. rge Lycan dives through the bushes, charging at us. It''s the biggest one we''ve seen, easily towering eight feet tall. It holds it''s massive muscled arms out as it charges towards us. Its eyes are locked on me, drool hangs from its razor sharp teeth. ws are in the air, ready to attack. It doesn¡¯t even seem phased that there were others with me. Its feet hit the ground so heavily that the earth vibrates beneath me. Boiling white hot rage floods my system as Jenson shoves me back and shifts into a ck wolf. He charges at the Lycan and the Lycan sweeps him away, sending Jenson crashing into a tree like he was little more than a leaf. ¡°Shift!¡± I yell at Nyx. I couldn''t protect myself this way. I knew the only way to protect me and Raven was for me to shift. Nyx doesn''t hesitate, she forces herself forwasd. The pain is unbearable and thankfully it passesx quickly aS my bones stretch and.aiy body ckianges. My clothes fall tathe ground in tatters and the Lycan skids to a stop in front of me, just as ify ws plunge into its.chest. It looks dawn at the ws embedded in its chest. And unlike when I Kitled Devon, I could feel the heart pulsating against me. I couldThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. feelny ws sliding into the heart soeasily and steadily. Cont¨¦nt b¨¦longs to ~ The heart races until it¡¯s almost fighting to beat and still, I don¡¯t retract my ws. Instead, I watch life fade from the beast¡¯s eyes, like a dimmer switch slowly turning down My own heart flutters with joy as one by one, I pluck my ws out of the chest of the Lycan and watch him fall back, hitting the ground with a heavy thud There were no pieces of heart on my ws this time, I was almost disappointed. ¡°Neah? Neah, are you alright?¡± Raven stands looking up at me. I wanted tough, usually she is taller than me. I nod my head, feeling that surge of pain again. My ws disappear and my limbs shorten until it¡¯s just me, standing naked in the forest. ¡°Crap.¡± Raven pulls off her jacket and wraps it around me. It barely covers anything, but at least I didn¡¯t have to walk aroundpletely naked. She rushes over to Jenson who hadn''t moved since he hit the tree. ¡°Is he....is he dead?¡± I whisper. ¡°No, but it looks like he may have broken his back, it¡¯s why he is still out. It takes a couple hours to heal. I have to link Dane.¡± I nod, and refocus my gaze on the dead Lycan. Apart from the five small red dots on his chest. it looked as if he was sleeping. ¡®He won''t Wake.¡¯ Nyx mutters. ¡®The heart is pterced, blood is slowly =~ leaking,Out into the cavity.¡¯ she lets out asmallugh and I have to-do everything in my power not tough with her. ¡° Chapter 0104 Chapter 0104 I had been afraid to shift. Afraid to be that monster that attacked the pack. But standing here, over the dead Lycan. I realise it had felt. Freeing Footstepse hurtling towards us. Alpha Dane appears with us. Their eyes immediately go to the dead Lycan. Neither of them speak as their eyes refocus on me, taking in how I am only wearing a jacket. ¡°You shifted?¡± us asks quietly. ¡°Fully?¡± I don''t move. ¡°She did.¡± Raven splutters. ¡°She shifted and she killed him without hesitation. ¡°Jenson?¡± Alpha Dane asks, his eyes momentarily leave mine to look at his unconscious brother. Raven repeats what she has told me ¡°us, help Raven take him to the hospital.¡± As soon as they have left, he pulls off his own shirt. recing the jacket Raven had given me. It was longer, skimming my thighs this time. His finger settles under my chin and he tips my face up to look at him. ¡°You enjoyed it, didn''t you?" I didn''t want to say yes. I didn¡¯t want to tell him that I had never felt more powerful. I didn¡¯t want to say that I would kill the Lycan a hundred times over if it gave me the same amount of joy that I had just felt. I didn¡¯t want to admit the truth to him. His lips brush my cheek, his hot minty breath grazes my skin. ¡°You don''t have to say yes. I can read your mind.¡± He steps away from me and grabs the Lycan by it''s ankles. dragging it across the ground and through the trees. ¡°Where....where are you taking him?¡± ¡°I need to get rid of him. I can¡¯t have them littering my part of the forest.¡± I follow him through the trees to a clearing and Alpha Dane quickly sets fire to the body. It goes up in mes quickly. The scent of burning flesh quickly ripens the air. Alpha Dane moves away from the body and stands behind me. His arms loop around my waist and his lips quickly find the mark on my neck. ¡°How many more wille, Alpha Dane?¡± I ask quietly as thick smoke fills the sky. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time you stop calling me that. don¡¯t you? You have more than earned your ce here.¡± it felt wrong to-drop the ¡®Alpha¡¯. I had spent years faving it drummed into me to respect people of power. If I-> didn''t, it ¡ì Would be met with a ps y only stopped calling Trey and Kyle by their positions because I I was ord¨¦red to. 4 ¡°You are an equal.¡± He murmurs in my ear. ¡°You are an Alpha. He turns me to face him, his hand pressing against my lower back as he holds me close to him. His crimson eyes search mine. ¡°You...you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± I refrain from saying his name and he knew. His lips curve up. ¡°Because there isn¡¯t an answer.¡± ¡°You are...you''re waiting on me?¡± I sigh. screwing up my nose as the burning flesh grew stronger. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that I was part of the n, that you are relying on me?¡± Because he thinks we can¡¯t handle it!¡¯ Nyx snaps. ¡®I wanted you to be ready.¡± Alpha Dane murmurs. Hebs a strand of my hair behind my ear. ¡°As much as I love this darkness in you. You have to be ready. We don¡¯t know what they will throw at us.¡± I stare at him, feeling the heat of the mes behind me. Maybe this was the only way. I will always have your back.¡¯ Nyx murmurs I push Alpha Dane away as I take a step back. "I, Neah Kitson, ept my position as Alpha of the Lycans of Moonshine. Something rigs-through my body, surging froma.the tips of my toes to the tips ofniy fingers. It isn''t painfub like befote shifting. It felt like. > clectroity, coursing through my. veinsIt feels powerful. For abrief second, I feel nstoppape ¡®Content belongs to ? My heart beats.so loudly that it makes my b¨¦dy vibrate. Voices echo in my head, Sounds of anger, = <> annoyaniee, all shouting at me. Nyx workshard to shut them down blocking out each individual antil I hear a familiar voice. Content belongs to ?This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We areing for you. Chapter 0105 Chapter 0105 Neah I hadn¡¯t heard Trey¡¯s voice since the day we returned to Moonshine. It sends a cold shiver down my spine when it rattles through my head. My body involuntarily trembles at his words because every word had always inflicted fear. ¡°You hear them?¡± Alpha Dane asks quietly? I nod, ¡°Alp......" I trail off when he cocks his eyebrow at me ¡°Equals.¡± He mutters. ¡°You can¡¯t go around calling everyone Alpha, Beta or whatever now.¡± His lips curve up. ¡°You are far past that. You are an Alpha ¡°D....Dane,¡± I splutter. It sounded so weird, and wrong rolling off my tongue without the Alpha in front of it. ¡°Nyx is shutting them out. But Trey broke through. They areing.¡± I turn back around to look at the body that is engulfed in mes. The bones had almost been licked clean, and the sneaking idea of doing the same to Trey and Cassandra pops into my head. I wanted to make them feel every inch of pain that I had felt. Burning them alive might just work. I didn''t feel like that little shy girl anymore. I knew Dane was listening to my thoughts, he always did when I went quiet or when I was deep in thought. His hand catches mine, his fingers quickly lace with mine, locking us together. He leans in close "As much as I want to fuck you right now, we need to go and prepare.¡± He seemed to love this weird dark side of mine that creeps in. Dane pulls me through the forest at a quick pace. His eyes constantly move to make sure we were not heading into danger. We break through the trees, back into the main pack area. us is heading straight towards us. His arms swinging by his side with a force that seems to be propelling him ¡°Jenson has broken his back in two ces. He will probably be out for the rest of the day.¡± He tells Dane as hees to a stop. Yet his deep green eyes keep flickering to me. Did he know? ¡°Two ces?¡± Dane confirms us nods his head. His usual bun has been pulled out and his long dark hair hangs around his face, making him look murderous. ¡°He will be out for a while yet.¡± His eyes move down to our interlocked hands, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you deal with the body?¡± Dane nods, ¡°They areing. We don¡¯t know when, but they will being. Jenson was right. us''s green eyes settle on me properly ¡°You''ve epted, haven''t you? That''s how you know they areing.¡± I slowly nod my head at him, because he didn¡¯t sound happy when he asked me the question. It felt almost like an usation ¡°What''s wrong, us?¡± Dane questions ¡°Nothing, I.... I''m just surprised, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Surprised? ¡°After everything that has happened. I guess I didn''t expect....,¡± he frowns. ¡°I guess I didn''t expect it to happen.¡± He is hiding something.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. I agree, the flickery eyes gave him away. ¡°Just tell us!¡± Dane snaps as he loses his patience He sighs,"Fhe reason I came to find. you before we were called to the. forest. Was because I managedto find.out more about the one who died on their third binding.¡±.Content belongs to ~~ ¡°And?N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Maybe we should do this inside.¡± ¡°Here is fine.¡± Dane snaps, annoyed with how long it is taking us to tell us whatever it is he has found out. He looks around, checking to see if we were alone and I find myself doing the same. His actions were making me nervous. ¡°They tried binding her after she became Alpha. That''s what killed her. If they get their hands on you..... ¡°You think they will bind me and it will kill me?¡± I mutter. Nothing is ever simple, is it?¡¯ Nyx groans us lets out a heavy sigh and nods ¡°That''s not gaing to happen.¡± Dane stares at us. ¡°Do you think I''m going to let her out of my sight long enough for them to grab her?¡± Did he just-forget that I left the house ony own? Or that Raven and I went into the forest without him? keep my mouth shut, now wasrot the time to say something stepid ~ ¡° "Well, no. It''s just, there was talk of how stupid this Trey is. What if it¡¯s all an act? Devon kept saying that ~ Trey wasstupid, that Cassandra was behind it all. If you think akout it, it''s probably both of them. What if they just want us to believetthat one isAveaker than the other. Content belongs to Chapter 0106 Chapter 0106 Dane is scowling and I have a headache brewing. ¡°It makes you nervous?¡± Dane mutters ¡°Of course it does.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. I raise an eyebrow at us. He was tall and wide like most of the men here. Though he wasn''t like the others. Preferring to be shut away reading and researching. I don¡¯t think I''ve even seen him training with the others. There was a moment where I questioned Dane about us really being a Wolf. He reassured me that us went on every pack run and had done so since he had been in ck Shadow. ¡°You were bullied.¡± I mumble remembering what I had been told. ¡°You never knew when something wasing and that''s why this is making you nervous.¡± His deep green eyes lock with mine. I knew my words rang true. ¡°I like you, Neah. I don''t want to see anything bad happen to you.¡± Tell him it won''t.¡¯ Nyx murmurs I repeat her words and us sighs, like he doesn¡¯t believe it. His green eyes slowly move up to Dane. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± The news of me epting my position travels thick and fast. Dane was inundated with questions and spent most of the afternoon andte evening in talks with his pack. He had pulled them back from the forest, insisting everyone gets a decent amount of rest and to fuel up while they can. We didn''t know when they would attack, we just knew they would. So Dane was telling them to sleep while they could. Though he was expecting a lang night. It was almost midnight when I¡¯m pulled from my sleep. Panic tears through me, this was it, this was happening ¡°Jensons awake.¡± Dane mutters to me. He flicks on the light, almost blinding my tired eyes. "He wants to speak with you.¡± ¡°I thought we were being attacked." My hand is pressed to my chest ¡°Come!¡± Dane grabs my hands. pulling me up into a seated position. He is already moving to the closet to pull out clothes for me. We trudge across the grounds to the hospital and I couldn''t help but notice how many Wolves were awake and moving around at this hour ¡°What are they doing?¡± ¡°Prepping the pups. ¡°You are letting the pups fight?" I ask in shock, disgusted by the idea. ¡®No, it wort-be safe here for them >. and I need to preserve my pack. The elder Wolves are taking them to> another location until it is safe to return.¡± Content belongs tay 7 I breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Jess too?¡± ¡°That will be up to Jess. She is still an emotional wreck. And technically not part of this pack.¡± It wasn''t what I wanted to hear. I wanted to know that she was going to be kept safe. She had been thrown into a life that she didn''t deserve. He presses his hand against my lower back, guiding me towards the hospital. I could hear Jenson talking before we even opened the doors. He was demanding that Raven let him out. ¡°You are not fully healed yet!¡± Raven snaps at him as we enter the hospital. ¡°Besides, you wanted to see Neah and she is here.¡± As soon ast step into his room, =~ Jenson''sdark eyes lock with mine: He doesn''t speak. Had they told¡± him2Did he know that I had epted my position? Content belongs to ~ He knows.¡¯ Nyx mutters Seconds pass where no one speaks and yet it feels like hours. His dark eyes remain on me as if he was trying to figure something out. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Dane asks him. ¡°It depends. How close are you willing to let them get?" The idea of me being bait was changing. I knew it was me he was talking about. It''s what they were after. Dane searches my face before returning his gaze to his brother. ¡°If they get close enough to touch her, you better be prepared for the aftermath. There was thatwarning tone again. Low but spiked full of danger. A personal warning to Jenson that if> his n f fails, Dane will kill him. re almostscared me about how far he waswwilling to go to protect n me. Almost. Chapter 0107 Chapter 0107 Dane ¡°But...¡± ¡°It''s not negotiable!¡± I snarl at my brother. There was no way on this that I was going to send my mate to her own death. ¡°Dane, you brought me back here for this very reason!¡± ¡°There has to be another way! I was grateful that Raven had convinced Neah to go for a walk with her. She didn''t need to hear Jenson and I arguing. Because knowing her, she would probably agree to his insane idea ¡°They will know, Jenson. They won''t be stupid enough to think that I¡¯ve abandoned her. They will wait, they will know that some of us linger. They will know that I will not leave her unattended!¡± ¡°That''s precisely why it will work.¡± If he wasn¡¯t lying in a hospital bed, he would be feeling the full force of my fist. ¡®You were the one who wanted to bring him back!¡¯ Aero mutters ¡°Sometimes, the best ns are the most obvious.¡± Jenson sighs while refusing to look at me ¡°Well find another fucking way!¡± I drop into the chair next to his bed. I don''t know why, but I expected better from my brother. Surely he knew that I was not willing to y with Neahs life ¡°Just hear me out, will you?¡± He snaps back at me. I wave a hand for him to continue knowing full well my answer would still be no ¡°You can link her, right?¡± He asks. ¡°Obviously. ¡°She won''t be alone. We send her into the forest, while the pack picks the Lycans off.¡± ¡°No. I am not sending her anywhere alone!¡± We were going around in fucking circles, my patience is barely hanging on by a thread. Why couldn¡¯t he get it into his head that this was not an option? ¡°Then I''m out of ideas, Dane because you didn''t like the first n either. Thesebastards won''t be easy to take dgwa: We don''t know what. kind of naibe s they have. We have no idearow many they have turned. Fo atte know, there could be thousands making their way towards us as we speak."¡°He rubs his temples. ¡°Some could be as young as that kid at Eric¡¯s house. Because they can shift at what...thirteen?" He pulls faces as he shifts in the bed. ¡°You are right.¡± I mutter. "We don¡¯t know how many they haveing and look at you. One big fucker took you down.¡± He bares his teeth at me. ¡°I was protecting your mate.¡± ¡°Evidently!¡± I snort. ¡°she was the one who killed it.¡± The colour drains from his face. ¡°Raven said it was you and us. I shake my head at him. "Not only has Neah epted being an Alpha, she fully shifted. Killing it the way she killed that other prick. The only thing I did was burn the body.¡± ¡°She went for the heart again, didn''t she?¡± ¡°There¡¯s noing back from a pierced heart.¡± I muse. Twice now and the only thing she went for each time was-the heart. Throats are_> what most Wolves go for. It was almest like it was ingrained inher what to do. 6 I rise from my seat. ¡°If they manage to get their hands on her, she won''t survive.¡± ¡°Don''t they want her for an heir?"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°It''s different now. She''s exactly wha she is supposed to be and if they find someone to bind her again. She won''t survive. Every road points to her death, Aero and I refuse to let that happen.¡± He looks me dead in the eye, ¡°So put a fucking pup in her!¡± ¡°We have had this conversation.¡± I mutter tirelessly. It just didn¡¯t seem to be getting through to him I have told you time and time again. Your brother is stupid.'' Aero shakes his head ¡°No.¡± Jenson pushes himself up a little more. Screwing his nose up. ¡°You are not following what I''m saying. They only have to believe she is carrying your heir. And so does everyone else.¡± ¡°You want to win this war by lying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying, allis fair in war. It''s not like it''s the worst thing we would have ever done.¡± His dark eyes sh around the room as though searching for someone who might be listening. "y them at their own game. Isn''t it what they have-always done? I mean, they.8 avade her believe that she was one of us. We can callin I every sirigle pack that you havea ne loyal contract with. Because the Lycans won''t just be targeting her, they will be targeting your_pup. "He pops the final p before adding, ¡°She doesn''t have to be anywhere near the fight. They just need to believe it.¡± Chapter 0108 Chapter 0108 ¡°And if they attack in the next few hours?¡± My eyes flicker up to the clock on the wall He follows my gaze to the clock. ¡°They would be stupid to attack now knowing that you have done exactly what I said. If they know anything, they won''t attack when there is a chance that everyone is fully rested. ¡°I need to speak to her first.¡± I mutter. Neah isn''t the greatest of liars. If I could see through it, then something tells me Trey or Cassandra will to. ¡®I''m telling you. If you want to keep her safe and away from whatever is going to happen, then this is the way.¡± He watches me get to my feet. "If you see my twin, can you send her in? I roll my eyes. ¡°She won''t let you out until she knows you are healed.¡± ¡°A Wolf has got to try.¡± Raven and Neah are sitting on the small bench outside, deep in conversation about something. They beth fall silent as I approach. ¡°He wants to see you.¡± I mutter to Raven ¡®I''ve already told him no. I know him, he will go straight back out there.¡± She shakes her head and storms inside, ready toy down thew with Jenson. Neah is quiet. slowly picking at the wooden bench and avoiding my eyes. ¡°You are doing it again.¡± I murmur, sitting where Raven had sat. ¡°Raven told me.¡± ¡°Did she now? She certainly has a habit of doing that.¡± I frown, she hadn¡¯t been inside when Jenson and I had spoken of the n. ¡°What exactly did she say?" ¡®I would be in the forest..... jo." I cut her off before she has a chance to finish and pull her in against me. ¡°Not a chance. But there is another idea of Jenson''s that I need to see if you are okay with.¡± She tilts her head to one side, the moon reflects off of her blue eyes, reminding me of a time my father took the three of us to a crystal clearke That was thest time I saw my father and my step mother. ¡°Not here.¡± I had no idea how she was going to react and I didn¡¯t need or want the attention. She won''t agree to it.'' Aero mumbles. I have to try.¡¯ We head back to the house, barely stopping to speak to those around us. She sits infer usual spotinthe office, putting her legs up to her ~ chest. Her messy dark hair falls around her face and she quickly tucks it back behind her eais. Her eyes grow wider and wider as ~ she listens to me exin Jenson''s¡± idea. AS I finish talking, she blinks a few i times and looks at me asif I''m crazy, . - ¡°You.....you want to put your pup in me? I thought....1 thought we were going to wait a year? ¡°That was the contract you wanted. I personally think we are long past that.¡± I cock a brow in amusement, but she doesn¡¯t see it that way. She snorts and blinks a few more times, only for the blue to steadily get darker. She was talking to Nyx or Nyx was at the surface.This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡®I can''t.¡± She mutters, keeping her gaze low. ¡°I''nfnot ready for that. I''m twenty twosThe only ces I have. ever peed are here, Moonshine and the cit hich I only went to onse. Still cart read properly and I - defini etly can''t write. What Kind of a raother would that make me?!¡± She shakes her head, ¡°I¡¯m Sorry. I can''t¡± ¡°In that case, you will need to lie.¡± I keep my focus on her, trying to read her ¡°Huh? I can¡¯t lie about something like that.¡± Her eyes meet mine with a deep scowl. When I don¡¯t reply. She leans back, tilting her head over the backrest, eyes fixating on the ceiling. ¡°He thinks it''s the only other way?¡± ¡°Yes. Other packs who owe me will join the cause.¡± ¡°Because they will think I''m carrying your heir.¡± I ned. ¡°I can''t make a decision like that, Alph.....Dane.¡± Told you.¡¯ Aero muses. He loved it when he was right. ¡°Look at me.¡± I order. Her face slowly turns to mine. ¡°This way, you live.¡± Chapter 0109 Chapter 0109 Neah He''s saying that we are going to die.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. I couldn''t tell if she was angry or amused. Either way, she sounds....content. ¡°I may becking in certain areas, but I know exactly what he means!¡¯ I snap at her She sighs, ¡®We will have pups eventually. He is our mate. We are bonded to him. We might as well.¡¯This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Her words don''t reassure me as I make my way back to the bedroom. In fact they just make me more anxious. ¡®Exactly.¡¯ I snap, ¡®Eventually!¡¯ Then lie! I''m rubbish at lying!¡± Nyx falls inte silence. She had quickly learned when to back off, knowing that her words were falling on deaf ears. It was easier to think when I couldn''t hear voices. Easier to get caught up in my own words as I try to figure things out. Iugh to myself as I drop on the bed, still fully dressed. If it wasn''t for Dane, I would have thought the voice would be a sign of me losing my marbles. My eyes move to the clock, it was almost four in the morning. I was exhausted and something told me it was going to be a long day. Barely keeping my eyes open and rolling onto my stomach. I close my eyes, just a few hours. that was all I needed. Screams echo around me. People are running and shouting for help all while I just stood there, watching, caught in themotion. As someone moves, blood-caked facese into view. My parents. My stomach plummets and my lungs shrink. My heartbeat is so loud it rattles through my head. I wanted to go to them, but I couldn''t move, my feet superglued to the floor. Their names don¡¯t even leave my tongue as I try to call out to them There¡¯s pure chaos around me and tears begin to burn my retinas until I see him. Trey, hiding in the shadows. A smile so big it made him look scary. He watches them, hidden from sight, he had been waiting for this. Fingers curl around my wrist until I''m being dragged away. ¡°She poisoned them!¡± ¡°Get her out of here!¡± ¡°Neah! What did you do?¡± I stare into Cassandra¡¯s eyes. No emotion behind them as she pulls me away from the nightmare. I look up at her, but not as a child, but as the woman I''ve be. ¡°Stupid girl!¡± Her hand slices across my face. She says something else too, but I hear Dane calling me. How was he here? My face tums in all directions, looking for the source. Cassandra¡¯s painted talons grip my face, squeezing my chin and forcing me to look at her. ¡°Neah, wake up! Neah, you are having a nightmare!¡± I gasp as I''m ripped from the memory. My lungs seem to fight the oxygen that¡¯s trying to fill them. My heart races and I feel beads of sweat running down my face. ¡°You''re okay. You are safe.¡± Dane whispers It....It wasn''t a nightmare. It was...a.... memory?¡± I couldn''t be sure if it was, what if I was just seeing what I wanted to see? What if my own subconscious is ying tricks on me. ¡°Your parents?¡± He asks quietly, I ned, tugging my sweat drenched top off. ¡°I think....I think Trey was there that night. But I can¡¯t be certain.¡± Dane asks me to run through it with him while pulling me against him. His fingersb through my sweaty hair and not once does he interrupt me. ¡°Is it just my mind, or do you think it''s a piece I forgot? ¡°You said it was like you were seeing it through adult eyes? There is a good chance hat the memory is right. Aspups, we tend to see what we way At''to see, blocking out what we don¡¯ deem as important. But nevertheless, it is still thereand stil present.¡± They were the reason I never got to grow up with loving parents. And why? All to be in a position of power one that neither of them were entitled to. ¡°I want them dead, Dane.¡± I want to see the blood pour from their eyes just as it did my parents. I wanted to be thest thing they see as their life fades away. But it would mean that I needed te lie, or I needed to let him put a pup in me. Either option felt wrong. It will keep us alive.¡¯ Nyx whispers ¡°They will be dead soon enough.¡± Dane murmurs in my ear He kisses my cheek, slowly moving down to my. neck. His teeth graze over my skin as he nips at my flesh and a quiet groan leaves my throat. He slowly moves down the bed, his lips a trail over my skin, leaving.spikes of-electricity that make my-fipples Hatden. Content belongs.to Taking one in his mouth, his tongue flicks over the top, making it impossibly harder when suddenly he bites down, sending a strange new wave of pleasure through me. As his eyes sh up at me, locking onto mine, I knew exactly what he was doing. He was taking the choice away from me and I didn¡¯t want to stop him I feel the warm trickle of blood leak down the side of my tit. His tongue works fast to capture any drops before he repeats the process with my other nipple. The bite was harder the second time around, his teeth sank deeper like when he had''marked me.lgasp which seems to make him suck ~ harder-My hands lock in his dark: hair as¡¯ arch my back, forcing. my nipple deeper into his moutk while ray panties be moresand more drenched. Chapter 0110 Chapter 0110 A hand cups my wet spot, a finger slides back and forth over the fabric, teasing my need His lips m against mine as he forces me to taste my own blood. I grind myself against his hand, desperate for more than a grope. I feel him smile against my lips as his fingers move to my waistband He lifts my ass from the bed and quickly removes the joggers along with my soaked panties. His lips make their way up my inner thigh and his tongue quickly finds my clit, My head throws itself back as I let out a long low moan as his teeth mp down on my swollen spot. I grind my pussy against his face knowing that he was going to be covered in my juices as the spasms start to take over. He doesn''t stop. His tongue is quickly apanied with his finger, bringing me to an explosive orgasm. Before I have a chance to do anything. he flips me over, pulling my legs over his shoulders until he buries his tongue in my wet spot again ¡°Oh Dane.¡± I moan as his tongue flicks against my clit from the new angle. My thighs mp around his head, I didn¡¯t want him to stop as my body spasmed against him ¡°I want you to sit on my cock.¡± He mutters as the orgasm leaves me blissful Turning to face him, he already had it out. His hand runs up and down the length of it as he watches me. It seemed bigger, almost wider. Dane pulls me towards him until I''m straddling hisp, the tip of his hardened length already pressing against my hole. He grabs my chin, forcing my gaze on his. ¡°Slow,¡± I lower myself and it¡¯s tight, tighter than it had ever been before. ¡°Slower!¡± He mutters through gritted teeth, pulling my face towards his. "I want to make sure I put a pup in you.¡± The moment I hit his base, he seems to swell more, locking us together. I couldn¡¯t move even if I wanted to. His cock is buried so deep in me, I was certain I could feel it in my stomach. His lips trail across my jaw and a hand locks in my hair, pulling my head back. His tongue flickers over the mark he gave me and secondster I feel his teeth again, sinking deep into my flesh. A moan creeps out of my throat and the moment he hears it, his teeth sink deeper still. He thrusts up into me, a mixture of pain and pleasure tears through my body, catapulting me into pure happiness. As his teeth retract, I fall forward against his chest, unable to keep myself up right. He quickly turns us over, resting himself on his elbows so his full weight isn''t crushing me. As his eyes lock with mine, he thrusts into me. ¡°Again?¡± I whisper. my insides already throbbing. ¡°I told you, I need to be certain.¡± It was hours before he let me out of that bedroom. He had so much determination, it was like he was the one in heat and I was going to feel the results for days. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear about you having sex with my brother!¡± Raven whines covering one of her ears as she hands me an ice pack. I slide it between my thighs, grateful for the relief as I sit down. ¡°I''m not telling you about that. I just need to know if it worked.¡± It''s too early te-tell. Just be grateful that Trey ancthis crew haven''t attacked. 4t means there is more of a chance. of him getting you S pregnant.¡± She peers up at me?ver her soffee. ¡°What made you change your mind?¡± & ¡°It wasn¡¯t a change of mind. I just.....¡± It sounded really stupid. "I couldn''t make the choice between lying and just getting pregnant. I let Dane take control.¡± ¡°Hmm, well, it would happen eventually, right?¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°That''s what Nyx said. But what if it doesn¡¯t work? ¡°Never in the universe of Wolves has it failed.¡± I feel my heart plummet ¡°I¡¯m not a Wolf. And Lycans are a dying breed. There is apse of silence. Raven was lost for words and every time she opened her mouth, the words would disappear. ¡®I''m not.... I''m not trying to be negative, but we do need to look at the facts. Nyx is ufortably silent too and that was not helpful ¡®There''s signs before it willeven ~ show ora scan.¡± Raven mutters. ¡®Your scent, it will alter slightly to compensate for the extra hormones. Your mood might change." ¡°Content belongs to ~ I almost snorted, she didn¡¯t hear the dark thoughts I had that always seemed to pop up and surprise me. ¡°You will pee more. Uh, some of the womenin of sore boobs. And then there is the obvious one. No period. It''s just a waiting game.¡± "A waiting game.¡± I murmur. Knowing that Dane wouldn''t settle for that. He was already getting antsy abou Trey not fact ithad been so qui seena Lycan. And that set me on edge more than anything. Content b¨¦longs to ? Chapter 0111 Chapter 0111 Dane ¡°Look, it''s down to you. ¡°Jenson mutters. ¡°All the elderly and youngsters have relocated. ¡®It''s been a week!¡± I snap. I was fully expecting Trey to have attacked by now. Yet there was nothing, no stray Lycans, no threats, nothing. I didn''t like it ¡°They can sweep the forest again.¡± Jenson suggests. ¡°They are looking in the trees?¡± He snorts, "Of course, we are not making that mistake again. My eyes move to the calendar on the wall. The next full moon was looming. ¡°You think they will attack then?¡± Eric murmurs. He had been quiet. listening to me and my brother¡¯s heated discussion ¡°When are we most likely not going to be here?¡± I sigh, ¡°It''s exactly what Devon did. He waited until we were gone. He took out the few guards I had stationed around the house. He almost took Neah.¡± The very thought of almost losing her that night made me sick to my stomach. ¡°Others should have arrived by then.¡± Jenson tells me. We have put in the call.¡± ¡°They will need to run too.¡± ¡°Then I will stay with her.¡± Jenson offers. Eric and I stare at him. I still didn¡¯t like the idea of him being alone with my mate. Only now, I was certain Neah would be able to defend herself, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted her to kill my brother. ¡°You need to run too. The moonlight empowers us.¡± He slowly neds his head at me. ¡°But I don¡¯t need it as much as you. You are the Alpha. you need to lead the pack and I am an excellent fighter.¡± ¡°One Lycan took you down.¡± Eric muses Aero''sugh rattles in my skull at Eric''s words. ¡®It¡¯s the same each and everytime.¡¯ ¡°Hey, I was trying to defend Neah and my sister!¡± Jenson scowls at Eric ¡°Out of all of us, and after you,¡± he points at me. ¡°I am the next best thing.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Eric cocks an eyebrow, ¡°You want to test that theory.¡± ¡°OUTSIDE! Jenson yells. At least once ayear this happens. And each and-every time, I let it y out because. Jenson needed ¡° reminding that he was skilled in 1 the tac icssOF war, but not the fighting. Stil .¨¦nson could never ept it. Healways had to try and prove Hifnself Content belongs.to I follow them gut the house and watch them square up to each other. I roll my eyes as they begin to. move in ati rcle. Eric had his hands in his pockets, moving around like this was the most bored he had ever been: While Jenson is crouched, teying to choose his perfeet moment to attack. ¡°If I win, I get to babysit the Luna!¡± Jenson snaps. ¡°Alpha.¡± Eric muses. ¡°If you win, you get to PROTECT the Alpha.¡± I watch my brother roll his eyes and I knew that would annoy Eric more. Jenson charges at Eric and Eric simply side steps. Jenson skids on the grass and quickly turns lunging at Eric. It was like watching a kids cartoon, where the younger one never got their way. They end up wrestling on the grass when I pick up my mate''svender scent. Shees to a stop next to me. ¡°What...what are they doing? ¡°Deciding who is going to keep an eye on you on the next full moon I feel her blue eyes on me. ¡°Don''t worry, it will be Eric. ¡°Then why are you letting them fight?" I hear the rm in her voice. ¡°Jenson does this all the time. He likes to try and challenge Eric or myself. He never wins.¡± I mutter just as Eric nts a fist on the bridge of my brother¡¯s nose. ¡°It''s easier to let them battle it out. I pull Neah¡¯s hack against my chest, locking my afms around her and resting m ands on her stomach. . Everyday ad fucked her, filling her with my-seed and there still wasn''t a change in her scent to signal1 that shes carrying my pup. Raven had tetd me the same as whatshe had told Neah, that it¡¯s still too early to tell. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I whisper in her ear as she watches the fight. ¡°Sore.¡± There was a warning in her tone. A warning not to try anything today. She tilts her head back to look up at me. Her eyes are almost pitch ck. It was more than a warning, it was a threat.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I hold back the chuckle bubbling in my throat and kiss her forehead. If Nyx thinks she can threaten me on Neah''s behalf, she better think again Kissing her again, I keep my mouth shut, but my eyes probably told her everything she needs to know. I don''t take kindly to threats. Her attention goes back to the men who are still wrestling. Jenson was a little bloody and the blood that was on Eric was also Jenson''s. Not a single bruise coloured Eric¡¯s skin. ¡°Guys that''s enough. You''ve been going at this long enough.¡± Chapter 0112 Chapter 0112 Eric pins Jenson down, sitting on his chest with his knees dug into Jensons shoulders. ¡°Do you give up?¡± Jenson bares his teeth, ¡°Never.¡± Eric digs his knees in more and Jenson winces but he still tries fighting back. I had to give it to him, he wasn¡¯t someone who backed down from a fight. ¡®I''m sorry Jenson. You lost.¡± I call out He thumps the ground with his fist and rxes. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Happy?¡± I whisper to Neah She nods her head and whispers. ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± Her hand links with mine and she pulls me to the house and into my office. Her hand drops from mine and she sits in her usual spot, only this time: she doesn''t pull her legs up to her chest. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°There is a w in your n.¡± She doesn¡¯t hold back. ¡°You said and Raven said that you would be able to scent that I''m pregnant, that my hormones will change.¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°What about the guests? They will be able to tell that I''m not.¡± ¡°We still have a couple of days. ¡°And if I¡¯m still not?¡± ¡°Then we tell them your Lycan half is masking your scent.¡± I lean against my desk, watching her. ¡°Who would have thought that you would be concerned that you are not carrying my heir?¡± Exactly two dayster, I smell the subtle changes in hervender scent. Neah was curled up asleep, hugging a pillow as I showered. The moment I turned the water off, I could smell the change. Walking over to her, I was half tempted to wake her and tell her the news. Instead I settle for sliding my hand between her and the pillow and resting it on her t stomach, enjoying that I was the first to know. ¡®Well, it finally happened.¡¯ Aero muses. ¡®Years we have been waiting for this.¡± I agree, but I also internally sigh. ¡®It was a pregnancy of convenience.¡¯ Doesn''t matter. It is still our pup. Neah will be a great mother, if anything, her past trauma will make sure of that.¡¯ I hope you are right.¡¯ Pulling the nket up around her, I quickly dress. Raven would be the first that I would tell, after all, she is the pack doctor and my baby sister. ¡°You have to tell him.¡± I hear Raven as I push the door open ¡°He is your brother!¡± us¡¯s wordse out in a rushed whisper. ¡°And he is our Alpha. It doesn''t matter who tells him, he needs to know.¡± ¡°I need to know what? Both of them jump, which makes it even more infuriating. They would have done well if one of Trey''s assholes had crept up on them. ¡°Well? ¡°You need to see for yourself.¡± Raven mutters, scurrying around the station. She grabs my hand, and leads me to the room at the far end. "I don¡¯t know how to help her.¡± ¡°Her?¡± She pushes open the heavy door and I¡¯m hit bythe smell of iron. Blood sttered the walls, floor, the, door andthe cupboards. Sat in the cornerrecking, is a naked Jess Deep.wounds littered her arms, > face, and Body. They were slow ta theal, rast likely because her body was tired. ¡°Eric left her with mest night.¡± us mutters. ¡°She cut her finger opening a tin. She watched it heal and just fucking lost it.¡± "She keeps¡¯shifting, and ripping into herself with her ws.¡± Raven <> whispers: "As soon as she is healed, she does it all over again. I can''t get nearher to sedate her. Putticy her in here I is alll could do.¡± Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me know sooner?¡± Raven''s eyes shift to us. ¡°Well, uh, you have been a little preupied. She was referring to me trying to get Neah pregnant. ¡°You should have told me, both of you! Get me a nket!¡± Raven runs out into the hallway andes back with several nkets. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Leave me.¡± ¡°But Dane.....¡± ¡°Leave me.¡± The door closes behind me. I quietly move towards Jess. Crouching down, I wrap the nket around her. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay, you are safe.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. She continues to rock, seemingly oblivious te my presence. Grabbing a cloth, I begin to clean the blood from her face and she stills. Her hands clutch the nket tightly. ¡®I''m a monster.¡± she whispers. jo.¡± I state it simply and clearly. ¡°You are a kid who has been thrown into the unknown. Why didn¡¯t you leave with the others?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to run.¡± "But you wantto hurt yourself?¡± I was so grateful that Neah hadn''t gone down this path, something <> tells me ¡ì She would have done a let more than just w at her skinw Especially when she has a habit of gairig for the heart. Content belongs to 4 ¡°Death would be better.¡± ¡°Yours or the people that did this to you?¡± Chapter 0113 Chapter 0113 Dane. ¡°Why is this happening to me?¡± Jess asks me quietly. Her blue eyes are wide as she stares at me. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°As much as I hate to say it, you were just in the wrong ce at the wrong time.¡± "Right." Her voice is hollow and she blinks back the tears "We can help you." ¡°Why do you even care?¡± I hear the resentment in her question. ¡°Because my mate was just like you. She wasn¡¯t changed, but she was lied to and made to believe she was something else her entire life. When Neah found out the truth, she called herself a monster too. ¡°Right.¡± She didn''t believe me ¡°You should spend more time with her. Come stay in the packhouse. Eric is there most of the time anyway, especially now his boys have left with their grandparents.¡± Her eyebrows knit together, and thankfully the tears have stopped. ¡°You...you won''t hurt me?¡± I smile, I had no intention of hurting a kid. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Can you find out if my family are okay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She sighs. ¡°What will happen to me? ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You said that I wouldn¡¯t be able to see my family again. You said you were a Wolf even though you look like a Vampire from the tv shows. You said I''m a Lycan, so where do I go? ¡°I suggest that you stay here, be a permanent member of the pack. You will be safe, you will be protected. You will have to learn what it''s like to live here. We have expectations.¡± She nods her head at me, her red hair swaying around her face. ¡°One of those being that you don''t intentionally hurt yourself.¡± She hadn''t just been covered in w wounds. Her arms were covered in old scars too. Ones that happened before she was tumed. A pink tinge creeps up her cheeks and she nods her head at me. ¡°Follow me.¡± I mutter, rising to my feet. She follows me from the blood sttered room. keeping her eyes low. ¡°Jess,¡± I murmur, stopping by my sister and us. ¡°You already know us, but this is my younger sister, Raven.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Raven asks Jess nods her head and continues to keep her eyes low and her lips pressed together. ¡°I¡¯m taking her to the packhouse.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I could hear my sisters concern.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Yes. Neah is the only one who can give her the advice she needs.¡± Raven doesn''t answer, her dark eyes remain on Jess. She didn¡¯t trust her, not in the slightest. I don''t me her after the Devon incident. In the packhouse. I show Jess around just like I had done with Raven. Her eyes are like saucers as she takes everything in ¡°You are not the only pack?¡± She asks as we move up the stairs. ¡°No." ¡°Are all the main houses like this?" ¡°I guess so. ¡°Are you like a millionaire? Like how deep are your pockets?¡± I cock an eyebrow at her. She really wasn''t afraid of asking questions. ¡°Right. Too personal, sorry.¡± I led her down to the end of the hallway. ¡°This will be your room. I called ahead already, there should be some clothes for you on the bed.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she whispers. She gasps as she steps into the bedroom. ¡°This....this is bigger than the ground floor of my home. Thank you.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I nce back down the hallway, towards my bedroom. Neah was stirring but something wasn¡¯t right. ¡°I just need to go check on Neah, will you be alright?¡± Jess nods her head at me as her eyes dart quickly around the room. Heading tomy bedroom, I find Neah sitting onthe edge of the bed. One hand gripped around one of the posts; Sweat dripped down her face andtsee she is fighting the urge to varnit. ... ¡° "I don''t feel good. ¡°she croaks. ¡° think Iveeaught.. ¡± she gags _ and runs ¡®Sto the door where the toilet is. Pulling her nair back from her facet gently rub her back, waiting forher to be done. Contentibelongs to¡° ¡° She sits back against my legs and lets out a tired sigh. ¡°You are not sick. Besides, we heal from standard illnesses. She pauses for a second, taking in my words and slowly tips her head back to look at me. ¡°You''re saying m, I scented it this morning when you were still sleeping.¡± Her eyebrows raise. ¡°It worked? ¡°Are you doubting my abilities? ¡°No....my own. Raven didn''t say anything about throwing my guts up!¡± Helping herto her feet, I guide her to therge-chair by the window. ¡°I¡¯ Ive moved-Jess into the house.¡± Idped it wauild take her mind off of how bactshe was feeling. Content belongs to ~ ¡°Oh...okay? She didn''t leave.¡± ¡°No. I went to find Raven. Her and us had Jess in one of the rooms at the hospital.¡± Chapter 0114 Chapter 0114 ¡°Is she okay?¡± ¡°No. She shifted.¡± I see Neah¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°In fact she has shifted multiple times. She tried hurting herself. And it¡¯s not the first time.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She is covered in scars, from before she was turned. Her arms and shoulders are littered with thin silvery lines. She hides it well, but I think there is more to her past than she shares. I want to keep an eye on her. And maybe you should spend some time with her. ¡°Me? ¡°She called herself a monster.¡± I wait for Neah to say something but she just slowly nods her head at me. ¡°She needs someone to look up to. Maybe you can be like a big sister to her, show her that it''s not all bad.¡± ¡°Not so mean after all?¡± she muses as I move to the basin to grab her a ss of water. ¡°Is that what you think?¡± I cock an eyebrow at her as I hand her the ss. She doesn''t respond. Instead she chooses to press her lips to the ss and I see a tiny curve at the corners that she is fighting to hide as she sips the water. ¡°There are people arriving today.¡± I remind her ¡°At least I don¡¯t have to lie now.¡± She smiles with her lips but it doesn¡¯t quite meet her eyes ¡°No, but you should be aware that many of these people won''t want to be here.¡± ¡°But they are contracted to do so?" Neah asks ¡°Yes, they also will not be afraid to make their feelings clear.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She sighs, ¡°What exactly does it say in the contracts? ¡°That they will protect any of my heirs at all costs.¡± ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Do you really want me to answer that?¡± Wrinkles appear on her forehead. She opens her mouth to say something, but the words disappear as she makes a beeline to the toilet. thrusting the ss into my stomach on her way. I wait for her to finish and when she looks at me, her skin has that same greyplexion as when I first met her. ¡°Nyx thinks something is wrong.¡± ¡®It¡¯s just theschange in your hormoneg: I''ve seen it happen before. "Though the grey skin worried me, I wasn¡¯t going to tell her thats¡®If it makes you feel better, we cargo and see Raven.¡± Content b¨¦longs to ~ ley, ¡°You''re still here?¡± I mutter to us as we walk into the pack hospital. ¡®I''ve been helping Raven clean the mess. Jess did quite a number.¡± he flicks through a trashy magazine that raven insisted on buying. ¡°Where is Raven? ¡°She went to change. Should be back in a minute. Is everything okay?¡± His eyes settle on Neah. ¡°You don''t exactly...... ¡ã He trails off when he sees my head shake and before Neah has a chance to say something, Ravenes hurtling in. ¡°us, can you head over to the house. Jess is in the room at the end of the hallway. Just keep an eye on her.¡± I instruct ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°You''re pregnant?¡± Raven asks as soon as the door is closed behind us. ¡°You have to be, otherwise you wouldn''t be here. Though I can¡¯t smell the changes yet.¡± ¡°Can you just check her over?¡± ¡®I''ve told you Bane. Nothing wi show up, notun il she is a few weeks along and even then it will be a tiny speck, if anything.¡± she turns to Neah and smiles, "All Ican ? suggest i is try to up your fluidNintake, if. you are feeling queasy.¡± Con ent belongs to ¡°It''s not normal for a Wolf.¡± The words tumble from my mouth in irritation from Aero pushing forward and before I even have a chance to think or force him back. ¡°She''s not a Wolf.¡± Raven snaps, folding her arms across her chest. ¡°Look I can do a scan, but right now, that is all I can offer and I''m telling you, it won''t show anything.¡±This is from N?velDrama.Org. She leads us ta.a bed and grabs a small machire, absentmindedly running the wand over Neah¡¯s > stomach¡ª¡¯To be honest Dane, I¡¯na3 little sufprised you cansmell o> anything. Most mates can''t tell until their partner is at least a m@nth af¨¦ng.¡± She suddenly stops, holding the little want in one position. ¡°Huh.¡± I see the panic in my mates eyes. ¡°What do you mean, huh?¡± Neah cries She fiddles with something on the side of the small monitor. A heartbeat echoes around the room followed by an extra beat. ¡°Neah, you are further along. Give or take six weeks. ¡°Lam?¡± "You didn''t know?¡± "No." ¡°What''s wrong with the heart beat?¡± I demand ¡°Nothing, it is just what it sounds like when a mother is carrying twins.¡± Chapter 0115 Chapter 0115 Neah ¡°Twins?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Raven smiles. ¡°Definitely.¡± She presses the little wand harder against my stomach as I stare up at the ceiling. Danes'' fingers curl around mine. I knew he was happy. I could feel it vibrating off of him. Twins?¡¯ I mutter to Nyx, hoping that she would understand my fear. I could barely look after myself let alone two pups. Look at him!¡¯ She mutters My eyes drift to Dane. He holds the small monitor in his free hand as Raven points out the growing pups. The biggest grin is stered on his face and his crimson eyes are bright. He¡¯s happy.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. ¡®We are not in this alone.¡¯ How? My body has been through so much. I can''t be six weeks.¡¯ I try to add up the dates in my head, but so much has happened since my first period that I am all turned around Nyx doesn¡¯t say anything. Did you know?" Silence. Nyx?" The forest.¡¯ she mutters quietly ¡®and our pups develop quicker.¡± Lycans, I''m carrying Lycans?¡¯ As much as that was who I am, I wanted nothing to do with them. Its too early to tell. But there is every ch , ¡°NO!¡± I climb off the bed, pulling my hand from Danes. Both Raven and Dane stare at me like I''m mad. ¡°Neah?" he tries to reach my wrist and I rip it out of reach. ¡°I need to think!¡± I snap a little harder than I intended as I barge past them Nyx starts trying to talk to me ¡°Shut up! Raven''s dark eyes are like saucers as they sh between me and Dane. ¡°Just, just give me some time.¡± I mutter, backing out the room. ¡°Neah?¡± Raven calls after me. I hear Dane telling her to let me go. To give me what I had asked for. ¡°Hey, you okay?¡± us asks as I fly through the doors that led back out onto the grounds ¡°I need to be alone. And I... I thought you were with Jess?¡± ¡°Eric¡¯s at the house. ¡°Right.¡± I huff ¡°Is being alone what you really want?¡± he gives me a small smile ¡°Maybe you just need someone else to talk to? Or vent too? Someone that is not your mate.¡± My eyes narrow at him for a second. ¡°Have you done any more research?¡± ¡°About you, you mean?¡± I nod ¡°I have some stuff at the house. But I¡¯m assuming you are talking about being pregnant?¡± ¡°You know?¡± He shrugs his shoulders. ¡°It wasn¡¯t. too hard: tO guess. You came to the hospital with no visual injuries. You onlytooked a little off and Dane was notlosing his temper.¡± Content belongs to ~~ ¡°What do the books say?¡± ¡°To be honest, not a lot. I inwardly sigh, it wasn''t what I wanted to hear. ¡°What does your Lycan have to say about it?¡± He quizzes ¡°That the pups develop faster.¡± ¡°You''re worried that the pup will be a Lycan?¡± ¡°Worse, that they both will be? It takes him a moment to realise I am telling him it¡¯s twins. His eyes widen at the realisation of my words. ¡®I have Trey and Cassandraing for me with who knows how many Lycans. Dane will be having guests arriving and....and ¡®It''s too much?¡± I nod my head, closing my eyes to fight the tears that were trying to leak out. ¡°For everything that those bastards have done to me, they don¡¯t deserve to live. But now, I might be bringing more into the world.¡± "And that scares you?¡± I ned ¡°They will be raised by you.¡± He gives me another small smile. ¡°That counts for something.¡± I knew the words were supposed to be reassuring, yet they nt more doubt in my mind Raised by me, it felt like some sort of universal joke. I see Erice out of the pack house, his hands firmly nted on Jess''s shoulders. He briefly looks around. Spotting me, he pushes Jess in our direction Her eyes afe low as theye to a stop in frent of us. I was too busy~ staring-at Jess''s hair to listen tothe mencoShe had taken a pair ofy scissors to it, and badly. Content belongs to ~~ Her eyes catch mine. ¡°I couldn''t get the blood out.¡± I was about to tell her I could fix it. I had learned to cut my own hair over the years, but Eric interrupts us to tell me that Danes guests had arrived Danees out of the hospital with force. Making the door ricochet 2 againstthe brick wall. It makes Jess jump.and her hand grabs mine. I could ear her heart beatingSo hard that I it hummed. ¡° This is from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 0116 Chapter 0116 ¡°Take her to the house.¡± Dane orders. All the men stare at me, waiting for me to move and take Jess back to the house. But for some reason, I had this burning need to ignore his instructions. I wanted to hear what his guests had to say about me. I wanted to see if they were disgusted by me. I didn¡¯t want to be kept in the dark like a dirty secret. ¡°No.¡± The single word rolls off of my tongue and Dane just stares at me. Had he listened to my thoughts?This is from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Jess, go to the house. Her hand squeezes more, her nails practically digging into my skin, she was afraid to be alone. ¡°No!¡± I had no idea where the confidence wasing from. Surely it couldn''t be hormones already? His crimson eyes darken and a faint whimperes from Jess as she slowly creeps behind me. ¡°If we dy them meeting me, they will suspect something. You did.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the same thing.¡± ¡°Isn''t it?¡± ¡°It''s toote anyway.¡± us murmurs. I nce up to see a group of Danes men leading six other men towards us. Jenson is at the front, talking to one of them. They were all big like the men here. I wasn''t sure what I expected really, but they all had that powerful aura surrounding them. Not as strong as Danes, yet still evident. It makes Jess shrink even more. And I was starting to regret not making her go to the house. She wasn''t prepared for this. ¡°Well Dane, we are here!¡± The first one mutters. His dark grey eyes find me and if I didn¡¯t feel the need to vomit, I would hold the re. ¡°Roan.¡± I hear Dane greet him as I empty my stomach once again ¡°There were a few of us wondering if you were speaking the truth. Especially with how long it has been since you have been trying to produce an heir. But now we can see it is obvious I hated his tone already. There was no friendship between the two men and that would likely be the same with the others. Contracts, that was the only reason why they were here. ¡°Well,¡± I snap. ¡°Then you will be pleased to hear that he is having twins.¡± Definitely hormones.¡¯ Nyx muses at my frankness and I see how Jenson smirks. ¡°You must be the mate.¡± Roan cocks an eyebrow at me and I notice how the others haven''t spoken. Why were they letting him do all the talking? ¡°This is Neah.¡± Dane introduces me Roan holds afhand out to me. When I don¡¯t take itheughs, a deep roaring cackle that makes me tenge up. I I feeless tense too. Right now, she was 18 probably regretting not: having left the pack with theothers when she had the chance. Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ? ¡°Suspicious. It makes a change.¡± His tongue ys with one of his canines as he stares at me. What was that supposed to mean? ¡°This one hasn''t tried running then?¡± He knew about the others. How long had he known Dane for? ¡°No and she is not going too.¡± Dane replies ¡°We shall see-NRoan smirks at me. ¡°It will be a [st easier to protect you if you don¡¯tge running off.¡± He shifts? his gaze¡®to Dane. ¡°Now tell me what we aredealing with. Your message was.cryptic and we all have the sarie question.¡± Conten belongs to NovelDrama.Org 4 We move to the house, taking a seat at the lone dining table that hadn''t been used since I had been here: Dane sits at the head and links me, telli alling me to take a seat to. his left. The men sit and I notice how Jess uses the moment to run off to her bedroom. Maybe that was for the best. Dane talks. He tells them almost everything except the bit about what I am and how they are turning people. ¡°Why the fuck would you need our help?¡± Roan pushes his chair back from the table. ¡°Your pack is huge inparison. Dane looks at me and nods his head. ¡®I''m....[''m not a Wolf.¡± I splutter Everyone¡¯s eyes are instantly on me. The only blonde haired man with them speaks ¡°You smell like a Wolf. I peered at the man that Dane had called Greg, ¡°I know.¡± I whisper ¡°What are you?¡± Roan demands ¡°Thest Lycan Alpha.¡± Chapter 0117 Chapter 0117 Dane It was amusing to hear her say it To finally announce who she was. Though I couldn''t tell if it was the growing pups giving her confidence or whether Roan genuinely annoyed her to make her snap at him. Either way, it didn''t matter. ¡°A Lycan Alpha?¡± Greg queries. ¡°What the hell is a Lycan?¡± He looks around at the other men who all look equally confused. Except Roan. Roan has his eyes are on my mate. And he looks at her in the same way Jenson used too. With a hunger to devour her. He can try.¡¯ Aero mutters I keep my mouth closed much to Aero''s annoyance. I wanted to beat Roan into the ground, but for now, it could wait. ¡°I am a monster.¡± I see the dark smile on Neahs face. I notice how dark her eyes are too, barely a blue rim is present. She was letting Nyx hover near the surface. ¡°And you are running from your pack?¡± Roan questions my mate. ¡°As I have already exined to you, no, she isn''t¡¯ I cut in. I was expecting more questions about her being a Lycan He bobs his head, ¡°So you are the reason humans are turning up with bite marks.¡± Roan rubs through the stubble on his chin. ¡°What are you talking about, Roan?¡± Greg asks Before Roan gets a chance to answer, my mate snaps at him. ¡°I am not biting anyone!¡± I hold my hand up to Neah as I turn to Roan. ¡°You''ve seen this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You''ve seen them shift?¡± ¡°Now that is something I haven''t been privy to. When they started showing up in the city, we dealt with them before things got out of control.¡± ¡°Your pack is in the city?¡± Neah asks confused ¡°Next city over. Ashburn City¡± Roan mutters like he expected her to know where that is. "My pack are more urban than you lot in ck Shadow.¡± I roll my eyes at him. What worked for him didn¡¯t work for everybody. ¡°When you say...you deal with them, you mean?¡± Neah asks quietly and I see how the ck fades and her eyes return to the usual blue. ¡°We kill them. ¡°You didn¡¯t think to tell me, Roan?¡± Greg snaps at him ¡°You are not anywhere near the situation. You married and became an Alpha elsewhere. Hundreds of miles away. We may be brothers, but we haven''t been close in over a decade.¡± My fist hits the table, ¡°Whatever you guys have got going on, it needs t6 be put aside. You all signed a ~ contract with me. I have held wp my end-when you needed me.¡± kSnap. ¡°New it''s time you did the same.¡± C¨¦ntent belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°There''s nothing about Lycans in it.¡± Greg murmurs. ¡°You are right, there isn¡¯t. But it does state that if there is a threat to my heirs, you will protect them with your lives.¡± ¡°They aren''t even born yet!¡± Greg grumbles. ¡°From the day of conception,¡± Roan rolls his eyes at his brother. ¡°We are contractually bound. Or are you prepared to tell your wife that you have just handed over your pack?¡± Roan questions his brother. They all turn to stare at my mate. Her eyes are low. I see how she takes slow, deep breaths, trying to keep herself from throwing up again. I don''t like the way she looks.¡¯ Aero tells me ¡°Neah, go get some rest.¡± I tell her ¡°I have questions!" Roan snaps ¡°And if all my attention is on my mate, I won''t be able to answer them! Neah practically runs from the room. Whether to escape the meeting or to vomit. I wasn¡¯t sure but this way, Roan wouldn''t be ogling my mate. Everyone¡¯s eyes are on me. ¡°Go on, ask!" I challenge, knowing that there was a single burning question on the tip of everyones tongue.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°What are they?¡± Greg asks ¡°It''s too early to tell.¡± I answer casually. ¡°What if they are like her?¡± Another asks ¡°They are stillny heirs.¡± I knew it was likely. She was developing faster thag the average Wolf, But I~ also knew the idea of them being Lycans Was guing my mates> thoughts. She hated the factthat they could be Lycans. She wanted th¨¦ Lycan line to end. Coyitent belongs to NovelDrama.Org Jenson and Eric were quiet, listening carefully to everyone''s words. Until Jenson snaps. ¡°We didn¡¯t call you here to discuss the heritage of the pups. You are here purely to hold up your end of the contract.¡± ¡°And when this is over, the contract ispleted?¡± Roan asks, ¡°We will be free?¡± Their lives won''t be worth living if something happens to our pups!¡¯ Aero growls I was doing this to keep my mate and my heirs safe. ¡°Yes.¡± I agree. ¡°The contract will bepleted.¡± The Alpha¡¯s exchange looks and finally. they all nod in agreement. They all wanted the same thing, to be free of owing me anything Chapter 0118 Chapter 0118 ¡°Just help me understand. You are the natural Alpha of Moonshine. why will they not bow to you?" Roan asks Neah. ¡°You have the power. I can feel it. it''s fucking strong!¡± The Alpha¡¯s had been here for two days and they still kept circling this question. Especially Roan. He was fascinated by the idea of a female Alpha and he always found a way to be present. Asking the same questions, trying to get a different answer. ¡°They don¡¯t believe in a female Alpha.¡± Neah replies, exasperated ¡°Yet, they still want you.¡± He leans against the wall. ¡°They are so desperate to get you that they are creating pricks that don''t know how te handle themselves.¡± She gently thumps her head against the desk, tired of the same questions, ¡°They want me because I will produce more Lycan Alpha''s for them. ¡°The two that are leading the campaign. The male is her uncle.¡± I tell him, ¡°the female is his mate. We believe they can''t have kids and that is why they kept Neah alive.¡± ¡°So you thought it was a good idea to put a pup in her?¡± He cocks a brow at me ¡°I did.¡± ¡°That''s ballsy. What if they try and keep one of the twins for themselves? You must see the w in that n, right? I know you, Dane. I know you have one of the best war nners in your pack, was this his idea or yours?¡± ¡°Does it matter? You are here to protect them.¡± ¡°It''s a dangerous game you are ying, Dane and you are putting all of our packs at risk.¡± Fucking idiot.¡¯ Aero mutters. He hated how Neah was being questioned. He hated how our word wasn''t good enough for the Alpha¡¯s. And he was bing desperate to get to the surface. I straighten up, ring at him as my tone drops. "It''s the least you can do, Roan. Especially after what we did for you." He takes notice of my warning ¡°Are you trying to draw them out, is this the idea?¡± "Yes. Though it''s been a little quiet since she killed one.¡± He looks over at Neah. ¡°There''s nothing to her. She really killed one?" "Two." I mutter with a smile. "She used her ws to tear out the first''s one heart. The second, she punctured it¡¯s heart. I follow his gaze. Neah¡¯s eyes are closed and she is resting her cheek on my desk. I was worried about her, she hadn''t eaten in days and even water was a struggle to keep down. Some of the others had noticed too. Though when they started asking questions, I shut them down. I decide to give her a couple more hours. If she was still struggling, then she will be going back to the hospital. ¡°Fucking crazy.¡± Roan mutters for what felt like the hundredth time. ¡°They would stand a much better chance if they had their true Alpha in ce. ¡°I know that. You know that. but for some reason, they think they know better.¡± ¡°And that (Ewhy they are dying out:~ Roan chuckles. ¡°No offence.¡± Hew smilesat Neah, and then frowns: ¡®Has¡¯she fallen asleep? You know that''s not normal right?¡± Content belongs to ~~Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Checking over Neah. I move her from my desk chair to the sofa. She doesn¡¯t stir,pletely out for the count ¡°You should get her looked at. ¡°Raven says it¡¯s early pregnancy stuff.¡± ¡°We both know that is not normal.¡± Roan cocks an eyebrow at me ¡°She''s a Lycan. None of us know what''s normal. She doesn¡¯t even know what normal is as they lied to her her entire life.¡± ¡°What about the witch confidant you use? Maybe she has knowledge on this. ¡°Madame Curie? She hasn''t been seen in a while and no one has left the pack grounds.¡± ¡°She''s in my city.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°It''s a long story. I can put in a call. But you and I both know she doesn''te cheap.¡± ¡°Call her! He whips a phone out from his pocket and holds it up to his ear. I hear her the moment she answers. ¡°Alpha Roan?¡± ¡°You are requested at ck Shadow. There¡¯s a pause before she answers. A long sigh echoes down the phone before she tells Roan that she is on her way. ¡°She responds to you?" I ask curiously when he hangs up. ¡°I caught her in a spot of bother.¡± He smirks. ¡°Let''s just say I¡¯ve learnt a thing or two from you over the years.¡± He rises tohis feet and nces over at my sleeping mate. His eyes haver on her atittle too long before he turns-back to me. ¡°I never thought would see the day where yowfound a mate.¡± ¡± ¡° ¡°Neither did I. If anything happens to her... He smiles at me. ¡°Oh I know, I''ve already made that mistake once.~~ This world will never be the same. It''s better to be on your side than against you.¡± Content belorigs to - Chapter 0119 Chapter 0119 Neah ¡°It''s been almost four days.¡± Dane mutters as he walks back and forth in front of me. ¡°At least I¡¯ve stopped throwing up.¡± I try to smile at him, but it doesn¡¯t make his look of concern disappear. ¡°You need to go and see Raven. I should have taken youst night, after I got back from the pack run.¡± ¡®I''m fine!¡± I wasn''t, I was getting annoyed with the constant concern. I had somehow be the centre of everyone¡¯s attention and it wasn''t a ce I liked to be. I couldn''t move without someone being on my case. The other Alpha¡¯s made me fidgety. When they were around, my guard would go up and I found myself quiet or snapping, there was no in between. ¡°You may feel fine, but you haven''t eaten.¡± He steps towards me, pulling me to my feet. His hands sit on my hips. His thumbs casually skim my frame. ¡°You are losing weight.¡± Nyx had told me the same thing. but I felt fine. ¡°I went longer without food when I was being kept a ve.¡± His hands move to my stomach, ¡°You need to nourish yourself and them. You have ess to whatever you need.¡± ¡°You should be more concerned about Trey and Cassandra.¡± I snap at him. ¡°There is still no sign of them and the other Alpha¡¯s are getting restless.¡± ¡°Fuck them, it''s you whe I am worried about.¡± ¡®lm fine.¡± ¡°I really wish you wouldn''t say that. I can hear your thoughts, Neah. I know you are not fine. I can smell that you are not fine. But for some reason, you won''t talk to me about it. Are you freaking out because you think they might be Lycans? Or are you starving yourself in the hopes that the pregnancy doesn''t stick?¡± He cocks his brow at me. ¡®You were supposed to block him out!¡¯ I snap at Nyx. They are my pups tool¡¯ She scowls ¡°Well?¡± Dane snaps ¡°It''s... it''s not like that. I...¡± I suck my bottom lip in between my teeth, ¡°it scares me.¡± ¡°If they are Lycans, then that is what they are destined to be. Madame Curie should be here today. Maybe she can give you some answers.¡± His words fil me with more dread, - the witch: who had originally bound me wasing. The pit in myc stomach growls and Dane cocksl eyebrow at meas his lips: curve up. ¡°You need to stop worrying about them. They will be loved, they will be cared for, no matter what they are.¡± He presses his lips to my forehead. ¡°Now go eat. Make my pups happy.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. As I head towards the door. He calls out to me to tell me us will be popping byter to check how my reading is going. Making my way downstairs. I hear Jenson in the kitchen exining matebonds to someone. ¡®lm fifteen!¡± Jess screeches. I charge into the kitchen to find Jenson leaning against the cabs. His arms folded against his chest as he stares at Jess. Immediately I jump to her defence. knew what Jenson was like and SS there was no way on Earth I was letting ¡®him do anything to a fifteen year old. Content belongs: to NovelDrama.Org - ¡°What''s going on?¡± I re at him. ¡°Do you want to tell her, or shall 1?¡ã Jenson presses his lips together in annoyance. ¡°What''s going on?¡± Jess¡¯s eyes are low. Her face is as red as a tomato. ¡°Have you tried something?¡± I snap at him. ¡°I like my women, but I draw the line at underage ones.¡± He sighs They are mated.¡¯ Nyx mutters as I try processing his words ¡®And to make it worse, you were = human¡¯ His dark eyes focus on <> Jess and not in a good way. Jess runs.from the room crying and Jetison rolls his eyes. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~~ Chapter 0120 Chapter 0120 ¡°How long have you known?" He doesn''t answer me. ¡°How long?¡± I ask again ¡°Since the day she turned up. She''s a fucking kid. She started following me around a few days ago. I''m assuming because are starting to settle down with her body.¡± His eyes sh at me. "I will reject her. I am not waiting around until she is eighteen. I might be dead by then.¡± ¡°That''s why you were exining the bond to her. You were trying to prepare her.¡± He nods. ¡°As much as you think I¡¯m an asshole, I do care about some things. That girl has been through enough, the rejection would probably tear her apart.¡± It was weird hearing him talk like this. A kinder side. A side that showed he wasn''t always an idiot. ¡°You walked in just when I was about to reject her. ¡°Maybe make sure that she has someone with her when you reject her. She will need it.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Dane!¡± Roan¡¯s voice travels through the house and Jenson rolls his eyes again. He sticks his head out the door. ¡°My brother is busy, what do you want? ¡°Madame Curie is here.¡± My back stiffens and Nyx is already muttering to herself. She hadn''t even met her but she already hated her for binding my abilities. She strolls into the house with a small bag. Asmile creeps onto her tanned skin as her eyes find me. ¡°How are you feeling, Alpha Neah? I didn''t like it. I didn''t like hearing it. I didn''t like her saying it Her eyes move down to my stomach and her grin seems to grow. "Twins, how wonderful.¡± ¡°You know?¡± Roan asks her with a frown ¡°I see what I need to see.¡± She turns around in a small circle. ¡°I believe Alpha Dane wishes to see me.¡± ¡°He is a little busy right now.¡± Jenson tells her. ¡°You are more than wee to wait in the office.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± She turns back to me. ¡°Il would love yourpany.¡± Jenson catches my wrist. ¡°If you don¡¯t feelfortable. it''s fine, you don''t have to.¡± I refocus ofthe witch. She knew I? was haying twins, maybe she knew more..{¡¯m fine.¡± I mutter, pulling my wristaway. lf she tries anything, I will just kill her. - The men watch me move to the office. Madame Curie closely = fo lows-A little too close for my*> ~ liking +make a point of sittingin Danes chair, behind the deskvand facing her and the door. C ritent b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She asks me as she makes herselffortable. I don¡¯t answer her and instead fire my own question. ¡°You said that you see what you needed to see. Where are Trey and Cassandra?¡± ¡°Waiting.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°That, I''m afraid, is something I cannot be sure of.¡± Annoyance was growing inside of me. ¡°I believe I am here to check on you.¡± She studies my face. ¡°You don''t need to.¡± ¡°I know. Yotrhave it all handled.¡± She mutters with a smile. "You know, when I first met you, I knew you~ were different. You were a special little pup. Just as those thatgrow inside of you.¡± < ¡°Are they Lycans?¡± She smiles at me. ¡°Lycans are a dying breed. Even those that have been turned will not produce Lycan pups.¡± ¡°They are Wolves, like Dane? ¡°Is that what you want, Alpha Neah?¡± ¡®I want you to answer my questions.¡± ¡°As much as I would like to give you the answer you are looking for. I am afraid I can¡¯t.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°You mean you won''t.¡± I sigh and shake my head, ¡°Why did you evene here?¡¯ ¡°I owe Alpha Roan and I wanted onest look at you as the Lycan Alpha. Chapter 0121 Chapter 0121 Dane I walk into silence. Neah looks as though she is on the verge of tears. Though she clutches her stomach as if she is about to vomit again. ¡°What...what do you mean?¡± She mumbles to Madame Curie ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± Madame Curie''s eyes flicker up to me. ¡°I cannot give you the answers you are looking for. ¡° ¡°How much?¡± I offer, knowing exactly how she works. She shakes her head at me and pauses. ¡°If I took money from you for this, the answers I would be giving you, will be unsatisfactory and unworthy. She looks back at Neah. ¡°I am sorry that I yed a role in your upbringing.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Twice!¡± I snap ¡°And I wish that I could give you the information you seek.¡± She sighs ¡°You said you wanted to take onest look at me, the Lycan Alpha. What does that mean? Am I dying?¡± Neah demands ¡°Everyone is.¡± She smiles sadly I shake my head in disbelief, I had known Madame Curie for a long time. ¡°Neah, she is talking about herself.¡± ¡°You were always the smartest Alpha, Alpha Dane.¡± Madame Curie winks at me and turns her attention to my mate. ¡°Yes, he is right. Alpha Neah. I have been around for a long long time and my time ising to an end "Oh." ¡°What I can tell you is that your boys will thrive. You just have a journey to get there.¡± ¡°That''s all you can tell us?¡± I ask, watching my mate ¡°That is all the information I have.¡± She rises to her feet. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, I would like to enjoy the few days that I have left. She turns to leave, ¡°Oh, but there is something else. Your mother was just as sick as you are, for Lycans, that is just how itis. Most likely because of the human essence in them. Try some ginger biscuits. Your appetite will soon return.¡± As she leaves, I hear Roan shouting after her, demanding to know where she is going ¡°She made it sound like I was dying?¡± Neah whispers with a frown ¡°Madame Curie is like that. You should have waited for me. I would have been able to read between the lines for you.¡± ¡°I still don''t know.¡± She whispers. "I still don¡¯t know what they are.¡± ¡°Maybe, for now, we just take each day as ites. When you feel them, I¡¯m sure you will think differently about them. She nods and suddenly looks up at me. ¡°There is something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°He beat you to it. For once, in his life. I think Jenson is actually doing the right thing.¡± ¡°It will break her.¡± Neah mutters I knew they had been talking, exactly like I had hoped she would. Jess had confided in her when Neah fixed her hair. Neah didntshare anything with me, telling me that it was not for her to say. That Jess had asked her tonot talk about it and I respected { her choice. Content belongs ta.~ - ¡°All you can do is be there for her. Be that person that you needed when you were growing up.¡± I tell her There''s a knock on the door and Roan doesn''t even wait for an answer. ¡°What the hell did you say to my witch?¡± ¡°One: It''s none of your business. Two: You don¡¯t own her. And Three: you are in my house, watch your fucking tone!¡± I growl ¡®I called her h¨¦re to help with whatever thitis.¡± He waves his hand at my mate: ¡°You wanted answers > and nowsshe has walked away. wi hout € even looking back. What did yousay to her? Or did she tethyou thatwe are all fucked?¡± Content bel ongs to ¡°? ¡°She is dying.¡± Neah mutters. ¡°She can¡¯t help you anymore.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡¯ ¡°If you keeprinsisting on talking to my matetike that, I will break your fuckingteck!¡± I growl. "Madame Curieis dying. She has days I left. She doesn''t give a crap about you ¡®owning¡¯ her.¡± ¡° Chapter 0122 Chapter 0122 ¡°When all this shit with the Lycans is over, we are done, Dane. I owe you nothing! I want nothing to do with your pack ever again.¡± LYCANS! Eric yells through mind link. ¡°They are here!¡± I mutter to Roan. He charges out without hesitating. putting his immediate issues with me to one side ¡°Find Jess.¡± I tell Neah, ushering her to the door. ¡°Stay with her. Stay in the house.¡± I press my lips against hers and quietly pray to the Moon Goddess to let me make it back to my mate. Because none of us knew what we were truly up against My people had formed a wall. Three people deep as they stood shoulder to shoulder. I could see the Lycans, all shifted and all lining the edge of the trees, waiting. It was still impossible to tell how many there were. They don¡¯t move, watching us as we watch them. Each of us listening for a single sign of movement.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Was Trey and Cassandra here? I had no idea what they looked like in Lycan form. ¡®What are they doing?¡¯ Eric links me. He was in the front row. His eyes locked on the big fucker directly in front of him. Scouting. They are trying to figure out if this is all of us.¡± Faint pping starts somewhere in the trees. One by one the Lycans join in, mming theirrge wed hands together. The noise is deafening Something''s not right.¡¯ Jenson mutters. ¡®It''s a distraction.¡± We scan the area, to see what was different, nothing had changed. My thoughts immediately go to Jess. Had I been screwed over by a kid? Neah? Is Jess with you?¡¯ I link her as my heart thuds through my chest She¡¯s hiding in her closet.¡¯ Keep her there!¡¯ I cast anothernce around at all the Lycans pping. t''s only then that I notigethem parting, letting the blonde bimbo through. Cassandra¡± was stiri human form. As she> makes her way through, she Steps outin front. Raising her harids to sffent them. Content bfigs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Where is she, Alpha Dane?¡± Her voice cuts through me like nails on a chalkboard. ¡°Not here. Where is your prick of a husband?¡± ¡°Hiding her in the house?¡± She muses. ¡°I suggest you bring her out. This could get quite ugly.¡± ¡°For who? Not a single one of your creatures has made it. We have killed each and every one of them.¡± Her smile creeps up her face. "Except one.¡± ¡°The one that you made a mistake changing.¡± I growl ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Her eyes close and hecgrin appears to take over her face When her eyes reopen she stares? at me. ¡°You see, Alphas Dane. No matter how much little¡± Jessita wants to fight it. She-cannot resist the orders of her maker. SNe) Neah will have two options: Come willingly, or kill Jessica.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I already knew what Neah would do. She wouldn''t kill Jess. My eyes close as I hear the front door of the packhouse open. ¡°I''m so sorry...m so so sorry.¡± Jess can''t even bring herself to look at me. As I refocus on Neah. I see her eyes are a solid ck. Don¡¯t shift.¡¯ I link her. It wouldn¡¯t be safe for her or the pups. She doesn''t respond, stepping down onto the grass, willingly walking with Jess. Neah''s expression was cold and dark. There was still a wall of Wolves between Neah and them. There was no way they were getting their hands on her. The Lycans begin to cheer, acting like they had won before the battle had even begun. ¡°You will bring her to me!¡± Cassandra screeches as Jess stops just behind Jenson. Jess''s head-snaps up, her eyes are. just as dark as Neah¡¯s, she holds.Ner hand out to my mate. As they join hands, Jess growls, ¡°You may ¡®be my maker but you are not my. Alpha!¡± Chapter 0123 Chapter 0123 Neah My heart is pumping. The adrenaline that¡¯s coursing through my body had crept up like a slow burning fire. Igniting something deep within me. I felt powerful and all it took was Jess. When I had found Jess, she was already trying to get inside a closet. Her words blur into one another as my own panic seeped in. Tears flooded her face quicker than she could wipe them away. I did what Dane asked me to do, to keep her here. Yet I couldn¡¯t help but peek over the window ledge. I had to see what was happening. The pping was weird. The Lycans mming their ws together while staring straight at the Wolves. This is all kinds of fucked up.¡¯ Nyx mutters ¡®What are they doing?¡± She shrugs her shoulders at me. I wanted to link Dane. Desperate for him to tell me what was happening but all I could hear was Jess, crying in the closet Pulling the closet open, I offer a weak smile. ¡°They are not here for you. They are here for me.¡± Her arms are holding her legs to her chest, just like the way I did. It was funny, why did we try to make ourselves as small as possible in a time of crisis? ¡°They....the woman, the one that brought me here, Cassandra, wants me to bring you to them. She refuses to look at me. ¡°Is that why you are here? Is that why you tried hiding?¡¯ I try to keep the anger out my voice Jess shakes her head and then taps her temple. ¡°Here, I hear her. It was like a whisper at first and now.....¡± Her soft blue eyes lock with mine. "Now it''s a demand.¡± ¡°A demand?"Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Her head bobs up and down, ¡°She keeps saying. I am your maker, you will obey me!¡± Control, just what Cassandra has always loved and wanted ¡°You are going to try and hand me over?" I ask quietly, realising why they had chosen to change a child. ¡°l...1 don¡¯t want to.¡± She whispers I sigh, ¡°You can''t fight an order. It¡¯s ingrained in us to obey those above us.¡± Jess lets go ofher legs. ¡°You make me feel like lean fight it. Like being here with you, I feel a little safer. If ~ you told me not to, I would have to follow-you, right? Because youare the ¡°Afpha. Because you are my Alpha? Because you are mere pdwerful than she is?¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Dane¡¯s.... oO, you are the Lycans Alpha. If I understand Litright, they have to respond teyou. that''s what Eric told me.¡± SheYooks towards the windew, but closes her eyes. ¡°Her demands are e getting louder. I actually f feel pain aTAy chest. That''s bad, right?" "It''s because you are not acting on her orders.¡± ¡°Can you make it stop?¡± ¡®Would it work? Dane talked about linking them all, but would this work?¡¯ There is only one way to find out.¡¯ Nyx mutters ¡°I order you not to take me to Cassandra.¡± Jess throws her arms around me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I think Jess might be on to something.¡¯ Nyx muses. ¡®Let''s go take down the whole pack.¡¯ I smile at Jess, ¡°I think you might be right, Jess. And now, I need your help.¡± My bare feet hit the grass. Jess stands a little-behind me as though she is walking me out. She was trying scthard to hold it together, just like Was, It wouldn''t have to befor longzjust long enough to make Cassandra believe that shewas g¨¦tting what she wanted,Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I was desperate to look at Dane, but I knew I would break the moment we locked eyes. I had asked Nyx to keep him out of my head, just temporarily while I try to put an end to all this shit. Two words still got through. ¡°Don''t shift.¡± Shifting was not the n. Cheers erupt from the Lycans, if you could call it that. It was more like roars and howls of satisfaction. They didn''t even have me in their grasp and yet they were celebrating. As they drop down to silence. Cassandra yells, ¡°You will bring her to me!¡± Jess stares through the rows of Wolves. Like me, she was barely tall enough to see. Slowly she reaches a hand out to me, locking it with mine. ¡°You may be my maker, but you are not my Alpha. I feel my heart race. And still, I couldn''t believe she was doing this. ¡°You are a stupid little girl. You know nothing of our world.¡± ¡°I Know enough to know who is wrong!¡± Jess squeezes my hand as she stares out in front of her. Her eyes are dark in the same way as Dane said mine be. She was close to shifting. ¡°Bring her to me!¡± She yells and stomps her foot Chapter 0124 Chapter 0124 The Wolves haven''t moved an inch but the Lycans creep closer. Prepared for battle I''m ready when you are.¡¯ Nyx mutters I take a deep breath as the Lycans edge a little closer. If this doesn¡¯t work, we were screwed. Drop the block.¡¯N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. My head is quickly filled with mutterings. Words of the Lycans all blurring together to make a constant hum. ¡°1AM YOUR ALPHA. BRING CASSANDRAAND TREY TO ME!" I demand. I¡¯m almost surprised by my own tone as it bes more authoritative. The Lycans freeze. I see how they all look at one another. They had likely been told something else about me. Something far from the truth, but if they were feeling the same thing that Jess had felt. they wouldn''t be able to refuse. ¡°NO!! Cassandra screams out. ¡°You don¡¯t have that power. You are no one. Trey, tell them!¡± Her hands ball into fists at her side. She was so used to getting her own way and now she had hundreds of Lycans turning their attention to her and not in a good way. I could see from her eyes that this was something she never sawing ¡®Stupid bitch!¡¯ Nyx murmurs. Screams break through the air. Cassandra¡¯s shrill voice causes a lot of the Wolves and Lycans to cover their ears. She starts backing away. yet there was nowhere for her to go. Lycan¡¯s lined the trees behind her. A wall of Wolves stood in front of her. ¡°TREY! TREY! Help me!¡± A single ck Lycan backs away into the trees asrge ws grab on to Cassandra. No longer caring about her screams Bring him to me!'' I snap through the link to all of them. Several of them take off running after Trey. Looking over to Dane, I see him smiling at me. He had been waiting for this. Waiting for me to be who I am supposed to be. The Lycans start to attack one another, desperate to be the one to bring the screaming bitch to me. They probably thought that I would spare their lives for theirpliance. I had no intention of doing that. I didn¡¯t want to be an Alpha of a pack that would betray their own. I didn¡¯t want those who so easily believed the words of Trey and Cassandra. Jess''s hand is still in mine and I smile at her. She was young and that was Cassandra''s downfall. She had chosen to change a girl who was simr to myself. A girl who wasn''t interested in being anything more than who she is. The Wolves part to let two Lycans drag Cassandra to me Dane joins me and Jess and slips his hand into mine as he kisses my cheek. He turns his attention to Cassandra. ¡°Well Cassandra, how do you feel?¡± ¡®Bastard. You have no idea. Trey will seek revenge if youy a single hand on mek ¡®She turns her attention to Jess*'' ¡®And you, you are a stupid, SI tupid girl! I should have left you ite) diel¡± I rip my hand from Danes, just as ws appeatat the tips of my fingers. Plunging them intoher = = S omacttthe Lycans let go of ner She screams, her hands lock atound my.atm, keeping me from retracting ryws. Conten belongs 9) 4 swnovel.ne 4 ¡°YOu destroyed me!¡± I mutter to her. "You made me believe you were ~~ someone special and then you > ruined-me and now, I¡¯m going to ruin yours pull my hand from Jess¡¯ s and letthe ws appear. Conteitt b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org 7 Slowly piercing her skin, I let my ws sink into her kidneys before ripping them across her stomach. I hated her, she took everything from me! Turning to look at Dane. I see the evil glint in his eye. ¡°Kill them all.¡± I whisper The two Lycans that had dragged Cassandra to me, back up, only to be attacked by Roan and several others. All hell breaks out as Dane gives the order to attack. Blood creeps out of the corner of Cassandra''s lips. Her eyes are wide in fear as they remain on me. I wanted to see the blood pour from her, just like she had made it pour from my parents ¡°You deserve this and so much more.¡± I whisper as my ws retract from her flesh She drops to her knees as tears fall from her eyes. It was the first time that I had seen her weep for anything. ¡°You are a monster!¡± She croaks out. m what you made me!¡± My ws plunge into her chest. curling around her heart as she chokes. With a tug, I rip it free from her chest. holding it in my hand as it continued to beat for a moment. Her body sways before hitting the ground and when I look up, I see Roan staring at me. His expression, unreadable. Chapter 0125 ?Chapter 0125 Dane Three days it took to burn all the dead. Three days is how long Trey had been in my dungeons, still clinging to life. Three days where Neah hadn¡¯t spoken a word about what had happened. She sits in her usual chair in my office, nibbling on a ginger biscuit. Madame Curie had been right about them and it was finally settling her stomach enough to eat decently. Though today, instead of her legs pulled up to her chest, they are crossed under her. Her dark hair hangs around her face and she seems content, but I had a million burning questions about the prick in my dungeons. ¡°I can kill him.¡± I mutter, without looking up. ¡°If that¡¯s what you are having an issue with, I can handle it.¡± She doesn¡¯t answer me. ¡°Neah, why did you let him live? You killed his mate.¡± She sighs, ¡°He needs to suffer. Why couldn¡¯t they say no to my order?¡± The question takes me by surprise. I thought she knew why. ¡°You were their Alpha. That¡¯s why you could order them. It¡¯s different with Wolves. As you know a Blood bond can mean you respond to two Alphas. There are also cases where Wolves can seek refuge in another pack and pledge themselves to that Alpha. You are thest living Lycan Alpha. There was no one else that they could obey. They had no choice.¡± ¡°Right.¡± she mutters, picking up another biscuit ¡°And the sooner we kill Trey, the sooner the other Alpha¡¯s can leave.¡± She looks up at me with a frown. ¡°They were called here to protect you and the pups, under obligation of their contracts. Trey is still alive, which means there is a threat still present. They won¡¯t leave until it¡¯s been dealt with.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ready.¡± They were not the words I was expecting to hear. I stare at her, unable to read her mind. Nyx was still blocking me out, making it impossible to read her properly. ¡°You are not ready?¡± I ask softly as she frowns ¡°You are going to think I¡¯m mad.¡± ¡°He is thest tie you have to Moonshine. Or rather, your parents.¡± I had been trying to figure out why she was keeping him alive, especially when she hadn¡¯t even been down there to see him. This was the only answer I coulde up with. ¡°See, stupid.¡± she mutters ¡°They destroyed you. They beat you, they starved you, they let the pack abuse you.¡± ¡°I know!¡± She snaps at me ¡°You are struggling with giving up the idea of the life you could have had. The life you now have here. Where you are loved, where you have friends, where you have adopted a sister who adores you.¡± Her lips tug up at the corners. ¡°My life is messy.¡± ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have met you if it wasn¡¯t. But maybe it is time to close the door on your messy past and focus on the future and the pups you are carrying.¡± She nods her head at me, ¡°Will youe with me? I''m still not ready to face him alone.¡± We step down into the dungeons as Trey groans and his stomach rumbles from hunger. ¡°Look who it is.¡± He sneers, struggling to get to his feet. His hands coil around the bars as he tries to keep himself upright. Fading bruises lingered on his face and I could smell that my brother had been down here recently. "Come to get some punches in?" He snarls at me. Neah doesn''t speak. Her fingers stay tightly locked with mine. Her blue eyes are wide as she stares at Trey. All that confidence she had appeared days ago, has now suddenly disappeared into thin air. This man put more fear in her than she had led me to believe.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Can''t speak." Trey mocks her. "You always did have trouble with your words. Stuttering over the simplest word and now look, nothing at all." "Shut the fuck up!" I snap. "You have no power over her." He smirks, "Her trembling body says otherwise." "You were there!" Neah mutters breathlessly. "You were in the shadows. You watched me put that lemonade in front of them. You did nothing as they bled out." I realise it''s not that she couldn''t let go. Instead she was still looking for answers. "You are right." Trey smirks A small crease appears on Neah''s forehead as she closes her eyes. "They all knew, didn''t they? The chaos, the people running around. They screamed for help and yet not one of them tried to help. They all knew, didn''t they?" "Yes." A tear leaks out of her closed eyes. "You were nning this for a long time." "Since the day you were born." Trey tells her with a shrug of his shoulders. "You were supposed to be the one producing more Lycans, more of thosen who will carry the Alpha blood. They saw something special in you, but I was the one to realise what it would mean for our kind. There was hope for us." "So you lied to her." I snap "We did what we had to do!" "Why the contract?" I question "It wasn''t a lie, we did need protection. A Wolf pack had discovered us and were moving in to kill us. I have to admit, it was odd seeing him standing with you the other day. But what I didn''t count on was her being mated to you. None of us saw thating. A Lycan and a Wolf," He snorts, "that is unheard of." "Who? Who already knew about you?" "I don''t know his name. And I don''t care for it either." "Another trick? Trying to buy yourself more time Trey? Because that will just lead to more torture." "Do what you want. I have alreadye to terms with my future." "Which Alpha are you talking about?" I demand "He watches me." Neah interrupts with a whisper. "He wasn''t phased when we told him. The others had questions, but he already knew. " Her eyes find mine. "Roan." Chapter 0126 Chapter 0126 Neah It was never ending. Secret after secret, being revealed like it was some kind of game. The dungeon is filled with choking sounds and I look up to see Dane with his arms stretched through the bars, his hands are locked around Trey¡¯s throat. Squeezing him until Trey¡¯s lips begin to turn blue. His body spasms and his hands fall from the bars. His mouth opens and closes like a fish but no soundes out. His eyes slowly bulge from their sockets as Dane uses his strength to crush Trey¡¯s throat. Its time.¡¯ Nyx mutters. ¡®It''s time to finish him for good.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Stepping forward, I stretch my hand through the bars as long, sharp ws sprout from my fingertips. My hand makes contact with his chest. Slowly, my ws pierce his flesh with ease, slipping through theyers of skin and muscle until they touch his heart. I hover for a few moments, staring into the eyes of the man that had caused me so much grief and pain. Not once had he apologised. Even now, seconds away from death, he stares back at me, ignoring the Wolf crushing his windpipe. His voice appears in my head. ¡®Go ahead. I have been waiting. I knew this day woulde.¡¯ ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ I mumble through the link I knew I would die once you had found yourself. Once you had realised your true position.¡¯ He splutters as my ws sink a little deeper, piercing the edges of his heart. ¡°Goodbye Trey.¡± I mutter, as my ws dive into his heart This time I keep them there. Watching the light disappear from his eyes. Feeling the heart fight around my ws as it leaks blood. Dane releases him and he takes a hollow breath that sounds like an old door opening. What I didn¡¯t expect was for Trey to grab my wrist, forcing my ws in deeper. His eyes close and more empty gasps of air creep from his throat until there is silence. His heart had stopped fighting, his ungs had stopped demanding air. The only thing keeping him upright were my ws. Pulling my hand free, his body hits the cement floor with a crack. Blood quickly pools around him and a tear leaks from my eye. I had finally closed the door on my past. Dane carries Trey''s body outside. He dumps it on the grass as us appears with a box of matches and a small can of fuel I watch in silence as us drowns the body and lights a match. He looks at me for confirmation and I nod my head The me lights Trey up the moment the match hits. Huge <= orangemes travel along his body, drowning out the smell of his blood. Instead the air was filled witt the nauseating smell of burning flesh. Dane slips his arms around my waist, pressing his chest against my back as we watch the body burn. ¡°They are all dead.¡± he whispers I ned, not being able to find the words I wanted to say. ¡°You won, Neah." ¡®Is... Is Jess okay?¡± I ask quietly. I wanted to ask where Roan was, but I wasn¡¯t ready to deal with that just yet. ¡°She''s inside with Eric and Raven.¡± us tells me I could fea their eyes on me. They.: NM were expecting me to talk about ~ what had happened, but there was nothing to talk about. I had killed them, that was the end of.it> ¡°Content belongs to ~ ¡°Has Jenson rejected her yet? Is that why they are with her?¡± ¡°Uh, it''s a little moreplicated than that." us shakes his head. "She is refusing to ept the rejection.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ites out a little higher pitched than usual ¡°What do you mean she is refusing?¡± Dane asks. ¡°She t out told him that she is refusing it. She didn''t even say no. She just said she refuses it.¡± ¡°Can that be done?¡± I ask with a scowl. ¡°I mean, I was somehow still mated to Kyle after he tried rejecting me.¡± ¡°That was because you didn¡¯t ept the rejection correctly.¡± Dane mutters. "I can¡¯t say that I have heard of someone refusing a rejection.¡± ¡®She could-die!¡± My heart flutters ~ with pani¨¦. I knew what Jenson was like, weall knew what Jenson was like. lf he slept with another fernale, it would kill her. ¡°Where is my brother?¡± Dane questions ¡°He left.¡± us refuses to meet his gaze. ¡°He left? Where the fuck did he go?¡± us shrugs his shoulders. ¡°We tried to stop him, but he was so angry. ¡°With Jess?¡± us shakes his head. ¡°With the Moon Goddess. She is the one who paired him with Jess and he isn¡¯t happy.¡± ¡®I need to find Jess." I mutter They let me go on my own. Now that all the Lycans were gone, Dane wasn''t too fussed about me going anywhere on my own. Chapter 0127 Chapter 0127 Roan makes me jump. He is sitting outside the office door when I enter the packhouse. He rises to his feet when he sees me. His dark grey eyes drift down to my blood covered hand. ¡°You killed him?¡± His tone is empty, but he continues to stare at me like he had since we first met. ¡°Yes, he is dead.¡± I don¡¯t know what it is about this man, but he brings out my irritation just by existing. ¡°That makes you thest one. Well, you and Jess.¡± I don¡¯t like the way he is looking at me and his eyes settle on my stomach. ¡°Do we know what they are?" ¡°Dane¡¯s heirs.¡± I mutter back ¡°You know that is not what I am asking.¡± ¡°And still, that is what they are!¡± I snap. ¡°Unborn members of this pack. Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Ask?¡± ¡°The bitten, the ones changed, whatever you want to call it. How did they end up in your city? ¡°The same way as they ended up in the city down the road.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°How long have you known there were Lycans?" He stares at me, pressing his lips together. ¡°You knew. You knew before they started turning up in your city. When you were told, you barely reacted. How long have you known?¡± He shrugs his shoulders at me. He¡¯s an asshole!¡¯ Nyx growls ¡°You didn''te just because of the contract, did you? ¡°In parts, yes. I don''t walk away from mymitments. Though I was excited to hear that the great Alpha Dane had finally settled down. I was curious until I heard your name. Neah Kitson. It¡¯s not a name you forget easily.¡± He rises from the chair. I frown, taking a step back. ¡°I''ve never met you.¡± ¡°But you have. A long time ago. You were little, a few months old. I was ten, maybe eleven. Your parents were in my family¡¯s city. They abandoned you.¡± ¡°No, you are lying.¡± A growles from deep inside me. ¡°It''s the truth. I watched them leave you in a basket down an alleyway. A nket tightly wrapped around you. The idiots made a mistake there as your name was on the nket.¡± He rolls his eyes and turns away from me as he sighs. ¡°I took you home to my parents. By the time I got you home, you had already shifted, multiple times.¡± He smirks as he checks his reflection in the mirror. ¡°A strange little monster, but I couldn''t leave you alone.¡± I shake my head, it couldn''t be true. I had been bound. I couldn''t shift. ¡°My parents spent a week tracking your family down ¡°You are making it up. His dark grey eyes find mine. ¡°Moonshine ig situated in the middle of nowheresFar away fromany other civilian life. Far away that nes other packs can easily find it. The housesrge, but not as big as mast packhouses. Gardens sit out the I back.¡± He continues to-describe my old house. Content belon gs to NovelDrama.Org MN I feel my heart hammer. ¡°Your parents tried to say you were kidnapped, but there were no other scents on you. Just theirs. To be honest, they didn''t even seem happy that you were being returned. I begged my parents to keep you. But they said they couldn''t. They said you were a powerful being.¡± ¡°My parents loved me!¡± ¡°Are you sure about that? Wasn''t Trey raised as-your older brother so that he couldbe the next Alpha? Weren''t they the ones who had you~ bound twice before Trey did it to* * He rubs I his jaw, ¡°The i impression got from them is that no matter what they did, you kept surviving. Like somehow you weresupposed to. Maybe to lead you to this moment. He points at my stomach. ¡°You were going to kill Trey and Cassandra?¡± I whisper "Not until a couple of years ago, when those who had been bitten began uraing up in my city. At first. we thought it was Vampires, but > then they started shifting. I knew whatthey were, I had seen itbefore. Anctit had to have something to do with that pack you belonged too.¡± ¡°Two years?¡± ¡°Maybe more. Their n had been in ce for a long time, Neah. It was just amped up after you met Dane. They were likely going to breed you until you dropped dead. ¡°All the ones who were bitten are dead now, aren''t they!¡± I snap ¡°Not quite!¡± I realise how quiet the house is, and my heart plummets. ¡°Where''s Jess?¡± He smiles at me. "What the fuck have you done to her?¡± ¡°She''s safe, for now.¡± Chapter 0128 Chapter 0128 Neah ¡°Where is she?¡± I feel my blood boiling. She couldn''t be far. us said she had been with Eric and Raven. Where were they? He couldn''t have taken them all out. But then, if he had wounds. They would have healed by now. I turn away from him. quickly moving through all the rooms on the bottom floor. Roan stays on my heels, following me from room to room. Laughing as I discover the emptiness of each room. ¡°The moment Trey died, the contract between us was over!¡± He murmurs behind me. Just kill him! Nyx snaps. We can¡¯t, we have no idea where Jess is. And he knows that.¡¯ ¡°Don''t go getting any ideas from that beast inside of you!¡± He smirks at me ¡°Jess is just a kid.¡± I snarl at him ¡°I know. That is why I said she is safe for now. ¡°She is part of this pack!¡± I snap. ¡°You are breaking your contract with Dane. ¡°The contract was over the moment you killed Trey. Dane said it himself, when the threat is over, the contract is over. And i am not threatening your pups.¡± ¡°So what? This is some kind of payback? You were the one who wanted Dane¡¯s help and now you repay him like this?¡± ¡®I did repay him. I helped kill the Lycans for both of you and she''s not part of his pack. She is part of your pack. I suggest you tell your beast to step down. My eyes gave it away, turning ck as Nyx pushed herself forward. But shifting right now was not going to help us. Where was Dane? He must be able to feel my panic. I close my eyes, trying to understand what benefit Jess would bring him. ¡°It was me, wasn''t it.¡± I mutter. ¡°You said you were fascinated by me shifting, but you can''t have me because of Dane. So you are taking your chances with Jess. Which is disgusting, you are almost twenty years older than her and she is a kid. She is fifteen!¡± He doesn¡¯t know.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. ¡®He doesn¡¯t know she has a mate. If he tries anything it will kill her.¡¯ Roan shrugs his shoulders at me. ¡°Do you really think I''m bothered by age?¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "What are you trying to get out of it. pups? Lycan heirs? He smiles at me and I feel sick ¡°She can''t give you pups. I catch sight of Dane in the window to the side of Roan. He puts a finger to his lips. ¡®Keep him talking.¡¯ his voice echoes in my head. ¡°The witch tell you that?¡± Roan asks ¡°Yes. We are a dying breed. I am thest true Lycan. That is why there was only one pack left. They are slowly dying out. ¡°Yet you carry twins.¡± He mocks. ¡°There is a goad chance they are Wolves.¡± I snap back. Deep down, hoped they Were, the idea of XN bringing nore Lycans into the world terrified me. Everything I had learned aboutmyself had all been here, in this-pack. I couldn''t raise Lycans with no knowledge of them. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Maybe, but only time will tell and I need to prepare.¡± ¡°By trying to create your own? What''s your n, Roan? To attack Dane and get payback?" ¡°What''s going on here?¡± uses through from the back of the house and I don''t get any answers. ¡°Nothing.¡± Roan mutters. "I was just letting Neah know that I am leaving. I frown. Him leaving right now was not what I needed. I needed to find Jess. ¡°So soon. You don''t want to stay and celebrate Neah¡¯s birthday with the rest of us?¡± I try to keep the surprise on my face hidden. No birthday party had been mentioned. This had to be something to do with Dane. ¡®What is us up to?¡¯ Nyx murmurs. ¡®It''s tomorrowsus continues, not meeting myeyes. ¡°And you know, after everything, we all feel a < celebratisn is needed. Dane wants to throw a party. I guess it will bea jointparty. Neah¡¯s birthday and to cel@brate winning the war. "Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ? ¡°A party?¡± Roan cocks an eyebrow at us. us nods, ¡°Are you interested? After all, you did help take down multiple Lycans Roans eyes shift to me and narrow. ¡°Sure, why. It''s been a while since I''ve celebrated anything.¡± ¡°Great.¡± us smiles at him. ¡°Do you know where your brother is? I need to ask him too. Trying to get a list together.¡± ¡°My brother left a little while ago. He¡¯s heading back home te his wife.¡± ¡®I see.¡± us mutters. "That''s a shame. Oh well, more alcohol for the rest of us." Heughs. A fakeugh. His brother has her.¡¯ Nyx mutters to me They live hundreds of miles away.¡¯ I panic ¡°I thought you might have travelled together. Seeing as you live in that direction.¡± us presses. He had the same thought I had ¡°I needed to clear a few things up. I wanted to get a written letter from Dane to confirm that the contract was over. I don''t need him finding another loophole. ¡°He said it was over. Several times.¡± I mutter ¡®Still, it''s best to have it in writing.¡± Roan smirks at me. He was too_ ~~ dumb to see that us was digging for idformation. ¡°But I will stay for the Celebrations, it could befun.¡± He turns from us and heads out of the house. ¡°Are you not going after him?¡± I whisper to us. ¡°No. Dane is already on it. I look up to the window and he has disappeared Chapter 0129 Chapter 0129 ¡°What about Raven and Eric?¡± ¡°We found them, unconscious in the pantry. Don¡¯t worry, they are both fine. Just out of it. ¡°But Jess ¡°We will get her back. We all know that she means a lot to you.¡± He gives me a smile but it doesn¡¯t meet his deep green eyes. He was worried too, he just wasn''t going to admit it. Someone needs to tell Jenson.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. He doesn¡¯t want her. And that¡¯s for the best.¡¯ I He is still mated to her.¡¯ Are you thinking that he will chase after her?¡¯ I think if we tell him, we will learn what he really feels about being mated to her.¡¯ She¡¯s a kid.¡¯ I mutter I know. Why do you think he really left?¡± Because she refused the rejection.¡¯ She shakes her head. ¡®Try again.¡¯ Nyx mutters joyfully To wait until she turned eighteen?¡¯ She nods, ¡®She refused his rejection. He can''t do anything because he knows it will kill her. The easiest thing to do is to create distance and wait until she is old enough.¡¯ ¡°Talking to Nyx?¡± us asks I nod. ¡°Dane will find Jess.¡± He tries to reassure me ¡®I hope so. Can you do me a favour? ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Link Jenson and tell him.¡± ¡°He wanted to reject..... He stops when he sees my face. ¡°You have an idea?¡± ¡°Please just link him.¡± He nods his head at me. His eyes quickly ze over, showing that he is in the middle of a conversation. I watch his face go through a range of different emotions before he refocuses on me. ¡°He is on the way to meet up with Dane. It seems as though Dane had the same idea as you. He had already told him. ¡°We should tell the pack to keep an eye on Roan.¡± I mutter to Eric as I stride back and forth in front of the office window. Since he had regained consciousness, he had stayed with me in the office along with Raven and us and I was growing restless. Eric shakes his head at me. ¡°As much as I understand where you are going with your idea. Dane doesn¡¯t want the attention on him. It will just give him a reason to run. As far as the pack is concerned, Roan is staying for the party. Nothing less, nothing more. ¡°But Jess.....¡± ¡°I know, but you have to remain present.¡± Eric mutters, "As soon as he suspects something, it will screw up everything.¡± Raven takes my hands in hers. ¡°Jess has be like a little sister to you. If it were me that was missing, my brother would be like you, he would want to send out a search party. ¡°He had to once.¡± Eric mutters and Raven res at him "So I get it,¡± Raven continues. ¡°And Roan has teltt you himself, she is safe for row. Dane and Jenson => know witat they are doing. And they will betpack i in no time. For now, you needtto remain calm and keep ¡®those nephews of mine protected.¡± ¡°Boys?¡± us asks curiously ¡°We don''t know for certain, but Madame Curie suggested it was boys.¡± I tell him ¡°As I said.¡± Raven smiles at me. ¡°Try and keep yourself calm. It''s not good for you or them.¡± "We also neecNo continue as normal.¡± Erjsttells us. ¡°Hiding here in the officeys-just going to draw more attentiom eah, you should stay with ane of us. We can keep you, updated about Jess and youhave a reason to be with each one ¨¦f us.¡± ¡®I''m fine on my own,¡± He looks directly at me. ¡°Dane¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right.¡± us adds. ¡°You can do tutoring with me. You can spend time with Raven because of the pups and Eric is your bodyguard when Dane isn¡¯t about. I silently nod Hours passed and there was still no news. Sitting in the hospital with Raven was making me fidget. I felt the need to be doing something rather than just sitting around, waiting for news. ¡°Here,¡± Raven mutters, sliding a pack of ginger biscuits across the station to me. ¡°Dane had them ced all around the pack, just in case. ¡°I''m not hungry.¡± ¡°No, but you look like you need to vomit.¡± I had been feeling this way for a while. Something just didn''t feel right. but I couldn''t put my finger on it I rub my eyes and sigh, taking the biscuits. ¡°Anything?¡± She shakes her head at me. ¡°He''s fine. you would know if something was wrong. We all would.¡± ¡°I thought that we were done.¡± I mumble. ¡°When I killed Cassandra and Trey and all the other Lycans were killed. I thought it was over. But there is always something.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, that is part of being a Wolf, or in your case, a Lycan. Problems exist wherever we turn. It''s why Dane has worked so hard to make our pack what it is, to limit the problems.¡± ¡°And I have brought more.¡± I groan ¡°Dane knows what he signed up for. Of all the women he has tried forming a bond with, there has been. nothing like the one you share wit him. He-could have killed you the¡± moment he found out the trut i about you. But he didn''t. Heisn''t phased about what his pups might be, he is just happy to bea father. She smiles at me. ¡°You make him happy.¡± As I smile back at her, I''m hit with a sharp pain in my heart. Just as the colour drains from Raven''s face.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Dane was in trouble. Chapter 0130 Chapter 0130 Dane ¡°Shit! Dane, can you hear me? Wake the fuck up!¡± I hear my brother''s voice, it sounds desperate and so far away. ¡°DANE!¡± ¡°For fuck sake shut up!" I open my eyes, to find myself hanging upside down. Blood dripped down my arms and face as I try to make sense of what happened ¡®What the fuck happened?¡¯ Aero asks,ing too. I don¡¯t answer as I try to get my bearings. The car is on it¡¯s roof, the windscreen shattered. Broken ss sits below my head. A sharp pain radiates from my chest making it hard to breathe. I could smell the fuel leaking from the car, it would be seconds before this whole thing went up in mes. "Shit!" Jenson mutters. He is fighting against the dashboard that was crushed against him. Forcing it back a centimetre at a time with his hands. If we were human, we would already be dead. Reaching down to release the belt. I feel it. The chuck of ss sticking out of my chest, close to my heart. For all I know it could be piercing the very organ that keeps me alive. Of all the ways I thought I would die, it wasn¡¯t like this.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Jenson, look at me.¡± ¡°Hold on, I''m nearly free.¡± ¡°Jenson.¡± He stops punching the dash to look at me. The cuts on his face from the ss were already healing. I see the terror in his eyes as he takes in the large piece of ss sticking out of me. The same thought runs through his head as what ran through mine. ¡°No....no,no,no, this is fucking happening. You are having kids! You can¡¯t leave Neah. She needs you. We all need you. ¡°Jenson, you know as well as I do, that the pack will already know something is wrong. That''s why you didn¡¯t want to look at me, you could already feel that I was in trouble. Neah will feel it too. Dane,¡¯ Raven''s voice screams through my head. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Car ident.¡¯ I half chuckle back. ¡®Some asshole came out of nowhere.¡± But you are okay, right? Please tell me you are okay!¡± I look at the piece of ss sticking out of my chest. My eyes go to Jenson as he uses one foot to stomp the dash back off his other leg. Promise me you will protect Neah.¡¯ I mutter through the link. ¡®If I die, promise me you won''t abandon her.¡± No.'' She starts to tear up. ¡®She''s carrying your children.¡± ¡®And until they are old enough, I need you and Eric to help her run the pack.¡¯ Jenson has his hands pressed against my chest. He couldn''t hide the worry in his eyes even if he wanted to. He carefully removes the belt that is holding me upside down. Catching me before My body moves too. XX much and dislodges the ss. SS Slowl drags me fromthe c> wreckage, pulling me all the way to theopposite side of the road, just as th¨¦ car goes up into onebig fre ball. ¡°Go!¡± I mutter. ¡°The human cops will be here soon. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you.¡± Jenson rips my shirt open, pressing around the wound with all his weight. ¡°It might not be in your heart. ¡®If itis and you remove it, I die.¡± f I don''t, you-will die anyway, unable to heal and sdnstantly pouring out with blood. What about Neah? What about thetwins? You know Roarwil take her ar if you are not about! You know''she will never be the same if she h@loses you.¡± 4 Turning my head to one side, I spit out the blood that had been creeping up my throat. I try to link Neah, but Nyx has her blocked off. ¡°Are you trying to piss off a dying man?" "You are dying.¡± He wraps N something around the piece of ss and yanks it out, tossing it to on¨¦ side, He holds his hands against my wound. I watch his eyes ze over. ¡°Who are you linking?¡± I cough up more blood ¡°My sister. If there is anyone who can help. it''s her!¡± Sirens erupt in the distance. But no one had passed us or stopped so someone had alerted them. The other car that had hit us is long gone. ¡°You have to go!¡± I snap at my brother. ¡°Not a fucking chance. I made the mistake of following your orders before.¡± He pokes at my wound and I watch him smile. ¡°It didn¡¯t hit your heart.¡± ¡°Are you sure? ¡°Raven said you would be dead by now. And you are healing. The cuts on your face have already healed. I look down to see the wound knitting together. A thick pink line develops, gradually thinning out until it looked as though I had never been injured. Chapter 0131 Chapter 0131 ¡°And you need to because you are not going to like what I have to tell you.¡± He mutters, not quite looking me in the eye ¡°Neah bolted?¡± ¡°Eric and a few others are looking for her. They are trying to find her before Roan does¡± Sitting up coughing, I listen to the sirens drawing nearer. ¡°We have to go.¡± I mutter as he helps me get to my feet ¡°You want to go home? What about Jess? I shake my head, ¡°We just need to go. I can¡¯t be dealing with humans right now. I need to find somewhere where I can think. We move as quickly as we can. When I look down, the wound haspletely disappeared like it was never there in the first ce. I feel a sense of relief. Death was not something I feared. But now it wasn''t just about me, I had a mate and twins on the way. We find an abandoned house and drop down on the dusty floor. ¡®I hate humans.¡± I mutter. ¡°Are you talking about the prick that hit us?¡± Jenson asks quietly ¡°Who else?"This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a human.¡± Jenson murmurs. ¡°You were knocked out. The guy stopped, got out of his car and looked in at us. Beforeughing and driving away.¡± ¡°You are saying it''s a Wolf? He nods his head at me. ¡°Who''s territory are we in? ¡°It''s not, it''s neutral ground.¡± I mutter as I close my eyes and try linking Neah again ¡°Are you sure? ¡°I know every pack from here to Greg''s pd. This is neutralnd. ¡°I think you might be wrong. When I look at him, he is looking past me. Turning around, I see arge ck shadow, crouching at the top of the stairs. Its beady eyes on us. It slowly rises to its full height, moving into the light where we could see it. A Lycan It growls at us, drool dripping from its bared teeth. ¡°Another fucking one!¡± Jenson snaps and I re at him. I thought we had killed them all.'' Aero mutters. ¡®How did one get away?¡¯ I turn my attention back to the Lycan who hasn''t moved. "We are looking for someone. A girl with red hair. She is like you, but was taken from her home, from her family.¡± It growls at us. ¡°My mate is a female Lycan Alpha.¡± I try, hoping it would show some form of interest. It moves away fram the top of the stairs, disappearing around theer and out of sight. A few minutester, a blonde female takes the Lycan''s ce. ¡°A young girl?¡± The blonde asks? ¡°She''s fifteen.¡± ¡°Why are you looking for her? You are Wolves. ¡°As I said, my mate is a Lycan Alpha. The girl is like her little sister. ¡°I had one of those once.¡± Her brown eyes stay on me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. She snorts and folds her arms across her chest. ¡°Did you kill her?¡± Jenson asks Her face hardens. She pulls at the cor ofher shirt to show a bite, just like Jess¡¯ s on her corbone. ¡°What do you think?!" Content belongs ike) Swnovel i ¡°How long ago were you bitten?¡± I question ¡°Why does it matter to you, Wolf?!¡± Aeroughs at the response and normally I would have too, but maybe we could use her assistance. ¡®We were attacked, back in my pack. The ones leading the attack had .~ bitten ¡®a load of humans, changing ther forever.¡± Swnovel i She jumps the entire length of the stairs.nding inches from me. ¡°Was her name Cassandra?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She smiles, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to kill her.¡± ¡°You are toote. His mate killed her." Jenson mutters. The blonde frowns as she smiles, making her look quite dangerous. As she smiles, I see an old scar, just above her lip, ¡°Good.¡± she mutters ¡°You got away?¡± I ask, I wanted to know how she had survived all this time without a pack. She rolls her eyes at me as though? the answer is obvious. Turning away from us, ¡°she heads back towards the stairs. ¡°I haven''t seen thecgirl you describe.¡± ¡°Please,¡± Jenson mutters The blonde looks back at him. ¡°You care for her?¡± He doesn''t answer her, but I could see it in his eyes. ¡°The man who had her kidnapped, he is not a nice man. ¡°Who is?!¡± she snarls ¡°They want her to produce pups. Her eyes narrow to slits. ¡°Didn''t you say she is fifteen?¡¯ ¡°Yes.¡± She sucks in her cheeks as she stares at us. ¡°I will help you, Wolf. But I want something in return. ¡°What might that be?¡± ¡°Money. ¡°Seriously?¡± Jenson interrupts. ¡°She is one of you.¡± ¡°I named my reward. Take it or leave it!¡± ¡°Deal.¡± I mutter, holding my blood covered hand out to her. She shakes it. "You can call me Mallory. Chapter 0132 Chapter 0132 *Trigger Warning- Talks of miscarriage* Neah My feet carry me forward as I run. I could hear the pack calling out to me. Telling me they could help me. Telling me that Dane would be fine. He wasn''t fine. I could feel it. The pain grew stronger by the second, tearing at my heart as I moved ¡®What''s the n?¡¯ Nyx asks. I have to find him!¡¯ I fight back the tears Neah, he left hours ago. We won''t find him on foot.¡± I have to try.¡¯ I break through the trees,ing to a stop at the boundary. I hadn''t crossed it alone before. And all that panic I had felt months ago about stepping out into the snow was back. ¡°NEAH, PLEASE STOP!¡± Eric calls out from somewhere behind me. ¡°Dane is alive. I turn to see him creeping through the trees, his eyes on the ground as he frowns. The pain moves from my heart down into my abdomen ¡°You are lying.¡± A tear leaks from my eye and trickles down over my cheek. ¡°I feel it.¡± I pat my chest. "He is dead, isn''t he!?" Somethings wrong.¡¯ Nyx murmurs ¡°Dane is alive.¡± Eric calls out. You were right, he wasn''t. He was in a car ident. Impaled by ss, but it missed his heart. Jenson saved him¡± He slowly steps towards me. ¡°I promise you, Neah. Our Alpha is alive, but right now, we need to get you to the hospital.¡± ¡°For Dane?¡± I whisper ¡°No. We need to get you checked out.¡± "I need to see Dane." "I know, but right now, he is miles away and you are important. The pain spreads further down into my hips and my thighs. It¡¯s only then that I pick up the rusty iron smell. My eyes find the spots of blood on the grass and fallen leaves. It leads straight towards me. ¡°Let me help.¡± Eric whispers, holding a hand out to me. He catches me just before I hit the floor. Swooping me up and carrying me in his arms with ease as he runs through the forest. Pain radiates through me. ¡°Am I losing them?" Eric doesn¡¯t answer me as he powers on and I could feel Nyx pacing in my mind. Her own worry echoing with mine. ¡®I killed my pups didn¡¯t I?¡± I mutter to Eric He still doesn¡¯t answer me, but I feel him squeeze me closer to his chest, like Dane would do as my tears fall more freely. Eric barrels us through the hospital ¡®In here?¡± Raven shouts out. The moment he ces me on the bed, Raven is pulling up my top and scanning me. ¡°Well?¡± Eric demands ¡°Two heartbeats.¡± Raven mutters, "Two strong heartbeats.¡± ¡°Then why is she bleeding?¡± Eric demands ¡°If I knew that, I wouldn''t be running tests, would I!" ¡°Are you sure they are okay?¡± I whisper, afraid to look at the screen she was showing me. She smiles, ¡°They seem perfect.¡± She runs some other tests, but can¡¯t find a reason as to what caused the bleeding. In the end she tells me to go on bedrest for a few days and then she will recheck meN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°I can''t do that. Jess is missing. Dane was injured. I¡¯ve still got Roan to deal with. And what about this stupid party tomorrow?¡± ¡°Not a fan of parties?¡± Raven tries to break the tension I re at her, she knew I had never been to a party. ¡°Just take it easy between then and now. If the pain gets worse, you need to tell me. But I will stick by your side at the party. If something is wrong. I will be able to help you.¡± ¡°What''s wrong with Eric?¡± I mutter. He was outside the room, pacing. His arms folded up across his chest as he moved back and forth. His eyes were zed as he links someone. ¡°He''s checking in with Dane.¡± Raven gives me a weak smile. ¡°He said he was okay? ¡°Oh he is.... Maybe it¡¯s besting from Eric. he is my brother''s Beta. He might be able to give you more information." "Tell me." "It''s not my ce.¡± she mutters turning away from me When Erices back in, he gives me a weak smile. A smile that doesn¡¯t quite meet his eyes. ¡°Is Dane okay?¡± ¡°He''s fine, they have found a ce toy low and recover.¡± His eyes shift to Raven who conveniently looks away. ¡°And? ¡°They have found another Lycan. ¡°Another?¡± ¡°She has told them that she was changed a few years ago. Apparently one of the first to be bitten.¡± ¡°Did they kill her?¡± I ask, already expecting the answer. ¡°No, she is going to help them.¡± ¡°Help?¡± ¡°It seems that this Mallory was also bitten by Cassandra.¡± ¡°Mallory? ¡°That''s what she called herself.¡± lo." I could feel my body trembling. It couldn''t be the same one. "No,no, no. You must have heard the name wrong." ¡°Neah, what''s wrong?¡± Raven asks ¡°I know her. ¡°How? How is that even possible, they are miles away.¡± Eric frowns ¡°She was at Moonshine. Not for long. Maybe a couple of months.¡± ¡°As a ve?¡± Raven queries. I shake my head, ¡°She was their pet. ¡°Mallory?¡± Eric sits in the chair by my bed. "She appeared one day. Cassandra brought her Jato the house. She was full o f smiles; aughter and afew ~ dayster, Something changed. She became-something else, like a ~ darkiess gradually took over her.¡± pause because it reminded ine a me. The girl who was nowshappy to rip out hearts like they were nothing. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Raven asks quietly. ¡°She joined in with them.¡± ¡°You mean, she hurt you?¡± Eric presses I nod, remembering thest brutal incident befage I was bound for the final time. ¡°She had taken hold of my shoulders and repeatedly smashed my head into the concrete wall of the bagement. Blood sp attered all over the walls and floor unti lost Gensciousness. I never saw her again after that.¡± Eric and Raven were both staring at each other ¡°Surely it can¡¯t be the same one?¡± Eric mutters to Raven. ¡°How long ago was this?¡± Raven asks ¡°When I was seventeen, almost eighteen. ¡°So five years ago. It can''t be the same one.¡± Eric sighs, ¡°What does she look like? I can get Dane to confirm.¡± ¡°Blonde, uh brown eyes. She had a scar, right here." I touch my face, "just above her lip.¡± ¡°I will be right back.¡± Eric strides out the door. ¡°Dane can.fandle himself.¡± Raven weakly siniles at me. ¡°And if it is her, she might have changed. Five years iS along time.¡± Swnovel - ¡°Or she might have so much rage bottled up inside her that she takes him out the moment she gets a chance.¡± Chapter 0133 Chapter 0133 Dane And you are absolutely sure she is okay?¡¯ I ask Eric through mind link. Raven has checked her over. The pups are fine. Your sister thinks it''s stress rted and has put her on rest. Neah thought you were dying, she wasn''t even aware she was bleeding until I tracked her down. I¡¯m still not entirely sure what she was thinking when she ran.¡± She wasn''t. All she knew is that she needed to find me.¡¯ I mutter back. ¡®Keep her safe and we will keep an eye on this Mallory.¡¯ ¡®You are letting her live?" ¡®Right now, she might be the only one who can help us find Jess.¡¯ ¡®Will you be back tonight?¡¯ ¡®I will try but I can''t make any promises. If I''m not, you know what to do.¡¯ ¡®Of course. Dane, just watch yourself around the woman. She sounds bat shit crazy and everyone is a little on edge.¡¯ Of all the people in the world, I couldn''t believe we had ran into another one of my mates abusers. We were hours away from home. Hundreds of miles away. I look over at my brother who is half asleep. We had agreed to take it in turns resting. Keeping an eye on the Lycan we are sharing a house with ¡°Finished linking your pack?¡± Mallory asks from the stairs. ¡°I was just checking in with my mate.¡± I had told Mallory that my mate was a female Alpha, did she know I was talking about Neah. She must do? ¡®I think she does.¡¯ Aero groans ¡°Is she okay?¡± She sounds sincere, but she also may have had a lot of practice sounding like she cared ¡°Resting.¡± I smile back. I was only going to give her the bare minimum for now. ¡°Along conversation for someone who is resting.¡± Her brown eyes remain on me. She¡¯s suspicious.¡¯ Aero mutters I would be too if the role was reversed!¡¯ I tell him I give Mallory a reassuring smile, ¡°I checked in with my Beta too. Running a pack doesn''t just disappear because I¡¯m not there.¡± She nods her head at me ¡°Do you live on your own?¡± I ask curiously. looking around at the rund down house. Mallory raises an eyebrow at me. Puffing out her cheeks like she was trying to decide how to answer me. ¡°Mostly.¡± ¡°My brother." I mutter, "He said when we crashed, there was another. Are there more of you?¡± ¡®We are ying with fire. Aero mutters ¡°There are a few,¡± Mallory tells me ¡°All bitten?" She nods her head at me and rises to her feet. ¡°It was probably Damien that crashed into you. He doesn¡¯t like Wolves. Hell, he doesn''t like anyone. ¡°This is a neutral zone. Her eyes remain on me as she slowly walks down thest few steps. ¡°You all think that. You all say that when you try to pass through. Just because there is no Alpha here, it does not mean it is a neutral zone.¡± Her temper was growing as she slowly steps towards me. "Wolves think they know everything." ¡°You are right. My mistake. Have you imed it?" "We did! We made it a safe ce for any of our kind." ¡°It''s only this year that I have learned about your kind.¡± I mutter, trying to distract her. ¡°Because of your mate?¡± I nod. ¡°And she is a female Alpha?¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Yes.¡± I couldn''t lie when I had already told her She looks me directly in the eye. ¡°The girl in the basement.¡± Her hard face softens, ¡°She''s alive?¡± I keep my mouth closed as she watches me ¡°I thought I killed her. Is she ...Is she really alive? You have to tell me! ¡°Yes. Mallory walks away from me. Leaning against the wall, she half smiles. ¡°She''s really alive?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I repeat She sighs, ¡°You know what I did, don''t you?¡± ¡®I have been told.¡± ¡°By the girl in the basement? The one who is your mate?¡± ¡°Yes. ¡°Then you dort know everything.¡± she slides dawn the wall,nding on her ass as.she scowls and picks at? the hole tr her worn out jeans. ¡®Iwas told that she was a thief. That they wer¨¦holding her prisoner until they decided what to do with her.¡± She snorts ¡°And of course I was stupid enough''to believe them. I had met her afew times before then. She wasalways inthe house, =< working: I thought she was just,> some kind of hired help, I didnt even know her name. And then was bitten.¡± She runs her Kands through her dirty blonde hair aad sighs. ¡°They put her in the basement, the day before I > was bitten. Telling me this story = about-fow she had stolen fami heir odms. I was stupid enough ike) believe it. Stupid enough totiust Cassandra.¡± She shakes her head, leaning it back against the wall. ¡°When that btich bit me, something took over. I was so angry. I couldn''t contral it. I couldn''t bury it deep down inside like I was used to. ¡°She sent me down into that basement and told me to have fun. They told me the female needed punishing I see a tear creep out and roll down her cheek. She wipes it away, acting like it never happened. "Her screams still haunt me. Chapter 0134 Chapter 0134 ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Jenson asks. I hadn''t even noticed he had woken and wondered how much he had heard ¡°She begged me. Tried to tell me that the people upstairs were lying to me. Told me it was her home. That her parents had owned the house. It¡¯s only when I look back, that I realise I didn¡¯t see how ill she looked or how thin she was. I didn''t see the dark shadows under her eyes. All I saw was a ¡®liar¡¯ that Cassandra had described. And I believed her¡¯ Mallory drops her head forward. ¡°She didn¡¯t even try to fight back. She was too weak.¡± It is horrible, listening to what she is telling me. It also showed how much Neah hadn''t told me about her past. Or maybe it was one of those things that she had learned to block out. ¡°Even now, I hear the cracks of her skull from when I beat her against the wall.¡± ¡°You shifted?¡± Jenson asks, ¡°No.¡± She shakes her head, ¡°I was just an angry person and suddenly had the strength of a Lycan.¡± Her eyes settle on me again. "Is she really alive? You are not just lying to get me to talk to you?¡± ¡°She''s alive.¡± ¡°But how? She sho''t have survived that.¡± ¡°Because the Moon Goddess wants her to live.¡± I mumble "How did you know she was an Alpha?" Jenson asks "I overheard them talking. I never knew what the term Alpha was. Not until I broke free. Not until I met others." ¡°Cassandra kicked you out after?¡± Jenson presses ¡°No. I was so disgusted with myself, I ran. I ran and didn¡¯t stop until I could no longer hear Cassandra and her demands rattling around inside my head.¡± ¡°What about the others?¡± Jenson asks. I knew he didn¡¯t believe her story. ¡°If you were the first one, how are there others here, in this area?¡± ¡°We found each other. Or rather, they found me.¡± I call bullshit! Aero snaps ¡°Were they all bitten by Cassandra?¡± I ask She nods. "For someone that rarely shifted. She liked to create us.¡± She looks over to the broken window. ¡°The sun is rising, we should get ready to move.¡± Mallory disappears up the stairs. She didn¡¯t seem as concerned about being out of our sight. Maybe there was some truth to her story? I don''t buy it.¡¯ Jenson¡¯s voice fills my head. ¡®She¡¯s ying the ¡®I didn''t know what I was doing¡¯ card. I don¡¯t trust her.¡± You don''t have too. She said she would help us find Jess. And all she wants is money in return. I can give her that.¡¯ Jenson frowns at me. ¡®I thought you might want te kill her after what she told us.¡¯ I do, but that won''t help us to find your mate, will it?¡± ¡°Don''t call her that!¡± He snaps at me and Mallory sticks her head around the corner. Eyeballing us she snaps, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Jess.¡± I mutter back She slowly nods her head, Yet I see the slight narrowing of her eyes. ¡°Right.¡± She didn''t believe us, it was evident in her tone Dragging a bag, she moves back down the staircase towards us. The bag heavily thumps against each step ¡°What''s in the bag?¡± Jenson questions ¡°Weapons.¡± Her brown eyes move to me. ¡°Where do you think this girl is being taken?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°To a ce called Dark Ridge. Sheughs, ¡°Dark Ridge? You guys really need toe up with better pack names. But I know where that is. ¡°What do you call the pack here?¡± I ask, ¡°For the ones who have escaped?¡± ¡°Rogues. And we are not a pack!¡± ¡°Rogues?¡± Jenson muses. ¡°Those of us who don''t belong. Nor do we want to be a part of some pack!¡± She spits the words out. ¡°But you are willing to help us?" ¡°As long as you don¡¯t try anything stupid.¡± She smirks at me. She leads. Us: almost a mile from the house to an old beat up car. She throws her bag in the back seat. ¡°Get ia!¡± Mallory settles herself in the driver''s seat. Her hands gripping the wheel as she waits for us. "We haven''t got all day!¡± She snaps. "The sun is already up. Don''t you~ ; want to get back to your mate?¡¯ ¡°Get in.¡± I mutter at Jenson He takes the back seat while I sit in, the front next to her. Her foot hits the pedal and she drives like there I is no ¡®one else on the road. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org > ¡°Will you chill?! We don¡¯t need the human police to chase us down!¡± I tell her She grins and keeps her eyes on the road, ¡°There are no police out here.¡± ¡°Stop the car!¡± Jenson yells out after thirty minutes of driving. ¡°But we need...¡± Mallory mumbles ¡®l can smell her.¡± Mallory pulls the car over and Jenson practically throws himself out the door. His eyes are darting about. ¡°Tyre tracks,¡± He mutters crouching down to the ground. ¡°What? That could be anyone.¡± He sniffs the air, "She got out. She ran!¡± Jenson stares out to the cornfield in front of us. He moves forward, reaching over the fence, grabbing a stem ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Dried blood.¡± He growls. Chapter 0135 Chapter 0135 Dane Jenson starts climbing the wooden fence. I grab his shoulder ¡°You have to wait. We don¡¯t know what we are walking into. ¡°Does it matter? I need to help her, she is running. I can track her. ¡°Dane is right.¡± Mallory mutters. ¡°You don¡¯t know what else is in there. ¡®What is she talking about?¡¯ Aero asks ¡°Rogue Lycans?¡± Jenson chuckles. ¡°I''ve killed enough Lycans already, a couple more won''t hurt.¡± Mallory looks at me. ¡°I didn''t tell you everything. When you asked me if there were more. I said a few.¡± ¡°Is this something to do with the Damien guy you keep mentioning? ¡°No.¡± Her eyes scan the corn. ¡°They hide here, is that what you are trying to say?¡± ¡°It''s more than that! Look around you Dane, there are not many hiding ces out here. But you should know that there are some who stay in Lycan form, almost like they have lost their human side.¡± She looks around her. ¡°How many humans have you seen since you arrived in this town? And no police.¡± ¡°They killed the humans? ¡°They feast on them.¡± Fucking gross!¡¯ Aero gags ¡°That''s why Damien tried to get rid of us?¡± She nods, her dirty blonde hair falling around her face. "Damien keeps the Rogues from moving elsewhere. He brings them bad people. You know, criminals, people that hurt children. Those kind." ¡°How many are there?¡± Jenson asks as he continues to stare into the cornfield ¡°A dozen.¡± ¡°Damien''s the only one like you?¡± I ask. ¡°One that still shifts between both forms?" She nods. ¡°Screw it!¡± Jenson charges into the corn ¡°Don''t!¡± Mallory grabs my arm again. ¡°You have a mate to go back to. I can''t be the reason she gets hurt again.¡± ¡°Jenson is my brother!¡± I mutter, pulling my wrist free of her grip. ¡°And Jess is her family. Quickly hurrying into the corn, I realise I am practically blind. The tall stems block my view of everything. Whichever way Jenson had headed, the corn stems had jumped right back up in position. I would be relying entirely on my nose. And that was the problem. Lycans didn''t have a scent when they shifted Mallory appears next to me. "I will try to help.¡± We creep forward, inch by inch, following Jenson¡¯s scent. After a few minutes Mallory stops me. A new scent hits me. one that I had not smelled before. ¡°Damien, I Know you are there, watching me! Come out.¡± Mallory demands I see the corn move close to us. Dark eyes pop out, though the corn still hides the majority of his face. He was taller than me. ¡°You shouldn''t be here, Mallory.¡± His deep voice muttes Mallory''s arms fold up over her chest as she rolls her eyes. "Have you seen a girl with red hair, she¡¯s being chased by a Walf?¡± ¡°You know I see everything.¡± ¡°She is one of us, Damien. Cassandra bit her.¡± He steps through the corn towards us. I could see why he had been chosen to be turned. He is massive. Massive is an understatement.¡¯ Aero muses. ¡°Then why are there Wolves after her?¡± Damien demands ¡°It''splicated.¡± I mutter. His dark eyes find mine, his upper lip twitches "Funny coloured eyes you have for a Wolf.¡± l ignore higment, ¡°One Wolf kidnapped her as a favour for SS someone else.¡± I mutter ¡°The other iS. her mate, and is trying tosave Ker.¡± ¡°Right. A Wolf mated to a bitten Lycan. Now I have heard it all" He shakes his head dismissively ¡°It''s true.¡± Mallory mutters. She frowns, ¡°Remember what I told you about why I ended up here?¡± Damien''s head moves up and down but he doesn¡¯t break eye contact with me. "What has that got to de with anything?" ¡°She''s alive and she sees the redheaded girl like a sister. ¡°You told me you killed her, Mallory.¡± ¡®I thought did, but she....she n somehow survived. And the least can do to repay her is to help.her by making sure that the girl is safe.¡± I nce over to Mallory, and see more emation than ever. I see the¡± guilt she feels, the sadness for. what she hed done. I see that she has beertliving with her actions for years. . ¡°Why isn''t she here herself?¡± Damien asksN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°She''s on bed rest.¡± I bite my tongue from saying anything more. Damien narrows his eyes at me, but he doesn¡¯t push for more answers. ¡°You are in luck. The Rogues are a few fields over, sleeping.¡± He leads us through the corn, to both Greg and Jenson who are bound, gagged and out cold. ¡°Where is Jess?¡± I ask ¡°Jess, you cane out.¡± Damien calls, standing over the unconcious men A few seconds pass and she charges through the corn at me, locking her arms around my waist. "I didn¡¯t think I would see you again!" ¡°Which one is the kidnapper?¡± Damien asks me. Chapter 0136 Chapter 0136 I point to Greg. Damien strides over to him. ripping him up off the ground. He sinks his teeth into Greg''s throat and tears it out. Tossing Greg away like he was nothing as he spits out the throat. ¡°The Rogues will find himter.¡± Damien''s eyes scan Jess as she hugs me. ¡°Cassandra really turned someone so young. I ned, ¡°But old enough to be able to shift.¡± ¡°She needs shooting. ¡°She''s already dead.¡± I reply ¡°You killed her?¡¯ ¡°No, my mate. She ripped her heart out. He chuckles, ¡°Your mate is smart.¡± ¡°She''s the Alpha.¡± Jess whispers from my chest Damien suddenly looks up and out into the corn. ¡°You need to move. They have picked up the scent of fresh blood.¡± His dark eyes move to Mallory. ¡°Take them to the house. I will meet you there.¡± Damien presses his lips to her forehead before taking off into the corn ¡°Jess, go with Mallory. I will get Jenson.¡± I haul my brother up onto my shoulder. Damien must have hit him with a decent force to knock him out. By the time we make it back to the car, he is stirring. ¡°Jess.¡± He mumbles ¡°Jess is safe. You will see her in a minute.¡± I mutter just as he crashes out againN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Come on!¡± Mallory shouts. "If they catch your scent, I won''t be able to stop them.¡± The car speeds away, the moment I close the door. Mallory doesn¡¯t take us back in the direction we came, but she carries on north ¡°He said take us to the house!¡± I snap ¡®I heard. He isn''t talking about the shit pit you hid out in!¡± Jess spins in her seat to look at me. Her soft blue eyes are wide. ¡°He kidnapped me! Alpha Greg took me!¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry. I was so busy protecting Neah, we all were. I didn¡¯t think you would be harmed. ¡°Why? I did nothing to him. ¡°He kidnapped you for his brother.¡± ¡°Alpha Roan?¡± I nod Her eyes move to my brother. "He really came to find me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I''m still not epting his rejection. ¡°Then don¡¯t. Maybe it¡¯s time he learned he can¡¯t always get what he wants. But if thest two days have taught me anything, he does care for you too. And he will wait.¡± She smiles and slowly turns back around, rxing into the seat Mallory pulls into the drive of a much tidier house than thest ce. Freshly nted flowers sit in boxes on the windowsills. A small white picket fence framed the garden. ¡°This is your actual home?¡± ¡°The other ce is my base. This is my personal home. Just because I¡¯m a beast. it doesn¡¯t mean I can''t have anything nice. Make yourself comfortable. I need a shower.¡± Jess immediately raids the fridge, muttering about how she was starving as I dump Jenson on to the sofa. His bruises had healed, yet still, he wasn¡¯t awake. The front door swings open and Damien strides in. Heughs when he sees Jenson. ¡°He needs to learn to take a proper punch! Where¡¯s Mallory?¡± ¡°Shower.¡± Jess mumbles with her mouth full ¡°Right.¡± He takes off his jacket, revealing the tattoos that creep up his neck. ¡°The Rogues know that you are here.¡± He sits on the sofa opposite me ¡°As soon as Jenson wakes, we will be leaving. He looks towards the stairs, his voice dropping to a whisper. ¡°Take Mallory with you.¡± ¡°She doesn''t want that. She doesn''t want to be part of a pack.¡± ¡®He''s right!Nvallory moves down the stairs towards us in a fresh set of clothes. ¡°She had tied up her bloride hairtoo, ¡°This is my home. Andm natieaving without you, Dainien¡¯ ¡°I need to stay to make sure the other Rogues stay put. You don''t belong here anymore.¡± ¡°This is my home!¡± There is so much rage in her eyes. But she softens the longer he stares back at her. "They are getting restless, aren''t they?¡¯ He frowns-as he nods, ¡°Food is bingsparse for them, That one wolf won''t be enough for all of them. They are turning on each other. Three have died in thest week. . Damien tells her. ¡° ¡°Really?¡± Mallory whispers, slowly sitting down. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to worry you. Mallory, they are on the verge of turning on us.¡± Damien tells her. ¡°You are going to kill them?¡± I ask Damien nods. ¡°It needs to be done.¡± ¡°It was supposed to be a safe ce for them. After what she did to us.¡± Mallory groans ¡°It was, on¨¦e.¡± He moves over to her. "Go with the Wolf. Go see the female Lycan. Apologise to her. If I survive, I will ceme find you. If I don''t, then youswill need help to take the¡¯ Ragues down.¡± < Chapter 0137 Chapter 0137 Neah ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t do anything to help?¡± I ask Raven. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to just sit and do nothing. ¡°No. You need to stay right there. Eric has it handled.¡± She passes me a ss of orange juice and climbs on to the bed with me. ¡°Have you heard anything from Dane?¡± I shake my head. It was the longest I had gone without speaking to him. It felt strange. I knew he was fine now. I could feel it, but it didn¡¯t stop me thinking about him. ¡®I¡¯m sure everything is good. You never know. He might be back for the party.¡± Raven mutters hopefully ¡°Eric already said it was unlikely and we still haven''t figured out what we are doing about Roan.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Eric and us will have it covered.¡± I groan, sipping the orange juice when there is a knock at the door. ¡°Come in!" Raven calls out Eric steps into the room. His eyes are low. ¡°Dane is on the way home. ¡°He found Jess?" I mutter, shoving my juice at Raven ¡°Yes. She is fine. she is safe." ¡°Why does it feel like you are not telling us everything, Eric?¡± Raven is staring at him with her dark eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve known you my entire life. I know when there is something else you want to say. Jenson is fine, Dane is fine and you have just said Jess is safe. So what is it?¡± His eyes settle on me. "You need to stay calm.¡± Raven mbers off the bed and punches Eric in the arm. ¡°Are you serious? You should know by now that telling a woman to remain calm, doesn''t make them remain calm!¡± He sighs ¡°Dane is bringing Mallory here.¡± It felt like my heart stopped. ¡°Why....Why would he do that? You told him. You told him what she did to me. You said he confirmed it was the same woman. That she had the same scar.¡± ¡°Neah, breathe!¡± Raven mutters as I get out of bed and start pacing ¡°He¡¯s bringing her here?!" I almost cry Let me think! Nyx snaps, she was just as riled up as I was. ¡®Maybe...maybe he is bringing her here so we can kill her.¡¯ ¡°Nea, talk to me.¡± Raven mutters Maybe he wants you to get closure.¡¯ Nyx suggests I felt sick. Since I had heard the name, the memory of what she had done to me had unlocked. And now, just like my parents bloody faces, I rey it over and over in my head. The pain, the cracking of my skull, my pleading until my words were nothing and darkness took over. ¡°Neah!¡± Raven calls my name again. ¡°She can''te here.¡± I mutter ¡°Okay. But please get back into bed.¡± She turns back to Eric, ¡°Why the hell would he bring her here?¡± ¡°He said he would exin when he arrived.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± I mutter, moving out of Raven¡¯s way. ¡°He always said he wanted to kill everyone that had hurt me. And now...he is bringing her here. To my home. I''m pregnant!¡± ¡°And that is why you need to rest. We can handle this.¡± She clenches her teeth as she res at Eric. ¡°Can''t we!¡± ¡°Of course, you and the heirs are our priority.¡± Eric mutters I feel my stomach churn. I already knew what wasing andunch myself in the direction of the toilet ¡°Just go and keep an eye on Roan.¡± Raven mutters at Eric as she rubs my back. ¡°It''s a joke right?¡± I mutter when she helps me back into bed. ¡°Dane always ¡®has his reasons. I¡¯m sure he wouldn''t do anything that would purposely put you in harm''s? way. Fodils on the positives. Jessis safe. Dane and Jenson are bringing her tome. No matter what is-thrown atyou, you have found a way to rise above. If you have to kill fir, then kill her.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°You''re right. I need to keep my pups safe.¡± She nods and flicks on the television. ¡°Now, can we watch this film I¡¯ve been telling you about?" ¡°Why are we still going ahead with this?¡± I mutter as Raven slowly walks with me towards the training grounds. Music had been ying for most of the afternoon. Everyone already seemed to be in the party mood, though it wasn''t supposed to be starting until sunset. ¡°As I have said, the pack needs it. It was Dane¡¯s idea. It kept Roan here a little longer and it gave my brothers the chance to find Jess.¡± And bring the bitch here.¡¯ Nyx growls ¡°Ladies!¡± Roanes up behind us. Did he hear Raven? ¡°How are you feeling Neah? ¡°Tired.¡± I mutter. He was ying the nice guy act ¡°It must be hard carrying twin Lycans.¡± ¡°We don''t know if they are Lycans yet!¡± Raven tells him briskly ¡°Right. yes, Neah did say that. Out of curiosity, when will you find out? ¡°Not for a few months.¡± Raven deres His dark grey eyes hover on me. ¡°A few months is a long time.¡± ¡°There''s nota lot I can do about that!¡± I snap at him. Knowing what he had panned for Jess made.fe so angry. But he was also overly interested in the twins. More> specifically, my unborn twits. C¨¦ntent belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Hey, there you are!¡± uses jogging towards us. ¡°Happy Birthday.¡± ¡°I thought this was a celebration for winning the war.¡± Roan states ¡°It is, but we also celebrate our pack leader''s birthdays. It''s a joint celebration¡± use tells him ¡°No one told me it was your birthday.¡± Roan grins at me. "Happy birthday Neah." ¡°It''s not something I usually celebrate.¡± I mutter He watches-me as Raven and us talk. He doesn''t speak a single word anda shiver goes down my spin re. Jess was a distraction. It was¡®the twing-he wanted. I could feelit i in my bones. It was why he was. Still here. C¨¦ntent belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Come on, Roan.¡± us shouts. ¡°Come tell me about Ashburn city. I''ve always wondered what it was like for you lot. Do you still do pack runs?¡¯ I let out my breath as Roan follows us, answering his questions ¡°His brother is dead, right?¡± I quietly ask Raven ¡°That''s what Dane told Eric.¡± ¡°He hasn''t said anything. Not a single word. He would feel it right. He would know that his brother was killed.¡± ¡°Possibly. It''s a little different when they are in different packs. There is a good chance he felt something. But there is also just as strong a chance that he felt nothing. Why? ¡°I think it was a setup.¡± My eyes flicker around to make sure we are alone. "He hasn''t mentioned his brother once. And the questions. He is desperate to know if the twins are Lycans.¡± Chapter 0138 Chapter 0138 Neah Raven convinces me to stay at the party. She somehow convinces me to sit and do nothing. To let Eric and us keep an eye on Roan while I rxed. I couldn¡¯t rx. In fact rxing was the furthest thing from my mind. ¡°I should just kill him!¡± I whisper for the hundredth time. ¡°Get it over and done with.¡± ¡®I agree!¡¯ Nyx murmurs ¡°Shifting is not going to help your situation. You said it yourself, you feel pain moments before your shift. And if you were a Wolf, you wouldn''t be able to shift anyway! Think of the pups.¡± ¡°Lam thinking of them!¡± I grumble back ¡°I know you want him gone. And to be honest, I agree with you, but just do this for me, okay. Let the guys handle it.¡± ¡°If something happens ¡°Nothing is going to happen! There are too many people. It would be a death sentence.¡± ¡®I don''t think Roan cares about that. My gut feeling told me everything I needed to know, and so did Nyx. She hated sitting here while doing nothing. She hated the waiting when she knew we could kill him in seconds and get it over with. ¡°Besides, what do you think his pack will do when they find out you killed him?¡± Raven whisper shouts at me ¡°L...I don¡¯t know." ¡°Precisely. We don¡¯t need another war. At least not yet anyway.¡± I look over to where they had set up the bar. Roan is sitting at the bar. us and Eric are either side of him as he throws back drink after drink. ¡°The guy is going to be teo drunk to do anything. anyway!¡± Raven smiles. After a few more drinks, Roan leaves his seat. The other two stay at the bar, preventing any suspicion as Roan makes his way onto the dance floor. He stays there for all of three seconds. The moment he see¡¯s me, he makes a very wobbly path in my direction. A huge grin stered to his face. ¡°Neah.¡± He slurs as he stops in front of me. ¡°Can I have this dance?¡± ¡°Resting!¡± I mumble back ¡°Ah,¡± He smiles and ces his hands on my stomach. I wanted to vomit. who thinks its okay to do that? "The pups. I¡¯m sure one whirl won''t hurt them!" ¡°She is on rest. Doctor¡¯s orders.¡± Raven mutters as she stands. ¡°Pfft!¡¯ He grabs me and pulls me up in the air, holding me against him and just high enough that my feet can¡¯t touch the ground. ¡°Let her go!¡± Raven snaps at himN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. He res at her and spins me away. ¡°We need to talk.¡± With each twirl, I feel sick. Without my feet being nted on the floor, I couldn''t force myself away from his tight grip. He had my stomach pressed against his. His arms coiled around me. His face dangerously se to mine. ¡°I think you are lying to me about your precious-Alpha.¡± The previous slurring disappears, it was like I hadn''t watched him down drink after drink. He Spins us again, mov ing me towards a darkened corner. I see us and Eric moving in my direction. I If Roan tries anything, they would be too far away to¡¯Save me. They needed to move faster. ¡°Please put me down.¡± I mutter, digging my nails into his arms ¡°Not until you tell me where your mate is.¡± His dark grey eyes narrow as he waits for an answer. He leans itclose, his horrible breath fans my face, ¡°You see, I know Neah. I know fy brother didn¡¯t makeit¡± home know Jess didn''t make it there So I will ask you one more time, where is your mate?¡± Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ ¡®I have already told you, he¡¯s doing some work in the city.¡± I whisper and he spins impossibly faster. Hise hands ¡®slide to my lower backand dig into my skin. Content ¡®belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Don''t lie to me Neah. I know he killed my brother. I know it''s your birthday, he wouldn''t miss that unless there was something serious happening.¡± ¡°I''m not lying.¡± ¡°Spoken like a true liar.¡± He murmurs and smiles . "It takes one to know one.¡± ¡°Let her go, Roan.¡± Eric appears to one side of us. stopping Roan from spinning me any further. Chapter 0139 Chapter 0139 ¡°Tell me where he is!¡± Roan snapped just as my nose is filled with Danes'' woody scent ¡®I''m right here! And I suggest you let go of my mate.¡± Danes'' voice echoes through me. The relief I feel hearing that he is home is unlike anything I have ever felt. I''m dropped as Roan turns to face my mate. Jenson stands tall next to Dane along with Jess. And then there was Mallory, the girl who had almost beaten me to death. ¡°You killed my brother!¡± Roan screeches ¡°No, I didn''t.¡± Dane shrugs his shoulders ¡®I felt his death. Don''t lie to me¡± ¡°And yet it wasn''t me. It was a Lycan.¡± Dane speaks calmly, though I feel his annoyance ¡°Don''t bullshit me!" Roan screeches. grabbing me and pulling me back against him. His hand coils around my throat and he squeezes as I stare at Dane. The music stops and I feel all eyes on me. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Dane.¡± Mallory mutters as she steps forward with her hands raised. ¡°There are Lycans that have the taste for flesh, it was them.¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Roan yells as he squeezes my throat a little more. ¡°They are all dead.¡± ¡°Do you really believe that? I believe that Dark Ridge is your brother''s pack, right? There is a ce before Dark Ridge that has been imed. The town is owned by Rogue Lycans. Your brother passed through with one of our kind as his prisoner.¡± she gestures to Jess. "He was never going to make it out of our town alive.¡± Her brown eyes find mine as he continues to squeeze my throat. My vision is darkening. Her face was not thest I wanted to see. ¡°So you killed him?¡± Roan growls. ¡°No." Nyx.¡¯ I whisper as I find it impossible to breathe ¡®What about the pups?¡¯ She whispers back. There will be no pups if I''m dead anyway. Just the ws.¡¯ Pain rips through my entire body. I could feel the ws pierce my fingertips as Mallory kept talking to him. Reaching behind, I plunge the ws into his stomach. His hands instantly let go of my throat as he yells in pain. My feet hit the ground and as I''m about to run, I lose my bnce,nding face first in the dirt. GET UP!¡¯ Nyx screams at me I couldn¡¯t move. ¡°NEAH, GET THE FUCK UP!¡¯ She screams again. There is shouting around me when warm hands slip under my shoulders, helping me to my feet. Mallory''s facees back into view. ¡°I know,¡± she mutters. "I''m thest person you expected to see.¡± I was speechless. I had run the conversationthrough my head multiple tim¨¦s since it was . announced that she would be x coming-fere. Ihadsomuch! wanted to say. So much anger-that needed to get off of my chest. Yet, asl stared back at her, nota single word leaves my lips. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~ Every ounce of confidence I had is washed away. ¡°You need to move!¡± Mallory mutters. ¡°I can take it from here.¡± Raven appears at my side, looping her arm with mine and ring at Mallory. ¡°I was just trying to help!¡± Mallory frowns at Raven ¡°Let''s go.¡± Raven tells me, while stee ingme away from the crowds and away fram the woman who I had almos killed me once. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org >" ¡°Roan.¡± I mutter when we are away from the party. "Dane is dealing with it.¡± Raven Snaps, she seemed annoyed, but not about meh¨¦ing attacked. < Somethikg else seemed to be _~ bugging I her. She begins inspecting my. n¨¦ck, which we both knew was already healed. Content belongs ite) swnovel. 4 ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask quietly ¡°YES!¡± She snaps again, avoiding eye contact. ¡°You shouldn''t have shifted.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°It was just my ws!" I grumble, but as I study her face, I knew something was off. ¡°What''s wrong? She sighs, turning her back to me. ¡°This is going to sound mad.¡± ¡°Madder than a man in the pack who is after my twins?¡± ¡°The woman with Dane...¡± ¡°Mallory?¡± I spit her name She neds. ¡°She carries someone else¡¯s scent.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°My mates.¡± ¡°Salem?¡± I ask confused She shakes her head and frowns. ¡°My new mate.¡± Chapter 0140 Chapter 0140 Neah ¡°What are you talking about Raven?¡± I mutter as she tugs me into the house ¡°It''s not her scent.¡± Raven mutters. She shakes her head avoiding my gaze. ¡°It¡¯s on her. It''s someone she has been near.¡± ¡°Another Lycan?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, there¡¯s no way to tell the difference. You....when you first came here you smelled like a wolf. Though you had an odd scent too, from being bound. She said there were Rogues? What if it¡¯s one of them?¡± I shrug my shoulders, I didn''t know how to answer her. I didn''t have a clue what a Rogue was.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I never thought....not after Salem.¡± There is a hint of sadness in her eyes ¡°You loved Salem.¡± ¡°A part of me still does.¡± She sighs. ¡°He was everything and.... And he threw it away because of my brother. Because of my pack.¡± ¡°Do you think this new mate won''t meet your expectations?¡± I was grateful for the distraction, even if it is only temporary. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just know he is going to have to be pretty amazing for me to even consider epting him.¡± ¡°I will trade problems.¡± I half smile at her ¡°Your problems are my problems.¡± she bumps her shoulder into mine. ¡°And one of them is heading our way.¡± Through the open front door, we see Mallory making her way towards us. Her hands are shoved into her jeans pockets. A frown etched on her face. What right did she have to be angry? She was lucky we hadn''t killed her already. She stops just outside the front door. Her eyes on me. ¡°Can we talk?¡± The Audacity!¡¯ Nyx snaps ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡± I make it clear with my tone that I was not interested in anything she had to say. She nods her head, a small smile ys on her lips. ¡°You don¡¯t stutter anymore.¡± My eyes narrow, ¡°Why are you here? Why did my brother bring you here?¡± ¡°He was asked too.¡± ¡°By who?¡± Raven demands ¡°My best friend. Look, I didn¡¯t want toe. I wanted to stay in my town, but the Rogues are difficult. Damien said they are bing feral, impossible to control Raven''s dark eyes flicker to me before returning to Mallory. ¡°And where is this Damien?" ¡°He stayed behind, he is trying to kill the Rogues. He said if he does, he will meet me here. ¡°This mate of yours, is he a Lycan too?¡¯ "He is not my mate, but yes, he was bitten just like the rest of us.¡± She shows usthe bite mark. ¡°Well, = => almost like all of us.¡± Her brown eyes settleon me and she takes a step closer. "I believe you are the only pur¨¦ bred left." a ¡°That''s far enough.¡± Raven holds a hand up to her. cing herself between me and Mallory. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you are alive.¡± Mallory shakes out her blonde hair. "You should be dead. I thought I had killed you ¡°Is that why you are here? To finish the job?¡± Raven asks ¡°No. Of course not.¡± ¡°Then why weren''t the first words out of your mouth an apology?¡± Raven snaps. ¡°Can someone even apologise for something like that?¡± Mallory tuts with a frown. ¡°It''s unforgivable. The words won''t mean anything. I know that if it were the other way around, Neah wouldn''t be apologising to me.¡± No,¡¯ Nyx murmurs, ¡®We would have made sure we finished the job!¡¯ ¡°You should leave!¡± Raven snaps at Mallory ¡®I''ve not killed anyone, not since that day.¡± Maltory mumbles, ignoring Raven.¡°I''couldn''t. I shift purely. to scare-people. To make them back off. wnake threats, but it''s rare I ¡®low through. That day changed " ¡°And that''s supposed to make me feel sorry for you!¡± I snap. ¡°No, that¡¯s notwhat I¡¯m saying. I they used me-too. Cassandra did. She told meties about you. Lies that I believedat the time because I = thought she was the most amazing person and I wanted to makeher happy. I wanted her to believe I was w¨¦rthy.¡± Content belongs:to ¡°By hurting a defenceless girl? What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± Raven growls She shrugs her shoulders, ¡°Everything. Mallory''s eyes shift between me and Raven. ¡°I helped him find Jess.¡± ¡°I can''t listen to this.¡± I whisper to Raven. Raven neds her head at me and tells me to go lie down. I leave the both of them talking as I head upstairs to rest. Trey and Cassandra are dead, I didn''t think I would need to deal with anymore people from my past. I was in and out of sleep when Dane appeared, bringing with him the stench of blood. ¡°Is Roan dead?" I mutter sleepily ¡°Not yet.¡± He leans over me and presses his lips against mine. ¡°We are having some fun first.¡± He pulls away from me and secondster the shower is turned on. I wait for him to get in before I sit up and ask the burning question. ¡°Why did you bring her here?¡± He pauses to look through the ss door at me. "I was asked to bring her.¡± Chapter 0141 Chapter 0141 ¡°By this Damien guy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°After what she did to me?¡± ¡°What she did was horrendous, I am not disputing that. And I am thankful that she didn¡¯t kill you. But just like you are haunted by your parents death, she is haunted by what she did to you.¡± ¡°Good!¡± I lie back and stare up at the ceiling. ¡°She deserves to be haunted.¡± He doesn''t respond and finishes his shower as Iy in silence. Eventually, he climbs into bed, pulling me in against him. ¡°I am not asking you to forgive her. I am not asking you to be friends with her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why she is here.¡± I mutter, fighting the tears ¡°She didn''t have to help me find Jess, but she did anyway. If it wasn¡¯t for her. Jess would likely not be here.¡± ¡°That doesn''t answer my question.¡± He rests his hands on my stomach and exhales. "I don¡¯t have an answer right now. Or at least I don¡¯t have anything to say that will make you fee better.¡± Sitting up, I stare at him, ¡°You always have an answer.¡± He doesn''t speak. In the darkness. I watch his chest rise and fall. It wasn¡¯t like him. He always had an answer and that unsettled me as much as Mallory being here. At the breakfast table, I sit my face in my hands. I felt like crap. ¡°Come on.¡± us speaks softly to me. ¡°You are nearly done.¡± He taps the book in front of me. ¡°Sorry,¡± I mutter. ¡°Dane said you weren''t feeling your best this morning.¡± He offers a smile. ¡°No one warned me about this side of pregnancy. And I''m so fed up of fucking ginger biscuits!¡± He grins and taps the book again. ¡°Try to focus on this. I read a few more sentences and look up at him. ¡°Has he said anything to you?¡± ¡°About Mallory? No.¡± ¡°But he''s with her now.¡± I nce to the window ¡°He said he is showing her around. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask. But I assume it¡¯s so she knows where everything is.¡± ¡°Do you think he is mated to her? Is that why he is weing her with open arms? ¡°What?!¡± us splutters his drink all across the table and the book I''m supposed to be reading. ¡°It''s just... I was mated to Kyle and Dane at the same time. He could have another mate out there.¡± ¡°That exins why you look so tired. Were you up all night, thinking about that?¡± I look away ¡°Neah, I don''t know if it¡¯s your hormones ying tricks on you or you are gequinely overthinking it, Rut there is: 5 NO way. Dane is an honest guy. You know how long it took him to find you.¡± He closes the book I in fromt of me. ¡°Let''s go for a.walk.¡± Conten belongs to swnevel ¡®I¡¯m supposed to be resting.¡± ¡°What good is rest going to do if you are just going to lie there stressing out?¡± Stepping out into the warm morning sun. I see Dane, standing on his own. His arms folded across his chest as he observes the pack ¡°You should be in bed if you are not studying!¡± He mutters as we approach him. ¡°Where''s Mallory?¡± I demand and he cocks a brow at me. ¡°Settling in at her temporary home.¡± His crimson eyes move to us. "Can you give us some space?¡± us tells me that he will catch up to meter and gives me a wink as he walks away. I take a deep breath and ask the question that has been guing me all night. ¡°Is there something going on between you two?¡± ¡®I''ve been waiting for you to ask since I read your mindst night.¡± He smiles, trying to break my tension ¡°And? ¡°No.¡± He pulls me into his arms. ¡°You are my only mate. You are the one I love. You are the one carrying my children.¡± ¡°Then help me understand because I feel like I am losing my mind!¡± I blink back the tears that are trying to escape. ¡°I think she can help you.¡± I open my mouth to respond, but all I could de is shake my head and frown at him. ¡°Neah, if you are carrying Lycans, we need somegite who knows more about thera? It¡¯s still new to you, it''s> new to altof us here. She is not.the persamshe once was. But she has beerttiving as one for a lotnger thar you have.¡± Content bet¨¦ngs to NovelDrama.Org 4 Images of herappear in my mind. Her hands gripped around my face, her thumbs centimetres from my => eyes as She ms my head back over and over. Pain shoots up. fhe backof my head like it was oO ening right now. Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ? ¡°The others that have hurt you, they continued to hurt you. She left because she couldn''t handle what she had done and she has lived with that since.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She told me the same thing.¡± I mumble ¡°You don''t believe her or are you choosing not to believe her?¡± Chapter 0142 Chapter 0142 Raven Crap, crap, crap, crap. My feet carry me back and forth, along the corridor of the hospital. As usual it is quiet and gives me some time to think. ¡®Will you just chill.¡¯ My Wolf, Midnight, rolls her eyes at me. I am mated to a Lycan! How can I be chill about that?¡¯ Neah is a Lycan.¡¯ She¡¯s different. I like her. This guy, he¡¯s friends with Mallory. That''s not a good sign. And look at all the others, they are all assholes! We are right in the middle of some kind of Moon Goddess fuckery!¡± Midnightughs at me. I rarely showed anyone the panic I often felt inside. And thankfully, Midnight was savvy enough to make me appear calm. ¡®We could talk to her?¡¯ Midnight suggests Mallory? We can''t do that, it would look like we are not on Neah¡¯s side. And I made it quite clear to Mallory that she is not wanted here.¡¯ It might be the only way we get to meet our second chance mate.¡¯ ¡®And what if he isn¡¯t as good as Salem? What if he is a horrid man? What if he hates us?¡± Then we cross that bridge when we get to it. The hospital is dead as usual. Go find her!¡¯ Stepping out, I could see Neah and my brother having a bit of a heated argument. Dane should know better. Neah was supposed to be resting She¡¯s definitely be more confident since she has been pregnant.¡¯ Midnight muses. Hormones and trauma history.¡¯ I mumble back. ¡®I just hope Dane is prepared for it to get a lot worse.¡± Hey?¡¯ Eric scares the crap out of me. I really have to start paying more attention and not just tune everything out when I''m talking to Midnight. ¡°Hey Eric, can I help you?" ¡°Have you seen us?¡± ¡°No. He was with Neah for tutoring, so¡± I gesture to the couple arguing, ¡°I guess he has headed home.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Have you seen Mallory?¡± He cocks a brow at me. ¡°She was down by her house earlier. ¡°Her house? He nods at me. ¡°Dane has set her up.¡± It was not what I was expecting to hear. I was still surprised he had brought her here after what she did to Neah. It wasn''t his usual style. Eric walks with me to show me which house. He leaves me standing a few metres away as he heads off to find us. Three times"I go to knock on the door. Three times I turn around and almostwa k away. Just as I¡¯m about to attempt a fourth time. She pulls the door open with force andres atime. .> - ¡°What?¡± She scowls at me. ¡°I''ve been watching you-through the window since youfirst arrived. You have > already rdade it quite clear that you don''t want me here. So what de-you want?Have youe to havea go ate? Call me all the names under th¨¦ sun?¡± I couldn¡¯t smell his scent on her anymore. She had clearly showered and his scent had disappeared down the drain with the water. ¡°The guy. The scent that was on you. Have you heard from him?¡± ¡°Now it makes sense.¡± She smiles at me, ¡°The questions about him. You are mated to him. You could smell him on me and that is why you came here. ¡°Apparently!¡± I tut ¡°Thest I heard, yes. Yes he is still alive.¡± ¡°He was killing the Lycans?¡± Mallory nods at me. ¡°The Rogues. Do you want toe in and ask these questions? I¡¯m cooking and I don¡¯t want or need it to burn. My dark eyes move around to see if anyone is watching. I didn¡¯t want Neah to think I¡¯m betraying her. I just wanted to know more about my mate. ¡°Sure.¡± Following her inside, she gestures to the small kitchen table. ¡®Damien is-my best friend.¡± Mallory. tells me. ¡°We found each other afew months after he had been turned. By thatpoint, I had been a Lycamfor aliost a year. A very lonely''year.¡± N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°He was bitten too?" ¡°By the same bitch that bit me!¡± Mallory pours me a coffee and slides it across the table to me. Chapter 0143 Chapter 0143 ¡°Damien is a good guy. He has a dark side like all of us Lycans. It''s funny, it¡¯s like we could only be a Lycan if we had a bad past.¡± She half smiles. "Fucked up, right?" ¡°You really believe that?¡± ¡°I saw the girl¡¯s arms. Whats her name. Jess? Kids don''t cut themselves like that unless there is some seriously bad shit going on.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I watched my father stab my mother over and over in a frenzied attack. After I attacked your friend, all I could see was my father in me. I had be exactly like him. And that is exactly what Cassandra wanted, what she hoped for.¡± She ruffles up her blonde hair. ¡°Cassandra never chose normal, happy people. She always chose someone with issues. Peaple who would perform the cruellest acts.¡± I feel my stomach drop. What was Damien¡¯s past? Why had she chosen him? ¡°And Damien?¡± I was almost afraid to ask ¡°It''s something he never talks about.¡± ¡°Never?¡± ¡°Never. I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s not the answer you were looking for.¡± I stand up to leave and nce back over my shoulder at her. ¡°You should tell Dane and Neah what you told me.¡± She snorts. ¡°You think that will make Neah think differently of me?¡± ¡°She has a dark past too. The only difference is, she is a pure blood. Thest living one. She has a hard time trusting people after her history was built on lies.¡± ¡®Well that was not what I was expecting!¡¯ Midnight tells me as we make our way to the pack house. Neah and Dane were no longer outside arguing and were most likely making up when she should be resting, but Jenson is sat out front. Maybe he could give me some advice. ¡°What were you doing at Mallory¡¯s?¡± He asks as I drop down in a seat next to him ¡®I¡¯m mated to a Lycan too.¡± I didn''t have to look at him to know he was staring at me. ¡°Mallory? I didn¡¯t think you were into girls?" ¡°No, not Mallory. Some guy called Damien. His scent was on her. You met him, right?¡± He nods ¡°And? ¡®I don¡¯t know phat you want me to Say, Sis. He''sttall, maybe a little taller than Dane.He has tattoos. Abit => abrupt, 6 but he seems to like thats Mallory. Are you sure you are raated to hit? I could have sworn those we" were together.¡± Content belongs to oO 4 ¡°Yes. ¡°Then I feel sorry for you. To know of him and you might never get a chance to meet him.¡± ¡°Thanks for the vote of confidence!¡± I snap. ¡°How''s Jess? He res back at me. ¡°Don''t im you don''t care for her. The moment you heard she was missing, you went after her.¡± ¡°She''s okay, shut herself in her bedroom. Do you think the Moon Goddess is ying a prank on us?¡± ¡°On you, maybe.¡± Iugh ¡°It''s weird right? All three of us being mated to Lycans?¡± He continues, ignoring myment.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°a he funny thiag is, I said the same thing to Neal If Jess and Damien were never turned, we would nevers have be¨¦n mated to them. Does s that meanwe would have been destined to bemateless for the rest ofour li ves? Were we always supposed ite) b@mated to Lycans?¡± Cagitent belongs to Jenson shrugs his shoulders at me. ¡°You know me, I would have been happy without a mate.¡± I roll my eyes at my brother. ¡°How you are still alive is beyond me! He rises to his feet, patting me on the back. ¡°Love you too, sis! Jenson strolls off, leaving me sitting alone. Sometimes I was jealous of my twig¡¯s carefree attitude. Rarely did things phase him. Even when he was-kicked out, he ended upctaking it in-his stride. ¡° I sit watching the pack for some time. They move around,pletely oblivious to me. I was pretty certain that if Dane wasn''t my brother, they probably wouldn''t even know of my existence. Chapter 0144 Chapter 0144 Dane Curled up in my arms, Neah rests her cheek on my chest as my fingers trail down her back. The smell of our sex still hovers in the room. No matter how we argued, she couldn''t resist it when I started paying attention to the mark on her neck. For a brief moment, her mind is silent. It felt like it had been forever since her mind had not moved a million miles a second. Over thinking, over analysing. I feel her eyshes flutter against my chest as her arms squeeze me. For a second, I thought she had fallen asleep ¡°When will you kill Roan?¡± She asks quietly ¡°Soon. He will stand trial once we have finished torturing him.¡± My hand moves down to her stomach, there is already a small curve to it. Easily visible due to how slim my mate is. Tipping her head back, she kisses me and repositions my hand so it is cupping her pussy. Her kiss deepens as my finger dips between her folds, feeling how wet she still is. Pressing my thumb against her clit, her hips buck against my hand. A small moanes from deep inside her as my fingers work quicker. Her back arches just as someone knocks on the door. Neah lets out a little squeal and immediately freezes, pulling the nkets up around her. Keeping my hand in ce, I slow my fingers down, teasing her clit. She res at me as I tell whoever is at the door that I''m busy. Neah tries to hold still, afraid to be caught. She lets out a few quiet moans as I roughly force two fingers in her. As I slide them in and out, she grabs my hand, trying to hold me in ce. Frantically shaking her head at me. ¡°Dane, there is a man here. He says he knows you!¡± The deep voicees from the other side of the door as I watch my mate silently fight an orgasm. ¡°Did he give you a name?¡± I call back as I knead my mates hardened nipples. ¡°He says his name is Damien.¡± Neah arches her back, her hips rocking against my hand as she grabs my lengthening dick. She bites down on her bottom lip, squeezing her eyes shut. ¡°Keep him at the entrance. I will be there shortly.¡± As the fogtsteps move away, Neahs lips part as she lets out the long, tsw groan she had been fighting to.hold while her muscles spasm around my fingers. ~ 7 ¡°He''s here.¡± She mutters, trying to move away from me. ¡°He can wait. I need to finish what I started¡± I rip the nket back from her, burying my face between her thighs. She gasps as I suck on her. My tongue flicks along her swollen clit as I spread her legs wide. I loved that she was mine and I loved that I would be the only one to ever taste her juices. As she starts to arch her back again, I m my cock into her ¡°Dane¡± she mutters breathlessly. She closes her eyes again as her muscles mp around my cock, barely giving me room to thrust. Pulling her upright, I hold her against my chest. Our lips centimetres apart as I thrust up into her. ¡°Let me see those pretty blue eyes.¡± I growl They lock on te-mine as I push myself up into her again. Her nails dig into my. Shoulders as her moans echo around the room. With ones final nan she grips my cock and her Body shudders while I filler witFi my cum. 4 She sits still on me, her arms looped around me as her head rests on my shoulder. Her breath is heavy, her heart thuds loudly in her chest. ¡°You need a shower.¡± I murmur,bing my fingers through her hair. ¡°Are you trying to say I smell?¡± Iugh. ¡°Of our sex.¡± Her legs curl around my hips as I carry her to the shower, her lips edging along my jawline. Pregnancy certainly made her horny. It was almost two hours before! ~ finally leffthe bedroom and headed down.to the packs entrance toumeet Damien. He was busy arguing ¡®with several of my guards. Content belongs to ~~ ¡°Where the fuck have you been?¡± He snaps the moment he sees me.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°My mate had needs Chapter 0145 Chapter 0145 He rolls his eyes at me ¡°I assume that if you are here. The Rogues are all dead.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. His dark eyes just stare at me. ¡°It''s fine.¡± I tell the guard. ¡°He is with Mallory. ¡°I take it that the female Alpha hasn''t killed her then?¡± Damien asks curiously ¡°Not yet. Though there is still a good chance. Damien sighs ¡°Did she apologise like I told her?¡± ¡°From what I understand, she said something like an apology would be worthless.¡± ¡°Mallory!¡± He mutters to himself. Hees to a stop and I notice how his nostrils re. His eyes dart about. I assume he is looking for Mallory and was just about to tell him where she was when I realise he is staring at my sister. Raven is carrying something in her arms and drops them when she realises she is being watched. Quickly turning on her heel, she marches in the opposite direction with some speed. ¡°Wolf, right?¡± Damien murmurs ¡°Yes, that''s Raven, my sister. She¡¯s not the greatest fan of you guys. ¡°Who is!¡± He shrugs his shoulders at me ¡°There are only four Lycans here. My mate, Jess. Mallory and now you. Raven is good friends with my mate. And she likes Jess too, but every other Lycan she has met has been a royal pain in the ass. Everyone else here is a Wolf.¡± ¡°Right.¡± His dark eyes still scan the area as we walk towards the house I had set Mallory up in. Before Damien has a chance to knock on the door. Mallory throws it open, flinging herself at him. ¡°I''m so d you are alive! But it was a mistake coming here. Now you are here, we can leave.¡± ¡°I haven''t met the female Alpha yet.¡± Damien mutters, putting her back on her feet. He looks at me, waiting for me to respond. ¡°She is resting right now.¡± ¡°I see. Maybe a tour then?¡± He asks hopefully and I see Mallory frown ¡°Are you up to something? Because I haven''t got the time nor the fucking patience for that right now.¡± I warn him. Damien smiles at me. ¡°If I were, I would have taken out those two guards that:were keeping me at the ron waiting for you. In fact I o probably. could have taken most.of your people out in the time youwere ucking your mate. Becausethat can bethe only possible reason you have for keeping me waiting for so ong. Right?¡± ¡°Damien!¡± Mallory snaps at him. ¡°You can¡¯t speak to him like that. He is the pack leader.¡± Damien nces at Mallory and reluctantly. he apologises for the way he spoke to me. ¡°Packs are not how I learned to be a Lycan. We didn¡¯t have a hierarchy.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t, but it sounds like you were the one in charge.¡± I mutter. He had taken control over everything in the short time we were with them. ¡°I guess so. ¡°Why do you want to meet Neah?¡± I push as Mallory retreats into the house ¡°You said it yourself, Dane. She is a female Lycan Alpha. Thest one. She needs as much protection as she can get.¡± ¡°She has the pack. ¡°Yes, but they are not Lycans.¡± Damien frowns What he is trying to say, hits me. ¡°The Rogues are alive, aren''t they?¡± ¡°One got away. ¡°We can take it out.¡± I mutter, I wasn''t afraid of any beast. ¡°You have fought against Lycans, correct?¡± Damien asks ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But you haven''t battled Rogues. They are darker and far more dangerous wan those who shift between hurnan and beast. They =~ don''t fight to win a battle, they fight for fur They won''t just rip throats out sf kill, they will tear apartan entire body, dragging the bones and organs from the flesh while the prey is still alive. Feasting on them as they beg for death.¡± Content belongs to ¡°How did you kill them?¡± ¡°Luck, but, fve been studying them for yearsstve provided them witht food. They don''t care for Wolvesor other-ycans. They don''t care for a chaitr ofmand. The thing they cate e about most is a full stomach.¡± C¨¦ntent belongs to [e) ¡°You killed them in their sleep?¡¯ I did what needed to be done.¡± Chapter 0146 Chapter 0146 Neah Raven practically breaks down the bedroom door as shees flying in. I had never seen her look so flustered. Her eyes are wide and she is breathing as though she just ran a marathon. She¡¯s pping her hands, trying to calm herself down.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°I assume you are not okay?¡± I mutter ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± She had to be talking about Damien. ¡°You saw him?¡± ¡°Yes, wait, you know?¡± She stops to stare at me. ¡°One of the guards interrupted us to tell Dane. What¡¯s he like?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t talk to him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°He looked directly at me.¡± ¡°Do you think he knows?¡± ¡°Of course he knows Neah! I panicked. I literally dropped everything and I came here.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°With Salem, we both gravitated towards each other. When I first scented him, I followed my nose and Salem was doing the exact same. With this guy, he just stood there, staring at me while talking to Dane. Acting like he couldn¡¯t even smell me! Or maybe he was disgusted by me. Whatever the reason, he didn''t look happy!¡± ¡°Maybe he was surprised. You have known this guy is your mate without having seen him. The first time he realized he was mated was when he arrived here.¡± ¡°You are not helping.¡± I couldn¡¯t control theugh. Raven points a finger at me. ¡°Don¡¯t! This is not funny Neah. Do you think it¡¯s because I am a Wolf?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it? He¡¯s probably grossed out.¡± ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I told you, I came straight here. I figured you would be the only one to understand this.¡± ¡°What does he look like?¡± I ask calmly, hoping it would rub off on her. She stops pacing and turns to look at me. ¡°Like a God.¡± She falls down on the bed next to me, giggling and letting all that panic disappear. ¡°Do you think he will like me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he will.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand how anyone would not like Raven. She rolls on her side, with a frown etched into her face and sighs. ¡°He is Mallory¡¯s best friend.¡± ¡°You spoke to her, didn¡¯t you?¡± I mutter, looking away from her. ¡°I was curious about Damien, but yes.¡± ¡°Do you believe that she is sorry?¡± I whisper while staring up at the ceiling. ¡°I really want to say no, Neah, but when she spoke of what she did, there was so much sorrow in her voice.¡± ¡°You think I should speak to her?¡± ¡°Maybe hear her out and then make your decision.¡± She shrugs her shoulders. ¡°If you still think she is lying, then do what you need to do.¡± Raven sits with me for a few hours. She flicks the television on but her topic of conversation keeps circling back to Damien. ¡°Raven, just go and speak to him.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve been with you for hours now and he hasn¡¯t evene to find me.¡± ¡°You are in my bedroom. In the packhouse. Do you really think he is going toe in here to find you?¡± ¡°You are right!¡± She jumps up off the bed and hurries to the mirror, checking herself out. ¡°I can do this. I can seek him out. Women are just as powerful as men.¡± She turns to me, her eyes wide. ¡°What if he rejects me?¡± ¡°Do what Jess did!¡± ¡°Refuse?¡± ¡°Why not? It seems to have worked for Jess.¡± She nods and hurries out of the room. ¡®You should have told her.¡¯ Nyx mutters ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯ I mutter back ¡®Just because you are ignoring the pain in your body, it doesn¡¯t mean that you are fine!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m carrying twins. It¡¯s just ufortable.¡¯ ¡®Raven¡¯s a doctor!¡¯ Nyx argues. ¡®I know and she is caught up in the whole new mate bond stuff. I will be fine. I will get something to eat.¡¯ Chapter 0147 Chapter 0147 I swing my legs over the bed and push myself up. It took more effort than I expected but as soon as I am up, I made my way out into the hallway. Now I had thought about food, I realized I was starving. Heading towards the stairs, my legs give out from under me, plummeting me down each step. My head hits something and everything goes dark. ¡°Ow!¡± I mutter, stretching myself out. My hand automatically goes between my thighs. No blood, thank fuck for that. These pups were stronger than expected. There¡¯s a knock on the front door. ¡°Come in.¡± I mutter from the floor. ¡°Shit. Are you alright?¡± Unfamiliar dark eyes appear and a hand slides into mine, helping me up. ¡°You must be Damien?¡± I mutter, noticing his neck tattoos while rubbing the back of my head. If I had a wound, it would have probably healed by now anyway. ¡°I am, though this was not the way I intended on introducing myself. You should get checked out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You are pregnant though. I can smell it.¡± ¡°I will be fine.¡± I spit out the final word He nods his head at me as I sit on the bottom step. ¡°You may think so, but you should still get yourself looked at. You are the female Alpha.¡± I roll my eyes at him. ¡°Is that why you are here? You are looking for someone to lead you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for the only person that can lead us.¡± His dark stare is intense. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would say he had learned it from Dane. But something tells me it was the way he always looked at things, even when he was human. ¡°And I want to offer you my protection.¡± Nyx snorts and I almost do too. But his face is serious. ¡°From what?¡± ¡°Whatever ising.¡± ¡°What ising?¡± I ask He just stares at me. Dark and mysterious. Exactly how Dane was when I first met him. ¡°And what about Raven?¡± ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s your mate.¡± I mutter ¡°I am aware.¡± ¡°Are you going to reject her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know her well enough to make a decision.¡± She didn¡¯t go to him like I suggested. Maybe I could force them together. ¡°Actually, can you take me to the hospital? Maybe I should get checked out.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. He walks with me, stopping when we are just outside the hospital doors. ¡°Is something wrong with Raven?¡± He asks with a frown. ¡°No, she¡¯s the pack doctor.¡± His face is unreadable, but he still follows me inside. ¡°Ne¡­.¡± Raven¡¯s voice fades off to a squeak as she focuses on the man who is her mate. ¡°I fell down the stairs.¡± I mutter and exin to her about the pain. She beckons me in for a scan and Damien follows. He stands in the doorway watching, but now and again, his dark eyes would move to Raven. Raven tried her best not to look at him, so much so that beads of sweat were forming on her brow. The heartbeats of the twins flood the room just as Danees charging in. He pushes past Damien with a frown and presses his lips to mine. ¡°Sorry, we were cutting Roan¡¯s fingers off. Are you okay?¡± I nod. "Tell Nyx to stop blocking me." ¡°She needs to rest.¡± Raven snaps at him ¡°Both boys'' heartbeats are strong. But you must rest. It is still a risky pregnancy.¡± Raven warns me. ¡°And I don¡¯t want to confine you to the bed just yet.¡± ¡°Out of curiosity, can you tell what they are?¡± It was Damien¡¯s first words to her. ¡°Wolves or Lycans?¡± ¡°No.¡± Her answer is far more abrupt than usual. Was she annoyed with him? Chapter 0148 Chapter 0148 Damien She was a pretty little thing. I thought that the moment I firstid my eyes on her. My mate. A Wolf. Though she didn''t deserve someone like me. I watch her move around the Alpha. She is quick and thinks on her feet. Her dark hair is loosely pulled back into a hair bobble with a few escaped hairs at the top of her neck. As her dark eyes catch mine, I notice a fleck of light brown just under her left pupil. She quickly looks away, returning all her attention to the Alpha, smiling as the heartbeats fill the room. Her happiness makes her scent of strawberries explode and for a brief second, I wondered if she would taste of them too. I barely notice Dane pushing past me. I just watch her lips move as she scolds them both When the all clear is given, I finally ask the question that had been ying on my mind since I first scented Neah¡¯s pregnancy. Raven shoots daggers at me, like I had asked the worst question in the world. She gives me a short and sharp ¡°No!¡± Dane¡¯s strange red eyes find mine and I remember what he told me earlier. Raven isn''t a fan of us. Maybe she hated the idea of being mated to me I step outside the room, leaving the three of them alone. Though I don''t leavepletely, standing guard over her room instead. I will protect the Alpha even if she doesn''t want me too Dane steps out, closing the door to the room. ¡°The question you asked, it¡¯s been asked multiple times by the asshole in my dungeon. That''s why she is so short with you.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± I wasn¡¯t the type of person to apologise, but he had to know it was a genuine curiosity, nothing more. In theory, if I don''t reject Raven. they be my nephews too. They be my family. ¡°The guy in the dungeon, he¡¯s the one who wants the pups?¡± I ask He nods his head at me. ¡°He was also the one who had Jess removed from the house. It was his brother that you left for the Rogues.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Thanks for convincing her to be checked out.¡± Dane mutters. ¡°Just give my sister time, she was rejected by her first mate.¡± ¡°You know?¡± I ask surprised. My intention was to keep it quiet. at least until I had figured out if we werepatible. ¡°She''s my sister, of course I know.¡± He ps me on the back. ¡°Like I said, give her time.¡± Her first mate was an idiot for rejecting her. He heads back in the room and Raven takes his ce. She stares at me with those beautiful dark eyes and I can''t help but nce over the rest of her. The blue shirt she is wearing, hides her frame. Yet the skinny ck jeans shows off her legs and ass. ¡°You want to protect Neah?¡± She asks quietly ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She raises her brow at me and presses her lips together. ¡°She has Dane. she has the entire pack." ¡°She is our life line. The only pure blood left. ¡°Right.¡± Her brow creases as she folds her arms up over her chest. She sighs. ¡°If you are gaing to reject me, can you get it over with? I have stuff to do.¡± I keep my mouth shut and just watch her. I could see the anger bubbling up in her eyes, the longer I didn¡¯t speak, the more irritated she grew. ¡°Fucking Lycans!" She growls and storms off With a quick nce back at the Alpha, I follow Raven. She marches across the grounds and into the forest. Is that what they do here, they don¡¯t tell anyone where they are going? Trekking after her, I keep my distance. She winds through the trees, dragging her hands across each trunk. It took me a minute to realise she is marking them with her scent in case anything happens. ¡°He¡¯s an asshole!¡± She speaks openly to herself. ¡°No.¡± She mutters Who the hell was she talking to? There was no one here She makes her way to a stream. Pulling her boots and socks off, stie rolls upher jeans and wades into the water; Her eyes are zed as she continues talking to herself. Mostly comining about me. Content b¨¦longs to ~ I listen to her One sided argument with amusenyent. She couldn''t be linking the Alpha. Only her mate and other LyCans could do that. Yet. its SOU nded like it was someone who knewowe were mated. So who I was sh¨¦ talking to? 6 With her eyes zed over, she is oblivious to me watching her. Even when I step out from the trees in full view, she doesn¡¯t notice me or the creature that is hunting her.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. I had been so concerned about making sure the Alpha was protected when Raven seemed like she needed it more. The crack of a twig draws her attention back. Her zed eyes focus on me, but I hadn''t moved. I wasn¡¯t the one responsible for the sound. ¡°What do you want?!¡± She snaps at me I hold a hand up. Listening to the sounds of the forest. It takes me a second to hear the erratic heartbeat. Shit, it must have tracked me here. ¡°Raven, get out of the water and move towards me.¡± She doesn''t move and res at me ¡°Raven. You need to move now!¡± She turns to look behind her. The leaves of the bushes start to move. Raven starts to back out of the stream in my direction Spinning her around to look at me, I see the panic written on her face. ¡°Run, find Dane. She takes off running as the Rogue Lycan shows itself to us. It¡¯s on all fours as it creeps forward. The Rogues had found it easier to move that way, Using four limbs to propel itself even faster. Drool hangs from its bared teeth. The snout is wrinkled up as it growls at me. Its ws pierce the dirt as it slowly makes its way to the stream. It sniffs the air ¡°A whole ce full of Wolves.¡± It was something I should have told Dane. Not only had they be feral to the point that they could no longer shift back, but they had learned to speak. ¡°You are not wee here.¡± I growl back. ¡°You need to leave before you end up like the others!¡± Itughs at my words, yet it backs up into the bushes where it came from. The erratic heart fading until I could no longer hear it. ¡°FUCK¡± The surviving Rogue was the worst _ . one of all. It ad a hunger unlike the others. I had seen it make its food last for days on end. Enjoying thes screams of its victims, torturing¡± themes it ate a tiny piece at atime. Butl\ was partly responsible for that. Isrought them food wher-they couldn''t find any. I hear footsteps. quickly moving through the forest. I smell Raven but she is apanied by others. Dane appears first, closely followed by a couple of other men and Raven. Her dark eyes scan me, like she is checking me for wounds. ¡°Where is it?¡± Dane demands. ¡°It backed off.¡± I mutter. ¡°You brought it here? It followed you?¡± Dane presses ¡°Apparently. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill it?¡± A man with long dark hair asks me I sigh, only Mallory knew the truth but I had to tell them ¡°He was my younger brother.¡± Chapter 0149 Chapter 0149 Raven It had been two days since Damien had announced that the Rogue is or was his brother. He hadn''t said anything more about it, and could often be found following Neah around. Whether she wanted him to or not. It made it impossible for me to spend time with her, when I was constantly being distracted by his scent. And still, he had barely spoken to me. He watched me when I was present. Still keeping his distance like he was concerned I was going to attack him. The moment Eric or Dane were around, he would disappear to Mallory¡¯s home. He''s being an idiot.¡¯ Midnight mumbles as I enter the packhouse ¡®Tell me about it!¡¯ Midnight was more frustrated than I was. ¡°She''s getting dressed.¡± Dane mutters to me with a frown as he strides by and towards the front door. ¡°Damien is outside the bedroom. ¡°Are you really daing this? You are letting him guard her. We don''t know anything about him!¡± He stops and rolls his eyes at me. The same way he had done for years when he thought I was panicking about nothing. I wish he knew how irritating it was. He turns around properly and rests his hands on my shoulders. ¡°Raven, speak to him. He is your mate.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are being like this. I thought you of all people would hate this. Especially after everything the pack has been through.¡± "Things change. He isn''t here for me. He wants to protect Neah.¡± He sighs, running a hand through his short hair "Whaat if he is like Devon. What if it''s a trap? And you are just walking away, leaving him watching her." ¡°Just because he hasn''t exined the situation to you, it doesn¡¯t mean he hasn''t exined himself to me.¡± Dane tuts ¡°Oh. He¡¯s told you?¡± I ask, surprisedOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Out of respect for my position. yes. Now go and spend some much needed time with my mate before she has another wave of hormones. I frown, but he just shakes his head and walks out of the door. Damien is literally stood like a soldier in front of her bedroom door. His hands are sped together and he stares straight ahead. I try to move silently, but his head slowly turns in my direction. He does not speak. ¡°I''m here to see Neah.¡± I whisper. It felt like I had been caught trying to steal The way he stares back at me makes it sound like I¡¯ve just told him I have a bomb. He steps to one side, watching me approach With one hand on the door handle, I turn my face to him. ¡°Why are you treating me this way?¡± ¡°What way would that be?¡± ¡°Like I¡¯m some kind of trash you just chucked out your car window? It''s not my fault you have been paired to me! I already told you, just reject me and get it over with!¡± One side of his lips tug up, but the smirk quickly disappears. ¡®Is this a joke to you?" I snap "Do you know how mac itis driving me up the wall? Knowing that youare ¡ª. about. Snelling your scent < everywhere I go and yet you haven''t eventnade a move. I don¡¯ know whether I''ming or go ingwith yal Do you even want m¨¦zas a mate?¡± ~ My heart thuds in my chest as I rant at him. ¡°You hate Lycans?¡± He states after a few minutes of silence. I feel my cheeks me, who had told him that? ¡°Neah is a Lycan.¡± My defence was weak. "She''s my closest friend.¡± ¡°You should hate us.¡± He takes a step closer and leans over me. ¡°We are not the same as you. We are dark. We are cold. We are monsters. His face is-inches from mine. I should bescared by his warning.But this is the closest he had been to me since-his arrival and I couldn''t tell whether he wanted to fuck me or kill me: But I did know what I wanted. C¨¦ntent belongs to ¡®I''m not scared of you.¡± I whisper, refusing to move fram my spot. ¡°You should be.¡± My head slightly shakes at him. Suddenly, he ms me into the wall, pressing his body up against mine. His lips hit mine with force. A deep? longing. grow! rumbles inside of hin as his fands slip under my topand grip.o my waist. He forces a knee between my thighs, pushing himsel even more against me. Gontent belongs to f¡ê Chapter 0150 Chapter 0150 When Neah shouts, Damien pulls away. Forgetting me like nothing had just happened. My heart is pounding in my chest as he enters her roam, leaving me semi aroused in the fucking hallway, with the taste of his lips on mine ¡®What the fuck was that?¡¯ Midnight gasps in annoyance. I have to get out of here!¡¯ Slowly. I back away, reaching the stairs. Tears creep in at the corner of my eyes. ¡°No, not happening.¡± I mutter to myself as I run down the length of the stairs, wiping my eyes. I''m not a crier and I was not about to start now. Hurrying across the grounds, I enter the hospital. It was my safe ce. The only ce where I had control. Where everyone in the pack relied on me. Sinking down behind the station. I sit quietly, letting Midnight calm me. Why had I let myself get sucked into it? Why had I let the bond cloud my judgement? ¡®We can¡¯t help it.¡± Midnight whispers. ¡®He brings out feelings that we haven''t felt in a long time.¡± He''s not Salem.¡¯ No he''s not. Salem did us dirty.¡¯ I hear her annoyance, though she will never admit it Frustrated, my hand ps against the tiled floor.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Angry?¡± A low voicees from the other side of the station making me freeze. I thought I was alone. I couldn¡¯t smell anything. I couldn''t smell another Wolf. That could only mean one thing. Dane.¡¯ I link my brother. ¡®It''s here. It¡¯s in my hospital.¡± ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ The Rogue.¡¯ I whimper ¡®We areing!¡¯ ¡°I would rather youe out.¡± The low voice rumbles. ¡°I just want to talk.¡± The beast speaks ¡®We should shift.¡¯ Midnight mutters No, it will attack.¡¯ Slowly, and keeping my back to it, I get to my feet. I had no weapons or anything nearby that could be used to do some harm Turning, miybreath hitches in my_ throat. I didn¡¯ t get a good look atitin the forest but what I see in front of me iss $0 much worse than the Lycans we fought. Damien was right, they are monsters. Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ It holds its gaze with me. Its nostrils ring as it tilts itsrge head to one side. Dried blood coated its sharp teeth and snout. Did it kill someone to get in here? ¡°You smell of the traitor.¡± It growls I stare back, refusing to blink in case it moves. A part of me had thought Damien was lying when he said they could speak. ¡°How...how did you get in here?¡± I always locked up when I left ¡°Is that what you will worry about when you are dying Raven?¡± ¡°You know my name?¡± I squeak. My eyes flicker to the door, where was Dane? Or anyone? ¡°Who are you looking for?" It sounds like it''s trying tough. "Your new mate? Wviaybe your big brother?Or perhaps even the female Alpha? None of them can save you; ¡°Raven.¡± Keep him talking.¡¯ Midnight mutters. ¡®Buy yourself some time.¡¯ ¡°You''ve been watching me?¡± I follow Midnight''s instructions, maybe then I would stand a chance. ¡°You can call it that if that makes you feelfortable. It hadn''t moved an inch since I had been talking to it. Was it trying to freak me out? ¡°Your eyes keep darting to the door. I assume you have linked one of them.¡± It rises up on its hind legs. ¡°So now it is time for us to leave.¡± It jumps over the counter at me, its wed hands Jocking around me before I hav@-a chance to do ?~ anything-lt holds something over.< my mouth. No matter how harcl> fight tHe more I breathe in whats ovemy mouth, the more I feel my badly getting weaker and weaker. My arms and legs grow heavy and are barely able to move. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org It wasn''t like fighting one of the bitten where their goal was just to kill in the sloppiest way. This one seemed to know exactly what I was going to try. like they knew me. I couldn''t fight any longer and my head falls back against a solid chest ¡°Time for sleep.¡± Chapter 0151 Chapter 0151 Damien Repositioning myself in front of the bedroom door after checking on Neah, I see that Raven is long gone. I shouldn''t have kissed her. She may have tasted amazing. but I shouldn''t have let myself go like that. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reject her, not yet. Maybe I didn''t want to, not truly. Though she wille to hate me eventually. Mallory creeps up the stairs towards me. Her lips pressed into a thin line that gradually crept up into a smile as she makes her way towards me. ¡°Do. you think she will speak to me if you are here?¡± She asks hopefully, ncing at the door. "Mallory, we have been over this." ¡°Damien, I have to try." ¡°Nothing has changed.¡± I mutter. I wanted Neah to listen to Mallory, but it had to be on her terms. I had already learned that about her. ¡°And she is definitely not in the mood right now. If you go in there, she will probably kill you on the spot.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± She leans against the wall next to me. ¡°How am I supposed to get her to listen to me? ¡°You don¡¯t. You keep your head down. You do everything that is asked of you. You be respectful to everyone here. And then, just maybe, she will see that you are trying and be willing to speak to you, but for now, she is pregnant and if she feels a threat, it will be game over for you.¡± She sighs. ¡°I have told you it won''t be easy. I thought you had trust issues, but the Alphas ability to trust is on a whole different level.¡± She frowns at me. ¡°She trusts you.¡± ¡°No she doesn''t. ¡°Then why are you guarding her? ¡°To show her that I mean what I say. Mallory rolls her eyes at me. We both had a very different belief system. She expected everyone to ept her as she is. Whereas I had always had to work for it. Human or not. ¡°You know as well as I do that her abuse didn¡¯t end after you almost killed her.¡± I add ¡°Right.¡± Maltory bobs her head at me. "I stiltean''t believe you told the others the truth about him being¡± your I brother.¡± She changes the subject because it was still ard for heeto talk so openly about.Her past. C¨¦ntent belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡®If I want to live here, then I need to be honest with them.¡± ¡°But you wouldn''t have told them if he had never shown up here, would you? And you haven''t tald them everything. You won''t be able to keep that a secret forever. They will figure it out! She knew me too well. But I also knew she wouldn''t b. I hadn''t liked Mallory when I first met her. But wher there are just two of you that a egoing through the same shit, it was pretty hard to not formsa bond and now, I couldn''t imagine¡¯a worldywithout her. She had helped methrough some of the worst shit isamy life and had done mere than her fair share with the other Rogues. She gives me a sad smile. ¡°You have slotted right in here. Who would have thought you would like pack life?¡± ¡°You just need time. Isn''t that what you first told me when I found you? Mallory bobs her head. ¡°True.¡± ¡°Go back to the house. There¡¯s no point in you standing here with me.¡± I will see youter?¡± She asks ¡°Sure.¡± "At least you and Jess like me.¡± she mutters as she turns away. I watch Mallory hurry back down the stairs, until ofice again I am alone. My thoughts ¡®drift to Raven and how she hada''tbacked away from mess Nota single ounce of fear in hers¡± eyes Anger and annoyance, yes. But nofear, even when I pushedher up against the wall. Almost as if she were expecting it. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org A man bellows out my name as he runs up the stairs. ¡°Dane needs you.¡± Danes Beta, Eric splutters when he sees me. ¡°Why?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. He nces to the bedroom door and drops his voice to a whisper. "It''s here. It''s in the hospital with Raven Chapter 0152 Chapter 0152 My blood runs cold as he says her name. He was going after her again. ¡°Dane is on his way there now with us. But you know it better than us. ¡°Alpha Neah?¡± I mutter. Torn between staying to protect her or going to protect my mate. It could be a distraction. To lead us away from what my brother is really after. ¡°I will handle Neah, go.¡± Eric offers ¡°If it shows up here, link Dane. I will be with him.¡± I snap, running down the stairs and out of the house. The hospital wasn''t far, but it was still far enough that he could have already done something to her. Dane and us are searching when I arrive. ¡°She''s gone.¡± Dane mutters with a growl. ¡°Whatever it has done to her, she is out cold. I can''t link her.¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We have searched the entire hospital. There is nothing.¡± us tells me, ¡°Not a hair, no blood, even Raven¡¯s scent fades to nothing. ¡®Lcan smell him.¡± I mutter. Moving around the small desk in the middle of the hospital. I¡¯m hit with strawberriesbined with the essence of fear. She had been here, hiding under the desk. ¡°How long?¡± I mutter. ¡°For what?¡± Dane growls. ¡°Between her linking you and you arriving here. How long?¡± ¡°A couple of minutes. I came immediately, why?¡± Had she known it was in here, is that why she was hiding? I move around the desk. He had been standing on the other side, probably taunting her. ¡°He wouldn''t have taken her out the front door. That would be too risky.¡± I tell them ¡°The back door has been kept locked since we had the problem with the other Lycans.¡± us mutters. ¡°It almost backs on to the forest. There is no other way in.¡± "There is always a way.¡± ¡°I will link my men. We can hunt the forest.¡± Dane mutters jo." I snap ¡°She''s my sister.¡± ¡°If you want her alive, you won''t send in any more Men. He¡¯s doing this to lure me outNif you send in more, he will just kilMher and everyone elsext told yous they ke to y with their food. But if there is more than.6ne option, they will just kill everything in gight. And it¡¯s like you said; Dane. You can''t scent him.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Moving through the hospital. I''m quick to locate the back door. It is just as us had said. With no signs of foul y. A curtain around a closed window begins tomove. It¡¯s then I notice.the w marks around the edges ahd a small-gap where the window hadn''t quitebeen refitted properly, {etting theawind through. Content.belongs to¡°NovelDrama.Org - He had removed and reced the whole thing. Slinking inside without being caught and disappearing in exactly the same way. ¡°He dragged her through the window." I tell them ¡°She would have fought against him.¡± Dane res at me. ¡°She fights well. ¡°It''s like you said, she¡¯s out cold. You can¡¯t fight someone if you are unconscious.¡± I ram my shoulder against the back door. It only took two attempts before the door split from its hinges Pulling off my shirt. I feel my body crack as I prepare to shift. It had been a while. "We areing too.¡± Dane mutters, ripping off his shirt. ¡°This is my pack and it 61 my sister that he has. You don¡¯ ¡®Nget to tell me what to do!¡± His crithson eyes are narrowed-at me. As I remove my belt and my boots. I just stare at him, because he won¡¯t like what''sing. I thought I would be able to keep it a secret for longer than this. ¡°You can''t track them. I can!¡± I transform fully into my Lycan, stretching my muscles out. Dropping on to all fours, I run my snout along the ground. Sucking in his scent. I could still smell Raven, just a tiny bit, but enough to make it easy for me to find her. ¡°We can help! Just lead the way,¡± Dane mutters ¡°You can¡¯t do this alone. That is not how we work! I growl at him. ¡°I can because I was like him.¡± Chapter 0153 Chapter 0153 Damien They ignore me and shift anyway. Though Dane continues to re at me. There would be questions, but those can be dealt withter. They keep up with me for all of a few minutes. They were fast but I was quicker, gliding through the trees with ease. Tearing through the forest. I follow his scent. Hopeful, when hints of strawberries pass through. It meant he hadn¡¯t dumped her and hidden her anywhere like he usually would. This was a game to him. a game he was going to lose. The canopy of the trees thickens and makes the forest dark even though the sun was high in the sky. He could hide anywhere here and the Wolves would be none the wiser. Hidden in the shadows, waiting and watching, choosing his perfect mament like he was hunting his prey. ¡°I know you are here.¡± I call out. ¡°I smell you and her. He doesn''t respond. I wasn''t expecting him to. Because this was exactly the way he worked. Silent and watching. Choosing his moment as though his life depended on it. And today, it might just. Could I finally kill my brother? ¡°Why her?¡± I call out into the dark forest. ¡°Because she is my mate? Is this what this is, payback for killing the others. Pretty pathetic!¡± More silence, which means he is watching me. Trying to decide if he should reveal his exact location. Part of the fun was your victim never knowing where you are. ¡°Have you hurt her?¡± I demand and I¡¯m met with the sounds of the forest. Creatures carrying out their work, oblivious to the fight that is about to happen. I couldn¡¯t smell any blood but that does not mean he hadn''t done something else to her. ¡°She doesn''t deserve this.¡± I speak to the trees. ¡°She has done nothing wrong.¡± My eyes move between the shadows, looking for something that is out of ce. But just like the hospital, everything looked untouched. He blended in well, a little too well. A whimper drags my attention behind me. By the time I lunge forward, they were gone. Disappearing further into the forest. He would punish her for making his presence known. ¡°Stop this shit, little brother!¡± I growl ¡°We haven''t been brothers for a long time! I could just snap her pretty little neck.¡± His voice rattles from somewhere in front of me. ¡°But that would be no fun. I charge forward again and augh echoes above me. Looking up. I see him at least twenty feet up in a tree. Raven dangles from his ws like a doll. Her eyes are closed and thankfully, she doesn¡¯t look injured, just sleeping. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± ¡°Just a little nitrous oxide.¡± A garbledughes from him. ¡°Remember Damien, you used that on me once when you thought I was bing a risk. I never forgot. It''s amazing what people leaveying around. ¡°You mean you killed for it!¡± ¡®It¡¯s not like you haven''t done bad things, is it?¡¯He stares at me before moving his.gaze to a heavily sedated Raven. "Nave you told her? Have you exined how cruel you are? How theisAlpha i is nothingpared to your" " ~ a ¡°What do you want? These people have done nothing to you. I have kept you safe. I have fed you. I provided you with a ce to live without being hunted, I taught you how to survive! "And look where that has got us!" ¡°And who¡¯s fault is that? You are the reason I am like this.¡± He growls and lets Raven drop a few inches only to catch her by her foot. He swings her back and forth like some kind of pendulum. ¡°And that is your reason for taking it out on her? Why did you wait, hun?¡± ¡®I''ve been waiting for this for a long time, Damien. You have taken everything from me! And now, it¡¯s time to take something of yours.¡± ¡°a Everything? You are ming me for being like this; yet you wanted it. Fed up of yourshitty little human life, you asked forit. You knew what she had turnedme into and you still weat to her.id you think this would¡± magically solve your probl¨¦ ems?¡± He growls at me. It had always been the same, even as a human, he had never liked the truth ¡°You didn''t have to be this. You chose this path. No one chose it for you. So me me all the fuck you want. She doesn¡¯t deserve it ¡°Never thought I would see the day where you had a soft spot for a girl.¡± He mocks, continuing to swing her. ¡°What if I mark her?¡± He pulls Raven back up, holding her neck close to his sharp teeth. ¡°That would make things far more interesting.¡± ¡°We both know that you can¡¯t mark her.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It''s such a pity, but I could rip her precious little throat out. What do you think?¡± Heps his tongue over her bare neck. ¡°Delicious!¡± A feral growles from deep inside my chest, but he doesn''t seem to notice. It was bad enough he had her, but to vite her in front of me was a step too far He rotates her around. ¡°Or maybe a chunk of her thigh? Would you still want her then?¡± ¡°Let her go!¡± I snarl at him ¡°No.¡± He jumps to another tree, keeping his grip on my mate. ¡°If you want her,e and get her! Charging up the nearest tree, I follow him closely. Heughs, jumping through thettees like an overgrown, monkey. His ws are tightly = wrapped around Raven so she \¡ã doesitt fall. His feet make some of thebranches crack as hends. Making it harder for me to-follow his exact trail. He stops, suddenly spinning around to look at me.¡°Enough of this shit. You took what was mine and now I''m taking something of yours. I know you like to suffer. So let''s see how you cope without her, brother.¡± I see Raven''s eyes open just as he sinks his teeth into her leg. She lets out a blood curdling scream as he rips her flesh away, exposing her bone. Blood spurts from the hole as heughs. He stares at me as he slowly chews her flesh. ¡°I will fucking kill you, Salem!¡± Chapter 0154 Chapter 0154 Neah. ¡°Hi Eric.¡± I mutter as he slips in my room. "Is everything okay? ¡°It''s fine.¡± He mutters, locking the door. "Dane just wants you to stay here for now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No particr reason.¡± He''s lying.¡± Nyx mutters I know.¡¯ I spit back Eric doesn¡¯t look at me as he moves around the room and checks the windows. ¡°You know if someone wants to get in, they can just break the ss.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He avoids my gaze. ¡°It''s back isn''t it? The Rogue Lycan. That''s why you are here and Damien has gone.¡± He gives me a weak smile. ¡°It wasn''t that long ago that you didn¡¯t really say what was on your mind. Keeping your thoughts to yourself and not wanting to know the truth.¡± ¡°Dane has gone after it, hasn''t he?" ¡°He¡¯s with Damien and us, yes ¡°Dane told me what Damien said about the Rogue. How they like to y games? If you are checking everything is locked, you think it¡¯s going toe here, don''t you? You think it''s going tee for me?¡± "It''s just a precaution. We don''t know what it wants." "Where?" Eric doesn''t answer me "Eric, tell me.¡± ¡°It was at the hospital. It has Raven.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± I stare at him, why hadn''t he just told me that in the first ce? He''s not stupid, he knows you will want to help.¡¯ Nyx murmurs ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is that it was at the hospital when Raven linked Dane. ¡°And? ¡°It''s taken her into the forest. Neah, Dane wants you to stay here.¡± ¡°It''s a Lycan.¡± I mutter ¡°A Rogue Lycan.¡± Eric replies. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything, it doesn¡¯t listen to anyone.¡± ¡°But Damien thinks he can help?¡± I frown Eric¡¯s shoulders drop. ¡°There''s something you haven''t told me. What is it? ¡°The Rogue is Damien''s brother.¡± He looks over at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know the ins and outs. But this is not the first time he has gone after Raven.¡± I stumble back, sitting on the bed. I could feel my own deep frown, annoyed that this had been kept from me. Why hadn¡¯¡®t Damien said anything? Or my own mate. Raven was my friend I march over to the closet, pulling out some boots. ¡°Neah, you can''t, you have to stay here. The twins.¡± m not leaving her! ¡°Think of the twins! ¡®Lam. Do you think it''s just going te. stop if itt kills Raven? What aboutall the children in the pack? They will be easy targets and I would have just stood aside and let it happen!¡± He blocks the door. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go, Neah. Danes orders!¡± ¡°Move Eric!¡± ¡°I need to protect you.¡± ¡°Then came with me.¡± I re at him. ¡°Dane is going to kill me.¡± He mutters as he steps to one side ¡°Then don¡¯t let anything happen to me.¡± I snap as I stride through the door. Eric follows me through the house, insisting that this is a mistake. I swing around to face him. ¡°Maybe it is, but Raver doesn¡¯ deserve this. They were alftu rned because of me. And now-b¨¦cause there is one that has taken it too far, she might die? I can''t let that happen, Eric. If she¡¯ hadi¡®t been around when Verbnica druigged me, I wouldn''t be-here today. So please, be on ry side and help me find her.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org He nods his head at me and we quickly make our way down to the forest. I step into. the forest quietly and ask Nyx to ck Dane. I knew he had: asked je not to do that, but I didn''t need. him worrying about me when his sts er was missing. OnlyBric is to-knowm here. Content-belongs to¡°NovelDrama.Org ¡° Moving quickly, my legs seemed to know exactly where I wanted to go, carrying me without question. I¡¯m not sure how far we have travelled before I hear a scream. A scream that sounded like Raven Chapter 0155 Chapter 0155 ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Eric whispers, grabbing my arm I nod, "I have to try," and charge forward leaving Eric behind I could hear Damien talking. It took me a moment to see him, high in a tree. He was in Lycan form. He could talk in beast form? I think there is a lot we haven''t been told.¡¯ Nyx mutters as I squat behind a bush Raven screams again and over in another tree is another Lycan, holding on to her with ease. She''s barely fighting and blood stters onto the ground below her. ¡°SALEM! This isn¡¯t a fucking game!¡± Damien roars at him. Salem, did he seriously just call him Salem? ¡®As in her first mate?¡¯ Nyx asks curiously. But he was a Wolf?¡¯ Has she ever mentioned that?¡¯ Nyx murmurs ¡®Are you saying that she knew and didn''t tell anyone?¡± No. Think about it. You said she told you he rejected her once he found out who her pack was. What if someone from Moonshine told him to stay clear?¡¯ I look up as Raven screams again. The Rogue Lycan has its teeth buried around her waist. It was killing her right in front of Damien. I couldn''t take it anymore. I step out from my hiding spot. "Let her go.¡± The Rogue removes its teeth from Raven to look at me. ¡°Let her go!¡± I repeat ¡°dly.¡± He drops her. There is a blur of movement as Damien dives down from the tree to try and catch her before she ms against the ground. The Roguends in front of me. Standing up to his full height and looming over my small frame. ¡°You are the female Alpha.¡± It snorts. ¡°What is so special about you?¡± ¡°Nothing It lets out a gargledugh. locking its beady eyes on me. ¡°You protect Wolves? How noble.¡± ¡°You''re Salem?¡± I ask. For some unknown reason, I felt no fear, staring into the eyes of death. ¡°Lam.¡± ¡°You were mated to her? You were the one who was mated to Raven?" "WHAT?!" hear f om behind me. don''t mowe a muscle, if I looked i see what Damien was doing, it would-be a mistake. Dane hac-told me that Dane had said not to look away if Icame face to face. with it. C¨¦ntent belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Once upon a time.¡± The Rogue growls. ¡°You rejected her." ¡®I did. Wolves and Lycans don''t mix.¡¯ He snarIs-at me, bloody drool I. dribbles from its jaws. ¡°Thought Wolves do taste delicious.¡± He runs his tongue along his teeth, Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~~N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "Was it your choice, or were you told to reject her?¡± "Like I said, wolves and Lycans don''t mix." ¡°You won''t touch them.¡± I stare back at him He lets out that gargledugh again ¡°You think you can stop me?¡± ¡®I''ve killed Lycans.¡± I knew my eyes were darkening as I stare at him Heughs again, but this time, it''s not as gargled and sounds more sceptical . ¡°Because you are some almighty Alpha? That doesn¡¯t work with Rogues.¡± Tell him. He hasn¡¯t figured it out.¡¯ Nyx mutters gleefully. I stare up into his beady eyes, ¡°I am your Alpha whether you like it or not, Salem.¡± He growls at me and takes a step back. ¡°I don¡¯t go by that name anymore and you will never be my Alpha. ¡°You are a product of a Moonshine Lycan, that Wakes me your Alpha.¡± hated using the term, but right now? it was n¨¦¨¦ded and without Nyx, I< probably wouldn''t be standing f here. "Yoursan''t deny that. You feet. You knew I outrank you whether you want me to or not.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org "I am a Rogue." "Keep telling yourself that." ¡°I will kill you. I don¡¯t respond as Damien creeps up behind him, forcing his ws through Salem¡¯s back before dragging them down through his skin Chapter 0156 Chapter 0156 Raven ¡°Woah, easy.¡± us mutters as I try to sit up. I felt like I had been in a washing machine with how dizzy I was Closing my eyes. I lie back, trying to stop my mind from swirling. Even Midnight was quiet which was very unlike her. I suddenly sit up right, looking around for the Rogue when I''m hit with excruciating pain in my leg. ¡°Salem?" I mutter. I had heard his name. I was sure of it. But things were hazy. ¡°What do you remember?¡± us asks softly. ¡°I...Uh....¡± I rub my head, is this what humans felt like when shit happened to them. Wait, why wasn¡¯t I healing? ¡°He was here," I mumble, "he put something over my mouth. And then I heard a scream. my scream? Was it me? I look around, recognising my own hospital when pain shoots through my leg again. Pulling back the nket, I see arge amount of bandages wrapped around my leg. ¡°Take it off!¡± I demand ¡°Raven, you know that is not a good idea.¡± ¡°Please take it off!¡± I repeat. It couldn''t be real. It just couldn¡¯t. But deep down I already knew. us sighs and slowly unravels the bandages and theyer of dressing. There was a massive divot in my thigh where most of the muscle is missing. My skin is coated in dried blood. Ugly red wounds had been left in ce where they had tried stretching and stitching my skin back together. By the looks of it, it had finally started to heal, though it would never be the same. ¡®I''m sorry Raven. We can heal, but we can¡¯t grow new muscle and that much flesh. ¡°He bit me? But he was my mate?" I mutter, shocked at how Salem could do such a thing. He was always so kind, so nice and cared about every little thing I did. ¡°What happened to him? us slowly rebandages my leg as he tries to detide what to say. "He was, a long,-long time ago. But he iS not he rhan he once was Raven-Or the man he said he was. He was neveta Wolf. And to do this means he-doesn''t feel anything foryou.¡± "What made him like that?" "I don¡¯t know." I wanted to cry, I didn¡¯t want to fight it. I wanted to let the big fat tears roll down my face, but they don¡¯te, instead I amced with anger. How could someone be that vile? ¡°When you started stirring, I called Damien.¡± He smiles at me, ¡°Maybe he will make you feel better.¡± Damien. Maybe now he would finally say those words. ¡°Did you do this?¡± I ask us quietly, pointing at my newly bandaged leg. ¡°I did what I could. It''s going to be a long recovery.¡± ¡®It''s okay us, know what you are saying. It''s going to be a while before I can walk properly even after the wound has healed. He nods with a sad smile.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Thank you, us. When Damienarrives, he stands in the door frarne. His hands hooked above the door, leaning in as he tries to figureGut if I wanted him here.-He studi esme with his dark eyes. Ffeel my heart skip a beat as his sweet vani scent fills the room.us winks at him and leaves.Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°How do you feel?¡± Damien asks ¡°Like crap.¡± He nods his head and steps into the room. "So you were mated to my little brother. ¡®Is that all you have to say? My entire body hurts Damien. I''ve just learned thattmy ex mate is the one who did this tome. That he is also¡¯ somehow your brother when I could have s sworn he was a wolf. I didn''t know, I didn¡¯t know that he was a Lycan, Clearly I never saw-him in Wolf form. In fact we bar¨¦ly spoke of his pack or his family.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Dane said you probably didn''t know.¡± He murmurs. ¡°Though he did fill me in on a lot and now it all makes sense.¡± Chapter 0157 Chapter 0157 ¡°He rejected me.¡± I splutter. m aware. A good job too.¡± He takes the seat next to the bed, watching me. ¡°It would have made it harder for me to find you. ¡°Is he dead?¡± I sigh, why did this man make me feel so irrational so easily? ¡°No. He is in the dungeons though. Alpha Neah is trying to get more information out of him or break him. I''m not really sure. I just know she has banned me fram going down there. ¡°She shouldn''t be alone with him and she doesn''t like to be called Alpha.¡± I mutter He cocks a brow at me. ¡°She is more than capable of handling herself. She took a chunk out of his leg in payment for what he did to you.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. That made me feel a little better. ¡°You can''t kill him, can you? You want to, you really want to. I can see it in your eyes, but you can''t bring yourself to do it because he is your brother.¡± Damien doesn''t answer me, he just snorts and shakes his head. ¡°You talked.¡± I mutter, remembering hearing him speak as a Lycan ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How? You are not like him.¡± ¡°I was once.¡± My hands clench the nkets and his eyes move down to them. ¡°I won''t hurt you.¡± ¡°I''m not scared. I''m frustrated.¡± I sigh "I don¡¯t..... Dane said you told him that there was noing back from being like that.¡± ¡°I found a way.¡± He doesn¡¯t exin any further ¡°You don¡¯t want to tell me, do you?¡± I screw up my face as another wave of pain shoots through my thigh. This was going to be a long healing process. ¡°You tried to warn me.¡± I sigh. He had told me I should be scared of him. That I should fear him. ¡°I did.¡± I slowly nod my head. ¡°I give you permission to reject me.¡± He scowls at me ¡°You clearly couldn''t make up your mind before, but now, I¡¯m damaged. I¡¯m giving you a free pass. I won''t fight it. I won''t refuse your rejection like Jess refused Jensons.¡± ¡°Aren''t we all damaged in some way?" He statds up and moves closer to me, cupping my face. '' Tes been waiting days to taste you ~ again.~I ¡°He leans down and presses als lips to mine. Softer and gentler thatst time, like he was savouring th¨¦ moment. y arms loop around my neck, pulling hier in closer and I feel him smile against my lips. Little sparks ofe ectr icity burn through mecas his kiss-deepens. But he is carefil not to press himself against me this time. C¨¦ntent belongs to He pulls away when there is a knock on the door. ¡°There will be more than enough time.¡± He mutters, taking in my frustrations. "But I am not rejecting you, mate." My heart skips a beat again Neah opens the door. She shoots Damien a look of disgust and then smiles at me. I notice how she is rubbing her small bump. Something she didn¡¯t have thest time I saw her. How long had I been out for? ¡°She thinks I put you in danger.¡± Damien makes sure Neah hears him before stepping outside of the room. I see that he doesn''t leave though, standing guard as Neah closes the door. ¡°He didn¡¯t know.¡± I mutter. I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was trying to defend. ¡°He didn¡¯t know it woulde for me. I didn''t know that Salem was a... a Lycan!¡± ¡°He should have told us. He should have exined to you what he is.¡± ¡°Was.¡± I mutter. ¡°But that¡¯s not what¡¯s annoying you, is it?¡± Neah sits in the chair. ¡°Eric wasn''t going to telkine. ¡°She looks at my confusedface. ¡°When the Rogue = too yous Eric was guarding me. Dane wanted me to stay put. [fl hadnt gone, you could be dead right now. 4 N ¡°But I¡¯m alive.¡± Chapter 0158 Chapter 0158 Neah ¡°What do you want?¡± I demand as I stare at the Rogue, chained to the wall of the dungeon. It growls back at me. I had been asking it the same question for days and yet it still refused to speak. This is a bad idea. We should have waited for Dane.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. She didn''t like us being down here alone. Or rather she didn¡¯t like pregnant me being down here alone. They can''t do anything.¡¯ I murmur back at her. Both Roan and the Rogue were locked up; it wasn''t like they could do anything. ¡°He won''t answer you.¡± Roan calls out from his cell. "And shouldn''t you be protecting those precious twins instead ofing down here to annoy us?¡± I watch the Rogues'' eyes drop to my stomach at the word ¡®twins¡¯. His snout curls up even tighter until the whole thing is wrinkled and I can see his back teeth. Everytime he heard the word, all he seemed to do was focus on my stomach. It was like roan was trying to antagonise him. ¡°Growl at me all you want, it¡¯s not like you can do anything, is it?" I snap at the Rogue. ¡°You are chained up and you have one and a half legs. I will kill you before you eveny a hand on me! He tugs on the chains. I had made sure to repay the Rogue for what he had done to Raven, or rather Nyx did I hear Roan chuckle behind me but for now, I ignore him. He will be dead tomorrow, finally. The Rogues growl deepens and Roan chuckles more. I spin around to look at the asshole in the cell behind me. He liked to do this. He liked to stick his nose in where it wasn¡¯t wanted. ¡°And you can shut up.¡± ¡°Are you not worried about being down here alone?¡± Roan asks from his cell. ¡°You go on trial tomorrow.¡± I spit. ¡°Oh sweet Neah.¡± His dark grey eyes lock on me. "Don''t sweet Neah me.¡± I snap before hehas achancetosay ~~ anything else. ¡°You don''t get ta talk like that to me. Not after whatyou did to Jess. Not after what you ned to do to my unborm ¡°pups.¡± His grin grows, showing his missing teeth. ¡°You think these chains will stop me?" He pulls on them as he gets close to the bars. ¡°Do you thinkm the only one in the world who will want those pups?¡± The Rogue starts to chuckle too and the confidence I had a second ago was quickly fading. I was missing something. They were both chained up, there was no way possible for them to get out My hands instinctively go to my small bump. ¡°What do youwant?¡± I growl again, aiming the question at both of them. Dane shouldn''t have put them dowrr here so-c cose together. They could talk. 1 [hey could n. They could plot~two very different enernies cottd work together. Content bel ongs to NovelDrama.Org ? The Rogue''s beady eyes leave my stomach to find my eyes. Another deep growles from its throat and for a split second, I no longer felt safe. knew he couldn''t go anywhere. I knew they couldn¡¯ t get out of his chains, but that unsettling feeling ~ just doesn''t go away. I felt like I was right DaCk I in the line of Cassandra''s fist. Qijable to figure out whatwas wrang. Unable to defend myself as it c¨¦me at me. Content beldngs to NovelDrama.Org Shaking my head, I turn on my heel, leaving the dungeon. With my back pressed against the dungeon door, I look up, letting the warmth of the midday sun hit my skin. Itsts all of two seconds before I feel his crimson eyes on me. ¡°Again?¡± He mutters. ¡°I thought I made it clear that I didn''t want you going down there, especially not alone. And you are supposed to be resting, especially while Raven can¡¯t check on you.¡± ¡®I wasn''t alone.¡± I protest, ignoring hisment about resting. ¡°Nyx doesn''t count. If something happens to you, it happens to her.¡± He holds out a hand to me and pulls me in against his chest. Locking his arms around me tightly and whispers in my ear. "I don''t like you going down there.¡± ¡®lm fine.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Really? Because I see that frown on your forehead and I feel your frustration. What did Roan say this time?¡± Chapter 0159 Chapter 0159 My scowl deepens. ¡°Something about me believing that he would be the only one who wants our pups. What if he is right? Have you heard anything about his pack? Ashburn city?¡± ¡°He is trying to mess with your head. Roan will be killed in front of everyone tomorrow. It doesn¡¯t matter what he says.¡± He presses his lips to my cheek. ¡°But yes, I have had news from Ashburn city. It seems that Roan was getting a bit too power obsessed. The Beta has stepped into the Alpha role and he has told me that he will be d to see the back of him as is the pack. I frown. It had taken me a while to figure out the importance of an Alpha Beta rtionship. But I always thought they had each other''s backs. Though I didn''t have much to base it on. Just Trey and Kyle, and Dane and Eric. ¡°So they won''t try anything?¡± ¡°It seems that way.¡± ¡°And what about the Rogue, Salem? Will he be sentenced tomorrow?" ¡°Raven wants to speak to Salem first. ¡°What?¡± I waspletely taken by surprise. ¡°She has requested it. And I agree. Maybe she can get more information out of him. Because he isn¡¯t talking to you, no matter how many times you try.¡± It surprises me that he had agreed. Especially after what the Rogue did to her. ¡°Are you sure you are okay with that?¡± I whisper ¡°Damien and myself will be with her. She won''t be alone with him.¡± It waste in the evening when the three of them headed over to the dungeon. Raven was hopping along on crutches much to Damiens frustrations. ¡°She will be okay.¡± Eric mutters from next to me. ¡°You don''t know that. ¡°You are right, I don''t. But neither of those men are going to let anything else happen to her.¡± I watch them disappear from sight and turn back into the house ¡°What answer were you hoping to get from him?¡± Eric asks curiously, following me in. ¡®I don¡¯t know. ¡°Really? Neah, you have been sneaking down in the dungeons for days. There must have been something you wanted him to tell you.¡± ¡°I wanted to know how he ended up like that. But he won''t answer any questions.¡± ¡°You wanted to know how he became Rogue? I nod, feeling the lump form in my throat. He stares at me for a second. "That won''t happen to you.¡± ¡°You don''t know that.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you crave the taste of flesh?¡± I hear his amusement ¡°No. But what if I snap, or lose control? What if I''m lured into it? What if something so bad happens that I let Nyx take overpletely? What if...¡± ¡ê ¡°Neah, that is a lot of what ifs." He grins at me, "Yeu have fully shifted all of a handful of times and only for a short amount of time. I think it => would take a lot for you to became permanently like one of them. You haveDane, you have the entire pack behind you. You are not a lone Lycan and right now, you don''t need to worry about them. We have it handled. I promise.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe I had let the silent Rogue get into my head. I nod as we walk through the house to the kitchen. ¡°Do you think there are more?¡± I ask quietly "Rogues? ording to us, the. probabilityis yes. We don''t know.¡± how many they chose to mark.- ~ Mallory said the others found her over span of two years. Sot would assume there are more out there.¡± ¡°And in the forest.¡± I continue, ¡°It was like my body knew where to go. Like Nyx could sense them, but I couldn''t. How is that possible?¡± ¡°Did Nyx know?¡± No I didn¡¯t!¡± She snaps ¡°She says no. How Eric, how was it possible for me to track him without everying eyes on him?¡¯ He smiles at me. ¡°You are an Alpha, Neah. It¡¯s ingrained in your blood.¡± Chapter 0160 Chapter 0160 Raven The crutches were a nightmare, but not from my point of view. Damien and Dane walk either side of me as though I was going to fall any second. Any stumble, I would hear them catch their breath and I was half expecting someone to say it would just be easier if they carried me. That''s what Dane had done te Neah when she first came here. I see a slight head shake from Dane that''s aimed at Damien. ¡°I can do this. You may have forgotten Dane, but I did have to use crutches once.¡± I grumble ¡°When you were seven.¡± My brother retorts, just as we make it to the dungeon. "And for a few hours." "Then longer won''t be a problem, will it?" I grumble Dane unlocks the door and pulls it open I''m met with the stench of dried blood, piss and shit. Every ounce of me has to stop myself from gagging. Why are we doing this?¡¯ Midnight groans. Because it is Salem.¡¯ She knew the real truth, I had no idea why I wanted to speak to him. Closure? Understanding why he rejected me? Maybe to stare at the man who. had fucked up my ability to do anything physical for a long time? Who knows, I just know I had to see him. I had to look him in the eyes while learning how he could be so cruel. ¡®Oh, looks like we have more guests.¡¯ Roan mutters as Dane walks in, in frant of me. ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Dane snaps at him ¡°You shut up!¡± It was a pathetic response on Roans behalf. And before I know it, Dane is unlocking the cell door and is punching Roan in the face. His death couldn''te soon enough. Turning around, I see him, Salem. Attached to the wall with chains. Damien hadn¡¯t been wrong either when he had told me that Neah took a chunk of his leg. The remaining leg dangled from his hip at an odd angle, the bone still exposed. Damien is already staring at him, his arms folded across his chest. but his face shows no anger, no frustration, itis practically unreadable. A statement I had heard from Neah many times but never quite understood what she meant until now. Salem''s eyes are on me. His snout pulled up into a warning. yet no soundes from him. His eyes briefly move to the crutches before locking on mine again. I didn¡¯t know what I expected to feel, but feeling nothing is worse ¡°Ask him whatever you want.¡± Damien whispers to me. "I am not concerned about what he once was to you.¡± ¡°You hurt me.¡± I mutter as silence falls. ¡°Why me? I loved you once and you loved me. I always thought you rejected me because of my brother?¡± ¡°I did.¡± He pulls on his chains but it makes no difference, his chains had been shortened until he was practically pressed against the wall. ¡°You did? You didn¡¯t reject me because you were a Lycan? ¡°Both. ¡°You wanted her, but Cassandra was afraid you would reveal the truth. Wasn''t she?¡± Dane asks as he locks Roans'' cell. ¡°And you ended up finding out anyway.¡± Salem snaps. "Do you know why she wanted a contract with you? ¡°You weren''t around when the contract was in ce. ¡°Years you idiot. Years she was nning that stupid contract idea of hers. ¡°It''s true.¡± Damien mutters. "A Wolf had discovered the pack. They didn''t have the numbers needed for protection.¡± ¡°Roan.¡± Dane replies, ncing back at Rean''s cell. ¡°Roan was the one who discovered Moonshine. Roan was the one moving in to kill you all. He admitted it to Neah.¡± Dane tells us that Neah met Roan as a pup, though she can¡¯t remember and he became infatuated with her and their kind. ¡°Are you....serious?¡± I ask in shock. Dane is too busy looking at Salem to answer me. He points to Roans cell. ¡°Did he not mention that to you while you were making your little ns? If he had attacked Moonshine earlier, you wouldn¡¯t exist.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You don¡¯t know that!" Salem growls ¡°They were strong. They manipted an Alpha. ¡°You mean a child?¡± I snap, immediately jumping to Neah¡¯s defence. ¡°Your current Alpha?¡± "She is not my Alpha!" ¡°Why are you trying to stick up for them, Salem¡± Damien demands. Can you still not see that Cassandra fucked you over. She promised. you the world and she gave you nothing apartfrom the desire to be a predator!¡± 4 Salem tugs atthe chains, growling, though it mak¨¦s no difference. I''m ~N not sure what he hoped to achieve-> but he wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Dane had nvade sure of that. The ? dungeons would be thest t thing Sat¨¦m ever sees. 4 After Salem rejected me and broke my heart, I questioned the Moon Goddess and her ns. I questioned fate too. Wondering if it was juste word thrown around to make people feel-Hetter about themselvegand ab¨¦ut the future. To give them hope. Chapter 0161 Chapter 0161 But as I stood here looking at all the men, knowing how messed up all this is. I knew one thing for certain, we were all tied together because of Neah. All of us. I stare at the beast that was once Salem. I don''t hear the voice I know. I don¡¯t smell his scent. I just see an angry beast. Was I always supposed to be rejected by him? Was this the n for me? Was I always supposed to have Damiene into my life? My eyes shift from Salem to Damien ¡°Are you okay?¡± Damien whispers to me with a frownN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Yes.¡± I mutter. ¡°The smell is a bit much, I just need some air. Liar¡¯ Midnight mumbles Damien starts to follow me. I shake my head at him. ¡°Stay, help Dane get answers. I¡¯ve heard all I need to hear. I will just be outside.¡± His frown deepens, but lets me go. I feel his eyes burning into the back of my as I hobble away on the crutches. I drop on the grass outside, rubbing my bandaged thigh beforeying back under the warm evening sun. I had been so angry at Salem for so long, but in there, standing in front of him. I felt nothing for the man I once loved. I had spent so long trying to get over him when in reality, there was nothing for me to get over. He had made his choice. I feel someone''s weight drop on the grass next to me. ¡°Are you okay?¡± us asks. ¡°Just questioning a few things.¡± ¡°The Moon Goddess?¡± He asks curiously. I prop myself up on my elbows and tilt my head to one side. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I would too, if I were in your shoes. And because I did.¡± ¡°Moonshine wanted a contract long before they asked for it. They had already started turning humans at that point. All because Roan discovered Neah when she was a pup.¡± I tell him He nods his head at me."I had thought that was the case. Have you ever considered that this is what the Moon Goddess''s n was. To try and right something that Neah''s family did to her? To give her a better life?¡± He pauses and puts his hands behind his head, staring up at the blue sky. ¡®I''ve had the same questions as you, Raven. The Moon Goddess can¡¯t control what we do with our lives, that¡¯s freewill, but she can put things in our path and alter our journeys. She can test us. But look at me, my parents bound me once and if Dane hadn¡¯t brought me here, I would be living the same shitty life. She put Dane in my path and I''ve never once regretted it.¡± ¡°Thanks us.¡± I smile at him. ¡°You have always been good at reassuring my mind when Midnight can''t.¡± He winks at me and gets to his feet. ¡°d I could be of some help. Do you want some help getting up? ¡°No, I¡¯m just going to lie here and enjoy the evening sun a little longer.¡± It''s not long before I¡¯m hit with Damien''s scent. His framepletely blocks the sun as he stands over me. ¡°Did you fall down?¡± ¡°No." ¡°Do you need help? ¡°No." ¡°Just give her a few minutes.¡± I hear Jenson shout from nearby. ¡°She¡¯s weird like this.¡± ¡®I''m not weird.¡± I shout back, remembering how Salem always referred to me as a weirdo before roughly mming his lips against mine. Damien is Still looking down at me. with his ¡é dark eyes, and for a brief moment, I was d he hadn''t ¡é marked me yet. I didn¡¯t need, im to hear what was going on in. iny head. He holds a hand out to me as I sit up. Pulling me to my feet with ease. Hisrge hands quickly find my waist as he holds me against him We hadn''t had more than a few minutes alone together since I had woken up in the hospital and the tension between us was just that; tense. ¡°Did he say anything else?¡± I ask quietly while bathing in his sweet vani scent ¡°He''s just going around in circles. I think, in some ways, he is too far. gone tebe able to have a ~ straightforward conversation. We are nly hearing snippets of his thoughts and knowledge. " Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°Are you going to kill him?¡± ¡°No. Dane wants him to live for a little longer. He wants Mallory to talk to Salem.¡± ¡°Mallory? ¡°She was the one who helped me. I stumble back, almost out of his? grip, briefly forgetting that I needed to use crutches. He keeps his ands on ny ¡®hips, stopping me from ¡®falling any y further. I don¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t see it sooner. ¡°You fed on Wolves?¡± ¡°It''s not something I''m proud of.¡± His voice is low as his dark eyes stay focussed on me. ¡°How? How were you able to turn back?¡± ¡°Desire.¡± Chapter 0162 Chapter 0162 Damien ¡°Desire?¡± She whispers back to me, refusing to look away. ¡°Yes.¡± Her hands rest against my chest, a small crease forming between her eyebrows. ¡°A desire for what?¡± ¡°To live.¡± She nces down to her hand resting over my heart. It beated steadily under her touch. Yet her own heart starts to race and the wind catches in her hair, firing her scent in all directions. ¡°You were going to die?¡± She asks with a hint of concern ¡°We all die eventually, Raven. What I mean, is that I had enough of the same shitty life. Eat, sleep, hunt. repeat. I had a desire to break free from it. Her eyes flicker back up to mine. "And Mallory helped you?" ¡°She did. She gave me a home. She became a friend and is now practically a sister. She reminded me that just because I became a beast. it didn¡¯t mean I needed to live as one. She still reminds me.¡± ¡°And just like that you turned back?¡± ¡°No, it was a long process. You know what humans are like with their addictions. It was the equivalent of me being addicted to drugs. It wasn''t easy to break free. Her lips part a little as she thinks of something to say. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Not what you expected to hear? ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to expect.¡± she murmurs. ¡°This entire year has been full of surprises.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± She hadn''t pushed herself away from me yet, but that may be because she knew she needed the crutches that were still on the grass a few feet away from us. She shakes her head and presses herself against me. ¡°You need to stop assuming that I am. Grabbing the back of her head, I tilt her face up toe mine. Inhaling her delicious scent. I could im her right here, but something tells me she would prefer us to be alone, away from prying eyes. I settle for a kiss, moulding my lips to hers, enjoying the taste of her. Smelling her subtle arousal. I would get to make her permanently mine scon enough Sliding a nand under her ass, I lift, her, ready-to take her back to my. ce bet ¡®she lets out a squeal.o of pain almost biting my lip. Her fingers dig jato my sides as she squ¨¦ezes hereyes shut. - ¡°Sorry.¡± She mumbles when the pain passes. I frown, she shouldn''t be saying sorry for something my brother did to her. ¡°Maybe I should just go lie down.¡± she mutters with a scowl. Her frustrations are clear. ¡°Spend some time with Neah.¡± "Are you sure?" She nods and waits for me to pick up the crutches. I watch her hobble off in the direction of the packhouse. Looking up, I see Mallory hovering. Her arms folded across her chest as she looks at anything but me. ¡°Mallory? Do you need something? ¡°That looked intense.¡± She mutters as she catches up to me. ¡°Did it?¡± I mutter, unamused. ¡°Come on, Damien! You know it was. What''s it like, having a mate?¡± ¡°Mallory, if youare after gossip, then I have nothing for you.¡± I knew it wouldn''t bevenough to settle her. Ins the past he had openly admitted that geSsip was one of the things she missed about being human. Livitig the way we did meant she lost that part of her humanity,too. ¡°Fine. What about Salem? How did it go with him?" ¡°Has Dane not been to see you?¡¯ ¡°No. Why would he want to see me?¡± I frown, he had left the dungeons when I had. I thought he was heading over to Mallory¡¯s house to ask her to speak to him like he had discussed with me. "Maybe he-got side tracked.¡± I cast my eyes atross the nearby grounds. There was no sign of him, but it wasn''tlike the pack was smalt Any menaber of the pack might have distracted him. Content belongs ice) ¡° Chapter 0163 Chapter 0163 ¡°What did he want? Did he say Neah would speak to me? Was that what it was about?¡± She asks hopefully ¡°No, and you need to drop it when ites to the Alpha. I don''t know how many more times I can tell you this, but you need to back off.¡± She turns in front of me, stopping me from moving any further and stares at me. ¡°I can¡¯t keep doing this Damien. It seems pointless me being here. Maybe I''m not cut out for this. Maybe it¡¯s time we parted ways.¡± ¡°You are not going anywhere. I need you here, where I can keep an eye on you. She smiles at me. ¡°] am not your mate, Damien. You have found her.¡± ¡°But you are my family.¡± ¡°Thirty days.¡± She mutters. ¡°I will give it another thirty days and if she still won''t talk to me, it''s time for me to move on.¡± ¡°Thirty days.¡± I agree. Alot could happen in a month. Raven sits across the dining table, staring at me. Now and again she would pull that bottom lip in, trapping it between her teeth as her eyes strayed from mine. Her fingers lightly drum on the table as Dane speaks about the ns for my brother and the other prick in his dungeon. us and Eric nod their heads in agreement at Danes words ¡°The prisoners are both set to be beheaded tomorrow at midday.¡± There would be no chance for them to make a plea. In fact, Dane wanted them both dealt with as soon as possible. Personally. I don¡¯t know why he had waited so long. It wasn¡¯t like they were going to be released if they shared useful information. ¡°Is everyone in agreement?¡± Dane asks all of us, but his eyes focus on me. ¡®This is your pack, Dane. It is your decision. I am not here to question your judgement.¡± I mutter. I wasn¡¯t going to try and defend my brother. He lost the right to that the moment he bit into Raven''s leg us and Eric stare at me before verbally agreeing. It seemed as though theyWwere surprised by my ¡ª respons¡é too. But what would thes alternative be? Save my brotherand neverbe allowed to see my mate agai? Leave the Alpha without Lyean protection? That wasn¡¯t going to happen. Especially not now. ¡°Could Mallory not get anything out of him?¡± It was the first time Alpha Neah had voluntarily asked about her. Maybe there was hope for the both of them. "No. She tried.¡± I reply. ¡°It¡¯s like I told, Dane. Salem is too far gone. Ther¨¦ is x . . . ¡ª no humanity left in him. If he.cared, he wouldn''t have bitten hisex mate.¡± Alpha Neah briefly looks down at her stomach with a frownOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°They won''t be like my brother.¡± I reassure her. ¡°I will make sure of that.¡± "You think they are Lycans?¡± us asks me. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Raven scowls at me. "We don¡¯t even know what they are yet and probably won''t until they are born. You can''t just assume.¡± ¡°I am not making assumptions. I can tell you what they are right now.¡± I state with my attention on the Alpha. All sets of eyes are on me as I wait for someone to answer. ¡°You...you can smell them?¡± Alpha Neah asks quietly. ¡°Yes. For a few days now. ¡°I can''t.¡± She looks over at Dane whe is still frowning and slowly returns her gaze to me. ¡°How... how can you?¡± ¡®The sameway as I was ableto ~ track mybrother through the forest. The same way as how I always. knew where the other Rogues \ were hiding. I can smell Lycans.¡± ¡°Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ~ Chapter 0164 Chapter 0164 Raven ¡°Wait.¡± It was alot of inforamtion in the space of a minute. "I have a million questions. So it wasn¡¯t because he was your brother?¡± ¡°It was both.¡± Damien mutters back. ¡°If he hadn''t been my brother, I still would have been able to track him ¡°I didn¡¯t think Lycans had a scent when they shift.¡± I nce at Neah who still has her head down. A deep frown etched into her brow. "I thought you found me, because of me?¡¯ In the second that those final words left my mouth, I knew I sounded needy, and in front of everyone. Midnightughs which does not help Damien stares at me with those dark eyes and I fight the blush creeping up my neck. ¡°Of course we do. It¡¯s just subtle.¡± Damien replies. "But nevertheless, it is there." ¡°Subtle?¡± Dane asks ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to tell you, Dane. Would you rather I had not been able to scent my brother? ¡°Of course I¡¯m not saying that.¡± Dane snaps. ¡°Alpha Neah, tell them. Tell them that we have a scent in Lycan form.¡± Damien looks for confirmation but Neah is staring at her stomach. Gently nudging her, she looks up and blinks a few times as though she is trying to remember the conversation. ¡°I can''t smell them. Why didn''t you tell me I was carrying Lycans? Damien tilts his head to one side. ¡°I thought you already knew.¡± Neah opens her mouth to say something. Not a single word leaves her lips. Instead, she gets up and hurries out of the room, Dane following closely behind ¡°To us, they have a Wolf''s scent, but only if they are in human form.¡± Eric tells him. ¡°When they shift, we can¡¯t scent them.¡± ¡°And the Alpha? Is what she saying true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± us replies ¡°She tracked me in the forest, better than Dane and you.¡± Damien gestures at us. "She had to have known.¡± Eric shakes his head. ¡°Though she spoke of how her legs carried her through the forest to find you. That she had no clue where she was going, just a feeling. Nothing to do with scenting you. Although she can now, because you have pledged your loyalty to her.¡± ¡®We really need to ask him about that.¡¯ Midnight murmurs ¡°And Jess." us adds. ¡°She can scent Jess too." ¡°I tried to look into it.¡± us murmurs. ¡°There is limited information on your kind. We are pretty much learning as we go.¡± ¡°Something to do with her being bound in the past?¡± I ask ¡°Possibly.¡± us replies. ¡°Maybe not every ability of hers is unlocked yet.¡± ¡°Ability?¡± Damien asks ¡°She can partially shift.¡± Eric tells him I watch as Damiens eyes widen in surprise. ¡°That''s new.¡± ¡°It did take long enough for Nyx to make an appearance.¡± I add ¡°Who is Nyx?¡± Damien is looking at all of us, like he is missing something. ¡°Neahs Lycan.¡± I frown at him. I thought this would be something he already Knew. But then again, he was aeonverted Lycan. What he knewis what he had learned>Just like-Neah Content belongs.to NovelDrama.Org -Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Eric exins it to him. Damiens head slowly moves up and down as he takes in the information. ¡°So all Alpha¡¯s?¡± He asks ¡°No, just ones born in the blood line. So Dane, me and Jenson, in this pack.¡± I tell him. ¡°Neah too, obviously. ¡°It exins who you were talking to in the forest. What about that prick in the dungeon, he has an inner spirit?¡± ¡°No. His father took over as Alpha a long time ago but wasn''t blood rted to the original Alpha.¡± ¡°But you won''t be an Alpha? Nor will Jenson? ¡®Jenson and I have a different N mother.to Dane. So the gene was still passed to us. And I''m d: wont be. I don¡¯t want to havetto deal with that.¡± Content belongs. to NovelDrama.Org ¡°Guys, as much as this conversation is interesting to you. We are losing the point.¡± Eric snaps Damien leans. back in his chair, his dark eyes stilfon me, a hint of a smile on hissips. Why was it that anytime fie learned something new about mre, we were surrounded-by other,people? He couldn''t say- How he-tea ly felt or he could, hejust chose not too, like what he-had to Say was for my ears only. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Chapter 0165 Chapter 0165 ¡°The point of this conversation was to decide my brother''s fate. Correct?¡± Damien mutters. ¡°Well that has been decided. So are we done?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eric retorts ¡°Good. If you will excuse me. I have things to do. Damien walks around the table and picks up my crutches. Holding them out to me, he doesn¡¯t speak. he just waits. Slowly getting to my feet, I take them from him. With the smallest of head movements, he gestures to the door.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. He walks ahead of me, slowing his pace and allowing time for me to catch up. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Somewhere where it is just you and me.¡± His voice is low and full of intent. He leads me to the hospital. It wouldn¡¯t exactly be the ce I would have chosen, but at least we would be alone. As we get close, I see his expression change. The lustful look in his eyes, long gone. ¡°Stay here. ¡°Why? I thought ¡°The girl. She is in the hospital. ¡°Jess?¡± I call after him as he hurries on. Why would she be here? She hasn''t had any breakdowns since she first got here. He pauses when he is standing outside the doors and nces back at me before disappearing inside. Secondster, there is a gush of air almost knocking me over as my twin charges past me and into the hospital Making my way over, I¡¯m hit with the metallic smell of blood and my brother yelling at Damien. ¡°What the fuck did you do to her?!¡± ¡°She was already like this. ¡°Fucking liar. I told my brother we shouldn''t trust you.¡± Jenson is pointing a scalpel at Damien. ¡°Jenson, he was with me.¡± I shout ¡°Don''t stick up for the asshole just because he is your mate!¡± ¡°You can confirm it with Eric and us. We were in a meeting, talking to Dane. We have literally just left the house.¡± I plead with him ¡°Bullshit. We should have killed you along with your bitch.¡± Dane hospital!¡¯ I link my brother, hoping he woulde quickly. I step forward enough to see Jess around tke corner. Her body ~ sprawled out on the floor. There wasn ¡®teven a chance of saving her, not awhen her heart had beer-vipped from her chest. - u ~ Dane arrives with us. I watch Dane''s eyes shift between all of us beforending on Jess. ¡°Check the dungeon.¡± Damien mutters as he stays squared up to Jenson. ¡°I smell him.¡± It''s impossible. He can''t escape m telling you, Dane. He was here and if you tell your brother to stand down. I will be able to check the girl and tell you if it was him.¡± "He''s lying He''s admitted it himself, he used t to be a Rogue. He''s fucking ying: us!¡± Jenson jabs the soalpel at Damien. Damien expertly moves out of the way. ¡± "He will screw with everything and you are letting him get near Neah.¡± I knew Jenson would be upset, probably-to the point he couldn¡¯t= think straight. But what the fuck he thought he would achieve with a scalpel is beyond me. Especially when Damien could heal. Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°Go!¡± Dane snaps at us. He turns to Jenson. ¡°Let him look at her. ¡°You are on his side?¡± Jenson spits ¡°I am on the side of finding answers.¡± Dane is somehow calm as Jenson tries to take another swing at Damien ¡°Jenson stand down, that¡¯s an order.¡± He tosses the scalpel to the floor and backs up but keeps his eyes locked on my mate. ¡°! will fucking kill you! Damien ignores him as he carefully moves around Jess. He crouches and leans over her. Without touching her, he inhales the scents He frowns and shakes his head as he leans back on his heels, ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°What? What is it?¡± Dane demands ¡°I think he shifted.¡± Chapter 0166 Chapter 0166 Dane ¡°You said ¡°I know Dane. I know exactly what I said.¡± Damien snaps back at me. A deep frown etched into his face. ¡°He has never wanted to shift back. I didn''t think it was even possible. Do you know how hard it was for me?" ¡°What do you mean?¡± Raven asks ¡°I told you that it wasn''t easy. That the process took time. I would find I had shifted in my sleep. Waking up in Lycan form in the middle of the corn field. It''s not easy to just shift back. Not once you see yourself as a monster.¡± ¡°Just full of secrets aren¡¯t you!¡± Jenson mutters as he shoves Damien out the way. Dropping down to the floor, he pulls Jess''s lifeless body into his arms. I could see from his face that he was broken. Thest true loss he had experienced was our parents. Anything in between then and now had never bothered him. ¡®We will need to keep an eye on him.¡¯ Aero rumbles. Agree.¡¯ I mutter back. Maybe this is what he needs.¡¯ Aero adds ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ He has only ever cared about himself his entire life.¡± That''s a bit harsh. How would you feel if Neah.....¡¯ Shit, Neah. I link some of the guards and ask them to station themselves around the house. ¡°Let''s say he has got out.¡± Though it wouldn''t have been like he could just walk out. "How did he shift?¡± I ask Damien ¡°I don¡¯t know. He hasn¡¯t been in human form for over a year. And like I said, he has never wanted to shift back. Trust me, I tried to help him. Mallory did to you. He has never wanted it. The only thing I can think of is that he has actually been shifting for some time. That he has just kept it quiet. Dane,¡¯ us¡¯s voice fills my head. ¡®He''s gone.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯Content ? N?velDrama.Org. He isn¡¯t here and ording to Roan. he did indeed shift to human form.¡¯ ¡®How the fuck did he get out?¡¯ I snap. The Rogue hactbeen chained to a wall. If he had shifted, he would have been ablete slip the chains, that I< could undierstan, But the cell was> still locked. The only way out would be if Someone had physically let him aut Not to mention he wouldn''t just be able to walk out of th¨¦fe. I had seen what Neah had done to his leg. If we are to believe Roan then he is also saying Jess was the one who helped Salem get out.'' I nce over at a silent Jenson. He is stroking Jess¡¯s red hair. Why would she have helped Salem? It made no sense when she loved Neah. She stood against the woman who had changed her to help Neah. ¡°I''m right, aren''t I?¡ã Damien asks. ¡°I can tell by your face and I know what I smell. I am right. ¡®Is he?¡± Raven demands. ¡°Has Salem got out? Has he shifted? Is he out there, walking around in the pack like he belongs here?" ¡°Yes. "No." Damien interrupts me. ¡°He wouldn''t bethat stupid. He would hunch down somewhere. Somewhere he could hide in in: sight, watching, waiting. And hewill workbetter, making sure hisscent I IS spread around the entire pack.¡± ~~ Xu _ ¡°This is your fault!" Jenson growls from the floor. "You, he came here because of you. You better sleep with one eye open, Lycan. Damien doesn''t respond. He is quiet, mulling over what has happened and not in the least bit bothered about my brother''s threat. ¡®You are hiding something.¡¯ Raven mutters 3 through mindlink. I look over to her tosee her arms folded across her chest as she stares at me¡°l know you Dane, there is something yotrare not saying.¡¯ Conte t belongs to"NovelDrama.Org - ording to Roan. Jess let him out.¡¯ ¡°WHAT?!¡± She shouts out instead of keeping the conversation between us. Everyone¡¯s eyes turn ta her and she drops her gaze. ¡°What''s going on?¡± Damien asks, moving toward my sister. ¡°Sorry.¡± Raven mumbles. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know if it''s true. All we have to go on is what Roan is saying and he isn¡¯t exactly the most truthful person. ¡°He saw him shift?¡± Damien frowns ¡°And he saw who let him out. Which I¡¯m taking with a pinch of salt!¡± ¡°Let me guess. She did.¡± He points to Jess. ¡°I can''t scent anyone else on her.¡± Chapter 0167 Chapter 0167 ¡°No!¡± Jenson snaps. ¡°She wouldn''t do something like that. She wouldn''t put her own life in danger! She just turned sixteen.¡± ¡°Maybe, maybe not. She was probably lured into freeing him.¡± Damien shrugs his shoulders ¡°Is this where you tell us that he has some sort of ability to attract people?¡± I ask ¡°How do you think they killed people in that town so easily? None of the humans left. Bodies started turning up in all ces. Most people would leave if that started happening, but they stayed. The humans practically walked to their death. It was only once the town was wiped out that I started bringing them food.¡± Damien shakes his head but his eyes are on my sister. "But she would have had to have been down there already. ¡°Stop talking about her! JUST STOP!" Jenson yells out. ¡°She is still here. Raven hobbles over to him using the crutches. "Jenson. I''m really sorry, but she¡¯s gone. We can''t bring her back.¡± Jenson growls at Raven and pushes her over. Sweeping up Jess¡¯s bloody body, he holds her to his chest. He charges out of the hospital as Damien helps Raven get back on her feet. ¡°We should go after him.¡± She whimpers, her face creases up from the pain in her leg ¡°He needs space. He has just lost his mate.¡± ¡°But he...¡± ¡°Raven, give him space.¡± ¡°You can''t do anything for him.¡± Damien speaks softly to her. ¡°This is something he has to deal with.¡± She slowly nods her head as he wraps an arm around her shoulders. I see her shrug him off with a frown. ¡°What does he look like in human form?¡± I ask. I had never had a chance to meet Salem before he rejected my sister. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know now. He used to have chestnut eyes. but those eyes that I saw were like ck holes.¡± Raven whispers. ¡°His hair matched his eyes.¡± A smile creeps up on her lips as she recalls him ¡°A tattoo on his neck.¡± Damien adds ¡°Like yours?¡± He nods. ¡°A family thing. ¡°About six feet tall. A wide smile.¡± Damien growls as she continues to describe him to us. Again as he tries to reach for her shoulder she moves out of the way. Thetest bit of news about luring humans to their death had clearly upset her. Sending out a link to the entire pack. I remind them that the only guests we have in the pack are Damien and Mallory. Anyone else was to be taken out on sight. ¡°Stay in the house, Raven.¡± ¡°You think he wille for me again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but this way, I know where you are.¡± She nods her head, ncing back at the pool of blood where Jess had been. ¡°Do you want me to tell Neah?¡± ¡°No, that shoulde from me.¡± Raven hobbies out of the hospital, Damien 1 closely following her. She¡± was already snapping at him to¡¯stay away 4 from her. They were having a muet rockier start to their bond than what Neah and I had. Content b¨¦longs to ~ I hang back, not wanting to get caught up in their issues Cleaning upthe blood, I try to decide how I was¡é going to break the news to eah. The twins were already- taking their toll on her and this news might just be the thing that tips her over. ~ By the time I make it back to the packhouse. Damien and Raven are having a full on argument, right in the foyer. I side step ardund them, following my mates scent to the kitchen. She rolls her beautiful blue eyes at me as she stuffs toast in her mouth. When she sees my face, she lowers the toastand scowls. ¡°Why is there blo¨¦d on you?¡± Conten belongs to a ¡°He got out.¡± ¡°Roan?¡± I shake my head ¡°How?¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. I tell her our theory. Still not mentioning Jess. ¡°I can find him.¡± she mutters, brushing the crumbs from her hands ¡°No. He will be smarter this time. Damien is certain of it." She shuffles on the chair, her brow knitting together. ¡°How did he get out? He can barely walk, if he can even walk at all. ¡°We have reason to believe Jess let him out.¡± ¡°No. She wouldn''t... she....¡± She trails off as her blue eyes find mine. ¡°She''s dead isn''t she?¡± Chapter 0168 Chapter 0168 Raven ¡°You don''t get to fucking tell me how I should feel.¡± I jab a crutch in Damien''s direction. ¡°Raven, I don¡¯t do that anymore. I haven''t done it for a long time.¡± ¡°And what if a deer isn''t good enough for you? What if whatever we hunt on a pack run isn''t good enough? Will you disappear into the city to get a human fix? Will you lure a human to their death because I have not got the patience or the desire to deal with that.¡± "I have a brother who right now might be losing the plot over his dead mate. I have a pregnant friend who is probably receiving some of the worst news she has heard in a while. And an ex mate that is loose in the pack and could being after me to fuck up my other leg. So stop telling me how I should feel!¡± My shoulders rise and fall with my heaving breathing. My heart hammers in my chest as he stares at me. It was all too much. The drips of information The secrets. Is this what it would always be like? ¡°Raven...¡± ¡°Stop, just, stop.¡± I stamp one of the crutches on the ground to prove my point, almost losing my bnce in the process. I''m mad too!¡¯ Midnight snaps Damien narrows his eyes at me.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. I drop my shoulders and shake my head. "There is nothing you can say to me right now, Damien. I...I just can¡¯t right now.¡± I turn, ready to habble to the kitchen. He grabs me. pulling me back around to face him as the crutches fall to the floor. ¡°You don¡¯t get to walk away. If we are going to argue, we are going to find a solution before either of us walk away. ¡°You don''t get to decide that.¡± My hands push against his chest but he holds me tight. refusing to let go. His dark eyes roam my face, yet his grip never changes. It seemed like forever before he spoke again. ¡°Go on then, walk away.¡± I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t move or maybe I didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Not so easy, is it?¡± He whispers in my ear. ¡°Promise me. Promise me you will never lure a human to their death. Promise me that you will never feed on one again. ¡°You didn''t need to ask. But you have my word.¡± He gently presses his lips to the corner of mine. Closing my eyes, I bask in his scent, letting my theughts and questions of his past fade from my mind. Losing- myself inthe moment as his kiss deepens: His hands slide up thes back of my tee, his rough fingertips grazing my skin as he pullsme itffoossibly closer. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org He breaks away, but keeps his face inches from mine. ¡°There is only one thing I¡¯m hungry for, Raven.¡± My name roles from his tongue in such a way it sends shivers down my spine. His lips press against my neck, slowly working their way up to my¡± ear lobes Sending little sparks ~ throu yh me with every kiss. When his teeth graze my ear,an ? inveluntary gasp escapes my throat. It had been such a long time since I had felt anything and Damien made me feel everything with just the slightest touch I could be angry with him, but that just didn¡¯t faze him in the slightest. ¡°I need youto be safe, Raven.¡± He -~ murmurssin between kisses. ¡°I need to know \ where you are at all times.¡± His teeth graze my skin as hemoves back towards my corbone. ¡°You want to im me?¡± I whisper back. ¡°I want you to be mine now and forever.¡± His teeth sink into my flesh. A primalness takes over him and from his grip. I knew there would be bruises forming along my torso. A hand leaves my back, locking into my dark hair as he pulls my head back further, allowing his teeth to sink even deeper. I wince at the pain, though it quickly subsides and is reced with a longing. A longing for something more. It even takes over the pain that radiates through my leg ¡°You want more?¡± He muses as he retracts his teeth from my neck and cups my lycra covered pussy. I knew he could feel how wet I was. Gym shorts hardly disguised anything. A quick flick of his finger had my legs buckling. If I hadn¡¯t been wearing shorts or a thong, his finger would have slid right into me. ¡°My room is upstairs and Chapter 0169 Chapter 0169 ¡°I know.¡± He nibbles on my ear lobe again and lifts me off the ground with one arm, draping me over his shoulder while bending to grab my crutches. Damien quickly scales the stairs, taking two at a time. His hand wrapped around my ass as the tips of his fingers remain against my throbbing pussy. ¡°Finally alone.¡± He mutters, lowering me to my feet. His hand quickly returns to the back of my head. Knotting up in my hair as he ms his lips against mine. A low growl rumbles from his throat. Letting go of my hair, he pulls my tee up and over my head, tossing it to one side. He spends a moment with his eyes roaming over my ckce bra and to the ropey scar that runs along my right shoulder and down towards my right breast. ¡°What happened?¡± He asks in a low voice. ¡°It was a long time ago. I don''t really remember.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He traces a finger along it. "You have Alpha blood, you can heal quickly.¡± ¡°It was before I had Midnight. Inded on ss, I think. I¡¯m not really sure. I was five, maybe six.¡± He doesn''t respond, instead his lips leave little sparks of electricity along the scar as he makes his way towards my breasts. His fingers graze my nipples through the ckce of my bra. His touch has them hardening in seconds and Damien leans down to suck each one through the fabric. The heat from his tongue has them hardening until they are painful. As a moan escapes my lips, he pulls the fabric away, taking a bare nipple into his mouth and rolls it between his teeth. I was desperate for his fingers to slip inside my shorts, to slide between my folds, but he keeps them away, teasing every urgency from me as the dampness between my thighs grows. He stops to pull off his own ck tee, muscle upon muscle with perfect definition. The tribal tattoos travelled further than his neck too. Running down over his shoulders and chest and disappearing under the waistband of his jeans. Pressing himself back against me, I feel his hardened length, swelling in his jeans and pushing up against my thigh. His hand finally slips inside my shorts, but he keeps it on the outside of my thang, circling two fingers right above my entrance. ¡°Damien.¡± I whisper, throwing my head back with frustration. I wanted his fingers inside of me. I wanted him to make me orgasm He slows his fingers down ¡°There''s no rush.¡± He nips at my jaw sending more electricity through me. A long low moan falls from my lips as I roll my hips against his hand. His hand stills, but firmly cups me and I wish that I wasn¡¯t wearing any underwear. His lips move back to the fresh mark on my neck, his teeth once again¡± scraping over my skin. As another moancFips through me, he pulls the thorny¡¯ to one side and forces-a finger in-Fhen a second and a thied. C¨¦ntent belongs to Damien holds me tight as my body bucks against him. Wave after wave of delight taking over. As my hips slow to a gentle rock, he pulls my gym shorts from me and quickly removes the thong toa. Lifting me, he carries me to the ottoman at the end of my bed. Sitting on it, he pulls me on hisp, facing away from him. Spreading his legs wide, he carefully lifts each one of mine over his until I''m spread for all to see We are opposite the full length mirror, where I could see my own juices leaking from my pussy. His hand slides over me, a finger running the length of my folds before dipping inside. He lets out his own growl as my juices run down over his hand and his thumb begins circling my clit ¡°So fucking wet.¡± He mutters in my ear before nipping at my lobe My head rolls back over his shoulder. ¡°Watch.¡± He mutters forcing my head up. ncing at ttewmirror. His fingers are knuckle deep inside of me. His free hancMiinds my nipples, = squeezittg roughly as he plungeshis fingerssinto me over and over all white-keeping his thumb firmaly on royclit. % I couldn''t keepny head from rolling back. My back arches away from his chest as my pussy mps around-> his fi ngets. He stills, letting me ride out thabiggest orgasm I had ever hadxintil I fall back against him, completely spent. Content tbelongs to 4 ¡°Oh I''m just getting started, mate. Chapter 0170 Chapter 0170 Neah ¡°Where did he take her?¡± I demand as I step out through the back door into the pitch ck of night. I had no idea what time it was, but the adrenaline was pumping through me anyway. Several guards move closer, yet keep their attention on the surrounding area. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Dane mutters back, grabbing my wrist to stop me. ¡°Just let him be, there is nothing you can do.¡± ¡°Maybe I can save her. ¡°Neah she isn''t dying, she isn¡¯t hanging on to life by a strand. She is dead. Salem tore her heart out.¡± My heart plummets. A part of me had hoped he was wrong, that Jenson had taken Jess to find a way to help her. "He took.... He took her heart?¡± ¡°Among slicing her up pretty bad.¡± I feel Nyx¡¯s sorrow along with my own. Jess was just a kid. She was family. She was like me. She had helped me see what I could do. "Why?" A single tear rolls dawn my cheek. I don¡¯t even try to fight the flood that''s about toe. I''m so angry. ¡°Why would he do that to her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I thought his end game was to get at Damien, but he has nothing to do with Jess.¡± ¡°You said she let him out.¡± ¡°ording to Roan.¡± ¡®We can speak to him!¡¯ Nyx murmurs. ¡®We need to know why Jess was down there!¡¯ I nod my head in agreement and repeat the words to Dane. ¡°No. I need you to stay in the house.¡± He tries to tug me back through the door. I p his hand away. ¡°Neah, we don¡¯t know where he is. We don''t know if his n is toe after you next or Damien, even Raven.¡± ¡°Or Mallory.¡± I mutter, watching her stumble forward, towards us. Her arms cling against her stomach. Blood profusely spilling over. She can¡¯t walk in a straight line either, almost like she is drunk. ¡°Shit. Don¡¯t move.¡± He charges over to her. Lifting her from the ground. ¡®It''s Salem.¡± I hear her mutter. As Dane brings her closer, I see her dirty blonde fair is stained with blood and parts of her intestines x? hang from her body. My stomach back fips as I fight the urge to.gag. Apparently I could handle halding a heart but intestines were just too rrftich. Content belongs ta NovelDrama.Org Dane brings her inside. His eyes ze over as he drops her onto the table. I just stand there, watching. She was probably on the verge of death and not a single bit of me cared. She should have died instead of Jess. ¡°Let me see.¡± I hear Dane tell her. She removes her arms and if she was upright. all the organs of her abdomen would have fallen out.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Damien is right behind her. He grabs Mallory¡¯s hand, holding it against his own chest. ¡°Hold on. Just hold on.¡± His dark eyes flicker to me. "Don¡¯t let her die. She doesn''t deserve this.¡± It took me far too long to realise that Raven was waiting for me to say somethingNo give her the go ahead to save another Lycan because ~ technically, Dane wasn''t their leader. wassBut was I cruel enough. tO say noafter what she did to me2Was cruel enough to let her suffer a long and painful death? Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Nyx was oddly quiet too. ¡°Save her.¡± Dane mutters before I get a chance to make my decision. "Neah is my mate. we both lead this pack and she is my guest. Save her, Raven.¡± ¡°I need stuff from the hospital.¡± Raven mutters as she inspects Mallory¡¯s open wound Chapter 0171 Chapter 0171 ¡°What do you need?¡± Damien and Dane ask in unison. Raven starts making a list as I watch Mallory drift into unconsciousness. ¡°Hurry. But be careful, we don''t know where Salem is.¡± She mutters as the men disappear out the back door. Raven works to clean Mallory¡¯s stomach, prepping it for whatever she needs to do. I find myself unable to move. I was inches away from getting my revenge for what she had down to me and yet6 I couldn''t say the words. ¡°Damien will never forgive me if she dies.¡± Raven mutters, pushing intestines back in the gaping wound My eyes flicker up to her, but she isn¡¯t looking at me, instead, she is too focussed on saving Mallory. If I stop her from helping Mallory, it would put her matebond with Damien at risk. She will hate me for taking away her chance at happiness. I couldn''t lose the one friend I have. ¡°Can you save her?¡± I ask quietly ¡®I think so.¡± she gives me a tight lipped smile. ¡°The wound higher up has already healed which is a good sign. But I think her stomach is a bit like my leg. I won''t be able to tell until I can get in there properly.¡± She sighs. ¡°I know you have issues with her, Neah. I know a million ideas are probably running through your head right now, but this is what I signed up for. Saving people and helping them has always been my dream. Please don¡¯t let me leave her to die.¡± It''s your choice. I will stand by you no matter what you decide.¡± Nyx murmurs ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± It was so hard forcing the words from my mouth. Raven gives me a small smile. ¡°Give me your hand.¡± She takes my hand and ces it on Mallory¡¯s neck. ¡°Normally, I would listen to her pulse, but it¡¯s not clear. Her body is going through mass amounts of trauma so you have to trust what you feel. Do you feel it?¡± I nod.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Tell me if anything changes, even the slightest little jump.¡± The men returq after what felt like forever. Apanied by Eric, us and Eric¡¯ s.boys. The boy''s eyes ares wide as they see Mallory but Eric guidesthem straight past and into another part of the house ast hear one-of the boys asking if the woman of? the table is dead Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I watch Raven work. She''s patient and calm, andpletely in her element. The only sounds that could be heard is from the work she is doing. "Now it''s upto her.¡± She steps back, admiring-her work. Mallory was - lucky. Tere was enough flesh that once everything was back in its right ge it had begun to knit itself together. Content belongs: to NovelDrama.Org < I stumble from the kitchen, not quite believing that I had let her live. Dane¡¯s hand catches mine, stopping me from going any further. ¡°Talk to me Neah.¡± ¡°There is nothing to say. ¡°You were going to let her die. ¡°I didn¡¯t though, did 1?¡± The words sound so spiteful. ¡°I... I helped. His hands move to my shoulders. ¡°I wish you would talk ta me more.¡± ¡°I do talk to you.¡± ¡°Not recently. You are so short tempered all fhe time and if you are not, itsts f6r all of five minutes. before yeurlose your temper. And.ho ma teow many times I have ~ aske edyou not to do it, Nyx keeps blocking me from reading your reind. I can''t help if you keep blocking me out.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org His crimson eyes bore into my own, making me feel small and seen I open my mouth to speak, but the words disappear into thin air like they were never supposed to be heard. Chapter 0172 Chapter 0172 Dane ¡°Neah?" She falls into silence. Staring back at me with her mouth partly open. ¡°Can we please find Jess and Jenson. I know she is dead. I just... I need to say goodbye. ¡°You''re deflecting.¡± I mutter. ¡°I just need to deal with one thing at a time.¡± She mumbles with a frown. ¡°Please?¡± she adds, practically choking on the word as tears fill her blue eyes. I link my brother, he doesn''t answer immediately. Though I feel his pain through our link Jenson, where are you?¡¯ I ask again Leave me alone!¡¯ Jenson!¡¯ I snap through the link Fuck off!¡¯ Don¡¯t you dare speak to me like that! Where are you?¡¯ You let theme here. You let them invade our home.¡¯ His anger through the link was rising to levels I had never felt before. Jenson, where are you?¡¯ Far away from you.¡¯ He snaps, ¡®You put her in danger and I can never forgive you for that!¡± He takes a deep breath. ¡°I, Jenson ck, former Gamma of the ck Shadow pack, reject all ties to ck Shadow from this moment onwards.¡± FUCKER! Aero roars I feel the breaking of our connection, just as Raven lets out a scream. She would feel it too, because he would be rejecting her as his twin too. Neah¡¯s eyes are wide as she stares at me, waiting for me to speak. ¡°He has rejected the pack. He has left. He left and he has taken Jess''s body with him.¡± I mutter in annoyance She blinks back the tears. ¡°What does that mean? Why would he reject the pack?" ¡°He mes me for Jess''s death.¡± ¡°Where will he go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± My face hardens. "But he has made his choice and he can live with it. ¡°You are giving up on him, just like that?¡± She asks in shock. ¡°He doesn''t want my help, Neah. He doesn¡¯t want his sister''s help.¡± Neah looks back to the kitchen door where we could both hear Raven sobbing. Tears that she hadn''t shed in years are probably drowning her face ¡°Go to her.¡± Neah whispers softly. ¡°She is your sister.¡± I hold my hand out to her, ¡°Are youing? She looks up at me, a small smile, creasing her lips. "Maybe it doesn''t have to be apletely bad day.¡± She takes my hand and ces it on her small bump. I could feel the movement underneath. Only slight, and more like fluterrings, but still movement. It was enough to keep me focussed and deal with Raven. Raven, as expected, is in floods of tears. She is on the floor, gripping on to Damien like her life counted on it. He is talking to her but even I knew it was falling on deaf ears. ¡°Will someone tell me what has happened?!" us asks ¡°Jenson has rejected the pack. He has broken all ties with us.¡± I tell him ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°He mes me.¡± I mutter ¡°He should me himself.¡± us retorts. "He was the one who insisted youdring in other Alphas. If. Roan hag nevere here, Jess < ~ wouldr+have been kidnapped - YOu guys.would never have had to. go afterher. You would never Have ret... ¡°He gestures to Damien and an unconscious Mallory. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org It wasn''t like us to sound so irritated ¡®I''m just saying, we are all in this together. It''s not his battle alone.¡± ¡°Did he say something to you?¡± I ask, narrowing my eyes He looks away "us?!" ¡°He has been making his annoyance clear from the moment the Rogue first presented itself.¡± ¡°To who? ¡°Mostly me.¡± He folds his arms across his chest. ¡°I tried, Dane. I tried to make him see that he started this. That if he really looked into it, he could find me anywhere. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to me?¡± ¡°I honestly thought I had it handled. He stopped bringing it up. I thought. maybe. he was finally starting to understand that it is out of our control. Then Jess.... I''m sorry. I screwed up. I hold a hand up to stop him talking. focussing my attention on my sobbing sister. ¡°Has she spoken?¡± Damien shakes his head. ¡°Raven, I know you are hurting. Jenson has made his choice. You wouldn''t have been able to change his mind. No one could have.¡± I nce back at us who sighs. She doesn''t speak. Her eyes are zed and she stares at a spot on Damien''s shirt, unblinking, unmoving while great big fat tears roll down her cheeks. Maybe Midnight was trying to offer somefort, but then again, Midnight had lost her twin too. ¡°I will take her upstairs.¡± Damien mutters, rising to his feet with Raven cradled in his arms. ¡°I think I will rest too.¡± Neah murmurs, her eyes shift to Mallory though her mouth remains closed I stop her before she leaves. ¡°Tell Nyx to drop the block.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. She nods and-her eyes briefly darken. I could feel all her emotions come floading i in. I never thought the day woulde where I wouldn¡¯ ty feel nekmal because I didn¡¯t feelmy ma ¡®esSomehow, after all these yeats Searching, she was the only offre who made me feel camplete. In that second, I understood Jenson¡¯s reaction. He had gone from woman to woman until he had a mate who made him rethink everything because she was too young for him to act on it. Grief had hit him like a brick wall. ¡°Is she okay?¡± I ask us about Mallory as Neah leaves. ¡®It was close ording to Raven. He sliced her st@mach up pretty well but somehow, she didn''t lose much, flesh. Raven was able to put it alls back together. It might just takea while for her to wake up.¡± He pauses, "I ant sorry, Dane. woulde to thi If I had known it iS, I would have told you.¡± Conten belongs to ¡°I know. It''s in the past. What we have now is a Rogue on the loose. And I have no idea who its next target is. Did Roan say anything about the Rogues¡¯ ns?¡± He shakes his head at me. ¡°I would say Lycans, but it went after Raven first." He shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe it is whoever is fair game because it doesn¡¯t seem like it''s here just to piss off Damien not anymore.¡± ¡°No, but what else do the first two victims have inmen?¡± ¡°Neah, but that doesn''t exin Mallory.¡± He gestures to the unconscious woman on the kitchen table. ¡°Death.¡± Mallory mutters huskily, her eyes still closed. "He wants to bring death to everyone.¡± Chapter 0173 Chapter 0173 Damien Her fingers remain tightly coiled around mine as Iy her on her bed. Raven doesn''t speak a single word as tears continue to roll down her face in uncontroble sobs. The pain she is feeling is unforgiving and until now, I never knew that losing a twin was almost the equivalent of losing a mate. It didn¡¯t matter that he was still alive. He had rejected the pack and that included his own siblings. And it had broken her. Did he feel the pain, or was he caught up in the loss of his unimed mate? Either way I don¡¯t think I will ever be able to forgive him for what he has done to my mate. Raven cries herself to sleep. Blood from helping Mallory, still stained on her skin. She lets out little whimpers in her sleep, eventually falling quiet as she slips into a deep slumber. Cleaning up the blood, she doesn''t move and I hope that my touch is somehow bringing her somefort in her sleep. She had been to hell and back in recent days, she didn''t need this toa. Slipping out of her bedroom. I make my way towards the stairs, stopping outside the Alpha¡¯s room when I pick up her scent. I could hear the gentle shuffling of her feet as she paced back and forth behind the door. ¡°I know you are standing out there.¡± She calls out. ¡°You cane in.¡± She continues to pace after I have entered. Her hands are on her hips as she moves, a deep frown etched into her faceN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Alpha Neah, you should be resting. Especially given what has happened tonight.¡± I murmur, my eyes moving down to her rounding belly. It was. crucial that her twins survived. They were the future of Lycan kind. ¡°Damien, please don''t keep referring to me as Alpha and I¡¯m fine. Is Raven okay?¡± ¡°Sleeping.¡± ¡°You marked her, so how is she really feeling?¡± She presses ¡°Like her heart has been ripped from her chest. She¡¯s in pain.¡± She nods as she continues to pace. ¡°I will kill him Damien.¡± ¡°Jenson? ¡°You know that I¡¯m not talking about Jenson.¡± She stops and stares at me. ¡°Are you going to try and stop me?¡± lo." I might have done it if it were another time. When the idea of an Alpha or being in a pack was of no interest to me. ¡°Good.¡± She starts moving again and pulls a jacket from the closet ¡°Let''s go.¡± ¡°Right now? Even I know that¡¯s a bad idea.¡± ¡°You said you wouldn''t stop me.¡± ¡®I''m not trying to stop you. I just think we could choose a better time. When emotions are not so amped up. I¡¯ve seen people make massive fucking mistakes because their emotions got the better of them.¡± She rolls her eyes and drops onto the bed. ¡°He is causing havoc. You nearly lost your friend and your mate because of him. How are you so calm?¡± ¡°Practice. You wouldn''t believe it if you knew what I used to be like, before I became a Lycan.¡± I add. She smirks, and mutters lightheartedly "What were you, some kind of mass murderer?¡± ¡°To those that deserved it.¡± I watch the colour drain from her face, yet her blue eyes round in curiosity. ¡°That''s why she turned you. I ned. ¡°She thought I would be a good asset to her little club.¡± ¡°Humans, I assume, if it was before you were turned? ¡°Yes. ¡°How many?¡± "I stopped, counting.¡± Ishrug my shoulders. The number of bastards I had killed didn''t mean a thing.< compared to those who I saved. "Fifty?" "No." "A hundred?¡± "That''s when I stopped counting.¡± ¡°What do you mean by those that deserved it?¡¯ ¡®Those thathurt children and young. women. If had known what ~ Cassandra and Trey were doing to yous would have ripped them apart.¡± . ¡°That''s why you are loyal ta me now, because you feel you owe me something?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have you tald Raven about your past?¡± ¡°No. No one likes to hear that news.¡± ¡°You shoulttell her. You have imed Ker, how do you think she¡± will feetif you keep a secret likethat from. her? Because trust me, I know whatit¡¯ s like to have secretskept from you your whole life.¡± Content b¨¦longs to ~ Chapter 0174 Chapter 0174 She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth as her eyes narrow. ¡°You could have easily killed him. But you didn¡¯t. you even purposely missed his heart after he had hurt Raven. ¡°And that was an emotional mistake.¡± ¡°Because a part of you hoped that your ald brother was still in there?" I don¡¯t answer because I don''t need to. There was nothing more for me to say on the matter. I decide to change the topic. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want me to call you Alpha?¡± ¡°It''s not just you, I don''t like anyone calling me it.¡± ¡°But you use the term when needed, like when you were squaring up to Salem. And I heard that you used it to get the other Lycans to stop attacking ck Shadow. A small crease appears on her brow. ¡°I was made to call people by their status my whole life. If I didn''t, I got punished. Even with Dane I still said it for a long time. It¡¯s not something that I want to force people to call me. It makes me sound....¡± ¡°More powerful than the rest of us? Because we all know you are. Her eyes flicker up to me. ¡°It makes me sound like a power pissed asshole.¡± Herment makes meugh. ¡°Dane did tell me that you took some time to ept your Alpha position. Maybe it¡¯s time for you to take back everything that was taken from you.¡± She lets out an involuntary snort ¡°Is that it, Damien? Is that why you are really here? To try and convince me to be something I''m not. ¡°No. I can''t convince you of something you have already been questioning. And I don¡¯t need to convince you that you are powerful. You already know that. ¡®I haven''t been questioning it.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I mutter, knowing full well that she had. I saw it in the way she acted. Her desire to correct what is wrong. ¡°Let''s test this theory of yours.¡± she mutters. ¡°How exactly am I supposed to be an Alpha of two bitten Lycans and a Rogue?¡± ¡°You don''t see it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Those are a sign that the breed will thrive once more.¡± I point to her stomach. "What if there are more? What if they are all in hiding?¡± Sheughs and shakes her head. ¡°That is a crazy theory.¡±N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. "You didn¡¯tknow we existed until Dane andJenson met us. You didn¡¯t know that you were a Lycan. What if there + is more? What if there are some that broke away fromo Cassandra and Trey?¡± Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org ~ ¡°Just stop.¡± Ne@ah snaps at me. Holding her Hand up and closing her eyes. When ¡®she opens them again; > the blue is long gone and they are almogtck. Raven had mentioned something about it being a sign that N¨¦eah was talking to her inner Lycan. ¡°You want to find more?¡± She asks after some time. ¡°Wouldn''t it be better for the twins if there were more of their kind to help raise them?¡± ¡°You need to leave.¡± She mutters. I don¡¯t try to say anything else. Turning and leaving the moment she asked Downstairs I hear Mallory telling the others about what happened to her. Her eyes sh up to mine when I walk in and she gives me a massive smile. ¡®I''m alive.¡± ¡°Why did the fuckere after you?¡± ¡°I was telling them that he turned up at my house. I was So surprised to see hira¡¯in human form that I was too slow I in acting. He shifted and... she-gestures to the thick red> weeping wound on her stomach. ¡°Did he say anything?¡± ¡°That he wants te kill us all. I know I have already said he is nuts. But the idiot is in full on demon mode. Talking about how he will make everything his. That we will bow down to him.¡± Daneughs. ¡°If he wants to bring death to us all, how are we going to bow down to him?!¡± ¡°It''s a choice.¡± us mutters with a frown. ¡°He is saying it¡¯s either we bow down, or we die.¡± ¡°Then he chose the wrong pack to attack.¡± Dane snarls. Chapter 0175 Chapter 0175 Raven It took me less than a second to realise I was alone. Damien had brought me upstairs but he hadn¡¯t stayed. Maybe he was regretting iming me after he watched me sob my heart out like a child. My chest felt broken. Every breath seemed harder and harder to take, like my lungs were shrinking and at the same time a heavy weight slowly crushed them. Its the breaking of our twin bond.¡¯ Midnight murmurs. She was in just as much pain as I was. Being a twin really did suck at times. It hurt more than my leg. It hurt more than being rejected. He''s really gone.¡¯ I mumble back to Midnight Yes.¡¯ she whimpers as another tear leaks from my eye. I¡¯m quick to wipe it away. He had made his decision. He hadn¡¯t even had a second thought about me. Damien had left my crutches by the bed. Picking them up, I make my way to the windows and drag back the curtain to see daylight. Freezing, the curtain falls from my hand, hiding the blood I had just seen. Slowly, I pull the curtain back. A bloody handprint painted the outside of the ss. How? I didn''t even have a balcony and it was a sheer drop to the ground. My eyes roamed the grounds, but there was nothing and it was quiet. I assume Dane has told everyone to stay inside. But the hand print looked fresh. Don¡¯t open the window.¡¯ Midnight mutters I wasn¡¯t nning too.¡¯ Really? You are not exactly one for leaving things alone!¡¯ She snaps. She was angry, we both were but there was no need to take it out on me. ¡°Aspen should have tried talking him out of it! I am hurt too! You lost your twin, I lost mine. We can''t change that. Now can we deal with this, please.¡± I was trying so hard to bury the pain. Maybe if one of us does, it would help us to feel a little more normal. Check the other window.¡¯ she mutters reluctantly. There is only half a print on the other window. ¡°Do you think he was trying to break in?¡± If he was trying to break in, he would have done so, like at the hospital. Call Dane.¡¯ I nod but sit back on the bed. ¡®Why does he keeping for me?¡¯ I don''t know. But sitting here, waiting like an idiot isn¡¯t going to help either of us.¡¯ I''m grateful when Damien¡¯s sweet vani scent seeps in. It meant he was close. He doesn¡¯t even knock. Pushing the door open his dark eyes meet mine before drifting to the handprints on the windows. He frowns and moves over to them. His brow crinkles up into a scowl. Ripping open one window, he leans out, looking at the wall between the windows. ¡°Bastard!¡± Damien ms the windows shut so hard that I thought the ss was going to break. He turns to me. "Have you seen him?¡± ¡°No, I opened the curtains just now and they were there. Why me? ¡°Mallory shared some information with usst night. I thought you would be safe. You don''t have a fire escape or a balcony. I wouldn¡¯t have left you alonest night if I thought he would be able to get to you.¡± ¡°He hasn''t,¡± I murmur. ¡°But I wish you hadn''t left. He steps towards me, his lips hit mine with force as his hand locks against the back of my head. His tongue begins exploring my mouth as his weight forces me backwards on the bed until he is pressed flush against me. He forces himself in between my thighs, ignoring my little whimper of pain. The more urgent his kiss bes, the more I feel him swelling against my pussy. He rocks his hips against me, ensuring that his demanding cock was pressing up against me. His lips move to my jaw and to my neck. His teeth scratch along my skin. pulling soft moans from me as my underwear dampens from my own arousal Lifting my top, he circles the tip of his tongue around each of my nipples, nipping them as they harden. A heat begins to burn inside of me. creeping from the inside out. I try to ignore it as Damien''s bites along my skin drive my insides wild, but it continues to grow, like an itch that needs to be scratched. ¡°I think...¡± I mutter as he pulls my sweatpants down along with my underwear ¡°I know. It''s a good job I¡¯m here then, isn''t it.¡± He leans down and runs a tongue along my pussy. I see stars as his tongue deepens and everytime he flicks it along my clit, I find myself thrusting in his face, begging for more. He takes my hand, guiding it down to my own throbbing pussy. ¡°Make yourself cum. I want to see.¡± With two fingers, I start with small but firm circl¨¦s, pressing my thumb against myslit aslimaginehis =~ tonguepping up my juices. As Is ¡° moan, he pulls out his own ver large hardened cock. His hand. glides up and down over the thickness as he watches me masterbate. Content belongs ite) ¡°I need you.¡± I mutter through my moans as the heat takes over my bodypletely, Masterbating was not enough. I wanted him to fill me with his cock. I wanted him to fuck me as though his life depended on it.Original content from N?velDrama.Org. Damien leans against me, his lips pressing hard against mine as the tip of his cock rubs against my entrance. He pushes himself into me, filling the space or so I thought, until he pushes in further, letting his balls m against me. He isn¡¯t gentle when he starts. thrusting. Hard and deep thrusts have me screaming his name as my body spasms against him. He fucks me for what feels like hours. Mind blowing orgasms one after the otWer, but it still wasn''t enough. Within minutes of < orgasm ing, I wanted more and {> couldia¡¯t stop it, not even if I wanted to. twas so hot and horny. Thankfully Damien never sips either, pleasing me in anyway he could. It''s subsiding.¡± He presses his lips against mine ¡°Do we have to get out of bed?¡± I mutter. Leaving the bed means having to deal with all the problems outside and I wasn¡¯t quite ready to deal with that yet. ¡°We could just stay here, in our own little bubble.¡± ¡°As much as I enjoy listening to you moan my name over and over, we still have a Rogue on the loose. Hiding somewhere and who apparently has also learned to scale the walls.¡± I ned and sigh, sinking back into thefort of my pillows as I look at the bloody handprints. ¡°And what about when I¡¯m alone in here again?¡± ¡°Do you really think I will let you sleep alone again?¡± Chapter 0176 Chapter 0176 Neah I sit hunched over with my forehead on the cool wooden desk as Dane, Eric and us try toe up with a n. But every scenario was a waste of time. Salem was smart. He had outsmarted Raven, Jess, even his own brother. Turning my head to one side, I nce at Mallory whe is asleep on the sofa. us had said it was unfair for her to be alone while in recovery and my mate had agreed for him to bring her to the office Her eyes are closed and her arm dangles over the side of the sofa, but I had a sneaking suspicion that she wasn¡¯t really asleep. That she just wanted to hear what was being said. We should say something?¡¯ Nyx mutters Not yet.¡± I reply. I still didn¡¯t trust Mallory. I may have helped save her life, but that didn¡¯t mean she was trustworthy. Everything surrounding her seemed too good to be true. The others didn¡¯t see it yet and constantly reminded me that she was trying, but they will see what I see, it¡¯s just a matter of time. Damien had told me more about his past then what she had. All she kept harping on about was what she had done to me and that made me suspicious. I see her eyshes move, but all she does is roll over, so that her face is towards the back of the sofa. I won''t be able to know for certain if she is faking sleep. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Dane moves around the desk to me, partially blocking my view of Mallory. ¡°Tired.¡± I mutter. It wasn¡¯t a lie. The movement of the twins inside me had been non stop all night. I had barely slept a wink. ¡°Do you want to lie down?" I see Mallory tense. waiting for my answer, ¡°No.¡± He leans down and kisses my cheek when there is a knock at the door, dragging my eyes away from Mallory. us opens it to Damien and Raven. Her cheeks are a little flush and my guess was that she had been in heat as they hadn''t left her room for most of the day. "Now what''s your problem." Dane mutters "Salem has been trying to watch Raven.¡± "What do you mean?" I sit up. ¡°Bloody handprints on her windows and his scent.¡± Damien replies. "How?" I ask in surprise, ¡°Your room doesn''t even...¡± "I know. We haven''t figured that out yet.¡± "Please tell me I get to kill someone today!" Damien asks Dane had agreed to let Damien kill RoanOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Well you are in luck, today is the day.¡± Dane smiles. ¡°We need to get him out of the picture. ¡®About damn time!¡¯ Nyx mutters. us wakes Mallory. Though she practically springs up from the sofa when he touches her, almost as if she wasn''t really asleep like I suspected The seven of us head to the dungeon. Roan was supposed to be having his death sentence dealt in front of the entire pack, but given the circumstances, Dane decided it would be best if we got it over with in the dungeon. Roanughs as we stand in front of his cell. His eyes drifted across each of our faces as though he was reminding himself on who to haunt after his death. ¡°Go on then, do it!" He gloats. Dane clears his throat, his crimson eyes lock on to the asshole in the cell. ¡°I am sentencing you to death for your acts of crime against the Alpha and Luna known as Neah Kitson.¡± Roanughs again. His smile takes up most of his face. He had lost a lot of weight since being locked up and it gave him even more of a creepier look than before. ¡°I assume the girl is dead.¡± Roan asks as Dane unlocks the cell. ¡°Why would you assume that? ¡°When she was down here he told her he would kill her. She still opened the cell anyway, but she wouldn''t open mine.¡± He spits on the floor. ¡°She deserves to be dead.¡± ¡°Deserves? After you had her kidnapped by your brother, you think she deserves to have her heart ripped out?¡± I was fuming ¡°Careful now, Neah, you are carrying a precious load. We wouldn''t want anything to happen to the twins.¡± ¡°You will be dead soon. Those twins are nothing to you.¡± Damien growls "Rather invested, aren''t you, Lycan?¡± Roan¡¯s grin seems to grow further, practically reaching his ears. ¡°My pack ising for me.¡± Dane bursts imtoughter. ¡°No. No they are notRoan, Your Beta has taken over Ashburn city. Your pack wants nothing to do with you. In fact, your Beta wants to be called wher your heart has s opped beating. ¡°Content belongs t to 4 Dane unlocks the cell, moving in with Eric. ¡°You are a liar Dane. You know they will seek revenge for my death. They won''t rest until you suffer.¡± Dane and Eric hold him still as Damien unlocks his chains. Raven slips an arm around mine, using me to steady herself. ¡°Go on then, kill me. You will never find out the truth about the young redhead.¡± Neah,'' Dane links me. ¡®He is just trying to get in your head. He is trying to buy himself time.¡± ¡°The truth,¡± I mutter, removing Raven''s arm from mine and stepping into-the cell. I lock eyes ~ with the gatint looking man. ¡°The < truth oth at she was just a girl, who had her ife turned upside dowh¡¯ You don¡¯tknow what that''s like, but roaybe if I rearrange your_ergans, you will feel what it''s likevfor just a few seconds. Damien move.¡± Damien nces at my hand that was already quickly bing ws. He steps around me as one by one my ws pierce Roan¡¯s chest, like slicing into soft cheese. He fights the screams. His body sweats profusely as he struggles against my ws but that only makes them sink deeper. Slicing his flesh open, he struggles against Dane and Eric, who refuse to let him drop to his knees. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you want, Roan?¡± I hear the darkness to my own words. I had so much rage surging through me. ¡°Please, please stop or kill me quicker.¡± He begs. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve a quick death.¡± I mutter, pulling my ws free of his flesh. The wounds partially knit together, just for me to slice through again. I repeat the action three more times, putting all my anger into his slow and painful death. His head drops low as he coughs up more blood. I knew my ws had prated his lungs this time. I could tell by the strange whistle thates from his mouth Forcing my ws in deep, I squeeze the lungs and tear parts of them from his chest. His entire body trembles until Eric and Dane let go of him, letting him fall face first in the pool of his own blood and piss. Leaving the-cell, I see Raven with her head buried against Damien''s chest but his. €yes are on me along with Mallory¡¯ s. I hope they both could see that-twas not worth fuckingawith. Nat anymore. ¡° I don¡¯t stop, and walk straight out of the dungeon, if Salem wanted to attack, I will be ready to rip him apart. Chapter 0177 Chapter 0177 Damien I would usually have been impressed by Neah¡¯s kill if I wasn''t so worried. Mallory nudges me, giving me the same look of concern. I knew what was going through her head and I slowly shook my own. We would need to be really careful. Raven keeps her head buried against by chest, grossed out by how Neah had killed Roan. Neah had made him suffer over and over until she decided enough was enough. Or rather, she was done ying with her prey. ¡°Raven, go with Mallory, I need to speak to Dane.¡± Her dark eyes peer up at me. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I just need to confirm a few things, that''s all.¡± I reassure her, hoping it would be enough information to keep her from pushing. It wasn¡¯t that I wanted to keep secrets, but Dane was Neah¡¯s mate, he should hear the information from me first. ¡°Come.¡± Mallory smiles at her. ¡°You are mated to my best friend, we should get to know each other.¡± Dane is looking at me suspiciously but Raven follows Mallory anyway. A few moments pass and he orders Eric and us to go with them. just in case Salem was about. Salem wouldn''t show himself yet, whatever he was nning, he was dragging it out, much like how Neah had killed Roan. I wonder if she knew she had spent hours torturing him. ¡°What?¡± He snaps when the dungeon door is closed and it was just us and a dismembered Roan. ¡°There was something you told me about her Lycan being a separate spirit. ¡°And? I know I said you could kill Roan, is that what this is about?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just. since I have been here, I havee to understand that when her Lycan is pushing forward her eyes are dark, almost ck. It''s her Lycan that helps her find the courage to kill. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°They weren''t ck, Dane. They were her usual blue colour. She had no help from her Lycan. She wanted to kill. She wanted to torture him. His strange crimson eyes lock with mine. "She has a lot of deep seeded anger. And it¡¯s not like any of us are angels. Not from what she told me.¡± I nod, half a smirk creeping across my lips. ¡°She told you about my past. He continues to stare back at me and I could see why so many were put off by him, but he didn¡¯t scare me. I had dealt with much worse. ¡°We all have a past Dane. Every single one of us, but I¡¯m talking about the present. The one where you are at risk of losing your mate. He ms me up against the wall. his arm pressing against my chest as he tries to hold me in ce. ¡°I suggest you take that back.¡± ¡®I won''t everya finger on her.¡± shove him back and straighten out my shirt. ¡°made apromiseto = => protect tier. I am telling you that you need to stop her from killing anyone elsesNow matter how much you agr¨¦e with it.¡± 4 ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop her from wanting to put things right. It¡¯s her right to hurt those who have hurt her. ¡°Then listen to me, Dane, because you will lose her and it won''t be to death.¡± His brows fuse as he res at me. He shakes his head. ¡°You are wrong.¡± ¡°Mallory saw it too.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°She was just getting revenge for Jess.¡± He defends Neah, but I hear the scepticism that he tries to hide in his tone. Deep down he could see it too. ¡°Think about it, Dane. You grew up knowing how-te punish people. Making thet pay for their sins. Most Rogues didn''t. The ability to kill with ease became anew adventure and I see that I in Neah. You said it o yourself. For the best part of''sixteen years she was a ve. Her abilities w¨¦re bound. Her true lifewas kept from her. And she has gained everything back in less than a year.¡± Chapter 0178 Chapter 0178 He shakes his head in denial. ¡°Roughly the same amount of time before a bitten Lycan turns fully Rogue if they don¡¯t control themselves.¡± ¡°She wasn''t bitten. And you still turned. ¡°Then maybe it¡¯s something to do with her being bound. I don¡¯t have everything figured out. All I see is that she is walking the same path as I did. Anger and hate fuels her.¡± I turn around, resting my hands against the stone wall and hanging my head low. This was not a problem that I thought we would run into. We were supposed to be starting afresh, not running into past problems ¡°She is your mate Dane. I can see that you love her. We can all see that, there is no question about it. But if we don''t get ahead of this, Salem will be the least of your problems.¡± I turn around to see his frown. ¡°It''s Neah.¡± He mumbles. I knew my words were hitting home by the way he spoke with his jaw clenched. ¡°In theory, due to her being bound, I have been a Lycan for longer than she has. And trust me, I know what I see. Mallory brought me back from that, long after I had let myself go.¡± Dane snorts. ¡°When we first learned what she was, do you know what she was afraid of?¡± I shake my headContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Bing a monster. Ironic don¡¯t you think.¡± He folds his arms across his chest. ¡°Seeing as you came back from being a Rogue, can you help her?¡± ¡°I can try, but in truth, Mallory is probably the best one to help her. She was the one who helped me. ¡°Neah doesn''t trust Mallory and that isn¡¯t going to change anytime soon.¡± ¡°Then I suggest we find a way for Neah to ept Mallory.¡± He nces back at Roan''s slumped body. ¡°Do you really believe I¡¯m losing her?¡± I ned. ¡°The thing is, she won''t even realise it herself until it''s toote. Raven is sitting in the kitchen with Mallory by the time we head back to the house. Given the circumstances, they were both giggling and stuffing themselves with ice cream. ¡°Where''s Neah?¡± Dane asks "She headed upstairs. She didn''t want to see me.¡± She sighs. Every¡± day she. was growing more and: more desperate to find a way to please Neah. And still, Neahwanted nore of it. Content belongs:to NovelDrama.Org - Dane nods and leaves, hopefully to have an important conversation with his mate. ¡°Did you talk to Dane?¡± She asks as she shoves a spoon in her mouth. ¡°Yes. ¡®What am,Fmissing?¡± Raven frowns. "We were having augh until SS Damien walked in and now, now¡¯ you are acting like you have the weight of. ihe world on your shoulders.¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± I tell Mallory. ¡°Dane knows so you can tell her. Raven''s eyes round as she listens to Mallory. Her lips part until her mauth is wide-dpen and I can see her. = tonsils: She was terrible at hiding her feelittgs, but I love the fact that she thought she could. Content. belongs to¡°NovelDrama.Org < ¡°Does she know?¡± Mallory asks ¡°Not yet. Dane doesn¡¯t want anyone to say anything to her. Which, in my opinion is fucked up. but she is his mate.¡± ¡°He wants to protect her.¡± Raven sighs. ¡°She has spent most of her life fighting for it and now she has to do it all again.¡± ¡®It''s different. ¡°How?¡± Raven''s dark eyes rise to mine. "How is it different?¡± ¡°Because that life was something she never wanted. This is something she is slowly choosing. She just doesn''t know it yet.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Raven mutters with a whisper ¡°It makes her feel strong and powerful. It gives her the feeling of satisfaction.¡± ¡°The sad thing is, if she had been raised a Lycan, she would never have this need inside her.¡± Mallory gives Raven a sad smile ¡°We both know that is hearsay. Neither of us knows what her life could have been.¡± I snap ¡°I can''t lose her too, Damien.¡± Raven pleads with me. ¡°I can¡¯t, it will break me.¡± As she stared at me, I felt it. Every little glimmer of emotion that she was trying so hard to keep bottled up inside. Mallory reaches a hand across the table to her. ¡°Neah will need to want the help. It¡¯s the only way it will work.¡± Chapter 0179 Chapter 0179 Raven Damien is tense as he moves around my room. He had checked the windows several times before closing the curtains. Thankfully, there were no more bloody handprints. He looks so tired.¡¯ Midnight murmurs There''s a lot going on¡¯ I mutter back I knew better than to ask him if he was okay. It was obvious he wasn''t, but I wasn¡¯t exactly the greatest when it came to me being reassuring. I tried to be reassuring to Neah when she first came here, and all I did was stick my foot in it about Dane having other brides. Though that was abination of me trying to warn her. Jenson told me once that I was too truthful for my own good. That it would get me in trouble one day. You always have been a shit liar.¡¯ Midnight snorts. It was pretty much the only thing she agreed with Jenson on Damien checks the hallway and even checks the bathroom, which has a window that even Neah couldn''t fit through. It was like he was expecting Salem to jump out at any second and attack us. There was even a moment where I thought he was actually going to check under the bed. I knew he was just doing it to gain some level of control ¡°If he¡¯s in human form, we would be able to scent him. If he is in Lycan form, you will be able to scent him.¡± I remind him. ¡°You''re right.¡± He stops in front of me and leans down to kiss me He pulls back, resting his forehead against mine. ¡°You think it''s toote, don¡¯t you?¡± It was a question that I had been desperate to ask. But I had managed to keep it out of my thoughts so that it didn''t bother him if he read my mind. lo." It was a heavy no. Almost like he wasn''t convinced of his own answer. ¡°You don''t have to lie to me. I can see it in your face. You warned Dane, but deep down, you think it¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°It''s impossible to know. Not a single one of us is the exact same. For example, you and Jenson. You are twins, your wolves are twins too, but you are not in any way alike. There''s no way of knowing that if she crosses over, we can bring her back. If she doesn''t want to....¡± He trails off as he shakes his head at me.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°I know Neah is your friend Raven, but there is only so much we can do. Only so much any of us can do. He sits on the bed next to me. ¡°You will try?¡± I ask ¡°I won''t stop trying. ¡°What about the pups? He keeps his eyes averted. ¡°Will they survive?¡± I push. Maybe if Neah knew what would happen to her pups, it would keep her from bing something she is not. Damien clenches his jaw. ¡°Tell me, I can handle it.¡± ¡°There was a female in our group of Rogues, who was pregnant when she became fully Lycan.¡± ¡°The pup died in birth?¡± ¡°She ate it.¡± His eyes flicker to me and my shocked face. ¡°It''s not ck and white, Raven. Everything is food to them unless....¡± I cut him off as I add up the information ¡°Unless it¡¯s in Lycan form. The pup was born in human form. so she ate her own pup.¡± He nods. ¡°Il warmed you Raven, we are dark. Evetything about being Rogue, is food and games. It¡¯s like It¡¯s likehing else matters. Thes world could be crumbling oe yousbut as long as you have food, yotrdon'' t care.¡± Content bet¨¦ngs to NovelDrama.Org 4 ¡°It took me a long time to understand why we be so obsessed with food and the simple answer is the same as why you eat so much after you shift. It makes you so hungry, but for a Rogue, the hunger doesn¡¯t go away, ever.¡± ¡°As hard as it seems, you need to tell her.¡± I whisper quietly. ¡°Those pups mean a lot toher, this pack, to Dane, to me andto you too. Maybe it will keep her from killing anyone else> Maybe it will stop her changing: I heat the pleading in my ownttone. I was afraid of losing her. Aa dd in that second, I knew there waS¡¯more to what Damien speaks of. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Chapter 0180 Chapter 0180 The constant warnings. Telling me he is dark, that I should be scared of him. That I will one day hate him. How he talks about Neah changing. I let go of him. ¡°You think you will be dragged back to that life? I hold my breath, waiting for his answer. ¡®I used to. Everyday was a fight.¡± ¡°You don''t anymore?¡± I ask in a whispered tone. ¡°Not since you.¡± I feel my heart skip a beat. The only other person that said something was because of me, was Salem. He had wanted a blood bond. To align himself with my pack. Only he wasn¡¯t a Wolf. How would that have worked? I mean I knew Lycans could blood tie themselves to each other, because of Neah and her first mate. But between a Wolf and a Lycan? Was that even possible? I let go of Dane, shuffling myself off the bed and holding on to the dresser to keep myself upright. ¡°Really? You are thinking about my brother now?¡± He mutters, having read my mind ¡°He wanted a blood bond. We were supposed to havepleted it but then... then he found out about Dane.¡± I shake my head. ¡°I would have had to bow to Trey and Cassandra. They really fucked things up for us all. ¡°Then you had a lucky escape and for that. I am extremely grateful I see the lustrous look in his eyes. The desire to prove that I¡¯m his and his alone. ¡°And let me remind you why.¡± His lips graze mine as his hands grip my waist. He lifts me up onto the dresser, nuzzling in against my neck as he positions himself between my thighs. ¡°You smell so good.¡± He murmurs against my skin before nipping me, ¡°But you will have to wait.¡± ¡°For what?¡± I gasp in annoyance. Less than a secondter, there is a thundering knock on the door and I catch my brother''s scent. His timing was absolutely shite. ¡°I know you are in there Damien! Damien gives me another quick kiss and moves to the door, letting in Dane. ¡°How can I help?¡± Damien muses, looking back at me as I desperately mp my thighs together, waiting for my arousal to disappear. ¡°I need you to talk to Neah.¡± ¡°The conversation didn¡¯t go well then?¡± Damien asks "She is hormonal, she is angry, she thinks I¡¯ ¡®nebullshitting her or rather Nyx does. She has always been¡¯ one to listen to me. To ept my word as what it is. But this, she doesn''t want to know.¡± < I watch Damien''s face harden. It was subtle, butit was there. I couldn¡¯t?> read his mind yet, but I knew what he was: thinking, It was the one thing he was worried about, that we were toodate. ¡± ¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Down the hall in our room.¡± Damien begins to head in her direction when Eric starts shouting from downstairs, calling for help. ¡°I will go to Neah.¡± I murmur, getting off the dresser and reaching for my crutches. "Go see what''s wrong with Eric.¡± The men hurry towards the stairs as I make my way to Neah''s room. She is curled up in the big chair in front of the window, cradling her small bump. She gives me a small smile.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¡°Did you hear Eric?¡± She shakes her head, her blue eyes are full of that same sadness I saw when she first arrived in ck Shadow. ¡°Dane told you?¡± ¡°He''s wrong, right. He has to be wrong. I wasn¡¯t bitten. I.....¡± she sighs heavily ¡°Damien has spoken a little bit of it.¡± I mutter quietly, pulling the stool from her dresser over to her. ¡°He is worried. She frowns. "Dane said I sliced Roan open over and over.¡± "You...you did 1 was confused, we had all beenthere, We had all seen what shehad done to him and no -> one had stopped her. It had gotten too mach for me that I buried my faceinto Damien''s armpit sai wouldn''t have to watch it. Content belongs to ? ¡°No. It was just three times.¡± ¡°Neah, we were down there for hours.¡± She shuffles herself around on the chair until she is facing me properly. ¡°Hours?¡± ¡°You don''t remember?¡± Chapter 0181 Chapter 0181 Neah "How can I not remember, Raven? That makes absolutely no sense.¡± "Maybe you got confused. Maybe you lost track of time.¡± ¡°You don''t believe that. Damien must have said something to you.¡± I mutter. I was out of the chair and pacing. Somehow, pacing has be the thing that helps me think "What does Nyx say?¡± Raven asks quietly. Her eyes follow me as I move around the room. ¡°She thinks you are all lying to me. But you can''t all be, can you? It''s not like Moonshine where they kept secrets from me. You would tell me the truth, wouldn''t you?¡± Raven nods her head I lower myself down onto the edge of the bed. "There''s a darkness inside of me, Raven. It''s like, in the moment, I can''t control it. Like it takes over and once whatever needs to be done is done, the darkness fades like it was never even there. Does that make sense?" ¡°I think so. How long has this been happening? "Since Devon. Maybe even before, I don''t know.¡± She rocks on the stool. "Have you told my brother? Does he know? "He is aware. But he also never had a problem with it. He enjoyed it. Until now. "Dane does enjoy the darker side of life. I think that''s why he gets on so well with Damien.¡± I see her smile and I am truly happy for her, but Dane and Damien being friends was not the issue right now. ¡®Raven, I''m scared. What if they are right? What if I am too far gone? What if it''s toote?¡± I nce down at my bump. ¡°What about them? ¡°That''s a lot of questions to answer.¡± She was deflecting. "What else has Damien told you?" Her shoulders drop as she frowns. "ording to Damien, if you, you know....be Rogue, they won''t survive. ¡°The twins will die?¡± I scoff She nods her head at me I could feet my eyes filling with tears. "So then, I just don''t turn.¡± It sounded pretty simple. ¡°And no more killing." That''s what Dane had said: Content Selongs to NovelDrama.Org - Raven lowers her dark eyes. ¡°It''s not that simple is it?¡± ¡°Not from what I understand. Why couldn''t I just go back to the days, where the hardest part of my day was learning to read and write!Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡° could still turn?¡± I never wanted to be a monster, but here I was, slowly turning into one. Her heavy sigh seems to echo in the room as she nods her head ¡°But the good news is, we have Damien who transitioned back and Mallory who helped him. She can help you too. If you let her.¡± "Mallory is bad news.¡± "Does it matter if she is the one who can help you and the twins.¡± Raven offers. "At least then, you will be able to keep a closer eye on her.¡± Nyx is quiet but angry. She doesn''t. want tab be shut away. She wants.to be free-and I was fighting every inch of my being to keep her from? ¡® NovelDrama.Org ¡°Do you trust Mallory?¡± I ask Raven. ¡®I believe her when she says she regrets harting you. But if you don¡¯t want tg''be alone with her, I can be with yeu. And maybe that way; I can stop-you from killing her.¡± She gives me=a small smile. Content belongs t&"NovelDrama.Org - It wasn''t hard to find Mallory. Dane had set her up in one of the guest bedrooms, but she did seem surprised to see me at her door. ¡°Is...is everything okay?¡± I grit my teeth, annoyance already deeply embedded within me. ¡°I need your help. Her lips part a little as she tucks a strand of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear. Taking a step back, she asks us both toe in. "How can I help?¡± She asks, looking between the both of us. ¡°You helped Damien, right?¡± Raven mutters Chapter 0182 Chapter 0182 "You already know that." "You can help Neah, right?" "Ah, they have spoken to you." She turns away and fiddles with the nkets on the bed, refolding them as she tries to think of something to say. "It''s not a quick fix." Mallory looks over to Raven. "I''m sure Damien has told you it''s a constant battle." Raven nods and automatically, I feel that she has been keeping secrets from me. "You have to stop that." Mallory snaps, making me jump. "What are you talking about?" I frown back at her. "That look. You have to stop looking for the bad in every situation."Original content from N?velDrama.Org. "I didn''t say anything." I protest. "You didn''t need to. Your face did." Raven looks between me and Mallory. "I''m not even going to ask what I just missed." "I know everything is ten times harder for you." Mallory speaks softly, "Your upbringing has made it harder. The shit you went through means you automatically see the bad. And I don''t me you for that." "You mean like you nearly killing me?" She doesn''t physically react to my question. Instead holding her spot. "Exactly." ''Just kill her and get it over with.'' Nyx growls. ''Shut up, I can''t be dealing with you right now!'' I snap back at my Lycan. "I want to help you, Neah, if you will let me. At the end of the day, you are my Alpha." Her brow crinkles up into a frown. "But if you want to kill me, then kill me." "Don''t!" Raven grabs my arm, even though I hadn''t moved. "Let go Raven, this has to be her choice." "It''s a test?" I murmur. "Because if I kill you, there is a good chance I will change?" Neither of them respond. ''Kill her, we will be fine.'' Nyx muses. Was it her? Was she the reason I was bing a monster? I close my eyes. "I want your help. I want to see my pups grow up. I want to be with Dane. I want to live." "Good, that''s a start." It was like Raven said, I didn''t have to trust her, I just had to let her help me, for now. Mallory gestures for me to sit down but I stay on my feet and she cocks an eyebrow at me. "Now normally I would insist on intense exercise..." "Intense exercise?" Raven cuts her off. "Why do you think Damien is built the way he is?" Sheughs, "but Neah, as you are pregnant and supposed to be resting, this is going to be a little more difficult." "And the fact Salem is out there somewhere." Raven adds. "That too. Hmmm" Mallory turns to Raven, "Is she clear to have sex?" "I am here!" I snap, frustrated. "It doesn''t stop them." Raven shrugs her shoulders. "Wait, did you tell Damien the same thing? Who was he sleeping with?" Mallory doesn''t answer her and speaks to me. "Part of the key is keeping your mind busy and keeping your body active." Nyx rolls her eyes but at least she keeps her mouth shut. "That''s your advice?" I splutter, "Sex and keeping busy?" "That''s just the beginning. It''s a long process, Neah. It''s not a quick fix overnight and you need to be prepared for that." "How long did it take Damien?" Raven asks. "Has he told you?" "No." "There''s your answer." "I don''t....I don''t follow." I mutter. "It will always be a battle. Some will win, some will lose." Mallory''s brown eyes lock on mine. "You have helped others, other than Damien?" Raven asks. She nods. "Other''s, so there are more?" I ask. "Damien is the only one who has one hundred percent fought the Rogue life and continues to fight it." "You tried to help some of the others but it failed." Raven rifies. My chances of me fighting this were not in my favor. Chapter 0183 Chapter 0183 Raven Who do you think it is?" Midnight mutters as we follow Neah out of Mallory¡¯s room. She was all hyped up after learning that one of the strategies to help Neah would be sex. She was desperate to know who Damien had been sleeping with while he was going through it and her jealousy was starting to rub off on me. We should go back and demand the information!¡± She sulks Neah is more important.¡± I mutter, though I wanted to know the answer toc. They were in the middle of nowhere. There was a female Rogue and Mallory. It couldn''t have been the Rogue. Did that mean he sleeping with his best friend? No. No. That was all before me. I can''t be jealous of his past. Raven.¡¯ Danes voice interrupts my thoughts. ¡®Keep Neah upstairs.¡¯ What''s going on?" I link him back. I will exinter. For now, Neah doesn''t need to see this.¡¯N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Neah was already at the top of the stairs when I stopped her. "Hey, can youe and help me with something?¡± "Raven, I''m starving.¡± She mutters with a groan. ¡°And if I''m to get through this, I at least need to keep these two happy.¡± She rubs her stomach. ¡°Then you are in luck. I have some candy bars in my room and it won''t take long.¡± Her shoulders drop as she sighs. Thankfully she turns back and follows me to my room. ¡°What do you need help with? ¡°l...." shit I hadn''t actually thought of anything Ask her to look at your wound to make sure it''s not infected. You can''t see the back of your leg.¡± Midnight mutters in a hurry. I repeat Midnight''s words to Neah, she nods her head and follows me to my room My eves flicker to the window, half expecting to see another handprint, this time, there is nothing there. Being watched was something I had never really had to worry about until now. And it felt like no matter where I was, eyes were on me. It takes Neah less than a minute to inspect my leg. "I don¡¯t really know what I''m looking for, but it doesn''t look any worse.¡± She drops down onto the edge of my bed. ¡°You are hiding something from me. You could have had Damien lock at your leg and I know you could have seen your reflection in that massive mirror. My cheeks me and I quickly turn away. That mirror had seen a lot thest couple of days. ¡°It''s because of this darkness in me, isn¡¯t it?¡± She pauses. ¡°Raven, just tell me, you know I hate secrets.¡± ¡®I don''t know what it is. I just know Dane asked me to keep you upstairs. She immediately gets to her feet. Puffing out her cheeks. i Focus on what Mallory said. You need to keepbusy.¡± I pull out a handful of candy bars fromthe drawers@nd hand them to her. ¡®Let them deal with it. Everyone hag your bestiiterests at heart. None of them are=doing this to intentionally keep s¨¦trets from you.¡± Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Something hits the window, making both of us scream. Blood is smeared as though something had just slid down the ss. "What was that?!¡± We both speak in unison and move to the window I pause when I see him. He was just as I remembered him and our eyes met moments before men started charging him. He disappears into the forest. "Was...was that him?" Neah whispers to me as Damien crashes into the room ¡°In human form.¡± I feel a knot in my stomach. Damiens arms wrap around me. He pulls my back in firmly against his chest. A reminder that he was here. ¡°They will get him. But I want to know why you are in just a tee and panties.¡± "He was out in the middle of the grounds, in broad daylight. He threw something at the window. I''m his target.¡± I mutter, feeling a rush of panic. "He won''t get to you.¡± Damien tells me. ¡°I will kill him myself. "What did he throw at the window?¡± Neah asks. "I can¡¯t quite see.¡± Damien pauses. ¡°I think it''s best you speak to Dane about that.¡± He reaches forward and pulls the curtain closed. ¡°Tell me!¡± Neah demands ¡°Neah, he¡¯s right, wait for Dane.¡± I see thest thing I want to see. Her eyes slowly darkening, until there is only a very faint ring of blue. What if Darien was right? What if this I is it? What if we had run out of time? ¡®Damien, don''t.¡± I mutter, at the same time. I knew the next words out of Neah''s mouth would be an order. An order he couldn''t refuse. ¡°Tell...¡± ¡°Dane¡¯sing.¡± Damien interrupts her. ¡°He will give you all your answers, probably more than what I can give you right now.¡± She stares at him and very, very slowly, the ck in her eyes retreat. Thank the Goddess for that. ¡° eah?¡± Danes.softly spoken voice ills the roof; He only ever spoke to her like that: Sometimes it seemed like he was almost afraid of breaking her orTnaybe he knew ! wouldhelp reasan with her more. I just knew he never spoke to the rest us in that way. pumpl Her eyes sh to him. And for a brief moment, I expected the darkness to return. She''s scary when she is like that.¡± Midnight murmurs. I agreed and sometimes, it almost felt like I barely knew her. Chapter 0184 Chapter 0184 ¡°Come with me.¡± He holds a hand out to her. Her eyes sh back to Damien and I. "Come." His word is more forceful this time but she goes to him. His eyes sh up to Damien. "Don''t let my sister out of your sight.¡± ¡°I''m not nning on it.¡± Dane closes the door as Damien¡¯s breath fans over my cheek and his hands cup my ass. ¡°Now are you going to tell me why you have no joggers on?¡± ¡°It was the only thing I could think of to keep Neah upstairs. ¡°Really?¡± He muses. ¡°Not like that, obviously. I wanted her to look at my leg. ¡°This leg.¡± His fingers skim around the outside of the wound. Small spikes of pain snake out across my leg, followed by jolts of electricity as his teeth graze my ear lobe ¡°Damien.¡± I whisper as his lips travel to my neck. This really wasn''t the ideal time, but he made me feel like the world fell away from us. That it¡¯s just me and him and nothing else mattered. His hands slide up under my tee, firmly squeezing my breasts as the tips of his fingers pull on my nipples until they be hardened peaks. Pinching them until another moan breaks free from my throat. He pulls my tee off and turns me around to face him. "On your knees.¡± I drop, without hesitating and ignore the pain in my leg. He is quick to unfasten his jeans, letting them fall and freeing his hardening cock. Taking it in one hand, he rubs the tip along my lips. I couldn''t resist flicking my tongue over it. He growls as his cock jerks from my touch. Locking up at him, I cpen my mouth a little wider, taking the whole head of his cock into my mouth Rocking his hips. the tip of his cock rubs back and forth over my lips as I continue to keep my eyes locked on him. He sinks a little deeper as my tongue swirls around his solid length. "Fuck, Raven.¡± He growls and his hand locks in my hair as he thrusts into my mouth. Droplets of cum fall on to my tongue, letting me taste his saltiness that somehow had a sweet kick to it as it rolled back my throat. When I didn''t gag, it made him more determined to fuck my mouth. Hitting the back of my throat over and over until he filled my mouth with his load. With his hand locked in my hair, he pulls my head back, wiping away anything that had escaped my mouth. "Open." He mutters. His dark eyes drift down to my open and very empty mouth. A smile creeps across his lips as he pulls me to my feet. His hand cups my pussy before I''m even fully on my feet. His fingers stroke over my wet panties, pushing against the fabric, that is barely holding him back. ¡°You are so wet.¡± He mutters against my ear. Pushing the fabric to one side, he slides a finger inside me. I fight the moan that is brewing, until his lips hit mine and a second finger makes its way inside of me. ¡°Ohhh His thumR-circles my clit as his lips. break from mine. He watches me: as the orgasm builds. Beads of sweat make their way down the crevice of my back as I struggle to hold on. My hands lock on to his shoulders as my nails dig into his skin when finally, the orgasm tears through me. Cf all the people I slept with, the orgasms had never been as good as they are with Damien His fingers retreat, but continue to circle my throbbing clit. ¡°Tired?¡± He muses as I let my body fall against him. ¡°Because I''m not done.¡± His cock is already hardening against my leg when he pulls me onto the bed, pushing himself between my thighs. His lips and teeth alternate between small bites and kisses as they work their way down between my breasts He stops, just above my belly button. ¡°Are you still thinking about him?¡± ¡°What?¡± I prop myself up on my elbows to look at him. What the hell was he talking about? It hits me, he had felt what I felt when I saw Salem in human form. I try to push Damien off, but it was a useless attempt. His body doesn¡¯t even budge. ¡°[ am your mate, I''m the one who can make you cum so fucking hard that you are dripping all over me.¡± ¡°This was some kind of test?!" I snapOriginal content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You passed.¡± He mutters as I grab the pillow and smack him across the head. He still doesnt move. "Get off me!¡± I growl at him. He stands up. ring at me. ¡°If you had even bothered to ask, I felt sorry for him. Not that I wanted to sleep with him!¡± "He was your mate once.¡± ¡®And he rejected me. And he did this to me!¡± I point at my leg before hobbling-across the room and shutting myself in the bathroom. I was-furious that he had ever thetight I would consider Salem. ~ ~~ ¡°Raven?¡± He is leaning against the other side of the door. "Just because you can read my mind, it does not mean you have jt all figured out. So fuck off¡± My blood was beiling, I couldn''t believe he could even use me of such a thing. - ¡°I''m not leaving you alone.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t fucking talk to me!¡± Chapter 0185 Chapter 0185 Hello everyone and thank you so much for reading my book. It means the world to me that you want to join me along for the journey. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. As always, thank you for all reviews,ments and gems. I don''t say it enough, but I really do appreciate it and love reading your predictions. I hope you are all enjoying everything so far because there is so much more toe. There will be no update for tomorrow, the 16th of April and also possibly the 17th. But I will definitely be back on the 18th. Thank you all again. Taylor West Chapter 0186 Chapter 0186 Damien I fucked up. I could hear her heavy breathinging from the otherside of the door. She was so angry with me. It might have been funny if I hadn''t guessed what her thoughts meant. I was an idiot I push on the door a little. It doesn¡¯t budge and from the shadow under the door, I would say she is leaning against the door to make sure I don''te in. Though I could if I wanted too. It wouldn''t take much to make her body slide across the tiles. ¡°Raven.¡± ¡®I have nothing to say to you.¡± Her answer is short and sharp. Her wordsced with spite. She was so angry that there weren''t even any tears. ¡°l..." Would she believe me if I told her the truthContent ? N?velDrama.Org. Jealousy was not something I had really felt before and everytime her mind went to him, I just wanted to remind her that it was me she was mated to. That the spawn who rejected her, did just that It wasn''t even him that I was jealous of, it was the fact she was thinking about another man, if you could even call him that. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± I mutter through the door. I already knew it would take more than a couple of words to make it up to her. She shuffles away from the door, and I watch the handle turn. She pulls it open no more than an inch. Peering through the small gap at me. ¡°You are shit at apologies.¡± ¡®I don''t usually apologise.¡± I wanted to push the door open and pull into my arms, though the way she is blocking the door tells me she would either be thankful, or she would punch me and poke my eyes out. It was impossible to tell. ¡°[ don¡¯t want him. You have to understand that. He is on my mind because he is fucking with my head. The blood on the windows and seeing him... He is not the man I remember which makes it even mere confusing. And that definitely does not mean I want to sleep with him!¡± ¡°I know that now.¡± "How could you even think I would want him?" Her voice falters. "He damaged me in more ways than just my leg.¡± ¡°Juste out the bathroom. She opens-the door a little further and I seethat she has wrapped herself in¡¯ a robe, hiding away her gorgeous body. Her arms fold-up under¡¯ her tits as she hugs herself. Her dark eyes meet mine. Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°l am yours Damien. Not his, not anyone else''s, yours forever.¡± I use the moment to pull her in against me. She doesn''t pull away. Resting her cheek against my chest as our heartbeats slowly fall in sync. "What didn¡¯t you want to tell Neah?" she asks quietly once her anger fades. ¡°Maybe it''s best if you sit down.¡± "Why?" She leans back in my arms, her brow wrinkling inte a frown. "I''ve seen some pretty bad stuff.¡± ¡°It was a box of dismembered body parts. She screws her face up. ¡°Someone from the pack?¡± ¡°That''s just it, it was human and I''m guessing, what was thrown at your window was also a part of that same body. She pulls back from me and hobbles to the bed¡± slowly sinking herself down ipto the mattress. I watch her try to-pose herself. ¡°Uh, he would have had to leave thegrounds tafind a human.¡± - ¡°Unless they wandered into the forest.¡± "No, that doesn¡¯t happen. We are too far..." she trails off, looking at my¡± face. ¡°Mhave lived here all my life''and humans don''t just wander in ¡°Has Dane told you that has happened?¡± I nod. ¡°Did he kill them?¡± ¡°No, at least I don''t think so. He said he tells them that it is private property and they will be sued for trespassing if they don''t leave. Chapter 0187 Chapter 0187 She sticks her tongue out to the corner of her lips, deep in thought. I was just grateful she wasn''t mad at me anymore. ¡°Do you have any idea why he is doing this?¡± "At this point, I think tormenting everyone is his game. He told Mallory he wanted to bring death and a load of other crap. But the one thing I know about him is that he likes to y games. This has to be a game.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. "Could he be working with someone else?¡± ¡°The other Rogues are dead.¡± ¡°Dane has enemies left and right. And now the contracts are well and trulypleted with other packs, what''s to say there isn''t someone else helping him.¡± "Rogues are not pack creatures. They wouldn''t even work together to take down a kill. She puffs out her cheeks, ¡°It must be hard for you. Living here, in a pack.¡± ¡°Actually, no.¡± I sink onto the bed next to her. ¡°I spent years working alone, being a hitman for people to hire. Being a Rogue was freeing, but I felt like I was missing something. Then I found Mallory, she helped to free me from that life. But being weed into this pack and finding you, it was like coming home.¡± She smiles at me and opens her mouth to talk but we are interrupted with Mallory opening the door. She is half hidden by the door frame and is visibly shaking. It wasn''t like her at all. She was pretty much unafraid of anything She holds her shaking hands up, blood dripping from each of them. "I....I''m....''m sorry.¡± "Mallory? ¡°I... went down.¡± She turns slowly, looking back down the hallway from the direction she came. ¡°I was...I was toote.¡± She steps in the room. I see her top isn''t just coloured red, instead blood is dripping from it. "Il tried,¡± she whispers. "Who Mallory, who is dead?¡± ¡°The office.¡± She mutters,pletely lost in shock. ¡°Noooo.. No. No. No, please tell me it''s not.¡± Raven mutters "Who is in....." Eric''s boys had been put in the office. I charge odtthe room, smacking my hand onl Dane''s door as I run by, = racing: down the stairs to the office, I see Eric on his knees, frozen Jike a statue with his boys in his. arms. Blood coated almost everything, including the curtains blowing in the breeze Dane practically crashes into the back of me. "Eric?" Dane mutters quietly, his eyes roam the room. He moves around me and crouches next to his Beta. ¡°Eric, we will make him pay for this.¡± I move overand close the window, finding the tip of a finger. He had. been inhuman form and the boys had I probably gone to let himon, thinking he was in dange Content belongs to I look back at the boys in Eric''s arms, both of them had all ten fingers which meant the one left behind had belonged to Salem The boys weren''t even old enough to have their Wolves, they had been defenceless. They never stood a chance. Raven, Mallory and Neah appear. The three of them turn their faces away from the scene. I walk to Raven and kiss her forehead. "Stay here with Mallory and the others.¡± "Where are you going? You can''t leave, we don''t know where he is. ¡°I''m going to fucking find him and kill him." "He''s dangerous.¡± ¡°I''m worse.¡± Every inch of me regrets not killing him that day-Just causing enough damage te.bring him to the dungegn was my Mistake. I won''t be making that mistake again. Even if it takes days, weeks or months. I won''t stop ure he is dead. = Chapter 0188 Chapter 0188 Raven Two weeks he had been gone and it was absolute torture. He wasn''t dead, I knew that. If he were, I would have felt it and Salem would likely have returnedContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. It must mean he is chasing Salem. He had to be. There had been no sign of Salem here, though most nights, me and Mallory bunked together, just in case. Eric was a mess and rightly so. us had sort of stepped into his role, helping my brother in any way he could while Eric spent his days at his parents house, grieving. And thankfully without Salem''s presence, Neah was calm.... to an extent. She cried the other day because she cracked an egg. An egg she wanted to crack so she could cook it. I had to leave the kitchen before I burst intoughter. Damien could shoot me if I was that bad when I eventually got to carry his pups. One day! I sigh. ¡°Pleasee back to me. He will.¡± Midnight mutters. ¡®He has too. I drop my empty cereal bowl into the sink and lean forward, looking at the Wolves carrying on like nothing had happened. Less than two days of no problems and Dane had them back to duty, it didn''t sit right with me. One, we didn''t know for sure where Salem was. And two, there were alot of people grieving over Eric''s boys but Dane insisted normality would help. What part of kids being killed was normal? I had tried to argue with him. Asked him if we should expect him back to duty if something happened to his twins. He hadn''t answered, but I could see the fury in his eyes He''s just trying to keep the pack upied.¡¯ ¡°l know.¡± I mutter back to Midnight. ¡°I know. It doesn¡¯t mean it has to sit right with me.¡± I touch the mark on my neck, Damien hadn''t even linked me or anything. Not a single whisper of his voice. Maybe he thought it was best this way. To keep me in the dark until there was something to tell me. Maybe I would be a distraction. "He will be okay.¡± Mallory interrupts my thoughts as she bursts into the kitchen. She had told me the same thing, multiple times a day for thest two weeks. It didn¡¯t make it any easier to hear. "How can you be sure?¡± ¡°It''s Damien.¡± She gives me a tight lipped smile, almost turning her lips the same white as the scar just above her lip. Even she was starting to question it. "He survives everything." Surviving wasn''t the only issue. [turn as she starts pouring herself some cereal. She had practically.¡± made herself at home now. I didn¡¯t mind. it was nice to have another femate I in the house. I was soused tobeing outnumbered by the men. She shovels it in like she is never going to eat cereal again. ¡°Sorry,¡± she splutters, spraying pieces of half chewed frosties across the table. ¡°Dane wants me in training today.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± She had asked, but he had always said no. What has changed about today? Her head bobs up and down as she shovels in another spoon ¡°With Damien chasing Salem, Dane wants me to help guard Neah.¡± I had to hide my surprise. He had made it quite clear Neah was to be with him. "How does Neah feel about that?¡± She had epted Mallory¡¯s help, but she still barely tolerated her. She shrugs her shoulders at me. "Probably hates it.¡± ¡®I could join ..?." I watch as her eyes drift down tomy bad leg before I even finisk my sentence. I had ~ stoppedUsing crutches but I was: still hofbli ng everywhere as I oY couldnt straighten my leg properly without intense pain icking tp my b¨¦hes. Content belongs 10 NovelDrama.Org Whereas Salem, somehow walked with half his thigh missing. He ran too. That day! had seen him, he of sappeared into the trees at breakneck speed. Like the inj jury was non-existent, but I had seen it. myself. Maybe pain was nothing to hin. Maybe that''s why he gets a kick out of ying with his foed, listening to the screams, because he found their pain hrious. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org A Mallory washes up her bowl super fast and hurries out the door without even a goodbye. We could go hang out with Neah.¡± Midnight suggests As much as I loved Neah, I would rather not right now. Instead I found us sitting in the freshly decorated office. It had to be done after the blood bath that took ce Chapter 0189 Chapter 0189 us has his head buried in books. He smiles at me as I plonk myself on the chair. His long dark hair falling around his face. He is quick to tuck it back, letting his deep green eyes catch mine, ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°Frustrated.¡± I mutter "We both know if there was something wrong with Damien, you would have felt it. ¡°It''s not that.¡± He tilts his head and smirks at me. ¡°Really?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org. ¡° just have a bad feeling. ¡°About what? ¡°That''s the problem. I don¡¯t really know. ¡°You are in a mood, but you don¡¯t know why?" ¡°Exactly.¡± I let myself slope against the backrest. ¡°Did you know Dane has asked Mallory to join in the training today?¡± us bobs his head at me. ¡°It was actually my idea.¡± ¡°Yours?¡± I splutter in surprise ¡°Look, she is in the house the entire time and as much as Neah has epted her help with her other problem, she feels caged in by Mallory. Dane wants Neah to have a break and this is the best way.¡± "So you are sending her to training and have told her it''s so she can protect Neah. "We never told her that.¡± He scowls at me. "Maybe she just got the wrong idea of what''s being asked of her.¡± He pauses. ¡°Maybe she made a mistake. Maybe she misunderstood.¡± He was probably right, though it sounded as if he was trying to convince himself. Mallory had spent most nights telling me how she was grateful that Neah was finally talking to her. Maybe she had just misheard ¡°You miss him?" "Of course I do.¡± I mutter, surprised by hisment ¡°I''m not talking about Damien.¡± + No one had speken to me abou Jenson. If I ientioned him in front of Dane, he would either roll his > crimson eyes, or leave the room. As far asthe was concerned, our brother was dead. But it never stopped me wofdering. He is still my brother. "He made his choice.¡± I sigh. I didn¡¯t want him to think anything else. He rocks in the chair as he studies me "Do you know something? Has he been in touch? Does he regret rejecting the pack?¡± The questions topple from my mouth without another thought. He shakes his head and I feel my stomach drop. For a fleeting moment, I had semething to look forward to instead of being trapped, waiting I''m not sure what I was even hoping for. Jenson had made it very clear that he mes Dane for Jess''s death and that wasn¡¯t going to change. us returns to reading his books, unphased that I was still sitting here, watching him. He was like that. Company or nopany, he was content. I didn¡¯t know how he did it. ¡°Do you think you will ever find your mate?¡± I prod, trying to start a conversation with him "Huh?" He doesn''t even register what I say. I repeat my question and he shrugs his shoulders. ¡°Who knows?" ¡°Do you not wonder, if they are out there, wondering where you are?¡± He won''t tell us.¡± Midnight muses, already predicting the oue of this conversation. ¡°No.¡± He slowly closes the book and looks up at me. "Not all of us view life in the same way. Raven.¡± And that was the end of that conversation/I had tried so many times to etinformation over the . years, but it was always the same: answer didn''t even know if hewas into en, women or maybe even both¡± He kept all that close to his chest. I didn''t even know if-there was anyone in the pack that he liked. ~ I twiddle my thumbs, and eventually push myse IoD to leave. As I get to the door, us tells me that he is - sure Dartien will be back soon. AS thoughhe knew why I was really asking questions. A distraction from ry-own mind. = But what if something bad has happened? What if that control he has, stopping him from turning back to a Rogue, breaks? What if he is so angry with Salem that I lose him for good? I limp to the bottom of the stairs, but instead of climbing it. I sit there, willing and hoping that he walks right back through the front door. Chapter 0190 Chapter 0190 Neah "Stop it!¡± I snap, staring at my belly. The twins were growing fast and had also taken to kicking each other or my dder and it was driving me nuts. Dane raises an eyebrow at me with a small smile as Malloryes running towards us. I sigh, I had forgotten she was taking part in training. Shees to a stop in front of us. Her eyes narrowed at my belly. ¡°Is it wise for you to be training?¡± ¡°I''m not. This is the only way I can get out of the house!" I snap at her and she lowers her gaze. Years I had spent trapped inside a house because of Cassandra and Trey. Going no further than the back garden to having almostplete freedom. And now, now I would do anything to feel the grass on my bare feet, to lie in the sun without being monitored every second of the day. But until Damien sends news, I wasn''t allowed out of Dane''s sight. The fake grass of the training ground will have to do. I knew it was to protect me and the twins. I knew he was doing it to keep us safe, but all I wanted to do was break away. to not feel so.... trapped. Dane knew, and he would talk to me in a reassuring tone, reminding me it was only temporary and for the best. Promising me that I could still do most things. as long as he could see me. But to me, doing the best thing meant losing a part of my sanity. If I even had any at this point. But it wasn''t just about keeping me safe. It was to keep an eye on me, to make sure I don''t be the monster I feared. "Where do you want me?¡± Mallory beams at Dane. I really wanted to wipe that smile off of her face. It felt fake and forced. And I bet behind closed doors she has an excellent resting bitch face. Though I was yet to see it, deep down, I could feel it was there. Dane sends her over to a group of well trained guards. He had already told me he wanted to test her ~ abilities. {questioned why, because was living proof of her abilities, Thad felt what she could do if she fut her mind to it. And that was justafter ste had been turned. Coritent belongs to NovelDrama.Org What was she like with years of training under her belt? ¡°It''s better to know what everyone is capable of. There may be a time when we need to use it or prepare for it.¡± Dane winks at me I look up at him, but he keeps his crimson eyes focussed on the groups as they start to spar. Did he secretly not trust Mallory either? Nyx mumbles and starts to talk. I tell her to shut up. It was easier not to have her weighing in with her own opinion and this way, I could focus on keeping the monster at bay. I lower myself onto the grass, watching everyone fight. Training had been ano go for me since finding out was pregnant. Though training ad never been a concer whenlwas face to face with _~ someone and fighting for my-ife. I had just shifted and destrayed them in seconds. Taking their Heart, just like Salem did to Jess. Content belongs to swnovel.neContent ? N?velDrama.Org. Was that a Rogue thing? Going for. the heart? Surely that was just the¡± obvious choice? But then againthey ywi th their food. The heart¡± wouldn''t be the first thing they went for. It was just me in the moment. I never thought about my aim. My hand or rather my ws just went straight for it. Except for Roan, I tortured him I feel a smile creeping up my face and have to force it away when Dane clears his throat. He is staring at me with his crimson eyes. ¡°You''ve been listening?¡± I whisper ¡°It''s pretty hard not too.¡± His tone is low and he squats down in front of me. ¡°Mallory told you that you have to stop the dark thoughts seeping in.¡± Chapter 0191 Chapter 0191 It was like I was being scolded. I couldn''t help the way my brain automatically tried figuring things out. It wasn''t my fault that I naturally looked for answers. ¡°You liked it when I found my confidence to kill.¡± I mumble. We had sex in the forest that day. ¡°l know, but if I lose you over it..." He shakes his head. "I just can''t lose you or the twins, okay.¡± I ned and try to clear my head as he stretches back up to full height, turning his attention to the training Lying myself back on the fake grass, I stare up at the blue sky. Dane was making the most of training this morning as a storm was supposed to be coming in tonight. I hated storms, the sharp cracks of lightning always reminded me of being hit, particrly whipped. I probably won''t sleepter.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Malloryes bounding up to us after training. Her skin shiny from the sweat. She wipes her forehead, flinging the beads of sweat onto the grass, ¡°So, how did I do?¡± "As well as what I expected.¡± She smiles at him. ¡°Sa I got the job, right?¡± Dane cocks an eyebrow at her in confusion. ¡°To protect Neah, right?¡± ¡®I don''t need your protection!¡± I snap and Danes hand wraps around my wrist as he gives me a warning re to calm down "What Neah means to say is that she doesn¡¯t need protection right now. She has me.¡± He smiles at her ¡°I thought this was why you wanted me to train?¡± She scoffs, ¡°To test my skills so you knew I could watch her.¡± ¡°I think you misunderstood me, Mallory. I said to test you while I watch Neah.¡± Dane tells her. ¡°I am grateful that you want to offer your services, but right now, Neah isn''t leaving my side.¡± There is annoyance in her brown eyes, but I''m not sure if Dane saw it. If he did, he kept his face unreadable. "Oh" she sighs. "I just wanted to help, you let Damien help.¡± ¡°Damien didn¡¯t give me much of a choice.¡± Dane murmurs without looking at her. His eyes are too busy scanning the people still training. "What does that mean?¡± Mallory asks ¡°It doesn''t matter.¡± But I was curious too, what did he mean? AsTar asl was aware, Damien had just started nting¡¯ himself i in locations near me. Fwill have''to ask himter when we are alone. ... Mallory turns her head to me. ¡°I was just trying to help. I don''t respond. Because the words ready toe out of my mouth will have Dane worrying. Instead I force the words back down my throat and ask if he has any more snacks ¡°Not on me. We are done anyway, let''s go. We turn away from Mallory and Dane drapes an arm around my shoulder. ¡°What are you up to?¡± I murmur as we leave the grounds. "Just working through something. Until I know more, all you need to do is focus on growing my sons. ¡°No secrets.¡± I mutter as I''m kicked in the dder. ¡°It''s not a secret, it''s a theory.¡± "What is that supposed to mean?¡± He stops me and spins me around to lock athim, encasing my hands with hig." "I am working on a few y ideas: for now it is best that only I know If the timees thatyou need to know, I will tell you.¡± Content b¨¦longs to = ¡°Does anyone else know?" He shakes his head at me. There''s a strange glint to his crimson eyes.¡± The same look he had given me back at t Moonshine that first day. A Knowing look. A n hovere@ beneath the surface. Content b¨¦longs to = I might have been scared once, even tried to hide away, but whatever he was up to, he was doing it for us and I had to trust that. Chapter 0192 Chapter 0192 Raven Every single day I sat and waited. Thirty days and still nothing. Complete radio silence. Not a single link, nothing, but he was still alive. I lean back against the stairs, letting it dig into my back as I close my eyes trying to force a line between us to open "Why won''t it work?!" I snap at midnight. My sanity was holding on by a thread. You know why." She mutters back, just as frustrated. "Well that''s a fucking stupid reason.¡± I shouldn''t have to mark him to be able to link him. He had already imed me. She nods her head in agreement. It doesn''t make me feel any better. In fact, it was just a reminder of how different we are. A Lycan and a Wolf. I''m sure my parents must be turning in their grave. Three children, all mated to Lycans. Even worse, I had been mated to two. I wish they were still here to see how you had turned out.¡± Midnight whispers softly. ¡®I''m sure they would be pleased.¡¯ I knew mum would. She was the reason I became a pack doctor. I sigh and push myself up, pleased when my leg doesn¡¯t cramp. It was getting there, but still had a long way to go. I still walked with a limp, and the pain wasn¡¯t constant. Maybe I would be walking properly by the time Damien got home Just as I''m on my feet, Eric tumbles in through the front door. A bottle of half drunk whisky hanging from his hand. The liquid swirls as he struggles to stay upright. He frowns as some sloshes onto the floor. He had started drinking a couple of weeks ago and even his parents were at a loss of what to do. They were grieving for their grandchildren and now it seemed like they were grieving for their son too. Dane had tried talking to him along with most of the pack members but his grief was heavy and he just couldn''t see a way through it. I wondered how his ex was coping. I knew she left a while ago and I half expected her to turn up, but nothing. Almost like she didn''t care. I never understood how a mother could leave her children behind while she runs off. "Hey Eric.¡± I mutter, limping to him. When I grab the bottle, he lets me take it. Which was progress in itself. "Where is he?" He slurs, wobbling and falling back against the door frame "Who are you looking for Eric?¡± ¡°Big bro..." heughs to himself, his body slipping down the door frame until he hits the floor with a thud. His chin drops to his chest and in seconds, snores vibrate through the foyer as drool creeps out the corner of his lips. He stank and locked like he hadn''t shaved in a while. I groan and try to pull him up. His dead weight just slips through my arms ¡°Dane!¡± Less than a secondter, the office door opens. Danes¡¯ eyes fall on Eric and I watch his shoulders drop.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. He was ataloss too, they had been. best friends for as long as I could remember. Yet he didn''t know how to help Eric. None of us did. Could yaureven help a grieving parent? ¡°Vodka?¡± Dane mutters to me as he crouches in front of Eric ¡°Whisky.¡± I mutter, lowering the half drunk bottle onto the small table near his office. A quick nce N through the office door and I see = Neah curled up asleep. A stack of books like the ones us had been reading a few days ago are, piled high on Danes desk. It wasn''t like Dane to research something. He got the others to do that for him. ¡°Raven, give me a hand. I pull my eyes away and Dane is lifting Eric off the floor. Limping forward, I pull Eric''s other arm around my shoulders. "Where are we taking him?" ¡°Just into the lounge, let him sleep it off.¡± ¡°You need to find a way to help him, Dane. He can''t keep drinking like this.¡± ¡°You know as well as I do, he will burn it off in less than an hour.¡± "And he will start all over again. It''s not good for him.¡± I groan ¡°Just like it isn''t good for you to sit on the bottom step everyday waiting for Damien.¡± ¡°I''m not harming anyone.¡± I snap ¡°You are harming yourself.¡± We dump Eric onto a sofa. He groans as his body sinks into the cushions while Dane and I re at ene another. "What would yqu do, if it were Neah?¡± I foldwmy arms up. I already knew the-answer. He would burn the world down looking for her. He = should{e grateful that I''m just, o> sitting on the stairs, waiting, hoping and-praying to the Moon Geddess that he walks through thgse doors. ¡°You have a point.¡± He mutters I look at his tired crimson eyes as he straightens his spine. ¡°Are you going to lead the pack run tonight?¡± Chapter 0193 Chapter 0193 I still wasn''t strong enough to go, but he needed the strength of the full moon. ¡®I need to keep an eye on Neah.¡± ¡°I can do that. Dane, you missed thest one because of Salem, you need to go this one. And Neah will be fine. We will probably eat ice cream and she can listen to me moan about Damien.¡± He snorts and cocks an eyebrow. ¡°I will think about it.¡± ncing at Eric he tells me to let him sleep it off, ¡°We can only help him when he is ready.¡± As Dane leaves, I settle into the sofa opposite Eric. He barely spoke when he was awake and if he did, everything came out in either a slur or sounding like he had developed a lisp and none of it ever made sense. I wanted to tell him that everything will be alright, that.... But it wouldn''t be, would it. He had lost his world. How could one beast destroy so much of our pack by himself? Dane had worked hard, for years, implementing strength and power. We had always had the upper hand and now cone beast was gradually tearing us apart. Even all the bitten Lycans with Cassandra and Trey hadn''t done this much damage. He had to be having help, but who? Midnight is quiet, but panicking. I knew why, she had the same worrying thought as me. What if the real reason Damien left was because he was helping his brother and didn¡¯t want to be caught? It can¡¯t be. It was a stupid idea. He wouldn''t have bothered marking me. Mallory?¡± Midnight mutters I don''t think so.¡± I whisper back. Though we were no longer bunking together as she had decided to go back to her home. ¡®She''s trying so hard to prove her worth here in the pack. If she was trying to cause trouble, I think she would have given up by now.¡¯ Maybe I was just tired and overthinking it. Maybe Salem was just a monster with no actual endgame other than to ughter us. Leaning forward, I rest my elbow on my knees and cup my chin, watching the drunk sleep. There had to be something I was missing I still hadn''t moved by the time Eric started to wake. He rubs his eyes and stares at me, his eyes drifting around the r. "How did I get here?¡± ¡°You practically broke down the front door. I think you were locking for Dane.¡± He rubs through his already chaotic blonde hair and yawns, stretching out his limbs. ¡°Got any whisky?" 0." I re at him. If I had to follow him to make sure he doesnt touch another drop, then that is what I''m going to do. "Why did you want to speak to my brother?¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter.¡± He gets up and starts looking in the cupboards. ¡°Dane had it removed a few days ago.¡± I snap. ¡° Just forget it"He storms out and I hurry as fasts I can after him, [elglelgigle the spasming pain that decides to rip through my leg. skidding across the floor, I m) myself into the front door, stopping hirf£¤ from leaving. Content. belongs to NovelDrama.Org = ~Content ? N?velDrama.Org. nS ~~ ~ ¡°Raven, get out of the way.¡± ¡°No.¡± He goes to grab me and I make a swift punch to his balls. He lets out a howl and clutches his dick. ¡°What the fuck Raven! ¡®I''m sorry but you can''t keep going on like this. You are practically my brother and can''t watch you drink yourself] Sato oblivion. I''m sorry that Sa enrkilled your kids. I''m sorr¡é.that he targeted them. I''m sorry that I cart bring your sons..." Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ?> ¡°They weren''t mine.¡± "What? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°They weren''t my sons.¡± ¡°That makes no sense. I helped deliver your second son. I was there.¡± ¡°But you weren''t there for conception and it turns out, I wasn''t either.¡± His fist hits the wall. ¡°I found Mallory with them. If they were mine, I would have felt their deaths and I didn''t. I could feel my mouth hanging open and work hard to tighten my muscles so I didn''t look so gobsmacked. ¡°You raised them. I''ve watched you raise ther. Your bond with them was..." They couldn''t shift yet whigh also means he couldn''t link ther; He wouldhave found out when they got theirWolves. Instead he finds out because they were ughtered. "Who... who..." I was trying so hard to get the words out ¡°I think you already know the answer to that.¡± My eves flicker to the open office door. Dane was standing there, his face rigid as he watched us. ¡°Is it true? ¡®I had my suspicions.¡± Dane sighs heavily "They were Jenson''s kids?!¡± He nods at me. "We would have known for certain when they got their Wolves.¡± That''s why he had been letting Eric drink himself stupid. Eric had lost everything. Chapter 0194 Chapter 0194 Damien Every day I got a little closer and he would do something topletely throw me off my tracks. He shifted regrly, swapping between Lycan and human, leading me further away from ck Shadow and my mate. But I won''t stop, not until he is dead, even if it means going to the ends of the Earth. A handful of times we hade face to face. Not up close, but we could see each other across fields, a train station, and bridges. As each day passed, the angrier I became. I just wanted to be with my mate, vet if I didn''t stop Salem. He would find a way to torment that pack and my mate forever. Tracking his scent into a bar, my eyes quickly adjust to the dimly lit space. The smell of dried booze, piss and blood filling the air. It had been a few hours since he was here. Before I even entered, I knew why he had chosen this ce He had always liked a challenge, long before he turned into a Lycan. Teasing and tormenting people. There was so much Raven didn''t know about the man she was once mated too. She had a lucky escape there. Bodies littered the floor as the jukebox yed. Half a dozen had their throats ripped out before they even had a chance to acknowledge what was happening. The other dozen had tried to put up a fight, losing against the beast that had attacked them. Since being on the run, he had eaten every few days. Though this time, I was certain he hadn''t eaten in a week. He knew there was a risk I would catch him. He must have been starving to target a ce like this. I make my way through the bodies, just to check that all of them are dead. ¡°Fucker!¡± I turn to leave and hear a whimper that stops me in my tracks. There is a kid somewhere in here. Between the stench of booze, piss and blood, I had missed the scent of a child. ¡°It''s okay, you cane out. I won''t hurt you. I wait for a few moments but nothing moves and the kid is quiet. Why had Salem left a kid alive? He had killed Eric''s kids without a second thought. ¡°Pinky swear.¡± The small voice calls out It had been a long time since I had heard that. A smile creeps across my lips. ¡°Pinky swear.¡± A small girl crawls out from behind a curtain. Blood smeared across her face. Remnants of bruises littered her chubby cheeks along with trails of dried tears. A floral dress that was once yellow or even white had seen better days. It barely fitted her, a sign that she had been here for a long time. She steps towards me, her body trembling. Tears in her bright green eyes as she tries not to look at the carnage surrounding us. She stops a few metres from me. A chain attached at her ankle, preventing her from moving any further. Not only was she locked up, she was a Wolf pup. Either Salem had been too busy to notice there was a child here, or he had left her for me, knowing it would buy him some time. "What''s your name?¡± She closes her eyes tight, screwing up her face as she chews on her bottom lip. ¡°Dorothy.¡± "How old are you, Dorothy?" Big ck circles hovered under her eyes. ¡°Six¡± ¡°Do you know how long you have been here? She shakes her head at me. Her mousey brown, matted hair falls around her face. ¡°You smell funny.¡± "So do you She smiles at me and opens her bright green eyes. ¡°Are you like me?¡± ¡°No, but I know lots of people who are.¡± She was aware that she was a Wolf, which was a good sign I had two options. One, take her to the police station, but that would raise questions that I didn¡¯t have time to answer. Or two, turn around and take her back to ck Shadow, letting my brother get away. ¡°Let''s get you out of that, shall we.¡± I smile as I squat, inspecting the chain She freezes as my hand touches her leg and it sickens me to think what the bastards here might have done to her. Maybe it wasn''t such a bad idea for Salem to have chosen this bar. The cuff around her ankle was easy enough to break through. It was clearly designed with Dorothy''s strength in mind as it snapped in my hands. "Are you after the bad man?¡± She asks as she lets me pick her up to step over the dead bodies. 1 am.¡± "He smelled fugny too.¡± She coils her arms around\y neck, understanding that I was someone: safe. Kids this age were resilient > compaied to adults. They only. Spe things''i in ck and white andi Ss alse-why it is so easy to lure them away. . There are a set of keys on the bar. Grabbing them, I carried Dorothy out and hit the key fob, waiting for a set of lights to alert me of which car they belonged to. Settling hefinto the blue BMW, I notice a nket on the back seat and drape it over her. She''s quiet as I strapher i in and when I tell her! m taking her somewhere safe, slContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org. smiles and rxes into re se Cdntent belongs to Dorothy was asleep by the time I pulled up outside the police station. Her head dropped to one side and rested on the belt as her long eyshes fluttered against her cheeks. I look out at the busy police station. She would be safer here than at ck Shadsiv. They could find hera good hone, granted it would N probabfy be with humans but she wouldstil be safe. If I take her. fo ck Shadow, Salem could still come back, but she would-be with her own kind. Chapter 0195 Chapter 0195 "Fuck it!¡± My foot hits the pedal and I pull away, hoping that I was making the right decision for the kid. It takes almost a week to get back to ck Shadow. Each night I stopped in a hotel to make sure we both got a decent night''s sleep and to feed us both. Not once did she ever ask for food and my guess is that they starved her or only fed her on their terms. So she had learned to wait, to ignore the hunger growls in her empty belly. The first day, she ate like a dog.pping up the food with her mouth. She didn''t know how to hold a cup without spilling and she definitely didn¡¯t know how to use a knife and fork. She had been their pet, and from the age tag in her dress that said 2-3yrs, she had most likely been the bar''s pet for years. Dorothy was so excited when I picked her up some clothes, but didn¡¯t seem to understand what I was saying when I said she could change every day. She kept insisting that a pink dress was her favourite and that she would wear it all the time. So I just bought more, so she could wear a fresh one every day. She was even more excited by a teddy bear that one of the hotel staff gave her and carried it around everywhere with her. How could people be such assholes? To have the desire to lock up a kid was sick. Driving up towards ck Shadow, I''m stopped by a couple of Wolves. Smiles etched on their faces as they see that it''s me. ¡°Is he dead?¡± One asks ¡°Not yet.¡± I nce at a sleeping Dorothy and the guy nods in understanding, waving me through. Parking in front of the pack house, I could already hear Raven shouting at the top of her voice about something before I even got out of the car. She was pissed about something. And probably just as angry with me as I hadn''t spoken to her since I left Walking around the car. I lift a sleepy Dorothy from the passenger seat. She peers at me with ane eye. "Are we there yet?¡± It had been her favourite question to ask, multiple times a day.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We are.¡± She straightens her spin, widening her bright green eyes as she looks at the massive house. ¡°Home?¡± she mumbles "Home." Technically, it wasn''t for me to decide, but I knew Neah wouldn''t kick her out. Especially when she learns where Dorothy came from. Pushing the door open, I''m met with Eric, Raven and Dane, all ring at one ancther. Danes¡¯ crimson eyes settle on me first as Raven slowly turns around to look at me. Her emotions flood through her as she stares at me. ¡°Your....you''re....you are here.¡± She mutters breathlessly, her hands sped to her chest. Her dark eyes move to Dorothy and she frowns for a second before her face softens. Most likely when she realised that Dorothy is a wolf, ¡°This is Raven.¡± I tell the kid, ¡°The one I told you about.¡± ¡°Your girlfriend?¡± Dorothy smiles as she stares back at my mate. ¡°Yes. And this is Dane. He is the cone in charge.¡± ¡°The Al...pha? She had caught on pretty quickly with the terms when I was trying to teach her. ¡°And that man is Eric, he is Danes...¡± "Beta." Shefinishes the sentence for me. I was''like a proud father. She: had todearn a lot in a short space of time" m Dorothy.¡± She mutters shyly - Raven is just staring at me. I expected her to say more, but she stepped forward with a limp. "Hey Dorothy, why don''t youe with me and we will let the men talk.¡± She holds her arms out to the kid I''m carrying. Dorothy looks at me first. ¡°She¡¯s good.¡± I tell her. ¡°She''s a doctor. I put her down and she grabs Raven''s hand. As they walk away. I hear her telling my mate about her pink dress and the teddy bear. ¡°I take it he is dead.¡± Dane mutters when the office door closes. ¡°No, I ran into a bit of a problem.¡± "So you brought her here?¡± ¡°She''s a Wolf.¡± "Why didn¡¯t you take her to her pack? ¡®She was being held hostage and likely for several years. She doesnt know what her parents are called, the only thing she is aware of is that sheds¡¯ different to the men who WEE keeping her as a pet.¡± Content b¨¦longs to = I see the acknowledgement in his eyes. ¡°He killed the people that were keeping Dorothy? ¡°Yes. Either because he was caught up in a frenzied attack to notice she was hiding, or because he knew I would help her and he used her to get away.¡± look over To Eric, he still had a face. like thunder and hadn''t spoken au word. But I could smell the booze on his clothes. Now it made sense why Raven was shouting. Content telongs to ~~ ¡°You take responsibility for her.¡± Dane mutters, his strange eyes are darkening. ¡°You brought her here, you lock after her.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°That means you don¡¯t go running off again. We work together, not alone.¡± Chapter 0196 Chapter 0196 Neah A new scent hits my nose before I even open my eyes. Another Wolf that I didn¡¯t recognise. I don¡¯t know why, but I keep my eyes closed. Dane must be nearby, he wasn''t ready to leave me alone yet. This Wolf couldn''t be dangerous. ¡°Let her sleep, Dorothy.¡± Who the fuck was Dorothy? "She has babies in her tummy.¡± Raven tells this Dorothy person. "It makes her tired.¡± "She''s very pretty.¡± A small voice mutters back. I open my eyes to find a young girl inches from my own face. Wide bright green eyes stare back at me. As she smiles, dimples appear on each cheek. "Hi." Hi." I mutter, confused. Where had shee from? She hurries back to the desk and plonks herself in Danes chair, doodling on a piece of paper as she clutches a small teddy bear to her chest. Raven smiles at me as I swing my legs around and rub my eyes. "Damien is back and he brought us a friend. This is Dorothy.¡± Dorothy is oblivious to us, continuing to doodle with her tongue stuck in one corner of her mouth as she concentrates. ¡°Does that mean....?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°No.¡± She cuts me off before I have a chance to finish my sentence. "He is out there,¡± she points to the door, "with Dane, discussing it." A shiver goes down her spine and she visibly shakes it off. "What are you not telling me?¡± She nces at Dorothy, choosing her words carefully. ¡°The boys weren''t Eric''s. We think they are....were Jenson''s. Remember it all came out about him and Kelsie. It seems that it was going on a lot longer than what he had us believe.¡± "Are you serious?¡± "Are they dead?¡± Dorothy asks without looking up. Neither of us thought she was paying attention to our conversation ¡°You don''t need to worry about that.¡± Raven mutters "Was it the monster? The monster Killed lots of people.¡± She doesn''t even look up as she speaks. "Then my new Daddy found me.¡± I watch the colour drain from Raven''s face until she is whiter than the piece of paper Dorothy is drawing on ¡°Your new Daddy?" I ask because I still didn''t understand why he had brought her here. I had only been asleep for a few hours and yet, somehow, I had missed so much. He broke my-racelet and carried me to a car, And he got me the best food and-het told me who you all ~~ are.¡± Herbright green eyes catch. ~ nine agshe looks up. ¡°Al..pha > Neat¡± She puts her pen dower and hatgls up a piece of paper covered in squiggles. ¡°Do you like my picture?¡± - She had drawn like a two year old. Like me when I couldn''t hold a pen properly or control it. The door swings open. Dane. Damien and Eric stroll in and I watch Damien go straight to Dorothy. "What are you drawing, Dottie?¡± ¡°The monster, Daddy¡± ¡°Dottie, we have talked about this. I''m not your Daddy, you can call me uncle Damien.¡± Her face scrunches up as she thinks about it and see the relief on Raven''s face: Being a mother was + not something she was ready fo N just yetand especially not to oY someghe who wasn''t her kid. mn still noteven sure if I''m ready, the only difference i is, I was already-a mother and my boys would be here soon. ~ "Everyone needs a Daddy.¡± Dorothy grins My eves flicker around the room. Only Eric and my sons had a father. ¡°Please?¡± I see tears building in her bright green eyes I watch Damien squat down next to the chair and before he has a chance to speak, she throws her arms around his neck, sobbing into him. Looking over to Raven, she just seems so stunned by the whole situation. Damien lifts Dorothy from the chair, holding him-against her as she conti nuesto cry. His dark eyes logk? pained a! and I wondered how often he had hetped other little kids. His past as ahuman slowly creepingp on hr with one little Wolf ai. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ? Dorothy''s sobbing stops and an arm falls from Damien''s neck. She had cried herself to sleep. ¡°Do you want to set her up in the room next to Raven''s?¡± Dane offers. "l assume you will be sleeping there tonight and will want her close by." Damien shakes his head. "Holding her is the only way to stop the nightmares.¡± He sways back and forth with her against his chest. Nightmares. I had lived with them for years. Fought against them every night. Eventually, my mind had be so used to them, it became afort. They stopped a few years before Dane came into my life, minus the odd few. "Where did you find her?¡± I ask when I hear the subtle snores that confirmed she was actually asleep. Damien tells us everything. The bracelet that Dorothy had referred to was a chain, keeping her locked up as a pet. Chapter 0197 Chapter 0197 ?¡°Did they¡­.¡± The thought sickened me, ¡°Did they touch her?¡± "I don''t think so, not in that way at least." Damien tells me. "I have asked as gently as I can in several ways. The most I think they did was watch her crawl around like a dog,pping water from a bowl. Throwing food at her. Made her sleep in the cold. Though she did have a few bruises." "Her parents?" "There were no other Wolves there. Everyone Salem killed was human." He sighs, "She was likely there for years. She''s six and she has spent most of her life chained up. Honestly, I''m surprised she isn''t more feral." I was six when all my problems started. Imagine being younger and not even understanding what is happening to you. "You brought her here because of me." I mutter, looking at the sleeping pup in his armsContent protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. "Yes." He doesn''t even hesitate with his answer "What about Salem? He wille right back here." Raven mutters "I figured she would be safer surrounded by Wolves and Lycans than humans. At least this way, she has a chance of learning who she is. Can you imagine her being with humans and then suddenly unable to control her shift." His response takes me right back to Devon. I shake the thought away because who knows how much of what he told me was actually true.. "Okay." I mutter. "Thank you, Neah, you won''t regret it." Damiens eyes drift to Raven. She hadn''t said a lot. "Dane, do you mind holding Dottie so I can spend some time with my mate. We have things to discuss." "She''s your responsibility Damien." Dane warns him "He will." I interrupt. Dane nces at me and rolls his crimson eyes as he holds his arms out to Damien. Dorothy snuggles into Dane and something about him holding her makes my heart explode. He looks rmed as he stares at me. "Are you okay?" I smile at him and nod. Maybe everything will be alright. **** Dane sets Dorothy up on a small fold out bed in our bedroom. Damien and Raven are still busy and it is gettingte. He had missed another pack run, deciding not to go after tonights antics. Dorothy is still asleep when he lowered her onto the bed. He tucks the nket up around her and makes sure the little teddy bear is with her too. I don''t know how long I had been asleep before the whimpering started. I sit up, flicking on the bedside light. Dane is already getting out of bed to check on Dorothy. He wasn''t particrly happy as he had to wear shorts to bed. Sheshes out as he tries to reassure her, her fingers catching his face. Small scratches disappear from his cheek as quickly as they appeared. Making my way over, Dane tells me to stand back. "She''s not aware it''s you." I mutter, seeing how tightly her eyes are closed. Beads of sweat hover along her hair line. She starts to cry, repeatedly calling out for ''Daddy''. "Dorothy," I speak softly. "Dorothy, it''s Neah, you are safe." "Daddy!" She screams at the top of her lungs and our bedroom door is nearly knocked down by Damien. Her cries settle into quiet sobs as he pulls her into his arms, muttering softly to her. "Say what you want, Damien, but you''ve just be a Dad." Dane smirks at him. **** Raven paces my room, she was starting to move little better and the limp wasn''t so obvious. "What am I supposed to do Neah? He was gone for a month and he brought another woman back with him." "A kid." I mutter. It was far too early for me to be dealing with this. "I''m not ready to be a mother. I thought he woulde back and we would have the best sex session to date but no, he brings someone else back." "Again, it''s a six year old." "I can''tpete with that." "I don''t think he is expecting you topete. You are his mate." "She calls him Daddy." "I am aware." "It''s fucking insane." "It''s not. Not really. He saved her from a terrifying scenario. One that could probably get ten times worse as she got older. He protected her, like a father should." Not like my father. "I''m jealous of a six year old!" She groans, settling on the big chair by the window. "Pretty much. At the end of the day, she is more like you than Damien. She will need help guiding her and understanding that she is a Wolf. Damien won''t be able to do all of that. Just let her settle in. Give her time." She nods her head, "Look at you being all understanding." "I know what it''s like to fear each day." Chapter 0198 Chapter 0198 Unknown POV "Yes?" I mutter, swirling the wine in my ss before taking arge mouthful. It had been a long day and I didn''t need another idiot in my life. He saunters up to me like a lost sheep. His dark hair is a mess and he looked and smelled as though he hadnt seen a shower for weeks. ¡°You better start talking if you are going to invade my space with that stench.¡± ¡°I''m looking for a favour.¡± He asks quietly ¡°I don''t do favours.¡± I sneer, setting my empty ss down on the circr table. He slides into my booth anyway. "You are the Lone Wolf, right?¡± I smirk. I hadn''t heard that term in a long time. "Oh honey, I''m the furthest thing from a Lane Wolf.¡± ¡°Right. Because you are not a Wolf are you.¡± The balls on this guy. ¡°You think you know everything.¡± I wave to the bartender who brings me over a fresh drink. His eyes shifted to the trash sitting opposite me and he quickly looks away. It was a rule in here that I am not to be disturbed. Especially not when I still had blood on my fingers.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know enough. One of your kind killed my mate.¡± He seethes. I couldn''t hold back theugh. ¡°And I want revenge.¡± ¡°Did you piss it off? He scowls at me. If he didn¡¯t look so filthy, he could probably be quite handsome. Maybe then i wouldn''t have minded the interruption. ¡°No. my brother brought their kind into our pack. A Rogue followed. The Rogue was the one who murdered her. "So let me guess, you me big brother and now you want revenge.¡± I let the merlot hit the back of my throat. I preferred something much fuller bodied. but this was the best the bar offered. ¡®I didn¡¯t say big brother.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t need to. If your brother brought them into the pack. My guess is he is the Alpha, which makes you, poor little brother.¡± I hit a soft spot. I could see it in his dark eyes "Ch, was the dream to be an Alpha?¡± Fucking alpha¡¯s and their need for control. "And now what? You want to im it back. I can¡¯t help you.¡± Nor did I want to help. He was focussing on the wrong person for a start. ¡°Our pack wag+fine until they arrived. And it all stafted with one.¡± He SCrews uphis hand and ms it info the tableralmost knocking my wire ssO over. If that had gone all over me, Tight have just stabbed him in theheck with the ss. Conten belongs to ? ¡°That''s not my problem.¡± "Rumour has it that you will ept jobs for a decent amount of cash.¡± "And that''s what you have is it? Look at the state of you, you might as well have slept in a hole in the ground. ¡°I''ve been a little busy. ¡°Mourning your dead mate.¡± He nods, lowering his head as he rolls his neck. ¡°Right.¡± I get to my feet. ¡°I can''t give you the help you are looking for. Correct that, I won''t.¡± ¡°I think you will change your mind.¡± He calls out after me as I strut away. He catches up to me, standing far -. too closefor my liking. His breath; the only clean thing about him,c fanning across my skin. ¡°Yousre a Kitson, right.¡± ig I spin around to re at him, my ~~. hand locking against his throat wile pressing my stiletto heel into thie toe oi his shoots. "Where the fuckodid you hear that name?¡± a ¡°My brother''s mate is a Lycan.¡± ¡°Impossible. Wolves are not mated to Lycans.¡± ¡°That''s just it, all three of us were. And my brother is mated to the most powerful one. The female Alpha.¡± My hand moves from his throat to his grubby jacket as I drag him to thedies room. Heughs as I m the door shut and push him back against the pink tiles ¡°You better start talking. Because I am seconds a way from ripping your throat out. Chapter 0199 Chapter 0199 ¡°Or what?" He chuckles ¡°You wouldn''t be the first kill tonight. Your name?¡± ¡°Jenson¡± He doesn''t hesitate, clearly a real name. ¡°Your brother''s pack name?¡± ¡°ck Shadow. A cackle escapes my throat. ¡°So Dane is your brother.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. There''s disappointment etched on his grimy face. "You know him?¡± ¡°Il know of him. Anyone would be stupid to not know what he is capable of.¡± And I had kept myself out of ever being involved with him. Besides, it wasn''t like I went around broadcasting that I was a Lycan ¡°You''re telling me that he is mated to thest female Lycan Alpha.¡± He nods. He had just made my fucking day. Maybe even my year. "What are you to her?¡± He asks quietly "Why the fuck does that matter?¡± I watched him for a little longer. "Are you prepared to do everything I ask?¡± He nods ¡°It will tear the pack apart.¡± His mouth opens and closes like a fish. As it dawns on him what I am asking ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My twin, I don¡¯t want to hurt her, but she is mated to a Lycan too. The fucker that killed my mate also hurt her.¡± I lean back against the ugly pink tile. ¡°Then you have a decision to make. But either way, you have given me the information I need ¡°This was wrong. I shouldn''t... I shouldn''t havee here. I shouldn''t have said anything.¡± He goes to walk past me. I lift my leg, pressing my foot against the door. His eyes linger on it longer than it should. ¡°You should have thought about that. You clearly know my reputation. ¡°It wasn''t easy to find someone like you. I always believed there weren''t any more of your kind. Just Neah and the couple that were bitten.¡± Her name sends a familiar feeling through me. Did she even know of my existence? Either way, I didn¡¯t care. I am going to take what''s mine "Oh honey, there are thousands of us. You just need to know where to lock.¡± ¡°Thousands?¡± His dark eyes are wide ¡°Thousands. He looked as though he had just face nted in a pile of dog shit ¡°Packs?¡± ¡°No, what would be the fun in that?" I look him up and down. "Come with me, we have much to discuss.¡± I lead him to my Porsche , eyeing him up before letting him sit on my clean leather seats "How long have you known Neah?¡± I was curious, how long had she been living happily with her mate? ¡°A little under a year. I don¡¯t want her to suffer.¡± He mutters. ¡°She¡¯s been through enough and she¡¯s pregnant.¡± This is gold. ¡°Jenson, you came to the wrong person if youjust want to scare them a little: I''m an all in kind of girl and now-you have just given mes news of my target. Besides, if Khurt Dane; ¡°she will get hurt in they¡± process. " Content belongs 1 = I reach over and grab his thigh, maybe I could reward him for the information. ¡°Did you know Trey?" He asks just as I pull into my driveway. ¡°Name doesn¡¯t ring a bell. Is he another problem?¡± ¡°No, Neah dealt with that.¡± I knew what he was doing, he was trying to work out my connection. I send him to the shower so his stench didn''t settle into the fabrics of my home. When he reappears, the smallest towel is covering his cock. He looked sc much better now he had cleaned up ¡®Do you have anything bigger?¡± He asks as the water drips off of hina¡± onto thecarpet. I watch one particer bead make its way down overhis chest and abs, disagpearing inte the small towel. Content b¨¦longs to ot right I AOW. It will have to do.¡± had beentoo long since someone¡± had given me a good seeing tog-and though t wasn''t my n. I couldn''t elp-but think of him pressedup against me. - 0 He smirks at me, turning around and showing me that firm ass as he walks away Chapter 0200 Chapter 0200 Dane Taking a seat in therge chair, I take in the shadows of the grounds. It had been a week since Damien had returned and still, there was no sign of Salem. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe he realised that he couldn''t get what he wanted from us. but until I knew more, the grounds would be guarded. Turning my head back over my shoulder, I see that Neah is still fast asleep, huddled up into a ball with her hands cupping her bump. Unbothered about me not lying next to her. She locks so peaceful.¡¯ Aero mutters She''s beautiful.¡± I whisper back to my Wolf. With no sign of Salem, she had been so much calmer. Raven insisted that she was at the stage in her pregnancy where she had mere rity. Even if it was temporary. And I was more than happy, there was a moment where I thought I would lose her to the darkness. The very darkness that I enjoyed seeing in her. Her heart rate changes and she stretches out. ¡°You''re watching me again.¡± She mutters sleepily yet keeps her eyes closed. ¡°I will never stop watching you.¡± She doesn''t answer and the beat of her heart slows telling me that she had fallen back into a slumber. My eyes move up to the clock, it wasing up to four in the morning and the Wolves on guard would be swapping over soon. There''s movement over the far side of the grounds and as he steps out of the shadows, I see us heading this way, books under his arms as he quickened his pace. Groaning. I push myself up and move to the bed, kissing Neah on the cheek. She doesn¡¯t wake, but a small smile spreads across her face. A kiss was all she would let me have at the moment, insisting that being pregnant made sex ufortable. When the twins are here, I will remind her of everything she has been missing out on Slipping out the door and down the stairs, I find us with his hand ready to knock an my office door. "us it is four in the morning.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Dane, but this couldn''t wait.¡± He is practically grinning from ear to ear. I gesture for him to enter the office and he quickly drops the books on my desk. ¡°You know how it was really hard for me to find information on Neah and other Lycans. That the only information was from a long time ago and only snippets of literature.¡± ¡®l remember us.¡± I yawn "Remember what Jess said, about the humans having stories.¡± "Get to the point.¡± I snap, exhausted. ¡°I''ve been going to the library and book stores in the city and in some of the nearby towns. If the books are even remotely factual, I believe there are more Lycans out there.¡± "What are you talking about?¡± He opens up Qne of the books. "This one.¡± He seeped really pumped about finding this information. ¡°It _ talks abgut how Lycans showed -- themselves to humans around five centuries ago. That there was 3 war between them. Alot of bothsides lost lives but ultimately, the humans won.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°There is no mention of Lycans being wiped out, Dane. Just that they won. Don''t you see, Dane, they survived.¡± "We can''t say that. Not when I have nevere across any.¡± I had made deals with a lot of packs and none of them had anything hidden so deeply like Moonshine had. He shakes his head, opening up the other book. "This one talks about the war too, but this one says the Lycans won the war.¡± ¡°If Lycans won the war, there likely wouldn''t be any humans.¡± ¡°That''s what I thought but there''s more. This one says the Lycans won the war, but they knew they didn''t have the numbers to take on the world after losing so many in the war.¡± He smiles and then frowns. "They wanted time to repopte and they couldn''t do that with humans knowing about them. They went into hiding. Leaving the humans to believe that they won. Hiding? Where?¡¯ Aero mutters and I repeat the question to us ¡°It''s not specific. I''ve searched the book and there is no mention of it. Just that it was important to keep the knowledge of Lycans quiet.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Why were we not taught anything about this war in school?" ¡°Think about it If they wanted to go into hiding, lest thing they needed was Shumans or Wolves = discovering information years down the line,¡± His deep green eyes flicker up to£¤fine, ¡°We were told abqut a war; Dane if you remember your Higtory.¡± Content belongsto ¡°The Great Wolf War." He nods his head. "It was known as that, but what if that was just a cover up. I feel like such a fucking idiot. Of course the Lycans worked to wipe out all information. But then why would someone write a book?" I cock an eyebrow. ¡°It probably wasn''t supposed to end up there. It was likely supposed to stay with the Lycans¡± "You are probably right.¡± He taps the book, mare excited than ever. "The guy whe wrote this book was a leader in the war. He kept talking abot¡¯ the importance of a blood line. His-blood line to be precise. ¡°Content b¨¦longs to = He closes the very old book and hands it to me "The War.¡± By Aldous Kitson. Chapter 0201 Chapter 0201 Kitson, it was a rare name. Cf all the Wolves and the very few Lycans I hade across, Neah was the only one with that surname left. "An ancestor?¡± I murmur, turning the brown book over in my hands. ¡°I would say yes, just by the way he talks about bloodlines. Neah is a female Alpha, her gics had toe from somewhere.¡± "Are the Lycans a threat?¡± ¡®I don''t know.¡± He mutters. "It talks about them rising again, but it was centuries ago, Dane. And all of those would be long dead. So it would be descendents.¡± ¡°Damien has always believed there are more out there. Are you telling me that my mate was not just the leader of Moonshine but is the leader of every Lycan out there?¡± He nods his head at me. "Have you told anyone else?¡± ¡°No, I came straight here.¡± "Good. keep it that way. I need to figure out my next step.¡± More Lycans, would they be a threat to our kind? What if there are more like Salem? Too feral to think straight. "She couldn''t control Salem.¡± I mutter, "Notpletely. ¡°Damien told me something about that. It''s something to do with the rejection. Like Jenson, Jenson rejected you as his Alpha and rejected the pack too. It''s likely that Salem did that but possibly long before he met her. I''m not sure anymore. New information is seeping out everywhere. "Do you really believe that?¡± He sucks in his cheeks. ¡°I only really believe what I read and what I see for myself. ¡®I need to speak to Damien. us follows me upstairs. Knocking on Raven''s door, I call out to Damien, only to find him stepping out of the room next door where Dorothy slept now. He yawns and looks at his watch "A bit early isn''t it?¡± I ned to the door he is pulling closed, "She okay?¡± "Still a few nightmares. She''s getting there.¡± Damien sits in the chair in my office, his legs spread as he leans forward and rests his elbows on his thighs. ¡°So I was right. ¡°It seems that way, yes. Why, why did you think there are more?¡± "Shortly before I was bitten, Cassandra would talk to me, telling me it was such a shame that I wasn¡¯t a true Lycan. Muttering something about how I would have been a good specimen in the Lycan pool but because I am a bitten Lycan, I wouldn''t be as good as the true thing.¡± He chuckles. ¡°If only she could see me now. ¡°That doesn''t imply there are more.¡± ¡°You''re right. But when I questioned her, she didn¡¯t really give me an answer. To me, that suggests there was and is a lot more than I know about. A lot more than any of us know about. ¡°But you have been around, you''ve nevere across any?¡± "Cther than Mallory and the Rogues, no. Even when I was hunting for Salem, I didn''te across any Lycan scents.¡± "So it could just be a load of bullshit.¡± "Come, Dane. We all know you don''t believe that.¡± Damien shakes his head at me. ¡°What if they have found a way to conceal themselves? ¡°You are talking about masking their scents? ¡°Yes." I look over to us. "What do you think? "Maybe there is an element of truth in his words,¡± He shrugs his shoulders ¡°So there could be, what, hundreds more? ¡°It''s a big country, they could be hiding anywhere. Didn''t you tell me Moonshine hid up in trees?¡± Damien presses I nod. "What if they went the other way? What if they went underground?¡± They both fall into silence. Waiting for me to speak. "We are not going to do anything.¡± I mutter after discussing it with Aero. They both raise their eyebrows at me in surprise. "Neah will, be giving birth in about a month. We have enough shit going on with-Salem and the possibility that he mi ght return. Plus you have Dorethy. I don''t need anymote crap right now.¡± Content belongs''to - ¡°But...¡± Damien starts ¡®No. I''ms ihwatehing my mate constantly for any change. What. do you thipk finding out there are more Lycans out there will do to her? She doesn''t need itand I sure ashell dost need it.¡± id ¡°They are her kind. Your soon to be born pups kind.¡± ¡°l am doing what''s best for my mate and you need to keep your mouth shut. I mean it Damien, if a single word of this gets to her you will regret it.¡± He snorts. ¡°You haven''t seen the things I''m capable of. And I will do what I need to do to protect my mate.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. My eves flicker to us who had already lowered his head in submission to my tone, but Damien stares back at me "Fine." He snaps. ¡®But I''m telling you, this will backfire. If I have learned anything about your mate, my Alpha, she fueking hates secrets. Now if you-wil excuse me, I need tego and check on Dottie.¡± - He ms my office door shut behind him If the situation were different, I probably would go looking. Just to get answers for Neah. They had been in hiding for centuries, it won''t hurt for them to stay there. Chapter 0202 Chapter 0202 Damien Convincing Raven toe into the city with me took less time than I expected. I was fully prepared to give her a long drawn out speech. She still wasn''tfortable that Dottie was referring to me as Daddy but she understood the kid needed more than just the handful of clothes I had bought her. "So a family day out?¡± She asks with a cocked grin ¡° just need to get a few more things for Dottie. I thought you would make sure I don''t miss anything.¡± ¡°Is Dorothying with us?¡± She pulls a blue shirt over her head ¡°No, Neah said she will watch her. I think she is hoping it will prepare her for what''s toe.¡± I snort. ¡°You know it''s still not safe. ¡°I will be with you the entire time.¡± ¡°I''m not worried about that. I know you will keep me as safe as you can. Can you separate yourself from Dorothy? She''s like your shadow when she''s awake." I knew what she wasn''t saying. We hadn''t had much of a chance to be alone together. If Dottie wasn''t following me around when she was awake. I was spending the nightsforting her as night terrors did their rounds. I step towards her, catching her lips with mine. She lets out a gasp at my unexpected movement. ¡°Is this what you''ve missed?¡± My hand cups her pussy, only the thin fabric of her panties stopping me from dipping into her arousal Her chest rises and falls against mine. ¡°You.¡± she mutters, rolling her hips against my hand while keeping her dark eyes locked on mine Her panties are scaked, a deep growl rumbles through my chest as I pull at the wet fabric, letting it fall to the floor. The tips of my fingers graze over her wetness and she lets out a small moan, pushing herself further into my hand. ¡°Take off your shirt. She keeps her dark eyes locked on mine as she lifts it up and over her head. Before it''s evenpletely off, takes a hardened nipple into my mouth, swirling my tongue aver the tip=enjoying her involuntary groans. She battles between the moans and unfastening the buttons of my shirt. Pausing when my fingers hit that sweet spot. Her head slowly tips back, "Damien.¡± she gasps as her juices coat my hand She bites on her bottom lip, the same way she always does when she is about to orgasm. Keeping it bottled up and then letting it rip through her entire being. Pushing her back on the bed, there is a glimmer of shock and disappointment until I position myself between her thighs with the tip of my cock poised at her entrance. She lifts her hips, trying to bring me closer. The folds of her pussy grazed the tip of my cock, making it jerk in response. She takes fe by surprise, llslellyle] me over on the bed so that she is ~ straddling my hips. A grow! rung-low inside of me as she hovers that sweet pussy above my cock; Yetting hetjuices drip onto it. Content b¨¦longs to NovelDrama.Org = ¡°You think you have control?¡± I mutter, gripping her hips, knowing my fingers were probably already bruising her soft skin.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. She leans forward and nts a soft kiss on the corner of my lips. I know I do. I flip her, pushing her body into the bed and sinking myself into her. der lips part a little and she lets outa groanat the expected invasion. Hooking her good leg around''my hip shessmiles. ¡°See.¡± Content.belongs t&"NovelDrama.Org - I had yed right into her hands and I fucking loved it Cur hips rock together as my cock slides in and out of her wetness. She pushes her breasts up into me. I could feel our hearts beating together as one as she finds euphoria. I m into her over and over, watching her mouth part as my name rips from her tongue My thumb is quick to find her swollen clit, circling as I continue to fuck her. I was far from done and so was she. She just didn¡¯t know it yet. I pull her back on top. My cock still firmly buried in her. ¡°Ride it.¡± Chapter 0203 Chapter 0203 ¡°l don''t know if I can.¡± she mutters, looking at her injured leg. Grabbing hold of her hips, I move her while asionally thrusting into her. Her mouth parts as a new orgasm starts creeping in. Supporting herself on my chest, she slides up and down. Groans creeping out everytime she dropped to the base of my cock. "Oh Damien.¡± she screws her eyes tightly shut, her head tipping back as her pussy grips my dick, milking me until my cum is dripping out of her. She copses on top of me. Her face on my chest as her heavy breathing meets my own. She nces up at me through her long eyshes. I already knew the question that was brimming on her lips. She wanted to stay here and forget the world, even if it was just for a little while. The question doesn''t even leave her lips, falling back down her throat because she already knew the answer. The small voice calling for me quickly taking away her desire to fuck me again ¡°Is this how it''s going to be? Forever interrupted by your kid.¡± She smiles at me. I wink at her. "She''s your kid now too." I was expecting a frown, but it didn''te. Instead she crawls off of me and tiptoes across to the bathroom. Her limp was almost gone, even if she did still feel the pain. She would forever have the divot in her leg from the missing muscle. Though my heart swelled with how well she had adapted. ¡°Dottie.¡± I call out, thanking myself for locking the fucking door when she tries turning the handle. "Go find Neah or Dane. I will be down in a minute. I hear her footsteps run down the hallway, she was most likely dragging that little teddy with her. Heading to the bathroom, my mate is already in the shower. The hot water cascades down her beautiful body. Her nipples hard from the heat of the water. My cock throbs at the sight of her hand gliding down her wet body to her pussy. She starts with small circles on her clit, her fingers dipping into the folds as she drops her head back under the falling water. ¡®I know you are watching me, Damien.¡± My cock jerks at her sultry tone She pulls the shower head down, pointing it directly onto her pussy. Another moan rips through her and I couldn''t take it anymore As I pull open the shower door, she drops the shower head. Lifting her, her legs lock around my hips as I m her into the tiles with a new hunger. Her arms lock around my neck as her lips collide with mine, our tongues exploring each other''s mouths as her pussy teases my cock once more. Grabbing her ass, I lift her even higher, practically folding her in half as I pull her knees over my shoulders and press her tighter against the tile. ¡°Damien!¡± Her eyes are wide as I slide my cock into her. She thought it was deep before. But this position gave a whole new meaning to deep. I thrust once and her mouth opens wide, a hollow gasp ripping through her. My lips catch hers and quickly mould against mine.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Retracting my-cock a little, I m into her agaity, feeling her body tremble in hold as she almost bites myip. Her pussy is already? clenching around me by the time I thrust into her again. Fuck sre felt sogood. Content belongs t to NovelDrama.Org ? She felt th¨¦need to buck against me, but atihis angle, that had been taken away from her. All she could do was dig her nails into me as wave after wave rips through her and she screams my name. Content¡¯ belongs t&"NovelDrama.Org id My thrusts slow as the grip of her pussy pulls me over the edge once more. She lowers her legs, but keeps them locked around my hips. Staring at me as her heart thunders in her chest. She seemed surprised by how loud and hard I had made here. Raven''s feet drop to the shower floor. I hotd her steady as she =~ wobblesa little. Her legs weak from how had fucked her. Clearly she had-hever been fucked like that, not even when she was in heat with me. Cdntent belongs to NovelDrama.Org Chapter 0204 Chapter 0204 She''s speechless as I raise the shower head back up. I grab the shower gel, massaging it into her body as she leans back against my chest. She still hadn''t spoken by the time I washed her hair for her and I was beginning to wonder if I had broken her.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Raven? "Yeah?" Her voice is more high pitched than usual and I fight theugh that was bubbling in my throat. She was still riding high. It''s a good thirty minutes before she seems more herself. Her dark eyes flicker to mine and then down at the outfit she was wearing. A blue tee with matching blue jeans. I was surprised she even managed to dress herself as she seemed lost in her trance. "What did you do to me? "Gave you what you wanted.¡± I smirk at her. ¡°I think you were in some sort of mid heat because I had been away for so long.¡± I mutter ¡°Right.¡± She makes her way to the closet, pulling out a pair ofbat boots and slowlyces them up She stands up, staring at me with a smile, "No one has ever done that to me. We are almost done in the city. Raven had spent so much of my money making sure Dottie was kitted out with everything she needed for what seemed like the next ten years of her life We are just loading everything in the car when she freezes. I know why, I caught his scent too. When I look up, she is standing, staring past me, all colour drained from her skin, almost like she had seen a ghost. Turning, I follow her gaze to Jenson. He isn''t looking this way, not at first and is busy talking on a phone to someone. Seconds pass and his eyes lock on to us. I watch his lips move into the word ¡®shit!¡¯ He quickly pockets the phone and turns on his heel "What is he doing?¡± Raven mutters as he runs away. ¡°I thought he would be happy to see me at least.¡± "Whoever he was talking to is important.¡± I mutter, mming the car shut. ¡°Damien don''t¡± Raven murmurs, grabbing my arm. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to see us.¡± ¡°I just need to ask him what he did with Jess. For Neah.¡± I add when she shakes her head at me. She hesitates but lets go of me. Telling me she isn''ting with me and that she will wait in the car. I keep my distance, following his scent through the streets until I see him with awoman. A Lycan woman: I knew I} fas right. I knew there were more But why would Jenson go >to another Lycan after what happened toJess? ol Jenson ooks panicked, his hands iling abouts she just stands there, her b back to me so I couldn''t ?_ see whos she was. Her arms are N folded Her dark hair hangs just slightly¡¯ lower than her shoulders. Hex feet are jammed into some stripper shoes and one is-slowly tapping the concrete ground. Her hand reaches out, grabbing his chin and she pulls his face to hers. Really Jenson? You''ve just lost your mate and you are already fucking another Lycan. She lets go of him and he walks around a Porsche, slipping into the passenger side. As the female Lycan turns, I get a good look at her, moments before she gets in the driver''s seat. She looked tike Neah. Same dark hair, same facial features. Except the eyes: While Neah''s are a brilliant blue, these woman''s are brown. But thats the only difference between thee. id The car rips past me as I tten myself to the wall. As soon as it''s out of sight, I run back to Raven and jump in the driver''s seat. "We have to go! "What did you see?¡± She looks panicked ¡°Raven, I..." My foot hits the pedal and the car jumps into motion as I speed out of the city and back to home. ¡°Damien, you are scaring me!¡± Her hands are gripped around the edges of her seat as the car tears down the road. ¡°Jenson was with another woman. ¡°Seriously?¡± she snaps in irritation. "A Lycan woman.¡± Chapter 0205 Chapter 0205 Dane "Please tell me this is some sort of joke.¡± I growl as Damien stares at me in my office. He was only going to get things for Dorothy. It has to be.¡± Aero mumbles. ¡®Jenson would be a fool to stay this close. Surely Aspen wouldn''t be on board with this.¡¯ I sigh. "He probably is. Aspen lost Jess too.¡± ¡®I know what I saw Dane.¡± Damien interrupts the conversation with my Wolf. "I knew I was right. I knew there were more out there.¡± He mutters. I didn¡¯t need a fucking book to prove I was right.¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. I held my hands up to silence him as I tried to understand what Jenson was doing. "Okay, so he has hooked up with another Lycan. Why is that a problem for us? ¡®I already know you are not going to like what I have to say.¡± He mutters "Say it anyway.¡± I snap ¡°You told me everything Neah went through growing up. Exining it is why she is who she is.¡± ¡°Yes, but...¡± He cuts me off, ¡°Does she have any siblings?¡± I scowl at him, surprised by the question. "No. What does that..." "Are you absolutely sure?¡± I was getting ready to hit him for continuously cutting me off mid sentence. ¡°No she hasn''t. I told you about the guy who imed to be her brother. ¡°Trey, yes, but you said that you found out he was her uncle.¡± I ned. ¡°Then there was also a guy called Devon who imed to be her brother. It turned out to be a lie. He was in fact bitten by Cassandra or maybe Trey, I can''t quite remember. Neah killed him. But what does that have to do with this?¡± His dark eyes lock with mine. He rubs his hand through his stubble as he thinks of what to say, ¡°The woman, she locked like her.¡± That doesn¡¯t mean anything. Aero shrugs ¡°That doesn''t make them siblings.¡± I tell Damien ¡°Normally, I would agreed. Yet the only difference between them that I could see was the colour of her eyes. Dane, other than that, they look pretty identical.¡± I shake my head, "You must be imagining things.¡± ¡°I know what I saw.¡± ¡°Did Raven see her?¡± "No." He sighs, "She didn''t want to speak to him so she stayed in the car while I followed. Dane, I''m telling you, I know what I saw. He went to her, panicking because he knew we had seen him and then they got in a car and left.¡± "What were they saying?¡± ¡®I don''t know.¡± He shakes his head. "I was too caught up in trying to figure out who she was. When I saw her face, I was surprised. "Clder or younger? ¡°Impossible to tell. Why does that matter?¡± Are we believing this?" Aero asks. I don''t know. He doesn''t have a reason to lie.¡¯ "Well if this woman is older, I''m sure Neah would remember her. Not only that, it would show that they aren''t siblings because otherwise, that woman would be the female Alpha, not Neah. And we all know she is the Alpha. You can''t deny that. "And what does it mean if the woman is younger? I pause, because I didn''t have an answer for that. Neah was bound. Devon had yed on that, telling her it had wiped some of her history and that''s why she couldn''t remember him before he was adopted. What if he was partly true? What if he had been hinting at another part of her life and just used the information for himself to gain ess to Neah? "What if one of her parents had an affair? That would exin why they look so simr.¡± Damien suggests Neah¡¯s memory of her parents wasn''t the best. It was all shadowed in their death and the news that it was her parents who first had her bound. It would be a touchy subject and I''m not sure if she could handle talking about it, not right now. I hated keeping sc much from her, but for now, it was important to keep her calm. ¡®I don''t think they were like that. Besides, wouldn''t it have killed his mate?¡± ¡°Not if he hadn''t met her yet.¡± Damien mutters. It seemed unlikely. "Were they aware of you?¡± I press, scanning the paperwork in front of me. There were a million things that needed doing in the pack. ¡°Not when I was watching. It seems like your brother was more interested in getting away and fucking the Lycan.¡± What a fucking surprise!¡± Aero scoffs I chuckle and Damien cocks an eyebrow at me. ¡°He tried his luck with Neah. Several times in fact.¡± He bobs his head, "Raven told me.¡± ¡°It makes sense he would sleep with someone that looks like her. Neah was the one he never stood a chance at burying his dick in.¡± I lean back in my desk chair. Jenson had stooped to a new low. ¡°That may be your concern, but I''m more interested to know how he found her. Lycans don¡¯t just wander around. If they did then news of their existence wouldn''t be such a surprise, would it! I shrug my shoulders. "As long as he stays away from here. I don¡¯t give a shit. "He is a man pissed, Dane. Everything about what I saw tells me he has ns. He has got himself involved in something dangerous and there is only one reason most people do that. Revenge.¡± t By sleeping with someone who ooks like Neah? That''s hardly revenge Damien. Neahis still my - mate. Ste is still carrying my pups. I he wants to sleep with someone thatdooks like her, that''s up to him. It doesn''t cause me any problems.¡± ¡°You are missing the point. ¡°Really, and what''s that?¡± I narrow my eyes, irritated by his ability to feel like he could control the situation. "He won''t be able to get revenge alone, not against a pack the size of yours. He n¨¦eds support. Help.¡± His_ dark eyes tock with mine. ¡°It''s ~~ unlikely Wolves will help him, given your reputation and your ability-to twistthings in your favour. It''S possible he went looking for something and found what none of us have.¡± ¡°It was a Lycan who killed Jess.¡± I snap ¡°But he mes you, Dane. He med you for bringing us here.¡± "So what do you suggest I should do, Damien? Because it feels like sticking my face into something that doesn¡¯t concern me. Jenson made his choice in rejecting the pack. If he wants to run around fucking this Lycan then it is no bother to me. ¡°She had control.¡± He mutters tilt my head to one side. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± "He was panicking.¡± Damiens frown deepens. ¡°Like''he was concerned that we had seen him.¡± He shakes ~ his headZ''She was the one to = reassuie him, like she knew what she was doing. She pulled his face oHiers and then told him toget in the car.¡± Content belongs:fo He sighs, straightening his back, which cracks into alignment. ¡°He''s screwed up.¡± I follow what he is saying. "He went to her for help and now he is trapped helping her?¡± What the fuck have you done Jenson? Chapter 0206 Chapter 0206 Unknown "Are you done? Because right now, you are acting like a child, not like the man I have grown to know. So what if you were seen.¡± I pour myself another ss of wine. Watching Jenson fidget. If he was always like this, I could see why his brother grew tired of him. I could put up with it for how good he is in bed. He certainly knows how to satisfy my needs, unlike so many other men He moves to the balcony, peering out between the curtains. ¡°Trust me, I would know if we were followed. My best guess is that he has probably run back to the pack to tell that big brother of yours that he saw you." "What if he saw you? Are you not bothered?¡± "Oh he did.¡± I shrug my shoulders unphased. He really was getting his balls in a twist over this. His head flips back over his shoulders. Those dark eyes wide as he stares at me. "What are you talking about?¡± "He was watching you tell me that he had seen you. Moments before I told you to get in my car.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think he was the target. Didn''t you want to protect that precious sister of yours?¡± ¡°Does he know what you are?¡± He asks me carefully, ignoring my question. His ideas were starting to shift a little. "Depends. Is he able to separate the scent of Lycans and Wolves?¡± He nods at me. His hair falling down into his eyes. He quickly brushes it out the way. He really did need a haircut. New clothes too. Maybe I could shape him into my right hand man. But not while he walks around locking like a homeless bum. i needed to sort that out ¡°Then he knows.¡± ¡°That''s not a good thing.¡± Jenson looks rmed. ¡°Chill the fuck out.¡± I snap. "They don''t know who I am and they won''t until it''s toote.¡± ¡°They will work it out.¡± ¡°Fat chance.¡± I take another swig of wine and hold my ss out for him to refill. He takes the ss and I watch his bodynguage change. His shoulders are pulled up. His jaw gritted as his cheek pulsates. ¡°Is there something else that you should have told me, Jenson? You know I appreciate all the information.¡± He freezes as the wine flows from the bottle ¡®I asked you what your connection is to Neah.¡± He mumbles ¡°And you wouldn''t tell me.¡± "And you have asked me multiple times since.¡± I run my tongue along my teeth, warning him not to push it. I have no intention of telling him, not yet. ¡°You look like her. "WHAT?!" I''m on my feet, ring at him. My hands balled into fists on either side of my body. I shake my head, both amused and amazed. ¡°That''s how you found me. You saw I looked like her.¡± He doesn''t-answer me, but his hand is firmly gripped around the wine: bottle. He could try and throw it at me, though I can guarantee I''m faster than him and he will be dead before he even lets go of the bottle. "What about the name, Lone Wolf? Where did you hear that? ¡®I had heard of it being used in another bar. I tock a gamble. I saw you were sitting alone. I saw how the others appeared to fear you. I saw the blood lingering on your fingers.¡± He was smarter than he looked. "And you used the name Kitson. "Ancther gamble. Iugh. A rarity and I really had to give him credit. It was a ballsy gamble that could have gotten him killed. Sitting back on the sofa, I park my stilettos on the coffee table in front of me and watch him visibly rx. He lowers the wine bottle and brings me the ss. "What exactly was your role in ck Shadow, other than being big Alpha¡¯s little brother?¡± ¡®I was the Gamma.¡± This just keeps getting better and better. "So you have a head for war?¡± I was starting to understand why he couldn''t just attack the pack himself. He already knew he would lose without help. He nodsThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. I take another swig of my wine. "How much do I look like her?¡± I had never seen her. I just knew that I never got a chance at living my best life because she did He kept telling-me her life wasn''t what I thought it was, but I didn¡¯t believe that < ¡®shit. Daddy dearest had chosen: 1 fer and her mother over Me and rime. All because her mother carried Alpha blood that sane blood ranthrough Neah''s veins. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ? ¡°Well?¡± I demand His eyes scamme. ¡°You don''t dress like her, that''s for sure.¡± He pauses on my cleavage. ¡°And your tits are bigger, bit other than the eyes, you are identical. If anyone from ck Shadow looked at you quickly, ¡°they wold think you were her¡± ¡°Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ? Chapter 0207 Chapter 0207 ¡°Is that who you thought about when you fucked mest night?¡± I muse, unfastening a shirt button. "Why would I need her when I have you?¡± He growls His lips meet my jaw and he makes quick work on my remaining buttons, ripping epen my shirt. ¡°You are decisive. You know what you want.¡± He whispers in my ear. His hot breath fanning over my skin as his fingers tease my painfully hard nipples. "And you aren''t afraid to take what''s yours.¡± His lips graze mine as a hand moves to my throat. He squeezes as he pulls me up from the sofa and a growles from my chest, making him smile "So what do you want?¡± I whisper. I had been asking him multiple times to make a choice, loved ones will get hurt and he won''t have a choice about. ¡°Tell me. His free hand slides inside my leather pants and thong. His hand cupping my pussy as he strokes a finger over my clit. ¡°I want what''s mine.¡± "Are you sure about that?¡± My eyes stay glued to his and I see a flutter of something I hadn''t seen in him. A desire, a hunger. I had finally gotten through to him. He drives two fingers into me and I bite back the moan. A third finger stretches me a little more. But I wasn¡¯t giving him the satisfaction of hearing me moan, not until he gives me the answer. His fingers work like magic, building me up until I feel a fire in the pit of my stomach. It was getting harder and harder to hold it back and he knew that. He knew my body so. fucking. well. My entire body clenches as his grip on my throat tightens, cutting off the oxygen filling my lungs. "Show me it''s what you want.¡± I splutter. His lips hit mine again. The muffled moans were seeping through. A dark smile appears on his face as he hits the spot, over and over. ¡°Then scream my fucking name!¡± My pussy tightens around his fingers as his hand releases my throat. ¡°Jenson!¡± I gasp almost falling into him He holds me upright as I ride the wave that rolls through me, keeping his fingers still as my hips roll against his hand. ¡°Take your clothes off.¡± He mutters, not even giving me a chance to enjoy finishing the high Slowly, I remove my leather pants and my thong, watching him take off his own clothes. His cock already fiercely drected. A thick vein travels up thelength of itand I lick my dips, the ewas just something about the taste of his cock that is so satisfying. Unhooking my bra, he slides his ~~ hands over the swell of my breasts, his lips-trailing over my neck. "What would you say if I imed you?" He mutters " - ¡°l would say you needed to deal with your grief first.¡± I had never been interested in being imed and certainly not by a Wolf. He drags his teeth along my neck and I freeze. I wasn''t normally so vulnerable, but here and now, I was putty in his hands.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He grabs the back of my hair and forces me over the side of the sofa, pping my ass as he drives my legs apart. He rubs the tip of his cock against my dripping pussy. "You want this as much as I want revenge. Forcing my ass back against him, his cock slips inside of me a little and he ps my ass again. Sending pain and delight through me. He reaches around, circling my swollen clit. ¡°I could do this to you everyday if you let me im you.¡± I let out a moan as he brings his hand upwards, circling my nipples with my own slick. He forces himself into me, holding me tightly as I buck against him. He was wide and long, filling my entire hole. "So fucking good.¡± He grumbles from behind, slowly rocking back and forth, driving hisrge cock into me over and over. The moans leak out of my mouth in breathless gasps. The fire was growing and as I start to tighten ~~ around Rim again he drives harder¡± and haider, rocking me so my nipples rub against the fabriciof the sofa. His nails dig into my I hips as Hg own desperation builds. Content belongs to "Fuck Jenson!¡± I growl begging to be sent over the edge. He pumps once more, my back arches as his name tears from my mouth. Secondster he fills me with his load. He falls forward on my back, plying my neck with slow tantalising kisses ¡°Oh, I more than want it, ir Kitson.¡± Chapter 0208 Chapter 0208 Neah ¡°My Daddy said that you are not like me.¡± Dorothy mutters with her face scrunched up as she doodles. Damien was back and was currently in the office with Dane. Raven hade to find us but was now moving back and forth, chewing on a hang nail. I eye her suspiciously, while Dorothy keeps asking me questions ¡°No Dorothy. I''m not like you. I''m like Damien.¡± ¡°Daddy?Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I ned as she wrinkles her face up. As far as I was aware Damien hadn''t told her he was a Lycan. ¡°Raven.¡± She freezes and looks at me. ¡°I can''t talk about it,¡± she murmurs ¡°Did you.... Did you see Salem?¡± It was still worrying that no one had seen him. Maybe someone had killed him and I wouldn''t have to deal with that anymore. That would be a miracle. ¡°No.¡± She answers at lightning speed "Who''s Salem?¡± Dorothy asks from the kitchen table. She was still busy doodling but was obviously listening. ¡°You don''t need to worry about that.¡± I smile Raven res at me, but what did she want me to do? Tell the six year old that the monster that killed all the people holding her hostage was Salem? "Grown up stuff.¡± I add. She shrugs her shoulders and scribbles harder. "Ckay....okay... I can¡¯t take this anymore.¡± She runs her hands through her dark hair, chewing on her bottom lip as she stares at me. ¡°I saw Jenson.¡± "Oh, is... is he okay?¡± ¡°[ don''t know. I didn¡¯t speak to him.¡± I was about to hug her. I knew she had struggled with the loss of her twin and was still struggling. Even if she would never admit it. ¡°Damien followed him. He was with another woman. I snort, ¡°Welt that took less time than thought¡° He hadn''t been able ta do anything with Jess because of her age and the mate bond. Yet we all know he can''t keep his dick in [IE pants. "Who? Do I know them?¡± ¡°I''m not supposed to tell you.¡± ¡°Raven, you are starting to freak me out. I don''t like secrets, you know that.¡± ¡°Damien said she looked like you.¡± The words tumble from her mouth as though they were burning through her lips. Theye out hushed and fast. ¡®I mean, it''s not hard. Lots of people have hair like mine. She shakes her head at me. "Maybe it''s better if Damien exins it to you.¡± ¡°Raven, please.¡± I murmur. I hated being kept in the dark Maybe..." Nyx starts Not you." I shut her down. Me and my Lycan were still not on proper speaking terms and I actually felt better for it. Raven''s dark eyes lock with mine. ¡°He said she was practically identical to you.¡± "What are you saying? That I have another family member out there? Another Lycan?¡± ¡°You really should speak to Dane and Damien. I will stay here with Dorothy. I pause with my hand on the door and look back over my shoulder at her. She mouths I''m sorry.¡¯ I was too. I had been dragged through enough lies and secrets and hated every bit of it. Yet Dane still insisted on keeping things from me. Waddling down the hallway to the office. I can hear both Dane and Damiens heated discussion. Deciding when the best time would be to tell me. ¡°It''s not fair to keep it from her.¡± Damien snaps "She is my mate. I''m just trying to keep her safe.¡± Dane retorts. ¡®Isn''t it easier 4g be safe if she knows what she is dealing with?¡± Damien asks ¡°She is the only femate Alpha ard now there is someone: roaming ig the streets that looks just like fer. Do you know how many scenarios have gone through my Head?¡± Content belongs 10 NovelDrama.Org ¡°Look. We still don¡¯t know who she is.¡± I could imagine Dane was on his feet, ring at Damien. He was so caught up in the argument that he hadn''t even picked up on my scent, hovering outside the door. "Jenson probably went to her because she jgoks like Neah.¡± Dane sighs. "He igtike a child, always N wanting what he can''t have. He has tried fighting me for the Alpha spot severaltimes He has tried fighting Eric for the Beta position. But¡¯ instead he lost and he chose to fuck Erics wife. Did he even s&em sorry that the kids, his kids, are dead?¡± Chapter 0209 Chapter 0209 There''s silence and my guess is that Damien is shaking his head. There are only a few things that Jenson actually cares about. One, his position in the pack. Two, gettingid. Three, stirring up crap when he doesn¡¯t need to. And finally four, his sister. How they were so different was beyond me. My hand pauses on the door, seconds from knocking when the door is opened. Dane stares at me with his beautiful crimson eyes, concerned etched in his face. ¡°Is it true?¡± I whisper as the dull ache grows in the pit of my stomach Damien frowns, ¡°We don¡¯t know who she is. We don''t know if it means anything that she is with Jenson. We don''t know if she is aware of you.¡± I ned my head as the pain spreads to my lower spine. I grit my teeth, trying to ignere it. I knew Dane could feel it this time. He pulls me around, pressing his warmth into my back. Cupping the underside of my bump with hisrge hands, he lifts a little. The relief is beyond amazing, especially when your back constantly aches I feel the gush, soaking my underwear and trickling down my leg. ¡°Dane.¡± I murmur. ¡°They''reing.¡± There''s panic and excitement as Dane helps me into his office. He was the excited one, I couldn''t get excited. Raven had said I had more than a month left. ¡°It''s too early.¡± I''m almost cryingContent ? N?velDrama.Org. "Rumour has it, Lycan babies grow quicker.¡± Damien mutters in between calling for Raven. She appears with Dorothy and Damien swoops her up into his arms. "You are not old encugh to see this.¡± "She''s having a baby?" Dorothy asks "She''s having two.¡± He tells her as he hurries her out of sight I stare in amazement at both of my sons. Wrapped up tightly in their nkets and propped up on a pillow on myp The first born-was a miniature Dane, crimson eyes-and all. The second born had blue eyes like me. But what I''m hit with is overwhelming love. Vy heart literally feels like it''s goingto explode. Why hadn''t my own-parents feltthat? Instead they had felt the r¨¦ed to bind me. Contengbelongs to NovelDrama.Org Dane was still sat behind me. His legs either side of mine from helping me give birth. He kisses my cheek, not caring that I was a sweaty mess. ¡°You did brilliantly.¡± ¡°Are you happy?¡± I whisper. I knew how much he wanted an heir and now he had two. He runs a finger softly over each of the boys faces, marvelling at his own sons. ¡°Perfect.¡± I could feel his grin without looking at him. His happiness was exploding from him too. Raven checks each of the boys over, giving them the all clear. "Damien was right. They do appear to be fully developed pups.¡± She hands the eldest back to me. He stirs but stays asleep. ¡°Do you have names? My eyes widen as I stare at Dane, names were not even something I had thought about. Why hadn''t I thought about our pups needing names? Dane kisses me again, ¡°There''s plenty of time.¡± Everyone wanted to meet them. The first few dayg¡¯passed in a blur as the pack came''ehe by one to pay their. respects@nd honestly, it was N exhausting. Dane assured me that it is cornmon practice. There are¡¯ new hits¡± Heirs that have been long awaited and everyone wafted to see the pack¡¯s future. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I look over at Dane as Damien escorts another pack member out of the offige. He was cradling our eldest; Logan. ¡®Please tell me that''s everyone ¡± I was more than & exhausted, twins weren''t easy. Dane kept offering to bring a nanny in, but I refused. I wasn''t having kids and then letting someone else raise them. My eyes drift down to a wriggly Evrin. He was already trying to get himself in position for a feed. Dane loves watching me feed the twins, telling me that he finds it mesmerising. I knew what it really was. He was desperate to have me after I had refused him for so long I smile at him, enjoying the happiness that I hadn''t felt in so long. Correction. I don''t think I have ever felt this happy, ever. It was a world away from where I came from. Chapter 0210 Chapter 0210 Six monthster Neah My eves flicker to the clock as cries echo through the bedroom. Nudging Dane, he doesn''t budge. He is out cold on the bed and doesn''t stir even when the twins'' cries grow. Dragging myself from the bed, I creep towards their cribs. I don''t even know why I''m creeping at this point, they are already awake, it was just Dane that was sleeping. The moment I pull them into my arms, the tears stop. I settle into therge armchair in front of the window as both boys snuggle into me. The cuddles made the sleepless nights worth it. But I still watched. Every night I was awake and alone with the boys, I found myself watching the grounds. Waiting. It had been almost nine months since we had seen Salem and six months since the news broke that there was someone else that looked like me. Damien and Raven returned to the city often to look for Jenson and the woman, though they never saw them again. I should be grateful, but it just put me more on edge. What were they nning? Would they turn up here with an army? Would theye for my sons?Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I will protect us." Nyx mutters quietly I know.¡± I murmur It had taken my Lycan a long time to give in. To let me figure things out for myself instead of constantly putting ideas into my head. To keep me away from that ever shadowing darkness. Now we were more like when she first appeared. Talking to me and epting my decisions. I don''t bother to look when I hear Dane get up. He always felt guilty when he sleeps through their cries, but I let him off tonight. He had been on a pack run. ¡°Sorry.¡± He murmurs, close to my ear and lifts Evrin from my chest with a yawn. "You are watching again? I ned, ¡°Gut feeling.¡± ¡°There has been nothing in months. Everything is as it should be.¡± I know he is trying to reassure me, but that gut feeling never fades. The same around Mallory. She still makes me feel.... Off. ¡°I like to watch.¡± I mutter "And I would like it if my mate spent the entire night in bed with me.¡± He mutters with a smile because he knew that wasn''t going to happen even if I wasn''t watching over the grounds. The longest the twins slept for was a few hours. "How was the pack run?¡± I ask, changing the subject. Every full moon in thest few months, I fought between wanting to go and wanting to stay here with the twins. My need to be with the twins outweighed it everytime, but that was mostly because I had be afraid to shift. He knew that, but he never pushed. Though he thought it would help me gain more control. Maybe I would when I feel like the darkness isn''t going to suck me right under. He smiles at me. "No change.¡± It was his way of telling me everything is normal in the forest, but his words just seem to make my gut feeling grow. I clutch Logan a little tighter and he lets out a little moan of content. Dane moves over to the crib, carefully lowering in a sleeping Evrin. He then takes Logan from me, repeating the process. "Come back to bed.¡± He whispers, pulling me from the armchair "Something is off.¡± I mutter ¡°Your mind is doing that thing again.¡± He speaks softly, leading me to the bedand sliding in after me. => His arm n feops my waist, pulling mie in agamst him as he leaves a C lingeting kiss on my lips. "You need to''sfeep. " Content belongs 16 = ¡°The twins "Are asleep.¡± ¡°But what if. "We have it covered.¡± He runs his fingers through my hair when he suddenly stops. Locking at him, I see his eyes are zed. ¡°Now?¡± He snaps in annoyance What''s going on?¡¯ Nyx asks I don''t know." Dane gets out of bed, pulling on a pair of shorts. "Stay with the twins. I will wake Damien toe and stay with you.¡± "What''s happening?¡± ¡°l am not a hundred percent sure.¡± He hurries out of the room and minutester a sleepy Damien appears. ¡°Do you know why I''m being asked to guard you? "He got a link and then left. ¡°That''s all he said?" "Yep." I pop:the pin frustration. After everything, we agreed that sharing information was vital, especially as it helped to keep my mind frora¡± spiralling. Raven appears and immediately ~~. leans over the cribs to eye up the. boys. She was more than in love¡¯ withcher nephews and made. sure that everyone knew it. Content telongs to ~~ "Aren''t they sc cute when they sleep?!¡± she whispers happily. I think I had heard that exact phrase, every single day since they had been here. ¡°Raven, let them sleep.¡± Damien mutters, sensing my frustration and pulls Raven away from them. He turns his head towards the open door, frowning. ¡°What is it?¡± Raven demands ¡°Lycan I think.¡± He frowns I make a break for the door, but he grabs hold of me, pulling me back, farther into the room ¡°It''s not Salem.¡± He mutters to me as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. ¡°But it is a familiar scent.¡± ¡°If it''s not Salem, how did they get through?¡± Dane has guards everywhere. I look over to my sleeping children. The need to protect them was on another level. I would die for them, I would kill for them. Chapter 0211 Chapter 0211 I grab the changing bag andunch it at Damien. Charging past him, I race out of the bedroom and down the stairs,ing to aplete stop on the bottom step. There in the doorway was someone who looked exactly like me, except the eyes. Her eyes are brown. She smiles and shoves her hand out as Dane steps back. "You are Neah, right. I''m ir.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I keep my mouth closed. Six months it had taken her to get here, but she doesn''t sound anything like what Damien had described. He had said she was all in leather. Heals like a stripper. I had to look that up because I hadn''t known what he meant. But now she stood in front of me, in trainers and loose fitting jeans. A sweatshirt that was far too big for her. Almost like she was trying to look like me. ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡± I mutter, refusing to take her hand. ¡°Father never spoke of me? How rude.¡± Her brows knit together in frustration. "I''m your half sister. We share the same father.¡± I couldn''t sense her. Yet it was the one thing Dane and Damien had suggested that seemed to being true. Though one of the good things I remember is how much my parents loved each other. 0." I state confidently. ¡°I''m an only child.¡± Her shoulders drop. "Mother did warn me that he probably kept me a secret. I never actually thought he did.¡± She rolls her eyes and takes a step forward. Yet she hadn''t actually been invited in yet. She opens her mouth to speak. "How did you get past security anyway? And where is Jenson?¡± I demand before she follows up with some other crap. She shrugs her shoulders. "I''m guessing they thought I was you.¡± She ps her finger between us, ¡°and I haven''t seen Jenson for a few months now.¡± "Liar." ¡°I''m just here to talk. Can you at least hear me out?¡± Mallory had used that same exact line. I look at Dane, hoping that he would decide no, but all I hear are his words telling me that it was my choice. "Cutside.¡± I snap ¡°Afraid I will hurt those twins of yours?¡± She smirks at me Rage screams through me. How dare she think she has the right to mention my sons. Every fibre of my being was drenched in the need to rip her heart from her chest. Danes hand slips into mine. I knew what he was doing. His warmth spreads through me, trying to soften the tension that revealed itself. She grins at me, but the grin doesn¡¯t meet her eyes. They may be the only thing that separated us, but at least mine didn''t look dead. Taking a deep breath, I stare at her. "Jenson told you about them.¡± He had learned that they were Lycans just before he left. "What else did he tell you about? She¡¯s luring you in." Nyx mutters softly irughs and turns away. "Are youing?¡± she calls out. Dane and I follow her out the house, keeping a small distance from her. ¡°Daddy dearest was with my mother first.¡± She spins around, looking up at the night sky. "It really is beautiful here. It would make a fine home.¡± ¡°He fell in lovebut on the day mother found out she was pregnant with me, he four his mate. You see hex never bothered to im my mother. And neymatter how much she begged him. And no matter row many promises he made tee back to her. He never did ¡°Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org "And how is that my fault?!¡± I snap, desperate to get back to my boys ¡°I''m just telling you the truth. He led her on. Telling her that he just needed to find the right moment. That was until he put you in your mother''s belly. ¡°That''s when the promises began, but the only way he could be with¡± my mother was by rejecting his - mate: because, well, I''m sure you already know what happens.in the ene, I he chose you.¡± Content belongs t&"NovelDrama.Org - I snort. ¡°That''s funny to you.¡± She scoffs ¡°It''s hrious.¡± I growl. I could feel that darkness seeping further and further into my bloodstream. ¡°Neah.¡± Dane whispers. I knew he could feel it too. "So what, you''re jealous? Is that it? You missed out on being raised by a father? ¡°You have no idea how I watched my mother suffer.¡± "Have you ever been bound?¡± I snap. I knew my eyes were ck by the way Dane was gripping my hand ir''s eyes narrow at me. ¡®Let''s see. My parents bound me when I was a newborn.¡± I somehow always became mare sarcastic when I was about to shift. ¡°Oh, and then again a couple of yearster.¡± ¡°You''ve been bound....twice?¡± I see how her spine straightens. So Jenson hadn''t told her everything. 0." I feel the pain in the tips of my fingers. My ws getting ready to break through the soft skin at any moment ¡°More... but you are ¡°I think the word you are looking for is ¡®alive¡¯. ¡®Neah!¡± Dane is more demanding this time. I lock at him and follow his gaze dowq to our interlocked hands. ws were slowly creeping out of¡± my fingertips. I had spent months afraicof shifting again, but I. will doit forthem. I will do anything 1 protect those boys. Content bigs to NovelDrama.Org Dane shes his crimson eyes at ir. ¡°I suggest you leave and don''te back.¡± Chapter 0212 Chapter 0212 ir He was a fucking asshole. Not once did he mention that she had the ability to control her shift. Nor did he tell me that she had been bound, more than once. I was furious as I watched thick ws grow from the tips of her fingers. Her eyes change from the soft blue Jenson had described to pure ck. I had never seen anything like it I can''t control the fucking situation if I don¡¯t have all the information and it was bad enough that I was having to wear these shitty cheap clothes that are irritating the crap out of my skin. Innocent. I needed to be innocent in my role. And I had screwed that up by mentioning her pups. Too eager, I needed to reset. I take a step back and raise my hands. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± I mutter. The word is like acid burning my tongue. I don''t do apologies. "Talking about what he did, riles me up.¡± It wasn''t a lie. What our father did pissed me off more than anything in the world and I desperately wanted to correct what was wrong ¡°Leave!¡± Dane tells me. He still had a tight hold on my darling half sister. ¡°I''m going....I''m going.¡± I reach into the ghastly denim jeans and pull out a small card. Tossing it on the ground between us. ¡°If you want to know more, meet me at the time and location on the card.¡¯ I turn away. This was not part of my n, but somehow, seeing her, had the resentment bubbling close to the surface, ready to boil over at any second. It had taken every ounce of self control to keep it under the surface. To keep my emotions buried. Dane has someone follow me to the exit. He keeps his distance and doesn''t speak. His long dark hair billowing around him in the night breeze. Ugh! I hate men with long hair. I don''t turn back when I''m outside the gates either. That would look confrontational and at the moment, I need to make them lock like the bad ones. Walking another mile, I find Jenson leaning against my Porsche, he looked so much better in a ck suit. It made him lock far more superior and in control than the day he walked into my life. ¡°That was quick.¡± He straightens his spine "And there is a lot of shit you didn''t tell me.¡± I stop in front of him but he keeps his beautiful dark eyes averted. Eyes that I hade to love. "We can''t do this if you don''t tell me everything!¡± ¡°You were supposed to get to know her. That was the n.¡± "You should have told me." "Would it have changed anything?" I press my lips into a thin line. "How is she alive after being bound?¡± I snap ¡°I don''t know." He mutters. ¡°She has been bound four times that we know of.¡± ¡°Four? You are telling me she has really been bound four times and still lives. No one should be able to survive twice. Fucking bitch is more powerful than I realised. ¡°And she can control her shift?¡± "She shifted?¡± He asks in surprise ¡°She started too.¡± He bobs his head and sucks in his cheeks. My. Randunches forward, grabbing 1 hig cheeks, squeezing and" forcing i Him to look at me. I may fet him have all the control when itv comes to sex. But when ites to myTife, I get exactly what I want. ¡®I have Aspen.¡± He murmurs through a fish pout. "Wolf Alpha blood.¡± I mutter, letting go of his face He rubs his cheeks, "It''s the same for her. She has a Lycan spirit inside her. Nyx.¡± "Are you fucking serious? Why the hell haven''t you mentioned this to me? ¡®[ don''t know. Is it important?¡± "Everything isimportant! Does a part of you want-this to fail?" I demand. He had said over and over that thig is what fi te wants, but in my = experience, if they don''t tell you. everything, it''s because they.are not realy. Conten belongs to. ~ swnovel. &This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Yes. ¡°Then you need to tell me everything. Every damn little detail. Get in the car! I drove back to the new apartment, it''s a few miles out from the city. But closer to ck shadow. ¡°You got in alright.¡± He mutters as we pull on to the main road "You were right.about one thing.¡± keep my eye$ in front. "The as thought Iwas her, but I haveno > intentiorof wearing clothes like this again shudder. Neah really ? needed to pull herself together and look the part. = "What did you think?" He asks quietly "Of Neah? I think dearest Daddy''s gics are strong.¡± That''s all I share right now as my mind works, running through possible next steps. ¡°Inside.¡± I snap as I pull the car under the porch. He rolls his eyes at me before slipping out of the car. I sit alone for a few minutes. Why hadn''t Dane let her shift? He had held onto her, sweet talking in her ear as she had stared at me. Chapter 0213 Chapter 0213 By the time I get inside, Jenson had already poured me a ss of wine. I kick off the damn trainers. The arches of my feet are killing me from the t footwear. Give me heels any day. I settle on the sofa as he pours himself a whisky. ¡°Everything. I don''t care if we are up all night. I need to hear everything. She has killed, right, that''s true?¡± He nods. ¡°She likes to go for the heart. She shifts to kill. She never shifts just to run or anything else. At least she never used to. "So her n was to kill me.¡± I smile. He frowns at me. ¡°She doesn''t trust people.¡± "Well, that''s something else we have inmon.¡± I smile and take a big gulp of my wine and begin to unfasten the jeans. He cocks an eyebrow at me. "Ch no, honey, you''re not getting any of this until you tell me everything. They areing off because I can''t stand them a moment longer!¡± I sit on the sofa, letting the cool air lick my irritated thighs. Yes I would prefer to see his head between my thighs, but not until I hear every little detail about my darling half sister. I spend hours drawing out every single thing that he knows, even asking questions that he might not know the answer too. "She had a shitty life too. If Dane hadn''t found her, she probably would have been dead months age. She was barely hanging on to life when he brought her home.¡± I should feel sorry for her. Any normal person would. Maybe it was what she deserved after living my life. The funny thing is, I didn¡¯t want her dead. I just wanted her to see that everything is rightfully mine. ¡°I always thought that the Alpha blood came from her father, your father.¡± He mutters, taking a swig of his own drink. I shake my head. "He wasn''t a true Alpha. Mother said he was a Beta by birth right. That he took over as Alpha when he marked Neah''s mother. She was the one who carried the pure Alpha blood. It wasn''t until after I was born that mother discovered the truth.¡± He tilts his head at me. "She thought I had Alpha blood. She tried to remind him that I was his heir first. The true heir. Turns cut, I am his heir, but I''m not an Alpha.¡± ¡°You want to be Alpha?" He asks quietly. I shake my head. That was his goal, not mine. "I want her to lose everything ¡®Daddy dedrest didn''t help mother at all. No maney, no clothes for me, io help with food, nothing. He knew about me and let us suffer, al 50 he could raise his precious Alpka daughter. Thest one of her kind." I knew I had Daddy issues. It''s what happens when you spend years watching yor mother desperately -_ pine for gman that doesn''t give EN shit about you or his daughter. I~ wa ched her sink into oblivion fora man that wasn''t even hers because she was dumb enough toet him get her pregnant. Then the me shifted to me. I was the reason hg-hever imed her. I was the reas son why he never came back to ker. I was the ~~ inconvenience. I was the bastard¡¯ child shat trapped her. I was lhe one that-ruined her life. Not him-and his precious fucking daughter: Content belongs to Tears creep along my waterline and I''m mortified ¡®I need a shower!¡± I snap, getting to my feet. "Can I join you?¡±Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°No.¡± He watches me walk away. Cne thing he was, was always respectful of is me saying ¡®No¡¯. It was rare that I said it to him, but still, it was one of the good things going for him The hot water hisses against my skin and those tears sneak out, tracking lines down my cheeks. Why the fuck was I crying? Today hadn''t been aplete failure. I now had all the information to help me move forward. Yet the tears keeping. I hear the bathroom door open and turn my face into the tiles so he couldn''t see me. ¡°Jenson, I said no!¡± ¡°I''m staying here.¡± He mutters, "Could you sense her?¡± 0." I don''t think she could sense me either. As siblings, looking alike and sharing the same father was where it ended. Maybe it was better that I couldn''t sense her. ¡°I want to take down Dane. I want the pack to be mine. I deserve it. But Neah.....¡± He hesitates, unsure of how to finish his statement "Her history makes you feel sorry for her.¡± "And you don¡¯t, now you know everything?¡± He asks ¡°No.¡± ¡°Not even a little?¡± ¡°No.¡± She had been beaten and abused. Blood tied and poisoned. Bound multiple times and yet she still survives. It made me despise her more because no one should have that kind of power. Chapter 0214 Chapter 0214 Neah ¡°Breathe.¡± Raven mutters ¡°I''m not dead am I¡± I snap ¡°So I''m obviously breathing!¡± I stop in my tracks, realising how much of an ass I sounded. Locking over my shoulder, I see the hurt in her eyes. She was just trying to help. The darkness had a grip so tight on my heart that it was making it hard to think about those around me, unless it was my sons. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± I mutter. Hoping she knew that I did truly mean my apology ¡°It''s happening isn''t it? You are slipping.¡± ¡°I... I''m trying not to.¡± My eyes drift down to my fingers as I carefully feel over the tips. The growing ws had felt so bad and so good at the same time. Like a release of built up pressure. Is that how Salem felt? ¡°You need to talk about it. Remember what Mallory said, you need to look at the bigger picture to see that there is more than what is happening in the moment. To make it all make sense. I roll my eyes. Mallory and her theories. Though I have to admit, they were helping a little, even if I still didn''t trust her. "So tell me again what miss lookalike said.¡± ¡°Raven...¡± She cocks a brow and folds her arms. "She told me we share the same father.¡± I repeat again. ¡°But you don''t believe that?¡± ¡°I believed Devon more than her. And look how that ended.¡± ¡°Bigger picture.¡± She mutters ¡°No, I don''t believe it. I couldn''t feel her, I couldn''t sense her other than knowing what she is. It''s hard to exin.¡± ¡°Try.¡± She smiles at me "With Jess, I could feel her presence. The same with Damien and... Mallory. With the other bitten ones. I could feel their fear when they realised they couldn''t fight me and my orders. There was even a tiny bit of recognition from Salem, but her, there is nothing. She looked at me with those big brown puppy eyes but do you know what she reminded me of? Raven shakes her head. ¡°The way Trey used to look at me. It wasn''t even hate, it was more than that. It was like I was something he stood in and scraped off on the grass. And that¡¯s exactly what I felt when she looked at me.¡± "What about your parents, what did she say?¡± "She said something about our father choosing my mother over hers when he discovered he was mated. But it makes no sense as the cone thing I do remember from my early years is that they loved each other so much.¡± ¡°Like how Dane loves you?¡± ¡°More.¡± I mutter. I couldn''t describe it. I just remember the feeling. Or maybe it was because I was a kid and I was seeing what I wanted to see "So she¡¯s older than you, but you are the Alpha?¡± I nod, ¡°I don''t think she is much older. Dane thinks the Alpha blood comes through on my mothers side. But they@idn''t care enough to tlt¡± me that before they died. Before I was set up.¡± I hear the spite my words and close my eyes taking I ina dep breath. Content belgngs to We were set up.¡± Nyx adds quietly. She still wasn''t sure what to think of this ir woman either and I was d she was keeping her thoughts to herself. "Why did you start shifting?¡± Raven presses as she pulls her hair up into a bun. She was trying to make the conversation as casual as if we were talking about movies. But I was starting to see that she was testing me. Trying to find a trigger point. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. not straight away. Dane was aware of it before I was.¡± The ws had retracted the moment shewalked away. Dane had made NE low her. And then informed¡¯everyone that if I turn up-at the gat¨¦s or anywhere along the boundary line, to check the eyes. If they were anything other than blue, they had to call him in. Cgntent belongs to "Raven, what if I''m supposed to let this darkness take over me?¡± Her dark eyes are wide as she thinks of an answer, but all she coulde up with is ¡®I don''t believe that. ¡®Damien came back from that ce.¡± She adds with a small smile. I knew she seretly worried about him slipping pack, every single day. Even when she didnt talk about it, I knew becalse Damien would appear¡¯ a few minutester. Enveloping her in his arms without saying asingle word. ¡°But the others didn¡¯t.¡± I wasn''t trying to find a reason to turn, but to understand that it could be my future. I would rather be prepared. She puffs out her cheeks, she doesn''t have an answer and I turn the conversation back to what happened with ir. ¡° think it''s because she mentioned the twins. I think that''s what prompted the shifting. "Nyx?" Not me.¡± Nyx murmurs. ¡®It was all you.¡¯ I shake my head and slump into therge armchair. "Ah, so you went mama Lycan on her. That is a horrible term. ¡°I probably would have killed her if Dane hadn''t stopped me. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Chapter 0215 Chapter 0215 ¡°And he stopped you because he is trying to protect you. I still don¡¯t understand the purpose of her visit.¡± Raven scrunches up her face. ¡°She came alone. She told you she hasn¡¯t seen my brother in months.¡± ¡°Dane doesn¡¯t believe that?¡± She cocks her brow. ¡°He doesn¡¯t?¡± Shaking my head, I sigh, I wasn¡¯t supposed to tell her that. ¡°He is certain he could smell him on her.¡± Again, I had been too caught up in the ever seeping darkness to take notice of anything but my apparent half sister. The world could have been imploding around me and I would have been oblivious. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. She pauses to let my words sink in and then carries on as though I never mentioned him. ¡°Just turning up to tell you your father allegedly had an affair, I call bullshit. Damien saw her like six months ago. She was in the city. It wouldn¡¯t have been hard to find our location, even if my dipshit brother is helping her. So why has she waited all this time?¡± ¡°Your guess is as good as mine.¡± ***** Dorothy is ying peek-a-boo with the boys. Their giggles turn into hystericalughter as she pops up from under their high chairs. She had this amazing way with them and loved to make them laugh. Damien said she had a need to feel wanted. Something I understood too well. She never talked about what happened to her to anyone other than Damien. If someone walked in when she was mid chatting, she would stop immediately. I was happy that she had a safe person. There were times where I wondered if I would have turned out like her if I had been saved after my parents death rather than being forced into hell until I met Dane. ¡°Dottie.¡± Damien mutters. ¡°Please eat your breakfast.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just ying Daddy.¡± ¡°You can y as much as you want when you have eaten.¡± She continues to pull faces at the twins as she settles on a chair at the table. ¡°How are you?¡± Damien asks while putting pancakes on Dorothy¡¯s te. I nod, because if I let out how I really feel, I was scared that there would be noing back. When breakfast is done, Raven takes the kids to go get cleaned up and dressed for the day. I sit there, watching Damien move around the kitchen clearing up. ¡°How did it feel?¡± He pauses and slowly turns back to me. ¡°I¡¯m assuming you are asking me what it felt like to be Rogue.¡± My shoulders drop as I nod my head. He puts down his tes and sits back at the table opposite me. A crease forms between his brows. ¡°At first it felt right.¡± I snort. That was thest thing I thought he would say. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you how it is, Neah. There is no point in lying. You talk about the darkness and that¡¯s exactly what happens. It creeps in, sticking to your insides like a cancer without you knowing. There will be little shes of it and it¡¯s always there, tightly coiling around your insides until there is no goodness left.¡± He leans forward to grab the juice and pours himself another ss. I¡¯m sure right now, with this conversation, he would prefer something much stronger. ¡°Decisions will be darker and you won¡¯t realise until it¡¯s toote. When it finally happens, you feel free. Everything bes easier. Life makes more sense.¡± ¡°But eventually, you end up trapped. A vicious cycle, destined to achieve one goal. That life that was once freeing bes the very bane of your existence. You have to fight it, Neah. You have to be the Alpha you are supposed to be and you can¡¯t do that if you be a Rogue.¡± ¡°Do you think my past has led to this?¡± ¡°Likely, yes. There is something inside of you that looks for freedom and you feel as though you are yet to find it. You need to look around you Neah. Everyone here cares about you. No one here wants to harm you. You are not beaten, you are not starved. You have a mate that adores you. You have everything going for you. Do not let one scorned woman tear you down from who you are supposed to be.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°It will never stop.¡± He frowns ¡°The darkness will always be there. It will never fade. You need to learn to channel it. But don¡¯t let it be you.¡± ¡°You still fight it, even now?¡± ¡°I will for the rest of my life.¡± He smiles, his eyes lighting up. ¡°Raven helps, but she doesn¡¯t know how much. She¡¯s a beacon of light in the darkness and when I feel the darkness slipping. I seek her out. Mallory and I can help you as much as we can, but until you find your own light, it will be a battle.¡± The question burns and I should force it down, but it tumbles from my mouth as though it needed to be heard. ¡°What if I can¡¯t? What if¡­ What if this is too deeply embedded inside of me?¡± ¡°Do you really believe that?¡± Chapter 0216 Chapter 0216 ir ¡°Where have you been?¡± Jenson demands as I saunter in to my own apartment. ¡°I thought you would be home hours ago.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realise you were my husband!¡± I snap in annoyance. I was already in a bad mood because the prick I had been chasing thest couple of days had managed to get away, again. He rolls his eyes at me as I take off my jacket and hang it by the door. ¡°And I¡¯m trying to do you another favour by getting rid of him so he doesn¡¯t ruin our fun. Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± The Rogue was hanging around and I didn¡¯t want it anywhere near ck Shadow. It would just cause an unnecessary problem. I wanted all attention on me. Jenson purses his lips, a crease forming between his brows. ¡°I¡¯m doing this for us. Killing Lycans, Wolves and others isn¡¯t a new hobby of mine, Jenson. I¡¯ve been doing it since I was a teenager and this Rogue is not the first I havee across. Though he does seem to be smarter than the others.¡± I frown, pulling the knives and gun out of my waist band and dropping them on the coffee table. His face rxes a little and I press my lips to his. I had never let a man worm his way into my heart like he has. It was almost endearing. His dark eyes move to my weapons. He was looking for blood, but they were still just as shiny as they were when I left hours ago. ¡°He¡¯s still alive?¡± ¡°For now. The fucker knows exactly what he¡¯s doing. I should just let him carry on. He¡¯s certainly gunning for someone in ck Shadow. But he will just kill them, he won¡¯t tear them apart and destroy them first.¡± ¡°You should have told me. I would have helped.¡± My eyes flicker up to his. ¡°There are some things I need to do alone, Jenson.¡± He still didn¡¯t like that part of me. Even though he had called me ¡®Lone wolf¡¯ when we first met. He still didn¡¯t quite understand my need to do things myself. Neah and Dane were different though, the n needed both of us. And every moment this Rogue takes of my time means I spend longer away from getting my ws into my darling half sister. I press myself up against him, letting him feel every curve of my body. He rolls his hips into me as his hands make their way along the sides of my body. I already feel his hardening length pressing against me. I always thought I had a high sex drive but his was on another level. He nuzzles into my neck and a soft moan releases from inside of me. He sucks and nips on my skin and then his teeth start to sink. I pull away, ring at him. ¡°What the fuck do you think you are doing?¡± I storm to the mirror and see small holes where his teeth were getting ready to im me. Thankfully they were already healing and I had got out before he had a chance to finish. ¡°You would be able to link me.¡± He justifies ¡°That¡¯s your reason! How fucking dare you! I told you I would let you know when and if I am ever ready for that.¡± I stalk back towards him, my eyes in slits as I grab a knife off the coffee table. He backs into the window as I position the knife under his chin, pushing the tip into his flesh, watching as a tiny bit of blood appears. He holds his hands up. Sometimes I think he forgets that I¡¯m the one who let him into my life. That I¡¯m the one who makes the decisions. That I''m the one who lets him stay. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do that again!¡± I snarl. ¡°Because trust me, when I say this, I will cut out your intestines and string you up by them for the whole fucking world to see." Chapter 0217 Chapter 0217 I¡¯m surprised when his hand wraps around mine. Pressing the knife a little deeper into his skin. ¡°Then you should kill me now. Because I want you to be mine in every single way!¡± My breath hitches in my throat and I have trouble concealing it. At some point, he had crossed the lines from being usable, to fuckable to now, where he is actually desirable. He still has a long way to go, but willing to kill himself for me adds another notch to his bow. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. The dribble of blood turns into a trickle. Running down over the de and into our hands. He doesn¡¯t flinch and his gorgeous dark eyes stay on mine. It¡¯s only when my hand loosens on the knife that he lets go. The knife tters to the floor and I was momentarily grateful for the dark carpet. I would have lost my shit if blood was on a cream carpet. It¡¯s almost impossible to get out. I watch his wound heal, leaving a smear of blood on his neck. Damn he looked hot. But no, I won¡¯t give in to him, not tonight, not after he pulled that shit. **** I sip my coffee, keeping myself as invisible as possible as passersby wander up and down the busy street. I hadn¡¯t nned oning back into the city, but it was a good ce to sit, watch and listen. I needed to know of any disturbances to do with the Rogue. No doubt he has killed someone. They never could go long without food. So far there was nothing. Jenson sighs as he sits in the empty chair next to me. With one look, he closes his mouth, letting me do my thing. It doesn¡¯t take long. Quiet whispers from Wolves sitting a few tables over from us. ¡°They just disappeared.¡± A teenager mutters as she fidgets with her golden nose ring. ¡°And the Alpha isn¡¯t doing anything?¡± The blonde girl opposite her whispers. They both cast eyes in different directions but don¡¯t seem to acknowledge me. Exactly what I wanted. The girl with the nose ring fidgets and she shakes her head. ¡°I don¡¯t feel safe there anymore. It was two young girls, our age and all they found¡­.¡± she looks around again ¡°The bodies without their hearts.¡± I catch a glimpse of Jenson, the colour dissolving from his face right before my eyes. ¡°Get a grip.¡± I whisper at him. ¡°I know it reminds you of her but it''s not going to help you right now.¡± It sounded heartless, but it was true. I didn''t need a liability. The one with the nose ring continues. ¡°Dad is going to speak to your Alpha today. See if we can relocate. I have three younger sisters and they are worried about them.¡± ¡°That exins why you wanted to meet me here.¡± The second girl mutters. ¡°It must be chaos in Ashburn.¡± Ashburn city, the next city over. Jenson had said that Dane was holding the Alpha hostage. But they had mentioned an Alpha. Possibly the Beta stepped up? Anyway, I didn¡¯t really care who rules the roost. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I mutter, getting to my feet ¡°Ashburn city?¡± He asks as we get back to the car. I nod, ¡°Looks like your little Rogue problem has found a ce to feast.¡± Ashburn city isn¡¯t even worthy of being called a city. More like a glorified town. Instead of hiding away behind trees, they lived more like humans. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Every living arrangement had its pros and cons. But a city made it easy for a Rogue to take its victims. They also weren¡¯t closed off from the world, so anyone could wander through. They could even make their way right up to the front doors of the packhouse without a single guard stopping them. And that¡¯s exactly what we do. I knock briskly and firmly as Jenson hovers next to me. He had already told me that the new Alpha would know who he was. That wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He didn¡¯t need to know Jenson¡¯s problem with ck Shadow. He just needed to know that I was there to help him with his little Rogue problem. Chapter 0218 Chapter 0218 Therge door is pulled back and a female around my age gives us a warm smile. ¡°Can I help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for the Alpha.¡± I keep my voice light. ¡°He is in a meeting right now.¡± Her eyes nce at a simple wristwatch. ¡°He should be done soon if you are willing to wait.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I return her smile, she was too oblivious to notice it was as fake as the designer blouse she is wearing. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. We are waiting for less than ten minutes before someone leaves the office. A few more minutes pass and arge man steps out. A navy blue suit that had been tailored to fit him perfectly. Loose blonde curls sit on top of his head, his green eyes bright like emeralds ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Alpha Ryan, how can I help you?¡± He is friendly and weing, not like so many other Alpha¡¯s that I hade across. It was unusual and a little off putting. ¡°I believe you know Jenson.¡± I point to the man at my side. The Alpha smiles as he looks him up and down, ¡°You¡¯ve certainlynded on your feet. How¡¯s your brother?¡± ¡°Good. He is a father now.¡± I was amazed by Jensons ability to push down the hatred he had developed. Normally he couldn¡¯t hide a single drop. ¡°Really?¡± He looked around to the woman who had let us in. ¡°Please send my congrattions to Dane and his mate.¡± She scribbles something down. ¡°I know Roan and Dane had their issues, but I don¡¯t intend on following in his footsteps. Sorry,¡± He turns back to me, ¡°I didn¡¯t catch your name.¡± ¡°ir.¡± ¡°Please, doe in.¡± He waits for us to settle in the chairs before he asks again how he can help. There was no point in dragging it out. ¡°I hear that you have a little problem.¡± His eyes sh to me and his friendly demeanour drops. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± his eyes moved to Jenson, ¡°If this is some sort of shitty plot to try and force me into a new contract then you need to leave. I just said I don¡¯t want any problems with Dane.¡± ¡°Nothing to do with contracts. I¡­ We are aware that a couple of girls have gone missing, only to turn up dead.¡± His face hardens. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°I have my resources.¡± I had no ns to get two young girls into trouble. ¡°You are not the first pack to have trouble.¡± Jenson adds. ¡°It killed my mate and then tried to kill my sister.¡± Hisposure doesn¡¯t break and it makes my heart flurry. I was so proud of how far he had come, even if he still had a long way to go. ¡°It¡¯s a beast.¡± Alpha ryan mutters I nod and give him a crash course on Rogues. I knew it was a lot of information to take in. To learn that there are more than just Wolves that can shift. ¡°You think you can deal with it?¡± He asks. ¡°I¡¯ve killed several others like him.¡± ¡°And what do you want in return?¡± ¡°Nothing, well nothing other than food, hot water and somewhere to rest.¡± If he hade to me, I would want a lot more, but I had gone to him so it was hardly fair to charge him for it. Chapter 0219 Chapter 0219 ir We were here less than twenty four hours before he showed up. The problem was, the asshole was in human form. And I was yet to see what he locked like as a human. Jenson couldn''t help me either. He had only ever seen him in beast form. It was a rarity that a Rogue is able to shift at will. Bing Rogue was just that, almost impossible toe back and live like other Lycans, but it''s notpletely impossible. Jenson said the guy at ck Shadow seeded. But this guy, he was something else. He pushed his boundaries. He didn''t fight what he was and that gave him more freedom. What I had learned about Rogues is that they struggle when they fight against their desires. That''s what makes it hard. That''s what stops them from turning back. A heart versus head thing. But he had figured it out and I couldnt help the smile that spreads across my face. "Do you have eyes on him? Jenson asks when he sees me smile. ¡°No.¡± I knew he was here, I just didn¡¯t know where. It was impossible to pinpoint him. He was moving but so were so many other people that were going about their daily lives. And he would know I was here. He wasn''t stupid. If I could smell him, no doubt he could smell me. It seems to heighten their sense of smell when they be Rogue. Every sense explodes to a new level and that''s why the fuckers could be harder to kill if you didn''t do it right. Unless you kill them in their sleep. Though there was no fun in that. "Just keep watching.¡± I mutter Cne guy catches my eye. He has tattoos on his neck, just like the guy who saw Jenson talking to me. Lots of people had tattoos, but it was rare for them to have identical tattoos in identical locations. Unless it was a family trait. If it is him, he didn¡¯t look much like his brother. He''s leaner, his hair and eyes a chestnut brownpared to the darkness of Damien''s. Maybe they just shared one parent like me and my dearest half sister. He looks around. Most likely searching for me. But I wasn''t stupid. I had already made sure my scent was all over this glorified town. It would just be a little stronger here due to my current position. He had already figured that out. He looks away when he doesn''t see me. Immediately eyeing up a woman a little younger than me, outside a library. He stops by her, pointing out the bundle of books she is carrying. There was too much traffic and noise for me to hear what he is saying. But I watch her giggle. A little flush of red brightening up her pale cheeks. I knew why he had targeted her, she locked easy to manipte. Maybe a little naive. He leans in close to her, showing his interest with his little touches on the arm, tucking her curly hair behind her ear. She''s ttered, probably never having anyone show interest in her before. It might have been sweet if I hadn''t known what his real intentions were. She''s giggling again as his hand catches her fingers. I watch her nod and she begins to follow him. Looking around as if it was some kind of trick. Though she doesn''t seem to see that''s exactly what it is.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It''s time to put an end to his little game.¡± I snarl I slip out of the-shadows into full view, but he-is too busy sweetening her with his lies. The giggles oo constantly grow and her eyes are¡± wide g3 she hangs on his every. worelSilly girl, had Alpha Ryan not tadfght them anything? Content belongs to ? "Are we doing this now? It''s broad daylight.¡± Jenson mutters in my ear. "We have too before he takes another victim. I would rather him be out the way for good. ¡°Ironic how both you and Neah have the same problem.¡± l ignore hisment and turn the corner following the Rogue and the girl. They had disappeared from sight. ¡°Fuck.¡± I growl, searching the entire street with my eyes. Then I see a faot sticking out of a small alley between buildings. It twitches and I already knew I was toote, She hadn''t evenhada = chancgto make a sound. By the time:Jenson and I get to the spot. The-Rogue has gone and seis the gifls heart. Her eyes are wide, but life has left them. Her rosy cheeks quickly pale with theck of blood flow. Blood trailed off down the alley, and over the small fence at the end. ¡°Stay here, call the Alpha. Tell him I''m on a hunt.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± "Always alone.¡± I had my knives and my gun, that was all I needed. I didn¡¯t need someone else that I had to keep an eye on. A small field-is behind the fence that eventually turns to a few trees and then woods. The blood trail was: constant, thinning out as the beast healed. A few crimson droplets here ang there until there is nothing. Chapter 0220 Chapter 0220 But his scent was strong. He was nearby. Jenson had said something about the Rogue using trees. I look up but can¡¯t see anything. "Why don''t youe out to y?¡± I call out into the silence of the woods. "Or is the little beasty afraid? I keep my hands free. Wielding a knife right now would only make him less likely to appear. I had to get my timings perfect. ¡®I know what you are. And you know what I am.¡± I call out again. ¡°So why waste my time with these games.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I feel his presence hovering above me, but I don''t look up. He clearly wants to give me the element of surprise, so I will y him at his own game. Stepping forwards, I keep my eyes in front of me. He is trying to understand me, they always did. After all, I had climbed the fence and traipsed through the fields in my beautiful Louboutins. A price I had to pay to wear beautiful shoes and to kill my targets. The rustling above me is a purposeful move. He had worked at concealing himself for a long time. He wanted me to look up, just as he jumped down on me. Instead I move further into the woods which is followed by a grunt of annoyance. He may be able to lure others to their death, but two could y at that game. ¡°Talk.¡± I snap. "I know you can.¡± "Why are you following me?¡± He growls from up the tree as I check my nails. ¡°You are causing me problems that I don''t need.¡± ¡°You are causing me problems by following me.¡± He growls I roll my eyes. "Are you going toe down here so that I can kill you?¡± Heughs, a throaty garbled sound that sounds more like he is choking on something. ¡°You look like her, but you don¡¯t smell like her.¡± He drops directly in front of me. His beast towers over me, bloody drool hanging from its sharp teeth. ¡°You smell weak and you smell delicious. He slowly drags a tongue over his sharp teeth. ¡°Is that supposed to scare me?¡± I cock an eyebrow at him. ¡°Because I''ve dealt with a lot worse than an idiot who likes to y with his food. And I am far from weak.¡± He growls agaln, stretching up even taller, but I just stand here, unphased and unbothered. Being massive was not always an advantage. Being = smallef?eans I''m quicker, and-can get Qt of tighter spots. Sometimes carrmove in ways they aren''t expecting. His ws reach out to grab my shoulders ard I step back, just out of reach. It was a simple but yet "Why did you target those girls? He doesn''t answer and staying at full height, he moves around me in a circle, trying to freak me out. His moves are so predictable, I wonder how Dane and the others had struggled to kill him. Hees to a halt in front of me. ¡°You want them, don''t you. You want her for yourself?¡± ¡°l can help. I can get in unseen. We could work together. Lycan and Lycan taking over the shitty Wolves.¡± I held a hand up, pointing to myself. ¡°Lycan.¡± I slowly turn my hand to point my finger at him. ¡°Rogue. Don''t confuse the two. That deep throaty gargle ripples through the air. ¡°Would you feel better if I shifted? He changes back to the chestnut haired man that had lured the git¡± away. Not even afraid to conced athis naked body. A massive lump of flesh missing from his leg. You wouldn''t think he would be able to walk. 0.¡± In one fluid movement, I pull a knife from my waistband and jab it into his stomach. Surprise floods his eyes and a cry of anger releases from his throat as I rip the de upwards to his ribs. They take too long with their games. Trying to draw it out until they get what they want. With Rogues it was best to be quick. Not allowing them time to plot their next move. Always be unsuspecting. His hands grab the handle of the knife and he pulls it out, sending a spray of deep red all over me. He starts to heal before my very eyes. I hadn''t gone deep enough I pull out the other knife and sink it into his bad leg as he tries to knock me down. He goes to pull it out, I fire the gun, the bullet disappearing into his forehead before blowing the back of his head out. "One down. Chapter 0221 Chapter 0221 Hey everyone, hope you are all well and enjoying the story so far. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. I want to thank everyone for the reviews,ments and gems. It''s fab to see all the numbers grow and it means so much when writing a story like this. I also love to read your predictions for the plots to see if you can work out what''s happening with the characters. There is no update tomorrow 30th April. But I will be back on the 1st May. I don''t want to keep you waiting too long. And there is still so much more toe. Have a fab day. Taylor West Chapter 0222 Chapter 0222 Damien My knuckles hit the punch bag over and over. Raven won''t let me touch her when she¡¯s on her period. Telling me it''s gross and disgusting and that if I tried touching her she would happily cut my dick off. Between the two, I would rather keep my cock, so instead I burn my energy in the punch bags. I pause as stuffing starts spewing from the splits in the bag. Taking it off its hook, I carry it over to the others that had already broken through. The lady that repairs them is going to hate me for all the work I''m providing her with.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. As I hoist another bag onto my shoulder, a sharp pain spirals through my chest and almost has me doubled over, sucking the air from my lungs. ¡°Raven!¡± Dropping the bag. I charge across the grounds, ignoring the concerned looks from the other Wolves "RAVEN?" I call out as I run through the back door and into the packhouse. She stares at me wide eyed with a spoonful of ice cream halfway to her mouth. The spiralling pain continues to stab at my heart, but my mate is sitting right in front of me, lookingpletely fine and confused Ravens brow dips down as a small crease forms between them. "Are you okay?¡± "Are you?" I fire back, trying to keep the anger at bay as my heart thuds against my chest like its trying to break free. She nods, still wide eyed. The pain vibrates through my chest, but doesn¡¯t spread any further. It couldn''t be possible. ¡°Damien?¡± There''s an edge of worry to her tone as she speaks my name. But if she was fine, that could only mean one thing. I rub my chest. ¡°I think.... I think Salem is dead.¡± Her spoon tters to the table. ¡°He''s....dead? But you are here?¡± ¡°I felt pain. I thought you were hurt, yet you are fine. It can only be him.¡± I wanted to wrap her in my arms and never let her go. She blinks a few times as though she hadn''t heard me. ¡°Who... who would have killed him? ¡°It could have been anyone. The bar where I found Dottie wouldn''t have been thest ce for him to get a._ feed.¡± I rgb¡¯ my chest again. The pain was unexpected. I didn''t think there was : anything left connecting me and iy brother. ¡°The idiot must have got himself wrappedup i in something else.¡± "Are you okay?¡± She asks quietly. ¡°I know you wanted to be the one to end his life because of what he did.¡± It was true. I wanted to be the veryst thing he saw. I wanted to see him take hisst breath as life drained from his body. I nod. He was dead and that was one less thing we had to be concerned about. "What about you?¡± She may not verbally speak it, but she questioned-what happened to him, letting the questions build in her mind. Wondering how he ended up bing as hateful as he did. She never said it, and kept the thoughts to herself I think sometimes;she forgets that I could read her ¡®mind. ANd afterst time, I wasn''t going to be the one to drag it out of her so aggressively . "He deserved it.¡± She whispers and sucks her bottom lip in between her teeth. ¡°It''s fine.¡± I offer. ¡°I just want you to tell me the trut, when you are ready.¡± I''m careful with my words. Watching her tiny reactions and making sure I don¡¯t push too much. She isn''t afraid to shut me out if I push too much. ¡®I cared for him once. You know that.¡± She lets-qut a heavy sigh. ¡°He seemed suclya good man at one point. Thaugh he was filling my head with lies{delling me what I wanted-o hear. Making promises that hewas never-going to keep. He has done hortible, horrible things¡± She looks d¨¦wn at her leg. It was almost completely healed but she still refused to go on packruns or shift, just in case¡¯. Chapter 0223 Chapter 0223 "What if we had gone through the blood tie? What would have happened to me then?¡± It was the question she reyed over and over, but she hadn''t once asked me until now. "He would have broken your heart.¡± I keep my voice level and calm. Purposely keeping the annoyance from my voice. He probably would have killed her too, but she doesn''t need to know that. Her frown deepens and her eyes move to the closed door separating the kitchen from the hallway. ¡°I hope whoever Killed him, made his death quick. She had this picture of him in her mind of the man he once was. I wanted to tell her the truth. To tell her that he was never that man and what a bad man he really was. I wanted to tell her about the kind of messed up situations he put himself in, long before he asked Cassandra to turn him. But I bury it down, letting her remember the tiny good things about him.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. I was the idiot for letting him live for so long. She gives me a small sad smile. I should be jealous. I was to begin with, but I can''t change the fact that she loved him once, even if it was built on lies. ¡°You should... um..." She picks up the spoon and starts digging it back into the melted ice cream. ¡°You should tell the others. Dane and Neah will be so happy.¡± I move around the table to hug her and she jabs the spoon at me. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, I will cut it off. I swear!¡± ¡°I can''t even wrap my arms around you." ¡®I don''t like being touched when it''s my time of the month. You should know this by now! It happens every single damn month!¡± "It you let me put a pup in you. It won''t." Making my way down the hallway, I rap my knugktes on the office door. Dane calls.for me toe in as Eric: lazes in a-chair. His eyes are = practically bulging from his head as he yawns. The aroma of alcghol is str¨¦ng in the air. ol Eric still hadn''t returned to Beta duties and us seemed to have taken over though Dane hadn''t actually made it official. But it was a good thing that us had stepped in, no one needed a drunk Beta. ¡°Eric, go.¡± Dane mutters. ¡°Sure.¡± He stands and sways, momentarily falling back into the chair. ¡®Drunk again, ksee?" I try to keep the judgemental {one to a minimum, but the way he acted, it pissed me off. ~~ He wasn even worthy of his title and Dae needed to strip it. I didn''t carebout them being old friends. It shatld go to someone worthy, like us. Content belongs ta "What''s it got to do with you?¡± Eric seethes I was pretty sure he was an alcoholic now. Apart from his bnce, he could hold a conversation. There was a term used, back when I was human, Functioning Alcoholic.¡± Yep, he definitely fitted that category. ¡°Eric, go home, get some rest.¡± Dane growls Eric stumbles out and Dane quickly calls for one of the omegas to follow Eric to make sure he gets home in one piece. ¡°You really need to get a handle on that.¡± I mutter. ¡®I found out someone is supplying him. I''ve told him and everyone else that if I find out they are bringing in alcohol for him, they will be ripped apart by the others.¡± I cock a brow, surprised. He had been letting Eric''s new habit slide for months, I wonder what''s changed. I don''t ask, it wasn''t my ce Chapter 0224 Chapter 0224 ¡°I assume you wanted to speak to me about something.¡± He asks coldly ¡°I believe Salem is dead.¡± He stills, his eyes shifting from the paperwork up to me. The crimson colour still didn¡¯t quite sit right with me, but it wasn¡¯t such a surprise each time I looked at him now. Though Raven had said that Dane always believed it was because he was Alpha. I¡¯ve met enough Alpha¡¯s to know that crimson eyes were notmon, in fact, I¡¯ve never seen another Wolf with them. ¡°I was down in the training hall. I felt this awful pain, spiralling in my heart. Like my life was being sucked from me.¡± He rocks in his chair, giving me a knowing look. ¡°That¡¯s the pain of losing a sibling. It¡¯s what Raven and I felt when Jenson cut us off. But you are here, so you didn¡¯t kill him?¡± ¡°No, like I said, I was in the training hall.¡± ¡°I hope he suffered for what he did to Eric¡¯s kids and Raven.¡± ¡°You mean Jensons kids?¡± ¡°Eric raised them. You should have told him. Maybe it would have helped¡­¡­I don¡¯t know at this point. I think he¡¯s lost it.¡± ¡°Words won¡¯t help him, Dane. We both know that. Just be grateful he isn¡¯t a Lycan.¡± He didn¡¯t need to ask me what I meant, he knew exactly what I was saying. ¡°Are you making us your Beta?¡± I press He presses his lips into a thin line as he clenches his jaw. ¡°I should, but no.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t wait for the drunk to sort it out!¡± ¡°Neah wants you to be my Beta.¡± ¡°What? I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not a Wolf.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I told her. But she did say ck Shadow is hardly just a Wolf pack anymore. She is a Lycan. A female Alpha who happens to now be the Luna of my pack. My sons who are heirs to the Wolf pack are also Lycans and I have two additional Lycans living in my pack.¡± He snorts. ¡°She¡¯s right. Things are changing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m her guard.¡± ¡°Exactly what the Beta is supposed to do. I know we don¡¯t always see eye to eye Damien. And maybe that¡¯s a good thing.¡± I cock a brow at him. ¡°Just think about it.¡± He asks if I had spoken to Raven. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I thought the pain was something to do with her at first. I thought something had happened. But she''s in the kitchen, eating ice cream.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t need to hear anymore.¡± He nods knowingly. Raven had told me that Dane had pretty much raised her and her twin brother through their teenage years. Taking them on as his own as he took the role of Alpha. No doubt she gave him a hard time when she hit puberty. They both probably did. I¡¯m d I wasn¡¯t around for that. Bing an Alpha at a young age had mostly worked in Danes favour. He definitely knew how to force people into helping him. I wondered if he had managed to get someone on the outside to kill my brother. I didn''t care if he had, I just wanted to know who so I could congratte them. ¡°Who do you think killed him?¡± Salem had spent several years never being caught. He had outrun me. Always ahead of whatever it was we were trying to do and now suddenly, he was dead. I don¡¯t buy it. It sounds like someone else was hunting him. He shrugs his shoulders. ¡°Does it matter if he¡¯s dead?¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t, but I prefer to know who." Chapter 0225 Chapter 0225 Dane He¡¯s being serious. I see the way he stares at me with his ridiculously dark eyes. If he was a Wolf, I would have knocked him down a peg or two. ¡°I don¡¯t think they are or were even remotely interested in Salem.¡± I roll my eyes. I was just happy salem was dead. I didn''t really care who did it as long as I don''t have to deal with him and his fucked up ways anymore. ¡°Remember it was Salem who killed Jess. I¡¯ve watched Jenson, I¡¯ve seen how his mind works. He convinces those around him to do the work for him.¡± Damien mutters ¡°No he¡­¡± Damien cocks a brow. ¡°You don¡¯t see it Dane? He was head of war tactics. They don¡¯t put themselves in the middle of it all, not usually. They try to control the situation. They see what they think is best and have everyone around them fight the battle so that they can stay in control.¡± ¡®How is he always right?¡¯ Aero mutters Damien leans back in the chair, screwing up his nose at the lingering scent of Eric. ¡°He would actually fit in well with the Rogues. Maybe that''s why he went to the Lycan that looks like Neah. He wanted someone to do his bidding.¡± ¡°Damien!¡± I give a warning growl. He was pushing it. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one to tell me Jenson always wanted what you had. Your position, your power, your mate?¡± ¡°You are treading on thin ice!¡± ¡°You just said that maybe it was a good thing that I didn¡¯t agree with you on everything. I never came here to be yourckey. I came here to protect Neah and if that means helping you see things that you can¡¯t or just refuse to, then I will tell it how it is.¡± ¡°I know somewhere in there, you care for your brother, Dane. Because I cared for mine too, right up until he crossed the line. But you are letting that cloud your judgement even now. I will protect Neah and if that means killing this woman that looks like her¡­.¡± ¡°ir.¡± I seethe ¡°And your brother. Then I will.¡± He continues It was clear that he was serious. ¡°All your ideas are hypothetical. We don¡¯t know if it was her that killed Salem.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the likelihood of it not being her or them?¡± Damien challenges. "As I said, Jenson rarely does anything for himself." ¡®He has a point.¡¯ Aero mumbles ¡®Jenson wants your spot. He finds someone that just happens to be Neah¡¯s half sister and now¡­.¡¯ He trails off ¡®What?¡¯ I snap ¡®He wants the pack.¡¯ I was about to answer my Wolf when the phone in the corner of my office started to ring. My eyes shift to it. Thest time it had rung was when I had received the request from Moonshine. The phone was there for other packs to contact me when they needed my help, though they wouldn¡¯t ring unless they were desperate and since nearly all my contracts were severed during the battle. It didn''t ring anymore. And contacting me always came with a price. I hold a hand up to Damien, insisting he stays. I pick up the phone without speaking. ¡°Dane, this is Ryan, the Alpha of Ashburn city.¡± He blurts out before I even say hello. I wanted to laugh at the way he introduced himself. He still hadn¡¯t quite figured out how to assert his dominance as an Alpha. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t think that I want to enter into a contract. I never contacted you. They came to me.¡± He sputters out in a hurry, almost tripping up on his words. ¡°I told them the same. And though I am grateful for what they have done, I was hoping there was another way I could repay you.¡± They? So ir had lied when she said she hadn¡¯t seen my brother for months. Chapter 0226 Chapter 0226 I wasn¡¯t even aware Ashburn had a problem. I had to choose my words carefully. ¡°My brother found a way to help you?¡± ¡°Yes! And as I said, I appreciate them for killing off the Rogue, it means the young girls in the pack are safe and the parents are no longer panicking.¡± His voice quivers a little bit. Like he was trying to find a reason to keep his hands clean. To keep himself from falling under my orders. He didn¡¯t want to follow in Roan¡¯s footsteps and I respected that. ¡°Was it my brother that made the final kill?¡± I ask, trying to not let on that I didn¡¯t know anything about what he was doing. ¡°Uh , no. I believe it was hisdy friend, ir.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking anything of you.¡± I cut the conversation short. ¡°No contract this time.¡± I mutter so he wouldn¡¯t question it. ¡°I¡¯m happy they could be of service to you.¡± He is quiet, but I hear him breathing down the phone. ¡°Are there more?¡± he asks after what felt like an eternity. ¡°When Ist spoke to you. I told you that there are Lycans. I even told you my mate was one. Though we did believe that there were very few. But now, ¡° I pause. It was only fair to be clear with him. ¡°There is a possibility. What I didn¡¯t tell you is that my mate is the Lycan Alpha.¡± I watch Damien cock a brow at me, a smirk appearing on his face. Ryan pauses again. And I can only imagine the questions running through his head. ¡°Can she control them?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to answer that. She did have a hold over the ones trying to attack us but Salem had fought against it and I wondered if it would be the same with the others. I didn¡¯t even know if she had a hold over Damien or Mallory. ¡°Time will tell.¡± I mutter into the phone. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And Rogues? Are there more? Jenson and ir left without saying another word. I didn¡¯t even get to ask any more questions. Do I bury the Rogue?¡± I nce over at Damien, knowing that he could hear both sides of the conversation. He mouths the word ¡®burn¡¯ at me. ¡°Burn the Rogue and as for asking me if there are more, the truth is I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°So what do I do?¡± ¡°Train your guards to be better.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I hear the hesitation in his tone. The same hesitation I had heard from many others. It won¡¯t be long until he is asking me for my help. It had been a longtime since I had forced anyone into a new contract. But if it worked in my favour, I was never going to say no. ¡°Thank you for calling me Ryan. I hope you are settling into your Alpha duties. If you need any assistance, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know.¡± I put the phone down before he had a chance to reply. ¡°So I was right.¡± Damien mutters. ¡°It appears so.¡± ¡°She does.¡± He mutters. ¡°What?¡± ¡°His question about Neah. She does have a hold over us. She has never used it, but in the same way as your Wolves feel your power over the pack, she has it over us.¡± I had felt it. I had felt the lingering power when I firstid eyes on her. When I watched her thin frail frame slide down that door until her ass hit the floor. The power radiating from her was one of the things that drew me to her. Well other than her being my mate. ¡°If it¡¯s present, then how could Salem fight it?¡± He scowls. ¡°What was she like when she forced the others to obey her orders?¡± ¡°Confident. She had been upstairs, hiding with Jess. The pair of them came out when Cassandra made Jess bring Neah to her. But it was a plot.¡± I smile, ¡°I could feel her power, but ¡­.it¡¯s not always present now. It¡¯s the strongest when she is around our boys.¡± Chapter 0227 Chapter 0227 He grins at me like a fucking idiot. ¡°She¡¯s found her beacon of light.¡± ¡®Beacon of light?¡¯ Aero quizzes ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I demand Damien shakes his head at me,¡°She¡¯s surrounded with a darkness that she is constantly fighting off. The darkness slowly crushes you. It takes over every inch of you when you are least expecting it.¡± ¡°While Neah fights it, there is no space for her to have the ability to be a strong and powerful Alpha. We can protect her, we can give her the tools to help her stay in control, but we can¡¯t fight it for her. That¡¯s something she has to do on her own. And she can only do that when she finds the thing that gives her hope. And it sounds like she has found it. She just doesn¡¯t realise it.¡± ¡®We didn¡¯t give her hope?¡¯ Aero sounds defeated. ¡®We are her mate.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what he means.¡¯ I mutter back ¡°There must be something else we can do for her, that I can do?¡± I ask the Lycan staring back at me. His dark eyes hover on me as he slowly shakes his head. When it came to Neah, I often felt powerless. It was a shitty feeling, watching my mate struggle and not being able to do anything to help her. She was having more good days then bad but the darkness was still there, seeping into her thoughts. Sometimes I would catch her staring into space. Her dark thoughts weighing heavily on her as her mind shifted through them. ¡°So you are saying that the twins will be the ones to save her?¡± I press ¡°The ones to save her. The ones to give her her strength. The ones who will make her really understand who she is. Raven is my light just as those pups are hers.¡± He gets to his feet. ¡°This could be her turning point, Dane. This could be the thing that really puts her in power. She just needs to hold on to that light.¡± I had questions about Raven being his light. From what I understood he had broken free of rogue life long before he met Raven. But the questions were not relevant right now. He reaches the door and turns his head back over his shoulder. ¡°I will be your Beta, Dane. But at the end of the day, my priority will always be protecting Neah. Oh, and you can be the one to break the news and I will not be referring to you as Alpha.¡± He smirks before heading out the door. I tidy up the office before going to find Neah. It buys me some time, trying to decide what I should say, in the end I opt for the truth. Lying could have an even worse oue. And I want to grow old with her. Surrounded by our kids and grandkids. She¡¯s sat in therge armchair in front of the window of our bedroom. The twins are cuddled into each side of her as she reads them a story. I recognised the book too. It was one of the first that us had given to Neah to help her learn to read. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. A children¡¯s book about animals. It had been flung across the room multiple times when she struggled. Her eyes flicker up to me, but she continues to read as though she never once struggled. Both boys are asleep by the time she is finished. She closes the book and smiles at me while hugging them tighter but her smile slowly fades. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± ¡°Salems dead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°ir killed him.¡± Chapter 0228 Chapter 0228 ir Alpha Ryan will call Alpha Dane to tell him that the Rogue is dead. He might even have already done it before we had even left Ashburn city. It would blow mine and Jensons cover considering i told him and Neah that I hadn''t seen Jenson for months, but it will be worth it because his death should confuse them. Maybe I could put a spin on it, make Neah and her mate believe I did it for them, to make them think they could trust me. They would be fucking stupid if they fell for it, but sometimes, its the simple ideas that work. I just needed to get close enough to turn her world upside down. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you just shot him.¡± Jenson is muttering more to himself than me. His dark eyes settle on me. ¡°He can¡¯t heal ande back?¡± ¡°No one can when their brains have exploded out the back of their head.¡± I smile. It always brought me such great joy. He ces my dinner down in front of me and slides into the chair opposite me. ¡°Do you always shoot them? It¡¯s just¡­guns are rarely used in packs.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a pack. The gun is ast resort.¡± I add. ¡°I prefer to slice them and rip them apart, but Rogues predict that.¡± He doesn¡¯t say anymore as he starts to shove roast chicken into his mouth. We really were worlds apart, but he had gotten to the point where I just couldn¡¯t let him go. What the fuck was wrong with me? ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± He mutters with a mouthful ¡°You don¡¯t normally hold back.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you shift? Do you ever shift? Because I have never seen you in Lycan form. You¡¯ve seen my Wolf. You know about Aspen. But I still don¡¯t know that much about you, other than your ability to ride my cock.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than one question.¡± I smirk, ¡°But I will y along. There wasn¡¯t a need for me to shift. There rarely is. I have better control in human form.¡± ¡°You lose control?¡± ¡°Eat your dinner.¡± He pauses over his potatoes, eyeballing me but chooses not to say anything. And he doesn¡¯t bring it up again for the rest of the evening. In bed, heys with his hand resting just above my pussy. Deep snores echo against my neck where his face is currently pressed. I hadn¡¯t let anyone get this close to me ever. To even consider that there was a possibility of me having a partner for life had always seemed like a dream or maybe a nightmare. Though his questions at dinner had made me realise he was getting too close. Bringing up things I never talked about. A past that was long buried and one that I wanted to stay buried. Would he even understand, given what happened to his first mate? Maybe it was time to let him go. His lips graze my neck and his hand moves further south, cupping my pussy. ¡°Why are you still awake?¡± He whispers in the dark, his breath fanning out over my skin. ¡°Did I not fuck you enough earlier?¡± He slides the tip of his finger across my folds. My arousal speaks for itself. I part my legs a little to give him better ess, but he continues at an agonisingly slow and steady pace of stroking his finger back and forth. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. I push my hips up towards his hand and still the rhythm doesn¡¯t change. ¡°I want more, ir.¡± He mutters against my neck as his lips leave tantalising kisses behind. ¡°More?¡± I whisper back, thrown by his demand. ¡°I want you to be mine.¡± His teeth scrape against my skin and I still. iming me means more than just being his partner. It means being tied to him for life. Knowing my every thought, including my past. A past that goes so much deeper than my father abandoning me and my mother. I slide out from under his hand. As much as I could do with a good fucking, I just couldn¡¯t let him mark me. Chapter 0229 Chapter 0229 ¡°Seriously?¡± He asks with a raised brow, bringing his fingers to his mouth to taste my juices that covered them. ¡°You have made it very clear that you want me to be your mate.¡± I mutter, pulling on a pair of workout leggings. ¡°I¡¯m not ready.¡± Shit, wrong choice of words. ¡°Every day that you don¡¯t let me im you, we risk the chance of finding our actual mates. And then we won¡¯t stand a chance. When will you be ready, ir? Six months, a year, five years? You know we are good together.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push it!¡± I snarl through gritted teeth "And I''ve travelled the world, my mate doesn''t exist!" ¡°Are you scared, is that what it is?¡± I pause as I pull on my workout top. ¡°Scared? You think I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Something is holding you back!¡± He snaps at me. ¡°Every moment that I think this is it. That I have found someone I can be with. You throw it back in my face.¡± ¡°Right, let''s say you do mark me. What happens when I die? What I do doesn¡¯t guarantee my life, Jenson? You could mark me and I could die tomorrow. Do you really want to lose another mate?¡± I know I was deflecting. But he wasn¡¯t ready for the truth. I grab the yoga mat and strut towards the door. ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asks ¡°To fucking work out. Is that okay with you?!¡± I was so angry. Why did he always have to push? Why did I let him get away with so much shit? Any other man would be buried six feet under if they tried to pull the same crap. Just as I flick out the mat, he appears. His arms folded across his wide chest as he leans against the doorframe, naked. ¡°I make you feel something that you¡¯ve never felt before, don¡¯t I?¡± I jab the headphones in his direction and abruptly pull them over my head, silencing him, but it doesn¡¯t make him leave. Ten minutes into my yoga session, I rip the headphones off. ¡°You think you know everything Jenson.¡± ¡°I never imed to.¡± He frowns ¡°And I don¡¯t see what your problem is. We want the same things. We enjoy each other and I know the very idea of me being with someone else puts you in a bad mood. That¡¯s why you walk away.¡± ¡°No it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then what are you not telling me? I¡¯m sure I can handle it. Is it something to do with Neah and your father?¡± ¡°No.¡± His brow dips as he tries to think of another reasonable exnation. The sad thing was, he had missed all the clues. Clues that I hadn¡¯t intentionally told him, but ones that slipped out when talking about other things. He steps forward, taking my hands in his. ¡°I can handle it. Whatever it is. We can figure it out if it means you are mine and I am yours.¡± Stepping away from him, I feel my stomach tying itself up in knots, something I hadn¡¯t felt since I was a kid. He was the only person to make me feel like this. The only person to see something other than the hardened exterior. ¡°You might want to put some clothes on.¡± I sigh. Someone would find out eventually. It might as well be him. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± He goes to sit his bare ass on my sofa. ¡°You will probably leave. So you might as well be prepared.¡± He goes to say something, but decides against it and heads back to the bedroom. Returning in a white tee and some sweatpants. He settles onto the sofa with a smile like a kid waiting for santa. ¡°Jenson, have you not worked out how I know why it¡¯s easy to kill Rogues?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I just assume it¡¯s years of training and practice.¡± I try another tactic, ¡°You asked me why I don¡¯t shift.¡± ¡°You mentioned control.¡± Could he really not see what I was trying to tell him? ¡°Jenson, I was a Rogue.¡± Chapter 0230 Chapter 0230 ir I was expecting his dark eyes to be wide with my announcement. Instead he just stares at me like I have just asked him if he had a good day. ¡°Are you not going to say anything?¡± I demand. ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t one of those times where you wait for my instructions, or you need to follow my orders. I just gave you the answer to why I don¡¯t shift. Why I mentioned losing control. Why I find it easy to kill Rogues, well, kill anyone. And now you are just staring at me!" He continues to watch me. ¡°There have been hints for months and you have been too dumb to see it!¡± I snap, sudden rage boiling through me. This is why I never let anyone get close. I never wanted them to figure it out, but Jenson has been here for months and he still hasn''t figured it out. ¡°Dumb?¡± He cocks an eyebrow at me ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just pack your things and go.¡± I hide any emotion that I¡¯m feeling. I knew it woulde to this and I had been prepared for this moment since he snaked his way into my heart. He gets to his feet and doesn¡¯t move any further. He jams his hands into his pockets. I was expecting his heart to be thundering in his chest. A Rogue had killed his mate. That¡¯s what had led him to me. ¡°I knew the moment you sniffed out Damien. I¡¯ve just been waiting for you to tell me.¡± ¡°What? That was months ago!¡± ¡°Damien once said being Rogue heightens your senses, allowing you to sniff out other Lycans, differentiating them from the Wolves. You sniffed him out when he followed me. You knew he was there when I didn¡¯t. I knew then that at some point in your life you had been a Rogue.¡± It takes a lot to surprise me, but he has my jaw hanging open. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t known about Lycans and unaware of the information I know about Rogues. I wouldn¡¯t have put two and two together. But you are right about one thing. Little bits of information have slipped through. Which probably wouldn¡¯t have happened if I hadn¡¯t fallen for you and stuck around. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to tell me ir. For you to feel safe enough with me that you could finally announce it.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. It¡¯s my own heart that is rampaging as I clutch the rolled up yoga mat to my chest. He had known and he hadn¡¯t said a word. Letting me keep my secret, letting me decide when to share. ¡°You¡­you still want to im me?¡± I was pretty sure if the window was open and a breeze passed through it would knock me off my feet. No one, not a single person had wanted anything from me other than to kill something or someone. They hadn''t ben interested in my life in any shape or form. ¡°I¡¯m still here aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Why?¡± I splutter, still in shock. ¡°You are the first person I¡¯ve loved.¡± ¡°But we are not mated.¡± ¡°And? Why should that stop us? If I im you, you are mine and I am yours. I don¡¯t care if you were a Rogue in the past.¡± I turn away, because he just didn¡¯t see the seriousness of what being a Rogue is or was. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t shift, Jenson. I told you I lose control. You think that bastard was bad. When I was Rogue, I was a hundred times worse. It¡¯s why I made it a mission to hunt them down and get rid of them. And not shifting allows me to keep control.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°A Rogue killed your mate.¡± I don¡¯t even know why I was trying to push him away. He was probably the best thing that has happened to me in my whole life. Even if he did annoy me half the time.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t. And maybe that¡¯s a sign. Because if he hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have met you.¡± It was too much. I walk over to the hooks by the door and grab my keys. His hand grabs hold of me, spinning me around and pressing me into the wall, his warm body flush with mine. ¡°Don¡¯t run away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I just¡­.¡± I don¡¯t even know what I need at this point. To kill, to drown myself in wine, a good fucking. I don¡¯t know. I just need to clear my head. Chapter 0231 Chapter 0231 He pries the keys out of my hand. ¡°I will drive.¡± I give in and let him take them. While I slip my feet into some wedges, he asks me where I want to go. ¡°Just drive.¡± I mutter and follow him out the front door. He doesn¡¯t speak as he winds the car through some back roads. He lets my thoughts run wild. Waiting for me to take the lead. I¡¯m not even sure how far we have travelled when he pulls the car in under some trees, but I could see the sun appearing in the distance. ¡°Drive!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been driving for hours. We will need fuel if I keep it up.¡± He mutters. It was now or never. ¡°I have spent my life searching for my half sister. To right the wrong that happened to me and my mother. She was impossible to find until recently. All I had to go on was a name and when our kind are hidden from the world, do you know how hard that is?¡± He keeps his mouth closed but watches me carefully. ¡°I developed the desire to kill when I was a teenager and I was damn fucking good at it. Ites naturally. People paid me to get rid of problems. A handy way of earning money while doing the thing I loved at the same time. Do you know how rare that is? Of course you don¡¯t, I''m sure big brother had enough money to get you anything you wanted.¡± It was a bad dig, and I knew it was because I was so angry. ¡°Did Damien ever mention being evil?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He shakes his head ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t spend that much time with him.¡± ¡°Shifting and killing does something to Lycans.¡± I shake my head. ¡°It turns us into even worse monsters than what we already are and sometimes, there is no stopping it.¡± I sigh. I had never told anyone that before and it was so mentally draining to even think about it. ¡°You came back from being a monster.¡± His dark eyes linger on mine ¡°And one day, I could lose that battle all over again.¡± He might as well hear the truth now he was learning my secrets. ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Four years.¡± ¡°And you still think it''s a possibility?¡± I nod, watching the sun rise over the hills. ¡°Why?¡± My eyes sh to his. ¡°What do you mean ¡®why¡¯?¡± ¡°Why is there still a chance that you will go back to that life? Surely if you don¡¯t want it, then you just don¡¯t go back to it.¡± ¡°If only it was that simple. The only way I can think of exining it is that it has a hold on you. Lycans were not designed to live like humans or even Wolves. We were designed to keep the poption under control.¡± ¡°Numbers of humans keep growing and are slowly destroying the world so we knock them back down. Though some Rogues go too far.¡± I add ¡°You are talking about that town that I told you where Salem was from.¡± I nod. ¡°They should have moved on. Their mistake.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never spoken about it have you? You¡¯ve kept that all to yourself for years.¡± ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, it''s not like I have friends, is it?¡± He pulls the lever and slides the drivers seat back as far as it can go. He reaches over and unclips my belt. Grabbing hold of me, he pulls me onto hisp and grabs my face, pulling it close to his. ¡°You have me.¡± His lips hit mine with a new force. Rough and messy as his tongue forces my lips apart. I had given him the worst news about me and yet he hadn¡¯t flinched or backed away. He let me get everything out without pushing too much for more information. Twisting my body around until I¡¯m straddling his thighs. I lock my arms around his neck, and kiss him back as ferociously as he kisses me. He understood me far more than anyone else had. I had let him in deeper than anyone else. I pull back from him. My chest rises and falls as I stare at him. Maybe he is my salvation. ¡°Okay.¡± I whisper. I tip my head back, letting him have ess to my neck. ¡°Do it.¡± Chapter 0232 Chapter 0232 Neah ¡°It¡¯s good right, that he¡¯s dead?¡± Raven asks as she crawls into my bed next to me. The twins were asleep and I had been making the most of the quietness until Raven came charging in my room. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She eyes me suspiciously, ¡°Because ir allegedly killed him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it was all a little too easy for her? Damien tracked him for a month and still couldn¡¯t kill him. When Salem was here, none of us could get a hand on him. Instead, he destroyed countless lives.¡± ¡°Okay, so you have a point.¡± She mutters. I still didn¡¯t understand it or what ir wanted and everyone had a different opinion. Raven opens a bar of chocte and starts nibbling on it while trying to think of something to say. ¡°I get that maybe she was helping Jenson get revenge, but you are right, it does seem too easy.¡± ¡°I mean, he is definitely dead, Neah. I watched the colour drain from Damien¡¯s face. He may have tried acting all macho but you could see it, he was in pain.¡± ¡°Could they have faked it? Maybe Salem is working with them too.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Salem killed Jess. there is no way in hell that Jenson would work with him. And you can¡¯t fake the pain of losing a sibling.¡± ¡°But no one expected him to work with a Lycan either, not after he med Dane for bringing Damien and Mallory here.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± She frowns and offers me a piece of her chocte, though I shake my head. ¡°Damien has a theory.¡± She mutters, shoving the piece into her mouth. How she wasn¡¯t the size of a house was beyond me. She is always eating. ¡°Spill.¡± ¡°He thinks it''s an attempt to get closer to you.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. I snort. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Like some weird fucked up n. He doesn¡¯t know what, but he definitely thinks it¡¯s something.¡± ¡°I think we can all agree on that. I may have not been able to see through things when I was younger, but I have learned a lot. Everyone has a game n.¡± ¡°And she is still with Jenson. Knowing my brother, he has probably told her everything about our pack and how it works I expect he has even told her everything he knows about us. He isn¡¯t supposed to, but that was before he detached himself from us.¡± Her shoulders drop. She won¡¯t admit it. But she missed him. Even if he seemed to be a problem. ¡°I wish he could see that he has lost his way.¡± She adds as she stares at her hands. ¡°Dane will forgive him. He is family.¡± I didn¡¯t want to tell her what Dane had said about him. Forgiving him was thest thing on my mates mind. In fact he had mentioned several times how he would let the others tear him apart for putting his family and the pack at risk. ¡°I don¡¯t think he cares about that, Raven. It¡¯s been months.¡± ¡°She could have a hold over him.¡± It sounded more like she was trying to reason with herself. Or maybe Midnight. I shrug my shoulders, keeping my thoughts to myself. ¡®You should tell her.¡¯ Nyx mutters ¡®No, because deep down she already knows.¡¯ I snap back I watch Raven¡¯s shoulders drop even lower. ¡°We¡¯ve lost him for good, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What I do know is that it has been a long time since there has been any news from him. And the first bit we get is not even from him, but from the Alpha of Ashburn city. He didn''t even acknowledge the death of his kids.¡± She drops back on my pillows, staring up at the ceiling and even letting the remainder of the chocte bar fall to the floor. A tear creeps out of the corner of her eye, leaving tracks as it makes its way down to the pillow. Chapter 0233 Chapter 0233 Secondster, a brisk knock raps the door and Damien doesn¡¯t even wait for me to tell him toe in. His dark eyes settled on her as more tears seeped from the corner of her eyes. Damien crosses the room, sliding his arms under her even when she protests about being touched. He pulls her against him until she gives in and lets him carry her from the room. As they leave, Dane makes his way in, nting a kiss on my cheek. ¡°What was that about?¡± ¡°She misses him.¡± He nods his head knowing exactly who I am talking about. ¡°Do you think there is a chan¡­.. ¡°No.¡± He cuts me off before I even finish the sentence. ¡°Jenson made it more than clear that he doesn¡¯t want this. I¡¯m not pandering to him!¡± Every so often he would throw in a word or phrase that I didn¡¯t know. I think sometimes he forgot that I was a ve and the only words and phrases I knew were ones that were used around the house. Some I had learned in my time here, but still, there was always something. He sees my face and corrects himself. ¡°I¡¯m not going to do what he wants just because he throws a fit. I need to do what¡¯s best for our family and the pack.¡± ¡°I want to help her. But I don¡¯t know how to.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± He looks over to our napping twins. ¡°It¡¯s more than just a sibling missing a sibling. They are connected in more ways than most. Twins that carry Alpha blood. They are twins that have also been gifted twin Wolves. That bond they have shared since the day they were conceived can¡¯t just be broken because he left the pack.¡± ¡°Can she still link him?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You just said the bond is stronger. What about her Wolf, Midnight, could she connect with his?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Aspen? I guess I haven¡¯t really thought about it. If you haven¡¯t noticed, she doesn¡¯t really talk about Jenson to me. Or Damien.¡± He adds with a sigh. ¡°She did this after our parents died. She partially shuts down. Though it¡¯s really hard to see because she carries on with life in general, she just won¡¯t talk about the things that are weighing her down.¡± ¡°She talks to me. Not much, but she does.¡± ¡°And I am more than grateful for that.¡± He kisses my cheek again, inching down to my lips. The electricity of his touch ignites my body as his kiss deepens. His tongue is quick to explore my mouth as his hand locks into my hair, holding me close. ¡°The boys.¡± I murmur, pulling away. He growls when I don¡¯t let him go any further. ¡°They will be sleeping in their own room tonight.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I start to protest. I have had them close to me every night since they were born. They were my responsibility. It was up to me to keep them safe from the chaos of the world. ¡°They are nearly seven months old. Their nursery has been ready for months. And they will be in the room right next door with a guard if that makes you feel better. I need my mate to myself, even if it''s only for a few hours.¡± He nuzzles the mark on my neck, knowing that it is my weak spot. His hot breath brings my skin to life. ¡°Two guards.¡± I murmur back ¡°If it means I don¡¯t have to share you, you can have as many as you want.¡± He kisses me again just as Evrin starts to cry and mutters something about that¡¯s why he wanted me alone as he climbs off the bed. Secondster Logan wakes too. It was definitely a twin thing. Chapter 0234 Chapter 0234 Neah When the cribs were being moved, Dane received a link, telling him someone looking like me was at the gates to the pack. Immediately, my body tenses, why the hell was she here? I also find myslef questioning it because she hadn''t tried to sneak in this time ¡°Stay here with Raven and the boys.¡± Dane kisses me. ¡°Damien, you''re with me.¡± ¡°No.¡± I snap Both men freeze. ¡°She¡¯s obviously here to see me. That was why she came the first time, to tell me about my father.¡± ¡°Neah¡­.¡± ¡°I can handle it.¡± I mutter. I knew the real meaning behind him keeping me away. He wanted me to stay calm. To keep the ever growing darkness from enveloping my heart. But Damien had been right about one thing. My sons helped keep the darkness at bay. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­.¡± ¡°I will go with her.¡± Damien interrupts him. ¡°The boys should be with one of their parents. I swear, I won¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡± Dane had a love-hate rtionship with Damien. While he appreciated that Damien would do anything for me. He hated how Damien didn¡¯t always respect that he was the leader even now after he had epted the Beta postion. ¡°If anything¡­.¡± Dane starts ¡°Nothing will happen to her. I will let her kill me if it means keeping Neah alive.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t let Raven hear you say that!¡± She would be mortified that he was putting another woman first over his own life. The men stare at each other. They couldn¡¯t link each other but it was clear they were having some sort of silent argument. One of the things I hade to learn from being in this pack; men are worse than women when it comes to arguing. Forever trying to assert their dominance. No one really did it to Dane apart from Damien. ¡°Damien!¡± I snap, ¡°Are youing?¡± I quickly turn away before Dane¡¯s crimson eyes lock with mine. I didn¡¯t need to be reminded of the risk. My body had its own reminder every single second of the day. ¡®What¡¯s the n?¡¯ Nyx whispers as I make my way down the stairs. Damien¡¯s huge frame is close behind me. ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ I mutter back to my Lycan. ¡®But I need you to be quiet. I can¡¯t have you interrupting me or letting me miss half the conversation because I¡¯m distrtacted and talking to you!¡¯ She falls into silence. We were finally turning a corner. ¡®And no shifting.¡¯ I add. I didn''t need or want to add more fuel to the fire. Not just yet. ¡®It wasn¡¯t mest time.¡¯ She scowls. ¡®I told you it was all your doing.¡¯Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Damien stays quiet as he walks behind me. I don¡¯t know why, but he felt more reassuring than Dane. Whether it was because he didn¡¯t question me, or because he wants me to be the Alpha that I¡¯m supposed to be, I don¡¯t know. What I do know is I don¡¯t feel as tense. ir is standing at the open gates. The guards watching her every move. She lookspletely different to thest time I saw her. Instead of baggy clothes, she is in skin tight leather. A cropped leather jacket shows off her torso, while on her feet are the tallest heels I have ever seen. Painted red nails peeping out at the end. ¡°Like to take your time, don¡¯t you?¡± She eyes the in ck leggings and sweatshirt that I¡¯m wearing but doesn¡¯t make ament. Her brown eyes shift over to Damien. ¡°You must be the other Lycan.¡± ¡°You know exactly who I am.¡± Damien keeps his voice level, not a hint of anger present and waves to the guards to move away. ¡°I¡¯m sure Jenson told you. How is he by the way?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to concern yourself with him.¡± A snort escapes Damien and it made me wonder what he really thought of Jenson. did he not say anything because he knows it will hurt Raven? ¡°Why are you here?¡± I ask, bringing her focus back to me She unzips her jacket and pulls out arge tan envelope and flings it on the ground in front of me. Damien steps around me to pick it up. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°That is for my half sister.¡± He sniffs it first, making ir cackle. ¡°It¡¯s not poison. I just thought it would rify a few things.¡± Damien hands it to me. Inside is a picture of my father with a woman that isn¡¯t my mother. Briefly, images of my parents and their blood coated bodies flicker before my eyes. Their screams of pain fills my ears. Like a burst of energy, I feel the darkness flood through me. Chapter 0235 Chapter 0235 I force images of Logan and Evrin to take their ce. ¡°That is our father, with my mother. If you look closer, you will see she is pregnant. Pregnant with me.¡± ir continues. ¡°I don¡¯t me you for not believing me. But how else do you exin how simr we look?¡± ¡°Is that why Jenson went to you?¡± Damien pushes. ¡°Because you were the next best thing?¡± She snarls at him. ¡°Jenson has imed me as his.¡± She pulls her jacket to one side and shows me the mark just above her corbone. Damien erupts intoughter. ¡°So he marked you because he couldn¡¯t have Neah?!¡± ir res at him as hisughter quietens. I didn¡¯t need to look to know he was still smirking. Her brown eyes refocus on me. ¡°When I came herest, I didn¡¯t handle it very well. I made you feel like I was a threat.¡± ¡®Lies.¡¯ Nyx mutters ¡°I just wanted you to know the truth about our father. I figured you deserved that.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve told me and now you can leave.¡± ¡°I thought maybe we could have a conversation. Sister to sister.¡± She presses. ¡°Just us, alone.¡± ¡°Do you really think she is that stupid?¡± I hear Mallory¡¯s high pitched voice as she drops out of a nearby tree. I had been so busy trying to keep the darkness from taking over that I hadn¡¯t even noticed she was here. Had Damien? He didn¡¯t let anything get past him. ¡°Mallory?¡± ir forces Mallory¡¯s name off of her tongue like it''s poison. ¡°You must be the bitch that¡¯s riddled with lies.¡± What the fuck was going on? They almost sounded like they knew each other, but at the same time, they didn¡¯t. ¡°Jenson has told me all about you. How you almost killed my half sister?¡± ir¡¯s brown eyes return to me. ¡°Why did you let her live?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to exin myself to you.¡± I snap She takes a step toward me and so does Damien. ¡°I¡¯m telling you now, little sister. It¡¯s not good to be surrounded by those that were once Rogue.¡± ¡°It takes one to know one.¡± Mallory growls from the other side of me This time ir steps back. She seemed to be surprised by Mallory¡¯s words. Like someone had revealed a deep dark secret that she had never wanted shared with the world, or more particrly, me. She rocks on her heels, sucking her cheeks in as she thinks of something to say. Instead, she turns, ready to walk away, only to flick her head over her shoulder. ¡°Protection doesn¡¯t work if the wrong people are protecting you. Neah.¡± She struts away down thene and gets into a fancy car. As the car makes a U turn, I catch sight of Jenson and he looks angrier than ever. ¡°Mallory, what the fuck were you doing in a tree?¡± I snap ¡°I saw her, okay. I was up there watching, like I have been doing since thest time she came. I didn¡¯t believe Damien when he said she looked like you and I wanted to see for myself.¡± ¡°What did you mean, ¡®takes one to know one.¡¯?¡± Her eyes shift to Damien. ¡°Damien had his suspicions.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. I spin to look at him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That day I saw them drive off together. She was the only Lycan around.¡± ¡°Okay? And?¡± ¡°The only Lycans that prefer to be on their own are ones that have gone Rogue.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to use her directly.¡± Mallory adds, ¡°But the way that she reacted confirmed it and it¡¯s not something she wants people to know.¡± ¡°So she has felt this?.¡± I mutter, pressing a hand over my heart. ¡°She felt this darkness.¡± They both sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I feel bad for her.¡± I snap. She clearly wants something from me.¡± ¡®She¡¯s lying to you.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. ¡®Last time and this time, she has acted like a different person each time. Don¡¯t fall for it.¡¯ I nce down at the photo that was half scrunched in my hand. My father had loved another, but had given it all up for his true mate and ir hated me for it. Chapter 0236 Chapter 0236 Mallory ¡°What an absolute bitch!¡± I snap to myself in annoyance. How could theye from the same father but be so different. Damien swings the front door open. He had made sure Neah had returned to Dane before joining me. ¡°What the fuck was that shit you were ying at?¡± He demands. ¡°I had to tell Neah that it was my idea for you to be hiding in the fucking trees.¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Because everything you do, she finds suspicious. You are just lucky she believe it. Are you trying to get yourself killed now?¡± ¡°No, I just¡­ I thought I could help by keeping watch. No one will let me join in on guard duty so I figured I would do it myself and we all know Rogues and Lycans like trees.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just tell me what you were doing?¡± ¡°Because you probably would have said no. You seem to have forgotten that I used to watch over the Rogues before you. That I would keep an eye out for anyone driving through the town. And it was a good job I was in the trees. Neither of you saw the gun that was stuck down the back of her stupid leather leggings!¡± ¡°A gun?¡± He meets me with the same surprise as when I saw it. ¡°Yes! Not the first thing thates to mind for a weapon used by a Lycan, right, but I know what I saw!¡± I hold the pot of coffee up to him and gesture if he wants one. He nods, slowly sitting at the table as he absorbs my words. ¡°You think she was going to kill Neah?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. All I know is that the moment she asked to speak to Neah alone, I had to do something. Neah may still hate me, but if I can prevent her death, I will.¡± I shrug my shoulders. I was tired of trying to prove myself but I will continue to do it as long as I am here and alive. ¡°I appreciate what you did.¡± ¡°But she doesn¡¯t, does she?¡± I sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else I can do, Damien. If I just sit around, I feel like I¡¯m just waiting for the day that Neah decides enough is enough and she is going to have me killed. If I do something, it¡¯s wrong. If I don¡¯t do anything, it¡¯s wrong. I¡¯ve said it to you many times, but maybe now, now is the time I leave, for good.¡± ¡°No.¡± His answer is blunt. No reasoning to why he said no. Just the one singr word. ¡°Damien, you know as well as I do that everyone who has hurt her is dead. She lets very few people into her inner circle because of it. You, Raven, us, Eric and Dane. That¡¯s it. I¡¯m literally waiting for the day for her to say ¡®enough¡¯ and have me hung in front of everyone.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t hang you.¡± ¡°Well you won¡¯t be able to stop her, will you. She will just order you to stand down.¡± ¡°No, I mean she won¡¯t hang you. She will have you ripped apart or will pry your heart from your chest.¡± ¡°Thanks for the vote!¡± I snap sarcasticallyContent ? N?velDrama.Org. He groans. ¡°Forgiveness isn¡¯t easy for some people.¡± My shoulders drop. ¡°I know, but you are the only one here who likes me. All anyone else can see is what I did years ago. No one here lets me train with them. No one here wants to be my friend except you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen you talking to Raven and us.¡± ¡°Okay maybe Raven, but I think us only talks to me because he is an oddball.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you to sound so whiny.¡± Damien cocks a brow at me. ¡°This is not whining. This is being at the end of my patience. Because unlike other situations, it¡¯s not like I can just take her forgiveness from her. It¡¯s not a physical object! I have to earn it and I really don¡¯t know how.¡± I ce his mug in front of him a little harder than I intended and spill coffee on the table. I angrily wipe up the spill. Feeling his dark eyes burn into the side of my face. ¡°Have you ever considered that it might not actually be about you?¡± There isn¡¯t an ounce of frustration in his tone, unlike mine. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The whole time we have been here, what have we learned?¡± ¡°That I¡¯m the bitch?!¡± He snorts and shakes his head. ¡°Shees from trauma. Not once has she had it easy, ever. And I still believe that we don¡¯t know everything. The darkness clings to every ounce of her being, feeding on that trauma, ying with her thoughts and feelings in ways that she probably doesn¡¯t even know. You know that.¡± ¡°And then there is also the possibility that she doesn¡¯t know how to deal with someone saying sorry to her. Or maybe she has never heard it from someone who genuinely means it. We both know that sometimes, it''s easier to be angry at the world than it is to forgive. And it''s ten times harder for her because she is fighting something only she can fight.¡± Chapter 0237 Chapter 0237 ¡°Are you sure you weren¡¯t a shrink when you were human?¡± I muse over my coffee. He always did have this way of seeing things that others couldn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯m sure. What I am saying is don¡¯t give up. Not just yet.¡± ¡°When you went after Salem, I shared a room with Raven. I thought it might open a path for me, but it just seemed to make her hate me more.¡± ¡°Ravens her friend.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible that she thought she was losing her friend to you.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°What kind of high school crap is that?¡± Heughs. ¡°That¡¯s exactly where you are missing the point.¡± I frown at his words and blow out my cheeks. Sometimes, it was really frustrating just how right he was. ¡°Can you get her to meet with me? You could be there too.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I can ask her, but I¡¯m not making any promises.¡± I give him a small smile, grateful that he was at least trying Once he has finished his coffee, he leaves to check on Dorothy. Once again leaving me alone. How was it possible to feel lonelier in a pack full of Wolves than what it was when we were living in the derelict town? Refilling my mug with coffee, I take it out to the front door and sit on the cool stones that formed my tiny porch. People walk past and even when I put my hand up, they don¡¯t acknowledge me, acting like I don¡¯t exist. I did the same thing most days and each day, I lost a little more of the hope that I had found somewhere I could belong. us leans into my line of sight, waving a hand at me. ¡°You okay?¡± ¡°I will be.¡± I mutter He walks up to me anyway. His frame shadowing mine as he blocks out what''s left of the evening sun. ¡°Fancy a walk?¡± He asks, his deep green eyes wide and expectant. ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel sorry for me.¡± He seems surprised by my response and almost a little offended . ¡°I don¡¯t. Now that I¡¯m not really needed, I¡¯ve got some freetime.¡± I roll my eyes as he fixes his man bun. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to walk, I can keep youpany.¡± He doesn¡¯t even wait for an answer, plonking himself down onto the stone next to me. ¡°I heard you were watching in the trees.¡± ¡°News travels fast.¡± I mutter, swigging thest of my coffee ¡°It¡¯s a pack. It¡¯s generally what happens.¡± ¡°Is that why you keep yourself to yourself?¡± I ask, not really interested in his choice of conversation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If I kept myself to myself, they would probably be at my door with pitchforks.¡± He nods his head in agreement. ¡°You are not supposed to agree.¡± I snap ¡°I can¡¯t disagree when I agree.¡± He smirks at me which seems to brighten his deep green eyes. "I know what they are like." ¡°Did you want to be Beta?¡± I ask curiously. He had stepped into the role because Eric was drowning himself in alcohol every day. But now Damien had epted, us seemed to mooch around the grounds more. ¡°Yes and No. Damien is perfect for the role. He has Neah¡¯s best interests at heart.¡± He smiles to himself. ¡°He challenges Dane when no one else will. His human past makes him a good asset. If I had been a permanent Beta, I would never be able to research as much as I do.¡± ¡°What are you researching?¡± He screws his face up, ¡°Lycans.¡± ¡°You know you have two right here who you can ask.¡± ¡°No offence, but I''m looking for information on Lycans by blood.¡± He adds. ¡°And Neah can¡¯t answer my questions. After all, it was me who discovered that she is a Lycan.¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°No need to sound so surprised.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± I mumble. ¡°It¡¯s just, even back then, before I was bitten, I knew what Cassandra and the others were. How did she not?¡± ¡°She believed she was a Wolf. It¡¯s only when she started sharing information Dane realised things didn¡¯t add up.¡± I sigh, feeling the weight of the guilt in my heart. They were cruel to her and I had just stood back and let them carry on, right up until I attacked her. Betrayed by the very family who were supposed to protect her. It really should not have been a surprise that she wouldn¡¯t forgive me. ¡°She didn¡¯t trust me to start with.¡± He adds like he had read my mind. ¡°She didn¡¯t?¡± He smiles again. ¡°Dane brought her to my house for her first tutoring session. She panicked because I stood behind her, helping her with her words. Fear of being hit, fear of the unknown. It put her on edge.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I gave her a little space. I talked to her. Told her how I ended up in the pack. We have something in common. I was bound when I was a kid too.¡± "You were?" "A long story, but yes. I think knowing that I had something inmon with her was what helped her rx." ¡°I don¡¯t have anything inmon with her.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Chapter 0238 Chapter 0238 Hi everyone, I hope you are all well and good. You have all just reads Mallory''s chapter and I hope you have enjoyed it. Originally, Mallory wasn''t going to have a POV and I have done this as a bit of a one off due to so many requests but if you would like to see more from her, please let me know. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Thank you to all those who are leaving reviews, gems,ments and predictions. I enjoy reading them as much as writing the story. There will be no update tomorrow, 6th May. It is a bank holiday in the UK and I will be taking the day to spend with family, but I will be back on the 7th. Taylor West Chapter 0239 Chapter 0239 Neah Standing over the empty cribs in the nursery, I still wasn¡¯t happy that the twins would be sleeping in here tonight. Though I knew it was in their best interests, it still hurt. ¡°I thought I would find you here.¡± Damiens deep voice echoes around me, making the room feel emptier than what it is. ¡°You know I¡¯m on duty tonight.¡± I spin around to look at him with wide eyes. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Dane thought you would feel morefortable if it were me. You know I won¡¯t let anyone hurt them.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I mumble. ¡°Plus I can keep an eye on Dottie.¡± ¡°The nightmares are getting worse again, aren¡¯t they?¡± I had heard herst night. Whimpers of desperation that she couldn''t exin. He nods his head and sighs. ¡°She¡¯s young. She has a loving father.¡± He rolls his eyes at my words. Almost seven months on and he still wasn¡¯t used to his new role. ¡°She has the chance to grow up surrounded by people who adore her. It will be a distant memory.¡± He leans against the door frame and folds his arms. ¡°She¡¯s got a chance that you never had.¡± I smile sadly. She really was lucky that Damien had found her and not another asshole. Though he never did get a chance to find out if Salem had known she was in the bar. ¡°Were you looking for me?¡± I ask, remembering what he first said. ¡°I was.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Why?¡± He furrows his brow, choosing his next words carefully. ¡°ir had a gun.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see a gun.¡± ¡°Mallory said it was shoved down the back of her leather leggings. That¡¯s why she jumped down from the tree when she did. She thought you were going to get shot.¡± ¡°She told you that?¡± He dips his chin and waits for me to say something else. When I don¡¯t say anything, he tells me that Mallory was just trying to help. ¡°Like the time she tried to help Cassandra?¡± The spite rolls off my tongue. ¡°She¡¯s never forgiven herself for that. She has killed others, but she has never forgiven herself for what she did to you.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t change the past, Neah. None of us can.¡± His words stab my heart. Dane had said the exact same thing. Telling me could only make a better future. ¡°You think I should forgive her?¡± ¡°I think you should at least listen to her. Then if you still don¡¯t like her. She will leave.¡± I could see it in his face that he hated the idea of her leaving. ¡°I can be there if it makes you feelfortable.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Neah she¡¯s trying¡­..¡± ¡°No, I mean, I will go but I don¡¯t want you there.¡± He raises an eyebrow at me, ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I will talk with her tomorrow.¡± ¡®And then she can leave.¡¯ Nyx murmurs. I don¡¯t repeat her words as Damien walks away with a smile. **** It felt impossible to rx. Like I shouldn''t be allowed to. The boys hadn¡¯t stirred so far, sleeping heavily as Damien and another guard hovers outside their door. ¡°They are fine.¡± Dane mutters, pulling me toward the bathtub. His lips catch my jawline, inching along my chin towards the mark on my neck. ¡°You need to rx.¡± He murmurs, sending his breath fanning across my skin and igniting every nerve ending. He steps back, watching me. ¡°Now take off your clothes.¡± Pulling the sweatshirt up over my head, a smile spreads across his face. His crimson eyes alight with hunger and desire. I keep my eyes locked with his as I slowly push down my leggings and panties and step out of them. ¡°Get in.¡± He orders. Stepping into the hot water, I let out a gasp. The heat was always afort, draining the worries from me. Hugging my knees to my chest, I close my eyes, letting everything fall away when he steps in behind me. His legs slide down either side of mine as he pulls me back against his solid chest. His hardened length is already pressing against my lower back. His teeth catch my earlobe, sucking it into his mouth as his hands cup my breasts. Thumbs brush over my hardened nipples followed by a quick pinch as his lips move from my ear to my neck, drawing a quiet moan from my throat as he sucks on the mark he gave me. Tipping my head back on his shoulder, his lips roughly find mine. He sucks in my bottom lip, dragging his teeth along it before releasing me. Chapter 0240 Chapter 0240 Grabbing my jaw with one of his hands, he keeps my face tipped towards his as his other hand slips beneath the surface of the water, diving to that sweet spot between my thighs. ¡°Dane.¡± I whisper as he drags a finger across my folds, igniting the dull ache in my core. The corners of his lips curl up as his hand firmly cups my pussy. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I want you.¡± I murmur back. He makes a singr stroke that sends my nerves wild and automatically my hips are pushing up against his hand, desperate for more than just a stroke. My movements send water crashing over the side of the tub and his grip on my pussy tightens to still me. Staring into his crimson eyes, ¡°I want more.¡±. His finger slides in a little further but nothing more. It was so agonisingly slow and something told me he knew exactly what he was doing. ¡°Please.¡± I whisper. His crimson eyes stay locked on mine. He doesn¡¯t say anything, but flicks his finger a little. My patience growing thin, I slide my own hand down into the water, forcing it under his and start circling my own clit. His eyes narrow as he gazes at me. He loved it when I yed with myself. But he loved it more when he could see every inch of me. My mouth drops as a low groan rumbles through me and he pushes a second finger inside. ¡°Oh Dane.¡± My hips buck against our hands but he keeps his fingers slow and steady as I throbbed around them. Suddenly, he drives a third finger into me. My core clenches as I try to hold back the orgasm building inside of me. It doesn¡¯t work and I''m shattering around him, rocking my hips as the orgasm runs its course. He pulls me around, ignoring the water as more sloshes over the side. His cock is pressed against my pussy as he pulls me in closer for a kiss. Locking his hands in my dark hair, his tongue dips between my lips, exploring my mouth. Lifting my hips, I slide my wetness up and down the length of his throbbing cock, letting my juices coat him before positioning him against my entrance. Gripping my hips, he ms me down on his length, not even giving me a chance to adjust, forcing a squeal of pain and pleasure from me as he fills me. ¡°You are so fucking sexy.¡± He growls as his fingers dig into my hips and he thrusts upwards, smiling as my jaw drops. Holding onto his shoulders, I slowly guide myself up and down his length, feeling his cock jerk everytime I mmed down against his base. He had been agonisingly slow at fingering me, it was only fair I repeat the process as I ride him. He tries to speed it up by thrusting into me, but I keep myself steady, staying seated on him for longer each time he tries. ¡°Do I need to bend you over?¡± He mutters in a dark tone. ¡°You had your fun, now let me have mine.¡± I muse A dark grin spreads across his face. He pulls my hands from his shoulders, pinning my wrists behind my back and holding them there with just onerge hand. His other hand finds my clit, his thumb makes small circles against my swollen bud as I begin to bounce on his cock. My eyes roll back as the desperate ache inside me grows. Both of us seem to be holding on, waiting for the other to climax. ¡°Fuck Neah.¡± He growls as I m down on him over and over. Biting on my bottom lip, I try to hold on as I teeter on the edge. Releasing my wrists, his hands settle on my hips as he ms me down harder and harder. "Dane, fuck!" My head tips back "Let me see those pretty blue eyes!" he demands. Turning my face to him, I couldn¡¯t focus, everything falls away as I hit euphoria. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. He rocks his hips, filling me with his cum as he pulls me flush against him. Our heavy breathing is matched as I rx into him and he runs his fingers through my wet hair. I had a smile stered to my face and not just because of the sex. He had this ability to make me feel that everything was okay. Chapter 0241 Chapter 0241 Neah The twins didn¡¯t wake up once. Not one single time. It was a good thing, I should be happy, but a part of me had hoped that their first night in their own room wouldn¡¯t be so perfect. And while they slept, Dane made up for theck of time we had been alone since their arrival. So much so, that I could still feel the aftermath this morning. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they slept.¡± Raven mutters as she bounces Evrin in her arms ¡°I know, I¡¯m just being¡­..¡± I sigh. ¡°You are being a mum.¡± Her dark eyes sh up to mine and I knew the question wasing. ¡°You¡¯re really meeting with her?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°Worried that I will shift and kill her.¡± I joke but she stares at me, rmed. ¡°I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking. I kept calm when ir was here yesterday. I can do it again, I think.¡± ¡°Damien said that he¡­.¡± ¡°I know, and I¡¯m grateful, but this is something I have to do alone. I have been fighting with my head and my heart over this for so long.¡± I sigh, because I didn¡¯t talk about it to anyone. As far as everyone was aware, I hated Mallory. But that wasn¡¯t true. I just didn¡¯t trust her and her motives. ¡°You never said.¡± ¡°I¡­ I feel like I¡¯m supposed to hate her. I mean, I did. She almost killed me. She thought she had killed me. I thought I would never see her again¡± I shake my head as I pull Logan from the high chair. ¡°I could have killed her several times, but I haven¡¯t. She¡¯s Damiens best friend. He sees something in her that I don¡¯t or maybe it''s just because he has known her for longer.¡± I shrug my shoulders. ¡°I thought I would give her this one chance. To get everything out in the open.¡± ¡°If you need anything.¡± Raven mutters. ¡°You know where I am.¡± I sit Logan on the floor with a bunch of toys and kiss him on the top of his head before kissing Evrin too. "You sure you are okay to watch them?" "Of course." Taking a few deep breaths, I pull open the back door and head towards Mallory''s house. Mallory flings the door open. A big smile stered on her face. Her dirty blonde hair tied up into a half up, half down style. Dungarees covered her body with a white vest underneath. A cleaning rag in one hand. ¡°You actually came.¡± She seems genuinely surprised and tosses the rag out of sight I nod and she steps back to let me in. I had stayed as far away from her small house as I could until now. Her eyes dart behind me. ¡°Uh, no Damien?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She sucks in her cheeks. ¡°I wanted toe alone.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She gestures to the small wooden table. A steaming teapot sits in the middle with some cups and biscuits. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you would prefer. I have coffee too.¡± She gestures to the pot on the kitchen side. It was the most nervous I had seen her. A far cry from the bitch she once was. ¡°Please sit.¡± She whispers,chewing on her bottom lip. ¡°You can ask me anything and I promise, I will tell you every single detail.¡± I took the chair that faced the front door. She slips quietly into the chair opposite me. Her brown eyes don¡¯t settle on me right away. Like she is trying to decide how to start the conversation. ¡°You ran away.¡± I mutter. ¡°After you thought you killed me, you ran away.¡± She nods. ¡°I always promised myself I would never end up like my father, but it happened and I knew when I stood over you as you were bleeding out, that my life was over. I had be just like him and I hated myself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that we have inmon.¡± She adds quietly, ¡°Neither of us wanted to be like our parents.¡± I swallow the lump forming in my throat, trying to bury the irritation that rose from her thinking we were the same. ¡°You killed your father?¡± ¡°I had too.¡± ¡°After me?¡± She nods her head and sucks in her cheeks. ¡°I had be the very thing that I least wanted. At the time, I was more bothered about that than bing a monster. Bing a Lycan was supposed to have been a fresh start for me. To be part of a pack that wanted me, a pack that saw my value.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. I snort but she continues. ¡°In reality I became more of the very thing I hated. So I hunted him down and killed him and then ran away.¡± ¡°You watched your father kill your mother?¡± ¡°I saw more than that growing up. He raped her. He beat her.¡± Her tone grows darker by the second but tears prick at the edge of her eyes. ¡°He put cigarettes out on her. There was even one time where she dropped a te of his food on the floor and he made her lick it up. The list goes on and on." The bottom of my stomach drops out. That was degrading and one thing I was never made to do. ¡®Fucker.¡¯ Nyx mutters Chapter 0242 Chapter 0242 ¡°Her miserable life ended when he killed her. And maybe that was one good thing that came out of their marriage.¡± Her shoulders drop and her hands shake as she fills her cup with tea. ¡°I certainly wasn¡¯t.¡± It takes me a second to realise what she is telling me. ¡°You... you were a product of rape?¡± Her shoulders hitch up as she takes a deep breath and bobs her head. ¡°Did he¡­did he ever¡­..¡± ¡°No. There was one time, where I thought he was going to hurt me, but he turned on my mother instead. Do you see why I thought Cassandra was offering me a better life? She made me promises. She made me feel worthy. She made me feel safe.¡± Exactly how she made me feel before her and Trey set me up and destroyed me. ¡°I know now that she was a bitch to you. But at the time, she gave me the opportunity to have something better. To not be waiting for the day when my father finally decided I was old enough for him to rape me. And I took it. And that is when everything fell apart.¡± I could feel Nyx¡¯s sorrow as we listened to her story ¡°I believed every ounce of information that she fed me. I believed every damn lie she told me about you. I should have been smarter. I should have realised after my upbringing that trust is more than bribes. I see why you don¡¯t trust me, Neah. I see why you don¡¯t want to trust me. I wouldn¡¯t either but I swear that I will never stop trying. You can keep hating me. You can keep acting like I¡¯m the scum of the earth. But I will not stop trying to make up for what I did.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Her hand taps the table, my words catching her off guard. ¡°You¡­you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I used to wish that you had actually killed me. That you ended my existence.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She reaches out to take my hand, on instinct, I recoil and she she looks heartbroken. ¡°The hardest part of having you here, is that you are a constant reminder that you could have ended my suffering and you didn¡¯t.¡± I shake my head, half a smile creeping across my face because my reasoning sounded ridiculous. ¡°Stupid right? Especially when my mate is the Alpha of this pack. If you had killed me. My sons wouldn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°No.¡± She mutters, her brows knitting together. ¡°No, it¡¯s not stupid. You were looking for a way out. Even if the way out was death.¡± We fall into silence. Mallory nibbles on a biscuit as I try to find a way to move forward with this ufortable conversation. ¡®We should give her a chance.¡¯ Nyx mutters ¡°Was killing your father what turned you Rogue?¡± I splutter ¡°No, it was what I did to you. I had already turned by the time I killed my father.¡± She smiles. ¡°He tried to repent for his sins as I tore him apart. Fucking bastard thought that praying to his stupid God would save him from all his crimes.¡± She jams the rest of the biscuit in her mouth as I see the moment of enjoyment on her face. I wasn¡¯t the one to say it was wrong to enjoy it. There is just something satisfying about taking the life of someone who doesn¡¯t deserve one. ¡°There¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand. You told me that Damien was the only one you had helped to turn back, sessfully. Who helped you?¡± She scrunches up her face. ¡°Rogues love the lifestyle. It¡¯s a simple life. I''m sure Damien has told you that. The darkness drags you in. For me, something just felt¡­wrong. Like my darkness wasn¡¯t natural. Like I was trying to be someone or something that I¡¯m not. If you ask Damien, he will tell you that apart from me being able to shift, I¡¯m more human than most.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡± ¡°Cassandra turned me because I told her exactly what she wanted to hear. I wanted to make sure she didn¡¯t pass me up. So I did what I needed to do to ensure it would happen. I had to pretend to be someone I wasn''t. When I hurt you, something else took over. I think more than anything, I was trying to prove a point to her. Now that''s stupid.¡± ¡®It sounds like she was brainwashed.¡¯ Nyx mutters. ¡®Cassandra yed on her desperation.¡¯ I had been there. For years I thought Trey was my brother. For years I believed that I had been solely responsible for my parents death. Her brown eyes flicker up to me. ¡°You wish that I had killed you back then. I wish I had never met Cassandra.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be a Lycan.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She shrugs her shoulders again and I stare at her, surprised by her announcement. ¡°Hurting you and letting Cassandra bite me are two of the worst decisions I have ever made in my life and I can¡¯t change either of them. But I can use one to help you in any way I can, if you let me. Starting with that bitch that calls herself your half sister.¡± Chapter 0243 Chapter 0243 Mallory Neah hasn¡¯t said anything for about five minutes. Her silence makes me more nervous than when she is talking. I pour myself another cup of tea and slowly take a biscuit from the te. No sudden movements, that was my best bet. Or maybe she didn¡¯t believe a single word I said. I really hope that wasn¡¯t the case. It had taken a lot to reveal my history. Only Damien knew what I had told her. I nibble on the biscuit, watching her. Her eyes weren¡¯t ck. Another good sign I hoped, but then again, they hadn¡¯t changed colour when she tortured Roan. Another few minutes pass and the panic is really sinking in. This was it. I am going to die. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°One chance.¡± The words are slow to trickle from her tongue but she said the thing I least expected. I guess I was more certain than I thought that she was actually going to kill me. ¡°Sure.¡± I nod my head frantically. For years I had felt in control of my own life until I hade here. But I never truly was while my past yed havoc with my head. ¡°I can¡¯t promise that I will find your presence easy.¡± She furrows her brow, unsure that she had made the right choice. ¡°But I will try as long as you don¡¯t fuck me over.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. "Yes Alpha." There¡¯s a sudden sh of darkness in her beautiful blue eyes. A warning from her Lycan I hope. Rather than a sign the darkness is pressing forward. ¡°I will do anything.¡± I had been so against the idea of Damien sending me here with Dane and his brother. It was the veryst ce on Earth that I wanted to be. But in my heart I knew what I had to do. She is the Alpha and she probably would have found me eventually and then, everything could have been so much worse. She rises from her seat. But she still looks as though she has the weight of the world on her shoulders. ¡°I can track her down.¡± I murmur. ¡°I saw the car, the registration te. I can find her. My bet is she isn¡¯t that far outside the pack.¡± Her brows knit together and she sucks in her cheeks. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything, but it could be beneficial to know where she is hiding. Maybe I can do a little more digging on her for you.¡± ¡°She might shoot you.¡± Neah mumbles. ¡°We both know you are not worried about that.¡± She hesitates and lifts her eyes to meet mine. ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone, including Damien.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Though I¡¯m pretty sure if Damien gets a whiff, he will be on to me. Sometimes, he knew me better than I knew myself. Neah heads to the door, pausing her hand over the handle. ¡°Thank you for answering my questions.¡± She leaves without looking back and I find myself tearing up. Maybe there is a chance for us. In the afternoon, I take my mug and head out to sit on the stone porch. My heart no longer felt so tightly wound up, but I still had to be careful. There was still a chance that Neah could decide I wasn¡¯t worth it. Damien is heading my way with Dorothy skipping along beside him. She is a cracking kid, but just like the rest of us, she came with her own issues. She throws her arms around my hips as she reaches me. ¡°Mallory.¡± She beams as she stares up at me with her bright green eyes. ¡°How did it go?¡± Damien eyes me as though he was expecting the worst. ¡°Okay.¡± He cocks a brow at me. ¡°Seriously Damien. We talked for hours. She asked me questions and I told her as much as I could.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± I nod my head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t risking keeping anything hidden. She probably would have seen through it anyway. ¡°Time makes a difference.¡± He mumbles I shake my head at him. ¡°Actually, us gave me some good advice.¡± ¡°us?¡± He mutters in surprise. I nod. ¡°Apart from you. He¡¯s the only person that seems to like me being around.¡± ¡°I do too.¡± Dorothy yells as she picks some of the flowers from the small patch of garden. Damien narrows his dark eyes at me. ¡°Are you and him¡­.mates?¡± I shake my head almostughing. ¡°No. No he is not my mate. I¡¯m just saying, he isn¡¯t as annoying as I first thought.¡± Dororthy brings me the bunch of daisies that she had picked and I start putting them together to make a daisy chain. She stares at me in amazement, telling me that I¡¯m so clever. ¡°Did you reallye to check on me?¡± I ask Damien as Dorothy dances around with the daisy chain on her head like a crown. ¡°I had to check if you were still alive.¡± He bumps his shoulder into me,ughing. ¡°So she has epted you?¡± Chapter 0244 Chapter 0244 ¡°She¡¯s giving me a chance to prove myself.¡± I shrug my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s all I can ask for.¡± Damien and Dorothy stay for a little while. It was funny to see how far he hade from the beast I had first met. Never in a million years did I think we would end up in a life like this. And there was no way I was losing it, not now she was giving me a chance. I wait until after dark before slipping out. Climbing up into the trees of the forest without being seen. Up high, it was easy enough to move from branch to branch all the way to the edge of the pack. There were some guards on duty, but the second their backs were turned as they looked for me and my scent. I jump and run. The sooner I got information for Neah, the better. But I was doing this the old way. No tech. I needed to witness things with my own eyes. Breaking into a parked car was children¡¯s work. It was an older red nissan. It didn¡¯t really draw the eye because it wasn¡¯t fancy and that was exactly what I needed. I head towards the city. That was where Damien hadst seen her. Though, she was probably smart enough to know that staying in one ce won¡¯t do her any favours. Yet from what she was wearing, it wasn¡¯t like she was hiding in a cave or a run down building. She had somewhere she called home. Somewhere to fix her makeup and store her overly expensive clothes. I was just about to head back to ck Shadow when I see her car poking out from behind some bins. They had tried concealing it on a drive next to a quaint house. Quietly moving around the bins, I check the te. This was definitely it and for now, it was all I needed. I turn and head back up the street towards the stolen car when I catch a whiff of a familiar scent.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Jenson steps out of the shadows by the parked car. His arms folded across his wide chest. A crisp ck suit covered his frame. Something I never expected him to wear. ¡°Mallory.¡± My name leaves his tongue like a poison as he rolls thest few letters of my name. ¡°What are you up to, Mallory?¡± My eyes narrow and he starts tutting at me with tiny head shakes as he steps closer, towering over me. Though I could make him look like a child if I shifted. ¡°I see she has you wrapped around her manicured fingers.¡± ¡°Why are you here, Mallory? Did lover boy send you?¡± He chuckles to himself at the sadment. Some things never change. When had he turned so dark? Damien was right about one thing, Jenson would have fit in perfectly with the Rogues. Maybe that''s what ir saw in him. ¡°I came alone.¡± I had no idea if he had linked her yet. My best bet was to keep him talking. ¡°I was curious.¡± ¡°About?¡± ¡°ir. She looks just like Neah, are they twins?¡± I lie. He had seen how short tempered Neah was with me. Even the other day when ir had turned up and he had been in the car., he could see Neah looked pissed with me. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± He curls a lip in annoyance that I had even asked ¡°You are right. It¡¯s my downfall. Curiosity has always gotten the better of me.¡± I keep lying. I could lie to anyone as long as it isn¡¯t my Alpha. He presses his lips into a thin line and nces at the old red car. ¡°I stole it.¡± I blurt out. ¡°Dane would never let me bring a car out to look for you.¡± He nods. He seemed to actually believe me. ¡°You were stupid toe alone, Mallory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anyone on my side anymore.¡± I shrug my shoulders. ¡°Damien has Raven. The pack hates me. I wanted to find somewhere I would feel wee." Every lie feels like fire burning my insides. ¡°Then why did you stop ir?¡± ¡°I was still trying to help. I¡¯ve spent so long trying to help, but it''s time to give up.¡± I drop my shoulders, trying to look defeated. ¡°Is Mallory here?¡± ¡°She¡¯s working.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I dete even more. Trying to keep the look of surprise buried. What work did she do and why was her car still here? ¡°Get in the car and go home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my home.¡± I mutter. ¡°But I will go.¡± He watches me slide into the car and start the engine. Only backing onto the pavement when I start to move. I had got what I needed for now. Chapter 0245 Chapter 0245 ir ¡°You want to have another person help me?¡± I seethe, throwing more wine back my throat. Jenson stares at me with his dark eyes. He still hadn''t grasped on to the fact that besides him, no one else worked for or with me. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Neah hates her. You saw it yourself when Mallory jumped down from that tree. The look in Neah¡¯s eyes said it all.¡± ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t she killed her yet?¡± I refill my ss as he thinks of something to say. ¡°ording to you, they have been in the pack for how long? A year?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± He shrugs his shoulders as though the length of time didn¡¯t make a difference. ¡°Maybe my brother isn¡¯t letting her.¡± I snort, holding back the hystericalughter that was trying to bubble from my throat. ¡°It hasn¡¯t stopped her before.¡± Jenson had told me about the all the others that my darling sister had killed, so what made this Mallory so damn special? ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be beneficial to have someone on the inside?¡± He presses. ¡°And you think she is the one. How do you expect her to get information if Neah hates her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s best friends with Damien.¡± ¡°And? That doesn¡¯t mean anything if they are not willing to share information. But I am impressed that she found my home. She''s the first to have ever done that.¡± I pinch the bridge of my nose. ¡°Tell me again what she said to you?¡± He rolls his eyes at me, repeating everything Mallory had told him. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just link me?¡± I ask when he is finished. ¡°You know I¡¯m not aplete idiot. It was what she was hoping for. I wanted to question her first. Try to figure out where she stands.¡± I roll my eyes at him and take another mouthful of wine. ¡°What I mean is that if I had heard the information first hand, I could make a proper decision. Second hand information doesn¡¯t tell me if she was lying.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t.¡± He sounds so sure of himself, but that doesn¡¯t mean he is right. I had spent years around liars. Very few were convincing. ¡°If Dane had sent her, he would have sent her using one of the cars from the pack. Not a beat up rust bucket that she broke in to. I know how Dane works. He has always been about shing his power.¡± ¡°Unless it wasn¡¯t Dane who sent her.¡± I suggest It was his turn to roll his eyes. ¡°Why does everything I say have to be met with resistance?¡± ¡°Oh honey, I¡¯ve been ying this game a lot longer than you. You may be a little older than me, but all your war based tactics are what you learned from pack life. You see what you need to see. You solve what you need to solve. You fail to see the bigger picture. You were barely surviving when you were on your own.¡± I pause while he huffs. Why did men never like hearing the truth? Why did they feel they always had to have control and assume their ideas are the correct ideas? ¡°If she turns up again, and no doubt she will. You call me.¡± He dips his chin in acknowledgement as I try to figure out if she was genuinely curious or if she was trying to get information to tell Dane and Neah. Mallory turns up again the following evening. Her dirty blonde hair tied up into a loose messy bun on top of her head. Strands hung down around her pretty face. She gives herself a once over in the rear view mirror before stepping out of the old red car. ¡°Hello Mallory.¡± I mutter from the shadows. She doesn''t falter at my voice like so many others. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t expecting you.¡± ¡°You were hoping for my mate?¡± ¡°Yes," She folds her arms across her chest. "Given that he was here yesterday, I expected it to be him. Besides, he wouldn¡¯t let me speak to you.¡± Her chocte eyes move down to my hands. ¡°I see no gun, I hope this means you are not going to shoot me.¡± Chapter 0246 Chapter 0246 She wasn¡¯t afraid. In fact she seemed rather confident. Ballsy and I liked it. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it me you wanted to meet with?¡± ¡°Yes. But I also expected Jenson not to tell you. He isn¡¯t or rather wasn¡¯t always so forting with information.¡± ¡°People learn and things change.¡± She nods her head in agreement. ¡°Who sent you, Mallory?¡± ¡°No one. I told that to Jenson yesterday. Did he not tell you?¡± She pauses and really stares at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you just, you just look so much like her. Anyone would believe you were more than half sisters.¡± ¡°ttery won¡¯t work with me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. What I meant to say is it¡¯s a surprise considering you have different mothers.¡± ¡°I guess Daddy dearest had strong genes.¡± I muse because she wasn¡¯t wrong. When Jenson said Neah and I looked alike, I thought that maybe we might share the same eyes, lips or nose. I can¡¯t deny how surprised I was when we met and it was like looking into a mirror. Mallory nods and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ears. She is a pretty little thing. I noticed that when she jumped down from the tree. Even with the scar above her plump lips. She was still a turned Lycan, so the person who bit her must have seen potential. Potential that I was yet to see. ¡°Why are you here, Mallory?¡± A crease forms between her brows, as they dip even lower. ¡°I¡¯m trying to find my ce in the world.¡± she mutters. Her pitch doesn¡¯t change and neither does the rhythmic beat of her heart. That''s where the true giveaway of a lie hid. ¡°Neah hates me.¡± She continues, ¡°Damien doesn¡¯t want me to leave ck Shadow.¡± Her chocte brown eyes drift up to the darkening sky. ¡°Sometimes I feel trapped.¡± ¡°So just leave.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple.¡± ¡°Of course it is. You are not a Wolf. You are not an official member of the pack. You are a Lycan and not even a true one. You could walk out any time you wanted. The question is, why haven''t you?" She scowls, ¡°My mate is in the pack.¡± Still, her heartbeat doesn¡¯t change. Either it was true or she was so good at lying that her body believed it. Her gaze doesn¡¯t falter either. ¡°Has he imed you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sheughs to herself. ¡°The entire pack barely tolerates me, including him because of what I did to Neah years ago.¡± she pauses. ¡°I¡¯m sure Jenson already filled you in on that.¡± He hadn¡¯t said anything about her having a mate, but he had told me that she wasn¡¯t overly wee and the reason why. ¡°Yet you are still alive.¡± ¡°Only because they fear Damien. And Damien is Raven¡¯s mate, so he has a presence in the pack house.¡± She rocks on her heels. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that is the only reason why I am alive. What about you? You have survived.¡± She stares at me, expectantly ¡°Skills.¡± I mutter. ¡°Once a Rogue.¡± she responds without batting an eyelid. She nods towards my house where Jenson is standing with his face pressed against the window. ¡°I was skilled long before I went Rogue. The pack¡­¡­¡± Fuck! I just massively fucked up. My desperation to figure out if she was lying or not led me to not covering my own tracks properly. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Think! I internally yell at myself. ¡°Thest pack I took residency in, trained me. Likely simr to Dane training everyone.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She nods and I drape my arm over her shoulders. She knew too much now. I would need to kill her. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe inside?¡± ¡°I would, but I¡¯m supposed to be having dinner with Damien tonight. If I¡¯m not there¡­.¡± ¡°I understand. But five minutes won¡¯t hurt, will it.¡± I offer her a reassuring smile I steer Mallory away from the shitty car and towards my home. Her shoulders tense a little, like she knew what wasing. ¡°Deep breaths Mallory. I just want to talk some more.¡± Chapter 0247 Chapter 0247 Mallory ¡°We can talk outside. It¡¯s nice out here.¡± I pushed my feet into the ground, trying to slow her down as she used the arm around my shoulders to drag me forward. Her n was obvious. She had fucked up by mentioning she was in a pack and now, I was to die for her fuck up. It must really be eating her up if her only option is to kill me. But there was no way on this Earth that she would be the one to kill me. Her grip on me tightens, forcing me forward a little more. ¡°I would prefer to have this conversation over a ss of wine.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t drink.¡± I mutter, hooking my foot around the car tyre. If she was going to try and kill me, she could do it out here. Dane had said this ce was neutral territory. Killing me in the open would have her torn to shreds. ¡°Are you always so stubborn?¡± She snarls, tugging me forward. ¡°I take after my father.¡± I shoot her a wink. She snorts, and she¡¯s missing the point. Or maybe Jenson didn¡¯t know about that part to tell her. ¡°JENSON!¡± She screams at the top of her lungs, almost deafening me. So much anger sits behind her tone. Anger for me? Anger at herself? Or anger that Jenson had been watching from the window and hadn¡¯t evene down to try and help her. Whichever one it was, I was certain she was close to exploding, or maybe even shifting. Jenson pulls the door to the side of the house open. His dark eyes dancing between the both of us as he tries to guess what she wants. Though it seemed pretty obvious. Or maybe, just maybe, he was buying time. Maybe I could get through to Jenson. It would be a long shot, but I had to try. ¡°Moron, grab her fucking legs.¡± Really? That¡¯s how she talks to the man who imed her. He scoops down to grab my legs, only for my knee to smack him in the eye. He yells and stumbles back, only making ir scream at him again. He wrestles against my legs receiving several blows to the groin and his face before he gets a complete hold on me, locking my legs in the crook of his armpit. Carrying me inside, they m me onto a wooden chair, quickly binding my hands behind my back and my feet to the front legs of the chair. Child¡¯s y. I really expected more from ir. Or maybe she had never held someone hostage before. Maybe she was a kill on sight person and if that was the case, what was she really nning? ¡°I was wrong.¡± I mutter ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± She screeches at me. ¡°Neah doesn¡¯t scream like a banshee.¡± I spit at her and a hand slices across my cool skin. If I could look into a mirror, I would probably see a perfect red hand print, seconds before it fades as I heal. ¡°I¡¯m going to slice you open you little brat.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that!¡± Jenson nts himself between us. There is hope. ¡°Get out of the damn way, Jenson!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°If you kill her, you are going to bring them all to our door. As much as you are an expert killer. You cannot take on that many and live to tell the tale. You will never get what you want. We will never get what we want.¡± "They don''t care about her." "But one does. The one who is mated to my sister which means she will say something to Dane and he will send the fucking pack!" She growls and shoves him out the way anyway. The sharp edge of a knife slices across my other cheek. Warm beads of blood trickle from the cut and down towards my chin. She watches it heal before repeating the process. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She turns around to Jenson and presses her lips against his. ¡°For once, you are right. I won¡¯t kill her ¡­. Yet.¡± Iugh and she presses a stiletto against the chair between my thighs, pushing it back as though she thought it would scare me. I had been in a lot of situations far scarier than this crap. It seems to annoy her when I don¡¯t react and she ms a knife into my thigh, pinning it to the chair underneath andughing. Okay. That did hurt, but it¡¯s nothing I couldn¡¯t heal from. I stare up into her shitty brown eyes. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got, Rogue?!¡± She res at me in the exact same way as when I called her a Rogue at ck Shadow. She hated it. It was a reminder of a past that she wanted to forget. A past that haunts her, just like the rest of us. Spinning around, she grabs a longer knife off the nearby table. This time Jenson grabs her, turning her away from me, moments before it¡¯s plunged into my other leg. ¡°She won¡¯t help us if you insist on fucking torturing her.¡± Chapter 0248 Chapter 0248 As if I was going to help them. I had made a promise to my Alpha and that promise would be held until the day I die. ¡°Let me speak to her.¡± He mutters. ¡°Take your wine, go and have a shower and she can listen to me fucking you all night long.¡± He res at me as he says it. Seriously? It had been so long since I have had sex and they were going to make me listen to their warped ways. Assholes! ir struts away, grabbing a wine bottle from the shelf. ¡°She¡¯s got issues.¡± I mutter under my breath. ¡°What do you expect when you are being an ass!¡± ¡°You are not the one being held hostage.¡± He wraps his hand around the knife handle sticking out of my left leg and yanks it out, sending a spray of blood all over me and him. The wound doesn¡¯t take long to heal and he quickly repeats the processw with the one in my right leg. ¡°That will upset her.¡± I mutter ¡°Enough!¡± He growls at me. ¡°Why? Why her?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± He shrugs his shoulders ¡°I think I have a right to know if you are going to kill me.¡± He pulls a chair and sits directly in front of me and simply mutters, ¡°No you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What happened to you?¡± I keep my voice low. ir was probably listening, and I would need to choose my words carefully. ¡°Did you choose her because of Neah? I¡¯m sorry that your life didn¡¯t pan out the way you wanted. I¡¯m sorry a Rogue killed your mate.¡± ¡°You lot are the reason she was killed.¡± ¡°And now you are fucking one of our kind. An ex Rogue to be exact. Yet that doesn¡¯t bother you. A bit of a turn of events, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Sometimes you can¡¯t help who you fall for.¡± ¡°Because she looks like Neah.¡± He could deny it all he wanted, I would never believe him. ¡°She will drag you down, Jenson.¡± He rolls his dark eyes at me. ¡°Let me guess.¡± I look him up and down. The smart haircut, the smart clothes. ¡°She¡¯s made you promises.¡± ¡°I know what she wants.¡± ¡°Do you Jenson? Because from what I see, she is ying a game. A game just like all the other Rogues, only hers doesn¡¯t end in a feast of flesh.¡± I had to make him see sense. ¡°Or maybe it will.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t kill me. She loves me.¡± He called that love. She was aplete bitch to him. ¡°Jenson, I¡¯ve seen a Rogue kill their own pup. Do you think just because you imed her, she won¡¯t turn on you?¡± He smirks at me. ¡°Why are you really here Mallory? To y a game. What was it you said? ¡®Takes one to know one.¡± He stands up and moves to the window. Peeking around the curtain while looking up and down the street. ¡°Is heing?¡± ¡°Scared?¡± I snort He storms towards me and his hand wraps around my throat. ¡°Is he fuckinging?!¡± I shrug my shoulders and it only makes him squeeze harder. But I could see how much she had dragged him down. He was past the point of willing to help me. ¡°How would I know?!¡± I croak out and he sends my chair flying backwards. Someones developed a bit of a short temper. I use the seconds on my back, where he can¡¯t see my face, to link Neah. We had been working on it all morning after I fed her the information fromst night''s visit. The ability for me to hold a link with her was weak and neither of us knew why. I had to try because right now, I could see that I was in over my head. ¡®379 Oak street.¡¯ It¡¯s all I get out when my chair is ripped back up. I¡¯m just hoping she heard it. His face inches from mine. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you shifted?¡± ¡°I could ask you the same thing.¡± ¡°I know you can,¡± he continues. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Do I need to? Because from what I remember, you freaked the fuck out when you saw me. Have you seen ir¡¯s Lycan?¡± They had been together for ages, he had too. But he nces away. ¡°You haven¡¯t?¡± I was confused. She wasn¡¯t living like a Rogue anymore, I knew she would have trouble fighting the darkness like Damien and Neah but to not shift at all. Something was off. ¡°Shut up!¡± He growls. The make up, the perfect hair. Expensive clothes and shoes that would be ruined by shifting. She killed Salem with a gun and not her bare hands. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°She can¡¯t, can she?¡± Chapter 0249 Chapter 0249 ir Turning the water of the shower off, I squeeze the excess water from my hair, grab the towel and wrap it around my aching frame. The brat was quick and slipped out of my tight grip multiple times before we pinned her down. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The bitch was even more unpredictable than I first thought. She definitely had practise escaping whether as a Rogue or human, i didn''t care. She will die. It had really pissed me off that Jenson had stopped me from killing her. But deep down, I knew he was right. I didn¡¯t need Dane and his Wolves at my door. I just wanted Daddy¡¯s favourite. Pouring myself another ss of wine. I pull the door open ready with a new round of questions, only to be met with silence. A beautiful silence that brings a smile to my face. Itsted for a few seconds before my feet quickened across the carpet. A tiny panic echoes in my heart that I had missed out on Jenson killing her. There is no talking, no arguing. I smile, he had actually shut her up. Sometimes Jenson really understood what I needed, even though I was sad I had missed it. It is only as I reach the door of the main room that my heart plummeted. Silence was great until there is no fucking sound at all. The happiness the silence created, disappears into a ck hole. There is nothing. No rustling of him cleaning up blood. No movements. No damn heartbeat that I had be so familiar with. ¡°Jenson?!¡± I push the door open. The chair that Mallory had been tied too was on its back on the floor. The ropes that had bound her legs to the chair had been sliced open. Several sprays of blood sttered across the floor and up the walls. He had helped her. Why? What had she said to him? Did she know something that I didn¡¯t? ¡®Jenson.¡¯ I call out to him through our link and I¡¯m met with an emptiness. The fucker was blocking me. Following their scents out and in front of the house, I didn¡¯t care about my body only being wrapped in a towel. I see that the red rust bucket that she called a car is gone and that is where the scents end. My mate had abandoned me. No one fucking abandons me! My body trembles as rage rips through me. A rage that I hadn¡¯t felt in years. A rage that brings me to my knees. Angry tears flow down my cheeks. Why would he do this to me? I let him im me. I let him worm his way into my life until I feltfortable with him. I gave him everything! I will fucking kill him. My bones start to crack. Shit, no, no, no, this cannot be happening. I couldn¡¯t stop it. I never could. Shooting pain rips through my spine, making me cry out as it spreads out along my rib cage and towards my limbs. The towel falls from my body lengthens and my skin starts to cken as ws appear at the ends of my changing hands and feet. The dark cloud drops on my brain as I rise to my feet, like it had been waiting for this very moment. The life I had been living disappears, fading into a long lost memory. Staring in the direction of Dane¡¯s pack. A growl rumbles from deep inside of me. No one gets to screw me over. There¡¯s a gasp behind me, followed by the clicking of a phone. Turning my head over my shoulder, I re at a plump older woman walking a tiny dog. The dog yaps, lunging at me as the woman quickly scoops it up, backing away from my monstrous frame while begging me not to hurt her. She wasn¡¯t my target. I gesture with my head for her to run. She¡¯s quick, spinning around in her t shoes and half runs, half wobbles as she tears down the path. She doesn¡¯t look back, but I still watch her disappear out of sight. My stomach ravenous at the thought of her juicy flesh. Chapter 0250 Chapter 0250 Sliding my tongue along my teeth, I refocus on the direction of ck Shadow and start running. Cars stop as I speed past. I should hide, but maybe it¡¯s time all humans learned about the monsters of the world. There are shes from phones and screams ripple through the night air. I should care. Knowledge of me would mean knowledge of others and that would give her even more power. My heart pounds as I run. Refusing to slow or stop for anything. I feel something that killing Rogues and other assholes never gives me. A sense of freedom with a desire that is buried deep within my core. A hunger too. A hunger that I hadn¡¯t felt in so long. The abandoned red car is the only thing that stops me. It¡¯s miles away from ck Shadow. The doors hang open, one swings as though it¡¯s no longer attached properly. A t tyre makes the vehicle drop on one side. As I creep closer I see the front end has smoke seeping out from under the bo. A massive dent like they had mmed into something. The smell of blood has me drooling. I am so damn hungry. It takes me less than a second to locate the blood and even less time to locate the source. They had hit a deer and I could no longer resist the need to eat. My teeth tear at the flesh as I bury my snout in it. It rips apart so easily, sliding down my throat so perfectly and the blood. Oh, the blood. I could bathe in it. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you done?¡± My eyes snap up as I tear another strip of meat from the bones. Damien is standing there, his arms folded across his wide chest as he watches me. Mallory hovers just behind, yet my mate was nowhere to be seen. Where the fuck was he? Reaching my full height, Damien continues to stare at me. He doesn¡¯t flinch like the humans did or run screaming. He stares,pletely unafraid. And why should he be? After all, he was just like me. To the left, I see another set of eyes, peering out from the dark cover of the trees. To the right, there are more and by the smell of it, there were even more behind me. I still couldn¡¯t smell my mate. Yet I knew he wasn¡¯t dead. The bastard had well and truly screwed me over and I will dly stick a knife through his heart for the betrayal. ¡°I asked you a question!¡± He snaps at me. A deep gargledugh rumbles through me. Why did they always think they could win? I win. I always win. My stomach rumbles with the need to eat. The deer had been delicious but it wasn¡¯t enough. It would never be enough. ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± Mallory mutters. My eyes snap to her. ¡°I had to knock him out, but he¡¯s alive.¡± Her eyes move to Damien, ¡°Probably not for much longer.¡± I had been wrong, he hadn¡¯t abandoned me, she had somehow got the upper hand. ¡°I will kill you.¡± I seethe. My eyes locked on her. I bet she tasted good. I would drain her dry and drink her blood just like she is another fine wine. Though I didn¡¯t stand a chance right now. There are too many. My time wille and I will rip them apart, devouring their flesh and finally take what should have been mine all those years ago. I step back, keeping my eyes on the ones I could see. Letting my ears and nose figure out where the others are. I needed to get out untouched. There¡¯s a gap, and I¡¯m quick. Myrge frame slipped through before they had a chance to get me. Damien calls out to let me go. Not words I was expecting from another Rogue, which only told me that he had something much more sinister nned. Chapter 0251 Chapter 0251 Hey everyone, I want to apologise, there will be no update today. But I will be back tomorrow the 13th with a double update. For those of you who are worried about Damien/ Mallory turning bad, you don''t need to worry, you just need to let the events unfold and you will get more answers. Remember, everyone has a past and we have barely scratched the surface of Damien and Mallory, even after the conversation with Neah. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Any guesses who Mallory''s mate is? She told ir it was someone from the pack, but who? Hint, It''s not us As always, thank you for any reviews,ments and gems that you are willing to leave. They are more than appreciated. Have a fab day. Taylor West Chapter 0252 Chapter 0252 Neah Since Damien and Dane had gone after Mallory, I had been pacing in front of the house, waiting for some news, any kind of news. Damien had been livid when I told him Mallory needed help. Thankfully the twins were fast asleep when Dane appeared, dragging an unconscious Jenson across the ground. But other than that, they are alone which only ties my stomach up in more knots. He is heading towards the dungeons. Running to him, I ask what had happened. ¡°Mallory escaped, there wasn¡¯t enough time for her to exin what happened. I had to get him away.¡± He gestures to Jenson. "The others stayed behind to see if she turned up." ¡°What did you do to him?¡± ¡°Nothing, he has been like this since we found Mallory dragging him into the forest. She crashed a car.¡± I follow him into the dungeon, where he wastes no time in tossing Jenson into a cell. Jenson¡¯s body rolls across the stone floor. Hitting the back wall with a thud. It reminded me of the time the same thing was done to Devon. Dane turns to look at me, his crimson eyes lock on mine as he makes his way toward me. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let her go alone.¡± ¡°She already had. Yesterday. I didn¡¯t know until this morning.¡± ¡°As soon as you found out, you should have told me, Neah. Maybe we could have nned for it. Handled it better than Mallory taking everything into her own hands.¡± He¡¯s annoyed and I find myself nodding, like a scolded child. There were still certain things that took me right back to my awful childhood. ¡°Is ir alive?¡± I ask quietly as I watch Jenson. ¡°Yes from what I have heard. She turned up in Lycan form.¡± His eyes ze over, ¡°And they are back.¡± Dane ms the cell door shut, locking it with a frown etched into his face. Damien and Mallory are already in the house by the time we get back. ¡°That was a fucking stupid idea, Mallory!¡± Damien is snapping at her. ¡°Of all the crap you have pulled over the years, you just walked straight into the lion''s den, without back up!¡± ¡°I was just getting answers!¡± Mallory growls back. ¡°And I¡¯m alive. Are you not grateful for that?!¡± ¡°Thanks to Neah.¡± Damien is ring at Mallory when we enter the office. ¡°Really? It was alright for you to go hunting your brother for a whole month with no word if you were okay? You couldn¡¯t even get off your high horse to contact anyone. Double fucking standards!¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with me!¡± Damien snaps. ¡°This is you trying to prove something. If you hadn¡¯t been able to link Neah, you would be dead.¡± ¡°No I wouldn¡¯t¡± ¡°And you know that for certain?¡± Mallory rolls her eyes at him. ¡°Yes I do! Stop treating me like a child, Damien. I¡¯ve been doing this shit a lot longer than you have. Is it because I¡¯m a woman? Is that it? You feel the need to save the fucking day.¡± ¡°You know that is not what I mean.¡± He shakes his head at her ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Dane snaps over the both of them. ¡°Can we just be grateful that everyone is alive. Mallory, what happened?¡± Mallory tells us everything except how she escaped. ¡°Did he let you go?¡± Damien quizzes. She shakes her head and puffs out her cheeks. ¡°I had help.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°My mate.¡± We all look at each other, because as far as we were aware, she had no mate. She had no mark on her neck, so she hadn¡¯t been imed either. ¡°Your mate?¡± Damien presses. She quietly nods at us, but keeps her eyes lowered. ¡°He¡¯s a Wolf.¡± She mutters .¡±But he isn¡¯t ready to tell anyone. Because¡­well, because everyone in the pack hates me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s from my pack?¡± Dane asks, ring at Damien She bobs her head again. ¡°When I linked Neah, it turned out I linked him too, but he was closer by. He was the one who knocked out Jenson.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Damien snaps. ¡°I won¡¯t give you a name, Damien. I respect his decision.¡± ¡°You would only be able to link him if he imed you.¡± I mutter. ¡°I know.¡± She lifts her top, showing us a mark on her stomach. A really random ce to have a mark. Had he marked her there to keep his identity a secret? Because none of us would have known if it wasn¡¯t for her telling us. ¡°How long?¡± Damien growls. ¡°A couple of weeks.¡± ¡°You never said anything.¡± Damien was so irritated that Mallory had kept something from him. ¡°And it still doesn¡¯t excuse the shit you pulled tonight.¡± ¡°Okay, but can you just hear me out? When she was attempting to torture me, I kept pushing and pushing, She wouldn¡¯t shift so I assumed that she couldn¡¯t. I pushed and pushed, expecting it to happen. When I questioned Jenson for information, he spilled that ir is afraid to shift.¡± Chapter 0253 Chapter 0253 ¡°Afraid?¡± Dane asks. His eyes flicker to me. ¡°Because she can¡¯t control herself when she does.¡± Her eyes shift to Damien. ¡°We both know everyone struggles with the darkness in different ways.¡± She sighs, ¡°But she did anyway, I mean, we saw it. She ate that deer that I crashed into. Devouring it like it was a drug.¡± ¡°You still let her go.¡± Dane shakes his head in annoyance. ¡°Because she wille for Jenson.¡± Damien tells him. ¡°She wille here, looking for him because he is her mate. We can trap her, keep her hostage and find out what her n is.¡± ¡°Or we could just kill her.¡± Dane mutters. ¡°What good is a n if she is already dead?¡± Damien nods in agreement, but I still needed more answers. Answers that I would never get if they kill her. ¡°I need her alive.¡± I blurt out and feel everyone''s gaze on me. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Dane asks I bob my head. ¡°She can¡¯t be doing all this just because we share the same father. Because that isn¡¯t my fault. I think there is more to her story.¡± ¡°We can see how much Jenson knows.¡± Mallory suggests. ¡°Where did you put him?¡± ¡°Dungeon.¡± Dane answers abruptly and walks out of the office. I follow him to the kitchen, where he starts to fill a bucket with cold water. Pure anger is written across his face. He moves to the ice machine and chucks the ice in the cold water. ¡°Dane¡­.¡± ¡°We agreed no more secrets, Neah. I seem to be the only one that is doing that.¡± I feel my heart drop. ¡°I know¡­This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡± I felt enough guilt already without him reminding me. ¡°I won¡¯t lose you Neah. The boys can¡¯t lose you either.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I really hadn¡¯t thought it through. ¡°I just¡­. I finally feel that I have some control over my choices. This isn¡¯t how I thought tonight would go.¡± He sighs and pulls me into his arms, locking them tight around me. ¡°Come with me, let''s try getting some answers from the prick in my dungeons. He grabs the bucket of water and hauls it out of the sink with ease. ¡°Why do you need that?¡± ¡°Something to help him wake up.¡± Back in the dungeons, Jenson is still out cold. Dane unlocks the cell and steps in with the huge bucket of ice cold water and flings it all over him. ¡°FUUUUCCCCKKKK!!! Jenson throws himself up right as Dane steps out of the cell and locks the door. ¡°Where the fuck am I?¡± Jenson demands. His eyes try to focus on the room. ¡°Where is that bitch? Where¡¯s ir?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you are in any position to be demanding answers.¡± Dane tells him. ¡°What are you up to Jenson?!¡± Jenson bares his teeth at Dane as if that was going to somehow scare him. ¡°You have tried to beat me multiple times, believing that you should be Alpha. You have tried taking Eric out for the Beta position. You continue to lose. so what do you want?¡± ¡°I did take out Eric, the moment I fucked his girl!¡± Dane smirks and shakes his head. ¡°Did you know the kids were yours?¡± Jensons eyes narrow. ¡°Of course I did.¡± ¡°Salem killed them.¡± He shrugs his shoulders at Dane, unbothered and unphased. ¡°Seriously, they were yours and you don¡¯t even care?¡± It bothered me. When I look at my boys, my heart feels like it''s swelling with the love I have for them. How can someone just not care? ¡°Kelsie didn¡¯t want me to have any part of their lives. She insisted your Beta believed them to be his own. I thought he might have figured it out way before now.¡± Heughs to himself. ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°Bastard.¡± Dane mutters Jenson ignores him and looks me up and down. ¡°Was the Lycan right? Did your kids turn out to be Lycans too?¡± Dane sticks a hand out in front of me. A warning not to give him any information. Instead, I ask, ¡°What are you and ir up to?¡± ¡°You will find out soon enough.¡± ¡°Does it change things now that she has shifted?¡± I ask, wanting to annoy him as much as he annoyed meContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org. There is a glimmer of fear in his dark eyes. That fear quickly turns to anger before they ze over. ¡°You can try and link her all you want, little brother. She is too wrapped up in finding food to eat.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. She will burn this fucking ce to the ground to find me.¡± Chapter 0254 Chapter 0254 Raven ¡°Maybe I can talk some sense into him.¡± I mutter to Midnight. ¡®I don¡¯t think it will work. Aspen is t out ignoring me.¡¯ ¡°You can link him?¡± I ask surprised. She hadn''t said anything. ¡®Only when he arrived in the pack. It¡¯s like it¡¯s temporarily unlocked our ability to connect. But I¡¯m not getting anything from him.¡¯ She sighs. ¡®Though being face to face might force him to speak to us.¡¯ It had been two days since they had dragged him here. Damien and Dane took it in turns to interrogate him, but neither of them could get anything from him. Damien said it was like getting blood from a stone. And the only reason they hadn¡¯t tortured him for information was because I had asked them not too. A piece of me really hoped the kind brother that I love is in there somewhere, locked away by his own grief for Jess. I wondered if he had ever really gotten over it. I had been begging to speak to him, to let me have just a couple of minutes with him. But both my brother and my mate said no. ¡°They won¡¯t let me.¡± I tell Midnight. ¡°There is just no way Damien or Dane are going to let me go down there.¡± ¡®They are not the only ones in charge.¡¯ ¡°Midnight?!¡± I was so shocked by her response. She was usually the one that wanted to follow all the rules and obey our Alpha. But her itchiness to see her twin was eating away at her. ¡°Talking to your Wolf again?¡± Damien makes me jump as he makes his way through the open door of our bedroom. I really need to be more aware when I¡¯m talking to Midnight. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s my Wolf.¡± He steps up behind me, bringing his arms around my waist as he buries his face against my neck. His warm breath fans over my skin as he speaks, igniting every inch of me. ¡°You do realise that I know you¡¯re trying to find a way to go and see Jenson.¡± I feel my cheeks me. ¡°We are already holding off torturing him because you requested it. I know you think your brother is in there somewhere, but¡­.¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°He made his choice, Raven. He made a choice to pair up with someone instead of dealing with his grief.¡± ¡°You think he made a mistake? iming ir.¡± ¡°I think he was in over his head and ir offered him something. Something that he couldn¡¯t say no to. And I know you think that too.¡± ¡°Maybe I can get to the bottom of it. Maybe seeing me will help. We are twins, we have twin Wolves. He can¡¯t ignore me.¡± ¡°I will speak to Dane.¡± ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s all I¡¯m asking.¡± ¡°If he approves, you don¡¯t go alone. I mean it Raven.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be alone. I have Midnight.¡± ¡°What is it with you two?¡± I cock a brow at him, not following. ¡°Neah used the same phrase. But mentioned her Lycan.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Because it¡¯s true.¡± I step out of his hold and turn to face him. ¡°Have you spoken to Mallory?¡± An immediate anger washes over his face. ¡°I know you¡¯re mad, Damien. But she acted on Neah¡¯s orders. You can¡¯t stay mad at her for that.¡± ¡°She could have got herself killed.¡± They hadn¡¯t spoken since their argument the other night. But he wasn¡¯t really mad at her for following Neah¡¯s orders. It was the mate secret. He wanted to know so that he could verify them. Though it didn¡¯t matter, from what I heard, the guy had already imed her. And it was someone from our pack so it couldn¡¯t be that bad anyway. ¡°Should I be jealous that you are so angry about her having a mate?¡± I wasn¡¯t because I knew he was just worried about his best friend. Chapter 0255 Chapter 0255 ¡°Of course not.¡± He pulls me in against his hard chest. His lips find mine. The kiss is full of need and want. When he breaks away from me, my lips feel bruised but wanting more. ¡°I only ever want you, Raven.¡± He stares at me for so long, it''s like he is searching the very depths of my soul. My heart pounds in my chest and my core tightens with need. He cups my mound over my shorts, teasing me with his slow moving fingers. I knew he could feel how wet I was. ¡°DADDY! Where are you?¡± Dorothy shrieks ¡°I¡¯m sorry." He murmurs against my cheek. "If it were an adult, I would have made them wait while I bend you over and fuck you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, go. I can finish myself.¡± I smirk at him. He kisses me just below the ear lobe. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± He warns and drags his teeth over my lobe. But I wasn¡¯t promising anything. His version of punishing me was making me orgasm over and over until i couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I wasn''t going to say no to that. Damien closes the door as he leaves and I slide my hand inside my panties, making slow circles above my clit, imagining that it¡¯s his tongue. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. As I slide a finger between my folds I let out a soft groan and Damien¡¯s voice fills my head. ¡®I told you not too.¡¯ His voice just adds fuel to the fire and the dull ache inside me grows. ¡®Come fuck me then.¡¯ I mutter back through the link. He doesn¡¯t answer and less than a minuteter, the door is practically taken off its hinges as he barges in. He ms it shut with just as much force and faces me. His cock practically begging to be freed. ¡°What did I tell you?¡± He murmurs as my groans deepen. I try to keep my eyes locked on his. ¡°Let me see.¡± He demands. His fingers hook into the waistband of my shorts and he tugs them down to my ankles along with my thong. A deep growl echoes in his chest as he takes in my drenched hand. ¡°Sit on the bed.¡± He orders. ¡°Don¡¯t stop.¡± As I sit, he kneels in front of me spreading my legs as wide as they can go. His fingers skim around the outside of my clit, sending a shudder of delight through me. He unzips his jeans, letting his hardened cock free and with his free hand he slides it up and down his length as he watches me work. ¡°Oh Damien.¡± I mumble, biting back the scream that wants to rip through me. His eyes flicker up to mine for a brief second and then his tongue hits my clit, working it quickly as I continue to finger myself. ¡°Damien!¡± My eyes roll as he suddenly pulls my fingers away, pushing his tongue inside of me as far as it could go. Grabbing his hair, I ride his face as the orgasm takes over me. Falling back on the bed, I let out a littleugh that quickly turns to a squeal as he slides his cock all the way inside of me. Rocking his hips, he pulls my legs up over his shoulders and leans forward until I¡¯m curled up so far that I could see his cock sliding in and out of my pussy. Beads of my own juices appear with every thrust, making him m into me a little harder. ¡°Fuck.¡± I mutter. It felt like his dick was somewhere in my upper torso and with each thrust, he has me crying out. As I start to tighten around him, he suddenly pulls out and flips me over before I have a chance to acknowledge what had just happened. His cock slides into me just as harshly and quickly as before. covered in my juices as my pussy mps around him. He leans forward on top me, thrusting in small movements, when he picks me up and sits at the end of my bed until I¡¯m facing the full length mirror. With his chest against my back, his throbbing cock fills my hole as he ys with my nipples. I tip my head back on his shoulder and he thrusts up into me. Chapter 0256 Chapter 0256 ¡°Oh.¡± With each thrust, he pinches my nipples until I start to bounce on his cock, taking the control away from him. He drags his fingers along my thighs and up my stomach as he groans. His eyes flicker between looking at my body and locking eyes with me in the mirror. "So fucking tight!" He groans as I m down on his cock. Damien growls through gritted teeth, squeezing my tits tight against my chest and I feel him swell even more as my muscles clenched around him. I throw my head back against his shoulder, riding the orgasm as he fills me with his load. ¡°You will get me into trouble.¡± He mutters in my ear as his lips graze my skin. ¡°Then tell them we are trying for a pup.¡± I say quietly He grips my face, turning it towards him. His dark eyes filled with excitement but hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a lie.¡± I murmur and kiss him ¡°Even with all the drama going on?¡± I nod. I had been thinking about it for a few months. Waiting for the right time. But there was never going to be a right time and if Dane and Neah could do it when they are the centre of the problem, then why couldn¡¯t Damien and I do it. I could already see how amazing he is with Dorothy. He kisses me. ¡°Then definitely no more ying with yourself unless I¡¯m present.¡± He winks at me and leads me to the shower. ¡°Better go for round two.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t stopped birth control yet.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. He grins. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with a bit of practice.¡± **** ¡°One condition.¡± Dane snaps at me. ¡°You take me or your mate.¡± I groan. I know Damien had warned me but I didn¡¯t actually think they would follow through. ¡°Why can¡¯t I take Neah?¡± I protest. ¡°Neah is with the twins. She¡­.needs it.¡± ¡°Oh. Well then Mallory cane with me. Jenson can¡¯t get to us and you have the key so we can¡¯t to him. If that''s what you are worried about." ¡°Why does everything have to be a battle with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± I shrug my shoulders. Dane props his elbows on his desk and rests his chin on his sped hands. His crimson eyes settle on Damien. ¡°Fine, take Mallory.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± Damien scoffs.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. He can¡¯t get out. They can¡¯t get in.¡± ¡°Do I need to remind you that Salem escaped!¡± ¡°The bars have been made narrower since then. Anyway, the idiot is shifting in and out of Wolf form like a fucking mad man. Maybe his twin can get through to him. We¡¯ve been trying for two days.¡± I do a small fist pump at the victory. I rarely won anything when it came to Dane. He calls Mallory toe and meet me. She smiles at me, but refuses to look at my mate. I don ¡®t even understand why they were still arguing over who her mate was. It wasn¡¯t actually any of our business. ¡°You want me to help?¡± Mallory asks in surprise when Dane tells her what we need her for. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything.¡± Just ¡®supervise¡¯¡± I make sure that both men see my air quotes. I loved them both, but theirck of trust in me was just frustrating. ¡°Sure. I can do that.¡± Mallory follows me across to the dungeons. We slip down the stairs quietly, but Jenson quickly bes aware of my presence. ¡°Well it¡¯s about time sis!¡± Chapter 0257 Chapter 0257 Raven The way he spoke to me sounded so familiar. Midnight drops her guard too. It sounded just like the Jenson we know, the brother I loved. Not the mad man everyone is iming him to be. I hadn¡¯t seen him since the day Jess was killed. When Damien saw him in the street, the idea of seeing him had been more than I could handle and I had fled to the car. I still didn¡¯t understand why he left the pack and I definitely didn¡¯t understand why he had chosen her. The very thing he imed he hated. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± I whisper, feeling my heart break all over again. ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡± He speaks to me from the back of the cell. ¡°Call you sister?¡± I frown, looking at his tired and gaunt face. He had been handsome once. I mean all thedies seemed to love him and he had no end of women hanging off his every word. But to me. He looked exhausted and withdrawn, not anything like how I imagined. A mate bond gave you strength, but from what I could see, it looked like his had been zapped. I nce back at Mallory. She hadn¡¯t said anything, exactly like I asked. ¡°Why did you bring her? Stupid bitch is the reason I¡¯m here.¡± Jenson growls Mallory rolls her eyes and I turn back to face my brother. ¡°You know you are alive because of her and Dane. Dane brought you back here.¡± ¡°And chucked me in the dungeons. Though he looks like he has made some improvements since I wasst down here.¡± Heughs. His thinning shoulders raise up and down with the deep sound. Surely Dane saw the same as what I did, that Jenson wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind. That something wasn¡¯t right. ¡®Aspen is weak.¡¯ Midnight mutters. ¡®The rapid shifting has made him weak. Jenson isn¡¯t allowing enough time for the bones to heal. Almost like he is punishing himself.¡¯ ¡°What has she turned you into?¡± I ask, overwhelmed by sadness for him. He stretches his arms out wide. ¡°This is me, sis. I don¡¯t know who you are talking about.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t you. This isn¡¯t even a shell of you. You are not the brother I know and love.¡± He chuckles again. ¡°Maybe my mate just showed me who I¡¯m supposed to be.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not your mate, Jenson. She is just some whore that you attached yourself to and she is using you.¡± ¡°Jealous?¡± ¡°Of you? How can anyone be jealous of you, Jenson. I will always care about you, because you are my twin. But jealousy? You are on another fucking if you think I¡¯m jealous! Do you not care about me, Dane, the pack?¡± ¡°No.¡± One word. One single word that brings everything crashing around me. He hadn¡¯t hesitated. He hadn¡¯t paused to think over his answer. It just tumbled out like it was so final. ¡°She really means that much to you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my mate.¡± ¡°No she isn¡¯t. A mate isn¡¯t someone we choose. A mate isn¡¯t someone who forces us to do things that we don¡¯t agree with. A mate is someone who is selected for us because they make us complete.¡± ¡°Why would you think I don¡¯t agree with her? I went to her and she agreed to help me.¡± ¡°With what?¡± Mallory mutters. I re at her and she pretends to zip her lips shut. ¡°It¡¯s mental that you act like she belongs in the pack.¡± Jenson muses. ¡°It¡¯s mental that you let them slip into our way of life.¡± ¡°You have marked a Lycan! Why the hell is it okay for you, but not us?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. He rolls his dark eyes at me. ¡°Oh Raven!¡± ¡®He has more than lost it.¡¯ Midnight murmurs ¡°I¡¯m guessing she wants to kill Neah and you want to take out our pack, because you me us for your idiotic moves! But if you don¡¯t believe in pack life, what¡¯s the fucking point?¡± ¡°What did you hope for, Raven? That you woulde down here and find a way to save me? You are the one that needs your eyes opening.¡± I slink over to the wooden chair and sit on it. Mallory leans against the wall. She¡¯s picking at her fingernails, acting like she is no longer interested in Jenson¡¯s words. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± I mutter She frowns as she raises her eyes to meet mine. The look that basically said I had told her to be quiet so that was what she was doing. I gesture for her to speak. Mallory straightens her back. She takes a step forward into Jenson''s direct line of sight. He growls straight away. But it doesn¡¯t stop her. ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± She shrugs her shoulders. ¡°I heard you tell ir that you could use me. That you could gain information from me. Isn¡¯t that why you kept me alive. She was all set to kill me and you stopped her. Why?¡± ¡°Fuck off!¡± Jenson growls ¡°Anyone would think you had a soft spot for me. Yet here you are, acting like I¡¯m the world¡¯s worst viin.¡± Chapter 0258 Chapter 0258 ¡°Bitch!¡± ¡°So you were going to y me? Try to convince me to join your little club, is that it?.¡± ¡°Fuck off you dirty Lycan.¡± ¡°Now that is something I don¡¯t understand.¡± Mallory coils her hands around the bars and stares in at him. ¡°Because at the end of the day, you were still fucking a Lycan. Jess was a Lycan. You know, your actual mate. Did you call her dirty too? Because if I remember correctly, she was bitten, just like me!¡± He doesn¡¯t answer. ¡°Gotcha!¡± Mallory mutters. ¡°Neah¡¯s lookalike convinced you we are dirty because we are not pureblooded.¡± ¡°Shut up you dirty bitch!¡± Jenson snarls, his bones start to crack and we watch him shift into his Wolf. He paces the small cell, moving closer and closer to the bars. Mallory removes her hands milliseconds before he takes a swipe at them. Sheughs and paces just like him. Moving back and forth in front of his cell at exactly the same pace. It was making my brother angry. He hated people mimicking him. Something that hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°You¡¯ve let her poison you, Jenson.¡± I mutter from the chair. ¡°She wants something and she has made you promises that she can¡¯t keep and probably won¡¯t keep. Women like that don¡¯t care about anything but themselves.¡± I was running out of ideas. This was not how I thought the conversation was going to go. ¡®He¡¯s killing Aspen.¡¯ Midnight mutters, pain etched in her voice. ¡®He¡¯s forcing the shift to break Aspen¡¯s spirit.¡¯ ¡®What? Is that even possible?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the final piece of him that keeps him attached to us. If he breaks Aspen, that¡¯s it.¡¯ ¡°Jenson, please tell me why?¡± I try to hide the sadness in my voice, but you only needed to look at me to know I was feeling like I was losing him all over again. The Wolf moves back and forth, every few seconds, he would m his body into the bars, hoping that they would bend. He shifts back to human form, tying his shirt around his waist to cover himself up. Every rib was showing, his corbone jutted out and the skin looked as though it had been pulled tight and there was no room left. I¡¯m sure if he turned I would see every bit of his spine. He was so fucking skinny and even Mallory takes a step back when she realise how ill he is. The fitted suit had hidden it well. ¡°Is she starving you?¡± I ask in shock. Jenson was like me when it came to food. A bottomless pit. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I love her and you lot will pay for keeping me hostage.¡± Mallory turns to me. Her brows knitted together and whispers. ¡°I think she had him in some kind of hostage situation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. He wouldn¡¯t have marked her.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s when it changed.¡± She gestures for us to go up and out of the dungeon. ¡°So the first night I went there. He was outside the house. It was him asking me questions about why I was there. imed that ir wasn¡¯t home, but her car was there. When I went back the other night. He was watching from a window. She had to call him to help her with me because he wouldn¡¯t come out, and even then he seemed a bit surprised by what to do.¡± She frowns, ¡°For someone that can lead wars, he sure as hell couldn¡¯t get a grip on my legs.¡± Her mind was working a lot quicker than mine at putting information together. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Raven, Humans lose their minds for all sorts of reasons. Trust me, I¡¯ve seen it between my father and anyone he came into contact with and so do Rogues.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a Rogue!¡± I mutter ¡°Not him. Her. She called him names, real degrading ones and he jumped to her every demand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not like him.¡± ¡°And you have just seen what I have seen, there is no way he has eaten properly in weeks. When she turned up here, Jenson was in the car and to be quite honest, he looked like he was going to shit himself. He didn¡¯t want to be here.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t exin why he is being a dick now.¡± I mutter ¡°Doesn¡¯t it? What if he is aware that she¡¯s listening to him?¡± She shakes her head at me. ¡°There was a moment before¡­. Before my mate turned up, where I actually thought Jenson was going to let me go. He pulled knives out of my legs that she had pinned me to the chair with. He sent her away to the shower.¡± ¡°Slow torture. We¡¯ve seen Neah do it.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt me again. Raven, and he has called me a lot of names, but ¡®dirty¡¯ is a new thing.¡± ¡°He¡¯s angry. He can be a prick when he is angry and as his sister, I¡¯m sorry¡± She waves my apology away. ¡°I think he might be trapped and in way over his head.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 0259 Chapter 0259 Dane. ¡°You see it too, right? I mean you have to. You are our older brother. You are his Alpha.¡± Raven is leaning on my desk, staring at me with her dark eyes while Damien has his hands on her hips, trying to calm her down. ¡°Which one do you think it is? It can¡¯t be both. He can¡¯t be trapped and trying to kill his Wolf¡¯s spirit.¡± ¡°What if it is both?¡± Mallory mutters from the chair in the corner. She rises to her feet and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. Her brows are almost knitted together. ¡°Like a weird cry for help. He knows that his Wolf and Raven¡¯s Wolf are twins. What if it¡¯s his way of asking for help? What if he is doing it in a way that means ir doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That!¡± Raven points at Mallory as she res at me. ¡°That is what I mean.¡± ¡°Raven¡­.¡± Damien starts. ¡°No. I love you Damien, but I am not giving up on him yet. My gut is telling me this is wrong. He is skin and bones. He speaks differently, yet uses familiar terms, he evenughs differently.¡± She pleads with me. ¡°Jenson chose to mark her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you have never made a mistake, is it? Are you forgetting about all those women that you dragged into contracts before Neah came along?¡± She snaps, smacking her palm against my desk. "And what about if things changed after that?" I see Damien cock an eyebrow at me. I lean back in my chair to look at her. She had pleaded with me over the years for all sorts of things. But nothing like right now. ¡°You¡¯re the Alpha.¡± Damien mutters. "Your decision." My brother had caused so many problems over the years. I had bailed him out on multiple asions when he had fucked up or gotten himself into trouble. For years I had put up with his excuses, letting them slide over my head until my mate walked into my life. And even now, he is still getting himself into shit situations. He hadn''t learned anything. ¡°He¡¯s hurt too many people.¡± Tears spill down Raven¡¯s face. ¡°You promised. You promised that you would look after us. You promised mum and dad.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Raven, he isn¡¯t a kid anymore. He hasn¡¯t been a kid for a long time. Sometimes, the decisions we make will live with us for the rest of our lives.¡± ¡°So what you are saying is that you are giving up?¡± I sigh and fold my arms across my chest. ¡°She¡¯s killing him. I don¡¯t know what she is doing to him, but she is killing him.¡± She shakes Damien off of her hips and storms out of the room. Damien follows her as she stomps up the stairs which is followed by multiple doors mming shut. ¡°She loves him.¡± Mallory mutters. ¡°I know. He is her brother.¡± ¡°He is more than that.¡± She frowns ¡°I know it¡¯splicated and I know you are probably going to tell me to keep my mouth shut. But even you must see that he should have woken long before you chucked him in the dungeon. Wolves can heal just as quickly as us and those with Alpha blood, even quicker. But he didn¡¯t, which is weird in itself.¡± She blows out her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m a watcher, Dane. I like watching people. I like learning how people work, how they hide things. It¡¯s something that I¡¯m good at, most of the time.¡± ¡°Most of the time?¡± ¡°Yeah, though trying to read Neah is like looking for a needle in a haystack.¡± Iugh, because it was true. ¡°Something just isn¡¯t adding up.¡± ¡°You took her mate. That¡¯s why she shifted.¡± She cocks a brow. ¡°I don''t think so.¡± ¡°Damien said you were pushing her.¡± ¡°She had already shifted long before then. Probably the moment she realised that me and¡­. That I put Jenson in the car.¡± I cock a brow at her, she was trying so hard to keep her mates identity a secret. Though I¡¯m pretty sure I know who it is. ¡°I already know you had help, Mallory. Honestly, I¡¯m not bothered who you are mated too as long as you don¡¯t try to kill him.¡± ¡°What if he tries killing me?¡± ¡°Has he?¡± She scrunches up her face like she has said too much. ¡°That¡¯s how you ended up with the mark on your stomach and not your neck?¡± She nods. ¡°He has been ignoring it for a while and just snapped. He attacked and somewhere along the lines, he imed me.¡± Chapter 0260 Chapter 0260 ¡°How do you feel about that?¡± She wouldn¡¯t be the first to be marked against her will. Mallory shrugs her shoulders. ¡°We are working on it. Anyway, I know I have no ce to say this. Can you just hold off from killing Jenson for a little while, just let me puzzle things together first. If I can¡¯te up with anything, then you can do what you want.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°You are right, you don¡¯t.¡± Truthfully, I didn¡¯t want to kill him either. ¡°Forty Eight Hours Mallory.¡± Forty eight hours.¡± She repeats and turns to the door. ¡°Say hello to Eric for me.¡± She spins around wide eyed, staring at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to, Mallory. He was supposed to be in the party to rescue you. Turns out he had already left the pack. I¡¯m just grateful he wasn¡¯t out buying more alcohol.¡± ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t say anything.¡± She splutters ¡°And you haven¡¯t. Just answer me this, is he still drinking?¡± She shakes her head at me. ¡°Good. Forty eight hours.¡± I mutter and she hurries from the office. I sigh, spinning my chair until I¡¯m facing the window. How had ite to this with Jenson? My father would be livid if he was here. I felt this overwhelming sense of failure when it came to my brother. Like I had failed him and my parents. Jenson and Raven had been raised in exactly the same way. When they were children, they had rules to follow, just like everyone else. Where Raven stuck to the rules, he never did. Time and time again he would cause problems. This time, this time he had really fucked up and he might have just cost me my family. Neah slips into my office. Her scent quickly reced the others. She¡¯s quiet too. Waiting for me or maybe it was because she could feel my anger. ¡°You were listening?¡± ¡°I was sat on the stairs. Damien and Raven are arguing. Mallory has just run out the door, I don¡¯t think she even realised I was there.¡± She pauses and even her heartbeat is quiet. ¡°Forty eight hours isn¡¯t that long, Dane. You gave me longer.¡± ¡°You were scared shitless. You needed time to adjust when I brought you here and you weren''t nning on killing us.¡± She moves in front of me, blocking my view of the window and sits on myp. Her arms slipping around my waist as she rests her head against my chest. ¡°You know your brother better than anyone. He has helped you get through wars, helped you build your contracts. Mallory said something isn¡¯t adding up. Did he really give you nothing when you were interrogating him?¡± ¡°The only thing he madements on, was me bringing the Lycans here. I can¡¯t even force an answer from him because I am no longer his Alpha. I will give Mallory the agreed forty eight hours. Then I will make a final decision.¡± Her head bobs up and down, ¡°And if ir turns up?¡± ¡°ir can be killed. To be honest, I¡¯m surprised she hasn¡¯t turned up yet. It¡¯s already been a couple of days and there have been no reports from the guards.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that saying Raven uses? No news is good news.¡± ¡°In most cases, yes.¡± I muse, ¡°But when we are waiting for her to show up, it¡¯s the furthest thing from good. Where are the boys?¡± ¡°Sleeping. If you hadn¡¯t noticed," She points to the dark sky, "it¡¯ste.¡± ¡°Will you stay here for me? I need to ask my brother a few more questions.¡± She nods and slides off myp, staying in the office as I make my way back to the dungeon. Jenson is in Wolf form. Laid on his side while his lungs struggle to inte. It looks like Mallory is right, he is trying to kill his Wolf spirit. ¡°Look at me.¡± I demand. But he stayspletely still. ¡°Look at me Jenson!¡± His body starts to shift to human form. It¡¯s slow and painful to watch, like it is using everyst bit of energy to make it happen. He lets out a bloodcurdling scream as his back snaps back in position. He stays on the floor. Panting and screaming with each bone break. I had hurt a lot of people. Some of my punishments were beyond cruel, but this was horrendous and it isn¡¯t even my doing. ¡°She¡¯sing.¡± He mutters and passes out. Chapter 0261 Chapter 0261 Dane Grabbing some water, I throw it on his body. Jenson groans but doesn¡¯t move. ¡°Get the fuck up.¡± I demand. More groans, and there is a tiny bit of movement. He raises his hand and gives me the middle finger. for the water or my presence, I didn''t know. ¡°What the fuck do you mean she ising?¡± I snap. My temper was hanging on by a very thin thread. ¡°She¡¯sing for me.¡± He croaks ¡°Is that what you want?¡± He doesn¡¯t answer me. Silent treatment I was used to from my sister. But not Jenson. He wouldn¡¯t know what silence means if it bit him on the ball bag. Even interrogating him. He may not have given us any information about them, but it didn¡¯t stop him making every shit remark possible. His eyes open and he stares at me from the ground. ¡°I¡­fucked up, Dane.¡± He mutters breathlessly. His breaths sound hollow and raspy, I had a feeling it wasn¡¯t just his wolf he was killing. Our wolves are part of us. Created from the Alpha blood that lives in our body. To try and kill Aspen¡¯s spirit would be like trying to kill himself. ¡°What does she want?¡± His gaunt face stares back at me. Raven was right, I had been too caught up in punishing him to see how ill he looked. Like he had one foot through deaths door. ¡°I can help you Jenson, you just need to give me the information I need.¡± He rolls onto his back, his eyes fixate on the ceiling as he presses a hand to his chest. ¡°It¡¯s weak. Aspen is gone.¡± His chest doesn¡¯t rise much when he tries to take a deep breath. And he ends up coughing on it. ¡°Neah.¡± He splutters ¡°I know, but what does she want from Neah?¡± He rolls his face towards me. ¡°Everything. Her life¡­.her power¡­ her family.¡± His lips still and his chest stops rising and falling. I am not letting this happen. Quickly opening his cell, I link Raven toe as I m my fist down over his heart. I hear his ribs crack, but I don¡¯t care about that. Pressing my ear to his chest, I hear nothing and startpressions. Raven and Damien crash through the door just as Jensons heart begins to beat again. But it is still weak, still barely hanging on. us appears shortly afterwards with supplies from the hospital which Raven almost rips out of his hands. She tells everyone to get back while she works, only allowing us to pass her certain things. We watch her inject Jenson with multiple medicines and force a tube down his throat with a bag thing attached that she tells us to squeeze at a steady pace. She may be a bit of a mess sometimes, but when ites to medical shit, she knows her stuff. ¡°He needs to go to the hospital.¡± She mutters. "Now." Damien and us move him as she gets to her feet. Her dark eyes are one me. ¡°You didn¡¯t let him die.¡± She whispers as the men disappear. ¡°No, but Aspen¡­.¡± I had to tell her. ¡°I know. Midnight is struggling. Can he survive this?¡± I didn''t know how to answer her. ¡°Go, keep him alive.¡± I tell her and she throws her arms around me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dane. This is what I¡¯m good at.¡± She heads towards the steps. ¡°I will let you know when you cane by.¡± ¡°I will be at home, preparing.¡± ¡°Preparing?¡± ¡°Before he passed out, he said she wasing.¡± I see her hesitation. Thest Rogue that she had dealt with was Salem and he scarred her for life. She isn''t a fighter, she''s a healer. ¡°Keep Damien and us close.¡± ¡°Damien¡¯s your Beta.¡± She mutters nervously. ¡°It¡¯s fine. He is also your mate.¡± She nods and runs up the rest of the steps. In the office I find Eric. He¡¯s standing in front of my desk, his hands in his pockets. ¡°Eric.¡± I mutter in surprise. ¡°Dane.¡± He dips his head. When I sit in my chair, he moves to the door and closes it with a sigh. ¡°You figured it out.¡± He murmurs without making eye contact. "She told me." ¡°Secrets rarely stay secret around me. Besides, there were a few giveaways. You marked her.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t what I was intending. I was drunk. She made a fewments and then told me she might be leaving the pack.¡± ¡°Because of Neah?¡± He nods. ¡°I lost it. I still don''t know what came over me.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Exactly how I feel when something happens to Neah. What about Kelsie?¡± ¡°She was never my true mate, was she?! We got together when we were kids, long before we were old enough to even shift. Stayed together because of the boys. Boys that weren¡¯t even mine. If she had been my true mate, she would have died from what she did with Jenson. Same as how you almost killed Neah by kissing her.¡± Chapter 0262 Chapter 0262 He shakes his head, ¡°Honestly, I hated the idea of Mal being my mate. I fought against it and yet I could never bring myself to reject her. She showed up constantly, making sure that I wasn¡¯t drinking. Even when I told her to fuck off she would stille back. After that, I would find myself watching her. I can see her front door from my kitchen window and she does the same thing every evening. Sits outside with a mug of tea and watches.¡± Now I understood what Mallory was saying when she said she likes to watch. ¡°When she didn¡¯t follow her usual routine a few nights ago, I followed her scent into the forest. I heard her link that wasn¡¯t supposed to be for me and felt my heart fall out my ass when I realised she was in danger.¡± ¡°A matebond will do that to you. You knocked Jenson out?¡± ¡°Yes. But he didn¡¯t seem himself. And he didn¡¯t wake up like I expected him to.¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the hospital fighting for his life.¡± I mutter ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Mal told me what¡¯s been going on. I know I¡¯m not your Beta anymore, but she has been keeping me in the loop as much as she can. I want to help if I can.¡± ¡°Where is she now?¡± ¡°I believe Neah is letting her meet the twins.¡± That news surprised me more than anything. Neah had point nk refused to let Mallory near them or even be in the same room as them until now. ¡°Have you really stopped drinking?¡± I couldn¡¯t smell a drop on him. ¡°A couple weeks.¡± It matched what Mallory had said. ¡°I¡¯m in a much better ce,¡± I imagine Mallory had a lot to do with that. ¡°Good, I need a second Beta.¡± He cocks an eyebrow at me. ¡°Damien is a great Beta but he won¡¯t take the blood oath yet. It makes it difficult for him to get information to the rest of the pack. You would be able to do that, just like before. Though I expect you to work alongside Damien.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Of course. Where do you need me?¡± I catch him up on the very few things that Jenson said before he basically died. Eric has a small smile on his lips, ¡°Mal is smart.¡± ¡°A lot wiser than what any of us give her credit for.¡± He nods. ¡°I will speak to the guards, get a new rota going. Upgrade training again I guess.¡± ¡°It needs to include weapons. From what I¡¯ve heard, ir is well trained and maybe it will be something she doesn¡¯t expect.¡± He leaves and I head upstairs to the nursery. Logan and Evrin are both staring at Mallory in amazement as she ys peekaboo with them. Giggles escape both of them each time she ¡®appears¡¯. Dorothy is sitting on Neah¡¯sp with her lips almost pressed to Neah¡¯s ear as she whispers something. ¡°You know where the snack box is.¡± Neah mutters back with a smile. Dorothy had been here for a while now and she still asked permission for almost everything. Still afraid that she was going to be told ¡®no¡¯ or starved. It pulled on Neah¡¯s heart because of her past so she always made sure the snack box was full of all Dorothy¡¯s favourite things and she never said no. She skips past me and towards the stairs but Neah¡¯s eyes are on me. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± ¡°Jenson is in hospital.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Mallory mutters, ¡°You were going to give me forty eight hours.¡± ¡°It turns out that he didn¡¯t have that left.¡± I sigh. ¡°The forced shifting has killed his wolf and Jenson died with him. We restarted his heart, but it doesn¡¯t look great.¡± "Can he survive that? Like how does that work because it''s only Alpha blood that has an extra spirit right?" ¡°I don''t know, but you were right, Mallory. He said he fucked up. But his stubbornness to ask for help means we might be toote. Raven is doing what she can.¡± The twins are oblivious to our conversation and are pulling on Mallory¡¯s sleeves to get her to keep ying. She sters on a smile and ys with them as she asks what we are going to do. I repeat the same things to her as I did Eric. ¡°She¡¯s reallying?¡± Neah asks quietly ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it felt like it was a warning.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let the darkness in now, Neah.¡± Mallory warns her. ¡°It might be exactly what she is looking for.¡± Her head flips to me. ¡°We need to find more Lycans.¡± Chapter 0263 Chapter 0263 Neah ¡°We already know that there are more out there, but we haven¡¯t got the time for that!¡± Dane snaps at Mallory. ¡°For all we know, she might be here already, skulking around.¡± The twins have fallen quiet and are staring up at Dane. From the moment they were more aware of their surroundings, they had always been able to feel his anger, but it never made them cry. It just seemed to fascinate them. ¡°WE don¡¯t need to do anything.¡± Mallory mutters and turns her eyes to me. ¡°You do.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I snort. ¡°Thest time I spoke to Lycans, they were the ones that had been bitten, marked, whatever you want to call it. And not only that, you struggled to link me.¡± ¡°I think something is holding you back.¡± She shrugs her shoulders ¡°I know, the darkness that sits inside of me.¡± I mutter sarcastically. ¡°No. You.¡± She points a finger at me. ¡°I thought it might have been Nyx not wanting you to listen to me.¡± ¡®Not me.¡¯ Nyx mutters in annoyance. ¡°But now I think it¡¯s you. You¡¯ve focussed so much on keeping the darkness at bay that you are not letting your natural bloodborn ability in.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t work with Salem or ir.¡± ¡°Neither of them were around when Cassandra had it in for you. But what had started was the very thing that you are fighting every day. I think that has something to do with it, but it''s not what is stopping it.¡± ¡°I epted who I am.¡± I mutter in defense ¡°But a lot has changed since then.¡± Dane stares at me ¡°Neah, you are thest female Alpha, a descendant of Aldous Kitson. Every Lycan in the world belongs to you, Rogue or not. If it¡¯s true that there are more. You need to find a way to link them. To bring them here.¡± ¡°And what if I bring more shit to our pack? What if they hate the idea of me? What if they hate the idea of having an Alpha? I understand what you are trying to say Mallory, but the twins.¡± I look over to Dane who had picked them both up and was pulling faces at them. "I can''t risk anything happening to them." ¡°You would be doing this for them. And if anyone tries to fuck us over, we will bring hell down on them.¡± I stare at her, it was less than a week ago that she was telling me she would happily give up being a Lycan. Maybe the possibility of feeling like she belonged had changed that. My eyes move to familiar crimson ones. He doesn¡¯t speak, he just stares back at me. The look that said it was all up to me. Sometimes, I liked it better when he took the decision away. Thest time I made a choice, Mallory was almost killed. I look at my boys nestled in his arms. They were unaware of what was happening. Unaware of what they had been born into and my only goal was to give them the best upbringing. Because as much as I am thest female Alpha. They are future Lycan Alphas. Set to rule both Lycans and Wolves. ¡°If I figure this out, there is a good chance ir will seek the others out. Try to bring them to her side. What if she seeds?¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I have an idea, but it¡¯s a bit out there and we would need Raven on board.¡± Mallory tells us ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We ask them if they would die for you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that going to prove? They could just lie.¡± Dane asks ¡°We give them blood of wolfsbane.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± I had nearly died when I had been drugged with it. Raven had barely saved my life and if she had never got the antidote from the Witch, I wouldn¡¯t even be here. I saw what it had done to my parents. Every now and again I still see their blood soaked faces. ¡°Because Raven knows how to make the antidote.¡± Dane nods, ignoring my reaction Mallory nods. ¡°Am I the only one that sees a w in that n? Say we do that, then the news gets out that we have the antidote. That it¡¯s just a test.¡± ¡°You order them not to tell anyone. Neah, I think sometimes you forget how powerful an order can be.¡± Dane tells me ¡°I¡¯m not poisoning them. I¡¯m sorry, but there has to be another way.¡± Everyone falls into silence as Dorothy skips back into the room, carrying a bag of popcorn. ¡°Do you know where Daddy is?¡± Chapter 0264 Chapter 0264 ¡°He¡¯s working, but he will be back soon.¡± Dane smiles at her and steals a piece of her popcorn ¡°Because he is an important man?¡± Dorothy asks with a pout. ¡°He is. And when you are older, you will understand why?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She climbs up into the window and presses her face to the ss trying to look for Damien. Frowning when she can¡¯t see him. ¡°Mallory, will you stay here with the kids while I speak to my mate.¡± Dane asks ¡°Yes of course, I love kids.¡± I cringe when she calls herself Auntie Mallory and tells them she will be staying a little longer, but I don¡¯t have time to correct her as Dane is pulling me out the room. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like it, but I think she is on to something. I also know it¡¯s bringing up shitty memories, but it will be a fast and quick way to weed out the bad. To find out who is really on your side.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be able to do it.¡± Even talking of killing so many was making me fidgety. I needed to find a way to get rid of this darkness. I can¡¯t live like this, constantly worried that it¡¯s going to rear its ugly head. ¡°You can¡¯t grow it anyway. Well, at least I don¡¯t think you can. It needs wolf blood.¡± He starts making a n. Talking about growing it in a safe ce where no children had ess to it. A part of me hated it, but something deep inside me bubbles with joy at the thought of killing more people. I hated the looming darkness. While Dane is checking in on Jenson, Mallory sits on the floor opposite me. We had been talking through mind link and each time seemed to get clearer and stronger. ''Tell me how you linked them all before?'' She asks, her high pitched voice echoing in my head ''I¡¯m not sure. I was hiding with Jess. She made me feel like I could do it and it just happened.'' ''No, there¡¯s more to it than that. To be able to link that many at once, you need power, strength. Something you already have. But for some reason, it¡¯s stopping you now.'' ''I guess I wanted to protect the ones I care about. Jess was like a little sister. We were finding our way together. She was newly bitten, I was newly unbound. But I didn¡¯t have this darkness. And the twins help my head stay clear.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying you need to shift. You epted your position right? Well now it¡¯s time to truly believe in it. Believe that you are a fucking strong female Alpha. You have been bound four times and survived. That in itself shows that you are more than just any Alpha. So tap into it!¡± ¡°Stop telling me what to do! Stop talking. I need to think!¡± The wordse out in a really strange tone. A voice that isn''t Nyx. Mallory stares at me with wide brown eyes, patting her throat. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you having trouble breathing?¡± I panic as she continues to point at me and then point at her throat. Her mouth moves but no soundes out. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. There are footsteps hurrying this way. Thest person I expected to see was Eric. ¡°You¡¯ve ordered her to stop talking.¡± He tells me ¡°What? No I didn¡¯t. And how would you know that, you weren¡¯t even here?¡± ¡°She linked me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how I did it. How did she link you? She¡¯s a Lycan. Hold on, you¡¯re her mate?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he flips his head to Mallory and then back to me. Frowning, ¡°Mal said it happens when you are flustered.¡± ¡°You were flustered about keeping Jess safe.¡± I know he is just repeating her words, but it¡¯s weird. ¡°You were flustered with her working you out. You¡¯re flustered with making decisions.¡± ¡°So how am I supposed to undo it?¡± Dane needed to exin a bit more about the Alpha order. ¡°Just tell her she can talk.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°Just like that.¡± He winks at me. I had missed Eric, he wasn¡¯t the same man when he drank. ¡°You can talk.¡± I mutter to Mallory. ¡°And I have just cracked your problem.¡± She smiles at me Chapter 0265 Chapter 0265 Mallory ¡°She¡¯s not angry.¡± Eric tells me as he walks me home. ¡°You have to remember that she hasn¡¯t been a Lycan for long. A lot of things are still new for her.¡± ¡°I know. They lied to her, convincing her that she is a Wolf.¡± They kept reminding me of that every chance they got. But she also needed to know that her past didn''t define her. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s more than that. Imagine what it¡¯s been like to be lied to her entire life. To be thrown into something she knew nothing about. To have had everything taken from her. From where I¡¯m standing, she¡¯s handling it pretty damn well.¡± I smirk. ¡°us said something like that.¡± ¡°We are not wrong. Compared to what she was like, she¡¯s a different person now.¡± ¡°You think she¡¯s frustrated?¡± He nods with a sad smile. ¡°Frustrated with herself, because trust me, you would know if she was angry. Everything is a learning curve. Not everyone settles into something so easily. I know she is capable of doing what you are asking her too. I was there when she ordered hundreds of Lycans, bitten and pureblood to bring her their own leader.¡± ¡°Okay, but we are running out of time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that. ir showed up once and then didn¡¯t show up again for months.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I frown, but my gut instinct was telling me we didn¡¯t have months. ¡°Howe you were in the house?¡± ¡°I was speaking to Dane.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°He has asked me to be a second Beta.¡± ¡°Alongside Damien?¡± ¡°Yes. And I have agreed. I need to get back some normality.¡± We stop outside my house and the light catches his eyes. He had beautiful eyes that were different colours depending on how the sun caught them. Right now they were almost an aquamarine, but if he turned his head a little more, they looked more honey coloured. Strange yet fascinating. ¡°Not tonight. I need to work.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I try to keep the disappointment out of my tone. I knew he could feel it. But he doesn¡¯t say anything and that frustrates me. He kisses my forehead and turns away, telling me he would see me in the morning. We had slept together the day he marked me and then again when I was in heat. That took ce when Neah believed I was avoiding her. When the reality was, I was in bed with Eric having the best orgasms ever. It had to be something to do with the mate bond connecting us to make it feel so damn good. Since then, nothing but a few kisses and I feel like my insides are wing at me to pin him down. Time together was limited because he still didn¡¯t seem to know how he felt about our situation. One minute he wanted me nearby, the next he was telling me to leave. Now, there were just two reasons for me to stay here. At least that is double the amount from when Ist checked. Following my usual routine, I make a cup of tea and take it outside, settling on the stones that make up my small porch. Only tonight I wasn¡¯t watching people. us had lent me an oldptop and I was determined to find something to do with other Lycans. I didn¡¯t know exactly what I was looking for. Maybe strange sightings, strange animal rted deaths. I might as well put my mind to some use if I wasn¡¯t going to getid tonight. The grounds of the pack get quieter and quieter until darknesspletely sets in. I had already refilled my cup three times and still, I had found nothing. I should have expected it really. We kept our location hidden when we were protecting the Rogues and us had mentioned something about Lycans going into hiding ording to this Aldous Kitson. Plus humans were naive to what happened around them. Those stories of wars were just myths to them, unless someone brought you in, like Cassandra. Just when I¡¯m ready to give up, I find a story from around twenty years ago about a teenager saving a woman from a monstrous beast. Chapter 0266 Chapter 0266 ¡®It was huge. Maybe seven feet tall. But it looked part wolf and part man.¡¯ The description was vague but it was more than enough for us. From the few sentences underneath it said the woman survived after spending six weeks in the hospital recovering from her traumatic injuries. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± I snap in frustration at theck of info. Nothing about w marks or peeled skin I scroll down the page only to findments about conspiracy theories or suggesting that the man and woman were high on drugs. But I know you don¡¯t forget seeing something like that. I needed to show us. He was good at finding stuff like this. Pulling the cord from theptop, I hurry over to his house, grateful when I see a light is still on. ¡°You can find people right?¡± I blurt when he opens the door. ¡°Depends on how much information you have.¡± I barge past him and drop theptop on his table a little heavier than I wanted too and curse myself because it wasn¡¯t my property. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for signs of Lycans.¡± He smirks and moves to his newptop at the other end of the table. He spins it around to face me. It¡¯s on the exact same page as I was looking at. Only he had a map next to him with circles drawn all over it. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m drawn to this one?¡± He points at the screen I shake my head ¡°It¡¯s an unusual first name for a human. But amon one among wolves.¡± I hadn¡¯t even noticed the name. ¡®Abraxas Adler.¡¯ He was right, I never came across that name as a human, and there were six in this pack alone. ¡°You think he¡¯s a Wolf?¡± He nods his head at me. ¡°Maybe he can give us more information.¡± I think if I leave the pack without telling Damien, he will lose his shit all over again, especially with ir lurking out there. My eyes move back to the image on the screen. He¡¯s smiling but it doesn¡¯t meet his hazel eyes. What if us is on to something and we pass this up? Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you think he is in a pack?¡± I quiz ¡°No. There are no packs located where this articlees from. It¡¯s human territory which means if he is a Wolf, he was likely kicked out of his pack.¡± ¡°Kicked out as a teen?¡± ¡°Or abandoned.¡± us mutters ¡°And that¡¯s if he is still there, the article is twenty years old. There¡¯s no guarantee we will find him.¡± He hands me a blue post-it note. ¡°He¡¯s there. Up for a road trip?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already in trouble for the ir incident.¡± I protest. He nods and takes the post-it back. ¡°You¡¯re going by yourself?¡± ¡°Someone needs to get some more news, even if it¡¯s a dead end.¡± He moves around putting snacks and bottles of water into a duffle bag. But no clothes. ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a two hour drive. I will be back before sunrise.¡± He hauls the bag over his shoulder and grabs hisptop and map. "No need to cover for me." I follow us out front to a running car, only to see Eric sat in the driver''s seat. Eric¡¯s eyes lock with me. ¡°Get in.¡± ¡°You knew.¡± I mutter, climbing into the back. ¡°Is that why you blew me off again?¡± I rip the belt around me, jabbing the buckle into its lock with a little too much force. ¡°Dane is going to be so pissed that we are doing this!¡± ¡°Already cleared.¡± He mutters back, staring at me in the rearview mirror. us gets in the passenger seat and quickly updates the satnav with the details. The journey was boring. I hated being the one that is not driving. I hated that they were having a conversation with each other that didn¡¯t include me. ¡°Mal,¡± Eric mutters as he looks straight ahead. If anyone else called me that, I would rip their throat out, but it had be his thing and I like the way it sounds in his voice. ¡°You might have to shift.¡± Chapter 0267 Chapter 0267 ¡°Is that a good idea, considering what he imed to have seen?¡± ¡°We might need to convince him that what he saw was true.¡± us mutters ¡°Then again, if he¡¯s a Wolf,¡± Eric adds, ¡°He should know there is more in the world.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Eventually we pulled up in front of arge house. It was in need of a little fixing up here and there, but over all, definitely not what I was expecting. I nce at the clock on the dash and see that it¡¯s almost midnight. More importantly, there were no lights on in the house. Movement catches the corner of my eye and a ck Wolf creeps around to the front of the house. It¡¯s shoulders hunched and head low, scouting us. It sniffs and turns away, heading back in the direction it came from. I don¡¯t wait for the men. I follow the Wolf Turning the corner of the back of the house, I freeze as a shotgun is pressed against my forehead. At the other end was a guy around the age of thirty five. His feet bare, his shorts slung low on his hips. His eyes are familiar from the article. His curly ck hair hung over his forehead, yet the sides had been taken down to skin. Perfect abs lined his torso. I hear a growl behind me. I knew it wasing from Eric, warning me to keep my thoughts to myself. ¡°Just looking¡± I mutter ¡°What do you want?!¡± Abraxas growls ¡°Hopefully not to get shot.¡± I mutter. ¡°Just to ask you questions about the night you saved that woman.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°There¡¯s more than one?¡± us asks. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. Abraxas doesn¡¯t take his eyes or the gun off of me. ¡°Hundreds and I remember every single one of them.¡± ¡°The first one.¡± I try, ¡°Twenty years ago.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He growls and presses the gun a little harder. I don¡¯t know why, the pressure wouldn¡¯t make a difference if he was going to blow my brains out. ¡°We are Wolves.¡± Eric mutters ¡°Yeah, you lot are. She ain¡¯t!¡± I raise my hands, realising why he had specifically pointed the gun at me. He could smell the difference. That only happened when you went Rogue. Wolves couldn¡¯t tell us apart. So why could he? ¡°I¡¯m safe.¡± I whisper. ¡°The guy with the blonde hair. He¡¯s my mate.¡± ¡°Bull fucking shit.¡± ¡°My mark is on my stomach.¡± He steps forward, pressing the gun impossibly harder and rips my sweatshirt up. ¡°You imed a Lycan?¡± He sneers as he lets go of my top. ¡°It¡¯splicated, but yes. She is my mate.¡± Eric speaks calmly, ¡°And I would prefer it if you lower you fucking gun.¡± ¡°Tell me why you are here and then I will decide.¡± I put my hand up to Eric and us. ¡°The women you save from Lycans, why do they need saving?¡± ¡°Because the beasts are trying to eat them. And I¡¯ll be damned if that happens while I live in this town.¡± ¡°Why is it on you?¡± I watch his finger twitch over the trigger. ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡± I whisper. It wasn''t like pissing off ir, one wrong word and a bullet would be lodged inside my head. Abraxas tilts his head to one side. ¡°Can¡¯t say any of you have begged me not to shoot before. You lot normally like the challenge. But you can¡¯t survive having your brain scattered across thewn. ¡°How do you know that?¡± I mutter in a croaky voice. ¡°You learn quickly what works and what doesn¡¯t.¡± He curls his lip up in disgust ¡°How long have you been living here?¡± us asks. ¡°Born and bred.¡± ¡°No pack?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What happened to your family?¡± us presses. ¡°Her kind.¡± A lump in my throat grows. ¡°Where are you fuckers from?¡± Abraxas demands ¡°ck Shadow.¡± Eric tells him. ¡°And we came here looking for your help.¡± ¡°You ain¡¯t getting it. Though I can get rid of your problem.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the problem. ir Kitson is.¡± Chapter 0268 Chapter 0268 Mallory His hazel eyes narrow. He knew who I was talking about. Still, he doesn¡¯t lower the gun. ¡°That bitch still alive?¡± He growls through clenched teeth ¡°Yes. Hopefully for not much longer.¡± I give him a small smile, hoping that I had found a way to break the tension. He doesn¡¯t return it. ¡°We are looking for help.¡± ¡°Is she telling the truth?¡± He asks us and Eric. ¡°ir is why we are here.¡± Eric tells him, ¡°Now lower the fucking gun.¡± ¡°Nah, you bastards are on my property, I can do what I want. If you don¡¯t want a bullet lodged in her pretty little head, you lot better start talking.¡± ¡°Here?¡± us asks, ¡°We will attract the humans'' attention.¡± ¡°Look around you! It¡¯s the middle of the fucking night. There are no other houses back here, why do you think I lured you around here, dumbass?!¡± Now he smiles. ¡°Fucking pack idiots.¡± He spits on the ground. They tell him everything, well, almost everything. Every now and again I would feel the gun ease off my forehead only to be shoved right back against my skin. I could heal, but it still hurt. I keep perfectly still, I don¡¯t need to give another reason for him to fire that thing off. ¡°You expect me to believe all that?¡± Abraxas growls, still keeping his eyes on me. ¡°Little far fetched to be a lie, don¡¯t you think?¡± I mutter ¡°I¡¯ve met a few good liars. That bitch is one of them.¡± ¡°ir?¡± What did she lie to him about? ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°Can we just talk about this?¡± us asks. ¡°Wolf to Wolf?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got more to say?¡± He seems amused. ¡°So much more.¡± us mutters ¡°If you are willing to listen.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Abraxas grabs my wrist and spins me around, locking his arm across the top of my chest as he backs us up, he tells them ¡°You¡¯ve got five minutes.¡± Eric¡¯s face is unreadable as he and us follow us. Abraxas pulls me into a darkly lit kitchen. ck and white tiles covered the floor in stripes. ck cupboards lined the walls with ck marble countertops sitting on top. Nothing how I expected it to look considering the outside needed a little work. But I guess I shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, a house. Eric and us slip in, moving in opposite directions. ¡°You can split up or stay together, doesn¡¯t matter. One wrong move, she¡¯s dead. Now maybe someone should start trying to convince me that I should let her live.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± us asks ¡°ir.¡± Abraxas mutters. ¡°A lot of people want her. Both Alpha¡¯s. Another Lycan. Her.¡± Eric points at me. ¡°She''s caused problems and you will have to get in line.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty certain she fucked my life up first.¡± Abraxas snarls. ¡°Take me to where I can find her and this one gets to live.¡± This was not at all why we hade out here. ¡°What did she do to you?¡± I ask ¡°She killed my parents.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because they were Hunters and they destroyed your kind.¡± I had quietly literally walked into another hostage situation, only this one seems less like I will make it out alive. ¡°But there is something you haven¡¯t told me. Why is there a Lycan Alpha in a pack with a Wolf Alpha?¡± ¡°They are mated.¡± Eric tells him and for a moment, I wondered if that was the worst thing he could say.¡± Abraxas bursts intoughter. A deep bellyugh that echoes through the room. He pushes me away and Eric grabs me, pulling me in close, a protective arm going around me. Abraxas really was a nut job. ¡°You lot are fucking nuts!¡± Really? He thinks we are the ones who have lost our marbles. ¡°You pack Wolves are so fucking predictable.¡± He points between the men, ¡°I assume one of you is the Beta because the Alpha certainly ain¡¯t here.¡± Neither us or Eric speak, I think they were just as confused as I was. Speaking of us, he hadn¡¯t said anything for a while. ¡°Anyone want a beer?¡± Abraxas asks, pulling open the fridge. ¡°Sorry, what is happening?¡± I was used to unpredictability, but I had gone from being held at gunpoint to being offered a beer, like it was a casual afternoon meet up. This guy had to be on something. ¡°You just had a gun pointed at my head!¡± ¡°Precautions.¡± He straightens up, his muscles tensing. And I have to remind myself that we were here for a reason. ¡°A few things you should know about me, Lycan.¡± He flips the cap off his beer and takes a swig. ¡°I know when I¡¯m not being told everything. I know that she,¡± He points at me, ¡°was Rogue at one point. I know exactly what a Rogue is, I¡¯ve been hunting them for twenty years. You didn¡¯t tell me much that I didn¡¯t already know, and I¡¯m one hundred percent certain there is still more to your story. So what¡¯s the catch?¡± ¡°We are looking for Lycans. The female Lycan Alpha needs support.¡± Eric tells him ¡°So why doesn¡¯t she just link them? She¡¯s thest one, right? Pretty powerful? She can call them in.¡± "Uh...." "Like I said, I know my shit." Chapter 0269 Chapter 0269 ¡°It¡¯s a little moreplicated than that. But she is working on it.¡± He leans against the counter and my mind disappears into the gutter. It wasn¡¯t intentional and I me Eric for depriving me. There¡¯s a low growl from behind me. That warning once again. Eric¡¯s hand on my stomach presses a little harder. A move to remind me that I was his. Abraxas ignores it, instead, pushing himself up and sitting on the countertop. ¡°It always is when ites to packs. Much easier when you don¡¯t have to care for anyone else.¡± ¡°This is a waste of time.¡± Eric mutters. ¡°He¡¯s not going to help us and we can¡¯t give him what he wants. Let¡¯s go!¡± He turns me towards the door. ¡°You sure about that, Blondie.¡± When I look back, I see Abraxas grinning at him. ¡°A lot of people will do things if it means they gain something from it, including me. I can help you find your damn Lycans. I can tell you the ones who are no longer Rogue and the ones who are, I get to kill those. You get what you want and in return, I get what I want¡±. ¡°What if we don¡¯t have to go hunting?¡± I murmur. If he truly is capable of telling the difference, we won''t need to bother with blood of wolfsbane. ¡°Where¡¯s the fucking fun in that?¡± He looked so disappointed by the idea. ¡°Come to the pack with us. And I will exin everything on the way.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I aint no packckie!¡± ¡°I thought you wanted to kill Rogues?!¡± Sometimes, having a mad man close by was better than having him far away and knowing about us. Surprisingly, it takes less convincing than what I thought it would. That could be a bad sign, or maybe knowing that he could get a chance to kill loads of Rogues is what tipped the scales. us and I wait in the kitchen as Eric followed Abraxas around the house as he collects his weapons. ¡°Have you linked Dane?¡± I ask us as another duffle bag is dropped onto the floor. Sevenrge bags and still counting. This guy was packing some serious shit. ¡°Done.¡± Abraxas mutters, dropping a fifteenth bag. He had changed into jeans and a crisp white tee. ¡°Let¡¯s get the show on the road, though I want the girl with me. Just in case.¡± ¡°If you touch her¡­.¡± Eric starts. ¡°Yeah, what are you going to do about it, Blondie? She will be dead before you even get out of your car. It¡¯s pretty simple, you don¡¯t fuck me over, she gets to live.¡± Much to Eric''s annoyance, I agree. We help Abraxas load his truck and just before I get in, Eric pulls me in against him. His lips mould against mine. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid. I don¡¯t like this guy.¡± I nod and slip into the passenger seat as Eric gives Abraxas one more re. Abraxas doesn¡¯t ask me anything during the journey. He fiddles with the music a few times, but mostly stews in silence. Shit, he hates ir. ¡°There¡¯s something you need to be aware of.¡± I blurt out ¡°I fucking knew it.¡± He pulls a handgun out of his belt and points it at me. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. You were right, we didn¡¯t tell you something and not because we were hiding it.¡± The words fall quickly from my mouth. "The female Alpha looks almost identical to ir, the only difference is Neah has blue eyes.¡± ¡°Is this a joke? Has ir got you believing that crap?¡± ¡°I swear, I have seen them both at the same time.¡± I probably had less than a second for him to decide if I was telling the truth or not. And I had no way to prove it. Think! ¡°Do you have a phone?¡± I had the office phone number memorised. Something Dane had made me do when I first moved to ck Shadow in case I got into trouble. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°So you can hear her voice. She sounds nothing like ir.¡± For a brief second, he lowers the gun and pulls a phone from his pocket. I dial in the number and Dane answers. I switch it to speaker phone so Abraxas can listen in. ¡°Dane, is Neah awake.¡± ¡°Mallory, is everything okay?¡± ¡°I just need Neah on the phone. It¡¯s urgent because we will be at the pack soon.¡± All hell will break loose if Abraxas thinks they are the same person. And he has enough weapons and ammo to take down half the pack. Maybe more ¡°Hello? Mallory, is that you? Why didn¡¯t you just link me?¡± Neah mutters through the phone. The car in front with Eric and us slows. Dane was probably linking them and Eric will know that my heart rate is through the roof again. ¡°Ask her something.¡± I mutter at Abraxas He reaches over and hits the end call button. ¡°Why did you do that? I was trying to prove who she is.¡± ¡°I heard exactly who she is.¡± ¡°You can tell, just like that?¡± ¡°Just like that.¡± He repeats ¡°But how?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gift.¡± ¡°She said like ten words.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡± Why did I just feel like every organ fell out my ass? Chapter 0270 Chapter 0270 Hey all, I hope you are well. Unfortunately there is no update as nned due to family illness. I''m sure you all understand that I wouldn''t want to up load the wrong chapter and spoil the story. Property ? N?velDrama.Org. And I know I say it every time, but all thements, reviews and gems truly are appericated and if anyone hasn''t done so, please feel free to leave a review on the book''s homepage so that others can see it. I would love for my book to reach as many eyes as possible. I hope the new character is keeping you on your toes. Hope you all have a good day and I will try to be back tomorrow. Taylor West Chapter 0271 Chapter 0271 Dane Damien and I waited at the gates. It was still dark outside though the sun would be rising shortly. I was curious and cautious about this Abraxas guy. He had agreed toe here far too easily and that wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. The call with Mallory was even stranger. The guy didn¡¯t speak, yet Mallory told him to ask a question, specifically to Neah and I still had no idea why. The line went dead just as quickly and a sleepy Neah stared at me as if I had just pranked her. The carse to a stop on the other side of the gates. us is the first to exit the car. Shortly followed by an angry Eric. ¡°I told you to not stick a fucking gun in her face!¡± Eric yells as he turns towards the vehicle behind them. ¡°You can never be too careful.¡± An unfamiliar voice retorts. Though his tone appeared to be emotionless. ¡°And I warned all of you, I didn¡¯t want any surprises. You can chill now, she is still alive!" ¡°It¡¯s okay Eric. It was my fault.¡± Mallory mutters. ¡°He hates ir so I had to tell him about Neah. I didn¡¯t want him to identally shoot her because they look alike.¡± ¡®What the hell happened out there?¡¯ Aero asks me ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to find out.¡¯ I mumble back The four of them move towards us. Eric and Mallory walk behind Abraxas, while us keeps his presence close to him. The guy didn¡¯t seem to care. He strolled forward like he was on an evening walk. A bag slung over his shoulder, his hands shoved in his denim pockets. Hees to a stop in front of the gates, his hazel eyes locking with mine. ¡°Dane.¡± ¡°People outside my pack refer to me as Alpha.¡± ¡°Yeah, ain¡¯t doing that. Not when you let scum in your pack.¡± His eyes momentarily move to Damien and he spits on the ground. If there hadn¡¯t been gates between us, Damien would be wringing his neck. ¡°Show some fucking respect.¡± Damien growls. ¡°Respect is earned.¡± Abraxas snarls back. ¡°And I have no respect for your kind, Rogue.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a Rogue!¡± Damien''s nostrils re as he grips the bars of the gate. ¡°But you were. And you still feel the pull.¡± Abraxas grins at him. ¡°How long before you are pushed over the edge, Damien? A week? A couple of months. Either way, I¡¯m happy to end your miserable life.¡± ¡°You told him?¡± Damien demands as he res at Mallory. ¡°No, I swear.¡± Mallory mutters. ¡°It¡¯s like I said, he just knows things.¡± ¡®A mental case by the sounds of it.¡¯ Aero rumbles Abraxas stares at me but points to Eric, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell him, Blondie!¡± ¡°My name is Eric!¡± He snaps back. Eric moves forward, frowning, ¡°The guy ims he can tell the difference between Lycans and Rogues. Calls himself a Hunter.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s not a im, Blondie. It¡¯s a fact. A centuries old fact.¡± ¡°Whatever, just keep away from my mate or I will put a bullet through you.¡± Abraxasughs like it''s a challenge. ¡°Now are you going to let me in? You lot did ask me toe here.¡± ¡°Why did you agree so easily?¡± I press ¡°She made me a deal.¡± He points to Mallory. ¡°And if that deal doesn¡¯t hold, I¡¯m going to go on my own little killing spree. Starting with her.¡± Mallory puffs her cheeks out. Whatever she had said, she had done it to protect herself. I don¡¯t me her for that. But the decision isn¡¯t up to her. ¡°I¡¯m the only one around here who gets to make deals.¡± I growl "Is that right?" He mocks me ¡°He can tell the difference.¡± Mallory blurts. ¡°I said he could kill the bad Lycans. It will be easier than growing blood of wolfsbane. Word won¡¯t be able to get out.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what makes me a Hunter.¡± ¡°As long as I get to kill something, I¡¯m happy. So it¡¯s your choice Dane.¡± Abraxas smirks at me. His lips peeling back over his teeth into a grin Chapter 0272 Chapter 0272 If I said yes, I was letting a mad man onto mynds. If I said no, a mad man knew of our location. ¡°Tell me more about being a Hunter.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°The info is pretty much in the title. What more do you need?¡± Abraxas smirks at me ¡°Do you kill Wolves?¡± ¡°It¡¯s happened.¡± He shrugs his shoulders ¡°Your priority is Rogues?¡± He dips his chin at me. ¡°You won¡¯t touch my mate or my sons.¡± ¡°Are they Rogues?¡± ¡°No. They are all Lycans.¡± His lip curls up, ¡°You got Lycans for kids? how fucking unlucky.¡± I step forward, the bars of the gate the only thing separating us. My eyes lock on to his. ¡°You don¡¯t touch them and you don¡¯t harm them.¡± ¡°Have they started training yet?¡± ¡°They are babies.¡± He cocks an eyebrow and looks down, muttering ¡®¡®so much for the breed dying out.¡¯¡¯ His hazel eyes flicker back up to mine. ¡°I won¡¯t touch them.¡± ¡°Or harm them.¡± He rolls his eyes. ¡°Fine.¡± I pull the gates open, letting him and the others in. ¡°When do I get to meet this female Alpha?¡± ¡°A few hours,¡± There was no way I was waking her up again. ¡°I ain¡¯t waiting hours.¡± ¡°If you want to kill some Rogues. You will wait.¡± I snap. It was my pack. I wasn¡¯t letting some psycho tell me how to run it. Abraxas sits in the corner of my office, taking apart his gun and cleaning it as the others tell me what happened. Every now and again he would chip in, confirming what the others were saying, but never adding any new information. ¡°Hey,¡± Neah¡¯s voice travels down the stairs, ¡°I can smell a¡­.¡± she trails off as she enters the office, staring at Abraxas. Abraxas is on his feet. ¡°You weren''t kidding when you said she was identical.¡± He gazes at her far too long for my liking. ¡°Who are you?¡± Neah¡¯s defence was up immediately. Her arms fold across her body as she red at him. ¡°Your knight in shining armour.¡± He muses, bowing in front of her. ¡°And a Rogue¡¯s worst nightmare.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a knight. This isn¡¯t some fucking fairytale where you y the dragon.¡± She stares at him. Her whole body is tense. ¡°ir.¡± He mutters her name and sits back down, returning to cleaning his gun. ¡°You¡¯ve dealt with ir?¡± Neah asks with a small frown. ¡°I have unfinished business with ir. But I hear many of you do.¡± He shrugs his shoulders and chuckles. ¡°I would like to be the one to kill her, but I heard there was a queue.¡± ¡°What did she do to you?¡± Neah questions ¡°More than enough and she needs to pay for that. You see Neah, I want to put a bullet right in the centre of that pretty little head of hers. I want her to pay for everything she did to me. Every damn little thing. I want my eyes to be thest thing she sees.¡± ¡°She did more than kill your parents, didn¡¯t she?¡± Mallory asks, stepping towards him. I watch Eric reach out to try and grab her, just missing her arm. ¡°You don¡¯t need to concern yourself with that. As long as she dies, then my day is made.¡± Abraxas tells her There was obviously something he didn¡¯t want to share or maybe wasn¡¯t ready to share, yet I couldn¡¯t help wondering what else it was that she did to him. They ask him more questions. Most he doesn¡¯t answer, swerving them with his own questions. Other answers were short and abrupt, but I also see him watching Neah. His eyes following her every movement. He wasn¡¯t just curious about her, he seemed fascinated. Was it because she looked like ir or was there some other reason that he was yet to tell us? Chapter 0273 Chapter 0273 Abraxas It was almost ufortable how much she looked like ir. I knew it wasn¡¯t her. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Apart from the eyes, her soul gave her away. The darkness hovered in her, but she hadn¡¯t gone Rogue yet. She was fighting it and she had been fighting it for some time, a long time. No other Lycan I hade across had been able to fight it off for so long. Once the darkness sets in, they have weeks, maybe months at most. Yet somehow, Neah had been fighting it for well over a year, maybe even most of her life. Unaware that it was even there. A Hunter¡¯s instinct would be to kill her. To put her out of her misery. To end her before she does too much damage. But even I could see there was something different about her. The edges of her soul are tinted ck, but unlike others, the majority of it is bright. It shouldn¡¯t be possible and yet, here I was, seeing it for myself. Like she was in a constant battle. She hadn¡¯t won it yet, but she was trying. They ask more questions, trying to get more answers from me about ir. Mallory tells them that ir killed my parents, but there is so much more to it than that. And that is something I didn¡¯t share with anyone. But they wanted to know and they kept pushing and pushing apart from Neah who was quiet. They didn¡¯t need to know anything else about me. I came to do a job and that was all that mattered. Neah stands and I find myself standing too. I tuck the gun into my waistband as Dane leans down to kiss her cheek. A simr gesture that I would make to my mate. I wanted to speak to Neah alone. I wanted to see if the colour of her soul would change. ¡°Can we speak?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Her walls go up immediately as she stares back at me. Big blue eyes trying to process what my n could be. ¡°I¡¯m used to working alone. I¡¯m used to hunting in a certain way. If I¡¯m to work with you, I need to know how you operate, what your intentions are and what you are nning.¡± It was a lie. I could already see how she worked. Act first, thinkter,mon for those that have lived a life of trauma. Maybe that was when the darkness started. ¡°I don¡¯t think that is a good idea.¡± Crimson eyed Dane mutters. ¡°Is she not capable of making her own decisions?¡± I challenge. She was his mate and technically a Luna of his pack and an Alpha in her own right. She was far from weak. ¡°It¡¯s not her judgement I¡¯m questioning.¡± He mutters back. ¡°I said I wouldn¡¯t hurt her. Unlike you predictable Wolves, I am able to control myself.¡± I flick my eyes back to Neah who was hovering by the office door. Her hand already on the handle ready to leave and yet she hadn¡¯t. I pull the gun back out my waistband. Her eyes follow it as I drop it onto Dane¡¯s desk. I could still kill her if I wanted too. But maybe this would make her feel at ease. Instead, I see something else. The light of her soul dims to grey and her eyes darken. It took a lot less time than I expected. I wonder if she knew what was causing the darkness. Or whether she had been convinced it was something else. Her hands clench into fists at her side and she shakes her head, puffing out her cheeks. It takes a minute before her soul is glowing with light again. She had more control than what her Lycan liked. Her Lycan is the darkness at the edge of her soul, feeding on her pain, her anger, pushing unwanted thoughts into her mind. ¡°Go see your boys.¡± I mutter. Her soul instantly brightens, pushing the edges back until it¡¯s so bright that I have to look away from her. Chapter 0274 Chapter 0274 I know she is confused. She hadn¡¯t mentioned her sons to me. ¡°What the fuck was that about?¡± Damien snaps at me as Neah leaves ¡°Wind that fucking head in. I¡¯m not here to help you.¡± I snarl back at him. His eyes flicker to my gun on the desk. ¡°Go ahead, do you think that¡¯s the only one?¡± ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Dane snaps ¡°You saw something when you were watching Neah, didn¡¯t you?¡± Mallory asks with her brows knitted together. "The same as how you didn¡¯t shoot me." I don''t answer her and turn my attention back to their leader. ¡°She was bound, right?¡± My guess was two or three times, which in theory should have killed her. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Four.¡± Dane tells me ¡°How the hell did you know that?¡± ¡°Hunter.¡± I mutter, trying to understand how she could have been bound four times and still be alive. But it did show one thing. How fucking powerful she really was.¡±Does she shift?¡± ¡°Not anymore. Why?¡± ¡°Her Lycan is the one responsible for pushing the darkness on her.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. We don¡¯t have Lycan spirits.¡± Damien is shaking his head at me. "If that''s how you turn Rogue, that makes no sense." ¡°You don¡¯t, but I know what I see.¡± They stare at me like I¡¯m mad. A look I was all too familiar with. Iugh at them, so fucking predictable. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for games.¡± Dane speaks, staring at me. ¡°Yet you let those fuckers in your life. You know that¡¯s one of the things Rogues do, right? They y you to get what they want.¡± I see Damien clench his teeth. He was so furious that it was fucking hrious. ¡°I am not a Rogue anymore.¡± He seethes ¡°So you told me. It doesn¡¯t mean I have to believe you. I would rather trust what I see.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Exactly what it sounded like.¡± ¡°Damien, go check on Raven.¡± Dane tells him. ¡°Another Lycan?¡± I muse. How many were already hidden here? ¡°No. My sister.¡± ¡°I would want someone more trustworthy to check on my sister.¡± ¡°They are mates.¡± ¡°Another one? What the fuck is going on here?¡± Wolves and Lycans don¡¯t just get paired up. I had been watching Lycans and Rogues for years, learning everything about them. Wolves were never in the picture, well not as mates. ¡°Who was mated first?¡± ¡°Neah and myself. Why?¡± ¡°You know that isn¡¯t normal.¡± ¡°World is changing.¡± Mallory mutters ¡°Yet one thing stays the same.¡± I rise to my feet again and move to the window, running their words through my head. ¡°What¡¯s the connection?¡± ¡°What?¡± Blondie mutters ¡°Neah and Dane. Damien and Raven. Blondie and Mallory. Who else?¡± ¡°It was Jenson and Jess. Jenson is Raven¡¯s twin. Jess died.¡± Dane purses his lips together and nces at Blondie, ¡°And now Jenson is mated to ir.¡± I raise an eyebrow, I did not see thating. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Mallory tells me. ¡°He got himself mixed up in some weird shit with her and now he is in the hospital dying. They aren¡¯t fated mates. He imed her.¡± ¡°Did he now?¡± ¡°He was pissed off with me.¡± Dane groans ¡°I can put him out of his misery.¡± I offer ¡°I¡¯m capable of doing that.¡± He snaps back at me. Fucking Wolves. They are all so damn touchy when ites to members of their pack. there was nothing worse than seeing someone suffer. Their death dragged out in the hopes they would heal. ¡°Can he get information to her?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in aa.¡± It takes a lot to put a Wolf in aa. Something else must have been happening. Though I know he won¡¯t be waking up ever. They never did. Yet as I look at Dane, I realise he has hope that the guy will survive. If he does, it would be a fucking miracle. Chapter 0275 Chapter 0275 Damien ¡°I don¡¯t like him. He is fucking shifty. He ims to know stuff about Lycans and Rogues. It¡¯s a load of bullshit.¡± I mutter though Raven isn¡¯t listening to me. She is busy staring at Jenson. The guy is hooked up to every machine possible and she spends all day here, watching for the tiniest clues. Looking for something that just isn¡¯t there. The only reason he is alive is because of the machines. Turn the venttor off and the other one that¡¯s keeping his heart pumping and that would be it, but she couldn¡¯t ept that, even with her vast knowledge of medical stuff. Or maybe it was more that she wouldn¡¯t ept it. Big ck circles sit under her eyes from theck of sleep. Her lips are chapped from theck of fluids and every piece of food I put in front of her went uneaten. Even her favourite ice cream. ¡°This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡± she whispers, gripping Jenson¡¯s unresponsive hand. ¡°We were supposed to stick together. Look after each other. And you had to go and ruin it!¡± A single tear trickles down her cheek as she stares at her brother. ¡°You couldn¡¯t just ept it, could you?¡± ¡°Raven, he can¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that!¡± She snaps at me. ¡°He could still wake up.¡± Even Dane knew it wouldn¡¯t happen. ¡°Raven, you need to sleep.¡± I press. I needed to get her out of here, even if it were only for a few hours. ¡°I can¡¯t leave him.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be alone. I¡¯ve asked us toe and sit with him.¡± ¡°It has to be me. If something happens¡­¡± ¡°Then us will link you. This isn¡¯t good for you. You need to rest. To eat. It¡¯s no good if you are making yourself ill too. You won''t be able to help him if you are making yourself suffer.¡± I press, hoping that she would finally understand what I''m telling her. Her dark eyes flicker to mine. ¡°I can¡¯t leave him, Damien.¡± ¡°You will only be in the packhouse. You are not leaving him.¡± She sighs and slowly peels her hand from her brothers as us appears. ¡°Anything us, promise me if there is anything, you will tell me.¡± Raven pleads with him, ¡°A finger or a toe twitch, the machines. I need to know. Please.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± us nods. He takes her seat beside Jenson and I still have to drag her away. Tears fall more freely when it is just us. In bed, she lets me curl around her until her body is perfectly nestled into mine. I hoped my presence would be enough to make her feel something other than sadness and fear. She cries and sobs into the pillow like nothing I have ever seen. Being like me, youe to learn that death was expected. It truly is the only guaranteed thing in life. We are born and we die. What happens in between is up to us. And though my own death is not something that scares me, the idea of losing my mate to it does. The worst thing is, I could feel everything she was feeling, but I couldn¡¯t make it better. Only one person could and he was being kept alive by machines. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She falls asleep from crying. Her eyes are left puffy from all the tears and her cheeks are flushed red from her hands constantly brushing them away. But she was asleep and I wanted to keep it that way. At least for a little while. Carefully moving away, I watch her for a moment, making sure she doesn¡¯t wake. A tiny snore escapes and I knew she was out and unlikely to wake for at least a few hours. The house is empty and I find Neah sitting on the steps in front of the house. A deep frown etched on her face as she stares at Abraxas performing some sort of martial arts. "Dane?" ¡°Dane took the boys and Dorothy to Eric¡¯s parents.¡± ¡°Is that a good idea?¡± ¡°They miss their own grandsons, well, the ones they thought were theirs. Dane thought the kids might cheer them up.¡± ¡°And he thought it was a good idea to leave him alone.¡± I nod my head in Abraxas'' direction. ¡°This is all he has been doing for thest hour.¡± ¡°You offered to watch?¡± Chapter 0276 Chapter 0276 She nods. ¡°Dane told him to stay where I could see him. He has done.¡± I watch other Wolves stop to observe him. Abraxas doesn¡¯t acknowledge them, like he is in his own little world. He moves with precision and ease, probably following training patterns that he had mastered over the years. ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like anyone.¡± she smirks at me and takes a sip of water from her bottle. ¡°But I get what you mean. He¡¯s strange. His movements, his words. How can someone know things like he does?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°They don¡¯t. It¡¯s normally a result of research and watching, or he paid someone for information.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s something else.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think.¡± She mutters and pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. ¡°Dane wouldn¡¯t have left him if he thought there was a problem.¡± ¡°Maybe he is performing his own test.¡± Her big blue eyes turn to me as she nods in agreement. From what I had heard, Dane did like to test people and he had odd ways of doing it. It probably also means that Neah is not the only one watching this nutjob throw himself around fighting an invisible force. I¡¯m assuming he tested me at some point too. But I was here and he had chosen me as Beta so I must have passed. Abraxas makes his way towards us. Neah watches him with curiosity as he pulls a towel from his bag and begins wiping the sweat from his body. ¡°You train funny.¡± She mutters ¡°Training is training.¡± He cocks a brow, shing his eyes in my direction. ¡°Not all of us need to spar with someone to test our strengths and I definitely don¡¯t need to beat the shit out of a bag.¡± This guys obnoxious attitude was on another level and I was more than ready to put my fist through his face. ¡°No, you just take the pussy¡¯s way out and stick a gun in their face.¡± He smirks at me, a dark glint in his eyes. ¡°You have no fucking idea, Rogue.¡± I get up, growling. ¡°Call me a fucking Rogue one more time!¡± His smirk turns into a grin. Augh rumbles from inside of him and he turns away from me. ¡°Fucking prick!¡± I snarl The dickhead stops, keeping his back to me. He turns his face a little over his shoulder, not quite looking at me, yet enough to show that he is challenging me. Neah grabs my ankle. ¡°STOP!¡± It was an order. Something that I couldn¡¯t refuse. If I wasn¡¯t annoyed, I would be impressed that she had been able to do it. ¡°I¡¯m not a Rogue, Neah. I swear on my life that I do not want to go back to that way of living.¡± ¡°I know that.¡± ¡°Then let me smash his face in.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you believe the shit he spouts?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± She murmurs with a frown. I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. Curiosity wasn¡¯t a bad thing, or was it that he wanted ir dead too? Either way, I decide to stay with her until Danees back. The guy trains like no other. He is incredibly quick and moves with perfection, better than I had seen here in the pack. I could see Dane heading back our way with the twins and Dottie. She¡¯s skipping along next to him, carrying that bear from the hotel when she stops dead to stare at Abraxas. I watch her arm coil around Dane¡¯s leg as she hides herself behind him. When I look at Abraxas, he has stopped too and is staring at my girl. I hurry over to them and Dottie practically ws herself up into my arms. Her arms loop around my neck as she hides her face against me. She¡¯s not crying and she¡¯s not scared but her heart pounds like crazy against her chest. ¡°Who is he Daddy?¡± she whispers ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± I start moving towards the house to get her inside only to find Abraxas catching up with us. ¡°Dorothy?¡± He mutters I didn¡¯t care how he knew her name but he was not hurting a hair on her head. ¡°Stay away from my kid!¡± I growl, pulling her away. ¡°Your kid?¡± ¡°Yes. Stay the hell away.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not yours. She¡¯s mine.¡± Chapter 0277 Chapter 0277 Neah This wasn¡¯t good. I had arrived just in time for Abraxas to demand that Damien hand over Dorothy. ¡°Fucking liar. I knew there was something dodgy about you. Is this what you do, you take little kids from their homes?¡± Damien snaps ¡°I¡¯m not the one taking them from their homes. She¡¯s my daughter!¡± ¡°Right. And I¡¯m the King of Ennd.¡± Damien snaps. His arms are tightly wrapped around Dorothy as Dane puts himself and the twins between the bickering men. My twins. Already I feel my stomach tying itself up in knots. How could he forget they were in his arms? How could he put them in the line of fire? ¡°How else do you think I know her name?¡± Abraxas growls. ¡°I¡¯m sure you weeded it out of someone, because that¡¯s what you do, right? Pay for information, make it seem like you have some kind of magic. Trick people into believing you. How did you con information out of Mallory?¡± ¡°Give her to me, Rogue! Give me my daughter!¡± Damien growls, taking a step back. The movement is quick and I¡¯m not even sure where Abraxas pulls it from. He points a gun directly at me. ¡°Hand her over or I kill the person I¡¯m supposed to be helping.¡± His hazel eyes lock with mine. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was just a threat not until his finger moved over the trigger. Rage fills my body. How fucking dare he threaten me! ¡®Kill him.¡¯ Nyx mutters ''Shut up!'' This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Lower your weapon.¡± Dane demands I watch Abraxasugh. ¡°That tone doesn¡¯t work on me. I¡¯m not from your pack and I don¡¯t believe in Alpha status. So maybe you need to rethink your question and who you are aiming it at. Your mate is all of a minute away from shifting and I won¡¯t hesitate to put her down.¡± He winks at me I close my eyes. If I shift, he will kill me. If I move he will kill me. I couldn¡¯t let the darkness win. I take a deep breath and open my eyes to find him staring at me with a cocked brow. ¡°How do you know she is yours?¡± I ask, trying to keep my voice level. ¡°I thought I could smell her in the house. I thought my mind was ying tricks on me. How did she end up here?¡± ¡°Damien saved her.¡± I mutter His eyes momentarily shift to Damien, ¡°I want to know what she did to her?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°ir.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t with ir.¡± I whisper, confused. ¡°She was found chained in a bar full of humans. About a year ago. Damien brought her back here. We took her in because she is a Wolf and.....¡± I trail off, I wasn''t prepared to tell another stranger about my past or how I felt I had to save Dorothy because no one had saved me. ¡°A Hunter.¡± He mutters. But he still watches me, like he knew I had something else to say. ¡°ir took her?¡± Dane asks as he tries to keep the wriggling twins in his arms. Abraxas lowers the gun, but his finger still hovers on the trigger. ¡°Dorothy and my pregnant mate were with my parents while I was on a hunt. She killed all of them except Dorothy.¡± Heughs, ¡°Fucking whore took her. I guess she got bored with looking after a toddler and pawned her off.¡± ¡®You should still kill him.¡¯ Nyx growls. ¡®Just for pointing that shit at us.¡¯ ¡°That doesn¡¯t prove anything.¡± Damien snaps as I try to ignore my Lycan I watch as Abraxas slips two fingers into his jeans pocket. He pulls out a small photo and hands it to me. A pregnant woman stares back with bright green eyes and a smile that could light up any room. A small girl leans over the woman''s shoulder, beaming at the camera. Dorothy got all her looks from her mother, including the dimples when she smiled. A sadness fills me because his mate looked to be due at the time of the photo which means she was killed shortly afterwards. Abraxas had lost everyone in the blink of an eye. Including the only person to survive irs attack on his family. Dane moves towards me and both boys reach out for me as I show him the photo. He saw it just like I did. There was no mistake that the young girl was Dorothy. Chapter 0278 Chapter 0278 ¡°Are you really believing this shit?¡± Damien demands ¡°Damien put her down.¡± Dane tells him. ¡°You have got to be kidding me. Look at her.¡± He points to the girl clinging to him I had. She hadn¡¯t made a sound. But there were also no tears and she wasn¡¯t panicking. She had been listening to everything as she hugged the one man that she truly trusted. ¡°Damien!¡± I didn¡¯t want to order him, but I would if I had too, especially now that I was getting the hang of it. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. He stares at me for a few moments and mutters, ¡°She¡¯s my kid.¡± ¡°She¡¯s his too.¡± Reluctantly, he lowers her until her feet are touching the grass. Dorothy grips on to his hand as she stares at Abraxas. It was like everything slowed down as she let go of Damien¡¯s hand and ran into Abraxas¡¯s open arms. ¡°I¡¯m here, baby girl. I finally found you.¡± He reassures her. Damien turns and starts to walk away when Dorothy calls out to him. ¡°Daddy don¡¯t go.¡± He turns his head over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, Dottie. I¡¯m just going to check on Raven.¡± When Damien is out of sight, Abraxas asks us why we have been letting a Rogue look after his kid. ¡°You said she is a Hunter too.¡± Dane smiles. ¡°Well she chose him to be her safe person. He¡¯s the only one she confidently talks too about what happened to her. Whether you like it or not, she chose him and he will always be a part of her life.¡± Dane steps forward, putting his hands over Dorothy¡¯s ears. ¡°Point a gun at my mate again. I will pull your organs out through your ass and feed them to you.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Though you would need to be quicker than a bullet.¡± Abraxas smirks back ¡°Then I suggest you sleep with one eye open.¡± Dane takes the boys up to the house. He wanted me to go with him but I found myself rooted to the spot, staring at the strange Wolf. ¡°Dorothy, could you go and help Dane.¡± I didn¡¯t want to separate her and her father, not after just getting her back. But the way he had been staring at me was like he knew something else about me. I see Eric appear twenty metres away. I¡¯m guessing Dane linked him when I didn¡¯t follow my mate away. ¡°Blondie has been watching for a while.¡± Abraxas tells me ¡°He doesn¡¯t like you calling him that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to make friends.¡± ¡°Would you really have shot me?¡± ¡°The moment your beast was free.¡± He nods ¡°In front of Dorothy?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Hunter.¡± I pause, I remember how Damien had said Dorothy hadn¡¯t really reacted to the ughtered humans in the bar, and even her nightmares weren¡¯t filled with them but with the things that had been done to her. ¡°Thank you for keeping her safe.¡± His words take me by surprise. A few minutes ago, death was staring me in the face. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°That you were on the path to shifting? I see it. I see the darkness moving in. My question to you is, how do you hold it off?¡± ¡®What is that supposed to mean?¡¯ Nyx presses. She sounds annoyed. I had felt her anger towards others. But Abraxas seems to have sent her to a whole other level. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± ¡°Never seen anyone do it like you do it. I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°I was given some advice.¡± ¡°From the other assholes? I would take that with a pinch of salt. There is a difference between them and you. They have already gone Rogue.¡± ¡°They shifted back. Mallory more easily than Damien and they both have been fine.¡± ¡°In my experience, it doesn¡¯t stay that way.¡± ¡°They¡¯re different.¡± ¡°You keep telling yourself that. There wille a time when something triggers them. Something throws them over the edge and they are unable to return from it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this a long time and right now, I''m more concerned about that Rogue that has attached himself to my daughter.¡± Chapter 0279 Chapter 0279 Abraxas ¡°She adores him.¡± Neah tells me. I could see that myself. Dorothy wasn¡¯t old enough to use her Hunter abilities, to her, she may have seen the man who saved her, but to me, he is a ticking time bomb and I don¡¯t want her anywhere near that. ¡°Would you let your boys near someone you deemed unsafe? I saw the way you looked at Dane when he stood between me and the Rogue. Two squirming babies in his arms. He put them directly in the line of danger.¡± ¡°Obviously I wasn¡¯t happy.¡± ¡°You still held it together.¡± She frowns at me. But it is a frown born of confusion, not anger. If it were anger, she would have that little crease that formed between her brows earlier. Something that surprised me considering I had pointed a gun at her. Even Mallory had acted like she had been jabbed with a taser. ¡°I¡¯m sorry she did that to you.¡± An apology was thest thing I expected. She was a little more unpredictable than I first thought. Maybe she was what all the Lycans needed. Maybe she could be the one to keep them all in line. ¡°It¡¯s not your ce to apologise. As much as you look like her, you were not the one to slit my family''s throats while they were sleeping. You were not the one who took my baby girl and handed her off to fucking humans.¡± She nods, her eyes flicking to Blondie in the distance. She gives him a tiny shake of the head. ¡°You knew he was watching, didn¡¯t you?¡± She asks me quietly. ¡°Yep. He¡¯s not the only one. Two back there, hiding in the trees. An older woman is watching me from her bedroom window. The couple down there who are acting like they are on their phones. Plus a few others.¡± She stares at me with wide eyes as I smile, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be a sessful Hunter if I¡¯m unable to tell where the threats are.¡± I muse ¡°Are you part Witch?¡± ¡°Fuck no.¡± Why did they always jump to that? It¡¯s not magic. It''s a gift that has been built and developed through generations of Hunters. We came preloaded with information and anything we learned got passed on to the next. She nods and a small smile appears on her face. Her soul glows brighter too. She turns from me. ¡°I need to go and check on something.¡± I watch her walk away. She is an odd thing. So different from other Lycans. Powerful too but only if her Lycan doesn¡¯t ruin it for her. ¡°Come on then, Blondie, let''s hear it. You¡¯ve been watching me for thest hour.¡± He had been moving closer even after Neah had told him no "Seen anything exciting?" ¡°You really think you are something special, don¡¯t you?¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Nah,¡± I brush past him and give him a wink. ¡°I know I am.¡± I duck before his fist hits me, easily swaying out of the way of the following punches. They always went for the punch first, and always to the face. Why is it that pack Wolves have be so predictable? I yawn as he throws another fist in the direction of my face, only this time when I duck, he identally hits his mate in the centre of her forehead. He should really pay more attention of his surroundings Her feet end up higher than her head as she¡¯s knocked through the air. Her brown eyes wide with shock by the sudden impact. Her body crashes onto the ground with a painful crack of something breaking. ¡°Mal, Mal. Talk to me, are you okay?¡± Eric drops to his knees by her. Flustered that he had hurt his own mate. She groans as the bruise on her forehead quickly appears before it starts to heal and I watch her leg snap back into ce. ¡°You made me hit my fucking mate!¡± Eric growls, getting back to his feet, leaving his mate to groan on the grass. ¡°Can¡¯t say I would hit a woman. But then again, it wasn¡¯t me that clonked her in the forehead, was it?¡± He growls at me. ¡°Maybe you need to use your eyes and ears a bit more, Blondie. Take notice of what is going on around you. M aybe tell her it''s not such a good idea to stand right behind people, you never know what mighte flying your way.¡± ¡°Wanker!¡± He snaps at me as he sits Mallory up. I shrug my shoulders, I had been called a lot worse, especially by those at the end of my gun. Was it my intention for him to hit her? No. Did I enjoy it? Maybe a little. ¡°Go tell your leader.¡± I muse. ¡°I didn¡¯ty a hand on either of you, so it sounds like a you problem.¡± I spit on the grass and turn to the packhouse. I had missed years with my baby girl, I wasn¡¯t about to miss anymore. Chapter 0280 Chapter 0280 Her voice travels through the house. She¡¯s giggling about something. It was like music to my ears. A sound that I hadn¡¯t heard in so long, it made my chest pound with pure happiness. If only her mother could see her now. I woulde home from a hunt to find my baby wide awake and ying games with her mother. She was always so excited to see me and my mate would tell me the same thing every single time. Dorothy couldn¡¯t sleep without a goodnight kiss from me. Thatst night, I never even got to tuck her into bed. My heart had more than shattered. It was made one hundred times worse by the fact there was no trace of Dorothy anywhere. Just a fucking note from ir with the words, ¡°I win!¡± She had covered their tracks perfectly. Following the giggles to the kitchen, I see Dorothyid on the floor as the Lycan pups crawl all over her. Her giggles echo throughout the house. I look at the twins, one identical to Dane while the other had Neah¡¯s features. Neither of them had a bad soul, yet. At this age, they have tiny balls of light to reflect their souls, not a millimetre of darkness to be seen anywhere. ¡°She loves ying with them.¡± Dane tells me. ¡°They are Lycans.¡± ¡°You have been raised to believe they are all bad. But take it from your kid, they are not all like that.¡± ¡°The boys are just pups, they haven¡¯t developed yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about them. I¡¯m talking about Damien and Mallory. She loves them both.¡± He points to my baby girl. ¡°Is Daddy mad?¡± Dorothy asks quietly ¡°No, I¡¯m not mad.¡± I offer her a smile and drop down to her level. She looks directly at me without returning the smile. Her eyes are just as bright as her mothers. ¡°Not you, my other Daddy.¡± I feel a tightening around my heart, it feels like it¡¯s being crushed ¡°He¡¯s not your Daddy, baby girl.¡± ¡°Yes he is. He saved me. Daddies save us.¡± My kid loved a Lycan as though they were family and I hated that. ¡°Daddy Damien isn¡¯t mad.¡± Dane tells her. ¡°He had to go and check on Raven.¡± ¡°Raven¡¯s sad?¡± Her small voice asks ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Jenson made her sad because he is dying?¡± She squeezes a little teddy bear to her chest. Dane goes quiet. He stares at my little girl. I recognise the look, it¡¯s the exact same one I get when I say something and they don¡¯t understand how I know. ¡°She hasn¡¯t met him has she?¡± I ask as Dorothy is distected by the boys Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No. She shouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hunter genes.¡± I murmur with a smile. ¡°And by the look on your face, this isn¡¯t the first time she has thrown you a curveball, is it?¡± Dane calls for an omega to take the kids away so that we can talk. When they are gone, he gestures for me to sit at the table. ¡°She makes a fewments, now and again. Nothing major but we started making sure she wasn¡¯t in the room, just in case she was paying more attention than we first thought.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to hide anything from her. You are lucky she is young, wait until she is old enough to read souls.¡± His crimson eyes don¡¯t give away his surprise, but the straightening of his spine does. ¡°You can read souls?¡± ¡°How do you think I know random information? Got any beer?¡± He gets up and moves to the fridge, pulling out a couple of bottles. ¡°That¡¯s why you don¡¯t like Damien, because of what you can see?¡± ¡°Bingo!¡± ¡°Why do you wind Eric up?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s easy. By the way, you might want to check in on him. He gave his mate a cracking punch.¡± ¡°She¡¯s good.¡± I add when he locks eyes with me. I take a swig as he decides how to reply, when I fire my own question at him. ¡°How long has she been calling herself Kitson?¡± ¡°Neah has always been a Kitson.¡± ¡°Not her, the other one. Kitson doesn¡¯te from her fathers side, but her mothers, passed down like her fancy blood. They shared the same father, correct?¡± He nods at me. ¡°What did you know her as?¡± ¡°ir Everwood. It¡¯s funny.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Changing her surname to one thates from a long line of powerful Lycans. It sounds to me like she is trying to convince people that she is the long lost female Lycan that they all need.¡± Chapter 0281 Chapter 0281 Dane ¡®Everwood.¡¯ Aero murmurs. ¡®Why does that sound so familiar?¡¯ ¡®There was a pack called Everwood years ago. Down in the south. But that was a long time ago, before I was even born. They were wiped out.¡¯ Part of my training as an Alpha had been to learn what had killed off certain packs. Everwood was not wiped out by a pack war or anything like that. It was a disaster. There was massive flooding, followed by andslide. My father had said they had either been killed in the process or had been buried alive. We may be able to heal from a lot of stuff, but things like that take out everything in its path. Destruction at its finest. ¡°Everwood were a pack of Wolves.¡± I mutter to Abraxas with a frown. He smirks at me and shakes his head. ¡°Lycans?¡± He takes another swig of beer and nods. ¡°A lot of packs masqueraded as Wolves. Easier to keep their identity hidden. Wolves can¡¯t tell the difference, as you are aware.¡± Moonshine had done just that. But they had also led Neah to believe she was a Wolf her entire life. ¡°You¡¯ve killed packs?¡± I press. ¡°I kill Rogues. Though my parents and grandparents did wipe out packs. I decided to focus on the real problems.¡± ¡°Are you trying to tell me that ir is from this Everwood pack? Because that can¡¯t be possible.¡± He grins, ¡°My grandparents blew up a dam not too far from their location. Made it look as though the thing cracked and then whoosh everything was gone.¡± It was impressive. A single act that wiped out so many. But it also made me question how many Lycan packs I had actually dealt with unknowingly. This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You think ir¡¯s mother got away?¡± "Maybe or maybe she wasn¡¯t there at the time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why ir came for your family when she was old enough. Payback.¡± ¡°In my line of work, every action has a consequence. My grandparents should have made sure everyone was dead. That was their mistake and a mistake that I am now having to clean up.¡± ¡°But why take Dorothy from you, what was the point in that?¡± ¡°You can mourn a death. You never get over knowing your child is out there, alive somewhere. You wonder if they are thinking about you or if they evern remember you.¡± I could only imagine what that must have been like. If someone tried taking one of my boys, I don¡¯t think anyone would be safe. Actually, I know they wouldn¡¯t be safe. ¡°Mallory ended up in a situation with ir.¡± ¡°I heard.¡± ¡°ir let slip something about a pack. About being skilled from training before she went Rogue. She caught herself and reacted badly. If Everwood were wiped out, what pack is she talking about?¡± ¡°That is something I haven¡¯t figured out. There are several packs that still reside in this country. Others moved overseas when the Wolf numbers started growing again. I''ve watched and never seen them at any of them. I wondered if maybe she led Wolves to believe she was one of them.¡± It didn''t sound ridiculous. ¡°Did you know about Moonshine?¡± I challenge He looks me dead in the eye. ¡°No, well, not at the time you are thinking of. They were recorded as wiped out." He looks at my annoyed face, "Being a Hunter does not make you suddenly aware of all packs. Yes I can tell the difference. Yes I can smell their strange odour. Yes, training skills are passed down through generations. We do record information on packs, and I can assure you, there is only the one recording of a Moonshine. The one that says deceased.¡± He taps his empty bottle on the table, ¡°Why did you ept her? Even after you knew what she was, you still let her stay and thrive.¡± ¡°I was looking for my mate for a long time. When I found her, I knew there was no way I was letting her go.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Lycan.¡± He stares at me with his hazel eyes. ¡°Sometimes we can¡¯t help who we fall for.¡± ¡°Did you feel sorry for her? I mean you did save her from a terrible situation.¡± ¡°She told you about that?¡± I ask, surprised. It wasn¡¯t something she voluntarily discussed. Things would slip out now and again, but mostly, she tried to keep it buried in the past. ¡°She didn¡¯t need to, I see it in her soul.¡± Chapter 0282 Chapter 0282 ¡®There¡¯s that soul shit again.¡¯ Aero mutters. ¡®I don¡¯t understand how someone can see a soul.¡¯ ¡°Are you saying her soul is tainted?¡± I ask Abraxas. I wasn¡¯t sure what to think of him saying he could see souls. At one time, I also didn¡¯t think someone could be bound four times. I¡¯ve learned a lot in thest couple of years. ¡°More like it has cracks in it.¡± ¡°Cracks?¡± Aero and I mutter in unison ¡°Everyone¡¯s soul starts off as a small ball of light. It grows as the person grows, gradually taking shape of the person. Sometimes, it gets to a certain size and never grows anymore because a person is trapped in a cycle that they can¡¯t get out of. Others, like those who have experienced levels of trauma, develop cracks. When the cracks meet, the soul breaks along with that person.¡± ¡°How bad are hers?¡± ¡°She should have broken long ago.¡± ¡°Is that how the darkness got in?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How can you be sure?¡± ¡°It was already there, just waiting to be freed.¡± Heughs to himself. ¡°Do you know, I¡¯ve never really spoken to Lycans before, or Rogues. I¡¯ve spent years watching, hunting, killing. Listening to them plead for their petty lives. I have to admit, Neah was not at all what I was expecting.¡± ¡°So if her soul is cracked. What¡¯s keeping her together?¡± ¡°Still figuring that out. Got anymore beer?¡± ¡°No, limited amount.¡± ¡°Because of Blondie''s issues, gotcha!¡± He smirks at me with a cocked eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, do you Dane?¡± He gets to his feet and takes the empty bottle to the bin. ¡°You believe in Witch magic though, don¡¯t you?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. ¡°Let¡¯s say you are telling the truth. You said her darkness was waiting to be freed. You are talking about her Lycan, right?¡± ¡°Bingo. But you¡¯ve been wondering that for a while, haven¡¯t you?¡± He sits back down opposite me. ¡°Neah has a surprisingly good level of control over her Lycan. I watched her force the darkness back out. Something I have never seen before.¡± ¡°Never?¡± ¡°Not once.¡± He seemed to be fascinated with her. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was a good or a bad thing. But if you linked it to how much he hated Lycans and Rogues, it wasn¡¯t a good sign. I had to find a way to make sure he was on her side. ¡°How do I help her deal with her Lycan if Nyx is causing the problems?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± He shrugs his shoulders at me. ¡°Her cracks show that she shouldn¡¯t be here. She is constantly fighting with her Lycan. Bound four times and survived¡± He keeps talking to himself. Listing all the things that I already know. He looks at me. ¡°Maybe binding her is what saved her.¡± ¡°You are deranged if you think I¡¯m binding her.¡± How fucking dare he think that¡¯s even an option. ¡°You are not listening to me Dane. You asked me what was holding her together.¡± He drums his hand on the table, working through things in his mind. ¡°Humans are full of cracks. Little tiny ones that snake through their soul. None of them ever quite meeting each other.¡± He grabs Dorothy¡¯s colouring book from the corner of the table and flips to a nk page, quickly drawing me a body. ¡°Humans crack all the time. Pressure, stress, money worries. But each of their cracks be a part of them. They learn from it. Basically like putting a ster on the edges. Some humans end up in psych wards when their cracks start to tumble apart.¡± ¡°Neah isn¡¯t human.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying she is. But she almost was. Her body learned to defend itself. To survive. A cracked soul isn¡¯t something we can heal from Dane, yet somehow, she has managed to stop the cracks spreading further.¡± His lips curve up into a smile. ¡°Fascinating.¡± ¡°Fascinating?¡± ¡°Just when I thought I knew everything there is to know with Rogues and Lycans, something new comes along.¡± His hazel eyes are wide with delight, they give him a sinister look. One that I didn¡¯t like. ¡°You won¡¯t touch her.¡± I warn him ¡°I won¡¯t touch her, can¡¯t say the same about the other two.¡± He winks at me. I assume he means Damien and Mallory, not the twins. Though I have no intention of letting him kill any of them. Chapter 0283 Chapter 0283 Damien Raven isn¡¯t in bed when I return. The hours of sleep she needed once again evaded her and I already knew she would be back at Jenson¡¯s bedside. Praying for a miracle. I don¡¯t stop when I hear Dane and Abraxas in the kitchen. He was spewing some bullshit about seeing souls like he was some fucking God or maybe that was it, he just had a Godplex. Bringing him here was a mistake and I would prove it. In the hospital, I find Raven exactly where I expected her to be. Hunched over Jenson, fighting sleep, gripping his hand. ¡°You are supposed to be in bed.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t sleep.¡± She whispers ¡°us was watching him.¡± I remind her ¡°I know.¡± She¡¯s clinging to his hand again. Her thumb circled the back of his hand as though that would wake him up. ¡°Did something happen? Did us link you?¡± She shakes her head, arge tear rolls down her cheek. I stand there, watching her, trying to think of something to say when I hear his voice. Why the fuck was he here? I pull the door open to face Dane and Abraxas. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me!¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Nice to see you too, Rogue!¡± He grins at me and Dane rolls his eyes. ¡°Why are you here, asshole?¡± I snap back. If he was going to continue to call me Rogue, then I had a few choice names for him too. ¡°I asked him toe here.¡± Dane interrupts us ¡°So he can look at Jenson¡¯s soul?¡± I mutter sarcastically. ¡°Exactly.¡± I stare at Dane, surely he didn¡¯t believe the crap this asshole is sprouting. ¡°His soul?¡± Raven whispers behind me. ¡°Raven, this is Abraxas. Abraxas, this is my sister Raven and the guy in the bed is my brother, Jenson.¡± The asshole stares at me, waiting for me to move. I position myself next to Raven and the idiot smirks at me. As soon as we are alone, I¡¯m going to stitch his lips shut so he can never smirk again. He settles into a chair on the other side of Jenson, propping an ankle on his knee as he stares at my mate''s brother. ¡°He¡¯s a Wolf?¡± ¡°Thought you could tell the difference?¡± I sneer ¡°That¡¯s not why I was questioning it, Rogue. I¡¯m questioning how he can be a Wolf.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Dane frowns ¡°You told me what he did to himself. That he practically killed himself to get rid of his Wolf so that he didn¡¯t have a connection to ir.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± "Hmm" He¡¯s staring at my mate in that strange way he looked at Neah. ¡°What?¡± Raven mutters. ¡°What is it?¡± The asshole frowns as his eyes move down to my mate holding Jenson¡¯s hand. ¡°Humour me, let go.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She mutters. ¡°Curiosity.¡± He said that quite a lot. It was annoying that he never exined himself. Not unless he wanted to. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Raven whispers. ¡°I¡¯m not ready.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not going anywhere,¡± The asshole tells her She nods her head and her hand slowly retreats. Why did they listen to everything he said like it wasw? How could I be the only one not to trust him? A smile appears on his face after several minutes of silence. ¡°Okay, you can hold him again.¡± He mutters and leaves. ¡°I will be right back.¡± I tell my mate and follow Daneand Abraxas from the room. ¡°What the fuck was that about?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not dead.¡± The asshole mutters. ¡°The machines¡­¡­¡± Dane starts ¡°The machines are letting him heal, very very slowly.¡± He runs his hand through the stubble on his cheeks. ¡°Twin Wolves both in essence and spirit. Much like mates, they can connect on more levels. Surely you know this.¡± ¡°I know their bond is different.¡± Dane replies. ¡°You should prepare yourself, your sons have the same bond.¡± ¡°Really? Do you really get off on spewing this crap? Those machines are what are keeping him alive.¡± ¡°Nah.¡± I square up to him and heughs. ¡°You should never havee here, asshole.¡± ¡°Neither should you, Rogue.¡± His movement is quick and I feel a gun pressed to the side of my head. ¡°Abraxas!¡± Dane growls. ¡°I promised not to hurt your mate.¡± He smiles at me as he stares me dead in the eye. ¡°I didn¡¯t promise I wouldn¡¯t kill the Rogue." His eyes narrow. "Your brain will make a lovely piece of art, smeared against the wall to our left. I might even put a frame around it.¡± ¡°Son of a bitch.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk about someone else''s mother like that. Not when you have your own family problems.¡± He pushes the end of the gun firmly against my temple. ¡°You two are worse than squabbling children!¡± Dane snaps. ¡°Abraxas put the gun down. Damien go to Raven.¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s your lucky day.¡± The asshole grins at me. ¡°I was quite looking forward to hanging a frame. I was going to add a little information. ¡®Here lies the remnants of a Rogue. He thought he knew what he was doing, but the darkness took him instead.¡¯ Has a nice sound to it, doesn¡¯t it?¡± A low growl rumbles from my chest and heughs. He taps the gun against my temple twice. ¡°Remember, I¡¯m always prepared, Rogue.¡± He winks at me and turns away, acting like it was his decision not to shoot me. Chapter 0284 Chapter 0284 ¡°Are you going to tell me what that was about?¡± Raven asks quietly as I m the door. She doesn¡¯t look at me, her eyes are only on her brother. ¡°That asshole ims to be a Hunter.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a Wolf?¡± ¡°A Hunter of Rogues and Lycans.¡± She puffs out her cheeks and drags her dark orbs away from her brother to look at me. ¡°Why would my brother bring him here? With you and Neah, Mallory and the boys¡± ¡°The guy has issues with ir too.¡± I groan ¡°And Mallory roped him into helping Neah.¡± **** ¡°He¡¯s Dorothy¡¯s father?¡± She is staring at me as I break the news. It¡¯s the most she had looked at me since Jenson hadnded himself in here. It was a good thing, to get her tired mind focussed on something else even if it''s just for a few minutes. ¡°Apparently.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°I saw the way he looked at her. It¡¯s the same look Neah and Dane have when they look at their boys.¡± ¡°How is Dorothy taking it?¡± ¡°Surprisingly well. She seemed to know who she was.¡± I frown, thinking about the way she hugged me. I thought she had been scared but now I wonder if she had been overwhelmed with her feelings. ¡°She ran into his arms.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t stop loving you.¡± Raven gives me a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m not her father though, am I?!¡± It felt like my heart was being torn apart when I thought about it. ¡°Don¡¯t give up on it just yet. Dorothy adores you. You are the only one allowed to call her Dottie. She won¡¯t just fade from your life.¡± ¡°She will if he takes her. This is her home Raven. She loves everyone here. She¡¯s a pack Wolf.¡± ¡°If he is helping Neah, he will be here for a while yet. ir hasn¡¯t shown herself since youst saw her. Dorothy isn¡¯t leaving your life that easily.¡± She scowls at me ¡°And you can¡¯t kill him. That will destroy her.¡± Her gaze lowers to her brother and I knew I had lost her again. As she falls into silence, I mull over what the asshole said. ¡®Twins in essence and spirit.¡¯ And the machines weren¡¯t what was keeping him alive. I knew Raven said that their Wolves were twins too. Surely he couldn¡¯t mean it was Midnight keeping Jenson alive? As much as I couldn¡¯t stand the bastard, I needed to know if that was what he meant. Dane and the asshole hadn¡¯t gone far. They were still outside the hospital. ¡°What did you mean the machines are not keeping him alive?¡± I demand He smirks at me. I really wanted to wrap my hands around his throat and crush his windpipe. ¡°He was just saying that it¡¯s Raven.¡± Dane tells me ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s hear your amazing theory behind this.¡± ¡°Do you actually want to hear it, or are you just being an idiot?¡± Dane¡¯s crimson eyes lock on mine. He doesn¡¯t say anything and I don¡¯t need to ask to know he wants me to choose my words carefully. ¡°I want to hear!¡± I mutter through a clenched jaw ¡°He lives because of her. Twins who share twin Wolves are as rare as Neah is. But you know that, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Their souls are intertwined.¡± He slots his fingers together. ¡°And how is that supposed to work? He left the pack.¡± ¡°They leave a part of themselves with the other one. When I say she is keeping him alive it¡¯s because¡­.¡± ¡°Part of her soul lives in him¡± Dane finishes for him. ¡°She¡¯s not dead, so he can¡¯t move on.¡± ¡°Nailed it!¡± The asshole ps his hands together and winks at Dane. ¡°And that is why you, Dane, were able to feel his death and carry on. She can¡¯t, she''s stuck.¡± ¡°Does he have a soul?¡± Dane asks with a creased brow ¡°I think you already know the answer to that.¡± ¡°Okay then, wise one.¡± I mutter in my most sarcastic tone. ¡°What do we do with him if my mate is the one keeping him alive?¡± ¡°There is nothing you can do. You have to leave it to the higher powers. The machines are allowing him to heal. But no one can survive without a soul. Maybe if they think he deserves it, they will give him a new one. But you better pray for it.¡± ¡°Fucking nutjob.¡± I mutter, turning away. Never have I heard so much crap. ¡°You love my baby girl.¡± He shouts after me. ¡°She will grow up to be just like me and if somehow, I decide to let you live, are you going to make her believe she is losing the plot?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t guarantee that she will be just like you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gics and I have already seen it.¡± I was about to answer when Neah¡¯s voice echoed in my head. ¡®This is your Alpha. Your presence is required in ck Shadow.¡¯ I look up, confused, I was already in ck Shadow. I was about to ask Dane what was going on when I see Mallory running towards us with a massive grin. ¡°She did it! She sent out a link to everyone.¡± Chapter 0285 Chapter 0285 Abraxas ¡°She actually did it?¡± Dane asks in surprise. He turns to face the direction of the pack house. ¡°How?¡± Mallory shrugs her shoulders. ¡°I wasn¡¯t with her.¡± Dane scowls and not because he didn¡¯t want it to happen but because Neah had managed to do it without guidance. ¡°I saw Damien over here with you two and just¡­.¡± She stops and her brown eyes shift up to the hospital doors with a frown. She doesn¡¯t question why we are here even though she wants too. ¡°We need to prepare.¡± Damien stares at me. ¡°But I''m guessing you are already prepared for this.¡± Property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°This was why I was asked toe here. To put down the Rogues.¡± I wink at him He rolls his eyes at me and turns to Mallory. ¡°You areing with me where I can keep an eye on you.¡± ¡°What about Raven?¡± She questions. ¡°That¡¯s why you are here isn¡¯t it? Is Jenson still alive?¡± ¡°Raven will be fine.¡± I tell them and again I¡¯m met with irritated res from Damien. He was so easy to wind up. I just needed him to explode, then I will have an actual reason for putting him down and no one will question it. He gives me one final re before walking off and tugging Mallory with him, leaving Dane and I behind. ¡°You have got to stop doing that.¡± Dane warns me. ¡°He is my Beta, he has done nothing but help this pack and Neah for that matter. He has spent thest year raising your daughter. You need to at least respect him for that.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason Wolves and Lycans don¡¯t live together, Dane. The Lycans run the risk of tipping over into the Rogue life every single day. Wolves don¡¯t, it''s as simple as that.¡± ¡°Is it? Because if you haven¡¯t noticed there are several of us that are mated to Lycans now. A bond created just for us. If we are not supposed to live together then why were we mated in the first ce?¡± I open my mouth to answer but he continues ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you have had centuries worth of information passed down to you, yet somehow, you are still stuck living in the past. Living by your insane made up rules that were created however long ago. Have you ever actually taken the time to get to know a Lycan?¡± I don¡¯t answer because I could see that he one hundred percent believed himself. He shakes his head at me. ¡°I think for someone that can read souls. You are blind to a lot of things.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Hunter by birthright.¡± ¡°You are also a Wolf by birthright. You shouldn¡¯t forget that. Nowe with me. We need to see my mate.¡± I trail a little behind him as we head towards the packhouse. Mulling over his words. I was born to be a Hunter. It was in my blood. I couldn¡¯t change that, nor did I want to change that. Neah is pacing in the office. Her eyes are cast down as she moves back and forth. She only stops when Dane clears his throat. ¡°I did it. I sent out a link.¡± She murmurs unsure of herself. ¡°So I hear.¡± Dane smiles at her and I watch their souls explode with love for one another. Their kind together was wrong, but at the same time, their souls were made for each other. What the hell were the higher powers up to? ¡°It was the right thing to do though, wasn¡¯t it? It¡¯s what we said I needed to do?¡± Neah checks with him ¡°Yes.¡± He reassures her as he pulls her against him. ¡°How did you manage it?¡± She smiles, ¡°Dorothy.¡± Dane cocks an eyebrow as he looks back at me. ¡°Dorothy helped you?¡± She nods and a part of me feels sick yet proud that she called already tap in to her Hunter abilities. Though my Hunter daughter had helped a Lycan. A shiver goes down my spine. Chapter 0286 Chapter 0286 "Obviously I haven''t told her what we are doing. But she was sat with me when I was changing the boys and just told me to remember that I had the power to do it. And then it just kind of happened. No one replied though." "They don''t have too. They wille." I frown. "Some out of annoyance, some out of curiosity, But they wille and ir probably will too." I mutter Her big blue eyes rise up to meet Danes crimson orbs. "Thest time we had a lot of people here, bad things happened." "The difference is this time we are expecting some of them to be trouble." Dane tells her. "That''s what he is for." He gestures to me. "Right." Her tone is full of uncertainty and he helps with that. Their rtionship was stronger than anyone I had ever met. Stronger than the bond I had with my mate. It shouldn''t work and yet somehow it does. I needed to watch the bonded mates more. Especially those with Lycan mates. Neah panics a little more, suggesting that she had made a big mistake. "What if I shift?" "Then we will deal with that when it happens." His tone is softer around her, not like when he is speaking to me or anyone else. "Promise me you will look after the twins." She mutters. "If I...." "You won''t shift" They both look at me as though they had momentarily forgotten that I was in the room. "I won''t let you go Rogue." The words roll from my tongue, surprising me in the process. Stopping Lycans from going Rogue was never of interest to me, only ending their miserable life. But for some reason, I liked Neah. Maybe I was too fascinated by her cracked soul and how it reacted. Maybe it was just a job. But I also knew I can''t learn anything from her if she goes Rogue and ends up dead. **** Two days and a handful of Lycans had turned up.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Every single one of them wasid in front of me with a bullet lodged in their skull. They had hated her. They hated that she was their leader. They hated that she was mated to a Wolf. They hated that she had children with him. They were livid that she had called them in. I had watched their souls darken as Neah spoke to them. They were a threat and I put them down before they had a chance to do something stupid. And no one, not even Damien questioned me. I took the bodies to the edge of the pack, nning on burying them. Instead I make a fire, toss their bodies on and watch them burn. The smell of burning Lycans is putrid. Even worse when the bodies had already started to swell from the gas. It invades your sense of smel for days and everytime you think it''s gone a little tiny reminder would make its way into your senses. Still, after all this time, I hadn''t adjusted to the stench. "Done." I mutter when I return to the house. Damien, Blondie and Dane are standing out the front. "You set them on fire?" Blondie asks "There might be too many to bury. This way, we just have to get rid of a bunch of bones." I shrug my shoulders. "Bet you are enjoying this, aren''t you?" Damien folds his arms up across his chest as he res at me. "I''m doing a job." I mutter back. I wasn''t going to tell him that I feel sorry for Neah because the first people to turn up wanted nothing to do with her. Feeling sorry for a Lycan, that was a new feeling. "Any sign of any more?" Dane shakes his head. "Not yet." "They have lived without a leader for a long time Even her mother didn''t possess the same power that she does. She has to understand that a lot of them won''t like it. A lot will fight it especially after being free this long." UMS Chapter 0287 Chapter 0287 "She knows." Dane growls "What about the other packs?" Blondie asks. "We know Moonshine had a leader." "No packs have a true leader unless they are Wolves. They choose someone, if they don''t like it, they kill them and rece. Isn''t that what Moonshine did to Neah''s parents?" "It is." "Then this will be different." "Thought you don''t believe in Alphas?" Blondie tuts "I don''t, but I believe in power." Dane frowns at my words but doesn''t speak and focusses his gaze on the direction of the packs main entrance. They all seemed to be expecting more. Believing that people will jump at the chance to have a leader. "Iing." Dane mutters as Mallory strides up the drive with two new people. A Lycan and a Wolf, hand in hand with one another. The Lycan has a fresh mark on her neck and her hand is gripped a little too tightly around the guys. There is no darkness to her soul, but there is fear. Mallory stops just in front of us and I watch the girls fingers grow impossibly tighter around the guys hand or so I thought. Looking closer, I see that he is holding on to her. His knuckles are white, and the skin on her hand is sunken from the pressure. "This is Madison and Enzo." Mallory smiles. "Madison is a Lycan mated to a Wolf." I knew she was saying it for my benefit as she smiles smugly at me.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Maddie." The girl whispers her chestnut eyes briefly settle on me and she sort of bows, making her red waves fall over her face.. The movement is subtle, but enough for me to see that Enzo is the one forcing her into a bow. She gulps, but doesn''t make another sound as she slowly straightens. She had probably convinced him toe here because of Neah''s instructions. But really she was using it as a way to ask for help. "Maddie." Dane steps forward and I knew from his tone that he had seen the same things I had. Maybe it reminded him of how he met Neah. "Mallory will take you through to meet Neah. Enzo, you will stay with us." "If it''s all the same, Alpha Dane, I would like to meet the Lycan Alpha that dragged me and my mate from our holiday." "You will." Dane steps forward. "Meetings are done individually so everyone can be verified." "There are other Lycans here?" His eyes flicker between us. Damien steps forward and gestures to himself. "Yes." "I would still prefer to attend the meeting with Madison. I want to know what this Alpha wants with And she wants me by her side." WX Enzo res at Maddie until she whispers that she was afraid to be alone with a stranger. "Nothing will happen to her." I smile at him though I had ideas for what is about to happen to him. "Can you guarantee that?" He cocks his head to one side and stares at Dane. "I can guarantee nothing will happen to her." Dane practically states the same as me. He knew what wasing. Enzo frown''s but let''s go of the pretty redhead. Two minutes." He mutters to Maddie and pulls her in, nting his lips on the corner of hers Her soul pulsates with fear. S "Mallory." Dane gives her a nod. Mallory smiles and links arms with Maddie, encouraging her to go into the house. Enzo''s brain ruptures out the back of his skull just as the door closes behind the women. Chapter 0288 Chapter 0288 ir My eyes focus on the brats ying in the front garden. They are spitting images of their father. They looked happy as they kicked a ball between them. Giggling andughing until the younger boy slips on the ball,nding with a heavy thud.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. The sound of their happiness is quickly reced with cries and the elder boy screaming for his mother. Shees rushing out of the house, an apron tied around her waist, a small dish towel tossed over her shoulder, her jet ck hair tied up into a high bun. She drops to her knees, pulling the small boy in against her chest and rocking him. Promising him that everything was going to be okay. She had raised them to be wimps. There wasn''t even any blood. If I had fallen from a tree at their age, she would have told me to get up and shake it off. ''You''re better than this. Grow a backbone! Be better!'' They are all smiles and the tears have stopped as she promises them cake and ice cream. I roll my eyes, I would have been lucky to get a decent dinner at that age. But here I was, needing a ce to lie low, a ce to think. I had returned to my mother''s home in the hope that she will wee me in, even if it''s just for a night or two while I figure things out. Forcing myself out of my new blue BMW, I straighten up, my bones cracking. I had only just managed to force myself to shift back yesterday. It took a lot, but for now I was back in human form and I needed to keep it that way. I step towards the house, throwing my eyes up and down the small cul-de-sac. Every house here is full of Lycans. The remnants of what was once a great Lycan pack. The white gate creaks as I push it open. I see the curtains twitch. A momentter, the front door is ripped open and there stands my mother''s husband, ring at me with his deep blue eyes. "What the fuck do you want?" Ryken demands "Not you, clearly." I retort, "I came to see my mother and my brothers." "She''s not here and the boys have no idea who you are." He starts shutting the door, I stick my toe in the door and he res at me. "You must be stupid if you think I believe that mum''s not here. I just saw her." I hated him so fucking much. Almost as much as I hated Neah and her little crew. "What do you want, ir?" He steps out of the doorway, making me back up as he folds his arms across his chest in a defensive stance. ¡°You are not wee here and don''t give me some bullshit about wanting to see your mother. You haven''t been here in five years. I bet you can''t even remember your brothers names." I take a deep breath. He wasn''t wrong. The youngest had only just been born when I left. "Maybe it''s time I get to know my brothers." I offer "So you can warp their minds too?" He snarls at me. I could kill him. I had thought about it so many times, but for some fucked up reason, I just couldn''t do it. He made my mum happy after she had spent so long being sad and angry at the world and I didn''t want to be the one that takes that away from her again. "I know I haven''t been around." I cast a nce up and down the street, I really didn''t want to be seen by the others. "Thank fuck for that, you almost led that Hunter asshole to our door." He runs a hand over his shaved head. "I killed his family." "But you didn''t kill him. Big fucking mistake." "I..." "ir, this is not a good time." I hear a baby start to cry from somewhere inside. "You had another pup?" "Yes. You have a sister." "Mum shouldn''t be having pups at her age." I retort He doesn''t answer me, though his deep blue eyes remain on me like he was waiting for me to say something else. My mother appears, cradling a pup that''s less than a few weeks old. "ir." She whispers when she sees me, but she doesn''t smile. "Why...why did youe here?" watch her hands tighten around the pup and she takes a step back, scared of me. ¡°Well?" Ryken demands. "Your mother asked you a question." "I already told you. I want to get to know my brothers... and meet my sister." I force a smile ? "You mean you are on the run and need somewhere toy low." mutters. His blue eyes move to my neck "You have a mate now where you?" is he? Why isn''t he prote "Doesn''t matter." I mutter in annoyance was furious with Jenson. I don''t know what he had done or what had happened to him, but I knew he was dying. I could feel it though I couldn''t link him or read his mind anymore. ¡°What did you do, ir?" Mum asks. Her eyebrows shoot up her forehead. ¡°I fell in love with the wrong fucking man." Her eyes narrow as I hit that nerve. History has a habit of repeating itself. "Watch your fucking tone." Ryken growls. "This is our home, you don''t get to bring that attitude to our doorstep." Chapter 0289 Chapter 0289 I roll my eyes at him and look at my mother. "I found her."Property ? N?velDrama.Org. "Who?" She asks with a frown "Daddy''s favourite little girl." Her brown eyes widen a little and she shakes her head. "That was a long time ago, ir. You need to let go of the past." I had a feeling she was just saying it because Ryken was standing right here. If it had just been us, I know she would be smiling. It''s what we had both wanted. I knew deep down she wanted revenge for what my father had done to her, done to us. Ryken points a finger at me. "You are fucking nuts. You do realise who she is, right?" "Yeah, everything that I should be." Heughs and I feel that white hot rage creeping up inside of me. "You were never going to be an Alpha, ir. Your dad wasn''t an Alpha, it was a fucking lie you stupid cow." He prods his thick finger against my temple. "Why can''t you get that to go in that thick skull of yours?" "He lied, ir." My mum whispers sadly. Where was her anger? Where was her rage? "Are you really that stupid?" Ryken shakes his head, "You are an Everwood. You could have had a chance at leading this small pack, but you fucked that up by going on this wild goose chase of yours." Iugh, looking around at the houses. "There''s like thirty people in this so-called pack and my name is ir Kitson.¡± Heughs at me while mum just stares at me with a deep rooted sadness "You would rather take your half sister''s name then be proud of our own pack?" "If it gets me my ce." Rykenughs. "You are fucking delusional. Looks like the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. And I''m not talking about your mother." "You are saying I''m like my father." "Exactly like him. Why do you think your mother spent so long despising you?!" He mocks "Mum?" She turns away without uttering a single word and heads deeper into the house. Ryken throws a nce over his shoulder and then stares at me. ¡°You had a chance here, ir. A chance at a fresh start. I was willing to take you on as my own, to raise you into a loving family. Give you everything you missed when you were a child. But you threw that away because you can''t let go of this stupid idea of yours. Now leave, you are trespassing." He ms the door in my face and my heart drops into my stomach. I had really hoped mum would wee me with open arms. Slinking back to my car, I watch the house for a while, mulling over Ryken''s words. Every now and again I would see one of my brothers appear in the window. They never looked at me, but they were so damn happy. A million miles away from how I had felt growing up. Mum had changed, she had gotten everything she ever wanted. A happy, loving family and I wasn''t part of that. A tear leaks from my eye. I''m quick to wipe it away. Crying was not happening. Mum had moved on without me. Speeding down the road, Neah''s voice vibrates through my head, telling all Lycans toe to ck Shadow. "Fuck!" My hands m against the steering wheel. I knew this day woulde, but why had she waited until now? Turning the car around, I head back to my mum''s ce. I needed to see if they would go. Neah''s request wasn''t an order, but that could change and then I would be forced to go too. Would she have them killed because of me? I stop at the end of the road. They were already loading up their car with bags. Mum had the baby cradled in her arms as Ryker moved back and forth, slotting things into the car like he was ying agame of tetris. S They weren''t the only ones either. Every house had people loading up cars. They were all going. They were all fucking stupid. mming on my brakes, I block their car in. My mum stares at me with wide eyes and backs off towards the house as my sister startes to cry. "You are making a mistake." I mutter "It''s our decision." He snaps back at me and stams the car door shut with the boys inside. He goes to say something and instead shakes his head in disbelief. "What the fuck have you done, ir?" I had been fighting Wolves, Lycans and Rogues for years. I had been thriving on my own. Yet somehow he always makes me feel like a little kid with no power. A little kid who had done something really, really bad. The strength and confidence I usually have in any situation fades to nothing. "BLAIR!" Ryken growls "What danger have you put the pack in?" "I..." "You didn''t just find her, did you?" He snarls at me "Let me talk to whoever is in charge." "You are looking at him." "You are in charge?" I ask in disgust "As voted by the others. Now I have to speak to the Lycan Alpha about the mess you created." "She will probably kill you." "Then the death of your family will sit firmly on your shoulders alone." Chapter 0290 Chapter 0290 Neah Mallory guides a crying woman into the office. The red haired woman has her hands clutched to her chest, almost hyperventting as a wide eyed Mallory ushers her into a chair. "He can''t hurt you now." Mallory tells her. The bang made sense now. Abraxas had killed someone else. Someone that he had deemed unworthy to even meet me. By the mark on this woman''s neck, my guess is the person was her mate. "I''m sorry." I mutter, knowing there would be no words to actually soothe the loss of her mate. She is most likely in agony. ¡°He''s really dead?¡± She splutters through tears. "Yes." Mallory offers her a smile "Good!" The woman looked so relieved to here the confirmation. Now I was even more confused. "The bastard marked me when I received your link." "You weren''t his mate?" I ask as even more questions develop in my head ''It''s a trap.'' Nyx mutters. ''You think everything is a trap.'' I snap back "No." The redhead mumbles. "I was sold to him." I was starting to see why Abraxas had shot him. ¡°You were sold?" She drops her gaze, her long red hair falls down over her face "It''s not the first time." "You''ve been sold more than once?" Mallory mutters in disgust. The woman nods her head. "When I received your link. I saw an opportunity. I told him I had toe. That you had sent an order." "He was a Wolf." Mallory adds, exining why the guy hadn''t heard my link "It was the only thing I could think of. But he marked me. Told me that he needed to keep tabs on me." She runs her fingers over the mark on her neck. "Why didn''t you just shift and kill him, Maddie?" Mallory presses. The woman''s brows knit together and she presses her lips into a thin line. "I can''t shift." ''Lies!'' Nyx snaps "You can''t?" I ask while trying to ignore my Lycan. I was starting to feel like there was something seriously wrong with Nyx. She was so up and down. She made me question myself far too much. She constantly tried to make me see the bad in everything. Sometimes it seemed like I wasn''t just fighting the darkness but her too. Especially when she started hating the idea of me trying to link everyone. Something she was on board with at first and suddenly changed her mind over. Maddie shakes her head at me and fidgets with the ends of her waist long hair. "I knew you are going to ask me and I don''t know the answer." "Were you bound?" Her tears had finally stopped "No, I was just their ything. I can do everything else. I heal quickly, I''m fast. Uh, have a great sense of smell and hearing. Obviously you can link me. I have just never been able to shift. I can prove the other stuff if you like. Do you have a Knife?" ''Bullshit. She has to have been bound.'' Nyx growls "You said you have been sold multiple times. Did any of them drug you?" I press She shakes her head at me. "They didn''t need to." "What do you mean?" "A long time ago, I learned that if I just did what they asked, they wouldn''t hurt me." I wasn''t following her at all. They bought her but didn''t hurt her? Trey, Cassandra had found an excuse to hit me for any reason, even when I did conform. "You had sex with them?" Mallory breaks my thoughts. She looked horrified by the thought Maddie bobs her head. "It might sound crazy to you. But as long as I did that, they didn''t hurt me. None of them did until...." "Until Enzo?" Mallory asks Maddies eyes drop to the floor again. She had figured out what she needed to do to survive and it sounded strangely like she had come to terms with what happened to her. "How old were you when you were first sold?" "A week short of fourteen. They gave me a year thinking that maybe my ability to shift waste. When it didn''te....." She shrugs her shoulders. "Your parents sold you?" Mallory frowns "Yep." She was very open with information. Not something I expected from someone who had gone through that. It had taken me ages to share anything with Dane. "I wasn''t worthy of being their child." She gets to her feet and flicks her red hair over her shoulder. "Thank you for getting me out of that situation. You have no idea how much it means to me." "More than you will ever realise." I mutter She gives me a smile and Nyx mutters something about reminding Maddie who''s presence she is in. "Can I ask why you asked us toe here?" "Have you heard of a Lycan called ir?" Mallory asks She shakes her head at us. "Not a name I''m familiar with. But then again I have spent thest ten years mostly in thepany of men."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "How did you know where ck Shadow was?" I ask. We weren''t the easiest pack to find, especially for those that had never been here. "Enzo said he knew the Alpha here." Mallory stands behind Maddie and shakes her head at me. ''Dane didn''t act like he knew him'' She links me. Chapter 0291 Chapter 0291 ''See, lying.'' Nyx presses ''If you don''t stop nagging me, I will find a way to block you!'' I snap back at my Lycan "Can you get Dane and Abraxas?" I ask Mallory. "Sure." Maddie''s eyes widen a little and her heart starts to race all over again. "Are you going to let them shoot me?" "Just need to check something." I offer a smile She sits in silence, fiddling with the ends of her hair as we wait. Dane is the first through the door, he walks around and presses his lips against my forehead. Maddies chestnut eyes follow the movement and I see a tiny hint of a smile. "Where''s Abraxas?" "He''sing. He was cleaning up his mess." Dane tells me. Maddie shudders andbs through her hair with her fingers. "He really is dead?¡± "Yes. Are you okay?" "It hurts, but that''s because he marked me, right?" I exin to Dane that this Enzo guy wasn''t actually her mate. That he was keeping her as his property. It made me so angry and I''m a little disappointed that she didn''t get to kill him. There wasn''t anything quite like watching the life drain from those you hate. Shaking my head, I close my eyes and focus on my sons as I push the dark thoughts away when I catch the scent of Abraxas. "Blondie and the surfer guy are keeping guard." He mutters, but he is watching me again with an amused expression. He watched me alot. "You mean Eric and us." Dane reminds him of their names "Yes. They said they will let you know when more Lycans arrive." His hazel eyes move to Maddie. "You''ve told Neah you can''t shift?" Her head snaps back over her shoulder to re at him. "How did you know that?" Abraxas smiles. "I know a lot of things.¡± His hazel eyes move to me. "I believe you wanted to see me?¡± "What else do you know?" I still wasn''t a hundred percent sure if I believed everything that he had said, but he did know an awful lot. He casts his eyes over her, "All good." "What''s happening?" Maddie asks, her voice going up a notch.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. "Can you shift?" I repeat, but keep my eyes on Abraxas. "No, I swear." Abraxas yawns, "She''s telling the truth." "Are you some kind of psychic?" Maddie mutters Abraxasughs. "No, I''m a Hunter." Maddie almost falls out of her seat as she tries to back away from him. "You lured us here to be killed by a Hunter?" She demands, edging behind the desk toward me. Content belongs to S "You are right to fear me." Abraxas tells her, "Though right now, you are of little interest to me." He shoots her a wink. She turns to me. "I know you are the Alpha, but what the hell are you thinking?" Dane growls at her and I hold a hand up to him. "You know about Hunter''s?" "Most Lycans do, so why is he here?" "Abraxas wants ir dead, as do I and several others." I tell Maddie "Hunters kill our kind." She splutters as her eyes dance between us. "You are making a mistake. He will turn on you." Abraxasughs again. "Don''t make me change my mind about you gingernut." "Brax!" Dane snaps at him "I will be outside unless you need me for anything else." ¡°It''s fine.¡± I take a deep breath and watch Abraxas head out with a grin on his face. Maddie, you don''t have to help us. You don''t even have to e stay here. But if you want to, you are more than wee." I had already decided that I wasn''t going to force any of them to help. Something Dane and I massively disagreed on. For so long, I had hoped for Lycans to die out, especially when I was told that they are a dying breed and then I got pregnant, with my own Lycan sons. "With him here?" I didn''t think Maddie''s voice could go much higher, but it does. "You can stay at mine." Mallory offers Maddie drops her shoulders and looks around the office. She probably didn''t have anywhere to go, especially if she had been passed around and sold. "Abraxas did want me to give you this." Dane mutters, dropping a wallet on the desk. "He took it from Enzo before he threw his body in the fire. After all the stuff you''ve been through, he thinks it''s only fair for you to have ess to Enzo''s money." "Why would he do that?" She asks as her brows shoot up. "He''s a Hunter. I''m a Lycan. He kills our kind. Is it some kind of trick?" "No one really knows how his mind works." Mallory mutters ¡°I shouldn''t take it, should I?" Maddie asks quietly. "Yes, you should. I think you should think of it as payment for what he did to you. Compensation!" Mallory mutters happily Maddie slowly picks up the wallet. "He has millions." "I will get us to set you up your own ount and move the money across." Dane smiles at her. "Wee to ck shadow." Chapter 0292 Chapter 0292 Dane Mallory takes Maddie with her back to her house leaving Neah and I alone. "This is tiring." Neah mumbles with a slight crease to her brow. "You''ve only met half a dozen." I offer, reminding her this is what the n was. "We have no idea how many more there could be." She rocks in my chair. "Do you think Abraxas did the right thing, shooting the other guy?" ¡°He saw the same things I did when it came to Enzo. The guy had a tight grip on her arm, just the same as Trey had on you when he opened that basement door and didn''t expect to see me. Everything she said was a cry for help, just carefully worded, just like you. We just had to make sure she was away from him before Brax killed him.¡± "Since when have you been calling him Brax?" "He asked me too. Told me only his mate called him by Abraxas." "You trust him, don''t you?" She questions "He is an egotistical asshole, but he promised not to hurt you. Does that mean I trust him? No. But I can keep an eye on him and right now, that works for me." "Roan also said he wouldn''t hurt me." She snaps a little harshly "and Abraxas keeps calling everyone by a nickname, which they don''t like. Why surfer boy for us?" I smirk, sometimes I forgot how little she knew of the outside world. She had learned a lot since I found her, but there was still so much more in the world. ¡°He looks like a guy that hits the waves." Her frown deepens and her eyes narrow. "I don''t know what that is supposed to mean!" "I will show youter." I press my lips to her cheek. ''Aero remind me to show her some videoster.'' ''Sure. Or maybe we can just take her to the beach with the boys.'' He had a point, but right now, there is too much going on. "Why don''t you go and spend some time with Raven? You haven''t seen her much in thest couple of days." "She doesn''t really talk anymore. Even Damien can''t pry her away from Jenson." Her eyes soften as she looks at me. "You don''t speak about him either. It''s not good, is it?" "It''splicated." "It always is." Her shoulders drop and she slumps back in the chair "In that case,e with me?" She lets me lead her from the office and up the stairs. Though we don''t even make it into the bedroom before I pr¨¨ss her up against the wall. She gasps as I pin her body between me and the wall. "You wanted to do something to take your mind off of all the crazy. And rightProperty ? N?velDrama.Org. now, we have some time alone." I force her thighs apart with my knee and press my hardening cock against her as I drag my teeth along the mark on her neck. "Dane." She whispers, her beautiful blue eyes lock with mine as her lips part a little. The beat of her heart quickens. I mould myself against her, inhaling her scent and locking my lips against hers. She rolls her hips against me, pushing her breasts up into my chest as her back arches off the wall. Lifting her, she instinctively wraps her legs around my waist and I carry her into our room as her need for me grows. My cock painfully pushes at the zipper of my jeans. Her hands free me, gliding up and down my length as I drop her on the bed. "Neah." I growl as my dick jerks in her hands, she always did have the perfect touch. She lets go and unzips her hoodie, showing me that she was wearing nothing underneath. I take a nipple into my mouth, rolling it between my teeth as she moans and arches her back. Her nails drag along my shooulderdes, sending a shudder through me and making my cock jerk against her pussy. Only a thin piece of soaked fabric seperates us. Trailing my lips down over her torso, I pull the leggings andce panties from her dripping pussy, admiring how wet she always gets for me Dragging my tongue across her clit andpping up her juices, she bites her bottom lip to keep her moan contained. It escapes anyway. As I slide a finger into her, she thrusts up against my face. Wanting both my tongue and my fingers. "Oh Dane." She cries out and grabs the back of my head, holding me in ce between her thighs as I suck and bite her clit. She arches her back again, crying out in delight as I plunge a second finger into her. Chapter 0293 Chapter 0293 Her muscles mp around me, she bites down on her bottom lip, letting go of my hair as she squeezes her eyes shut. "Let me see those blue eyes or I will stop" i mutter, pausing what I''m doing. She peers at me through slits, rolling her hips but still trying to keep the orgasm from ripping through her. "Look at me." I order. As her eyes shoot wide, I remove my fingers and drive my cock into her tightly clenched pussy. Her fingers dig into my arms leaving half moons behind as she grits her teeth. Desperate moans ripple from her as I spread her legs wide, fucking her like there is no tomorrow. Jamming my lips against hers, she finally lets go. Her body jolts against mine but I keep my lips on hers, letting her enjoy the moment, letting her moans vibrate through her until I could no longer wait. Flipping her on her front, I pull her ass against me and slide back into her swollen pussy. She lets out a low moan as her face drops into the sheets, her hands balling up as she tries to keep her bnce. She nces back at me and something about her look drives me fucking wild. I m into her over and over, spanking her ass with each moan until my own teeth are clenched together from the pressure and she screams out my name. **** Neah sits at the opposite end of the bath to me, a content smile on her face as the waterpped at her chest. Her knees are pulled up in front of her because she likes to im that I take up most of the room. I was quite tempted to read her mind, but I held off because we had agreed that I would only do it if I was worried or during sex. I watch her happy, content blue eyes be sadder with every passing second. "Will we have to send them away?" she asks quietly "The boys?" She nods. "When we had the threat before, all the children and the elderly temporarily left the pack." "I don''t intend to send anyone away this time. They are safer here with us where we can see them." "Right." I was waiting for one specific question. One that she hadn''t asked since she had learned what Brax ims to see. Maybe she didn''t want to know. Maybe she already knew. "What about Abraxas, when this is all over? Do I just let him go?" "I think that is something we will need to discuss when the timees." "But you don''t trust him. That is what you said." "And I stand by that." There''s a knock on the door and I inwardly sigh. "Stay put." I mutter, getting out of the bath. Neah sinks a little deeper into the bubbles as I wrap a towel around my hips. "What?" I pull the door open to us "More Lycans have arrived." "How many?" "A small pack. Maybe thirty-forty." "A pack of Lycans?" Neah calls out "The guy said they are called Everwood Pack." us shouts back "That can''t be right. ording to Brax, Everwood was wiped out.... Though it seems ir''s mother had gotten away, what if more had? "We will be there shortly. Take Damien and Eric and make sure Brax...." "They are already with them." He runs off down the hallway and I turn to find Neah already out of the bath and dressing. "Are you sure you are ready for this?" She nods. "I asked them toe." We make our way over to the training hall. Cars I don''t recognise are parked out front while arguments take ce inside. More Wolves are hovering outside, waiting for permission to do something. Neah doesn''t hesitate, ripping the door open and marching in. A bald man with deep blue eyes approaches us. But he won''t look at Neah properly. He offers his hand to me and introduces himself asProperty ? N?velDrama.Org. Rykem As I take it, he yanks mel.ne forward and whispers. "Why the fuck is there a Hunter here?" "Precautions." I mutter back. My eyes quickly find Brax. He''s looping the training hall. His eyes darted between each one of the Lycans. Making them move around like a school of fish. Trying to put distance between themselves and their predator. "Has anyone here gone Rogue?" I ask Ryken "No, not any of us." He tells me confidently "Then you will have nothing to worry about." "Wait, what do you mean by ''not any of us''?" Neah presses. "Are there more of you?" His thick brows settle into a deep v. ¡°He''s talking about his stepdaughter." Brax mutters as he makes his way to us. "ir Everwood." Chapter 0294 Chapter 0294 Damien ¡°Well it had to happen at some point. Though ir gave me the impression that her family is dead." I mutter to Eric "Exactly what I thought." He''s carefully watching everyone. I half expected him to be annoyed that I was given his position in the pack, but he seemed to be happy enough with a secondary Beta role. A woman makes her way through the crowd, clutching a small baby to her chest while two young boys hold on to either side of her dress. They were mini versions of the man talking to Dane. But I recognised the woman from the photo ir had given Neah. ir''s mother. We move closer as Arbraxas moves off to do anotherp of the training hall. He gives me a quick wink before putting all his attention on the crowd of Lycans. It was an odd feeling to see this many in one ce. There had been just a dozen Rogues where I was, a tiny amount inparison, and probably even less than the amount that might turn up. The bald guy also said they are a small pack. "I want to make it clear that we," the bald man gestures to all the waiting Lycans, "had nothing to do with what ir has done." "She turned up a couple of days ago, right before we received your link. Looking for somewhere to stay. She''s not wee in our house." ir''s mother adds "Why?" I hear Neah ask The woman clutching the baby stops in front of her. "She put us all in danger. Years ago, she almost brought a Hunter to our door." She nces back over her shoulder. "In fact, it was him. He was hunting her. Before she turned up the other day, we hadn''t seen her in over five years. We knew she was alive, but that was it." "She mes me for what our father did." Neah tells her. The woman reaches out a hand and cups Neah''s face, "I know and I''m so sorry for that." "It''s not your fault." Neah sighs. ¡°You didn''t know and from what I understand, my father lied to you too." "He did. And there is something else you should know. Your...."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Tara and I tried to talk sense into her." Ryken cuts her off and gives his mate a strange look. "My mate took a long time to recover from what he did to her, but ir she has never been er been able to let go. She didn''t even know the man, but still she has been on a lifelong vendetta to achieve something that is impossible. And I''m sorry to say, death will be the only thing that stops her." A tear runs down the woman''s face at Rykens final words. It must be hard to admit that killing your child was the only thing you knew would work. But everyone seemed to be glossing over the interrupted answer of ir''s mother. Or maybe I was just imagining things. "She knew you wereing here?" Dane asks ¡°She had alreadye to us that morning and had sent her away. She reappeared when we were packing the car. I''m guessing because she heard the link too. She didn''t want us toe, but if there is a chance I can protect my children from her then I will do what needs to be done." Ryken tells us "She is your child too." I mutter, testing Tara "She stopped being that a long time ago." "They ain''t lying." Abraxas mutters as hees back past us. He doesn''t stop and keeps moving, making the crowd of Lycans move from one side of the hall to the other as they try to put distance between themselves and him. Ryken''s deep blue eyes follow Abraxas. "I''m not sure why he is here, but Everwood is not the pack it once was. We live in the suburbs. Most of us have jobs and a family to support." He gestures to the others. "Some rarely shift because of the risk of being caught." It was the life that Mallory had dreamt of. "Did ir speak of any ns?" I question "No. Though she said that you would kill us. I told her if we died, it would rest on her." Ryken shakes his head. "That girl had so much potential for good and she threw it away." "Because she became Rogue." Neah mutters "Yes, she learned what happened to the original Everwood Pack that her mother was part of." Ryken reaches out and gives his mate a shoulder squeeze "Shepletely lost it Caught up in her own fantasies. It was something neither of us understood. How can someone be so content on righting past wrongs when it''s nothing to do with them?" Chapter 0295 Chapter 0295 "She thinks it will make her look better." Neah replies, though she isn''t looking at them. "Make herself look like a hero." "To make her look worthy of being an Alpha." Dane adds "I tried." Tara whispers. "I tried so hard and..." "It''s not your fault." Ryken tells her. "So many people tried to help her. We cannot help those that don''t want to be helped." "SHUT UP!" Neah screeches and the entire room goes silent. "Get her out of here!" Abraxas demands "I''ve got her!" I mutter, "You stay here," I tell Dane and hoist Neah on my shoulder and charge out of the training hall.Property ? N?velDrama.Org. "Put me down Damien." Her hands smack against my lower back as I carry her across the grounds. I really hope she doesn''t shift. She would be able to rip my back apart in seconds. "Not until we are back in the house." I mutter, locking my arms around her legs so she couldn''t kick me. "Damien!" Her tone is dark, I drop her on her feet as soon as we are inside and m the door shut. Her eyes are a solid ck as she stares back at me. "Get out of the way!" ¡°Neah,¡± I grab her face, forcing her to look at me, "Don''t let her out. Think of your boys. They need you, they need their mother. You can''t let her win." She stares back at me, a tiny hint of blue appearing around her eyes. "My babies need their mother." She whispers back "Yes and Dane needs you and the Lycans need you." She rubs her temples, closing her eyes. When they open again, they are back to their usual colour. "It''s her isn''t it. She is my darkness." "We believe so." I have had my suspicions for a long time. Everyone''s darkness is different and triggered by different things, but Neah''s seemed to be her own Lycan spirit and Abraxas was certain of it. "Why did you tell her to shut up?¡± "She keeps using everyone of being a liar. Telling me to kill them. Telling me not to trust them. Sometimes she talks when I''m trying to listen and...." "The words blur into one dull noise?" "Yeah. It makes it difficult to hear anything. How did you know that?" "You were close." I had been silently keeping an eye on her since we first discovered that she was close to going Rogue. Every now and again she would discuss it or ask questions, but mostly I had watched at a distance. And until today, I had never heard her shout at her Lycan. She throws her arms up as she moves away from me. "How am I supposed to be an Alpha of Lycans when I can''t even control what is happening in my head?" I can''t believe I was even considering it. But the asshole knew a hell of a lot more about Lycans than did, especially those that are pure bloods. I can''t believe I''m even considering asking for his help. Neah''s pacing the office when Abraxas raps his knuckles on the open door. "Where''s Dane?" I ask, ncing out intorge hall "Talking to the other Lycans." He replies, but his frown is focussed on a pacing Neah. "She''s still close to the surface." "Why do you think I''m still here?" "Has she said anything?" He continues to watch her. "She asked me if Nyx is her darkness and I told her." He finally looks at me. "How do we deal with it? How do we stop her Lycan from breaking her?" "We don''t." He goes back to watching her movements "Are you fucking mad?" "You are not following me, Rogue. Her soul isn''t like anyone else that I have met ore across. Maybe it''s the bloodline, I''m still unsure. But what do know is that Neah@s the only one that can control her Lycan." "I can hear you." Neah snaps "It wasn''t a secret." Abraxas smirks at her and I really wanted to punch him in the face. Shees to a halt in front of us. Her hands on her hips as she drags her teeth over her bottom lip. "She doesn''t control my abilities, does she?" "No." Abraxas answers "But she only appeared when....." She trails off and her cheeks me "And then everything else came around the same time. The smells, the hearing." "If that were the case and she controlled that part of you, every Wolf and Lycan would have an inner spirit." He tells her. "Right?!" She starts pacing again, "Can I bind her?" Chapter 0296 Chapter 0296 Abraxas "Well, is it an option?" She asks, growing frustrated when she doesn''t get an immediate answer. "No Neah, of course that is not an option." Damien tells her. "You have been bound four times. You should be dead and somehow you survived it. If you do it again, it might actually kill you this time." "I''m not talking about me. I''m asking if binding her is an option, has it ever been done?" Her head twitches and she closes her eyes. The darkness keeps seeping in and out as she fights against her inner spirit, but now I finally see how it''s working. It seeps into her cracks, working its way through them like it''s following the bends of a river. But it meets its end with nowhere to go and the darkness is forced to try a different route until it ebbs back. The cracks don''t meet and it forces her Lycan to push more. Is that what she wanted? To try and break her in any way possible. I had never seen the darkness work so strategically. The darkness of someone''s soul doesn''t usually have a mind behind it. It doesn''t have a chance to hover and develop for years and years. And I couldn''t help but wonder what her Lycan''s n was. Turn her Rogue and then what? She would be incapable of leading anyone, unless she convinces others to go Rogue. The world would be fucked. "She''s not been with you for long, has she?" I needed a better understanding. "Before I was pregnant." Her scowl deepens. "Less than two years. Why?" "And you are twenty three now?" "Yes, why? What does that have to do with anything." Years and years her Lycan has had to stew, trying to break through. Her Lycan must be angry that it''s taken so long to be able to speak to Neah. Because the reality is, they are always there. They just can''t get through until the hostes of age. And in Neah''s case, it had taken even longer. "Trying to fill in the gaps." I murmur "Well?" She asks me, staring at me with big blue eyes. "Please tell me it''s possible!" I shake my head. It''s not something I was aware of even throughout the history of Hunter''s knowledge. But then her Bloodline is rare too. I with have to ask surfer boy about that tga book that''s allegedly written by her ancestor. See if there are more clues about her. "So it will happen. At some point, I will be the very thing I hate." Her face falls and her eyes be ssy with tears. I was expecting Damien to chime in and tell her that we would figure it out. But even he is silent, wondering if what she is saying is true. The ck of her soul continues to retreat until it''s at the edges again. I knew her Lycan could hear every word I was saying which is mostly why I hadn''t spoken to Neah about what Nyx was doing to her. I didn''t want to give her Lycan any ideas and I would really prefer it if I didn''tText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. have to put Neah down in order to stop her. I wouldn''t get all my answers if she was dead. I wouldn''t be able to prepare Dorothy for the future Lycan Alpha''s that she will need to deal with. "So what can she do?" Damien asks "Thought you didn''t believe me." I cock a brow at him "Not about the other stuff, but I can''t deny the knowledge you have on Lycans He mutters in annoyance. I could see it was taking a lot for him to admit it. Even if he did want to hit me the entire time. "I need to look at my families recordings." I mutter, maybe there was something I was missing. "I need to see my boys." Neah puffs Damien gives her a smile. "I think that is a great idea. I will take you to them." "Stay with her." I add as they head out, if she was going to turn Rogue, everyone needed to be ready. Everyone thought standard Rogues were bad, dealing with one that has a bloodline like hers will be something else entirely. As they head off to wherever her sons are being kept, I return to the training hall. Dane is still talking to the Lycans as Eric and us chat to some pups. Chapter 0297 Chapter 0297 A shiver goes down my spine. Thest time I had been surrounded by this many Lycans, I had been hunting ir. I guess it''s my gut that''s making me feel a little off. Hunting is in my blood and to not be ughtering this breed was more difficult than I had expected it to be when they are so readily avable Tension builds as the Lycans take note of my return, but so far, not one of the Lycans in here showed problems or appeared to be a threat. Their souls are clear and I''m almost annoyed. Even ir''s family were crystal clear. "Do I need to go to her?" Dane asks as I stop by him. "Damien is keeping herpany." ¡°Look at that, you used his name." He scans the crowd. "Are we good here?" "Annoyingly, yes." "Good." He turns to the people. I see how he hesitates as he prepares to make Neah''s speech. "Neah has said that if you do not wish to help her, she understands and you are free to go. If you are staying, you can follow me to amodation." Thest few days had seen the Wolves clearing trees and knocking up log cabins at the side of the pack in preparation. I told them it was a stupid idea, but apparently, the idea hade from Neah and I said no more. There are mutterings between the adults and Ryken steps forward. "We are all in agreement." He does a final check in with his mate, ir''s mother, who nods her head. "ir needs to be stopped." Blondie and surfer boy lead them to the log cabins as Dane stays behind with me. "I know what I feel when ites to Neah, but I need you to tell me the truth. How bad is it?" "Really fucking bad." I say calmly and I see his shocked face. I exin to him what I saw, about the darkness using the old trauma cracks to creep in. "I thought she had more control over her Lycan. But it turns out, the unconnected cracks are what is stopping it." "Damien and Mallory..." "They don''t have cracks like Neah. They have some small onesText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. from their time as humans, but e nothing like Neahs. Nyx is using the cracks. At first I thought she was using them to take over Neah, but I think she is trying to fill them. Make them whole. Make them hers." "To embed the darkness in her." "Something like that. But she did make a request. Something that I don''t have the answer to." "What?" "She asked if her Lycan could be bound." He stares at me with wide crimson eyes. They slowly narrow until they are slits. "It will kill her.¡± ¡°And it still might kill her! She has been through enough." "I may know a lot about Lycans. I may have spent most of my life hunting them. I may also be able to see and read souls. But I can''t see those of the people that are not here. What I can do is some digging." "You should speak to us. He''s pretty good at finding information." "Perfect. I will go find him." "And don''t call him surfer boy. You might just get the punch you''ve been waiting for!" Chapter 0298 Chapter 0298 Neah Damien knocks on the door and gives me a tight smile. I knew he was only following me because he was concerned, but it did make me feel a little uneasy. Eric''s mother, Athena opens the door with Logan in her arms. "Neah, perfect,e with me." She grabs my wrist and pulls me through to where Eric''s father, Sebastian, is encouraging Evrin to walk. I watch my son take a few steps before dropping onto his bum. Sebastian cheers and both Evrin and Logan p in excitement. I can only imagine what Eric''s parents were like when he went through his firsts. A smile stretches across my face and everything that I was worried about falls away. Logan had mastered walking a couple of days ago and now Evrin could join him. Though they were still both early walkers. Abraxas had said it''s their Lycan gene. Sebastian and Athena didn''t care that the boys were Lycans either. Insisting that the boys were just like any other baby. And somewhere along the line, they had be the unofficial grandparents to my sons. I didn''t mind, neither Dane or myself had parents. Logan and Evrin loved seeing them as much as Sebastian and Athena did. And they are more than happy to take the boys without a single question. I swoop Evrin up into a hug, breathing in his delicious cinnamon scent. He buries himself against me as Damien asks me if I feel better. I had briefly forgotten he was here with me. ¡°Yes.¡± Athena takes my hand and smiles. "Is it bad again?" "Nothing that my boys can''t fix." I give her the same answer every time she asks. I knew she was only asking out of kindness. I also knew that if she thought my boys weren''t safe with me, she would call Dane and she hadn''t done that yet. Hopefully she will never have to do that.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Any news on the Lycans?" Sebastian asks Damien. "Last I checked, they were still in the training hall with Dane and the others." He replies "The Hunter hasn''t shot any then?" "No. I think if he had, you would be the first to hear it." Eric''s parents lived closest to the training ground. "None look dead." Athena is looking out the window. "However, they are on the move." Sebastian joins her. "Looks like those cabins are going to be put to use after all." Athena elbows him and he winks at her. It almost reminded me of how Dane looks at me. "I''m going to take the boys home." I thank them for watching the twins "Are you sure? Athena asks. "Your Hunter acquaintance is on the move and not with the crowd." Damien shoots out the door like a rocket and I give Evrin back to Sebastian. "I will be back as soon as I can." Damien is already charging towards Abraxas demanding to know where he is going. "To see a man about a book." Abraxas doesn''t slow down. "Why?" He pushes as I catch up with them both "Curiosity." "I''m going to need more than that." Abraxases to a halt. He slowly turns his face towards Damien. "It was suggested to me. Now if you have a problem with that, I suggest I you take it up with Dane." S His answer surprises me, ¡°Dane told you to speak to us?" "I hear surfer boy is pretty good with research. So I am going to speak to him and see if there is a way we can help you with your request." "Oh." "Maybe I should apany you." Damien mutters. "No need, surfer boy is a Wolf and am more than capable of handling shit on my own." There''s a sh of anger in Damien''s eyes. "Mare you should go and help Dane." S Damiens cheeks pulse as he clenches his teeth, though he manages to keep his fists at his side. He stalks away before the rage bursts free. "Why?" I mutter. "Why do you do that?" "It''s nothing." He snaps at me. His tone throws me off. Even when he threatened people, his tone was usually very level, pickled with amusement and a sarcastic vel comment. Now something else was going on. Chapter 0299 Chapter 0299 "Did my darkness...." "No." He mutters before I get a chance to finish "Did...did something happen?" Athena had said there were no dead bodies. "You don''t need to concern yourself with my problems, Neah." "Is Dorothy okay?" "Dorothy is fine. Let it go!" He starts walking again and I run to keep up with his long strides. "What is wrong?" It had to be something bad, but the guy could protect himself. I had seen it more than once. He stops again. "I came here to do a job. The job is what I will do. I will try to help you with this other problem. After that, Dorothy and I are leaving." He looks up at the sky. "You are taking the piss!" I was quite tempted to ask who he was talking to, but my mouth stays shut. When Abraxas starts moving again, I don''t. ''He''s plotting to kill us.'' Nyx mutters ''It''s easier to keep secrets when you don''t have to talk to them.'' I close my eyes, trying to find my own way to block her when I smell Daneing towards me. Hees up behind me. His hands gliding over my hips and moving around until heces his fingers together. "We will find a way to get through this." "I hope so." I whisper back. "I''m just...." "They will find a way. We will find a way." "Not that. Abraxas is being weird." "Brax is weird." He presses his lips against my neck "Weirder than usual." I mutter. I knew something was up "Maybe he is just pissed that he didn''t get to kill anyone today. If he has been hunting and killing almost every day for thest twenty years, this must be a little boring for him." **** "Well Dorothy?" I ask as she sits next to me in the office. "I think I like them." "Are you sure?" She looks at the women sitting across the desk. She sweeps her bottom lip with her tongue and nods. Abraxas practically broke down the door to drag the guy out while I forced headphones over his daughter''s ears.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Three weeks had passed since the first Lycans had turned up and now, we easily had a couple hundred here from all walks of life and so far, no issues. Dorothy leans across the desk with stickers to give to the women who were watching her with fascination. "You passed." Dorothy beams at them. "You have to wear these so my Daddy can see." They raise their brows at her. "You can go." I tell them. "One of the men will show you your aodation." I did worry that we were putting Dorothy in danger, by letting her meet the Lycans. She is the daughter of a Hunter. "Can I go see Daddy now?" She mutters as she neatly puts away her stickers. "Abraxas isn''t back yet and Damien is with Raven." It wasn''t always clear which one she was asking about as she continued to call both ''Daddy much to Abraxas''s annoyance t also made thempete forher attention. "Is he forgetting about me again?" Her bottom lip sticks out. ¡°No, he never forgot about you before. You were just very hard to find." Her brow creases into a frown. "And he said he would be back by dinner time." She looks up at the clock even though she couldn''t tell the time very well and puffs out her cheeks. "Can I go y?" "Sure." She hops off of the chair, leaving her stickers behind and races past Mallorying in. Mallory takes the seat opposite me and sighs heavily. She had starteding to sit in silence in the office, especially when it was just us. It had taken a long time, but I was finally getting used to Mallory''s presence. Though today she seemed a little deted. Chapter 0300 Chapter 0300 "Everything good with Eric?" "He wants kids." She doesn''t even hold back. "And you don''t?" "It''s not that. His boys were killed not that long ago. I know they weren''t his, but he still raised them." "You think he is trying to rece them?" "I don''t know. I mean.... I never saw kids in my life, ever and then I was mated to Eric and things have gone crazy...." "I never saw kids in my life either." Her brown eyes lock with mine. "But you are a great mum. I became just like my dad and what if I pass that on?" "You do know who you are talking to, right? My parents had me bound twice. My uncle had me bound twice. My parents tried to abandon me. How do you think I felt about having the twins?" "Gotcha." she mutters "Just talk to him." "Good idea." She doesn''t move. "Is there something else?" She taps the armrest with the side of her fist. "I think... I think Abraxas might need to look at Maddie again." "Why?" "She hasn''t said anything. But she''s be a little off in thest couple of weeks. Some days she refuses to leave the house, muttering something about someone finding her. Other days she is quite happy to leave and goes back to her normal self." "She was in a messed up hostage situation." "But the guy is dead. And no one else has turned up here looking for her." ''Told you.'' Nyx murmurs. ''She is plotting to kill us'' ''Not everyone is a murder.'' I snap back ''But you are Neah. You like to see them lose their life. You like to watch their heart stop beating.'' ''And I can''t wait until I see you die.'' I growl at my Lycan She stops talking to me, finally. "I wille over." I tell Mallory. "Is she home now?" "I think so." Maddie is sitting in a corner of the kitchen. Her knees are pulled up to her chest with her arms locked around them. Her chestnut eyes dart up to me and I notice how sweaty she is. "Is she ill?" "Shouldn''t she heal." "He''s watching me." Maddie mutters "Who?" "He''s always watching. It''s wrong. It can''t happen. He''s watching." Mallory looks at me with a face that screams ''help'' "Maddie, who is watching you?" I push "My mate." She whispers as her eyes bulge and she starts to rock. "The guy who marked you is dead." Mallory crouches down to her. ¡°Enzo''s dead. Enzo''s dead." Maddie mutters over and over. Her words dropped to a whisper. ¡°He will kill me." "Who?" "My mate!" Mallory stands up and pulls me away. "Do you think we need to take her to the hospital? It seems like she has lost the plot." "I will link Damien toe help." Damien puts Maddie on a hospital bed and drags Raven away from Jenson. Maddie continues to mutter mate will kill her as Raven her a quick once over Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org SText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Raven grabs a syringe from the draw and jabs Maddie who eventually passes out. "What''s wrong with her?" I quiz "It seems she has the same issues you had." Raven mutters with no emotion. All this time she is spending at Jenson''s bedside was not doing her any favours. She was bing a shell of herself. She turns to leave. "What is that supposed to mean?" I push "She fears her new mate." she nces back at Maddie, "She will be out for a few hours. Now if you will excuse me, I need to spend time with my brother." "Her new mate?" I turn to Mallory and ask if Maddie had been seeing anyone. ¡°No, like I said she will leave the house for a couple of days and then spend days inside." "Like she is avoiding them." "I guess." There was only one person that was in and out of the pack for days at a time. I almost wanted tough. Maddie is a Lycan, the very thing he hated. Chapter 0301 Chapter 0301 Neah "Dorothy is waiting for you." I mutter as Abraxas approaches the house with a shotgun resting on his shoulder. He looked incredibly pissed off, like he had just heard the worst news in his entire life and he had only just arrived back. "Right." He dips his head at me, "I best go see her." A small smile appeared but it didn''t change his pissed off look, instead it made him look darker and creepier. What had happened out there? ¡°And your mate is in the hospital.¡± I add as he brushes past me. He freezes, but keeps hisposure. "My mate was killed. I will never have another mate." "We both know it doesn''t work like that. Damien is Raven''s second mate. Maybe it was time for you to be mated again." He slowly turns his body around until he is facing me. "I don''t know what you think you know, Neah. I. Do not. Have. A. Mate!" Denial. His hazel eyes narrow. "My mate was the love of my life. No one will ever be able to rece her. Do you understand?" I nod back at him, though Maddie had already confirmed it was him. The moment she was lucid, she gave me his name. ''Abraxas Adler, the Hunter'', there is only one of him. As soon as she said it, my suspicions were confirmed. It exined why she panicked when he was nearby and calmed down when he was away. All because she believed he would kill her. There was still a very real possibility he might do that. Tears had flooded her face as she asked me how she could be mated to a Hunter. She asked why she would be punished this way and what she had done to deserve a mate like him. I didn''t have the answers for her. I was still trying to understand why Lycans had been mated to Wolves in the first ce. "How long have you been back?" He had to have been nearby for Maddie to be aware and go into a panic. "I''ve only just got back." He replies coldly "Really? You haven''t been lingering in the forest, watching Mallory''s home? Her house does back out onto the forest." His face bes unreadable as he stares at me. He was good at keeping things hidden when he was talking to people. Not so much when he was alone. "I am not, nor will I ever be mated to another, especially not a fucking Lycan." "You didn''t answer my question." "Because it wasn''t a question that needed answering. I have been away, trying to solve your problem." He jabs a finger in my direction. I roll my eyes, his denial is on another level. ¡°Then why don''t you just reject her instead of torturing her?" "I don''t know what you are talking about Neah. He shakes his head. "To reject someone would mean I need to be mated to them and as have already told you, I am not mated to her." He spits on the floor, making his feelings very clear. "She told me, Abraxas." "It''s a lie." "Why would she lie about something like that?" "Why don''t you ask her? You are her leader." His answers are a short and snappy. "I will." His brow wrinkles up and his hand tightens around the gun on his shoulder. "Or maybe I should pay her a visit, put her out of her misery. Especially if she deems it suitable to make up these lies." "You won''t do that!" I warn himThis is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Try me." He growls back. "You know I''m not afraid to stick a bullet in someone. Now if you will excuse me, my baby girl is waiting for me." He struts into the house, stering a grin on his face for Dorothy Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org S I nce across the grounds where Mallory is sitting on the small porch in front of her house with a cup, watching me. ''He''s denying it.'' I mutter through a link to her. ''I get it.'' She tells me ''He is a Hunter, she is a Lycan. I don''t know what''s going on.'' ''He''s in denial, or maybe it''s his own way of torturing Maddie.'' ''No, not him. The Moon Goddess is the one that pairs us, right? Why would she do this?'' I don''t know if she could see my movement, but I shrug my shoulders and turn around to face the house, trying to decide on my next move. I didn''t want a gun pointed at me again. Chapter 0302 Chapter 0302 "Did he tell you?" us makes me jump "Tell me what?" us has a heavy set frown too. "I''m guessing by your expression that you found out it can''t be done." "Actually what I found has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me." "You?" "It took me by surprise too." He drops his gaze. "Do you remember what I told you when we first met?" My brow creases as I try to remember our first conversation. I had been a nervous wreck at the time. "About being bound?" He nods his head at me. ¡°But also that I was born into a different pack or so I thought." "You weren''t?" "Oh I was, but I wasn''t part of that pack." He sits down on the steps. "Turns out, my parents had infiltrated the pack. It''s where Brax and I have been thest couple of days." "Why?" "ording to Brax, the pack was attacked about a decade ago by Rogue Lycans." "Your parents?" "My birth parents were killed just after my birth. The people that raised me and then had me bound were part of the pack but yes, they were killed in the attack. The Luna there confirmed it." "They killed your parents? Why? Because they snuck into the pack?" "My birth mother was heavily pregnant with me. She asked for help, The Alpha and Luna gave it." "You said they infiltrated?" I mutter "I guess that''s the wrong word. My parents told the Alpha and Luna that Lycans were going to attack the pack. They didn''t believe them because Lycans weren''t a thing or so everyone thought. The Alpha thought it was a trap and the moment my mother started pushing me out, he had them ughtered. I was taken in by one of the childless Omegas. Her and husband went on to bind me when I became a threat." "You are hardly a threat, us. All you like to do is help." "Now. Being here probably helped. Being supported and given a home. My life was very different before I met Dane and if my parents hadn''t been killed, I would be just like Brax."This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Don''t be stupid. You are nothing like him." "Turns out I am. My parents were Hunters, Neah. That''s why they knew Lycans were about. That''s how they knew the pack was going to be under attack." ¡°You''re joking, right?" He shakes his head. ¡°You are not a Hunter, us. You don''t hate Lycans. You like spending time with my boys. I see chatting away to Damien about stuff. You are not a Hunter." "It came as a bit of a shock to me too." He lowers his head, as sadness fills his eyes "You can see souls?" "No." He shakes his head. "Abraxas talks about information passed down through the blood. You''ve never...." "I had an idea that you weren''t a 1.n Wolf when met you. Besides being bound, you were just a little different, the kind couldn''t quite put my. fingeron. How do you think I found the books with information about your kind so easily?" "You had already been looking?" He nods and gives me a small smile. "I''m guessing a lot of it has to do with nature vs nurture. I wasn''t aware that Hunters existed. I was always a quiet kid. As I said, I waset bullied for not having a Wolf for so long. Maybe because I wasn''t raised in that life, my brain just forgot." He smiles at me, "If you haven''t noticed, I''m not much of a killer either." "Does Dane know?" "I thought would tell you first. I don''t want you wondering about the safety of the twins around me. And I would also prefer to keep that part of my life quiet because I definitely don''t see myself as a Hunter." I nod. "Are you rted to Abraxas then?" "Not that I''m aware of and he doesn''t seem to think so. He isn''t the only Hunter in the world Neah." Why had I never considered that? ''Because you can be stupid.'' Nyx mutters. She had been quiet for a little while now, but suddenly this conversation was of interest to her. "So there''s more." I scowl, ignoring my Lycan again. "Yes and they could be a problem, especially if they learn that Lycans are on the move toe here." "We will be sitting targets." Chapter 0303 Chapter 0303 Hey everyone, hope you are all good and well. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I just wanted to drop in and thank you all for still reading. For those that have shared their precious gems with me, thank you so much, it means a huge amount to me as an author. The same with reviews andments, thank you all. Just to give you all a little update, there will be no chapter releases until 2nd June as I am having a couple of days with the family to rx and recharge which I''m sure you will all understand. I will be see you on the other side Take care Taylor West Chapter 0304 Chapter 0304 ir Taking the booth, I settle my tired body just as one of the waiters brings me a ss of wine. It had been a long time since I had been here. I nce up, half expecting to see Jenson as this is where we met. Though I knew he wouldn''t walk through the door this time, it still hurt. I put my all into him, made him who he is and now he does this to me. The ce is riddled with Wolves and Lycans. Far too many for my liking. "Busy night?" The waiter makes small talk though he backs off as soon as I give him a look that says I wanted to be left alone. The delicious deep red liquid hits the back of my throat and I let out a heavy sigh. All my ns were failing. Being alone had never been a problem until Jenson wormed his way into my heart. I could move how I wanted, acted how I wanted and most importantly of all, the only person I needed to care about was myself, until he walked through those fucking doors. My fingers graze the mark on my neck and I quickly hike up my jacket. I had given in to him. I had let him do the one thing I promised myself would never happen and now I have no idea what is happening to him. Are they drugging him? Have they found a way to keep me out of his head? I knew he was hanging on. But that was all I knew. Maybe he was in their dungeon being starved to death? So many unanswered questions. I hated being kept in the dark. The waiter ces another ss of red on the table. "I didn''t order another one, dumbass!" There''s a flicker of annoyance in the wolf''s eyes, but he keeps his face emotionless and nods to a guy at the bar, another Lycan. "It''s from him." "Well you can take it back to him." I press my fingers against the base and start sliding it back to the waiter but he''s already gone. Straightening my back, it cracks a little and I down the rest of my wine, preparing myself to leave when the Lycan from the bar steps in front of me. "Hey, you must be on your way to ck Shadow. Mind if I join you?" His voice is husky and luring. But it''s the scent surrounding him, calling to me. A cackle leaves my lips with a head shake as I try to ignore his scent. "I''m not going there." Well not yet anyway, I needed a bigger n if she is rounding up as many Lycans as possible.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Are you not curious about the female Alpha?" His sage green eyes have flecks of blue as he gazes at me. I snort. "Already met her and I don''t rate her." He runs a hand through the five o''clock shadow on his chin. "Why?" "Why do you want to know?" He slides into my booth, blocking me in as his scent of leather and tobo hits me hard. It hits me so hard that it almost takes my breath away was bound to happen with all the Lycans on the move, but was already imed. If he did anything, it would kill me "I''ve spent most of my life hearing about how one day, we will have an Alpha unlike no other. No one knew when until we got that link." His husky voice sends a shiver down my spine and I do my best to down my keep myselfposed. It didn''t matter that he was my fated mate. I was mated to Jenson. I had given myself to Jensonpletely and I will get him back again. "You believe that crap." He nods, "Don''t you?" I let out a snort and he slides the ss of wine he brought me across the table until it was in front of me. "Not a fan of the idea of an Alpha?" "No. Not her anyway." He raises a brow at me and nods. "I would still like to meet her." "You would be wasting your time." take a swig of the wine, it wasn''t to confirm wanted him, I just needed the throb at the back of my head to stop. Swnovel He smirks at me and the blue flecks in his eyes seem to brighten. "Does she not like you?" "It goes deeper than that." "Right." He grabs my chin and turns my face towards his. "Don''t do that." I push his hand away "To public?" He muses I pull my jacket to the side so he could see the mark on my corbone. His eyes turn a shade darker. "You let some other fucker im you!" He growls. Chapter 0305 Chapter 0305 "Don''t use that fucking tone with me." I lock my eyes on his, "I''ve killed men like you for breakfast." "Then I will just have to kill him." "Good luck with that. He''s the Alpha''s mates brother." "What kind of shit did you get yourself involved in?" He demands. "Nothing I can''t handle." I slide out the other side of the booth feeling a little light headed. My back cracks some more as I stretch and he asks me how long it has been since I shifted. "It''s none of your business." I look him up and down as he stands to follow me. I didn''t even know his name and I''m not even sure I cared. I wanted Jenson back, the man I had actually gotten to know. He grabs the front of my jacket and pulls me up against him. His eyes close as he inhales my scent and I''m stupid enough to let him do it. ¡°I don''t even know your name," he whispers and all thoughts of Jenson fade. "ir." I mutter back, surprised by my own reaction. Though I couldn''t say Kitson because he would be on to me. "ir Everwood." I hadn''t used that name in years and it felt so weirding from my own tongue. "Nice to meet you, ir Everwood." He smiles at me, showing me a dazzling set of perfectly straight white teeth. "I''m Cooper. Cooper Ash, but everyone calls me Coop." "You can''t do anything." I mutter as my heart races. "Doesn''t mean I can''t watch you." "I can''t." I mutter, pushing his hands away from the front of my jacket. He was here to support Neah. He frowns and takes a step back. "She wants you dead, doesn''t she? What did you do, ir?" "None of your fucking business!" "I''m making it my business." I almost feel like I need to tell him. The way his eyes lock on mine feel like he is sucking the information from me and I can''t let that happen "Fuck off!" I snap, turning away and heading towards the door. Stepping out into the cool night air, his hand locks around my wrist, spinning me back around. "Not until you tell me the mess that you have gotten yourself into. Have you done something to the Alpha?" I keep my mouth shut. "Her mate?" I press my lips together even harder, willing him to go away. "You attacked her?" I close my eyes, trying to drown out his questions. He stops talking and when I open my eyes, Cooper is shaking his head. "I, Cooper Ash, reject you, ir Everwood as my mate." My mouth opens, but no soundes out. Shock maybe? Rejection wasn''t at all what I was expecting.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "ept my rejection!" He demands. "But...." ¡°Like you said, ir. You have a mate." His words are full of spite "I, ir Everwood, ept your rejection. The scent of tobo and leather fades the moment the final word leaves my mouth. He smells like every other Lycan. Shaking his head at me, he walks away. A shock spasms through my chest at the breaking of the bond. I should be happy. I have Jenson and I will get him back. I didn''t need Cooper. I didn''t need the man who was actually chosen for me. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Cooper disappears around the corner and my chest tightens. He was going to ck Shadow. He would tell them about me. I had to kill him. I couldn''t let him give them information. Pulling the small knife from inside my jacket, I run after him. Cooper''s strides are long and he ignores me when I call out to him. He stops suddenly and I swing the knife at him. Though he is prepared and catches my wrist, squeezing it tight until I''m forced to drop the knife. ¡°That was a stupid move." "You can''t tell them about me!" "Or what? You are going to stick a knife in my back? How about I beat you to it!" Something cold plunges into my back. It''s pulled down from near my heart to somewhere more central. The pain doesn''t kick in right away. Not until I feel the warmth of my blood trickling down my skin and soaking the back of my shirt. It wasn''t him that stabbed me though. One hand was still on my wrist, the other on my hip. He had been working with someone. He lets go of me and I drop to the ground in agony, only to see the Wolf that had brought me the ss of wine. "Have a good sleep." Chapter 0306 Chapter 0306 ir "Look who is awake!" The tip of a finger presses against my chin, pushing my head up off of my chest. The edges of my sight are still dark and the rest is blurred but I recognise Cooper''s voice. "Took you a little longer to heal than I expected." Pain radiates down my spine. The tightness of my skin tells me that the wound has only just finished knitting itself together. I try to straighten my back to relieve the pressure but I''m unable to move and my head starts rolling back into a wall behind me, while fighting the need for more sleep. A hand taps my cheek. "Come on, wake up you little whore." "I..." what the fuck had they given me? My head pounded, making the pain of my spine seem like nothing inparison. "What strength did you use?" Cooper yells out. "She''s still out of it." "I doubled it just to be sure." Another man replies. I try blinking to clear the blur, but the more I blink the more I grow desperate for the pain in my head to stop.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "You idiot. You were supposed to just use the normal dose. We need her alive!" I try clearing the lump forming in my throat. "Where am...." "Don''t you worry your pretty little head about things like that, ir Everwood or should I say Kitson." No matter how much I try, I''m unable to force my vision to clear. I could smell the sterile room, but that wouldn''t confirm my location. I could smell Cooper and the Wolf from the bar but no one else. If I could just shift, I could kill them. Their voices begin to echo like the room had suddenly grown bigger. My heart pounds in my chest so hard it feels like my ribs might break. I had been so caught up with my fated mate that everything else had slipped away. I had failed to see what wasing and now I was paying the price. I had lost my touch. A hand taps my cheek, ¡°Stay awake, ir." "Why?" I whisper. Why would my mate do this to me? ¡°Every Lycan and Wolf is gunning for your death. It will be a shame if this is how you die." He had already met Neah. He wasn''t on his way to ck Shadow, he had already been. "You...you don''t know....." "That you want her position?" He muses. "Of course we know. Stepdaddy isn''t so good at keeping your secret." My heart beat drastically slows and my body slumps to one side, hitting a wall. "No, no, you don''t get to sleep." "I''m not...." My breathes out all gaspy, I wasn''t getting the oxygen I needed. "Shit!" He grabs my legs and yanks me down the mattress. A hand goes against my chest. "Her heart is fucking weak. We need her alive." "I''m not a fucking doctor!" The other guy growls back. Something sharp pierces my chest and I''m out before I can say anything. I wake with a gasp, my hands clutch my chest as I check my own heart. It''s beating a little fast, but not Vel anything crazy. But I was alive, that was the main thing. I''m in a windowless white room. A toilet sits in the corner and the only other thing in here is the bed. I''m on a drip feed that''s connected to my inner arm. In the top corner, I see a camera. I had been wrapped in some sort of white gown while everything else had been removed. How fucking long had I been here? And where was I? The door opens and Cooper stands in it, his frame filling out the space. "Look who decided to join thend of the living." "Where am I?" "You don''t need to worry about that." "How long have I been here?" My back didn''t feel tight from the freshly healed skin, in fact it felt amazing. "Five weeks." "Five weeks? Why would you do this? We were mated until you rejected me." "Funny what a little concoction can do." I climb off the bed ready to attack him when the tube in my arm pulls, sending a sharp twinge down my arm. "Careful, that''s keeping you alive." "Fuck off!" I yank it out and charge towards him, ready to throw my all into beating the crap out of him when I start to feel a little woozy. He catches me before I hit the ground and carries me back to the bed. He puts the tube back in just as I hear other women screaming, demanding to know where they are. What kind of ce was this? Chapter 0307 Chapter 0307 "You seem a little confused." He mutters, checking how much is left in the drip bag. "I thought you were doing this for Neah?" "I have no interest in the Alpha. Daniel did, but Daniels dead." "The Wolf from the bar?" "Yes." He pulls the nket up over my legs and it''s only now that I realise my sense of smell is weak. "What have you done to me?" "I needed to make sure you couldn''t shift. You cause quite a lot of problems for our kind, don''t you ir. I can''t allow that." "I''m paid and they all deserve it." "Oh I know. Though I''ve been having to clean up your mess for a long time. Make sure the Humans don''t discover us.¡± More screams and shouts ring out down the hallway, both men and women. How many were being kept here? "All Lycans?" "No." As I stare at him, I try to drive my Lycan forward. If it means I eat him to be free, then I would. But nothing happens. He smiles at me. "I wouldn''t bother. It''s not going to work." My eyes move to the drip feed, it had to be something in that. Cooperughs. "You need it to survive. So your options are to live here without your Lycan or die." He strides to the door. "Breakfast will be served shortly." He starts to pull the door shut. ¡°Just remember this. You think you are bad, there is always someone alot worse than you." He has no idea who he is dealing with. Iy staring up at the white ceiling. There wasn''t a single speck of dirt on it. No tiles for me to count to pass the time, nothing. Whatever this ce was, it was supposed to drive us insane. But I''m used to being alone with my thoughts. Breakfast is oatmeal in a stic bowl. Delivered by an older woman with salt and pepper hair. Her grey eyes are dim. It''s almost like she is on autopilot as she moves. Not a single word leaves her lips. She doesn''t even make eye contact. What did Cooper have over her? vel A different woman appears thirty minutester to collect the breakfast dish. She''s younger than the first, maybe in her thirties, but again, there is no eye contact. I was starting to wonder if I was dreaming because it just didn''t seem real. Taking my drip bag with me, I sit in the corner, directly under the camera. I had no idea if they could see me in this position, but I felt a little less watched. I y with the drip feed, connecting it and reconnecting it, seeing how long I could go before I felt like I was going to die. I couldn''t get past five seconds. It wasn''t even enough time for me to attack anyone, but maybe I could use the tube, it was long long enough to wrap around someone''s neck. I jump when there is a knock on the door. Not being able to hear them walking towards you was ufortable. I keep quiet as the door swings open. Cooper''s eyes find me immediately. "Up you get." "Why?" "Full of so many questions, aren''t you?" There''s a slight smirk. ¡°Get up." I rise to my feet. "Take it with you or you won''t get very far." I push the drip bag along with me as I step out into a white corridor, multiple doors lined it. Some people were banging on theirs while others were quiet or sobbing behind them. "Walk!" Cooper snaps and shoves me forward. My bare feet move slowly, one in front of the other as I try to guess how many people are here. And what they might have done to end up here. We get to a door and Cooper uses a key to unlock it. He locks it behind us too. "Where are you taking me?" He''s silent as he pushes me on. ¡°Is this for what I did to Neah?" "I told you, I have no interest in the Alpha. Though many would call that treason." He directs me into another room and points me to the chair. "You''ve met her?" I was starting to think he hadn''t. He may know her name, but he didn''t seem to know she was mated either. "What does it matter to you?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Because if you had met her, you would know that we are siblings." Chapter 0308 Chapter 0308 Damien The number of Lycans here in the ck Shadow now surpassed the Wolves. They had done for about a week and it was the first time I had seen Dane looking a little ufortable. Even though he hadn''t said it, more Lycans than Wolves were a potential threat. In theory we could overthrow the Wolves, but every single one of us are here for Neah.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Still, after five weeks, there were more turning up. I had always known there were more, but not this many. Plenty had died along the way too. Abraxas had taken great joy in that and as much as he was an asshole and I still didn''t trust him, he was sticking to his word and he seemed to be good for Dottie. Abraxas moves around doing some of his weird training shit in the open space between the packhouse and the first houses. He had drawn in a crowd, especially young teenage girls who liked to watch him work out. As long as they were Wolves, he didn''t have a problem. "Watching him again?" Dane mutters as he steps through the front door. "Just like you watch the Lycans." "You know Brax is still trying to find a way to bind Nyx. He doesn''t have to do that." "He''s been looking for an answer for almost two months. Don''t you think he should have found something by now? Especially now he has the help of another Hunter." "us isn''t like Brax. You already know that." The news about us had been more than a shock. Whenparing him to Abraxas, they were nothing alike. I just couldn''t see how us could be a Hunter, plus he loved Neah. "Fine, but maybe it''s not possible." I tell him. "And even if it is, we both know it might kill her. You can''t risk that. Neah needs to find a way to manage it" ¡°What if I tell you he has already found a couple of options.¡± He had my full attention and I drag my eyes away from Abraxas. "What?" ¡°He has found a couple of options, but neither of them have a hundred percent guarantee that Neah won''t get hurt in the process. One of the ideas came from a Witch, but once she found out Neah had been bound before, she told Abraxas it wasn''t an option." "Why have you not said anything?" "I don''t need to. She is my mate. I am the Alpha here." "She is also our Alpha, Dane. Where is she anyway?" ¡°With us and before you say anything." Dane watches me. ¡°Neah can handle herself and us won''t hurt her." I figured it was best that I don''t answer ''Jenson moved!'' Raven''s voice echoes in my head ''Raven...'' ''He moved!'' ''I''m on my way.'' I look to Dane. "Jenson moved?" "It''s probably just...." He doesn''t answer me as his crimson eyes be ssy. "Come on." As we start to head towards the hospital, he shouts for Abraxas toe with us and I roll my eyes. "What did Raven say to you?" I ask as we make our way across the grounds. "His eyes are open." "That''s not possible." Abraxas frowns. Something that seems to be permanent these days. We burst in through the hospital and head to the room where Jenson was. Jenson has had the pillows removed from under his head and the bed has beenidpletely t. His eyes are wide open but unresponsive. The tube down his throat continues to work to keep him breathing. "His hand moved." Raven mutters. Her own dark eyes are just as wide as Jensons. "And he opened his eyes." She gestures to his face. I look at Jenson''s hands. They are in n exactly the same ce as usual. But this also wasn''t the first time Raven had imed he had moved. Her desire for him to live was making her see things that just weren''t true. But this was the first time his eyes had been open. Dane clenches his jaw as his eyes scan over his brother''s body. He had admitted that he had said goodbye to Jenson a long time ago, but he believed Raven needed time. His crimson eyes move to Abraxas and Abraxas shakes his head. "Raven, it''s time to turn off the machines." Dane tells her "You said he would heal." She''s ring at Abraxas "He''s not and he hasn''t been for a while." Abraxas replies. ¡°I have said this a number of times, he is not healing. You have to let him go. Otherwise you are forcing him t exist in a world that no longer has a ce for him. And you are giving up your life in the hopes that there will be a miracle. That miracle isn''t happening." "He''s my brother." I feel her pain. Her ache for him is as strong as her will for him to just wake up. Her denial is just as bad. "We can do this with you by his side or without you." Dane tells her Chapter 0309 Chapter 0309 "You can''t... I''m the pack doctor. I know what''s best." Resting my hands on her shoulders, I give her a small squeeze. She wasn''t alone in this, even if that is what she feels. Dane flicks off the machine that is breatheing for Jenson followed by the one that makes sure his heart pumps blood around his body. Raven is already sobbing as we wait and watch for any signs of life. To no one''s surprise, there is nothing, No movement. No twitch of a finger. No quiet beat of the heart. Raven drops to her knees, as she goes into panic mode. Her chest heaves as she struggles to breathe. "GO!" I shout at Dane and Abraxas as I pull my mate against me. My mate ws at her own chest and I have to lock my hands over hers to stop her hurting herself. She thrashes against me, pummeling her fists any ce she can with a desperate need to get away. I hold steady, knowing it was just the pain of acknowledging her twin was really gone. I''m not even sure how long we are sat on the floor before she bes quiet. Minutes, maybe even hours. She stares up at Jenson. ¡°Dane turned off the machines." She whispers "He was already gone, Raven." "He took my brother away from me." "No. This is what ir did." She had to remember that it was ir that made Jenson try and kill his Wolf. It was ir that had made him weak. Dane was just doing what he should have done weeks ago. "ir." she whispers "ir turned him into something he never was. You saw it yourself. Remember what he was like before he met her." "He loved everything." she says quietly. "He was fun. He was happy. A pain in the ass most of the time but happy." Her tense body starts to rx into me. "Revenge ruined him, Raven." "Why did he stay with her?" "From what Mallory said, I don''t think he had a choice. I think ir was forcing him to live a life she wanted. Maybe she even saw it as an opportunity. She pushes herself up from myp and moves over to Jenson. She removes the tube from his throat and gently closes his eyes. Cupping his face, she finally tells him goodbye. A silent tear stains her cheek as she pulls the bed sheet up over him. Raven''s head drops as she moves back to me. "I need to sleep." She whispers, keeping her gaze low. "Midnight needs to sleep." It had been a long time since I hadn''t had to force her to rest. "Then let''s go home." As she steps through the doors of the pack hospital, Dane is waiting and immediately pulls her in for a hug though she doesn''t hug him back. In some ways, I wish he hadn''t let this go on for so long, but then I knew at the same time, he was trying to keep Raven''s hopes up. us passes word and heads inside. Probably to prepare Jenson for his cremation. Though there wasn''t much left to do, other than ce him in the casket that Dane has had prepared for well over a month. sus without saying a ¡°Let''s get you home." Dane whispers softly to his sister. There is an eeriness to the pack as we walk to the house. Wolves pause as we pass by, dropping their heads a little, but it was the quietness that made it seem strange. No chatter, no children charging around. They all felt the loss. Maybe it was more that they could feel Danes loss, though he doesn''t show it. Whatever it was, It was clear that the respect for their Alpha is strong. Raven makes her way up the stairs, insisting that I didn''t need to go with her. "I''m just going to crash." She gives me a weak smile. "I will be up to check on you." She shrugs her shoulders and carries on. ¡°She just needs time." Dane tells me as he turns into his office. "Time? Says the man who left his brother on a venttor. Raven''s depression could have been dealt with long ago rather than watching her fade right in front of me." "No one grieves the same way." "Including you?" "I epted his death." "Have you? Because what I just witnessed suggests that you still feel it." "How I feel has nothing to do with you!" There is a crash above us preventing me from disagreeing. I''m out the door before he is. Racing up the stairs two at a time with Dane right behind me. While I run in the e direction of my room, Dane crashes through his bedroom door. Content belongs to NovelDrama.OrgText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Raven is out cold on the bed. She didn''t even undress before sprawling out like a starfish on top of the nkets. Quietly and quickly, I close the door just as Dane calls out to me. In Dane''s bedroom, Dane is standing in front of Neah with wide eyes. But Neah isn''t in human form. Chapter 0310 Chapter 0310 Neah "OW!" Ind on my back a little hard and just lie here, stunned by the pain. My energy was almost non-existent and I was done practising for the day. There are only so many times I can deal with the breaking of bones in one afternoon. ''Better.'' Nyx mutters "You have almost nailed it." I had been practising in secret for weeks. Shifting into my Lycan without Nyx''s help and it was far from easy. I wanted to give credit to all those that could shift without help. I had given in a few weeks ago and actually spoke to Nyx, trying to find out why she was forcing herself forward and her answer was always the same. ''I''m just trying to protect us.'' My body and mind had worked so hard to keep her from entering my thoughts that it was bing impossible to keep her out. She was a constant. A piece of me that I couldn''t suppress no matter how much I didn''t want her in my head. I fought against her. Every waking moment I tried to keep her out of mind, wishing that she would stop sharing her opinion, hoping that she would just give up. But she never stopped and the more I pushed, the more she pushed back. "I want the darkness to go away." I had muttered one day. "I want you to go away." I hadn''t wanted to be a monster. I hadn''t wanted to be something that fed on blood and flesh. I still don''t. ''Do you know what makes us better than the rest?'' She had asked me during one heated discussion, ''Our blood.'' ''I don''t know what that means.'' ''We are better than the others. Stronger. Powerful. A leader of Lycans. And you know it!'' I hadughed at her words that day and caught Abraxas watching me from afar. A dark look on his face that had me disappearing into the training hall and out of sight. I didn''t want or need his opinion, especially while he kept silently torturing his mate, Maddie. ''Does it scare you?'' Nyx had asked me one night after I had put the twins to bed. I hadn''t even needed to ask what she meant because I knew exactly what she was talking about.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ''Of course it does. I''m not any of those things that you keep saying I am.'' ''Because you still don''t believe in your capabilities, Neah. You still don''t trust me and that is what is holding you back. We are one, Neah. Neither of us can survive without the other because this is who we are meant to be. You treat me as though I am a separate being instead of epting me as part of you. Look at Jenson, he is dying because he lost his Wolf.'' At the time, her words made me question a lot of things. But more importantly, was she right? Was I responsible for my own struggles? ''You need to practise shifting.'' She had dered when I said I was willing to listen. ''I can''t... I will be..'' ''No you won''t, Neah, you have to trust me. You have to trust yourself.'' Now almost three weekster, I''m lying on the bedroom floor with Dane and Damien staring at me. The secret was officially out and I inwardly groan. I wanted to keep it quiet until I was a hundred percent sure I could shift without asking Nyx to do it for me. ¡°Neah?¡± That single word is full of so much doubt and annoyance from Dane as he stands over me. He hated it when I kept secrets. It wasn''t supposed to be a secret, but a surprise, like tada, I figured out how to do something without his help. I pick up my ws to acknowledge the men while my heart hammers in my chest. The shifting is getting easier and quicker, but I always end up crashing to the ground, unable to hold my bnce. When Nyx had pushed forward, she had always made it feel like a breeze. ''Because you keep moving. You need to practise while still.'' she mutters in amusement. Slowly shifting back, my neck cracks and then my back arches off the floor as my bones realigned. Nyx promised it would get easier and the pain would be less but right now, my body felt like it was on fire as everything slots back into the right ce and I''m almost grateful I''m naked. Chapter 0311 Chapter 0311 I had learned quickly to practise in the nude. Ripped clothes would be suspicious and only draw questions. Dane grabs a nket from the bed and quickly wraps it around me. His crimson eyes give me the once over. "Why?" He asks "I''ve been practising." I mutter back, stretching myself out and feeling a few more bones crack. There was no point in lying, he would be paying close attention to my mind now. "Too fucking right." He stares at me with his crimson eyes. "Practising? As in you are letting the darkness in and then pushing it back?" Damien asks. "No." I frown, because I still couldn''t fully exin it. "You said it was hard. You told me that once the darkness gets in it''s difficult to get back out. That it''s almost impossible. That''s not true. Mallory did it, Salem did and so did you." "With a lot of hard work." Damien replies in annoyance "Hard work for you." I mumble and he nces to Dane. "It''s not for me, not anymore." "What are you talking about?" "Damien, you told me that there is a reason the Rogues have a darkness in them before they turn. You told me that it''s different for everyone. That it was something from their past that made them that way. But me," I snort, because it has taken me far too long to see it. "I was born with this. It makes me who I am. I am not dark and I am not light either." "Neah, that''s Nyx talking." Dane frowns at me ''Of course he mes me!'' Nyx mutters "No, it''s not. I spent so long fighting her. Thinking of ways to free myself from her. But I finally stopped to listen and I learned something." I shake my head and get to my feet, tugging the nket around me, I tie a knot to keep it up over my chest. "I''m not supposed to get rid of her." "Neah..." The men look at each other like I had lost it.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Dane shakes his head, "Neah, Brax said..." "Abraxas said a lot of things. He told you that the darkness fills my cracks. And he''s right, but his reasoning for why Nyx does is wrong. was trying to block Nyx, She was fitting in the gaps to try and make me whole, make me strong. To help me function better. It has never been about controlling her or her controlling me. I had to ept her. I had to ept what I am." "None of us really know what Brax sees,¡± Dane shakes his head. ¡°But he has enough exper...." "He''s not dealt with a Lycan Alpha before." I say in a hurry. I move in front of my mate, staring up into his crimson eyes. "There was a reason my parents had me bound as a child. Don''t you see, it all adds up. They were afraid. When the binding''s failed, they pretended that Trey was the next in line, not me. But they created me. Thest female Lycan Alpha." Nyx cheers as I make it clear who and what I am. "I''m not scared anymore. I know who I am." "Show me." Dane mutters. ''You''ve got this.'' Nyx chatters. ''Clear your head, stand tall, don''t fucking fall over.'' My eyes shift to Damien. "Can you turn around?" I didn''t care if Dane saw me naked, he was my mate and had seen me naked more times than I can count. Everything cracks, my bones stretch and fur appears again. It''s painful but tolerable and keeps going until I''m standing over him and he stares at me with a smile. "There you are." Chapter 0312 Chapter 0312 Mallory "There you are" I beam at Damien as I enter the packhouse. He was making his way down the stairs, but he had an air of confusion surrounding him. "You good?" "She did it." "Huh?" "She has control. She shifted." "Seriously?" I feel myself grinning from ear to ear. "That''s awesome, we have been waiting for this for so long. How did she do it?" I stare at him expectantly, waiting for the amazing news. ¡°Neah''s different." He mutters. "She''s bonded with her Lycan." His eyes settle on mine, ¡°Which is good, right?" "Of course it is. What''s wrong with you? Why wouldn''t it be good?" Damien smiles at me, "Nothing. I guess, on some levels, I never thought it would happen. She''s been battling her darkness for a long time. So long that I thought it would eventually win. The darkness has always won before." "You''re wrong. You and I are living proof that it doesn''t always win." He nods, "You''re right. I''m just overthinking it." He looks over his shoulder up the stairs. "And she seems happy. They both do." His eyes return to me. "You were looking for me?" "I need your help." He follows me to my house and I point to the table. He sighs and steps up to it. His eyes scan over the items. "Are these..." "Yes!" "And they..." "Yes!" I snap "And I''m the first person you are telling." "Clearly. You are my best friend. Who else am I going to tell first?!" He cocks a brow at me, and picks up one of the dozen pregnancy tests, "How about the father?" I blow out my cheeks. "I''ve not told him yet. He asked me before about having one and I told him no. That it was too early, after what Salem did to his boys. And now, I''m pregnant anyway." "I don''t really think you have a choice, Mallory. You can''t hide it from him......" He knits his eyebrows together, "Please don''t tell me that you wanted my help to get rid of it?!"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "No, no, of course not. I was hoping for some words of wisdom. you are normally full of them!" "You will make a great mum." "That''s your wise words?" I mock, "Anyone could have told me that?" "But you wouldn''t have believed them." I roll my eyes because it was true. Eric was my mate, but he still didn''t know me as well as Damien did, no one did. ¡°Congrats Mallory, I''m happy for you.¡± "What about you and Raven?" I ask. I knew she had suggested trying, but he hadn''t confided anything to me. He presses his lips into a thin line and sighs. "We would have to be having sex make a pup." I watch his shoulders drop. "Since Jenson ended up in aa, she hasn''t been in the right frame of mind and now he''s gone, I don''t even know where we stand." "Where is she?" "Sleeping, finally." "Maybe a good amount of sleep will help her see more clearly." "Here''s hoping." He mutters and his dark eyes move up to the clock. "I have to go and check on the Lycans.¡± He points to the tests. ¡°You need to tell him Mallory, because you know who will work it out and b his big mouth to everyone. And I''m sure Eric would rather hear it from you." I watch him leave and let out my own heavy sigh. He was right. Abraxas was thest one that I needed telling everyone. I thought I would get used to Abraxas after all this time, but knowing that he is mated to Maddie and not doing anything about it, made me so angry that I wanted to smack him in the face. Repeatedly It made it a hundred times worse that only Neah and I knew the truth. Maddie didn''t want us to say anything she thought the other Lycans would turn against her if they knew the turht. Neah had suggested leaving the pack, but Maddie insisted that it was the first ce she had felt safe. I grab a cup of tea and take it out to the porch. Before I even have a chance to sit down, Abraxas is making his way towards me. He stops a few metres away from me. ¡°Have you seen us?" "Not since earlier." He nods and turns away from me. "He isn''t like you." Chapter 0313 Chapter 0313 us had been open when telling us what he found out about his past. And thankfully, us and Abraxas were nothing alike and I wanted it to stay that way. us was a kind guy, he wasn''t an asshole like the Hunter standing in front of me and I didn''t want him to change. "I didn''t say he was. And I''m not sure I care for your attitude." "My attitude?" I snort and inhale too much tea at the same time, forcing it to erupt from my nose like a volcano as I splutter He smirks at me and my fingers tighten around the cup, ready tounch it at him. His hazel eyes move to my hand and the smirk turns into a grin. "That pup seems to have got you worked up already." "What the fuck did you say?" He stares at me, yet doesn''t repeat his words. Surely he couldn''t tell already, I was barely pregnant. Abraxas tilts his head to one side, "You heard me." He winks and turns away, Iunch my cup at him anyway, only for his hand to reach out and catch it. He turns and walks right up to me, carefully cing the empty cup on the stone porch next to me. "I will let that one go, this time." His eyes flicker in past the open door. "She''s not here." I mumble "Who?" "Your Lycan mate." "I don''t have a Lycan mate." He mutters as his forehead wrinkles into a frown. Liar, liar, pants on fire. "Why are you denying it?" I push, "Just reject her." "Rejecting her would imply that we are mated. As we are not, I cannot reject her. I have told Neah the same thing." "It''s not the truth." He denied any ounce of it being a possibility. Maddie was clear though. She knew exactly who her mate was and had no reason to lie about it. He grins at me. "It''s my truth, Mallory. My mate was a huge part of my life. I can not just move on." "How long were you together before ir killed her?" I ask. Abraxas never spoken about his mate, his unborn child or his parents. "Twelve years." "She was a Hunter too?" "She was, and a fucking good one." "I''m sorry that ir took them away from you." "It''s not your apology to make. You weren''t involved." "Your child, the one who didn''t make it...." "He died in utero. Had already passed before made it home. I couldn''t save him. My advice to you. Don''t do anything reckless, protect that little one. We all know you rush into things and think about the consequencester. Now is the time to change that." It felt like he was trying to find a way to not talk about his family, but not in a way that involved telling me to shut up. Damien has always said people have secrets that they don''t want others to discover "Why do you care? You don''t like our kind?" "I didn''t say I cared." He wanders away without even looking back and quite quickly, a trail of young female wolves appear, following him as they giggle until they all disappear out of sight. Linking Neah, I ask if she is free to talk. I wanted to tell her about the strange interaction I had with Abraxas. She tells me she will be over as soon as she can.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. Getting to my feet, I smell smoke and burning wood. Peering around my house, Wolves and Lycans are running out of the forest, scooping up younger children and hurrying them out of the way as mes lick the tree trunks. Many of the Wolves threw themselves into action, making sure everyone was as far away as possible while others charged into the trees to tackle the ze. But the fire grows, spreading like crazy through the forest. A hand locks around my wrist, pulling me back as embers fall on my house, igniting the roof in seconds. Everything I had built in thest couple of years goes up in mes right before my eyes. "You need to move." The man holding my wrist mutters. I look up to see Ryken, ir''s stepfather, I don''t even know where he came from, but he tugs me backwards, away from the fire when I see familiar waves of red hair backing in to the fire. "MADDIE!" Chapter 0314 Chapter 0314 **** Trigger warning. Suicide. **** Abraxas Fire licks at my own skin as I rush forward to help. I wasn''t even within touching distance of the fire, and nothing was happening to me, yet it burned me as though I am in the middle of it. This has never happened before. I see Ryken holding on to Mallory, stopping her from running into the mes as she screams out for Maddie over and over. She tries to pull herself free, though Ryken keeps a firm grip on her. Act first, thinkter. Mallory was prone to it and I''m almost grateful there is someone keeping her from running into the fire. She was one of the few Lycans I could tolerate. Sweat drips from me as my skin heats up. Smoke leaks up into the atmosphere as the Wolves and Lycans surrounding me rapidly try to put the fire out or pull young Wolves and Lycans away. Any time something dies down, something else goes up in thick orange mes, sending more dense smoke into the air. If we weren''t careful and quick. The smoke may draw the attention of unwanted bypassers. Neah and Dane run past me. He joins the chain with others, throwing water on the roaring mes. Neah grabs hold of Mallory and with the help of Ryken, drags her further back, away from her burning home. There is something different about Neah. The ck ring around her soul isn''t as dark and it isn''t pulsating like it usually is. But every crack is filled with ck, almost making her soul look as if the cracks had cleared. She had let her Lycan win or she had given up. I didn''t want to put a bullet in her, but I can''t allow another Rogue to wander this Earth. Mallory''s scream refocuses my attention "She''s your mate!" She cries at me. "You are just letting her die!" Ryken frowns, confused by Mallory''s deration "She isn''t my mate." I say for the thousandth time and turn my attention to the forest. I see Madison''s red hair, she''s close to the ground and more fire runs up my back. "Mallory. Mallory, look at me." Neah mutters, grabbing the Lycans face and forcing Mallory to look at her. "This isn''t your fault." As Neah talks to her, I slip away. Entering a part of the forest that had already been put out. Madison''s jasmine scent is easy to pick up, quickly followed by the sound of her crying. She lets out a scream and I feel the flesh on my back burn. "Madison!" She doesn''t answer and I''m forced to call to her again. Even if it momentarily stops her from hurting herself. Her chestnut eyes briefly pause on me. "No, not you. I don''t need you. Go!" She whimpers from the ground. She''sid on her stomach, the back of her shirt almostpletely burnt off, while her back isced with ck seared flesh and wide open wounds that are fighting to knit themselves together. elContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. She rolls over, pulling faces through the pain and purposely forces her own arm into the fire. Madison lets out a gut wrenching scream that makes my heart freeze as I feel the fire smoulder up my own arm. It was strange, feeling something that wasn''t happening to me. hadn''t even felt this with Dorothy''s mother. Grabbing Madison''s feet, I drag her from the mes. She needed time to heal. But she tries to kick me. Shouting at me and demanding to let her go. "You have to stop!" I snap "I can''t live like this. It''s to hard!" I pull the small hand gun from my hip and thrust it at her. "Go on then, be my guest, do it." I was calling her bluff. Her eyes widen as they dance between the gun, my face and the fire. "It will be a lot quicker and less painful. Well, if you do it right.¡± She reaches up for the gun. A move that I wasn''t expecting, though I manage to pull it just from her reach. She was willing to kill herself over all of this "Screw you." She growls at me, "You''ve been torturing me for over a month, do you know how it feels, knowing ''m mated to you of all people. Now let me go!" She tries to kick I me again, I block her with ease, already anticipating her next move asa footes towards my dick. "Just let me go. Please!" Chapter 0315 Chapter 0315 "I''m not letting you go anywhere." She stares at me with her wide chestnut eyes, trying to understand me. I spot the matches nearby with a small aerosol can. "You started the fire, didn''t you?" I ask as the mes move from one charcoaled tree to the next. "No." She mutters, but her answeres out full of desperation and sadness. As if she was a child being scolded over spilt milk "Your soul tells me differently. The evidence tells me differently" She turns from me and starts crawling back towards the fire, dragging herself across the forest floor and ignoring every bit of pain she is feeling. Pinning her to the ground, I straddle her hips as she lets out a sob. "Why?" I demand. "Why would you do this to the person that took you in?" "What do you mean?" Tears trickle over her soot smudged face. "You''ve burned Mallory''s house down." "I didn''t...." "I''ve seen it. You''ve taken away the home of a pregnant woman." "No." She whimpers. "That wasn''t supposed to happen. It was supposed to be me." Her heart races and she squeezes her eyes tight. Her sorrow and her pain weighed heavily on her. "It wasn''t supposed to get so big." She pushes against me, but she''s weak and exhausted. The flesh on her arms is already healing. "You should have killed me when you shot Enzo. Please, just do it." She struggles against me. "Or let me go. It will be easier for you." "So you can walk into the fire, never to be seen again? I don''t think so Madison. Not while I feel the fire licking at my skin like it is me that is walking through the mes." She manages to grab my hand with the gun, and pulls it under her chin, locking her hands tightly over mine "I can''t live in fear anymore. Please just kill me?" She tries to squeeze my finger over the trigger, though her weakness barely makes my finger move. Death is what she is hoping for. Death was a way to escape me, but I wasn''t letting her go anywhere. Not yet. "I am not going to kill you, not yet. But you keep your mouth shut about what happened and how the fire started. Do you understand?" Lifting her from the ground, I cradle her in my arms as she hooks a burnt arm over my shoulder. It had been years since I had held another female like this. Her jasmine invades every inch of me. I hated it and I loved it. I couldn''t admit what she was to me, but I couldn''t let her do something so reckless either. Raven and Neahe rushing forward when they see us. Raven demands for me to put Madison down so she could check her over while Neah stares at me with a knowing look. She pulls me to one side. "You saved her?" "Clearly." I mutter back, throwing a nce over my shoulder to check Madison. "Didn''t think you liked Lycans?" Neah blocks my gaze as she folds her arms across her chest and narrows her eyes at me. She wasn''t going to let this go anytime soon. "I don''t." She rolls her eyes at me. "Have you epted her?" "Why the fuck would I do that?" She gives me that same knowing look. I turn the conversation to her. "What about you. What happened to you?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "I don''t know what you are talking about." "Cut the crap, Neah." ¡°You don''t want to talk about Maddie. I don''t want to talk about I what you im you can see. But what I can do is order Maddie to tell me what happened in the forest. Actually, I think that is a good idea. I do need to test myself a bit more." She smiles at me and her brilliant blue eyes widen with excitement. "Is Nyx in control?" Chapter 0316 Chapter 0316 Hey everyone, hope you are all well and the week is going well for you all. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. There is no update tomorrow 7th June but I will be back on the 8th with a nned double update. *Just need a day to make sure that everything is going the way it''s nned.* As always, I want to thank you for all yourments, reviews and feedback. And I''m especially grateful for any of the readers that are still following along. I know many of you are silent but loyal readers and I really appreciate it. See you on the 8th, but if you are impatient, please feel free to check out my other books on Goodnovel. Take care Taylor West Chapter 0317 Chapter 0317 ir Everyday I expected to feel a little better. Everyday I am wrong. Cooper insists that the bag pumping liquid into my arm is keeping me alive and yet it made me feel like it was draining the life from me. There''s a knock on the door and the same daily routine starts. A nursees in and checks the drip bag. She puts a towel down on the end of my bed along with a tiny bar of soap and a toothbrush. I''m expected to follow her to the showers, pulling my bag of medicine along with me.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I had tried twice to strangle her with the tube that connects the drip bag to my arm. Both times I had been punished with withdrawing me from the medicine just long enough to make me suffer. Repeatedly. Cooper had them do it to me for days at a time until I was begging him just to let me die. He always answered the same. "How do you think those that you killed felt? You deserve to suffer." I follow the nurse to the showers. Most of the cells I passed are quiet. They had quickly learned that no one wasing for them. That screaming and shouting was a waste of time. But I always knew when someone new had been brought in. Their fists would pound against the door. Their voices demanded to be let out until they grew tired. And after all these weeks, I still didn''t know what Cooper is trying to achieve. Why make us suffer? Why take our abilities away to only keep us locked up in here. It made no sense. Killing us would be much quicker and we would be less of a drain on resources. And if it isn''t bad enough, I''m watched while I shower. Humilliation at its finest. The old gown is taken away, and a fresh one is given to me before I make my way back to my room, where a measly bowl of porridge would be waiting for me and the nurse would leave. I had thirty minutes to eat it until the next nurse woulde and remove the bowl. Everything here was kept in. in food, in white sheets, in white gowns. Almost as if it were a way of telling us we don''t deserve anything more. They even gave me a hysterectomy. I think that happened after my first week here. Something about not wanting me to spoil the sheets and gowns. Bastards! It was a prison and Coop had anointed himself as the man in charge. I was a million miles away from the life I knew. The life that I had worked hard for. Ironically, I would give my left arm just to be able to link my mother or even hear fucking Neah. I just need to hear another voice that wasn''t my own or Coopers or someone begging to be freed. Grabbing the bowl of porridge, I ce it on the floor and curl up in the bed. Starving would be a better option than this. The lock on my door is slid back. I feel a rush of warm air as the door swings open. "Why are you not eating?" Cooper demands. I don''t bother to look at him. "This is the third day. Do we need to hold you down and force feed you?" "I am not hungry." "It''s not optional." "I don''t feel well." "Impossible. Everything in that drip bag provides you with what you need to survive.¡± "This is what you call surviving? Is that a fucking joke? If I had it my way, I would just rip this fucking shit out, but you always appear before my heart even gets a chance to stop. My eyes sh up to the camera. If we all had cameras and albdid it at the same time, who would he go to first? Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°It''s the punishment you deserve. Why should I let you die, ir Everwood?" "This is some fucking weird shit you are pulling." mutter and turn over so I don''t have to look at him. "I''ve met some fuckers with Godplexes over the years, but this, keeping people alive for your own enjoyment is fucked up." S "It''s a tiny amount of sufferingpared to the destruction you have left behind. For example, your poor mother." I sit up and re at him. "You have no right to talk about my mother." "She tried to help you and you repaid her by doing something awful." "Shut the fuck up!" "It turns out you caused her quite a lot of problems. You made her relive her horrible past because you couldn''t ept what was. You clung to this stupid idea of yours." "I deserve what is mine." I growl and heughs. A deep bellyugh "Unfortunately, that is not how life works. Maybe things would met been different if your mother raised such a brat. Maybe you could have even gotten to know Neah." "I''m done with this conversation." Chapter 0318 Chapter 0318 He smiles. "You talk about Neah being your sibling, but she isn''t even looking for you." "You don''t know that. You don''t know anything about me!" She would be looking for me. Maybe not physically but she she had a reason to want me dead. He reaches out and tucks a strand of my chaotic hair behind my ear. "I know so much more than you. But I think it''s time to get rid of this." His fingers fist in my hair and he tugs my head back as he calls for someone. The older woman from my first day here appears with scissors, a can of shaving foam and a new razor on a tray. "Now you better sit still, or I might identally slice something I shouldn''t!" Cooper muses He takes every strand of hair from my head. Cutting it as close to my scalp as possible. I watch as dark locks fall around me on the bed and could feel the tears burning the back of my eyes. I loved my hair, but I refused to cry for him and when I find a way out of this damn prison I am going to skin him alive. When he''s done with the razor, he grabs my face, his is centimetres from mine. "In future, make sure you eat." "You shaved my head because I didn''t eat?! What the fuck is wrong with you?" He smiles and walks out the room with the older woman. The door is mmed shut and the bolt is pushed back into ce. My hands go to my head. It''s perfectly smooth, not a single strand left behind, like Cooper had done this a hundred times before. I hated it. I hated him. I hated what he was turning me into. Staring up into the camera, I wish I could rip it from the wall. It''s to high for me to reach and the bed is bolted down so it couldn''t be moved. I continued to stare, hoping that he was watching me. Hoping that he could see the hate that had been building inside of me. He was the first person to truly outsmart me. I hated him more than I hated Neah. But I couldn''t help wondering what she would think if she knew someone like him existed. Would she kill him? Or would she be grateful for him punishing us? I had a feeling she would want him dead. My eyes shift from the camera to the door. Something is happening just outside. I couldn''t hear properly. Cooper had taken that away from me. Muffled sounds echo along with footsteps. Some running, some seemed to be skipping? An rm goes off. A big red beacon above my door shes as the noise fills the room. The bolt on the door is pulled back and my door partially opens. No onees in and I hear more footsteps. I nce at the drip bag attached to my arm. I had maybe twelve hours at most unless I could find another one. Either way. I was getting out of this ce. Quietly I pull the door open. There are already bodies littered in the corridor, all of which do not have a drip bag attached to them. They hadn''t learned or maybe they hadn''t been told. They had made it out of their room only to drop like a dead horse. I look up and down the corridor. Every single door is open. Someone had broken out or someone was overthrowing Cooper. I didn''t care which way around it is.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. I dip into one room and quickly tie off what''s left in the drip bag before making my way into the opposite room and find an almost full bag That''s twenty four hours. I had roughly forty hours in total, but I had to move now. I had to get out of this ce. The building is like a maze. I try to remember all the areas that I had been taken too and map it out in my mind. I pass some other escapees, but they don''t stop and it looks as if they are doing the same thing I am, collecting drip bags to make sure they survive. One stops to look at me, his eyes move up to my shaved head and then to the bags in my arms. "Don''t fucking try it." I snarl. I needed enough to let me find a witch, that was all I needed. ¡°FUCKING FIND HER!" I hear Cooper roar and duck into someone''s empty room. As soon as he passed, I race in the direction he hade from. Pushing open every door until one leads me outside. The sun is so bright it burns my eyes. Being kept inside in a windowless room had altered my vision, but I didn''t have time to stop and kept moving. As fast as my legs would carry me, which turns out, without a Lycan, I''m pretty slow. Chapter 0319 Chapter 0319 Raven "You really couldn''t find anything?" I mutter in confusion. It had been twenty four hours since the fire. Dane shakes his head at me. "We''ve looked but there doesn''t seem to be anything that caused the fire. Whoever did it, covered their tracks." "No scents?" "The after smell of the fire is still strong, it wiped out any leftover scents." Damien adds. "I expect whoever is responsible, set it and then legged it." "So there is still a chance it can be ir?" "We are not ruling it out." My brother tells me and then he smiles. "It''s nice to see you involved in pack stuff again." I shrug my shoulders. "Jenson is dead, I have to be useful somewhere.¡± "You know that is not what I''m saying! What I am saying is I''ve missed having you hover around the house, finding you in random ces eating ice cream. Neah misses you too." He smiles at me, though I don''t return it. I sigh. I had missed a lot of what had happened with Neah. Usually she would tell me everything, but we had barely spoken since I had been at my brother''s bedside. I had missed watching the twins learn to walk too. "Well, I''m here now. When is the funeral?" "Tonight. It''s a full moon and I think it''s the perfect night to say goodbye to him before we go on a packrun." I hadn''t been on a full moon run in months. "Are the Lycans taking part?" "Some of us." Damien confirms, "But there are many, like the Everwood crew that don''t do it." "ir''s family?" I wanted to check that I knew who they were talking about. I still thought it was weird that they were here, but apparently Hunter Abraxas had verified them. "Is that wise?" "Eric''s not going. He will be staying in the house with Mallory, Neah and the twins." "Oh, Mallory doesn''t want to go?" Dane opens his mouth but Damien answers for him. "She''s decided not to. Her and Neah have been getting on really well and she wants to help Neah with the twins tonight." ¡°Neah lets her near the twins?" I try to keep the surprise out of my tone. "I never thought I would say this." Dane smiles. "They get on well." "Oh." I can''t deny that I was a little jealous. "So Jenson is being buried in the family plot?" I ask, redirecting the conversation. "Yes. No matter what he got himself into. He is still one of us. He deserves to be buried alongside mum and dad." "Thanks." I mumble "You don''t need to thank me, Raven. He belongs in ck Shadow." If only he had realised that in the first ce. Damien clears his throat and is staring at me. Shit, he had read my mind. "What time?" I ask quietly "Sundown is shortly after eight. We will start then." Making my way upstairs, I briefly check to see f Damien is following me, but I''m alone, though I wasn''t sure that was what I wanted. I guess Jenson''sa had pushed us apart. Damien didn''t understand why I spent every moment with my dying brother and I couldn''t make him understand. Wolves tend to move on quite quickly when someone dies. Minus a few exceptions. And from what t could see, Lycans moved on quickly too They would grieve for a couple of days and then ept the persons fate. I have seen so many people die and the sadness would pass quite quickly. But I guess this time, it''s because I hoped for it not to be true. And Damien just didn''t seem to understand that. I hear the twins giggling and follow the sound. Neah isid on the floor on her stomach as Evrin and Logan climb all over her. Somehow, I had missed how much they had grown. Now they were like actual little people, little Lycans. The twins climb down and toddle over to me. Pulling at my leggings for me to lift them up.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "They''ve grown." I mutter quietly "Every single day." Neah smiles back. "Though they have missed their Auntie Raven." I lift up Evrin first, staring into his bright blue eyes. His hands fumble in my dark hair as he giggles while Logan continues to pull at my leggings. "Do you ever worry?" I ask in a whisper. "Every single day." "And that doesn''t scare you?" "Are you kidding me? Logan bumped his head the other day and I went into full blow panic. And that was something he did to himself. Now that they are walking, they don''t seem to understand that they have to duck to go under things that they once crawled under." Sheughs. "The only time I''m not worried about them is when they are sleeping. You will know what that''s like someday." She beams at me and I shake my head. Chapter 0320 Chapter 0320 "We talked about it, but then Jenson happened. Damien doesn''t get my sorrow and I''m starting to think that our bond is broken." She screws up her face. "The advice I was given was to talk."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "I am talking." "To your mate, Raven. He''s the one that needs to understand you. He''s the one that can read your mind, can feel what you are feeling." "Then why doesn''t he get it." "Because you were a twin who shared twin wolves. I mean, I don''t even fully understand how it works. I don''t even understand who decides who gets who. I''m still learning a lot of stuff, but maybe, if you talk to Damien instead of shutting him out." "I''m not shutting him out." She sighs. "You''ve barely spoken to him. He has made sure you slept, you were fed, that you changed your clothes. He has given you the space you needed to deal with the situation. He made sure you left the hospital even if it was only for a few minutes to make sure you were getting some fresh air. You are wrong about your bond being broken." I frown, I hadn''t really thought about that. somehow in my haze of making sure everything was in ce for my brother, I had missed everything everyone was doing. "Since when did you get so wise?" I muse She gets up off the floor, takes Evrin from me and settles into therge chair by the window. "You aren''t asking about being wise, are you. You want to know what''s happening with my darkness?" I nod and scoop up a begging Logan. "No one talks about it. Are you okay?" ¡°Damien and Mallory made me believe that I had to fight it. That I have to hold it back and stop myself from going insane. Even Abraxas said something along a simr line but Nyx was never trying to hurt me. Not in the way everyone thinks." "I don''t follow." "She was frustrated. She had spent years not being able tomunicate with me and then when she did, I kept trying to shut her down." "So you were never going to go dark?" "I could have, if I had continued not to ept Nyx, I would have eventually gone Rogue." She frowns and bites on her bottom lip. "The darkness that makes the others Rogue is different, they be their Lycan, But I have a seperate one. Nyx has her own thoughts, opinions and feelings. We had to be one. It was the only way." "Dane mentioned that you were practising?" Neah bobs her head at me and holds out her hand. ws inch out of her finger tips, just enough for me to see before they disappear. "It''s getting easier. And I''m notnding on my face anymore." I smirk and she returns it. "But you are okay, right?" "Yes. I finally don''t have this crushing sensation." She pats her chest and smiles. "And Nyx says about time. But we don''t have to talk about me. We can talk about anything you want." I didn''t want to talk about Jenson, not to anyone. "The new girl, the one that Abraxas brought out of the fire. She''s a Lycan, right?" "Yes." "Why did he help her?" She opens her mouth. "I mean, he is a Hunter, right, so he should want to kill her, but he saved her. That''s weird isn''t it." I look at my red eyed nephew. He is a mini version of Dane, even down to the way he looks at me. Like an all knowing look. "I''m keeping an eye on him." Neah tells me, but it didn''t feel like the truth. Is this what it hade too? I grieve for my brother and they exclude me out of some things unless they feel I need to know it. "Do you think ir started the fire?" I had to know something. They couldn''t keep everything away from me just because they think I''m going to break at any second. "Honestly? I don''t know. We haven''t seen her. She hasn''t made an appearance. No one has picked up her scent in the forest. If it was something to do with her and she was using someone else then it could be a possibility. But they said the fire...." "Took away the scents," I finish. She presses her lips together and nods "You are asking about her because you want to punish her, don''t you?" "She destroyed my brother, Neah. He gave up his own life because of what she did to him. And he never woke up to tell me what she did to him. He was so stubborn that ke kept the information to his damn self." "You couldn''t have saved him." "I know that now, but I can make sure she pays for what she did to him." Chapter 0321 Chapter 0321 Mallory "Can you go and get Neah and Dane, please." Eric tells me "I can just link her." "I think it''s better if you go in person." He stares through the gates at the group of people walking towards us. A huge amounnt of Lycans. "Fine." I roll my eyes at him, I still hadn''t had a chance to tell him I was pregnant. Or maybe secretly he already had guessed it. He hadn''t questioned me at all when I told him I wasn''t going on the pack run tonight. I move quickly, but don''t run as I didn''t want to draw attention to myself. There were at least a hundred Lycans walking towards the gate and I don''t care what Abraxas says, he can''t kill that many in one go. Damien and Dane are in the office. "Where''s Neah?" "Upstairs with the boys. Why?" "More Lycans." They both start to leave. "You might want more backup." Dane turns to Damien and instructs him to round up some Wolves and Lycans and meet him at the gates. Neah was easy to find, I follow the sound of her voice and she seems to be having a bit of a heated conversation with Raven. "So you think that I should let you kill ir because of Jenson?" The irritation was very clear. "Look what she did to him!" Raven snaps backN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Raven, you are not the only one that wants to kill her." Neah starts reeling off names of who wanted ir dead. "I can''t help but notice you didn''t mention yourself." Raven pushes "Sorry, I didn''t realise I needed too." Weirdly, it was nice to hear Neah stick up for herself. "You''ve changed!" Raven snaps and Logan and Evrin start to cry. "A lot has changed since you have trapped yourself in a hospital with your traitor brother." I walk in to find Evrin clinging to Neah while Neah is ring at Raven. Logan was trying to push himself away from Raven. The pups could feel the tension and I''m quick to free Logan only to be met with a growl from Raven. "You have no right to take my nephew from me." ¡°I do when you are acting like this. I will protect them with my life." Logan buries his face in my hair, his tiny hands pawing at me and as soon as he stops crying, Evrin does too. They certainly worked together. I turn and face Neah, "There are more Lycans at the gate." "Is ir one of them?" Raven demands "I don''t know, didn''t see her. But I will say this to you. You are ming ir, and you are right in the sense that she is a royal pain in the ass Though if you remember, Jenson was the one who went to her if he hadn''t, she might not even be on our radar." Raven scoffs and takes a few steps back, shaking her head. "You were my friend." "And I''m trying to be now. But you are stuck. You said it yourself, you have missed out on so much. A lot has changed in a short space of time and you have missed it all." Her head turns between Neah and I. "You are supposed to be on my side. I helped both of you. I...¡± "That''s what we are doing now." Neah tells her. "You have been stuck and you have forgotten everything that led Jenson down this path. He is gone, Raven and that is something he did to himself." She ps her hands. "Some friends you are." She storms out of the room and I feel a little bad for her, but she was forgetting everything and she needed reminding of that. Neah sighs and I watch her squeeze Evrin a little tighter. "She wille round, Neah." "I''m not sure if she will and I think that will get her into trouble. Trouble that none of us will be able to fix." The sad thing is, I think she is right. I help her with the twins and we take them over to Eric''s parents house, it was on the way to the gates anyway. Athena gives me a quick hug and a wink which was a little different to her usual greeting. Could they know? Surely they couldn''t know it hadn''t told Eric? At the gates. Abraxas is already vetting the Lycans one by one and the crowd of Lycans are growing rowdy. Chapter 0322 Chapter 0322 Neah grabs my hand. Her eyes are a little wider than usual. "I can do this, right?" Up until now, the amount of Lycans turning up had been smallish, some on their own, others in small groups except for Everwood, but their numbers weren''t exactly big. "Yes, you have more than got this, Alpha Neah." She gives me a small smile and walks down to them and gives them her talk. It''s the same one that she said to everyone, well rehearsed but it worked for her and that was what she needed. Damien keeps his eyes on the Lycans as he makes his way over to me. "I thought Raven might have followed you two down here. I hoped that maybe she would want to see how Neah is handling all this." "Have you spoken to her?" "Of course I have, she is my mate." "That''s not what I mean and you know it. Have you spoken to her about how she is feeling?" "She''s shut down." "I walked in on her arguing with Neah." His eyes widen at my statement. "Neah was telling her that she had failed to remember what actually happened with Jenson. Raven wasn''t happy." "And where is she now?" He frowns "She stormed off. Damien I know she lost her brother, but Dane did too. She is so fixated on how ir wronged him she has forgotten that Jenson went to ir. She doesn''t seem to remember that Jenson sought her out or maybe she is in some form of denial still? Though she shouldn''t be, should she?" "I will talk to her?" "Do you think she is responsible for the fire?" ¡°No. I think she knows that the pack would turn against her if she did that." He sighs. "What has Neah said about my mate?" "She thinks Raven is going to end up in a position where no one could help her." I wince as Abraxas shoots someone. It was still not a sound that I could get used to. But it silences the bickering Lycans. They all stare att the woman bleeding out on the ground and one by one, they drop to their knees in submission all except two and they are dead before they even know they''ve been caught out. I had been surrounded by death for years. I had killed, I had watched others kill, but when Abraxas did it, it was as easy as him picking out a beer from the fridge. It meant nothing to him. Ryken and another couple of Lycans that had been here for a while, move through the crowd and collect the bodies. They will take them to the far end of the pack and burn them just like all the others. It was a tiring process. An idea that was mine. But I guess I thought there would be less Lycans that would lose their lives. The thing though that no one had questioned is that no other bitten Lycans had turned up yet. Each and everyone except for me and Damien, were pure bloods. "Do you think it''s weird?"This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "Normally, I know where you are going, but you will have to give me a little more than that." Damien smirks "We haven''t seen any bitten Lycans. There has been none like us. Like not even the ones killed." "Neah didn''t put out an order. It was just a request. I''m guessing they haven''te because they probably think they will be killed for not being pureblood. And that''s if they are even still alive. We don''t know if he has taken down any." He nods in Abraxas direction. "He doesn''t mention them. I''m sure if Neah decides to make it an order, they wille. Why, feeling left out?" He muses "No, just curious, I guess." I inwardly sigh. There was always something that didn''t make sense. "Where are all these going to stay? We are out of cabins. And what about the packrun tonight?" "It''s taken care of." The gun goes off again and a sharp pain radiates through my stomach. I see horror on Damien''s face and Eric rushing towards me. The sky rotates until I''m facing it and the men are standing over me. Eric presses his hands to my stomach. I see the sheer panic on his face as I hear Neah order the Lycans drop to their stomachs. What about Abraxas, he had shot me? Chapter 0323 Chapter 0323 **** TRIGGER WARNING: MISCARRIAGE **** Neah "Everyone needs to stay fucking still!" Dane roars as I look over at Mallory. Eric is desperately trying to stop her from bleeding as he ms his hands against her stomach. Damien cups her face, forcing her to look at him rather than down at Eric and talks to her, trying to keep her calm. From here, I can see her body trembling, blood already pooling around her. Dane grabs hold of my face and turns it to his. "You need to get them under control. You can''t help Mallory otherwise." ''He''s right. We have to do this.'' Nyx mutters ''I''m not sure I''m ready.'' I whisper back ''You''ve got this. Just like we practised.'' I take a deep breath, letting my lungs fill to capacity as I tune into my Alpha abilities. I only needed this lot to listen, not the others in the pack and definitely not Damien as he tries to help Mallory. Homing in on the connections to every Lycan in front of me. ¡°Everyone, face down on the ground, now!" Everyone drops and Nyx is bouncing around in pure happiness that I was gaining more and more control. Only two men were left not listening. Abraxas and another male Lycan who was still on his knees. They were fighting. And I see what they are fighting over, a gun. It hadn''t been Abaraxas that shot Mallory, it had been the dickhead he was fighting with and Abraxas had already managed to get a few punches in. Moving forward, I step between the face down Lycans. They were silent, including the kids while their hearts ran rampant in their chests. Not a single soul was trying to defend the bastard that had shot Mallory. Abraxas manages to free the gun and points it directly at the shooter''s head. "She is pregnant, you dumb fuck!" ''A pup won''t survive that.'' Nyx mutters Anger floods through me and I see Brax''s finger twitching on the trigger. I had let him kill whoever was a threat up until this point. But he does not get to kill this asshole. "Stop!" Abraxas shifts his hazel eyes to me in confusion. "He is a threat! He shot Mallory!" "She''s a Lycan Alpha, not a Wolf Alpha. And you are a dirty fucking Hunter. A disgrace to your own kind." The shooter sneers like he somehow thought I was on his side "You''re right. I am the Lycan Alpha. But you didn''t obey my order. And the one you shot was a Lycan. You won''t get a chance to try that again." The shooter slowly turns to face me. His piercing green eyes stare into mine with disgust. "You''re going..." ¡°Who do you think let the Hunter in?!" There is a darkness to my voice. But unlike the other times, it brings a level offort. Nyx was standing with me and not against me. ¡°Trai...." He doesn''t get a chance to finish his sentence as my ws sink into his chest. His lips part and he lets out a breathy gasp. Shock and surprise linger on his face as his eyes drift down to the prating wound. "You...you can partially shift." .ne His words are barely a whisper as my ws sink deeper, slicing holes into his lungs. A gargled sound rises up through his throat as he no longer gets the oxygen he needs. Blood appears in the corner of his mouth, slowly making its way down over his chin. Immense satisfaction floods through me as I watch the life drain from him which is quickly washed away and reced with guilt. ''You are just punishing a crime.'' Nyx murmurs. ''He deserved this. He hurt Mallory. It doesn''t mean anything else and you know it''s the right thing to do. There would be too many put in danger if you allowed him to live. And we need them to know you don''t mess around!'' N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. The guy''s knees buckle, forcing my ws up through his chest and into his heart. His eyes bulge from his head as he realises this was the end for him. "It should have been you." He mutters with a final breath. Retracting my ws from his chest, he drops to the ground, dead before he even hits it. I pause for a moment to look at my blood covered ws. It had felt so good to end someone who deserved it. Good and right, but guilt still sat heavily in my chest. Turning around, I see all the Lycans still face down on the ground. Dane is watching me, his lips curved up into a smile. My eyes move to Mallory. But she had been moved. I needed to go and see her. The bullet had been meant for me not her and now she might have lost a pup because of it. "Get rid of the body." I tell Abraxas ¡°Are you going to kill any others?" He asks amused. "I don''t know, do you want to join him?" Nyx bursts intoughter at my sarcastic response Chapter 0324 Chapter 0324 Abraxas doesn''t answer and I knew without looking he was probably holding in augh, but I do hear him hoist the body up on his shoulder and trudge away. I walk back through the Lycans to Dane. Not a single one tries to move. Fear or maybe shame that they had brought someone like that here. Whatever it was, I didn''t care. Dane slips his hand in mine ''How did it feel?'' He links me ''It was the right thing to do.'' ''You know that is not what I''m asking.'' I turn my eyes to his crimson ones. "It felt... right." I look at the Lycans and then over to where Mallory had been. Her blood still remained. "I need to check on her." "What do you want to do with them?" Dane nods in the direction of the Lycans still t on the ground. I shrug my shoulders. I hadn''t thought that far ahead. "Let me handle it. Just release them from the order." He presses his lips to my cheek "Are you sure?" "Of course. I''ve got a bit more experience." I let everyone up and run over to the hospital, expecting to find Raven, but it''s us shouting out demands and instructions. Damien is sitting on a chair outside the room, his hands sped together between his knees. "Are you praying?" His dark eyes sh up to me. "Someone''s got to listen, right?" "The pup?" I ask quietly. He shakes his head and doesn''t quite meet my gaze. "us is fighting to save her." He whispers "Where''s Raven?" "Raven wouldn''t help." I see a sh of anger in his eyes. "What? Why wouldn''t she help?" "us is in there with a couple of others that Raven has helped train before. All we can do is wait." That didn''t answer my question "Why did Abraxas do this to her, Neah? She told me he knew." He asks. I think if it had been anyone else that had been shot, Damien would be ripping the Hunter''s throat out. "It wasn''t him." "Of course it was. He''s been waiting, biding his time." 2 "It wasn''t him repeat. "One of the Lycans got the gun from him or almost did, I''m not entirely sure. I think Abraxas was trying to get it off of him when the gun went off. That bullet was not for Mallory. The Lycan was aiming for me." "You don''t need to defend him." He growls "I''m not. Ask Dane, he witnessed it." His jaw clenches, "Where''s the guy?" "Dead." "Abraxas killed him?" "No, I did." His eyes drop to my blood stained hand before shing back up to my face. "Thank you." I nod as I listen to us fire out more instructions. It sounded bad, otherwise, she would be healing. "Where''s Eric?" I ask quietly. He points to the nurses station. I could see a hand sticking out from the end. He is still, sat on the floor with his back pressed up against the counter. There''s no sound, no tears, just the steady rhythm of his heart. If heloses Mallory, I''m certain he will go right back to drinking again. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. Eric has his knees pulled up to his chest. His shirt is covered in Mallory''s blood. His eyes raise to meet mine, but they are hollow, like he had already given up. "us will find a way." I whisper and sit on the floor in front of him. "She was pregnant." "I know, I''m sorry." He snorts. "She hadn''t even told me." "How did you know?" "The fire. I did a sweep of her home after we put out the mes. There was an untouched test on her table. Several others too by the looks of it. But they were unreadable." "That''s why you didn''t question her about the pack run?" He gives me a sad smile. ¡°I figured tonight would be the night she told me. But now, if she survives this, I''m going to have to be the one to tell her there is no pup and that there might not ever be a pup.¡± "I don''t understand." "The bullet blew her stomach apart. Much like Raven''s leg, it can''t heal what isn''t there." His shoulders drop even lower which I didn''t think was possible "You can feel her." I try to hold back my tears. I got the impression that Mallory had always wanted her own family, to raise her children differently to what her father did What She had been most concerned about was if it was too early for Eric to handle. "Listen to her body. You know her better than anyone else because you can feel her." He shakes his head at me, ¡°She''s barely hanging on. I don''t need to be in that room to know that us had already restarted her heart twice.¡± Chapter 0325 Chapter 0325 Damien I listen to them talk. Neah tries to keep herself calm as Eric tells her that us has already restarted Mallory''s heart twice. Twice. It wasn''t a good sign. We could heal to a certain extent, but if the heart decides to give up. It is rare anyone cane back from that. Raven should be helping. She is the pack''s main doctor. Not us and not the others that she had trained. I had seen her work. She was precise, never missed a step, but she had point nk refused toe when I had linked her and now she is ignoring me. I rise to my feet and Neah''s blue eyes sh in my direction. "Please tell me what happens as soon as you hear it." I almost choke on my own words. Mallory is my best friend, we had been through a lot together. I couldn''t lose her because some fucking prick shot her by ident. Neah nods at me. Ie to a stop outside the hospital. Trying to decide if I wanted to speak to Dane about his sister, or speak to my mate directly. She should be helping. I had to find a way to make her help. Making my way across the grounds, I pause outside the packhouse, preparing myself for the argument that is already brewing. Pulling open the door, Dorothye''s hurtling towards me from the stairs. Fear written all over her chubby little face as she throws herself into my arms. "Hey, hey. What''s wrong?" "There''s something bad in the house Daddy." "What do you mean?" "It''s dark upstairs." I look up the stairs where sunlight is flooding in through therge windows.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Don''t go up there Daddy." Her bright green eyes are filled with tears as she nces up the stairs. "Who is upstairs, Dottie?" Her eyes find mine and quickly drop. She squeezes herself against my chest and whispers, "Raven." "Anyone else?" Dottie shakes her head and shudders. ¡°Daddy, can we leave?" I back out of the house. I couldn''t feel anything but the pain Raven was still feeling. "Logan and Evrin are with Athena and Sebastian, would you like to go there?" I was trying to keep her calm, but whether she believed it or not was a different matter. "Yes please." She nods her head frantically. On some level, I hoped that she had just been napping and had woken from a bad dream. But the silent treatment from Raven and theck of interest in helping Mallory had me concerned. Sebastian opens the door, he looks surprised to see us, but beams at Dottie. "Well, I wasn''t expecting to see you today." Thement makes Dottieugh and for a moment her fear is gone. "I''m really sorry Sebastian, is there any chance you can watch her for a little while?" He looks at my face. "No problem, she will be perfectly fine here and I do believe the twins are due to wake up. Why don''t youe in, Athena is going to make some cakes." She runs in without a second thought to me. "How bad is it?" Sebastian asks "Mallory is in critical condition. Eric and Neah are waiting with her." "He can''t lose anything else." He sighs, "But that''s not what I''m talking to make sure Dorothy was out of sight. "Dorothy mentioned about." He nces down out ne something about Raven when she was here yesterday. She was half asleep so it didn''t make much sense." "She came running down the stairs, with more fear in her than what I saw when I rescued her from that bar. The only other person upstairs apart from her was Raven." "If she needs to, she can stay here the night." Sebastian replies, "Besides, Athena and I love having kids in the house again." I didn''t have it in me to tell him that there would be no chance of grandkids. "I will let you know if I need her to stay the night." I look around. Normally, I would quite happily handle this myself. Raven was my mate, but the fact that Dorothy had called her dark, has pushed me out of myfort zone. Wolves didn''t go dark. That was a Lycan trait. "Is my daughter okay?" I look over my shoulder to see Abraxasing my way. "Did you shoot Mallory?" I had to hear it from him "I may be sadistic at times, and I love to kill Lycans, but I don''t kill pups. They are still pure. And if you hadn''t noticed, I could have taken any of you out at any time and haven''t. So I will ask you again, how is my daughter?" "Scared." "I know that, dumbass. What is she scared of?" "My mate." His brows knit together. "She''s helping Mallory, right?" Did I just see a hint of concern? Did he actually like Mallory "No, us is." As much as I despised him, maybe he was the one who could help me. After all, he imed to see this darkness in people and I couldn''t lose my best friend and my mate in one day. I tell him what happened with Dottie. The fear, the panic and the need to get out of the house like she knew she was in danger. "You think Ravens lost it?" He asks me carefully. "I don''t know what to think. I know she is not the same woman I fell for. I know she has shut down. I know she is still in pain, which she refuses to talk about. I can barely get inside her head and when I do....." S Chapter 0326 Chapter 0326 "It''s chaotic." He finishes the sentence for me "Wolves can''t be taken by the darkness." "I wouldn''t be so sure of that, Damien." He purses his lips. It was weird hearing my namee out of his mouth, but it was better than everything else he had called me. His hazel eyes shift over towards the pack house. "Remember what I told you about them having twin Wolves and how a piece of them resides in each other?" "Yes." ¡°Jenson is officially dead. She has a gaping hole in her soul and she lost the bit of her that was in him. Anything can get in. Darkness can run deep. She isn''t like Neah. Raven''s Alpha gics aren''t as strong." "Are you saying she is going Rogue?" I press "I''m saying, we need to be careful." "About what?" Dane interrupts us. "Where are the Lycans?" I ask ¡°Being watched. How''s Mallory?" "Too soon to tell but she lost the pup." I see the frown on Brax''s face. He definitely liked Mallory more than he let on. The frown disappears as quickly as it appeared. "We need to be careful about your sister?" "Raven?" "You only have one sister. Don''t you?" Abraxas mutters with a cocked eyebrow "Isn''t she in the hospital helping?" "You would think, wouldn''t you?!" Abraxas responds "That doesn''t sound like her. She''s always wanted to help people. Even as a kid, the toys she asked for were doctor''s kits. I even agreed that she could be the pack doctor instead of representing our family. Why wouldn''t she help Mallory? She knows you''re close to her." He points at me. "I asked her to help. She said no. When I asked again, she ignored me. us is doing the best he can, but when I left, her heart had already stopped twice." "Is Eric still there?" I nod. "Neah is sitting with him." He turns on the spot and storms towards the packhouse. "Then I will make her help." "I don''t think that is going to work." Abraxas mutters quietly.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "He is her Alpha." "If I''m right, it won''t matter who he is to her." "Then you cane with us." I shove him forward, encouraging him to follow Dane. He gives me a death re. "Don''t you put your hands on me again. Not if you know what''s good for you." "Fucking move!" "You know I can take away your ability to see my daughter." "Whatever, just go and see what your daughter was talking about!" I snap, there is no way I was letting him take Dottie away. He strolls after Dane. No desire to be in a hurry in any shape or form. Abraxas steps into the packhouse. He''s more tense than usual. His eyes dart up the stairs. "My baby girl wasn''t wrong." "So something is wrong with my mate?" I hear thudding upstairs and Dane demanding to be let in. "You need to talk to her." Abraxas tells me. "Just choose your words carefully." "If she will even listen to me!" Dane continues to pound on the door as Abraxas and I make our way up the stairs. "Raven, you better let me in, before I break the fucking door down." Dane yells There''s no answer. But I know without a doubt that my mate is on the other side of the door. "Raven?" I call her name quietly, in the hopes that it will make her feel calmer "Is she dead?" Her words are hollow, not a single ounce of emotion in them which was unlike her. "No." I reply, I hadn''t heard anything from Neah and I was clinging to that. "She deserves to be." I take a step back, stunned by her response. "Raven, people, Dane hollers through out door "Now get your fucking ass! ¨¨ and go and help her." swo It was a straight up order but there was no movement on the other side of the door. Something that seems to throw Dane and I watch him frown. He throws himself against the door and it barely budges. My guess is she had pushed her very heavy dresser up against it. He shoves it again and it moves a tiny fraction. ¡°Come on." He demands Together we are able to force the door open. Raven is standing, staring out the window. "I didn''t want you toe in." "Why won''t you help Mallory?" Dane pushes "She didn''t help my brother." "If Mallory hadn''t gotten herself kidnapped by ir, do you think he would have even made it back here?" Dane snaps. "She didn''t tell us though, did she? She held that information in until you were going to kill him. And look, you did that anyway." "Raven, you know he was already gone. There was nothing that was going to bring him back to life. Surely it was better he died here than miles away at the hands of some wannabe." She doesn''t answer. "I shouldn''t have let this go on for so long. If you want to me someone, me me!" She rotates herself around to face the three of us. "What is this, some kind of intervention?" "Raven, I know you are hurting...." I start "My brother died." She has a vacant look to her eyes "He made his choices." Dane responds. "And none of those choices were in favour of us." "You''ve been talking to Neah." "No, I told Neah that." Chapter 0327 Chapter 0327 irBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. My lungs burn like they never had before. Being human like was hard. Even at a slow pace, I could barely run for more than a few minutes at a time. Every step had intense pain tightening around my legs, forcing me to stop, along with the weird pain just off to the side of my stomach that seems to appear every time I''m out of breath. I definitely took my abilities as a Lycan for granted. Pausing against a lone tree. I take a few deep breaths, I was grateful for the drip bags, but I was dying of thirst. Cooper must have lied about the drip feed being everything we need. I cast a nce over the field. The sun was starting to set and I had no idea where I was. I had stuck to fields and wooded areas rather than roads. But I hadn''t seen any other of the escapees either. I could slow down, but every hour that passes means I''m running out of time. I only had the full bag left and the partial one attached to my arm. I needed to find a Witch. Going into a town seemed to be my only option. an option that I didn''t want. I start walking as quickly as I can. Though I''m pretty sure it''s the equivalent of me running when I first left the prison. It doesn''t seem like I''m getting anywhere fast. Relief floods through me when I spot a farmhouse, and more importantly, clothes on a washing line. Anything beats the gown that I''m wearing. Powering on, I make my way over to the hanging clothes, grateful that they are at least dry. I pull on the jeans which are a little too big for me and grab the blue tee when someone clears their throat. "SHIT!" I spin around. I hadn''t heard them creep up on me. A woman a little taller and curvier than me, has her arms folded across her chest, a wicker basket hanging from the crook of her elbow. "For a moment there, I thought you were a man stealing my clothes." She stares at me My heart thuds like crazy. I could barely defend myself. Her grey eyes move to the drip bag and then down to the discarded gown. "You on the run?" "Something like that." "Lycan or Wolf?" My mouth drops open at the question and her eyes move up to my shaved head. "Trouble maker no doubt." "Are you a Hunter?" She bursts intoughter and is almost doubled over. Her blonde hair is practically touching the ground. She continues tough until she is crying at the same time. "No, not by a long shot." "Then what are you?" She straightens up, "I''m you, five years ago. So Lycan or Wolf?" "Lycan but...." "Cooper took that away from you?" "You know Cooper?" What were the odds of finding someone in the middle of nowhere that knows the man who kidnapped me? More like odds that she actually worked for him. "Fucking bastard ruined my life." The woman gestures to my neck. "Where''s your mate?" "Dead." At least I think he is, I don''t know anymore. I just knew I couldn''t feel anything for him. "Shit, I''m sorry. You look like you are starving. Come on in, I will make you something to eat." "I can''t stop." I look at my drip bags, "I''m running out of time." "No you''re not. Come in and I will exin everything. But I want you to answer my questions too." I wasn''t the type to share, especially not with a random stranger, and one that could be messing with me. But I was het, tired and every inch of me ached. Food and somewhere to sit sounded better than good. "I understand your hesitation, I was the same when I got out." she beams at me "I''m so tired." She nods and points to my hand clutching my side. "That pain you are feeling is a stitch. Amon pain for Humans. Your leg muscles are tight because you are cramping, you are probably dehydrated. Again, something you didn''t have to worry about before." "What about the drip bags?" ¡°A gimmick. Come on inside and I will exin everything." Hesitantly, I follow the woman inside. "I''m sorry, I didn''t catch your name." "That''s because I didn''t tell you. Samara rkson, but I prefer Sammie or Sam, your choice." "I''m ir Kits.... ir Everwood." She cocks an eyebrow at me but doesn''t question it. "Well ir Everwood. Wee to my home." Sammie shows me around therge farmhouse. Offering me a bedroom for the night. When I shake my head. She promises me that I will be fine. I hold the drip bags up and she smiles at me. "They are not what you think they are ir, you can take it out your arm." "I will die." "No, you will feel incredible pain for a few minutes. You will feel like you are going to pass out and that Death is waiting for you, but I promise you, it only tasts a few minutes and then you feel normal. Well, as normal as normal can feel." Chapter 0328 Chapter 0328 "You''re lying." Every part of me felt that this was a trick, but then why was I still here. Why hadn''t I left the very moment she said she asked if I was a Wolf or Lycan? "If I''m lying ir, how do you think I''m still alive? I recognised the gown the moment I saw it." She turns around to a closet and pulls a dusty box from the top shelf. Inside was an identical gown to the one I had to wear at the prison. "The only difference from what I can see, is I had to wear a stupid band because I had an allergic reaction to painkillers. Turns out when you take away our ability to heal. You learn what kind of things don''t work for you." Sammie passes it to me. Clearly stated on the band is her name and allergy type. "And here." She passes me an empty drip bag. "I thought this was the end too. I thought, here we go, I have run out of time. I sat in that very corner and watched as thest few droplets disappeared into my arm. The pain was unlike anything I have ever felt. And I get that''s why you think you are dying, but you wille out the otherside." "I will get my abilities back?" She sighs "No. I assume he told you the same as me. That whatever is in this bag takes it away and at the same time, you can''t live without it." I nod "It''s funny what our brains will believe when we think we have hit rock bottom." "Why don''t we get our abilities back?" "Because that bad is not what took them away. Cooper did the moment he first drugged you." "He''s never found you out here?" "The thing with making us Human, we lose our Lycan or wolf scent. We smell like every other human to them. But you do need to stay away from familiar ces. He will check them and he will have others check them.¡± I frown. My mother, stepfather and siblings should be at ck Shadow, but I''m not even sure how long ago it was that I saw them. And I had mentioned Neah to Cooper. Would he go there to find me? Especially if he knew she was the Lycan Alpha. "You have to say goodbye to your old life, ir" She leads me back downstairs and through to therge kitchen. She holds out her hand and nces at the drip bag. "I''m not sure this is a good thing." "Would you rather wait until it ran out?" Sammie asks softly. "I would rather find a Witch to help me." She shakes her head. "And how do you propose to do that?" "I can track....." I trail off. I couldn''t track scents anymore.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "I know it''s a lot to take in. If you are not ready, we can tryter." I nod at her and she gestures to the small kitchen table. "Let me make you a sandwich." She bustles about the kitchen as I sit quietly, weighing up my options. She sets a sandwich down in front of me with a ss of orange juice. "How did you get away?" I ask quietly ¡°A nurse was taking me for my routine shower. I just remember looking at that little bar of soap and thinking this is it. I had to do something or I would never get away. So I shoved it down her throat and drove my thumbs through her eyes when she was choking. You see, there were no cameras in the bathroom. A perfect ce to kill someone. I climbed out the window." "There are bars on the window now." I mutter, spent every single day searching without moving from the shower. My eyes went over every nook and cranny, but there was nothing. "I figured as much." "You never went back, to help the others?" Her face falls and her grey eyes be watery. "I believe the others were killed because I escaped. How did you escape?" I frown, "Would you believe me if I told you the doors just opened. I thought they were bolted but it seems they were on a timer too. Every single door was open and almost everyone escaped. But that can''t be right...." I look at the @rip bag, "I saw them dead in the hallways. They had taken out the drips." ¡°And they would only be down long enough for them to be captured. Not dead." Sammie tells me. "Why are you helping me? Why are you giving me food and offering me somewhere to stay? You said it yourself, I must have been trouble?" ¡°Like I said. I was you once. And I wish that I had someone to tell me that this isn''t the end.¡± Chapter 0329 Chapter 0329 Abraxas Raven''s soul is so dark that it would give most Rogue''s a run for their money. You could feel it as you stepped into the house. And the bedroom just radiated her darkness. When I had been talking to Damien outside, I had half hoped I was wrong. That my baby girl had just had one of her nightmares, but it turns out she was far more aware of souls than I realised. Maybe sitting in with Neah had brought it out in her. Though in my years hunting, I had nevere across a Wolf like this.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I had seen Wolves drown in despair. I had watched them be shells of themselves, barely surviving as they faded away. But to be so consumed by what they think is right, that it turns them into this, is something else. "Did you even love our brother?" Raven demands as she res at Dane. Her soul pulsates, whatever answer Dane is going to give her, it isn''t going to make a difference. She is just asking questions for the sake of asking. "Of course I did. I made a vow to our parents to look after you and him." Dane tells her "But you stopped looking after him. You gave up." "He was a fucking adult, Raven. An adult who could make his own choices. An adult who became so wrapped up in himself that he didn''t care what he did to others." He shakes his head in disbelief that he was even having this conversation. "Have you forgotten what the fucker did to Eric? Or that he tried to take Neah away from me? Plus the many others he pissed off in this pack. It wasn''t exactly like you were at the top of his priority list either!" "You are wrong." "Really? Where was he when you were suffering because Salem rejected you? Oh right, he needed to deal with his own issues. Fucking more women." "Salem has nothing to do with this." "Doesn''t he, because if I remember correctly, he was the one that killed Jess and that sent Jenson into whatever it was. When Salem rejected you, I was the one that had topick up the pieces." Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org She res at him. So much hate radiates from her. Damien moves to her, cupping her chin and forcing her to look at him. I''m assuming he could feel her hate through the bond. Raven''s eyes narrow to slits and she spits at him and snarls through gritted teeth. "Let go of me." "Raven, this isn''t you." Damien murmurs, wiping the saliva from his chin. "You need to snap out of this before you get yourself into trouble." She smirks at him, "Why? Am I not your precious little mate anymore? Do I not do what you ask me to?" He steps back from her and creases appear on his brow. "I don''t recognise you anymore." "I don''t need you to recognise me." She seethes "What is that supposed to mean?" Damien demands Her dark eyes shift to me. "He''s going to kill me anyway. And you can''t stop him." I lift my hands to show the men that my gun is firmly tucked into my belt. Though, if I wanted to, I could grab it quite easily. But was I willing to shoot the Alpha''s sister? I wouldn''t hesitate if it were a Lycan. S Raven is the one Wolf I had least interaction with since I had been here. She had either been in the hospital with Jenson or here, asleep. I never saw her wandering the grounds or talking to any sleep. else. But had wondered what losing her twin would do to her. How far would it drag her down? Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Turns out, pretty damn far. "He won''t kill you." Damien mutters. "Will you?" His eyes search mine, though I don''t answer, because I couldn''t give him an honest answer. "He will if I ask him too." Raven replies with a shrug of her shoulders. "It''s what he is good at, killing Rogues." Her eyes shift to me, ¡°Right?" Chapter 0330 Chapter 0330 "You are not a Rogue!" Damien snaps "All the questions you have been asking Neah." Dane frowns. "You weren''t asking about her, you were asking for yourself, weren''t you?" She keeps her lips pressed together "You wanted to know what it felt like. You wanted to know how to control it." He continues. "You wanted to know if you were feeling the same thing as what she felt." She shrugs her shoulders. Not giving a clear answer. "What does your Wolf think?" I ask She snorts at me. "Midnight hasn''t spoken to me since Jenson''s machines got switched off. Yet I know she hates me, she hates you." She points at Dane and then her mate. "And you." Her hand moves to the mark on her neck and she faces Damien. "I thought this was forever, but you care more about your friend than you do me." ¡°I''ve never said that and it is forever.¡± Damien mutters. ¡°You are my mate. I just asked you to help her. She has been nothing but kind to you!" "Until she swooped in and tried to take my ce." ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Raven?" Dane demands. "Have you be that much of a self centred brat?¡± "A brat?" Sheughs, but the emotion doesn''t reach her eyes. ¡°That''s how you are acting.¡± Dane growls. ¡°You are not the sister I raised. You are turning out to be exactly like Jenson!¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She smiles smugly. "We are twins after all." "Raven." Damien sighs She puts her hands up and shakes her head. "That''s why you are here now, isn''t it? To force me to go and help the dying Lycan while I am dealing with my own problems." "She''s called Mallory and don''t bullshit me. I know you liked her. So help her." "No." "You made an oath." Dane snaps. "You promised to help look after the people of our pack." "I did." "If you are saying Mallory isn''t part of this pack, then you are saying that I''m not either!" Damien frowns "Damien is the Beta here." Dane reminds Raven, though now, I was starting to think none of what they are saying is sinking in. She''s too far gone. Trapped in her own little chaotic mind. "And he couldn''t even be bothered to take an oath so that he could link you all." She halfughs, amused by her ownment. "That suggests he doesn''t really want to be here. Or maybe he just favours his own kind over us." Damien takes a step back. Frustration and confusion on his face. "Dane, I need to speak to you." I mutter He nces over to me and dips his head in acknowledgement. "You can say what you need to say, right here, Hunter." Raven snarls ¡°Fine!" I smile back at her and turn to Dane. "Some promises just can''t be kept." "What kind of cryptic message is that?" Raven demands "It''s not cryptic and Dane understands exactly what I''m saying." She res at me. Every bit of her anger is aimed at me, but she stayspletely still. There is silence between the four of us. Neither of the other men knew what to say to Raven and it seemed like she was waiting on us to say something. "So what''s your n, Raven?" I ask "Excuse me?" It wasn''t what she was expecting to be asked. "This, it''s part of your n, right? What do you hope to achieve? Do you want Damien to reject you? Do you n on killing everyone in some kind of revenge plot for your §Ö brother? What is it that you, Raven ck, wants?" "I don''t know, Abraxas, maybe I want you to tell everyone how you are mated to a Lycan!" She folds her arms across her chest, seemingly pleased with herself. Dane and Damien both turn to stare at me. "Is this how it''s going to go, is it? You are going to start telling lies about people." Chapter 0331 Chapter 0331 Neah Eric hadn''t said anything for a while. He had satpletely still the entire time, holding my hand as we waited for some news from us. It had felt like hours, maybe it had been. I wondered if Dane had felt this way every time I had ended up in here. Wondering if he was never going to hear my voice again. And somewhere along the line, I had be concerned about Mallory''s survival. I watch the room like a hawk, waiting for the slightest change. us must be nearly done, though I still wish that Raven was here to help. She is good at what she does. The door finally opens and us steps out in a gown that is soaked in blood. I pull Eric off the floor and to his feet as we wait in silence while us moves towards us. "She is alive. Just." He lets out his own sigh of relief ''Thank goodness for that.'' Nyx whispers. "Thank you us." "It wasn''t easy, but she is a fighter. She didn''t want to go." Eric''s hand tightens around mine. "Her heart stopped." ¡°And we got her back. She is very weak though and she has lost a lot of blood. I will have to see if any of the Lycans are a match to help her.¡± "Me." I mutter "No, Too risky." us mutters "Can I go see her?" Eric mumbles "Of course. Just give the nurses a couple minutes to clean up in there. She is out cold and will be for some time." "I will tell Damien." I will do it in person rather than through a link. "I will ask him toe over and get checked." I wait until Eric is given the all clear to go and sit with his mate. I decide to head over to the house. I had a feeling Damien had gone to question Raven about why she wasn''t helping. I wanted to know why too. Something feels off as I enter the packhouse. It almost reminded me of the day the boys were killed in Dane''s office. It just had an eerie feeling to everything. I could hear Dane calling someone delusional, followed by Raven screeching. "I am not the delusional one! You are the one who can''t see what is right in front of you." Slowly, I make my way up the stairs, listening to them argue. It wasn''t just Dane and Raven. Damien and Abraxas were here too. Though they could barely get a word in over the siblings arguing. "Raven, this isn''t you." Damien mutters, though he sounds a little lost. Like his usual tricks to calm his mate down wasn''t working. "Maybe this is me, right. I mean you said it yourself, didn''t you Abraxas. My soul died. Or was that another lie." "It wasn''t." Abraxas replies coldly. He was probably staring at her in the l same way he did when he was curious about my reactions. Or maybe his hand was already resting on a gun, ready to blow Raven''s head off. I hoped not. ''Something is off about this whole thing.'' Nyx groans. ''Why wouldn''t she help? It''s what she does.'' ''I don''t know. I want to say she is grieving, but that doesn''t seem right. She checked over Maddie after the fire.'' "So you can tell the truth about some things." Raven''s tone is full of sarcasm "That''s enough Raven!" Dane warns herBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "I don''t think it is." She shouts back and I hear ss breaking. Hurrying to her room, I find Dane and Abraxas holding onto Raven, the window behind her is shattered. Her dark eyes settle on me and a grin spreads across her face. "You should never havee here. We were happy before you. We powerful before you. We had control before you." ''Doesn''t this seem a little out of ce for Raven?'' Nyx asks. ''It''s not like her. She''s gone from quiet and grieving to t out being a bitch.'' I stare at Raven, struggling between the two men. Something was wrong l.n and it was more than just her losing her twin. The way she talked sounded just like Jenson. Too much like him when he didn''t get what he wanted. ''You don''t think....'' It didn''t feel like it was Raven. I could smell her scent. It looked like her, but the wordsing out of her mouth sounded nothing like her. ''I don''t know if that''s even possible.'' Nyx mutters back ''There''s only one way to find out.'' I move closer to Raven. "You couldn''t help Mallory because you didn''t know how, did you?" Chapter 0332 Chapter 0332 "What are you talking about?" Dane frowns. I don''t look at him but press a finger against my head. Hoping he understood that I wanted him inside my head to listen to my thought process. If I was right.... I didn''t want to be right. Raven smiles at me. "I don''t know what you are talking about." "Yes you do." Dane is staring at me now, like I have lost the plot. But stranger things had happened. And it wasmon knowledge that Raven and Jenson shared more than just a birthday. Abraxas had said they shared a piece of each other''s souls. Abraxas also talked about how the darkness seeps in. It finds a spot and grows. What if that is possible between twins who share twin wolves? They did have a piece of each other in them. "You moved them all in when I wasn''t paying attention." Raven mutters. She stops struggling against Dane and Abraxas. "You moved more Lycans in when I wasn''t able to do anything to stop them." "What''s happening?" Damien asks. "Someone tell me what is happening!" I watch Dane hold a hand up to him as I carry on questioning the person in front of me. "Where''s Raven?" I demand and Damien stares at me in utter confusion. "I knew you were smart Neah, the very first day that Iid eyes on you. You were peering out from around the corner at Moonshine. Barely" "Raven wasn''t at Moonshine." Dane mutters. "No, but Jenson was." I stare at Raven''s face. She had made me feel at home here before Dane had. Her advice at the time was brutal, but I loved the honesty from her. Now, I didn''t even recognise the person standing in front of me. How could someone''s soul be taken over by anothers? My eyes burn as I try to hold back the tears. Was Raven even in there? She must be. Damien is still connected to her. "How long?" I demand Her lips curve up but she doesn''t answer. I grab her face. ws inching out the tip of my fingers. She lets out a growl as they begin to pierce her cheek. "How fucking long?" "Neah!" I ignore Dane. I wanted answers and I wanted answers before anyone thinks of leaving this room.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Her dark eyes hover on mine. There is an emptiness to them like never before. ¡°It started in the hospital.¡± Her dark eyes move to Abraxas. "You told us about our souls. How a part of us lives within the other. I heard you and wondered if bing my sister would work and look, it did." Blood spills from her cheeks, but I keep my ws steady. No more coulde out or I will kill her... him...them, I don''t even know what to call it. "Where is Raven?" I demand "Almost gone." "This is impossible." Damien mutters. "You can''t take over someone else''s soul! Raven,e on, this is just because you are upset about Jenson. We know you are grieving." "You''re right, am grieving. I am grieving over how pathetic this pack has be. Full of fucking Lycans in every direction I turn. One as the Luna, one as the Beta. What''s Next, oh that''s right, the heirs of the pack are Lycans too." My ws grow a little more, settling deep into the skin. "You were sleeping with one." "I wanted to see what it was like to fuck you. To see what it was like with you underneath me, moaning my name. I didn''t see ir, all I saw is you Neah Kitson." My stomach ties itself up in knots, disgusted by Jenson. I knew he had gone to her because she looked like me. I knew he was trying to get something that wasn''t his, just like he had done with others. ''I''m going to kill him!'' Nyx growls. ''No. Not yet.'' I keep my ws locked in ce, more blood leaks out as I bring my face in really close. That was the thing about Raven and Jenson, they looked so simr that when you are close enough, you can forget everything but the face right in front of you. I wanted to see him as I say my next line. "But you will never have the real thing." Letting go, I watch the blood spurt from the wounds. They healed quickly as my ws retreated "Bitch!" A gun goes off, almost deafening me. As Raven''s body hits the floor, I turn expecting to see Abraxas pointing it at her, but it''s Damien. Chapter 0333 Chapter 0333 Hi everyone. I hope you are all well. Just to let you all know, there is no update tomorrow the 14th of June and possibly the 15th, though that is yet to be confirmed. Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. As always, thank you to everyone whoments, leaves reviews and gems. I don''t think I will ever be able to thank you enough. Taylor West Chapter 0334 Chapter 0334 Damien Her body falls back against the wall. Blood spurts from my mate''s corbone. I had purposely shot her there rather than her heart. Her body could heal from that. Her body couldn''t heal if I killed her.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I wanted to know if Raven was really gone. Abraxas stares at me as he checks for the gun that he carries in his belt. He frowns when he realises the gun I am holding is not his and that his is firmly stored away in its resting ce. He frowns at me but keeps his mouth shut. I wasn''t stupid. I knew how to use a gun correctly. I used them when I was human and with a Hunter in the pack, I figured it would be better to carry one again. Though sometimes, I''m a little impressed with myself that I hadn''t pulled it on him yet. "You shot me!" Roars Raven or maybe it was Jenson. I didn''t know anymore. I could see my mate, but at the same time the wordsing from her mouth sounded nothing like her. It didn''t seem possible that Neah could be right. That a soul could take the ce of someone else, but then again, there was a time in my life when I didn''t believe Wolves existed and definitely not Lycans. And now I was prepared to kill the person who looked like my mate. I honestly thought I would never use a gun again. I keep the gun steady as Raven clutches her corbone and slips down the wall, leaving a smear of blood. I wasn''t sure if I could go through with killing my mate, even if it wasn''t her anymore, but I could slow her down. "Damien." Dane res at me. "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" His hand rests on the gun, but I refuse to let go. I stare back at him. "She''s be a threat whether you like it or not." Augh erupts from Raven. Augh that didn''t sound like her as her body straightened up. "You will have to do better than that, Lycan!" "Give me the gun, Damien." "No." My finger moves on the trigger and Dane let''s go and steps in front of his sibling. "You can''t kill her Damien. She is your mate." Why hadn''t he said she was his sister first? "She is, but he isn''t. I can kill him." I feel a dull ache start in my heart. It beats quickly and erratically as it grows heavier and heavier by the second. Sparks of pain shoot out in all directions of my body. I was losing Raven and fast. "Why are you doing this?" Neah demands as she stares at my mate. I notice the small trail of blooding from her left ear. She had been right next to Raven when the gun went off. "Second chance." The voice replies "You''ve had more than a second chance." Dane snaps. "It''s like your a fucking cat with nine lives." "Big brother, you know me so well." My mate smirks at him and lets go of the wound in their shoulder. It had almost healed. The bullet had gone straight through. Dane pulls Abraxas aside and asks if there is any way to get Raven back. I see the tiny head shake while Raven watches me. "Maybe if we had a Witch, but by then, it would be toote." Abraxas whispers back "I can put her in the dungeon." Dane tells him "You will still be toote." I stare at my mate as Dane continues toe up with possible ideas. Why had Raven let this happen? Why had she given up? Why hadn''t she fought for her ce in this life? ''Pleasee back to me Raven.'' I try linking her, hoping to hear her voice. Her face stares at me and a slow smile creeps across her lips. ¡°She can''t hear you anymore. She''s resting now!" I wanted to m my hand into his face. But I wouldn''t be hitting him, I would be hitting her body. I look over at Abraxas as it feels like my heart stops. "She isn''t in there anymore, is she?" He turns to face Raven''s body and looks her up and down. "No." Chapter 0335 Chapter 0335 "Can shee back?" "When a soul haspletely left, no." I raise the gun, my finger on the trigger. I couldn''t see anything but her. The voices around me were echoes. Images of how we met rey in my head. How I saw her from the gates. How I followed her into the forest and watched her talk to herself, though that turned out to be her Wolf. The first time I kissed her. How her skin was so soft under my fingers. The way she would snore yet insist she didn''t. She had opened herself to me and now, I could feel her slipping. My lungs grow tight until I can barely breathe. She is supposed to be my mate for life, but she had lost herself in her grief. She had been forced out. She had given up on us.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. I drop the gun and back out of the room. She was dead. She was gone. It wasn''t her. Neah shouts something about not letting Raven out of their sight. She appears in the hallway secondster. "You shot her." "It''s not her." I look up into my Alpha''s blue eyes. Somehow, through it all, she had kept a level of calmness. She had seen something that we hadn''t. "What do you think we should do?" "Abraxas said she was gone. Do you feel it?" I nod. I had never had a need to curl up in a ball and hide from the word. I always faced it head on. But losing a mate was like nothing I had ever felt. It is painful. It is full of sorrow. And everything no longer feels straight forward. "She gave up." I m my fist against the wall. "She fucking gave up after everything!" Neah doesn''t say anything. She lets me hit the wall over and over without so much as a flinch. When I stop, my busted up knuckles are already healing which just irritates me more. I turn to face Neah. "Why haven''t you said anything?" "I''m not feeling what you are feeling." "Why would he do this to his own sister?" I ask, trying to understand even a little of what has happened. "You won''t like my answer and you already know what I''m going to say." "Jenson is a self centred bastard?" "Among many other things. It''s like Dane said, he couldn''t ever cope with not getting what he wanted. He always had some kind of hissy fit. thought that he might change, but that was a long time ago. And if anything, he is worse." S "How are you so calm?" "Give me your hand." She takes my hand and presses it on her chest. Dane would have a fucking field day if he saw what was happening. "The exterior doesn''t always match the interior.¡± It was a phrase I had used. A way to tell her that not everything is exactly what you see. And now she was using the same phrase on me for Raven. I feel her heart beating below my hand, but it''s doing more than just beating, Neah''s heart is practically humming, yet to look at her, you would think there was nothing going on beneath the surface. "I feel Dane''s pain even though he will never admit it." She sighs, "I feel the loss of a friend. I feel stuck between a rock and a hard ce et when the decision that needs to b be made will affect everyone. You are not capable of making this decision about Raven or... Jenson." She frowns "Neither is Dane. It should be me.¡± She turns from me and faces the closed door where Raven''s voice could be heard, demanding to be let out of the room. "I am Dane''s Luna. I am the Lycan Alpha. It has to be me that puts an end to the suffering." "Do you think this was always his n?" "How could it be? He didn''t know it be? until he heard Abraxas talking about souls. If he had been anyone else, he would be long dead. Raven kept him hanging on long enough so that he could force his way in. And we all fell for it except Dorothy." Chapter 0336 Chapter 0336 Neah The room is oddly quiet as I step back inside. Abraxas has his hazel eyes firmly set on Raven. Dane is silently pacing, deep in thought. It hurts to feel how much pain he is in. You wouldn''t think it if you looked at him. His crimson eyes are full of rage instead of hurt. A frown sits on his face, but that''s all. No clenched fists. No heavy breathing, he was...a certain level of calm. The kind of calm before a storm. His eyes sh over to me and it stops him in his tracks, he knew what I was going to do. I feel Damien step in behind me. He closes the door quietly, a gentle click is the only thing that could be heard as the handle slots back in ce. ''We''ve got this.'' Nyx whispers as though the others could hear us. ''It''s the right thing to do. We both know it.'' That didn''t mean it was any less difficult. "You won''t kill me, Neah." Raven mocks. "I''m your best friend." I stare at her familiar face. I had to remember it wasn''t her anymore. That she was gone. "You''re just a soul, trying to survive in someone else''s body." I spit back She smiles and I hear a subtle crack, Jenson was forcing Raven''s body to shift. I wasn''t going to let that happen. My hand wraps around Raven''s arm as the bones crack beneath my fingers. If he thinks he can shift and run, he has another thinging. I start shifting too. My hand is first. ws appear as fur spreads up the length of my arm. My own shift seems to slow Jenson down. Maybe it wasn''t what he was expecting. Though for someone who had a knack for war, he should have expected this. He should know that he wouldn''t get away with this. Or maybe it was because he didn''t know me, not like he thought he did. Familiar dark eyes find mine. So much hate. So much anger. "I''m sorry that I couldn''t help you Raven. Sutter just as my My ws sink into her the pounding heart. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org S I keep my eyes in front of me, if I look at any one of the men, the tears that I''m holding back will errupt likeva. Her dark eyes move down to my sunken ws. Jenson probably thought I wouldn''t go through with it because it was her body, not his Retracting my ws free''s her body and Jenson stumbles back against the wall. A hand clutches at the wound as the other ms against t n the wall, trying to keep the body upright, but it''s no use and she ends up on her ass. Blood pours down the front of her half shifted body, spilling out over her legs and onto the carpet. Her dark eyes stare up at me until she slopes over onto the floor, still and as silent as the room. My heart thunders in my chest as the room bes hazy. I had killed my friend. I had killed Dane''s sister. I had killed Damien''s mate. ''It wasn''t Raven.'' Nyx reminds me ''And it was the right thing to do. He was out of control.'' ''I need.... I need air.'' I back up and crash into Damien. He just stares at me as I spin around to face him. He knew it was what was going to do and yet somehow, I felt I like I had betrayed him and Dane. Pushing him out the way, I power through the door. Feeling the pounding of blood between my ears. ''It was the right thing to do.'' I mutter to myself, repeating Nyx''s words over and over as I crash through my bedroom door.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ''It was.'' Nyx confirms. I knew it was, I knew Jenson had to be dealt with, but then why did I feel so sick? Chapter 0337 Chapter 0337 ''Neah, you are panicking.'' Nyx is calm, to calm "I killed Raven." I mutter as I shift back to human form. ''No, you killed Jenson. Raven was already dead. Damien confirmed it and you can feel what Dane is feeling. Her body was just a shell!'' I knew I was panicking. I don''t know why I am panicking. I had already made it clear to Damien what I was going to do and no one tried stopping me. They all wanted it too, right? ''Yes.'' Nyx agrees even though I wasn''t asking her. Quickly, I pull on some leggings and a sweatshirt and jam my feet into some boots. I needed to get out. I needed to think. My legs power me out of the house, or maybe it was Nyx. I''m not entirely sure. It was hard enough for me to focus and I didn''t really care as long as I could get some air.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Killing people that had harmed me or were a threat had been easy up until now. I keep telling myself it was Jenson as I run into the forest, yet all I see is Raven. ''Neah, we have to stop.'' Nyx mutters. I can''t, but I wasn''t trying to run away either. I just needed to keep moving. ''NEAH!'' My own name roars out inside my head and Ie to aplete stop. ''Neah, it''s okay to feel like this. I liked Raven too but there was nothing you could do to save her. She was already gone.'' Nyx continues to remind me. I slump down on a fallen tree trunk and the tears break free. I look around, half expecting to see Dane or even Damien, but neither one had followed me. I was alone. ''You are not alone. I am right here. This is a new feeling.'' ''Right.'' I swallow the lump in my throat ''We couldn''t let him parade around as Raven. Not after everything. Not after every lie he has told.'' Nyx tells me. ''You know this, Neah.'' Nodding, I take a deep breath and I hear a twig crack not too far behind me. Wiping my tears away, I''m on my feet and sniff the air. A Lycan was heading towards me, someone from the pack that I didn''t know that well. "Neah?" The voice calls out. "Neah, it''s Ryken, is everything okay? I saw you running and I wanted to check...." "I''m fine." I mutter back but he steps through the trees anyway. He somehow looked odd in the middle of the trees, like he didn''t quite fit. He frowns when he sees me. "Do you want me to get Dane or someone else?" "No." "Has something happened?" He parks himself on the fallen tree a little way from me. ¡°Is it ir? Is she here?¡± His eyes dart around the nearby area I snort, with everything happening, I hadn''t really thought about her. "No, nothing to do with ir." "The girl, Mallory, is she okay? Did she make it?" "She''s in good hands." "That''s good news. The others are in the training hall are being guarded." I had forgotten all about those Lycans too. I didn''t even know where they were. "Right." "It''s not my ce to tell you what to do, Neah. And considering what my stepdaughter has done, I more than appreciate you letting us stay here. But if there is anything I can do, I am only too happy to help." Content belongs to "Ever killed someone you care about? Or sort of cared about?" I wasn''t sure how to exin what had happened with Jenson and Raven''s souls. I feel his gaze on me. He''s quiet for a few minutes, choosing his words carefully. ¡°If we kill someone we care about, it is normally for good reason. Something that''s been thought about, options have been weighed up. I am certain you had a good reason. I''ve watched you from afar. You don''t rush into things, but when you are forced, your decisions are valid." Chapter 0338 Chapter 0338 "But are they the right ones?" He raises an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to continue. "I knew that they had to die. They were a troublemaker from day one and they did something unheard of." I was trying to keep the details vague. Maybe Dane wouldn''t want anyone to know his sister is dead. "I have only ever killed those that were dangerous. Those that would put our lives at risk. This one was...." I trail off as Raven''s smiling face fills my head "You wouldn''t make it as a leader if you didn''t question your decisions." He sighs. "I''ve heard the stories about you. I''ve heard where you came from, what happened to you, how you were raised and everything since. It takes most people years to train to be a good leader. Dane would have been training since he was a pup. I was thrown into it, though I was never an Alpha of any kind. You''ve had what, three ish years?" Is that all it is? It felt like a lifetime had passed. "And a year of that was spent learning who I am." I mutter "Neah, you''ve been propelled into something that is bigger than what any of us can imagine. And you are more than capable. Your decision is just that, your decision." ¡°What if it''s hurt those around me? What if they cannot ept what I did?" "Maybe the key is that you have to ept it first." He shuffles on the tree, it was probably a little ufortable for him as he is quite big. "Who would have thought I would be giving advice to you." I look at him, and he seems to be smiling to himself. "Is that how you feel about ir? You had to ept that she needs to die and that''s why you are okay with it?" "Yes. Tara has known for a lot longer than I have, her own mother. I guess on some level, I thought I could be the father she needed, but the only thing she has ever learned to care about is herself." ''Just like Jenson.'' Nyx sighs. I could feel her worrying about me. But I don''t regret what I''ve done, I just can''t get the image of Raven out of my head and that''s what''s messing with my thoughts and feelings. It was just like posioning my parents afPover again. Ryken and I turn in the direction of footsteps. I''m hit with Dane''s woody scent and feel my body tense up Ryken hade out here before Dane Dane hadn''t even bothered following me which could only mean that he is angry. "I will leave you to it." Ryken walks in Dane''s direction. He pauses briefly but I don''t hear what they speak of. ''I can feel his anger from here.'' I mutter to Nyx. ''He is angry, frustrated, and hurt all because of me.'' I staypletely still as he strides towards me. If it weren''t for his scent, I would know it was him by the way he walked. My body stays rooted to the tree as my chest aches from my pounding heart. I keep my eyes low as he stops in front of me. That feeling of preparing to be scolded lingered heavily. He was the only one that could still make me feel like that. Yet he had never hurt me. ContentContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. belongs to NovelDrama.Org His handstch around my wrists and he rips me to my feet. My eyes remain down and slowly he tips my head back until I''m forced to look at his brilliant crimson eyes. "You should not have done that." I open my mouth to protest. "You were not ready for that. You should have let me end his life." Chapter 0339 Chapter 0339 Hey everyone, so you are probably expecting an update. There is unlikely to be one today as my little red car decided to break down on me and I am currently waiting to be rescued. The joys of old cars. If I''m back before the cut off, I will try and get it out for you. Take care Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Taylor West Chapter 0340 Chapter 0340 Abraxas The funeral was not something that I wanted to attend. Death is inevitable. If you want to say goodbye, beside the coffin is not the ce to do that. Funerals are not personal. They are a gimmick for those that believe the person is going to a better ce. Neah clings to Dane. His hand firmly sped around hers as she leaned against him. She didn''t seem to know what to expect. Her eyes continually moved between the coffins and Dane. Maybe she had never attended one before. Death didn''t mean everyone got a funeral and in my opinion, Jenson definitely didn''t deserve one. Not after the shit he pulled. The area is packed. Mostly Wolves who stood shoulder to shoulder. The Lycans kept their distance. This didn''t have anything to do with them and they were probably happy to not be involved. Damien stands on the other side of Dane. He hadn''t said much since earlier. His soul is full of confusion and frustration, so I find myself waiting and watching. Wondering when he will finally tip back over into the Rogue life. That was why I was really here. I had expected him to lose it when Dane left to find Neah. But he had just stood in one spot, watching the blood weep out of Raven''s body. Dane clears his throat and mutters a few words. He asks if anyone has anything to say and everyone''s eyes shift to Damien. They expected him to talk about his mate, to say a few heartfelt words. He gives Dane the tiniest of head shakes, barely visible to the human eye. The coffins are lowered into the grounds, right next to their parents. Though if Dane had any sense after what had happened, he should have burned the bodies. As they start taking it in turns to toss some dirt on top of the coffins, I catch Madison''s strong jasmine scent. It invades my head so quickly it hurts. ncing over my shoulder, I see her standing not too far away. Her hands are jammed into her pockets as she toes a stone on the ground. Her chestnut eyes flicker to me before she looks away again. At least she had stopped overreacting to my presence. Well, today at least. Her emotions are more erratic than a pregnant woman who is hungry. Her eyes snap up to mine again, she thought I had looked away. They open wider as she realises she had been caught. A pink tinge rises up her neck, quickly spreading up her whiter than white face. She frantically looks around, but unless she runs into the forest, there is nowhere to hide on this side of the pack. Slipping away from the funeral, I stride past her and head into the forest before she gives herself away to the entire pack. Just as I expected, she follows me, "What are you doing Madison?" I demand when we arepletely out of sight. "I wanted to tell you that I''m not scared of you anymore!" "Is that right?" I try not tough, wondering how long she had been building up the courage to tell me that. ¡°Dane is out there, burying his siblings and you want to tell me you are no longer scared?" "Yes!" She mutters confidently "So you don''t n on hurling yourself into another fire anytime soon?" She drops her gaze to the forest floor and shakes her head. "It hurts." She whispers. She wasn''t talking about the fire. "You''re letting yourself get wrapped up in this idea of yours." ¡°It''s not an idea and you know that. I just want to know why you haven''t rejected me?" I don''t answer her as she shifts her weight from one foot to the other. She had asked me several times now and as much as I denied being mated to her, I could never answer I her question. Why didn''t I just say those words? She would be free to be mated to someone else. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I feel sick at the thought of another man touching her. It was bad enough the mark from Enzo still hovered on her neck. "What do you want from me, Madison?" "I don''t know. You are in my head constantly." She frowns. "And not in a good way!" I cock a brow at her. "I shouldn''t be. I''m a Hunter." She leans back against a tree, folding her arms up under her breasts and looks away from mol. I "I''ve dealt with shitty men for years. You are not the first." "And if I remember correctly, I put a bullet in one of them. So what''s changed? Where has this new found confidencee from?" She scowls, "Why do you feel the need to mock me?" I keep my thoughts to myself "Do you think that''s her game? She makes us suffer to see if we can handle it." "Who?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "The Moon goddess obviously." "I don''t think the Moon Goddess has any control over your life. In fact I don''t believe in her." Her jaw drops, "You don''t? You are a Wolf." I shake my head at her. "I believe in higher powers, but not her. If it were her, don''t you think it''s sick that she forces her own creations to fight against each other? Nah, this stinks fight between higher powers." Of Chapter 0341 Chapter 0341 She stares at me withplete confusion. They all did when I mentioned higher powers. Like it had never crossed their mind that there might be more than a Moon Goddess that rules the poption. "Think about it, Madison. Rogue Lycans are there to keep the human poption under control. I''m a Wolf that kills Lycans. Lycans were kept a secret from the average Wolf until Neah came along. This is all higher power shit. A way to test us. A way to see who is on top." ¡°So why do you think they are pairing Wolves and Lycans together?" "It wouldn''t be the first fucked up thing they did." A mixture of emotions crosses her face. She wasn''t sure how to process what I had said. "Have you.... Have you told the Alpha?" "No. And before you ask, I''m not going to either. She has other things on her te. She doesn''t need to listen to my theories too." Madison sighs and drops her arms, picking at the bark on the tree. "The others don''t trust me." "Who?" Something annoys me about herment. And for a second I feel that same fucking thing as I did when she tried to throw herself in the fire. I cared. I shudder, but she doesn''t see it. "The Lycans. I can''t shift and that makes me weak." "Have you ever shifted?" She shakes her head at me and the light of the sunset breaks through the trees, bouncing off of her deep red waves. "It''s true what I told you before. I can do everything but shift. You saw the burns, I still healed. I can link Neah. I just can''t....shift." I was expecting her to sound disappointed but she sounds more defeated. "Why are you telling me?" ¡°I thought because of the........¡± she trails off when she realises I''m frowning at her. ¡°I just thought, maybe you could be the one to help me?" Multiple footstepse running in our direction. Many were still going ahead with the pack run tonight. Some would find it beneficial to burn off their worries and frustrations. Others just wanted the freedom and power they felt under the full moon. I was supposed to be going too. I grab Madison by the bicep and pull her away from the iing crowd. "Go home Madison." "If you are not going to reject me, you won''t be able to hide this forever. Neal already knows and Mallory does too!!" She half shouts at me and I m her into the tree, pressing my hand to her mouth. count to thirty to see if anyone had heard her, but howls and running feet fill the air, they weren''t even slightly interested in us, they were already caught up in the haze. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Is that what this is?" I growl. "You have some insane death wish because you can''t fucking shift?¡± She shakes her head as I keep my hand over her mouth. She stares deep into my eyes. There was only one other person who had looked at me like that. Like she could see more than what was just on the outside. Lowering my hand, Madison pushes herself off the tree, forcing a closeness between us. On her breath, I Could smell the dinner she had not too long ago. She shakal P her head again, "You don''t have to help me, I just thought I would ask because..." "Because you need a man to save the day?" I sneer as her jasmine scent makes my head pound. I so badly wanted to push her away, but I could also quite easily fuck her right here. It had been a long time since I have felt like this about anyone and the close proximity was making it a hundred times harder to walk away. "No!" She''s frustrated with my response. "Because you know alot and I guess... I thought maybe you hade across this before. That''s all." She nces away. "You tried to help Neah."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. She looks over my shoulder and presses her rosy lips into a thin line. There was no one behind me. I would sense it long before she did. Her chestnut eyes shift back to me. "I should just go." She wasn''t talking about going back to the house she has been staying in since the fire. ¡°No, you need to be where I can keep an eye on you." Until I decide what I want to do. I needed her to at least be kept safe. "Why? You can''t stand me!" "When did I say that?" I counteract. Her heart skips a beat. "I have told you twice that you need to be where I can keep an eye on you. If you are out there, alone, I won''t be able to save you from yourself. Again!" y mind "I have spent years having people games on me. I won''t live like that anymore. I refuse to continue living like that. Just because I am less of a Lycan than the others, it does not give you the right to mess me around. Do you hear me?!" I press my lips against hers. She doesn''t move. Thrown by my reaction. As I back off, her eyes are like saucers. "Loud and clear." Chapter 0342 Chapter 0342 ir "He won''t find you here. I''m not sure why you won''t believe me. I''ve been here five years and he hasn''t evene close." "How would you even know?" I frown as I scan the open fields and Sammie continues to collect eggs from her chickens. Unphased as I keep my guard up. I had been here nearly a week and I still couldn''t settle. It didn''t matter how many times I said it, I still expected to see Cooper and his weird zy eyed nursesing for me. Sammie had shared some of her story from the prison, but other than what I had told her, I couldn''t bring myself to say anymore. It was a memory I wanted to forget, yet at the same time, I couldn''t let it go because I was still waiting, preparing myself for a fight I knew I would lose. A part of me wanted to go back. To drive a knife right through his heart. To help the others escape. But I didn''t stand a chance. Not anymore. "Can I ask you something?" I say as she closes the chicken coop. "Do you feel like you deserved this?" "The farm?" She asks, confused. "No, losing your Lycan." She slowly walks back to the house with her wicker basket full of eggs. A heavy set frown. She stops just outside the kitchen door and turns to face me. "I didn''t at first. After a while, I understood why Cooper did what he did. Sometimes I still battle with myself about wishing I had certain capabilities, like smelling when the stormse, being able to heal, being able to run without getting out of breath. Stitches are bitches!" She winks at me. "You think you deserved it?" I ask, surprised by her response. ¡°No, but I have learned alot about myself in thest five years and to be honest, I wasn''t a good Lycan. Maybe it did teach me a lesson. Maybe it was already written in my story so that I could help you." She gives me one of her wide smiles "You believe that?" She shrugs her shoulders at me and drops the basket of eggs on the counter. I watch as she expertly pulls up her long blonde hair into a bun. My hair now made me look like a toilet brush with how short and spikey it is.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "It doesn''t matter what I believe, ir. But we do know I''m right about some things, you survived without that stupid drip bag. You didn''t want to believe that either." I look at my arm where the connection tube had been, a lovely giant purple bruise still lingered on my arm, though it was shrinking day by day and part of it had turned a putrid green colour. Humans were so feeble and I was one now. I couldn''t be reckless anymore. "That was the worst night of my life." I mutter "But you survived, just like I said you would." "I thought I was going to die!" Sammie gives me a lopsided grin. ¡°So dramatic. Though I''m still waiting to hear more about this half sister of yours." Apparently I had muttered something about Neah when I was in excruciating pain and cking out. Sammie had asked me a couple of times since but I always shut down. It might be a different story if I met her under different circumstances. She pours me a ss of juice and sets it in front of me. "ir, I''m going to ask you something and I don''t need you losing your shit over it, but want I do want the truth." She takes a deep breath, "Was Cooper holding you because you did something to your half sister?" "No." "ir, don''t lie to me. I''m trying to help you out." "It wasn''t because of her. In fact he didn''t even know she was my sister, not at first. He would have if he had met her." "That''s all I need to know." "Seriously? Why don''t you want to know more?" "It''s not about what I want to know, it''s about you telling me the truth." "Would you have even known if I lied?" I ask curiously "You''re human now, of course I would have." **** As the fire. It a warm glow to the bin Sis, Sammie lights the small sitting room and I decide er.content the bullet and tell her. S W Chapter 0343 Chapter 0343 "My half sister''s name is Neah Kitson. She is the female Lycan Alpha." I mumble, staring into the orange mes. "What?" "It''s true. We share the same father. In fact, if you looked at us, you would think we were twins. We are not, we have different mothers." "Why have you waited until now to tell me this?" "Would it have changed anything?" She smiles at me, "Yes, I could have helped you get to her. She can put a stop to Cooper." I shake my head, going to her wasn''t an option. She would kill me and I couldn''t even defend myself. "I tried to screw her over." I blurt out In the prison that Cooper was holding me in, I had nothing but time to think over every little movement I had made. At first I med Jenson, then myself for getting involved with him. And instead of cutting him loose, I had made him suffer every time he failed at something. Hoping that he would improve to my levels. I had fallen for him, yet anytime we argued, he would bring her up,paring us. I had wondered if he told them that before he died. But ironically, none of that was what got me into trouble. So many had tried to warn me that I was making the wrong move, trying to take something that isn''t mine. Even my own mother. But I had been hellbent on getting what I wanted, what I thought I deserved. Maybe this was what I deserved. ¡°I tried to take what was hers." I mutter, keeping my gaze on the orange and yellow mes "But Cooper didn''t know about any of that. He punished me because I almost revealed our kind to the human eye. Apparently he has been cleaning up my mess for years."N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "I could go to her. I could tell her all of that. I can exin what happened." "And if she doesn''t believe you, or chooses not to believe you, she will kill you. Then who will look after your chickens?" She rolls her grey eyes at me. "I don''t think she will kill me. She doesn''t know me. Maybe she will at least be reasonable and listen." "And what are we going to achieve by you doing that? We won''t be Lycans again. We will be stuck this way until the day we die." She creeps over to where I''m sitting. "At least your conscience will be clear." "How are you so optimistic?" I ask. Somehow, she saw the good side of everything. She gently cups my face with her warm hand. "I''m free and you could be too. And we could be together." We stayed up untilte into the night, talking. tell her as much as I can. I answer every single question she throws, at me, no matter how difficult it was to share. Sammie fills a ss of wine and hands it to me and shake my head, something that I wouldn''t have done before Cooper, but it turns out I now can''t stand the taste of alcohol, no matter the quality. Sammie did have to keep reminding me that things arepletely different now that I have lost my Lycan. It''s almost seven in the morning when I think we are done. I''m tired. My brain hurts. I feel more exposed than when I was being watched in the showers. Sammie had hugged me multiple times, and I had cried more often than I liked. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I wouldn''t have done that before. I would have taken myself off, or forced the tears back. "I have to go to her before Cooper gets a chance too." She mutters "You said he would go to these ces. ces where he thinks he can find me. For all we know, he might already be there. He might be whispering things to Neah. He could get his hands on you." ¡°She needs to know about him, ir. She is his Alpha.¡± "You can''t go alone. I''ve been there. They have guards. Let mee, I can show you where to go." "You can''te with me. You are still weak and malnourished. I can''t risk you copsing on me." "I won''t let you go alone." Chapter 0344 Chapter 0344 Mallory I got shot. I got fucking shot. The bastard shot me in the stomach. My head is fuzzy, yet being shot is the only thing that is clear. "She''s waking up." I hear Eric and I hear the relief in his tone. Warm fingers lock around my wrist and another set presses against my neck. "Pulse is strong." I squint one eye and see us smiling at me.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "I was shot." I mutter, opening my eyes fully. I''m met with silence. My fingers move to my stomach. Bandages cover my entire torso. I start to pick at them. I needed to know how bad it was. I was pregnant. "Mal stop." Eric''s hands grab mine, pulling them back as I let out a whimper ¡°But I''m pregnant!" It wasn''t how I wanted to tell him. It was supposed to be a surprise. I wanted to tell him tonight, when everyone is on the pack run. It''s funny how silence can be deafening. It takes me seconds to connect the dots. I had been shot in the stomach. The bandages that wrapped around me suggested that my wounds were extensive. Which could only mean one thing, I had lost our pup. "Mallory...." us starts "No. I already know. I was just...." I turn my head towards Eric. "I''m sorry." I''m trying to hold it together but my chest is tight and my lungs burn with the need to scream. I could see it on his face, there was something else he needed to tell me. Eric squeezes my hand. "The shot did too much damage, Mal. It, um... it...." I had never seen him lost for words. The news was worse than me just losing a pup. "It''s like Raven''s leg." I whisper, knowing what he couldn''t say. "It can''t heal." Not only had I lost the pup. I had lost the ability to have them. "Mal, I''m sor...." "It''s fine." My body was trembling. It wasn''t fine, but I had to focus on something else. "Is Brax dead?" He was the fucker that shot me. "No." Eric replies calmly. I was expecting him of Damient to have ripped Brax''s guts out for what he did to me. "Why fucking not? He is why I''m here. He is why I lost the pup. He fucking shot me and he knew I was pregnant!" "Mal, it wasn''t him!" Eric stops me "What are you talking about? He is the only one with guns." "A Lycan was fighting him over it. The guy was going to shoot Neah. Brax tried to get it off of him, but when it went off, it hit you. Neah killed the guy." us tells me I should feel better. The idiot that shot me was dead. But I don''t, I just feel sore and empty. How something so tiny could leave you feeling so empty was something I didn''t understand. "You should go on the pack run." I mutter to Eric. "I will be okay here. I will just..." I look around the room. "I guess I will just rest." "Mal, the pack run was two nights ago. Because of the damage, your body has been slow to heal." "Oh." "There is something else I need to tell you." How much worse could it get? Eric runs his hands through his blonde hair. ¡°Raven''s dead.¡± I stare at him with my mouth hanging open as Eric and us fill me in. I still didn''t fully understand what had happened and I almost felt like I was in some kind of dream or maybe an hallucination from all the drugs. What he was telling me didn''t seem real. A soul taking over another soul. "How''s Damien?" This could be the very thing that tips him back into Rogue habits. He told me Raven was his light, that she kept him grounded. With her gone, it was a matter of time. ¡°That''s the thing everyone is worried about.¡± us mutters "Please tell me he hasn''t turned Rogue?!" ¡°That''s just it. He hasn''t. He is quiet but getting on with his Beta duties. He isn''t acting like someone who lost a mate. Brax is watching him constantly." ¡°That''s going to make things worse." I sigh white shuffling in the bed. It would be so much easier if they just stood on the same side rather than making me turn my head back and forth. Chapter 0345 Chapter 0345 "He''s also started carrying a gun." Eric tells me. "What?" I was certain I had misheard him. "You don''t need to worry about what is going on out there. The rest of us have it handled. I just need you to rest." Eric stares at me, waiting for me to agree. "I need to speak to him." "Mal, you need to rest." "Please. I just... I know him better than anyone." "I will get him." us gives me a small smile and hurries out the room. "We need to talk about this, Mal. I feel your pain and the ache in your heart." I shake my head at him, the tears already blurring my eyes. I can''t talk about it, not yet. "I knew." "Huh?" "I knew. I did a sweep of your house after the fire. I saw the tests." I drop my gaze. "It was supposed to be a surprise and I was nervous, after what happened to the boys. I knew you wanted it and now.... Now, I can''t ever give you a pup." It''s odd, because it''s only now that I''m realising how much I wanted it. I''ve always known that I wanted to be a mother, to have my own little crew. I also never saw it happening, not until I saw those two lines. "I''m sorry." I mutter again and he grabs both my hands. "Stop apologising, this wasn''t your doing. You didn''t know this was going to happen. No one could have predicted it. This is not your fault." It didn''t stop feeling like it was my fault. I ster on a smile as Damien makes his way in. "I will give you guys a minute." Eric mutters, then makes a point of looking at me. "Stay in bed." "I was going toe and see you." Damien speaks quietly, and peers through the blinds of the window. "Are you okay?" I ask "I should be the one asking you that question. I guess they told you." I nod, though he isn''t looking at me. ¡°I don''t really understand. I thought Jenson was dead." "It doesn''t matter. They are both dead now." "She was your mate." "Was! She gave up, Mallory. I didn''t see it. I couldn''t see it, or maybe I didn''t want to. But she gave up. I wasn''t even worth holding onto, She loved him more than she loved anything else. Twins in life, twins in death." "So you are good?" I ask with a head tilt "Yes." I stare at him. "I don''t believe you." He makes his way to the chair next to my bed. "Everyone is watching me. Waiting for me to break down. Brax has his beady little eyes on me at every opportunity. He''s probably pissed that I am in here and he can''t see me. I don''t need you watching me too, Mallory. You need to focus on your own health." "I''ve seen people lose their mates. This is not how they react." "Maybe, maybe not. Or maybe I''ve just been preparing myself to lose her since first met her." He groans, "I knew a time woulde where would lose her or she would lose me. Though I never imagined losing her to her own fucking brother." I wanted to gag, I really hoped he didn''t mean what I thought he meant. "Like I said. Twins in life. Twins in death." I had seen Damien do a lot of stuff, including the shit he did as a Rogue, but this, this had me feeling the most unsettled. He was too calm, too understanding. Or maybe he was right, he was too used to death. "I swear Mallory, you don''t need to worry about me." I dip my head in acknowledgement, though hisment just left me more unsettled. "Oh, I''m taking the oath tomorrow evening. Being Beta is hard without being able to link Dane and with this many Lycans, there needs to be someone who can link both."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. ¡°Right." I was so weirded out by our conversation. Eric had said he was acting odd, but he wasn''t, he was acting like his usual self and that''s what was odd. Maybe he was having some kind of dyed reaction? Chapter 0346 Chapter 0346 Damien "Daddy?" Dottie had dropped her spoon in her cereal bowl and was staring at me with wide bright green eyes and a stuck out bottom lip. "You should finish your breakfast. You have a big day today." She screws up her nose. "I can''t eat." "And why is that?" "You''re sad." She mutters with a tiny frown "And if I go to school, I can''t keep an eye on you." "Is that right?" "Uh huh!" "Well, I have a lot to do today so you don''t need to worry about me. I''m taking the oathter to officially be part of ck Shadow. And it''s important that you start school." "Why?" "Because you are a clever little girl. Besides, school is here in ck Shadow so I won''t be far and you get to hang out with kids your own age.'' "If I''m clever, I don''t need to go to school. Neah didn''t and she is an Alpha!" She pouts at me and hugs herself I sigh, Dottie had an answer for everything these days. "But I wish I had got to go to school." Neah mutters as she makes her way into the kitchen with her boys toddling along next to her. It''s not as fun learning to read and write when you are an adult.¡± Dottie hikes her shoulders up around her ears. ¡°Fine, I will go!" We had been making ns for this for about a week. A lot of the Lycans had brought young kids, pulling them from schools to be here. They were worried that their children would fall behind so Dane had agreed to set up a small school. And I think now, Dottie''s nerves were settling in. She turns to Neah, "Will you look after Daddy? He''s sad." Neah''s blue eyes sh in my direction as she settles Logan into a high chair. "Sure." I wish Dottie would stop telling everyone I was sad. Raven was dead, that was the end of it. "Do you think my other Daddy wille with us and walk me to school?" "I can ask, but you need to finish your breakfast. I know you Dottie. You will be hungry again in ten minutes." She gives me a guilty smile and starts shovelling cereal into her mouth. Dottie holds my hand with a tight grip as we walk across the grounds to the small building that had been turned into a school. She was more jittery than usual. Her eyes darted all over the ce. Probably because Brax hadn''t turned up like he said he was going too. She isn''t the only one who is hesitant. Other kids are protesting too. Ryken has his youngest boy trapped under his arm as he carries him towards the school with a look that suggested he had also had a rough morning convincing the boy to go to school. "He''s scared." Dottie whispers to me. "He hasn''t been here that long. Remember, you were scared when you first came here. Maybe he needs a friend." "Like Auntie Mallory is your friend?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "Exactly." She nods and straigthens out her pink dress. Confidently, she strides away from me, stopping in front of a Ryken. "My name is Dorothy. I can be your friend." She offers her hand to the boy but Ryken just stands there, staring at her like she had some kind of disease. I hadn''t considered that the Lycans wouldn''t be happy that a daughter of a Hunter would be going to the school. "She is just a kid!" I snarl as I get close. "I know." Ryken mutters. "But do you think it''s wise? The room will be full with young Lycans." "I think you are worried about the wrong person." Dotties hand slides back into mine. "It''s okay Daddy, I can just go home." I force a smile for her. "No, you have the right to be here just as much as anyone else." I turn my eyes to Ryken. "Doesn''t she?!" "Of course." He mutters, but there is no truth behind it. And if I can see that, she could too. I make sure she is settled before I leave, though the way the parents are looking at her doesn''t go unnoticed. I was starting to thinkit was a good idea Brax didn''t turn up. He would have shot every single person in this room and maybe he knew that. Kissing dottie on the cheek, I promise to pick her upter and make my way to the teacher. "Any problems, anything at all, give me a call immediately." I slide my number across the table to her. The sooner I take this fucking oath, the better. "Wait!" Ryken calls as I stride back towards the house. "What?" "I''m worried about my boys." "You''re their parent, you should be." I snap and carry on walking. "You know that is not what I''m talking about! And you are one of her parents in that weird rtionship you have going on." I re at him. ¡°She is a little girl that has probably seen more horrors than all the kids in that ssroombined. But more importantly, she just wants to learn. Why do you have a problem with that?" ¡°Damien, you know exactly what I''m talking about. She''s a Hunter of our kind. She is a threat.¡± Chapter 0347 Chapter 0347 ¡°Like I said, you are worried about the wrong person!" "So if she gets into trouble, then what, her father is going toe for us? You''re going toe for us?" "Yes. I will warn you once and only once. If you or any other Lycan tries anything stupid, it won''t just be me or Brax that you have to worry about. Dottie is a part of Neah''s family. How do you think Neah will feel after she invited you to stay here?" "I fully support our Alpha, but I don''t want the Hunter child hanging out with my kids.¡± "Why, worried they will turn out like ir?" I walk away without waiting for his reaction. Neah is standing with her hands on her hips as I walk through the front door. "You''re threatening other Lycans now?" "It wasn''t a threat. But I''m d to see they can link you when needed." She sighs and sits on the bottom step. "Damien. I''m sorry, okay. I had to do it. I couldn''t let you do it." "Stop apologising Neah. I keep telling you that I understand. You don''t need to keep apologising to me." "But..." "I don''t me you, Neah, not for anything. I me her, she took the easy way out. She didn''t even try to fight for what was hers. And honestly, I have more important things to worry about." "If you need to talk, I..." "I don''t." She puffs out her cheeks. "Are you going to tell me what happened with Ryken?" "I''m sure he has already told you." She rolls her eyes at me. "I prefer to listen to both sides." I sit on the stairs next to her. "I won''t let anything happen to Dottie." "I know that. But we all need to make it work. We''ve got the original Wolves, we have Lycans, both bitten and pure bloods and then we have several Hunters. Though I''m not really sure if I can ss us in that category." She smiles at me. "I will speak to Ryken." "He''s a prick, Neah. Don''t fall for his shit." "It''s my decision." I nod "Where''s Dane?" "Down at the gate. Apparently there is another one." "And you didn''t go?" "I was waiting for you toe back. Athena came and got the twins and I was going to go, but whoever is at the gate. isn''t important. You do get that right? That you are not alone here. Just because she''s gone, it doesn''t mean you''ve stopped being family." "Good, because you are stuck with me!" I walk down to the gates with her. There''s a woman standing on the other side of the gates. Her arms folded against her chest in defence. And she is human. How the fuck had a human made it out here? She has strange grey eyes. "You don''t believe me do you?" I hear her mutter to Dane "Why would there be a human here?¡± Neah whispers "There''s only one way to find out." The woman''s strange grey eyes move to Neah as we approach and her lips part a little. "Shit!" I immediately pull Neah behind me. Her life was worthier than mine and I didn''t need another prick trying to take her out. "How did you find this ce?" Dane demands "I was shown it." "By who?" "Someone else like me. "Another human?" I demand "I''m not human. Or at least, I wasn''t. It''splicated. I was a Lycan and then I had my abilities taken from me." "You weren''t bound. If you were bound, you would still have a scent. But the only thing you stink of, is human." Dane tells her. "I don''t know what he did to us. I just know that I was never the same again." "Bullshit!" Dane snaps "What if I told you the same thing has happened to ir?" The woman announces. "What are you talking about?" Neah pushes her way around me. "ir isn''t a Lycan anymore." "Not possible." "She was the one who showed me where your pack is. I came here to warn you." "Really, what is ir threatening me with now?!" Neah demands "It''s not ir. r. ir didn''t want me toe here, but we had no choice. The guy that did this to me and many others is probably on his way here, looking for her. She told him she was your half sister." The woman shakes her head at Neah. ¡°I''m not scared of one man!" Neah snaps back. "Whatever happened to ir is nothing less of what she deserved." The Stads her head. "She did a lot things, and instead. she had everything her. That''s what he done? W " Neah snorts. "What''s your name?" Dane asks. ¡°Samara, but no one calls me that. Sammie or Sam is fine." She shakes her head. "This man is dangerous." "Is it a trick?" Neah whispers to me. "She seems to know a lot." "She isn''t lying." Brax saunters up next to us. His hazel eyes linger the inoman. "But you are not letN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. t either, are you Samara?" W Chapter 0348 Chapter 0348 Abraxas Samara''s grey eyes hover on me. "You don''t know anything about me!" "I know what I see." "What is that supposed to mean?" She looks over to Neah. "You have Witches here too?" Iugh. Why did they always jump to that conclusion? "You can''t smell me can you?" "I told you, this is what he does. He takes everything. I lost everything because of him. ir has lost everything because of him and I know that she did some bad things. She told me all about it, but this guy will look for her. He wille here." "He can fuck off because he won''t find her here!" Dane snaps "I know that, you know that, but he doesn''t." Samara frowns "It''s funny, because you haven''t mentioned a name." Damien mutters, he was still half blocking Neah. "His name is Cooper, if that''s even his real name." Samara mutters as she runs her fingers through her long blonde hair. "It''s not just Lycans he hurts, it''s Wolves too. He strips our abilities, do you know what that''s like? To not be able to smell or hear like I once did. To be breathless when doing too much. Not to be able to heal. It''s soul destroying." I snort. "It''s not funny!" "Being stripped doesn''t destroy your soul." She res at me. "Like you know anything about it." I watch Neah, but she doesn''t say anything. If there is anyone here that understands, it would be her. "Why did he do that to you?" I press "I don''t know." "Yes you do, you are just withholding the information." She narrows her eyes and clenches her jaw, I was pressing buttons that she didn''t like. "Stop talking like you know everything." "Never imed I know everything, but I can see when someone isn''t sharing everything." Her cheeks pulsate with annoyance. "ir was right, you lot just care about yourself.¡± "Funny that," Neah mutters. "I could say the same about ir. Be careful she doesn''t betray you because that is something she likes to do. Just ask her mother." Samara sighs. ¡°She isn''t like that anymore. What he did to us, it makes you question everything. All the bad, all the good. All the mistakes. Maybe on some levels Cooper was right, it''s the punishment we deserve." She''s actually telling the truth about that. "Almost six years ago, he convinced me that he was my mate." she shakes her head. "I had killed a human and someone else saw. I bumped into him and I could smell this divine scent. It''s funny now, can''t even remember what that scent was. He yed this game of getting to know me, making me fall for him in ways I could never imagine. He led me away and I remember being hit over the head and something being injected in my neck and nothing was ever the same. I am not the first and I definitely won''t be thest." "So he lures women away?" Dane asks ¡°No, there were men being kept there too. But the point is, he punishes those that he thinks deserves it." Neahughs. "You think that''s funny?!" Samara mutters in disgust. "You are the Lycan Alpha. You should be protecting us." "How much has ir told you?" Neah asks "She''s told me everything." "Has she told you that she wanted to be the Alpha? That she wouldn''t ept that the gene didn''t pass to her because it came from my mother''s side. Has she told you that she destroyed her mate, to the point he lost it? Has she told you that her mother is here in my pack, along with her brothers and baby sister? Has she told you that she knows exactly how to wrap people around her little finger to get exactly what she wants? I could go on..." "She isn''t like that now." Samara cuts Neah off "She killed a pregnant Wolf and took away her toddler, sold the kid to humans." Damien growls as he speaks of my baby girl. Samara lowers her eyes. "She didn''t tell me all of that but that doesn''t mean she hasn''t changed." "Where is she?" Neah demands. "She''s not here. She said you would kill her." "Smart move." I muse Neah rolls her eyes at me. "What do you want from us?" "Nothing." "You came here to tell us all of this, but you don''t want anything?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. She shakes her head again. "I thought I did, but I prefer my new life. Cooper goes to ces, ces that he knows we would have been in the past where we might seek refuge. Because that is what he does, he tortures people for information. He will look for ir and he wille here, just like I ove said. He wants what he thinks belongs to him." ¡°And you lot think I have a Godplex." I muse "It isn''t funny." Samara snaps at me and turns back to Neah. ¡°I don''t care if you think ir and I deserved it. We are better off by ourselves. But what do you think he is going to do when hees here? He doesn''t like anyone that he thinks is better than him. You have two Alpha''s in one ce." "He''s one man." Neah mutters She looks Neah dead in the eye. "There is always someone worse." Samara turns away and strides down the drive. "Do you believe her?" Dane asks me. "She believes what she is saying. Her soul didn''t falter once like it would if she was bullshitting." "How could someone strip abilities that are way past the level of binding someone?" Damien asks. ¡°Because surely if it could be done, Trey would have done that to Neah." Chapter 0349 Chapter 0349 "I''m more concerned with the guy thinking he is better than everyone else." Dane murmurs "I wouldn''t worry about it. You have more than enough people here to protect everyone." I shrug my shoulders. "What if he is already here?" Neah asks. ¡°Lycans have been arriving in groups for days. Some have even said they found each other on the way here. What if that is what he did?" "There is no one here by the name of Cooper." Damien mutters. He had been keeping a checklist of everyone. "You heard her, ''if it was even his real name."" Neah scowls "I wouldn''t worry too much, every asshole shows themselves eventually." I turn to walk away and Damien stops me. "Where were you this morning?" "Do I really need to answer that?" "Dottie was looking for you." "I was watching." "She didn''t need you to watch, she needed you to be present." "I saw you Damien. You wanted to punch Ryken into the ground, how do you think I would have handled it? My guess is, you already know the answer. Now if you will excuse me, I have some business I need to attend to." I walk off across the grounds, disappearing behind Mallory''s burnt out home and dip into the forest. It''s not long before I could hear Madison talking to someone. ¡°I don''t know. It''s always been like that.¡± She tells someone with a heavy sigh, like she had been repeating the same thing for some time. "I don''t buy it. Lycans always have their Lycans. You don''t just wake up without one." A male responds "I didn''t! I told you, this is how it''s always been. Not that it is any of your business." I quietly make my way through the trees.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "Sorry." The guy replies. "I''m just curious about these things. I didn''t mean to make you feel ufortable. Did you hear that our Alpha didn''t have her Lycan for most of her life?" "I did, but I don''t think that is really any of our business. She is still our Alpha. And if you keep asking, people are going to think you have some sort of problem with it." "You are right. Sorry. I guess, I dunno, you seem different to the others. I thought maybe you could help me understand a few things, like why we are here, what does she want from us." I roll my eyes, and start making a lot of noise as I make my way to them. "Someone''sing." The guy mutters "I know, I''m not stupid or deaf." Madison retorts. She seems to have this tendency of throwing sarcasticments out, but not actually taking in what is happening around her. He was trying to get information from her. "Brax." she mutters when she sees me and lowers her chestnut eyes "We''re not doing anything." The guy mutters "No, you just happen to be following a woman into the forest." He has strange eyes, green with little blue flecks. "I didn''t catch your name." Though remembered his arrival yesterday. He was difficult to read. Not necessarily untrustworthy, but not open either. Dorothy had given him one of her stickers and I had to trust my daughter''s opinion. It didn''t mean I couldn''t keep an eye on him. ¡°I was just going for a walk.¡± Madison tells me. "And I was just making sure she is alright." The guy gives me a huge grin with perfect white teeth. "There is alot going on around here. You can never be sure.¡± He looks me up and down. He knew very well who I was. And he is suggesting that Madison needs protecting from me. "What''s your name?" "Ash, Ash Thomas." "Right." Madison smiles at me. "Ash was just going." "Are you sure? I mean...." He gestures his head at me. "I''ve been here a while, Ash. If he was going to shoot me, he would have done so by now." Ash bobs his head and weighs up whether or not he should go. "I suggest you go." I mutter, taking the choice from him. He looks back at Madison. "Are you sure?" "I''m fine, like I said, Brax won''t hurt me." He nods and walks away. Madison goes to speak and I put my hand over her mouth, listening to the footsteps move away. She waits for a few minutes and then pulls my hand away. "What was that for?" "I don''t like him." "I would never have guessed." "Was this for my benefit, Madison? To have someone follow you into the forest so I woulde running." "No. And how did you even know I was here?" She stands on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. "I know a lot of things, but if you want him to stay alive, I suggest you don''t let him touch you." "You can''t keep me a secret forever, Brax." She starts unbuttoning her shirt, backing up against a tree. Trailing my fingers across her stomach, my tanned skin is a stark contrast to her paleness. She shudders against my fingers and her arousal is quick to fill the air. It was wrong, but I found myself less and less capable of refusing her, especially when she tasted so good against my tongue. Her body tremors as my tongue circles her belly button and her hands slide into my ck curls. I''m just starting to loosen her jeans when the guy calls out. "Hey Maddie, I forgot to ask....." Chapter 0350 Chapter 0350 Abraxas I''m on my feet seconds before his facees back into view. Madison hovers behind me, her fingers working quickly to fasten her shirt. The guy stares at me, I wasn''t stupid, I knew he could smell her arousal but he doesn''t say anything, he just turns and walks away, his fists clenched either side of him. My hand fumbles for my gun, but Madison stops me, "Don''t, it will just bring more attention. I will talk to him." I grab hold of her wrist as she moves past me. "You will stay away from him."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "You don''t get to make that decision for me Brax." She pulls her hand away and hurries off after him. I hear her calling his name, which gradually fades the further away she gets. Bollocks! If he doesn''t keep his mouth shut, they are going to think I''m a pussy. The Lycans will think they have the upper hand over me. I will be a joke to other Hunters. I needed to speak to Neah or Mallory, they were the only ones who knew the truth. Making my way out of the forest, I couldn''t see Madison or that prick anywhere, nor could I smell her, maybe she had taken a different direction and i hadn''t paid attention. I was closest to the hospital here and make my way over to it, hoping Mallory would be alone. Thankfully she is. She wipes her tears away when she sees me and paints on a smile. "Do you want me to get us or Eric?" "No, no, it''s okay. Come in,e in." She waves me in. "I want to say I''m sorry." I murmur. Mallory didn''t deserve this. She is different from the other Lycans. I knew she had gone Rogue, but it wasn''t the same and her soul is full of cracks like Neah''s, I just hadn''t told anyone. And now, there was a new one that worked its way through her soul and I felt responsible for it. I may not have pulled the trigger, but it was my weapon that had caused all the damage. "You didn''t shoot me. Damien told me. Though for a moment, I did think it was you." I nod. "But that''s not why you are here, is it?" I scratch through my stubble and press my lips together. I could still taste Madison. "I am not the type of person to ask for help or advice." I force the words out. It even felt wrong to say it, like they were somehow going to scold me. "But you and Neah are the only Lycans I can tolerate." "Ah, this is about Maddie." "How did you know?" "It was either that or to do with Dorothy and Damien''s connection." she shuffles on the bed and screws her face up from the pain. "Madison and I have been meeting up." I leave it at that and wait for her response. She smiles at me and then frowns as she clutches her stomach, "Oh I wish you didn''t try and make meugh, it hurts." "It wasn''t supposed to be funny." I grumble. "Okay, so you''re meeting up, and?" "She''s a Lycan." "Yep, we have already established that." She mutters sarcastically. "This was a bad idea." I get up to leave. ¡°Don''t go. Please, this takes my mind off of...thinking.¡± Her sigh is full of that same sadness she had when I first walked in here. I stare at her and drop back into the chair "So?" She questions "I can''t get her out of my head and I can''t get past the fact that she is a Lycan either and the problems that it will cause." "I''m a Lycan." She protests. "I don''t want to fuck you!" I snap and she rolls her eyes at me. It''s a far cry from the way she was looking at me the night she arrived at my house. If I remember correctly, her mate had to keep reminding her he was there too. "Fair enough." She frowns. "But you are a Hunter of Rogues, correct?" "Makes no difference. If they are problems, I deal with them. You''ve seen that." "Is Maddie a problem?" She puffs out her cheeks as I shake my head. "Then why don''t you just im her? She is your mate and from the sounds of it, you wouldn''t be forcing her into it either. At the end of the day yes she is a Lycan, but she can''t shift, so what are the odds of her going Rogue?" "What if I kill her?" "What if you don''t? Look, Eric was not my greatest fan either. When he marked me, it was an ident. In the same way you are having issues with Maddie, he had them with me, yet he couldn''t stay away from me either. At the end of the day, you are the only one who needs to care who your mate is, screw everyone else!" Chapter 0351 Chapter 0351 "There''s a good chance a Lycan knows about us." ¡°And you didn''t kill him?" She sounds surprised. ¡°Madison wouldn''t let me. She thinks she can talk him into not telling anyone." "Then beat him to it. I already know, Neah knows, there is probably a good chance Dane knows because Neah pretty much tells him everything or if she hasn''t, he can read her mind, the same as Eric can read mine. Neither one has said anything because they are both mated to someone unexpected. And from what I know of Maddie, she hasn''t got a problem with what you do. You did kill the man that marked her and was holding her hostage." I nod, mulling over her words. "Did you know then?" She asks. "Did you know she was your mate when I brought her to the house." "Yes." "And you''ve held off for all this time?" "Yes." "Because she is a Lycan?" "Yes and because I would be recing my dead mate." "So you think that''s it? That you are never allowed to have someone love you again?" "It''s more than that." "It really isn''t." She mutters "It''splicated." She chuckles and then scrunches her body up as the pain ripples through her. "I told you not to make meugh!" "I wasn''t trying too." "You think this isplicated?! This is the simplest problem you could have. At least she isn''t human, could you imagine having to exin all of it then?" Maybe she was the better person to speak to, Neah would have me questioning more than helping me find answers. Or I would get lost watching her soul. "There is only so much I can say." Mallory smiles at me. "At the end of the day, you have to make the decision, not me, but if you can''t handle it, let her go. It isn''t fair, not after all the crap she has been dragged through." "That''s part of the problem." She cocks a brow at me. "I can''t let her go either." "Or maybe you don''t really want to." She shrugs her shoulders at me. "Annoyingly, I think you are right." "I generally am." She continues to beam at me with the ''I told you so'' look I look around, the hospital is dead, not a single soul other than us. "Where is everyone?"Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "Eric went with us to pick up supplies." "He left you alone." She bobs her head and the smile has gone. "I told him too because everytime I look at him, I want to cry." "He doesn''t me...." "I know he doesn''t. It''s like your problem, it''splicated. I know he can feel what I''m feeling and that somehow makes it a hundred times worse, when it should help. Does that make sense?" "If I couldn''t see your soul, I would say no, but you have a tiny hole in a ce that was onceplete. A hole that Eric doesn''t have. He feels the loss, it''s a little different for you, but he still feels it, don''t push him out, he lost it too." "At least you didn''t tell me I would get over it." I frown at her. "Who would say something like that?" "When I was human, my father said it to my mother right after he beat the shit out of her. She lost a baby because of what he did to her." "Then it was a good thing you killed him." She nods and looks past me, I could smell Eric heading this way and prepare to leave. "Thanks foring." She smiles at me "I will see youter, I need to go and find my mate." I head back into the forest where I had left Madison. Her jasmine scent dison. still lingered in the air, I follow it until I reach the back of Mallory''s burnt out house. But oddly, her scent. changes direction and heads south back into the forest. She''s apanied with the scent of a Lycan, a scent that belongs to the dickhead that was trying to get information from her. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I follow the scents and the tracks deeper and deeper until they stop. Her scentes to a clear stop too. "MADISON!" She doesn''t answer, but one of Dane''s Wolf''s appears. "Is there a problem?" "How far south am I?" I demand "You are almost at the border." "No one has passed you?" "I would have seen them if they had. Is someone missing?" "To be determined." I squat down, running my fingers over thest of the tracks. My eyes automatically go up into the trees, but I see nothing. Wolves can''t smell Lycans in Lycan form, but I could and someone had shifted here. The fucker had taken Madison! Chapter 0352 Chapter 0352 Neah "There are three Ash''s here, but none by the name of Ash Thomas." Damien tells me as he tosses the clipboard onto the desk in front of me. He turns to Brax "Whoever gave you that name is lying!" "Or the name he gave you and Neah was a lie." Brax retorts, "And that is his real name." I look at the names highlighted on the clipboard and search my mind for the connections to them, while trying to ignore Damien and Brax as they argue. They were worse than kids. Finding the link to each one, I summon them and request that theye to the office immediately. Maybe one of them had given us a different surname out of fear. Three men appear within minutes and Brax shakes his head. "It''s not any of them." The men look at one another, confused by why they had been called here. "Do you know Ash Thomas?" I ask Two of them shake their heads and tell me no. The third one nods. "He came yesterday. He asks a lot of questions too." "About what?" Brax demands "Anything and everything. I just put it down to him being new here." ''Samara said that Cooper guy woulde here. What if she was right? What if he is already here, using a different name?'' ''Brax would know.'' I murmur. ''The guy wouldn''t get past us. Could he?'' ''It''s just what that woman said. That this guyes to ces where he thinks his prisoners may be hiding. All the questions he is asking, it sounds like he is looking for someone but trying to be tactical.'' ''If he was trying to find ir, why would he take Maddie? What if this is ir''s idea? What if this is another scheme of hers?'' I challenge She doesn''t answer, because she knew as well as I did, there were too many ''what ifs'' surrounding the situation. "What does he look like?" I ask Brax, so many people had arrived recently, I couldn''t remember everyone''s names, but I could remember faces. He gives me a description as soon as he mentions the green eyes with flecks of blue, I know who he is speaking of. "You let him live." I frown. The guy he was talking about had been in the office with me and Dorothy. Dorothy had stopped drawing the moment he walked through the office door and just spent the entire time staring at him without saying a word as I asked him questions. When he left, she wouldn''t even tell me what she saw or what she felt and had asked to leave momentster. Brax frowns, "He had one of my daughters stickers on. I didn''t like the guy, his soul is more than questionable but I have to trust my daughter''s awareness." Damien shakes his head and folds his arms across his chest. "She is seven years old. Seven, Brax. She shouldn''t even be doing this shit anyway. Kids make mistakes." "She didn''t give him one." I dere "What?" Brax mutters "She didn''t give him a sticker." I confirm. "He must have seen someone else with one and taken it, knowing that it would keep him alive." "Fucking idiot!" Damien mutters at Brax. "Of all the ones you have killed because you''ve seen something bad, you let this one live. And in less than twenty four hours of being here, he has kidnapped a Lycan." "Why Maddie though? She can''t even shift, why bother taking her?" I ask Brax looks away. "He saw us together." If I wasn''t so concerned about Maddie, I would be happy for Brax. It''s about time he owned up to being mated to her. "You were with a Lycan?" Damien asks and a smirk appears on his lips. All signs of his previous anger, gone. "Yes, and you can keep your opinions to yourself!" Brax snaps, his hand moves to the gun in his belt. ¡°So Maddie is...." Damien leans against the wall, practically grinning from ear to ear as he waits for an answer. "None of your business!" "You were the one who came in here, demanding that we need to find her, so as Beta of the pack, it makes it my business. I will ask you again Why were you with Maddie?" Damien teases. He already knew what the answer is. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°I haven''t got time for this!¡± I snap, getting out of my seat. ¡°I need to know what is happening and who this guy thinks he is.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "Can''t you just link the guy?" Damien asks "There is no link to anyone called Cooper or Ash Thomas. The other option is to order all Lycans toe here into my office so you single him out." "No." Brax mutters. "I need to find Samara, she gave me the impression she knows exactly where this Cooper guy takes them." "I''ming with you." Damien snarls. ¡°No, Damien. You need to stay here." I tell him. "I will go with Brax." Chapter 0353 Chapter 0353 Both sets of eyes are on me. "You don''t know what''s out there or if something is waiting for you." Damien protests. "And I''m pretty sure Dane won''t agree." "I can handle myself. I am the Lycan Alpha, Maddie is a Lycan. She is my responsibility." **** Dane isn''t impressed with the idea of me going. His crimson eyes hover on me, his brow creases into a deep frown. Anyone would think I had asked him the worst possible question. "I have Brax with me and we will be back before the ceremony tonight." I try reasoning with him. "You don''t know that. You don''t know what you are walking in too. You don''t know if it''s a trap." "You don''t always know what you are walking in too. You didn''t expect to find me or all the shit that came with finding me." "That''s different." "Because I''m female?" I scoff and I feel Nyx eagerly waiting for the answer. "No. Because I have more experience of being in situations where I have no idea what''s about to happen. You don''t go out of the pack grounds, Neah and as much as that usually means I know you are safe. I am also minutes away from you at any time. I won''t be if you go out there without me. And I am not okay with that." ''He''s worrying too much.'' Nyx mutters ''He''s allowed too. He said it himself, he won''t be with me.'' I sigh and pull my bottom lip between my teeth. "If it was one of your Wolves that you were missing, what would you do?" "You already know the answer to that.¡± "Then I have to do this too." I knew he could feel how important this was to me and maybe that was why he wasn''t arguing with me, but making it a point for me to know how he feels about it.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "You keep your eyes on her at all times." Dane snaps at Brax. I had half forgotten he was in the office with us. "The deal was always to protect her." He is busy checking the bullets in his guns. "I don''t break my deals, Dane. You should know that, you''re a man of contracts." "If anything happens to her." "I know," And Brax shrugs his shoulders, "but if it were toe to that, you will have to find me first." Dane and Damien apany Brax and I down to the gates. Dane pulls me in against hisrge chest. "Don''t block me at any point." ''I won''t'' Nyx mutters and I repeat her words. Danes'' lips mould against mine. He kisses me like he needs all of me, or maybe it''s because he thinks this is thest time he will get to kiss me. When he pulls away, my lips feel bruised and tender as his crimson eyes focus on mine. "I''ming back." I whisper. "I expect you too." vel "Let''s go!" Brax mutters. He gets in the driver''s side of the car that''s waiting for us. I slide into the passenger seat and look back over my shoulder at my mate. He hated this. "You good?" Brax asks as he starts the car. I nod, keeping my thoughts to myself. He doesn''t say anything else, but stops the car periodically to get out and check the ground. It probably would have been easier if we just went on foot. "You haven''t asked." He cocks a brow at me as he gets back in the car. "Asked what?" "Why we didn''t just walk?" "You say you can''t read minds but you have this terrible habit of knowing exactly what we are thinking." Heughs. "You haven''t spoken since we left but yet I see your face everytime I stop and get out of the car. You know walking would be just as effective, if not more, especially while tracking yet you continue to keep your mouth shut. It''s the most likely thing that you are thinking about." ''He is so annoying.'' Nyx mutters with a yawn. She was bored and wanted to see some action. "Is that how you know things?" I ask He shrugs his shoulders "Nine times out of ten. So are you going to ask me?" "I''m guessing it has something to do with me?" He ps his hands and starts the car again. "Dane''s idea. He thought it would be too risky if any Lycans came across you in the wild." "They will be able to scent me either way." "That''s what I told him. You wouldn''t have got a chance to leave the pack at all if hadn''t agreed to the car. Not that a car would slow anyone down if they wanted to get to you." "Then why didn''t you stop me froming?" "I knew there was no point." Chapter 0354 Chapter 0354 Abraxas "Why did you really want toe?" I query. "Maddie is my responsibility." She keeps her eyes on the road ahead "No, she isn''t. She is a woman that came to you in the hopes of getting out of a shitty arrangement, that doesn''t mean you owe her anything." "You may think that, but I don''t." She pauses. "I don''t want people to be loyal to me just because of my title. That''s not true loyalty." "You continuously surprise me Neah Kitson." "Dane will do anything for his Wolves. I want to do the same for the Lycans. I lived in a lie for so long before I met him. I was brought up watching Trey and Cassandra run a pack and I will never be anything like them. Dane has taught me alot." "Looks like you are finally finding your feet." From the corner of my eye, I see her smile. She just wanted confirmation that she was doing the right thing. I stop the car to do another check and Neah grabs hold of my arm. "I know this ce." There is a dim lighting from a nearby house. A dirty Porsche sits on the drive, the grass in the garden is as tall as my knees. If it weren''t for the small light, I would have said the house was abandoned. "This is ir''s house." She mutters "You''ve been here?" ¡°No. When they were holding Mallory hostage, this is the house number she gave me. Why would ir return here after what Samara told us?" She scowls and her knuckles are white as she clenches the door handle. "Surely it would be too risky?" "Stay here, I will go and check it out." "No." She pushes the car door open and hurries towards the house. I quickly follow and her hand pauses before she knocks on the door. I see her sniff the air, checking that we are alone and she pounds her fist against the door, making the people on the other side scream. I had to hold in augh. You don''t tend to hear Wolves or Lycans scream from being startled. It''s hrious. Though they weren''t really Lycans anymore. This is going to be fun. I hear Samara trying to whisper on the other side of the door. Something that doesn''t get past my ears. "Who would know we are here?" An answer is followed by ir. A voice I hadn''t heard in a long time. "No one! No one saw use in. Do you think he found us?" "I don''t think he is the type of guy to knock!" Neah looks at me, "I can''t believe I''m saying this, but don''t kill her. I need answers." "She killed my family." I mutter coldly. It was the only reason I wanted to find them. To get some answers and then putir down for good.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material. "So this is why you wanted toe here? To get your revenge?" "You saw what happened to Dorothy. She also killed my mate, my parents and my unborn child." "And if you kill them, you will probably never see Maddie again!" Neah knocks again. "It''s Neah, I know you are in there." ir rips open the door, her brown eyes hover on Neah before moving to me. She takes a step back, shaking her head as she pulls her jacket around her. "You brought the Hunter to my door?" Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org S "You seem scared." I mutter with a wink and Samara appears, pulling ir back, taking her ce on the threshold. "It''s in the past. She can''t change what she did." Samara mutters. "Her time wille." I reply and Neah elbows me in the side. "She''s had everything stripped from her." Samara defends "How?" Neah asks "I told you, I don''t know. He drugs us with something, or maybe it''s done after he drugs us. You lose track of time." "Right," Neah mutters. "We have reason to believe that he was already in the pack." "So why are you here?" Samara asks, as she continues to guard the entrance. She had no ns to let us inside ¡°One of the female Lycans is missing." Neah tells her "If he already has her, you are too late. She won''t be a Lycan anymore. Because that is what he does. He punishes us by taking away our abilities. We don''t heal, we can''t even smell you. And you can forget about us even considering the idea of shifting, it''s gone. All of it." She screws her face up. "We are Human." "Prove it." I dare. She turns around, "Pass me that knife." My hand moves to my gun as ir hands over a knife. Samara swipes it down through her palm with a whimper She squeezes her hand into a fist until blood drips out the bottom. When she opens her hand to show us, the wound is still bleeding, no signs of it healing. "You can stare at it all day," Samara shrugs her shoulders. "When it stops bleeding, it will scab up and then take a good couple of weeks to heal and I will be left with a scar." Chapter 0355 Chapter 0355 ir hands her a cloth and Samara wraps it tightly around her hand. "So he keeps you prisoner. Where exactly?" "North. It''s not designed to let people in or out." "So how did you get out?" Neah asks. "I did what I had to do and escaped." I could see ir over Samara''s shoulder. "What about you?" "I... Someone opened the doors and I just got out." "Someone opened the doors?" Neah mutters. "As in, they let you out." "It seems that way, but I don''t know who or why anyone would do that. You may not want to believe me Neah. I definitely don''t deserve to be believed. Sammie was the one who wanted toe and tell you." "Someone let you out." Neah repeats. I don''t think that she was paying attention to anything else ir was saying. "Yes. The bolts on everyone''s doors were released." She looks at me. "He did it on purpose." "He let me out?" ir asks, "Why would he do that?" "Take it from someone who knows it was a test. He let you out to see where you would go. You led him straight to ck Shadow." "He said he wasn''t interested in you." ir mutters. ¡°That doesn''t mean he isn''t interested in anyone else in my pack." Neah growls "You don''t know that." Samara mutters as she continues to cling to the door, blocking our entry. "You escaped." Neah mutters. "She was let out." She turns to me. "I have to link Dane, I said I would keep him updated." Her eyes move to the women and back to me. "Don''t do anything stupid." I nod and she heads to the end of the drive. "You think this is a set up?" Samara asks ¡°Given what you have shared so far, it''s pretty clear. You both lost your Lycans due to his scheming. I would say what he did to you was cruel.¡± "You think she deserved it?" Samara asks "If it wasn''t for her." I point to Neah at the end of the drive as she leans against the dirty Porsche. "I would be driving a knife through ir''s heart and maybe yours. But even that wouldn''t be enough for what she did." Her grey eyes are wide with curiosity as ir looks away. "I know everything.¡± Samara mutters. ¡°She told me every single detail. I won''t let you kill her though.¡± "Do you really believe that you are capable of stopping me? It''s like you said, you have no abilities anymore." "I still have knowledge of your kind." I smirk. For someone who had lost her abilities, she wasn''t afraid of me. "Did you ever go Rogue?" "No." "She did." I point over her shoulder at ir. "I know." I raise an eyebrow, "That doesn''t bother you?" "Do you see a Rogue standing behind me?!" She spits Neah makes her way back to us. "Damien is doing a head count, confirming that everyone else is ounted for."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "What do you want from us?" Samara asks "Where did he take you?" Neah asks "Nowhere near here." Samara mutters with a frown. "But if he thinks there are potential threats here, he won''t take them too far. Just far enough that he thinks you can''t find him." "You''ve hardly spoken a word." Neah res at ir "Whatever I say or don''t say will be wrong." She mutters and moves out same of sight. She wasn''t quite the as she was before. Almost full of sorrow it didn''t mean she was anywhere close to being trustworthy and I was even further away f from finding Madison. I turn to Neah. "We should go, we have got as much as we are going to get." She looks between me and Samara. "Are you sure there is nothing else you can tell us?" ¡°No, I don''t........¡± She trails off, frowning. "I already told you that he somehow does something that tricks us into believing he is our true mate." Neah opens her mouth to speak and I shake my head. They didn''t need to know that the woman taken was mated to me. If they are hiding anything, I will find out. She turns, ready to leave, but suddenly spins around and forces the door back, startling Samara ang making her jump. ir is standing at the farend of the room, tying a blue scarf around her head, trying to hide the short fuzzy hair. ir freezes, maybe she felt as though her death was imminent. "Everyone wants you dead, ir. You screwed over so many people, but Samara is right, losing your abilities is a better punishment. Death would be too good for you. Death would be too easy." Neah deres "That''s not fair!" Samara mutters. "We came to warn you!" ¡°She never wanted toe back here. She knew the risk would be too great. She came here because of you. Because you are her only ally." I reply. "You''re wrong. Being this way, it changes everything. And if Cooper thinks we are bad. What do you think he will make of you, a Hunter?" Chapter 0356 Chapter 0356 Neah ¡°Let''s go!¡± Brax grabs my arm and starts hauling me away like I''m some piece of furniture that''s slowing him down. "Let go of me." I snap, prying his fingers from my skin. "I still have questions!" "If we don''t leave now, I''m going to put a bullet through Blondie''s head." ''It was only a matter of time.'' Nyx mutters "Because you didn''t like what she was saying?" I protest as he ushers me around to the passenger side of the car and practically pushes me onto the seat. "No." His voice drops to a whisper. "I wanted whoever is watching us to hear me say that." I start to turn my head. Moments before knocking on the door of ir''s home, I had a feeling someone was watching us, but there were no scents other than ours and I couldn''t see anyone. "Keep your eyes on me, Neah. They need to think we are unaware of them. If you start looking around, you will draw more attention." "I can''t smell anything." I mutter as Nyx makes the same deration. "We''re not supposed to. They are masking their scent, it''s why I cannot pinpoint a location. There could be more than one." He whispers back to me. "We are going back to ck Shadow. If they choose to follow us, it is on them. But I made a promise to keep you safe and that is exactly what I am going to do. Now buckle up." He ms the door shut, barely missing my fingers and I curse him as I pull the belt around me. "Do you think it''s this Cooper/Ash guy?" I ask as he speeds in the direction of ck Shadow. "I''m not sure. Even if he had found a way to mask his own scent, I''m certain I would still be able to scent Madison as he was the one who took her. Madison''s scent wasn''t there." "We don''t know if they were watching us or ir and Samara." ¡°Us.¡± He replies and the car seems to gain more speed. My fingers coil around the belt as though it was going to somehow save me if we crash. "How can you be certain?" I ask as I grip the belt tighter. "There is a car following us and it has been since we left." I look over my shoulder and the silver car is starting to fall back. It eventually slows to a crawl and pulls off on the grass as we turn the bend. ''They knew that we knew they were following us.'' Nyx growls "Lycan or a Wolf?" I ask Brax. "I believe they are Lycan." "Believe?" "Masked scent makes it trickier, I may be wrong, it could be Wolves, but I would rather not stick around to find out." "Is it easy to mask scents?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "No. It takes a lot and is a well thought out process." I stare at him. There was so much that I didn''t know about him. Only little bits of information came through when he decided to share. He wasn''t the type of Wolf that you could force information from either. I look over my shoulder again. I couldn''t see the car anymore. "They''re gone." Brax bobs his head, but doesn''t slow down. We almost hit a caring in the opposite direction. He finally slows down until wee to a stop and I breathe a sigh of relief. I kad only been in cars a handful of times and they made me nervous. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org S "You''re worried about Maddie. We will find her." I offer, hoping it would make him feel better. He takes his eyes off the road for a second to look at me. His face is unreadable, but slowly, a smile appears. "You''re right, we will." Just as he starts the car, something. ms into us from behind. The seatbelt constricts around me as att my organs are thrown forward and I have the urge to vomit. Sharp pain rips through my chest and stomach as the seat belt cuts into me. I look over to Brax, but he isn''t in the driver''s seat, his body is stuck halfway through the windscreen, broken ss cutting into him as blood spurts from multiple wounds. ''Neah don''t move.'' Nyx tells me, but she is just as dazed as I am. "I have to help him." I mutter back, fiddling with the belt clip Chapter 0357 Chapter 0357 ''Dane ising.'' Nyx groans. ''Just stay put.'' I don''t listen and unclip the seatbelt, pulling it from my flesh and sending my own blood sttering across the car. It takes me a moment to find the door handle as Nyx continues to tell me to stay still. ''He''sing. I can hear him. Dane''sing.'' I couldn''t hear him. All I could hear was her and the blood rushing between my ears. My head ached and I could barely see straight, the smell of fuel fills my nostrils. I fling the door open just as I''m thrown forward again. My wrist cracks as I''m mmed into the dash followed by a crack in my pelvis as I try to move.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. The contents of my stomach reveal themself along with huge amounts of blood. I''m thrown a third time and my head hits something sharp before I fall back in my seat. It was getting harder and harder for me to breathe. Everything inside of me felt torn up. "BRAX!" I force out, but ites out all breathy with no real sound. He wasn''t moving as I cough up more blood. "We haven''t got time. We have to get them now!" A male voice hollers. "We''ve got plenty of time." A woman mutters "She''s mated to Dane. He''s probably already on his way." Another man snaps "Then we better hurry up. She is an Alpha too, remember. If she''s not dead, she can heal quickly. We need to get this done now. Before hees looking for her. I close my eyes as the footsteps move closer, willing myself to heal. I needed to heal just enough to fight back, just enough so I can shift and rip their fucking hearts out! "Kill him first." The woman mutters. "We don''t need that bastard shooting everyone. Or learning about us." I hear more ss shatter, and the sound of something heavy being dragged across the ground. Secondster, a round of shots are fired and a single tear creeps down my cheek. Brax hadn''t stood a chance against whoever these scentless people were. ''Nyx, we need to shift and I can''t do it on my own right now.'' I beg. This was the only way I was going to survive. ''We are too weak.'' She tells me as a new wave of nausea hits me Someone grabs my wrist and I prepare to swing my broken one at the person. "Neah, it''s me." Brax mutters. "Open your eyes, look at me." I stare at him in shock. ¡°You... you''re alive?!!" I feel the blood seep from the corner of my lips. He uses his thumb to wipe it away. "I had to y dead. It was the only way to get you out of here. Can you walk?" I shake my head at him and a sharp pain goes up my neck. I fight to keep the vomit down. "I''m not... I don''t think I''m healing." My lungs are barely filling with oxygen. He nces over his shoulder, trying to decide what to do. "Did you kill them?" I cough and more bloodes up. "To fucking right. Fucking arseholes. And now need to get you out of I here." He slips an arm behind my knees and forces the other behind my back. "This is going to hurt." Brax lifts me out of the car as I cry in pain. Somehow, the breaking of bones when you are not shifting is so much more painful. He ces me on the ground and meor adjusts my legs and hips as footstepse running towards us. Dane''s scent is strong and I''m so happy that Nyx was right. He drops down next to me as my pelvis clicks itself back into ce. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org He cups my face and uses a cloth to wipe the blood from my chin. "Don''t talk. I''ve got you. You are going to be fine." "What the fuck happened?" He demands from Brax as he picks broken ss out of my face. "These fuckers crashed into the back of us." Brax tells Dane. I turn my head, ignoring the pain in my neck to see who Brax was talking about. Three dead peopley on the side of the road. Eric stands over them with a frown. Each one had a bullet lodged in their skull. I knew all three of them. Wolves from ck Shadow. Chapter 0358 Chapter 0358 NeahText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. I push myself upright too quickly and feel the blood rush to my head. ''Nyx, are you good?'' She groans back at me and I leave her alone. As long as I could still hear her, she was still with me. "Neah, stay still." Dane tells me "No...it''s fine. I''m almost healed." He reluctantly holds out a hand to help me as I get on my feet. I think he knew that I was going to get up regardless and there was no point trying to stop me. Dane continues to hold on to me as we make our way across the road towards the three dead Wolves, like I was somehow going to fall face first into the ground any second. The Wolves were interesting, even after death, neither one of them had any scent. How had they masked it from us? Especially Brax, he had always been able to single out the different species. However they had done it, it must have been recently. "We need to get them out of the road." Dane tells Eric. "If someonees along here, it will draw too much attention. We don''t need any more unwee visitors at our gates." He hadn''t said anything about them being part of ck Shadow, but he is livid. "Wait." I mutter as Eric grabs the nearest man. "Have you searched them? They might have some information about why they did this or who they did this for." Brax stares at me "You''re expecting me to find a phone number?" "I don''t know, maybe!" I retort "The problem isn''t them, Neah." His eyes shift to Dane. "The problem is how many of your Wolves have turned against you." "They wouldn''t." I snap. "They didn''t turn against Dane. It was me and you that they tried to kill." Eric checks them anyway, but ultimately finds nothing. Brax and Eric move the bodies from the road and into the trees as Dane guides me back in the direction of ck Shadow. His anger is rolling off of him, though he keeps his eyes forward. "Dane?" "I didn''t want you toe out here. You could have....." "But I didn''t." I cut him off. "I am not weak, Dane. The car mmed into us three times. I should be dead. If I was human, I probably would be, but I''m not. You couldn''t have expected this to happen. We went to speak to Samara and ir. None of us could have prepared ourselves to be attacked by ck Shadow Wolves, Wolves from your own pack." I pause my movements and have to blink a few times. I still had a haze that came and went. "Are you okay?" Dane presses, watching me carefully. I nod, but Nyx is still unusually quiet. "You have Aero. When you hit your head, can it make them dizzy too?" "Yes. Some would say it''s a curse. But the reality is, they are part of us .ne in every way. Give Nyx some time to rest and she will be okay. You should be resting too." Usually he would smile when he was giving me words of reassurance, but this time, he doesn''t. "What are you going to do?" I ask as we start moving again. "Get us to check you over." "You know that is not what I''m talking about. Do you think this guy that took Maddie has something to do with all of this?" "It would be a big coincidence if it wasn''t him. Brax said the guy was asking Maddie questions. One of the other Ash''s said the same. It''s a possibility that Cooper has eline corrupted them. Maybe twisted their words to make them question themselves." "ck Shadow has always been a strong pack. They have always been respectful of you as their Alpha. So whatever he is telling them, it''s enough to convince them." "The problem is, a lot of things are changing. There are now more Lycans in the pack than there are Wolves." "You think the Wolves feel threatened?" "It''s a possibility. It might only be a few that have fallen victim to his lies." ¡°But Cooper is a Lycan. If they have a problem with Lycans, why would they work for him?" He stops me and cups my face. His crimson eyes searching my own. "Do you trust me?" "Yes. You know I do." I mutter, confused. "Why?" "When we get to the road that leads up to the gates, I''m going to carry you in. I need you to pretend you are out of it." He looks me up and down. I frown, "You''re testing them?" "You know I have my own ways of weeding out the unloyal ones. All I ask is that you don''t make a sound and you stay in the house, unseen for a few days." Chapter 0359 Chapter 0359 "What about the boys?" "I will be present and so will Damien, Eric, Mallory, us." He sighs "And Brax if needed. Besides, they can''t talk yet so it''s not like they can tell anyone where you are or how you are." "What about Dorothy? She could tell someone. I don''t want to ask her to keep a secret, she is just a kid. She''s only just started school." "Dorothy will stay with Athena and Sebastian tonight. We will work out a n going forward. Though it might not be needed. Carrying you through the gates should be enough to show me if anyone else is nning on fucking with the pack. I''m hoping it''s just those three idiots. But if there is anyone else, it will be dealt with promptly." "That might work for your Wolves, but how do you think the Lycans are going to react when they find out it was your Wolves that attacked me? They came here and have shown that they are here to support me. We could be starting a war on our own doorstep. I''m not prepared to do that." I had asked the Lycans toe here and now because of one man, everything was about to be ripped apart. A war on our ownnd would be perfect for someone like Cooper. "That''s what he wants." I murmur as reality hits me "You think a war is what he wants?" "Yes." Dane cocks a brow at me. "The Wolves, when they were making their way to us, they were talking about getting something done. If they wanted to kill me, they would have done so first, but they went for Brax. They muttered about doing it quickly because I would heal, they needed to get him out of the way." I shake my head, piecing the bits of inforamtion together. "They are Wolves who know you, Dane. Most likely know how you operate. If they are working with him, they would have told him that. And what is one thing that you are guaranteed to do?" "Protect you and our boys." I speed up, "Where are the boys?" I have a brief moment of panic, but I know they are fine. I would feel it if something was wrong. ¡°With Damien and Mallory. Damien won''t let anyone near them.¡± "Good. But if you carry me back into the pack, it''s going to start the wrong kind of attack. We should go back in like nothing has happened if anyone questions it, tell them it was car trouble. Technically it''s not a lie. And if anyone does question something that doesn''t fit what we said, you will have your answer as to who is involved." "Is that right?" There''s a twinkle in his eyes, he was impressed with my idea. He grins at me. "The problem is, you are covered in blood." I look down at my tee. There is arge hole ripped through the front, right where my stomach is, it was also soaked in my own blood. My jeans are sttered with deep red streaks and spots and so are my arms. I can only imagine what my face looks like. "You can''t walk in the pack looking like that, it wil draw too many eyes, especially if we are going to act like everything is normal." He grabs my hand and pulls me into the forest. "There''s a stream nearby. We get you cleaned up and us can bring you some clean clothes. "us?" "It will look too suspicious if Damien leaves as well as me, plus he is watching the boys and Mallory is still not a hundred percent. us can leave without anyone questioning him." n We head further into the forest until we find the fast flowing stream. Crimson eyes lock on mine as he rips my tee apart and peels it from my shoulders, leaving me in my blood soaked bra and jeans. He pulls off his own shirt and hangs ibon a nearby branch. Crouching down to the water, he soaks my ripped tee while frowning at the streaks of red all over my abdomen. "Come here." He orders. I step closer to him. Using the tee, he gently wipes the blood from my stomach, paying close attention to the area where the seat belt had buried itself into my flesh. There are no marks left, but his fingers glide over the non existent wound. "I''m healed." I whisperContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "It should never have happened." His hands move to my waist as he stands. "I''m not as fragile as I once was. Anyone could have been hurt." "But it wasn''t anyone was it? It was you." Chapter 0360 Chapter 0360 Neah He wipes the wet cloth over my face and his eyes follow the droplet of water that travels down to my chin and then down between my breasts and into my bra. "I''ve lost enough people." He mutters as he continues to wipe blood from me. "I''m not going anywhere, Dane. I''m yours, I will always be yours and I will fight for my family." I had intention of going anywhere. there might have been a time that i would have just given up, but that wasn''t me anymore. He pulls me in against him with enough force it knocks the air out of my lungs. His lips are on mine before I have a chance to take a breath. In one fluid movement, he lifts my legs around his hips and drops us to the ground. His tongue dives into my mouth and he thrusts his hardening cock against me in desperate need. His lips move to my jaw leaving behind soft kisses that seem to be sending little spikes of electricity through me. He continues down to the mark on my neck as his breath ignites my skin. "Dane." I whisper as he rips the bra from my chest. His lips collide with mine as he squeezes my breast, rolling my nipple under his thumb before sucking it into his mouth. My hands lock in his hair as my back arches and a breeze hits my thighs as he rips my jeans from me. He sits back staring at me as I try to catch my breath when suddenly, he runs a finger straight up the centre of my ck panties, sucking a gasp from me. As he strokes me, he pushes my thighs apart and presses his face against my wet pussy. Using his teeth, he rips apart the panties and pulls the ripped fabric from me like they were the only thing that was stopping him. His tongue glides over my centre as his hands slide around my ass. He pulls my hips off the ground, plunging his tongue deeper inside of me. Biting down on my bottom lip, I hold in the moan as his tongue licks me clean. He squeezes my ass as I grind against his face and his crimson eyes lock with mine. There was something about him watching me as he brought me closer and closer to an orgasm that makes me want more. He stops "Trying to hold those noises in?" I nod, very aware of where we are. Someone could be watching us and we would have no idea. Especially if they had no scent. He drives a finger into me as his tongue flicks over my clit, watching me desperately trying to keep my moans to a minimum. A second finger forces me to release my bottom lip from my teeth and the third finger has me shuddering around him. He doesn''t let me enjoy the moment. Instead, he pulls me up against his bare chest as his cock presses against the front of my pussy. Dane locks a hand against the back 1.n of my head, desperately kissing me as his other hand teases my pussy from behind. He lifts me a little, letting the tip of his cock press against my entrance and holds me so can''t slide down. "I need you." I whisper. He pulls on my bottom lip with his teeth and he thrusts just enough to be inside of me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "More!" I plead and he strokes my pussy with his fingers with a huge grin on his face. He knew full well what I wanted. He holds my chin between his finger and thumb. "Take control." el I pull his hands away from my ass and press my lips against his as I sink down onto his solid cock. He groans when I start to ride him. His hands lock around my waist, his fingers dig in against my skimas the desire in my centre tightens Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I move slow, enjoying how his cock fills every bit of me. My head tips back as my muscles clench around him. ¡°Fuck! Ohhhh...." Dane grips my arse, thrusting up into me each time Ie down on him, forcing me to speed up until I can''t take no more. "Keep going." He growls and unexpectedly ps my ass as he guides me up and down his length until he is swelling inside of me. He sucks my nipple into his mouth and bites down as ecstasy hits. My own movements slow, riding him as ripples of delight shatter me. Dane moves quickly, flipping me onto my back and pulling my right leg up over his shoulder. He plunges his length back into me. ¡°I''m not done yet." And fucks me until I can barely see straight. His heavy breathing matches mine. He thrusts harder and harder as I beg him to fill me with his load. Pressing his whole body against mine, his teeth find the mark on my neck and sink into my flesh as he fills me with his cum. As wey together, his tongue swipes over my neck, licking up the spilled blood from the bite. He runs his thumb over the wound as it heals. had never thought to el.ne question him about why he bites me and why he always seemed to enjoy tasting my blood, but I knew he never did it to hurt me. Chapter 0361 Chapter 0361 "Come on." He gets up and holds a hand out. "As much as I would preferying with you, us is on his way." "And you ripped all of my clothes." I mutter, letting him pull me to my feet. He walks over to the shirt he had hung on a branch and hands it to me. "Why do you think I took this off?" He presses his lips to my cheek then heads to the stream to clean himself up. I fasten the blue shirt around me, grateful that Dane is much bigger than I am. The shirt swamps me and easily covers my ass and thighs. As Dane is fastening his jeans, he walks back to me, locking his eyes on mine as he rolls each sleeve back to my elbows. "I should bring you out into the forest more often." The snapping of twigs alerts our attention to us heading our way. He''s carrying a rucksack and hands it to Dane. "Eric and Brax were wondering where you have got too." "We will be home shortly. Did they say anything?" "Brax said car troubles. Eric said you two probably took a detour." He winks at me and turns away. "So I brought another car and I will be waiting in it." I wait for him to go and started pulling out the clothes. As soon as I saw underwear, I knew that Mallory would have packed it. Men don''t tend to think about those things.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "How did Brax know to say that?" I mutter, pulling on the matching white underwear. "It''s like you said, it isn''t a lie. Maybe it was the best option he could think of until he spoke to us." He leads me back to the road where us is sitting in the driver seat of a jeep, book in hand as he munches on an apple. He chucks the book in the back seat as he spots us. "Ready?" Dane opens the door for me and wipes something from my cheek as I sit down. I see the red on his thumb and he quickly rubs it away and jumps into the front as us starts the car. Did he not trust us anymore? ''He''s being cautious.'' Nyx mutters ''Finally.'' It was so good to hear her. ''Please don''t go getting hit by a car again.'' She mutters. ''It messes with me.'' ''It wasn''t intentional.'' I feel her roll her eyes. ''Something so stupid, but does so much damage.'' ''i don''t intend on letting it happen again! Were you aware of the other things that happened?'' ''Yes.'' She groans ''Three members of ck Shadow.'' I sigh. ''Three of Dane''s own Wolves.'' ''You are doing the right thing. It''s what I would have suggested.'' "You''re very quiet back there." us murmurs. "Are you okay?" "Just tired." I reply but I watch Dane stare at him. ''It''s not him.'' I link Dane. ''He is just asking why I''m quiet, he didn''t astet anything about the ident. You know us, he wouldn''t dou Dane doesn''t answer me, but I do see him rx, but notpletely. ''I think Brax would know in a heartbeat if it was us.'' Nyx tells me. I had to agree and I really hoped it was just the three dead Wolves involved. us stops the car just outside of the gate. Ryken and another Wolf are on duty. I was a little surprised that Dane would have agreed to it. He had said multiple times that he wanted the Wolves to have most of the control here. "Where''s Mako?" us asks "His mate has gone intobour. I was nearest, said I would keep watch so he could go be with her." He shouts as he opens the gates. "I will send someone down." Dane tells him. "No need, I''ve got this covered." Ryken bobs his head. "Wolves man the gate." ''We don''t know who else is involved.'' I link Dane again. Having a Wolf that is plotting against the pack is not someone we needed guarding the pack. "Scrap that. You can do a shift." Dane tells Ryken Ryken looks happy to be doing something useful. I guess he must be finding it hard, going from a position of leadership to suddenly doing nothing. "Any problems, you will need to link Neah." Dane orders as us drives us through. us takes us to the front of the packhouse and tells us he will be heading off to the hospital to do a check on everything. "I thought you wanted him to check me over." I murmur to Dane as I watch him drive away. "Did I not check you thoroughly enough?" He muses. Even now after several years together, he still somehow made me blush Chapter 0362 Chapter 0362 Dane "It''s the better n." Brax nods as he messes with his mop of ck curls. "Neah isn''t wrong. If there are others involved, they would expect her toe back looking like a mess. Or maybe nevering back at all." "And you don''t want us to tell us?" Mallory asks as she bounces Logan on her knees, "Why?" "As much as I appreciate all the work us has done for this pack and for Neah, I''m worried someone will use his desire for knowledge to get information from him. He is very open about answering questions and that might just get him into trouble. The only people that need to know what is happening are in this office." Everyone nods apart from Neah. Her blue eyes lock onto mine but she keeps her lips pressed together. She knows there is more to what I''m saying, but chooses not to share. "Any signs of Maddie?" Damien asks. "No." Neah sighs as she rocks back and forth with Evrin in her arms. "And you didn''t kill ir?" He presses. "No." "She was scared." Brax adds. "You were scared?" Eric asks Neah, confused. "No, ir was." Brax smiles to himself "She deserves to be after everything she has done." Damien frowns at Brax. "I thought you of all people would have ended her." I watch Brax look over at Neah. She had told him not to, though I hadn''t had a chance to ask her why. ''Maybe because she has lost her abilities.'' Aero mutters. ''Maybe she doesn''t see her as a threat anymore.'' "There were no others in the area. Eric and I did a sweep." Brax is telling the others. "There were no other tracks. It was just those three." "But there were also no scents." Neah adds. "There could have been more and we just didn''t know about it." "So they have found a way topletely mask their scent? How?" Damien asks "I''m guessing Cooper has something to do with it. mean, he took away ir and Samara''s Lycan abilities without binding them. And ording to Samara, he''s done it to others too, both men and women, both Wolves and Lycans. The guy doesn''t have a preference. Neah tells them "But Maddie?" Mallory asks. "She hasn''t done anything wrong. She has problems, but who doesn''t? So how does she fit in all of this?" "He didn''t like that he saw us together. I was going to kill him. Madison stopped me, she said she would talk to him. She should have let me pull the trigger." "You didn''t know he was going to do this." Mallory mutters. "I should have trusted my instincts but......" He doesn''t finish. We had all been there. Caught up in the moment with your mate, so much that you don''t always think properly in the moment. A few seconds could change everything.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. "Have you had any problems with the dead Wolves?" Damien asks, taking the attention away from Brax. "No." ??? "That''s notpletely true." Eric mutters. He looks over to me. "A couple of years back. Fallon was one of the ones questioning your decision to let Neah stay, just after you announced she was a Lycan. Remember, he was trying to get the pack worked up, but it just didn''t happen." "Why would he wait this long to do something?" Neah asks. ¡°Why wait until there are more Lycans here? Why wait at all?" ¡°Because he is an idiot!" Brax mutters, cleaning his gun. "All he needed was someone else to confirm his problems. My guess is Cooper did exactly that. And now those three are dead. Nothing short of what they deserve." ¡°Will you put that away!" I snap. Brax rolls his eyes at me and slips the gun inside his belt. "What about the others? Past problems with them?" Damien asks Eric. "No, in fact they have always done exactly what they are supposed to do. There has never been any trouble from them. Jenson didn''t fuck either one over. They have always been proud to have been part of ck Shadow." He turns to me "Just like everyone else. We could be dealing with any number of problems, Dane or we could just be dealing with this one Lycan. We just don''t know." "Can you tell?" Neah asks Brax "Possibly," "I need a better answer than that." She snaps at him "I will see what I can do." ¡°Don''t go killing any of them without talking to me first.¡± I tell him as he heads for the door. Chapter 0363 Chapter 0363 ¡°If it''s self defence, there won''t be time for me to bring their problems to you." Brax ms the door behind him. "You know it wasn''t just me that was attacked, he was too." Neah mutters "And you are treating him like the enemy." "My priority isn''t to protect him." ''But she has a point.'' Aero tries to reason with me, ''He did exactly what you asked him to do. He protected our mate. The moment he killed them, he could have just got up and walked away, but he didn''t.'' "He doesn''t have to help. He could leave at any time, but he is still here." Neah sighsContent (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "Yeah, because his mate is here." Damien retorts "You found your mate here too, Damien." Mallory smiles sadly. Damien frowns at her. He just didn''t speak of my sister. He acted like it was nothing more than a blip in his timeline. "I did too. It happens." Mallory continues "This is different." Damien shakes his head "How? You lost it when Salem took Raven. Just like Brax is pissed that someone has taken his mate. You two have more inmon than you realise. Or maybe you do know it, you just won''t ept it. I mean, you have even started carrying a gun again, just like when you were human." "Mal," Eric starts "No." Mallory stands up and holds Logan out to Eric. "I just need a minute." Neah passes Evrin to me and follows Mallory out of the office. "I should go after...." Eric mutters, trying to give Logan to Damien. ¡°Let Neah talk to her." I tell him I don''t think any of this is about what happened out there this afternoon." I nce at Logan in Eric''s arms. Mallory had been holding him, and bouncing him up and down, but not once did she look at him. It was more like she was just going through the motions. "Shit." Damien mutters. "I didn''t think. She didn''t say anything." "She wanted to be here." Eric adds. "She would have said if it was too much. She loves the twins. Maybe for a brief moment, she.... forgot." He sits in the empty chair and leans forward while resting his elbows on his knees. "I wasn''t paying attention." "You can''t be in her head twenty four/ seven." I offer. "She needs to let herself grieve." "You''re right." He sits up straight. "So what are we going to do about this Cooper?" "We stick to Neah''s n, for at least a few days. Everyone of us needs to pay attention to the pack and people''s movements. Especially those thate and go from the pack." "And then?" Damien asks "Then we can make a n. But first of all, you need to take this Blood Oath and be an official part of ck Shadow. I need you to be able to link everyone and I cannot expect the Lycans to make an oath yet. "I thought you had nned a fancy ceremony?" He cocks an eyebrow at me, a smirk lingers on his face. "There was supposed to be one, but something tells me you would rather just get it over and done with." "Good." "There is something else." Eric nods his head at me. I had already told him my n, but whether Damien would agree or not would be a different matter. "What is it?" Damien asks, his gaze shifting between Eric and I. "I want you to be a representative of ck Shadow." "Doesn''t my role as Beta already signify that?" "Yes, but I want you to be a ck. Whether you like it or not, you are one of us." Heughs, "You''re joking right?" "You do realise that as you were mated to Raven, you are family. I know Neah, see''s it like that. I see el you as more of a brother than what Jenson ever was. I don''t give a shit what your gic makeup is you are one of us.¡± He looks over to Eric. "He''s serious?" "About as serious as ites." Eric muses "Then why didn''t you...." "I took the Beta oath. Bing a ck was not something I could do even if I wanted to. I have parents and they would hang me if I tried to ditch the family name." I clear my throat. "The question is, Damien, how important is your surname? And do you see yourself being aplete part of this pack?" Chapter 0364 Chapter 0364 Damien My eyes move to Eric. Dane couldn''t be serious. Especially not now, not with all that is happening. ¡°Well?" Dane mutters as he puts Evrin down on the floor. I watch him crawl over to his brother,pletely oblivious to what''s happening. It must be wonderful to only care about food, sleep, a clean nappy and feeling happy. "Why?" "I thought I had already made myself clear." Dane muses. "I honestly don''t care that you are different." He points to his boys. "They are different from me, yet they are still mine." "Neah?" "Neah knows." "Is she okay with it?" "She thinks it''s a great idea." "Damien ck." I mutter to myself "Suits you perfectly." Eric smiles Mallory had always been my family. No one else, just me and her until.... And then it was just me and her again, surrounded by those I had be good friends with.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "You don''t have to decide right....." "I will do it. I want to do it." Dane holds his hand out to me and shakes mine. "Wee to the family." He sends Eric to go and get Neah and Mallory, so they can be here to witness both the oath and my eptance into the family. Mallory loops her arms around me and apologises for snapping at me earlier while Neah makes a joke about putting me on uncle duties. "First, I need you to formally ept the name." Dane tells me. "Give me your hand.¡± "You know what you are doing?" "Yes. I had to do it when my stepmother epted me as her own." He tells me. I hold my hand back out and he takes it in his like he was going to shake it again. Eric steps forward with a rope, tying it around both of our wrists but leaves the back of our hands uncovered. He takes out a knife and positions the tip against the back of Dane''s hand. He pushes the tip into Dane''s flesh and starts dragging it towards my hand, splitting his skin open. "Do you, Damien, relinquish all past ties and ept the ck family name as your own?" "I do." "Do you, Damien ck, ept me, Alpha Dane ck as your brother?" "I do." Eric''s knife pierces my flesh, splitting the skin across the back of my hand, mixing Danes blood with mine. "Do you, Damien ck, understand that you will forever carry the ck surname and that you will represent ck Shadow for as long as you shall live?" I couldn''t help but smile. I could already feel a connection building with Dane that wasn''t there previously. His hand squeezes mine and his crimson eyes are wide as he waits for my answer. "Yes, I do." "And finally, do you, Damien ck, ept the position of ck Shadows Beta?" "Get ready." Eric warns me with a smirk "I do." Eric rips the de back up to Dane''s hand, spilling even more of my blood. As it slices through Dane''s skin, I feel more connections to people than I had ever felt before. Dane''s hand heals quicker than mine and Eric slowly unbinds the ropes. His eyes meet mine. ''And now you can hear all of us when needed.'' His voice rattles through my head. It was an odd feeling to hear a Wolf. But what''s even stranger is the strength that I feel. Is that how Dane feels all the time? The back of my hand begins to heal until a thin pink line remains, but even that fades more quickly than usual. "How do you feel?" Dane asks. "Different. How is that possible?" "My blood." He murmurs "But it''s not a Blood Tie?" Neah asks with concern "No. It''s nothing like what Kyle did to you." Dane tells her. "Why now?" I ask "Shouldn''t you have asked that before agreeing?" Ericughs and Mallory elbows him. ¡°You made it sound like it''s something you have been considering for a while,¡± I say to Dane. "So why now?" "You are right. It is something I have (n been thinking about for several months. But there has never been what I would consider the right time to ask. And right now, it doesn''t seem like there is ever going to be a righttime, except for right in the moment. You were going to take the B¨¦ta Oath anyway, so why not offer you what I was hoping you would say yes too!" "Now you will know if I''m in trouble, and I can link you if needed." He adds I nce over to Mallory who winks at me. Neither of us had expected anything toe out of living here My goal was simply to get her somewhere where she could actually live the life she wante I just had a simple goal of protecting the Alpha. Never did I think anything like this would happen. "So now I''m officially a part of the pack, what are we doing next? I assume you want us to carry on as normal?" "Exactly that. We will stick with Neah''s n unless something changes. We will re-evaluate when and if something happens. But everyone needs to be vignt. I''m not letting some fucker destroy what I have spent years building. Dane scowls but his eyes are on his twins. Chapter 0365 Chapter 0365 And even I had this strange need to protect them more than I ever did before. The twins start getting grumpy and Neah tells us she is taking them to get some food. Eric and Mallory head off home leaving Dane and I alone. "There''s more isn''t there?" I ask "I''m putting precautions in ce." "In case something happens to you, right?" He sighs. "There has always been a n. I had siblings. But if something happens to me and Neah now, the boys are not anywhere near old enough to step up. I need a ck that can hold the position until theye of age. And you are more than capable of running a pack." "It''s not going toe to that." "Still, precautions." He mutters. I nod. If I had known about his precautions beforehand, it wouldn''t have made a difference. I still would have epted. "I also need to go through our history with you." He adds, "Just in case. But first, I want to check on Ryken." We head down to the gates. Thest ce I expected to find Ryken. Dane informs me that the other guard had to leave because his wife went intobour. Ryken is busy chatting to the second guard, but puts a hand up to acknowledge us heading towards him. "What''s that?" I could see something further up the road towards the main road. A dark object sprawled across the ground, almost hidden by the shadows of the trees. I couldn''t smell anything. "Open the gates." I yell as I get closer. Ryken gives me an obscure look but pulls the gate back just enough to let me through. I tell Dane to stay back. If it was a trap, it was better for just one of us to get caught in it. I move forward until I catch the subtle scent of a Human. Slowing my steps, I scan the nearby trees, sniffing the air. But there''s nothing other than familiar scents from the pack and the Human. "Shit." Red waves peak out under the hood over her head. "What is it?" Dane calls out. "Get Brax." I yell back and roll the person on their back. Maddie''s eyes are closed. Arge gash runs from her temple, over her right eye and down to her chin. She needed stitches and probably antibiotics. I lift her off the ground, and hurry her back inside the gates. "Don''t just fucking stand there!" I snap at Ryken and the other guard. "Close the gates!" How had they not seen her? How had they not seen whoever was responsible for this? "us is at the hospital." Dane tells me. I don''t hesitate and charge across the grounds. "Maddie?" us mutters as I burst through the doors. "You found her?" "She was outside the gates, like this. Dane is finding Brax. She doesn''t smell like a Lycan anymore." He ignores me and investigates the wound on her face. "She''s not healing either." He works quickly, cleaning the wound as I check her hands. Blood and bits of skin and hair are trapped under her nails. I have seen it so many times in my human life. She had fought the bastard. Tried leaving a mark. Had she gotten away from him? Had she made it back here alone? "WHERE IS SHE?!" Brax yells. "She''s with us." Dane tells him. "Just give him a chance to assess her." "Are you sure it''s her? All I can smell is Human." I step out of the room. "It''s her. He has done the same thing to her as what he did to ir and the other woman." He pushes past me and steps into the room, only to turn around and walk back out. "Brax." Dane blocks him. "You need to keep it together." "I''m not part of your pack." He growls back at Dane. "Going out there when we have no idea how she made it back, is not going to help you or her." ¡°I think she made it back here alone." I tell them what I saw under her fingernails. "I don''t think she was dumped." Brax narrows his eyes at me. "Did you find her?" "Yes." "Where?" "Outside the gates." "And who was guarding the gates?" He demands "None of your business."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. He looks at Dane for answers. "I''m with Damien on this one. I can''t have you shooting my pack when we don''t have any information. Now sit ast and hope that your mate is en.swnovels wn Brax res at both of us but sits in the chair outside of Maddie''s room. uses out after a little while. "She''s a little dehydrated. I''ve stitched her up. Her body isn''t even healing a little so she will scar and it''s not the only scar she will have. I found deep scratches on her back too. Most likely from a Lycan. I would say from the cuts on her feet, she was running and then passed out." And neither one of the men at the gates saw her. Chapter 0366 Chapter 0366 Abraxas My eyes trail over the wound on Madisons face. us had done a good job stitching her up, Making it as neat as possible but it was like he said, she would have a scar, a permanent reminder of what happened. She couldn''t heal anymore, everything could hurt her. Her breaths are slow and steady. Ugly purple bruises litter her pale skin and her soul develops cracks as I watch. I couldn''t feel a connection to her anymore. I couldn''t scent her as my mate and yet I find myself unable to leave her. Though I should go and shoot those bastards at the gate. Neither of them had seen her. Had she called out for help? Had they seen her and just ignored her? Did they watch her drop to the ground and turn a blind eye? Stepping out of the room, I find Damien waiting. "How is she?" "What do you think?" He studies me. "Is she awake?" "No. Where''s Dane?"Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "Gone to do some investigating." "Then I should go too." I nce back at the room and start moving forward. Damien''s hand hits me square in the chest. "No, you should stay here with her. I expect she will want to see you when she wakes up." "I never imed her." I tell him. "I can''t scent her anymore." "So you are going to walk away?" He challenges me, "Just like that?" Madison and I should never have been paired. I''m a Hunter, she''s a Lycan. Was a Lycan. It should never have worked and yet I could not get her out of my head. I had met up with her every single day since she started the fire. At first, it was just to keep an eye on her and to make sure she didn''t do anything else. Then the more I got to know her, the harder it was to stay away and I couldn''t keep my hands off of her. It was wrong, yet I couldn''t stop. "Well?" Damien asks "This is new for me." I mutter. Making decisions had always been easy for me until it came to her. I had wanted to protect her even though our bond was wrong. I still want to protect her, but I could also just as easily walk away. "We will find a way to get her Lycan back." Damien tells me confidently. "You don''t even know what we are dealing with. That Samara girl said she has been without her Lycan for five years. What if there is no way? What if this is her for the rest of her life?" "She can stay in the pack. She will be safe here." I snort. "You''re actually being serious! Look around you. She was taken from the pack." He stares at me but doesn''t speak. "Go on, say it asshole." I demand "Why didn''t you trust your instincts?" "Are you trying to put this on me?!" I snarl "You said it yourself, you didn''t like the guy. But you let him go because of one of Dottie''s stickers. You put your trust in a seven year old. A kid that can''t even remember what she had for breakfast." "Trust me, I won''t be making that mistake again." Groanse from Madison''s room and Damien continues to re at me as I back up and slip inside to check on Madison She moans in pain as she stretches out. With her eyes closed, her hand moves to her face. Her fingertips run across the freshly stitched wound. "Ow." "Leave it." I tell her. "Brax." She whispers, peering at me through slits "I''m here." I pull her hand into mine "I made it back." She winces, "Everything hurts." "I know. Just close your eyes and sleep. We can talk when you have rested." "His name wasn''t Ash." She murmurs closing her eyes. "His name is Cooper." Her grip on my hand loosens and her heartbeat slows but stays steady as she drifts back into unconsciousness. Content belongs to en.swnovels "It was just as we suspected." I mutter to Damien, knowing he was standing in the doorway behind me. "How did she get away?" Damien mutters. Chapter 0367 Chapter 0367 "She didn''t say and I''m not waking her until she is ready. Samara escaped. Neah thinks ir was purposely released. It''s possible Cooper wanted her toe back here so she could show us what he is capable of." I look over my shoulder at him. "I will make him suffer. I will rip him to shreds." "I don''t doubt it." Silence settles between us. "You don''t have to me me." I mutter after several minutes, "I already me myself. She is my mate and I didn''t protect her. I failed because I couldn''t decide whether I wanted to mark her. I couldn''t decide if I should just ept her. She is the first person to truly make me question my thoughts. Do you know what that''s like?" "Not the questioning, but I failed Raven." He takes the seat by the door. "I couldn''t keep her safe from her own mind or her twin. I didn''t see what was right in front of me." "You haven''t spoken about her since the incident." "Because I haven''t been able to." He sighs and leans back while shaking his head. "Every single person in that packhouse loved her. Her brother was there, her friend, her nephews, Dottie." "Exactly! People who loved her. People that are waiting for you to talk about her." ¡°None of them understand losing a mate. None of them understand how close I came to killing my own mate, not really." I nod and look at Madison. I had considered putting a bullet in her brain when she first arrived, but I never could bring myself to do it. Just like Damien only managed to shoot her in the corbone rather than her head. "That''s why Neah shot her right, so you wouldn''t have to kill your own mate." "Yes." "And it wasn''t Raven in the end." "It still looked like her." He frowns, "I''ve killed a lot of people. When I was Human and when I turned. But watching her die has been the hardest thing I have dealt with." ¡°Losing a mate isn''t the same as losing others to death. And you know, Damien. You know deep down that it wasn''t her.¡± "Why didn''t I see that she had given up?" He asks me "You told me her mind was in chaos. That wasn''t because of her, that was because of him. But take it from someone who has lost a mate and a child. Let yourself ept it. Don''t block it out. It will kill you otherwise." He scowls at me. "Do you see something, is that what you are trying to tell me?" "You don''t strike me as the type that would actually want to know." "You are right. I don''t." He rises to his feet. "Dane is linking me. Let us know when she wakes." "You took the oath?" I ask, surprised. I was fully expecting him to back out. Maybe he was stronger than I thought.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "And I became a ck." Maybe that would be the very thing he needed. Time will tell. I pace the corridor. us is with Madison, checking her vitals and I had to leave. I couldn''t stand seeing another man''s hands on her, even if he was only helping her and if hadn''t left the room, Madison wouldn''t be getting the help she needs. en.swnovels The door to her room opens and us cautiously steps out. "Are you going to hit me?" "No." "Good. Because I will fight back." I stare at him. I had never seen him at training, yet somehow he keeps a very muscled and toned physique. He had to be doing something. "How is she?" "Still out. I''ve changed her IV, and did some x-rays. Nothing is broken. Whatever happened to her, it looks like she had a lucky escape." "Does she need anything? Anything that you might not have here, you know, because she is ultimately Human now? I can go and pick up some things." en.swnovels "I have everything. Raven kept the ce fully stocked because of Neah and she has done since, just in case." "She was always prepared." Chapter 0368 Chapter 0368 "More than any of us." us confirms Maybe if I had spent more time around Raven, I could have seen what wasing before it was toote. Or maybe, this was how it was always meant to be. The higher powers worked in fucked up ways. That was bing more and more obvious. "How long will she sleep for?" I ask "Possibly a few hours. As you are probably aware, it will be different for her now." "Good, I have somewhere I need to be." "I think you should stay." us blocks my way "You said she isn''t going to be awake for a while and I need to make some fucker pay for this!" "Who?" He challenges. "I don''t know yet. But I will find out soon enough." "Let Damien and Dane get answers. I''m sure someone saw something." us tells me, his words full of optimism. He really wouldn''t have survived as a Hunter.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "I can''t just sit by her bedside. That''s not how I operate." "And what do I say to her if she wakes up?" "Tell her that I''m going to kill the person who did this to her." I push past him and fling open the hospital doors. Everything is dark and the pack is quieter than usual. There are still some Wolves and Lycans plodding around, but not much else was happening. Jogging down to the gates, I wanted to see who was on guard duty, but I also wanted to go out and check where Damien had found her. Maybe there were some tracks that had been missed. Maybe I could see something they couldn''t. Ryken is standing at the gates. His attention focussed on the area outside the pack while the Wolf faced inwards. It was better than what I usually saw. Normally Wolves would stand chatting to each other. "Ryken?!" I call out, but he doesn''t move from his spot. "Hunter!" He growls back. "Is the girl okay?" "Yes, seen anything?" "No." "You didn''t see Madison either, did you?" "I thought it was a fallen tree." He mutters back. "There was no movement, no sound and no scent." "You have to be a little closer to smell Humans." I mutter and the Wolf eyeballs me. "Dane has informed me. I guess I have spent too long around Lycans rather than Humans. It won''t happen again, trust me." I had no reason to trust him yet. I probably never would. "You took over from Mako, correct?" I press "Yes." The Wolf had stopped looking at me. In fact, he was now trying everything in his power to stop our eyes from locking on one another. Even when I step closer to him. He focuses on something over my shoulder. "You are very quiet." I smile at him ¡°What''s your name?" I was quite tempted to just call him pussy, because that is how he is acting. "Emerson!" He spits out "Friends with Mako?" I query "I have nothing to add." He res at me with his green eyes "No? Because I would say by the level of avoidance that you are trying to master, you actually have a lot to say." "I didn''t see anything." He grumbles | "Not a very good guard are you?" I muse. He was trying to hold his ground, but was also preparing to. get himself out of here and away from me. "I will have to let Dane know. He wouldn''t want someone as weak as you on the gates. "I just mean...." "What the prick is trying to say is that he has an issue with me being on the gates." Ryken remarks. "That''s what we were discussing when Dane and Damien came down here and saw the girl. I have told them both." ¡°Lycans shouldn''t work the gate." Emerson snarls at me "Is that your decision?" I muse "Or maybe you are just saying that because you know a little more about what happened to Madison." "I don''t know what happened to her." The annoying thing was, he was telling the truth about Madison, but he was definitely hiding something. Chapter 0369 Hey everyone. Hope you are all well.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. To all my new readers; wee. I hope you are all enjoying the story. As always. Thank you for the gems,ments and reviews. I have to say, it''s more than I ever expected for this story. I could thank you all a thousand times and still wouldn''t be enough. Your feedback and predictions is also brilliant. There is no update 30th June, but be prepared for July, alot of chapters areing your way. For those asking, this story has a lot more toe. On myst author note, there was ament to say someone had been charged for reading it. You shouldn''t be as it''s not a part of the storyline. If you do, please let me know and also contact goodnovel support. See you in July. Taylor West Chapter 0370 Chapter 0370 Dane Mako hands me his newborn son. It was customary in the pack for the Alpha to meet newborns and wee them into the pack. Swiping my thumb across his forehead with a tiny drop of my own blood, I officially wee him as a member of ck Shadow. Mako beams at me, his blue eyes shining in delight. "Sorry, I had to leave the gate." He murmurs. "I couldn''t let my mate do this on her own. Though he was already here by the time I arrived.¡± His mate was allegedly still in the bedroom being checked over by one of the nurses that my sister helped train. Yet I couldn''t scent her presence. ''We should go and check.'' Aero deres. ''We will,'' I tell him. ''We just need to choose the right time.'' "It''s no problem." I tell Mako, handing his son back. "Ryken is a good guy." Mako tells me. "I was so grateful he was passing by." "Emerson wasn''t happy though, was he?" Damien asks "Emerson is never happy." Mako mutters as he coos over his pup. "The guy wouldn''t be happy if he had a million pounds and women dangling from his arms every second of the day. But things are changing here in the pack. He can''t live in the past forever." "Is that right?" Damien questions "Well it is, isn''t it! We have a Lycan Luna. You are mated to a Wolf. Mallory is mated to a Wolf. Rumour has it that the Hunter is mated to a Lycan too. Everything is changing. Maybe that is what the Moon Goddess has always wanted." "The Moon Goddess." Damien muses. Maybe he was actually starting to side with Brax a bit more. Brax was always talking about higher powers. Whether that was true or not, no one could be certain. Mako nods, not really getting Damien''s sarcasm. "She has a n for all of us."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Damien keeps his mouth shut and turns to the window. "Looks like you have another visitor." Brax always knocks in the same way, almost as if it was his own secret code to tell us it was him. I open the door to him and his frown. "Is Maddie okay?" "She''s sleeping. us said she should be good, though she will have scars." His hazel eyes flicker to Mako and the pup in his arms and then move back to me. ¡°I have some things I need to discuss with you." ''Stay here.'' I link Damien, ''Do some digging. Tactfully.'' It was so useful being able to link him. He bobs his head at me as I follow Brax. "Are you sure Maddie is okay?" ¡°What I said about Madison is true, something weird is going on down at the gate.¡± "I''m well aware that Emerson is pissed off with Ryken being there. He made that very clear to Damien and I." "It''s more than that. I got the impression Emerson was hiding something but he was also telling the truth about not seeing Madison." "But you still think he is involved?" "I need to do some more digging." He turns away, but quickly turns back. "The pup is not Makos, nor was it born today. Maybe yesterday or possibly even the day before Remember they are born with tiny souls." "It''s not his?" "And it''s not his mates either." He walks away. "You should question that." ''Why does he have to be so cryptic?'' Aero frowns ''It''s just the way he is.'' I make my way back into Mako''s home just as Damien was asking "So you just took him?" Both sets of eyes move to me. "You are not going to believe this." Damien shakes his head. I sigh, ¡°Where did you find him?" "In the city, yesterday." He lowers himself onto the edge of the sofa, cradling the pup. "But you said your mate went intobour?" I ask, ncing to the stairs and Damien shakes his head at me. Mako reaches into his pocket and pulls out a scrunched up piece of paper. He holds it out to me. "I should havee to you with this when I found it two days ago." §Ö I nce down at the note, ''I can''t be here with all those beasts. They are taking over. They are ruining our pack. They will kill us all. I can''t raise my pup here.'' It wasn''t Kira''s writing. "She took my unborn pup and left." He takes a deep breath. "When I went into the city, I found this guy, wrapped up and dumped down an alleyway. I thought it was meant to be UMS Chapter 0371 Chapter 0371 "You said the nurse was upstairs." Damien presses, "Checking on your mate." "Sienna is upstairs, she is Kira''s best friend. She is seeing if she can find any clues as to where Kira might have gone. Sienna was here with him when I was working on the gate." He nods at the pup in his arms. "So you lied about herbour in the hopes that what?" I demand. "I wouldn''t notice when your mate doesn''t appear." "I don''t know. I didn''t think that far ahead. I''m going to look for her." "Tracking her down? That''s not going to be ideal with a pup in tow. In fact it''s fucking stupid." Damien shakes his head "Um," Mako''s brow knits together and creases appear across the top of his nose. "You haven''t thought about that either?" Damien asks "I could manage. I could look after him while looking for Kira." "No you couldn''t, though it was a good thing to bring him here. He''s going to need it when he is older." Damien tells him. "Are you saying what I think you are saying?" I ask. Though I''m annoyed that he hadn''t mentioned it before. ''Well Brax could have warned us.'' Aero sneers. ''So could Damien!'' I mutter Damien nods, "That pup is a Lycan." "WHAT?!" Mako lets go of the pup, like he was dropping a grenade. Damien flings himself forward, catching the pup before he has a chance to bounce his tiny head off the floor. Footsteps move upstairs and Sienna appears, leaning over the bannister. She freezes. She would have already known we were in the house so why was she acting like she had just been caught red handed? Damien straightens up, the newborn cradled against his chest as he res at Mako. "You shouldn''t have done that." ¡°GET DOWN HERE! I growl at Sienna. She keeps her eyes on me, but fiddles with her pink hair as she slowly moves down the steps. I point to the spot next to Mako. She side steps around us, her heart racing as I throw the scrunched up paper down at their feet. "Which one of you wrote this?" I demand. They nce at each other. "Kira" They both speak in unison. "Bullshit." "It''s Kira''s!" Mako mutters Damien steps back as I squat in front of Mako and grip his face. My nails create crescent moons in his skin. "Kira has done work for me. I would recognise her handwriting anywhere. So I will ask you again, who wrote this?" "He did." Sienna squeaks, keeping her eyes down. I watch him elbow her. "Shut up!" "Go check upstairs." I tell Damien, straightening up. I watch the crescents on Mako''s face heal like they were never there. Pacing in front of Mako and Sienna as Damien disappears from sight Sienna holds back the tears, while Mako stares straight ahead. "How long did you think you could y this game, Mako?" "It''s not a game."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "By the way you reacted to the news about that pup, I would say that you have been ying a game for a while. You are the one who has problems with Lycans. So tell me, what was your n?" He clenches his jaw. "How about we start with something simple, where is Kira?" "She really did leave." Sienna blurts out. "She left a few days ago." "Let me guess, Mako, you were on duty at the gate? What did you do, trick the other person into turning away so Kira could pass through?" He turns his head away, seething "Where did she go, Sienna?" I press "With some guy, I think his name was Coop or Cooper maybe, Weet were supposed to be joining her. He promised us a better life. A life away from the Lycans." Content belongs to en.swnovels Iugh. "You both have a problem with Lycans, yet you are willing to run off and join one." They stare at me, both with their jaws hanging open. "He''s a Wolf?" Sienna protests. "No, no he is not. But it''s great to see where your loyalty lies." "She was packing!" Damienes back down the stairs with the pup still cradled with one arm and two backpacks dangling from his free hand. "I figured as much." "What are you going to do to us?" Sienna pleads. "I think you already know the answer to that." Chapter 0372 Mallory "Something weird is going on?" I frown. I was supposed to be resting, but I was finding it harder and harder to stay still. Like the longer I was still, the more I thought about what I no longer have. I needed to keep busy. From this window, I could see Dane, Damien and Brax pushing a man and a woman forward. I recognise the guy, he quite often works on the gates. But what I didn''t understand is why Damien was carrying what looked like a doll. A toy for Dorothy maybe? Neah steps up to the window, though she keeps herself partly hidden behind the curtain. "No one is supposed to see me, remember." "Please just tell me that I am imagining things. Maybe I have fallen ill again and this is a dream." She pinches my arm. "Ow." "Not dreaming." She cautiously peers around the curtain. "Why is Damien carrying a pup?" "It''s not a doll?" "Doll''s don''t move like that." I look again and watch a tiny arm stretch out. But that''s all I can make out as they move further and further away. "Maybe those Wolves had a pup?¡± "I think Mako and Kira are due any day now, so it could be." She shrugs her shoulders, "but actually, that''s not Kira... that''s...one of Raven''s nurses from the hospital. I think her name is Sienna." She turns back, pressing herself against the wall and closes her eyes. "I know what''s happening." "What?" "They are going to be hunted!" "Brax is going to kill them?" "Not Brax, maybe Brax." She sighs, "Some of the pack will shift and hunt them, chase them down like they are prey. Dane has done this before. et Before you came here, there was a woman, jealous of Dane and I. She drugged me with Blood of Wolfsbane, almost killing me. Dane took her to the forest and bhad his Wolves hunt her and then rip her apart while she was still alive." "Seriously?" el She nods as I watch more of the pack approach. They are already shifting into Wolves as they move. The woman, Sienna, clings to the other guy as though he was somehow going to save her. I could just make out her lips moving, most likely pleading for her life. I''m guessing they knew what was "It''s a punishment for those who he feels truly betrayed by." Neah mutters, "If Brax hadn''t shot those ones who crashed into us. Dane probably would have done the same to them." "But he never did that to Jenson?" She shrugs her shoulders. "Jenson was his brother, even after the stuff with ir, even when he did what he did to Raven. He couldn''t have done it even if he wanted to, but I know he had threatened Jenson with it many times over the years." I bob my head. I couldn''t even say it was cruel. I had seen Rogues do worse things. I had done worse things. A long time ago, I almost bashed Neah to death. "But the pup, surely Dane won''t have that ripped apart?" I mutter, disgusted by the idea. I see Damien turn away from the Wolves, he starts making his way back this way. The tiny thing cradled against his chest and I breathed a sigh of relief. "No, he won''t hurt a pup." Neah confirmsBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I take my eyes off of Damien and watch Mako and Sienna dive towards the forest. Mako pushes her down just before the trees to give himself an advantage and dives into the greenery as she scrambles back to her feet. I watch Dane keep his hand up in the air. A signal for the Wolves to wait. Even Brax had shifted and was ready to join in. Chapter 0373 Chapter 0373 Dane is giving them a head start, but we all knew they were not getting out alive. As Dane drops his hand, the Wolves charge off at a speed far greater than I can imagine. Almost like they are hyped up by the hunt. Dane shifts too, taking his time to move into the forest, like he was enjoying every second of this. Those wolves were going to suffer. I assume they deserved it. And a tiny part of me wanted to see it happen. "Mallory?" Damien calls out interrupting my thoughts "Up here." I call back He makes his way into the room, still cradling the tiny little pup who is somehow fast asleep. "Why do you have a Lycan pup?" Neah asks. "It''s a long story." his dark eyes move to me at the window. "I assume you have seen what is happening?" I nod "And Neah has exined the rest." "They were nning on leaving to join Cooper." He shakes his head in disbelief "Why?" Neah asks ¡°It sounds like he made them an offer and they were too stupid to go along with it."¡± "And the pup, where does he fit into all of it?" "Mako tried telling Dane the pup was his and Kira''s. It quickly became clear that he wasn''t. Turns out Kira has already left with Cooper while still preganant and Mako picked up this guy from the city. Practically threw him out of his arms when he learned the boy is a Lycan." "So they didn''t know that Cooper is a Lycan?" I askBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "No." "And decided to kidnap him?" I ask in disgust pointing to the tightly wrapped pup. "Mako imed he found him dumped and abandoned. Whether that''s the truth, I don''t know." "What''s going to happen to him?" I ask, surely Dane wouldn''t just choose to dump him again. "I was sort of hoping that you would take him until we figured out where he came from and if anyone is looking for him.¡± I stare at him, lost for words. "He is maybe a day old, maybe two at mording to Brax. He doesn''t even have a name. I thought might like to name him. I feel like I''m frozen, still trying to process how and why Damien had asked me. "I still have loads of the twins'' tiny baby stuff." Neah deres. "I will go dig it out." "You want to give me a pup?" I mutter as Neah disappears with a smile stered to her face. "I can''t think of anyone better." "I can''t...." He steps towards me and holds the tiny pup out to me. "He''s not mine." ¡°And Dottie isn''t mine." He presses the pup against me and I have no choice but to hold him as he pulls his hands away. "Damien, don''t." I don''t think I have ever felt panic like this. My heart thuds heavily, I hear my own blood whooshing between my ears as my lungs grow tight. "I''m not ready" But he is already stepping away from me. "Then it''s a good job you have a whole pack supporting you." "And a mate." Eric announces as he enters the bedroom. "Give him to Neah. She''s had practice." I move to Damien who refuses to take him back and folds his arms across his chest. "Look at him." He mutters instead. I nce at Eric who is calmly watching me. He was leaving it up to me to decide. The pup starts to move in my arms and was probably about to start crying at any second. Taking a breath, shift my gaze to the poet Deep brown eyes stare back at me and feel my heart explode in the best way possible. Chapter 0374 Chapter 0374 ir "We warned her, now we should leave." I sigh as I pull a sweatshirt over my head. It was so fucking cold. I have never felt the cold, not like this. My nipples could cut ss with how cold I am. Did Humans always feel like this? Sammie brings me a nket, tucking it around my legs. "I don''t think we should go, not just yet." "We have been here longer than we need to be." I persist. "You only wanted toe here to tell Neah about Cooper. We have done that and somehow, I am still alive and I would very much like to keep it that way, even if it means spending the rest of my life freezing my fucking ass off!" She rolls her eyes at me and tells me I''m being dramatic. "What about your mother? she confirmed your mother was in the pack, just like you expected." "And?" "Don''t you want to see her?" "It doesn''t matter what I want. They want nothing to do with me. I''ve already told you why." "I never pegged you as the type that would give up so easily." "I am not who I was, Sammie. He took it all away from me. There are too many people in that pack that hate me and that''s just the Wolves. Staying here is just too risky for me. Someone will kill me and there won''t be a damn thing that you can do about it." "Is that what you want?" "I don''t know."N?velDrama.Org is the owner. She sighs and sits next to me, pulling the nket over her legs too. "Are you scared?" I mull over her question. It wasn''t sarcasm and it wasn''t her mocking me. It was genuine and I guess on some level I am. I would be stupid not to be. I used to say that to all the assholes I hunted. Lycans probably took up most of ck Shadow by now and if they have, that means they would have submitted to Neah. Maybe even Alpha Dane. Who knows how many are living there now, and who knows how many of those I have pissed off and I wasn''t sure I was ready to find out. When I saw Abraxas, I honestly thought he would be the one to kill me on the spot, but he had just watched me. He had been impossible to read and that made it worse. I know what I did. He knows what I did. But he just watched as he asked questions. It''s much easier when people tell you they are going to kill you. At least then, everyone''s cards areid out on the table and I didn''t have to feel this impending doom that sits in the pit of my stomach. Not being able to read people was hard. "Neither of us can defend ourselves." I mutter. "It''s just... We are nothingpared to them, they can snap us like twigs if they wanted too." She frowns and takes a sip of her coffee, she is addicted to the stuff. "Maybe she will help us." Iugh. "Please tell me you are not talking about Neah?!" "I just think that she had a clear opportunity to kill us, yet she didn''t. They turned up here, they found us They could have forced their way in and slit our throats and left like they were never here. But they didn''t. Maybe there is a chance for us here." Iugh, ¡°Or maybe she just wasn''t in the mood. Or maybe she was too focussed on what she was asking us. She wanted answers." Sammie bobs her head. "Maybe you are right." She leans her head on my shoulder. "I''ve been thinking about the questions she was asking. I think someone has gone missing." "That means he is already here." My heart races. I couldn''t stand the idea of being his prisoner again. What would he do to me as punishment for escaping? He had already shaved my head. My hand runs through the dark fluff that is my hair. I hadn''t even looked in a mirror since Sammie made me, I probably looked like I had been electrocuted by how it felt. "It will grow back." Sammie mutters ncing up to my hand. "It won''t be this short forever." Her arm loops over my waist. Her reflection in the nk television screen showed her smiling. How she was so positive all the time was something I could just not grasp. But I guess it''s because she has been living this way for quite some time. She had gotten used to it. And as much as I didn''t want to die, the thought of living like this forever was scary. I hated Humans as a Lycan and that wasn''t going to change. Though I liked Sammie, but I think that was because we had something inmon. "Do you think it''s true?" I mutter as I watch a candle burnout. "What?" Sammie asks quietly "That Neah was right, that I was purposely let out?" She sighs and sits up, "I had wondered that myself. Five years I was waiting for someone else to make it out of that ce. I always wondered if there were others and they had just taken a different route. You know, stuck to the roads andnes instead of the woods and the fields and that''s why they never stumbled upon my farmhouse. But you did say your door was opened along with everyone else''s. So I do believe Neah was right." Chapter 0375 Chapter 0375 "What do you think his n is?" "He could being for you and it will be a bonus for him because he will find me too. Or he could want the female Alpha. I don''t think Cooper ever really has a n. He just rolls with the situation and takes advantage when he can." "Do you think he will attack ck Shadow?" She puffs out her cheeks. "Without a doubt." More Wolves and Lycans are going to lose their abilities because of me. Especially if he was already here. I would be the reason our kind falls. I tell Sammie that I''m turning in for the night and she asks me if I''m okay. "Just tired." I lie. Guilt was weighing so heavily on me that I thought my lungs were going to be crushed. I wait for hours after Sammie has gone to bed, just to make sure that she is asleep. Quietly I pull on a jacket and slip out of the house, being extremely careful to not make any noise. Standing at the end of the drive. I weigh up my options. To go left to ck Shadow and hope for an easy and quick death, or go right and disappear for good and live the rest of my life as a Human. Neither options were ones I wanted. Checking my pockets, I feel for the rectangle that is my credit card. I had found it stashed in my vanity table. nted there when I first moved in as a just in case card. There was more than enough money on it to set me up with a new life, far away from any of this shit and somewhere where no one could find me. I had grabbed it just in case I turned right. "Where are you going?" Sammie steps up next to me. I close my eyes, I hadn''t heard her. I hadn''t even heard the door of the house. "You weren''t supposed to know." I murmur "I knew something was up when you went to bed at seven. You never go to sleep that early. Even when you were recovering from what that asshole did to you." "It''s too dangerous to be here." I whisper back, her face is lit up by a single street light. It gives her grey eyes an eerie look. "If Neah found us, I''m certain Cooper can. Cooper could be watching us right now and neither one of us would know. ck shadow is a few miles that way or....." She ces her hands on my shoulders and spins me around to look at her. "Who gives a shit if he is watching! He can''t do anything else to us. So I will ask you again, where are we going?" Sammie slips her hand into mine. "I will go wherever you want to go." "This is not who I am." I mutter. "I don''t go to someone asking for help. I am the help. People have paid me to do their dirty work." "Okay." "Okay?" I whisper back. She nods. "I thought I knew how I could help you. But this has to be your choice, ir. If you want to leave, we leave. If you want to speak to Neah, we go to ck Shadow." "Why have you changed your mind?" "Because I see you. I am not a Lycan anymore but I see the guilt you carry. The sadness that is evident in your eyes." I start walking, tugging Sammie with me. "Are you sure?" She questions "Yes. And if I am killed, don''t fight back because it will be everything I deserve and more." Her hand squeezes mine. As we walk, she asks me a few questions about the inside of ck Shadow''s pack. I tell her that I never made it further than just inside the gates Jenson had given me some information but not much, though I was never really interested. Wee across two burnt out cars. The one at the back looks like it had crashed into the one in front and the one in front looks just like the one Abraxas had hurried Neah into when they left us. "Is that?" Sammie asks "I think so." I mutter, hurrying forward. There are tyre marks on the ground. A trail of blood leads from the windscreen of the car Neah had been in, to the grass verge. Another pook of pool of dried red sits just outside the passenger door of the same car. ¡°What do you think happened?¡± Sammie whispers as though someone might be watching. "I don''t know, but they burnt the cars to cover any trace of DNA." I whisper back. "I would have done the same. I have done the same.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "Do you think they''re dead?" ¡°No, because Dane would be knocking down my door. I''m certain of that.¡± I look around and grab Sammie''s hand, "Come on, I would rather not stick around here." Chapter 0376 Chapter 0376 Neah Rummaging through the boxes of tiny baby clothes, I make a pile, hoping that I was going to get a link from Damien to tell me Mallory had epted the little boy. ''She will say yes, won''t she?'' Nyx asks hopefully ''I hope so.'' It was what she needed. It was what Eric needed ''The boys can have ydates.'' She mutters happily. ''In the future, he could be the Beta.'' I smile, ''He''s a newborn, Nyx. He''s not quite ready for that but when the timees, yes.'' ''What if the parents....'' ''We will cross that bridge when we get to it!'' ''She hasn''t said yes.'' Damien''s voice rumbles through my head and I feel my heart drop. ''But she hasn''t said no either.'' He adds, ''And she also hasn''t taken her eyes off of him.'' ''Fingers crossed.'' I mutter back and carry on sorting as he drops the link. ''What if she does say no?'' Nyx suddenly asks. ''Then I guess we are about to have a third pup.'' Though I was definitely not ready for that. Just as I finish, Damien appears with a smile. ¡°They have taken him home.¡± He takes the box of baby stuff from me. "She said yes?" He nods. "I didn''t think she would turn him away. Not after she gave him a name."Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "She has?" He smiles at me, ¡°Luca." ''I love it!'' Nyx deres. I''m certain if she had it her way, we would spend our whole time pregnant. "It looks like Logan and Evrin will have a new friend." I mutter. "Everything in that box should see them through for a couple of weeks until they can get their own stuff." He locks his eyes on me and nods. His fingers drum on the side of the box. "I won''t let her lose him.¡± I knew what he was saying. "Damien, they abandoned him. If theye here, iming him back, do you really think I''m going to make her hand him over?" "I just wanted to make sure we are on the same page." He nods at the box. "I will take this over to her seeing as you are supposed to be staying inside. I saw Daneing out of the forest. He was talking to some of the other Wolves, he will probably be here soon." ¡°Thanks.¡± He was done with killing those Wolves already. I half expected him to slowly torture them and be gone all night. I follow Damien down from the attic and just as he leaves, a blood soaked, half naked Dane makes his way in. He leaves bloody footprints behind as he makes his way towards me. Damien doesn''t even stop, he just carries on walking like it was a usual urrence to see the Alpha covered in blood. "Are they dead?" I ask, though I could already tell what the answer was. "Do you think I would have left if they weren''t?" "You''re angry." I could see it and I could feel it. "But you''ve dealt with them." ??? "They were just two Wolves, Neah. Who knows how many other pricks are turning against ck Shadow! I''ve worked hard to get this pack where it is. And somewhere along the line, people have bezy and their loyalty is faltering needed them to see what would happen. Remind them of the punishments for disrespecting you and me." I bob my head. "You don''t disagree?" His tone full of scepticism "No. I''ve killed people too." I turn and he grabs my arm, spinning me back around into his blood covered chest. He drags his thumb across my cheek and down to my lips. His breath is hot and heavy as he inhales my scent. "Where are the twins?" He asks softly "Sleeping. It''ste." I mutter back. "And the pup?¡± His anger seems to be waning "Mallory said she would take him so she has taken him home with Eric. Damien is taking some of the twins'' baby bits over for me, you know, to get them set up." "Good,e shower with me." He lifts me from the ground, pulling my legs around his hips and carries me up the stairs. I was so grateful that I didn''t wear white. He''s purposely slow as he strips me, inching my clothes off of me as though he is unwrapping a fancy gift. As he does, he leaves bloody fingerprints on my clothes and my body. Stepping into the hot water, watery blood quickly circles the drain and Dane holds me tight, ensuring my back is firmly against his chest while his hardening cock presses into the small of my back as he cups my stomach. He presses his lips against the small spot right below my ear. A ce that both tickled and turned me on. "When do I get to put another pup in you?¡± Chapter 0377 Chapter 0377 "Not yet." I murmur back, trying to ignore the growing ache inside of me. His lips move down to the mark he gave me and his teeth nip at it as I feel the rumble from deep inside his chest. He moves a hand down to my thighs and from behind, uses his leg to push mine apart and sweeps a finger across my centre. "Is that right?" He muses as his finger starts to circle my clit I nod while trying to hold back a moan. Removing his finger from my pussy, he spins me around to face him, pulling me flush. The water had washed away most of the blood, just a few spots remained on his chin. I brush them away and with one hand he lifts me and presses me into the cold tiles. I let out a gasp, it was a wee relief for my hot skin. "Feeling a little warm?" His crimson eyes lock on mine. I nod, but it was more than just being warm. Everything was beginning to burn from the inside out. Droplets of sweat were making their way down the centre of my spine. The heat of the water made me feel like tearing my own flesh off. It had been so long since I had felt this. "No, no, no." I push Dane away from me and turn the shower temperature down to as cold as it could be, firmly nting myself underneath the water while Dane watches me try to gain some control over what was happening to me. ''Yes, yes, yes.'' Nyx mutters back in delight. "This can''t be happening now!" I mutter out loud. I spot Dane grinning at me while Nyx tells me it''s because our body is ready for another pup. "Neah...." His grin is still stered on his face. "You won''t be able to stop it." "I know. How did you know?" "I could smell it." He joins me under the cold water. His muscles tensing from the cool temperature. "You can fight it, but you won''t win. You know that. You will just prolong the inevitable" He tucks my wet hair behind my ears. It felt like his crimson eyes are searching my soul as he leans in to kiss me. His hand reaches out and he turns the shower off. Immediately, I feel the fire rising up through me. The steady growing ache settles heavily within. I couldn''t fight it. **** Two days. At least it wasn''t as long as the first time. Though my body still ached and my pussy throbbed. Dane softly circles my bellybutton with the tips of his fingers. He pauses briefly and turns my face to his. "You''re quiet." "Tired." I whisper back. "And I ache." "Roll over." He tells me, getting onto his knees. "Why?" "Just roll over." I flip onto my stomach and he straddles my thighs, pinning me to the bed. He runs his hands over the length of my back, pushing his fingers into my muscles and working out the knots that al developed. It felt so damn good and I seem to sink further into the mattress as my body rxes. "Before you ask, Athena and Sebastian have the boys. They have been there for thest two days." He tells me I nod into the pillow as he continued to work his magic. "Damien has been keeping an eye on things?" My voicees out all muffled from the pillow.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "Yes, Eric too." "Nothing has happened?" "Not that I am aware of. I did tell them to link me if it was that important, but other than that, they have it handled." "Something doesn''t feel right." I murmur His hands pause over my lower back. I try to shuffle around but he has me trapped under his legs. "Can''t just enjoy the moment?!" He muses "It''s.... It''s a gut feeling." "I know. You are not the only one that thinks things are too easy after what has happened." "Why haven''t you said anything?" I wiggle out from under him which he finds hrious "Because I wasn''t going to let my mate go out there while she was in raging heat.. And you are also supposed to be keeping a low profile. For now, you are here, with me. Damien and Eric have got things covered. Whatever is going on can be tomorrow''s problems I slump back on the pillows and he coils his arms around me, pulling me against him. Closing my eyes, I hear him groan only to open my eyes and see how his are zed. I look at the clock. It was gone midnight. guess today''s problems were already starting. Chapter 0378 Chapter 0378 Dane "Stay here." I tell Neah, pulling on a shirt "Who is it?" She asks, already climbing out of bed and heading to the closet. "It doesn''t matter. You need to stay here." She carries on pulling on underwear as though I hadn''t said anything. "I was right." She murmurs. "My gut feeling was right." She shimmy''s herself into a pair of jeans. "Is it Cooper?" "No." "Who? Maddie. Did something happen? Has she said something?" "It''s not Maddie. Please will you just stay here until I know more." "Our children are not even in the house." "Athena and Sebastian won''t let anything happen to them." I reassure her. "Do they need to be kept safe? What''s happened? You are not answering my question Dane!" She nts her hands on her hips and stares at me. She was trying to read my mind. I shake my head because I knew what her reaction would be when she found out who was at the gate. "It''s ir." She stops what she''s doing to stare at me. ''Three, two....'' Aero starts counting down, preparing for Neah to snap. Instead, she sinks into therge chair, her soft blue eyes hovering on me. "Why is she here?" "I don''t know, but will you please stay here? Just until I know what she wants. Besides, you are supposed to be staying in the house." She doesn''t answer me. "Neah?" She puffs out her cheeks, "I will stay." I grab my jacket and kiss Neah before leaving. Whether she would actually stay put was another thing. Down at the gate, Damien is staring at ir while Ryken is asking her questions. The blonde with her was sitting on the ground, leaning against ir''s legs, half asleep, clutching an old backpack. "I was expecting Neah." ir mutters. "Well you have me." I snap. "Why are you here?" Her brown eyes dance between us as she tries toe up with a response. She tugs her sweatshirt tighter as though it was going to protect her. "Well?" "I don''t know." She looked genuinely unsure. "I could have left. I wanted to leave. I was ready to go. All I had to do was turn right." I see Ryken roll his eyes. I''m guessing he has heard a simr story before. "Then I decided toe here or maybe it wasn''t my choice." "Why?" "Would you believe me if I said I''m still trying to figure that out. I''m probably going to die here. I deserve it." She puffs out her cheeks just like Neah does when she is contemting something. She screws her face up. "I think Neah was right." "Are you fucking shitting me?" Ryken scoffs. "Your mother and I told you that for years. You go and lose your Lycan and suddenly you have seen the light. Maybe we should have packed you off to this prick years ago." "Hey!" I snap. "There is no need to wish this on someone." As much as I despised ir, no one deserved to lose their beast. Death, yes, but this was just pointless. ir gestures to Samara who is snoring. "She helped me understand a lot." She returns her gaze to Ryken. "I made some mistakes." "Mistakes?" "Alright. I made some big fucking cock ups. Is that what you want to hear? I learned to survive and thrive from it. I made money. Got myself a home. I lived a life that I thought I loved. And now I am no one, happy?!" Ryken takes a few steps away. I''m not sure if he was trying the tough love act as a father figure, but I knew he wasn''t helping. "You tried hunting down my mate and also slowly sent my brother over the edge in the process." "So he is dead?" She asks, rocking on her heels as she keeps her gaze off of mine. "I didn''t feel it, but I thought as much." "Fucker tried to pull off something that hasn''t been done before. He didn''t survive it." Damien growls. "But you, you made him into something else." She raises her brown eyes to me. "I did like him. I fell for him and let him mark me and then...." She shakes her head and her hood falls down, revealing her short hair. She quickly hikes the hood back up and pulls it down around her face. "I''m sorry. I dragged him into my mess, preyed on his need to get revenge. You''re right, I screwed him up, because that is what I do. I have always worked alone. That was why I was known as a Lone Wolf. Ironic when I wasn''t even a Wolf." "Why are you telling me this?" I demand. "Do you think I''m going to wee you with open arms? Let you stay in the pack? I could give you a list as long as my arm for everyone who wants you dead. Me included." "Right." She bobs her head. "I told you because can''t hide it. Because your Hunter will know the moment he sees me if I am lying, that''s if he doesn''t kill me first, I screwed with his life too." She frowns and takes a deep breath. "My name is ir Everwood. I was never a Kitson, nor will I ever be one. I am not a Lycan anymore, nor am I or will I ever be a female Alpha." Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She focuses on me." But I am scared." "You''re scared?" Damien asks with a tilted head "You, the one who ughtered Salem. The one who killed a pregnant Lycan and then stole their pup." She nods. "We have all killed people, but I am scared, because I think I''m about to be responsible for the downfall of hundreds." My eyes flicker over the possible hiding ces, maybe she was lying and someone was waiting, or maybe she was telling the truth. "Bind them both." I tell Damien and Ryken. "Put her in the dungeon," I point at Samara, "And bring ir with us." Samara squeaks as she is hauled to her feet by Ryken. Big dark circles sat under her eyes. She seemed confused and she didn''t protest immediately. I don''t know how much she had heard, but it would be better to split them up. Make sure their stories are the same. Content A belongs to NovelDrama.Org "No, please, don''t." Samara begs Ryken. He binds her hands together and throws her over his shoulder like it was nothing and carries her away. "Don''t hurt her." ir pleads. "Then let''s hope for her sake that she speaks the truth." "Where are you taking me?" ir asks as Damien marches her across the grounds. Thankfully it was quiet but she still got a few stares. It wouldn''t be long until everyone knew she was here. Damien pushes her onto the chair and reties her wrists to the wooden arms. Her breathing is heavy and she screws her face up while twisting to one side. "What''s wrong with you?" "It''s called a stitch." She mutters. "Sammie said it''s part of being Human." "You trust her?" Damien asks "She helped me." ir frowns ¡°Funny that, isn''t it. She just happens to be just like you and she is the first person you ran into when you escaped.¡± Her frown deepens to a scowl. "She has been nothing but kind to me. I never asked for it. I never wanted it." "Yet she talked you intoing back here." Chapter 0379 Chapter 0379 ir I stare at the Lycan in shock. ¡°No, you are wrong. You think you know something and you don''t. You don''t know her. You haven''t even given her a chance!" I defend Sammie. "Can I tell her?" Damien asks Dane. His dark eyes lighting up. "I think we should wait for Brax." Dane replies with a shrug of his shoulders. My spine stiffens on its own ord and my body is immediately filled with dread. It would be him, Abraxas Adler. He would take the shot, I still didn''t understand why he hadn''t when he came to my house. There''s an ufortable knot in my stomach that I cannot force down. One that wants me to flee, to escape the uncertainty. Fucking Human traits. ¡°Just talk to her.¡± I plead. Sammie would hate being locked away, especially after five years of freedom. "I''m not interested in what she has to say, not just yet." Dane tells me I drop my gaze, there was no way I could overthrow these guys. I may have stood a chance once, but not anymore. And it seems like talking to them is bing a pointless task. But I had to try. I had to make them see that I was no longer a threat. I clear my throat. "Why do you think that she talked me intoing back here?" "Because that''s exactly what she did." I hear his deep voice from behind and then feel something pressing into the back of my head. I close my eyes and count, waiting. Would I even hear the sound or would I already be dead? "Brax, put the gun down." Dane tells him. It''s removed from my skull, but I continue to hold my breath. He didn''t have to obey Dane. Hunters didn''t work for anyone unless they chose too. So there was still a good chance he could blow my brains out at any second. "Speak." Dane tells me. He stares at me and all I could wonder was how Neah liked them, his crimson eyes gave me the creeps. "About what? I told them everything when they came to the house." "Neah said that Samara was answering most of the questions." He tells me "Because I had already told her everything. Sammie has a better way of getting things heard. Especially when there was a good chance I was going to be killed, given what I have done in the past!" "But that''s not like you ir, is it?" Brax sneers. "You have always been one that likes to be heard. Or to have the lost word." I bite my tongue, "Things change." I whisper. "You have got this wrong." "Nah, you have." Brax grabs my chair and spins me around to face him. "You know that I see things. I couldn''t quite work her out. There''s some truth in her words. And she words things carefully.. She has a front, a very good front, something that she has probably been working on for a long time. But she doesn''t have a scent." "Neither do I." I snap "You do," he tilts his head to one side. I know what he is doing. I''ve seen him do it before when he is trying to see deeper into the soubetN?velDrama.Org is the owner. swallow the lump in my throat, beads of sweat appear on my hairline. Being nervous was a new feeling too. I think I hate this more than I have ever hated anything. "You smell like a Human, body odour and all. Whereas she has no scent. That''s why she wants to stay with you. Your scent is weak, but it still can attach itself to someone else. She needed it to rub off on her." "W..what? No, she had her Lycan taken away just like I did." The Hunter shakes his head at me, "Nope." "You''re lying." He smirks and shakes his head again. "I am not. You should know me better than that, ir." "No one ispletely scentless." I scoff "That is where you are wrong." He nces up behind me, like he is waiting for some sort of confirmation. "You passed two burnt out cars on your way here, correct." I nod, "The first looked like the one you and Neah left in." "The assholes driving the second car ? 78 had no scent, nothing, just like your friend in the dungeon. The problem is, they Were Wolves. It seems somehow that they have been given something topletely conceal their scents. Just like your blonde friend." Chapter 0380 Chapter 0380 I try looking over my shoulder at Dane. "He''s bullshitting me, right. This is just some twisted mind game to get back at me before you kill me, right?" "No." I turn back to re at Abraxas. "Then how were you not able to tell she was a Lycan when we first came here. I call bullshit." "I''m still trying to figure that out. She covered her scent and somehow she concealed her true identity. But now, it''s wearing off. And she is trapped in the dungeons." Brax smirks at me. "In fact I have bets that she either wants Cooper to herself or she is the one running the shit show." I shake my head. It had to be a trap, some kind of trick. To lure me back here, but they still hadn''t killed me. I knew tricks, I had operated a fair few and I promised myself that after Cooper no one else would seed. Someone was lying and it wasn''t me. "She took me in." I whisper. "She can''t be a Lycan. She told me what happened to her. She has evidence." "Part of the trap." He shrugs his shoulders. "And you fell for it, big time." "So what if she did. Why do you care? You could have just told me to go fuck myself." "Because like you said, you brought her here and now she is our problem." I sit in stunned silence, they had to be wrong. She told me how she escaped. She told me all the things that were done to her. She showed me her box of stuff, the gown, the empty drip bag. What she did to escape. "And the viin falls." Abraxasughs as he spins my chair back around to make me face Dane. Dane watches me with his jaw clenched. His crimson eyes locked on to mine. It was impossible for me to tell how he was going to react, but the waiting is killing me. "Go and get Neah." He mutters to Damien. I keep my focus on Dane as Damien brushes by me. Minutes go by and no one has said anything. Eventually, two sets of footsteps make their way into the office behind me. Neah walks around to the other side of the desk, sitting in therge chair, partially hidden by Dane. "I know you don''t want to listen to me." I start The only blue eye I can see focusses on me. ¡°Everyone leave." Neah demands Handsnd on my shoulders, making me jump. "Looks like you are getting exactly what you want." I pick at the material on the edge of the chair''s arm. My arms were still bound to it and the more the nerves set in, the more I looked for something to do to help calm the nerves. The picking of material helped. The door closes behind the men and Neah doesn''t say anything. I''m not sure if she is waiting for me to talk first or deciding how to proceed. "Could I.... could I get some water?" I ask quietly "Would you have killed me?" She asks "Possibly." I whisper. The truth, I tell myself, nothing but the truth. "Did you want Dane too? You wanted to be Alpha, that would mean being his mate." "No. It was never about him. I wanted the Lycans. I wanted the Lycans to rise, to be better than the Wolves," I snort, "To be better than Humans." "Wanted?" "It was a mistake. I know that, it just took losing everything for me to finally see it. And I will keep saying it until you either kill me or belive me. ws edge out the tip of her fingers. She flexes her hands and the ws disappear. I needed to choose my words more carefully. "I told Dane that I had a chance to...." "I heard. You should have left and taken Samara with you." "You believe Abraxas?" "I was the one who suggested it to him. She reminded me of someone from my past. Doing all the talking, trying to control the situation, I would say you were about three days away from being turned-into a punching bag. I stopped Brax from Kibing you so that I could get more answers." "Samara isn''t... Is she still alive?" "For now." "Are you going to kill her?" "Soon."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I take a deep breath. "Why haven''t you killed me?" Chapter 0381 Chapter 0381 ? Neah It was weird to hear her pleading with me. I had heard it a little bit at her house. Yet now she is full of desperation, a million miles away from how she introduced herself to me. Maybe because she''s surprised to learn the truth about her friend. Maybe because she genuinely meant it. ''We could just kill her.'' Nyx grins gleefully. ''She keeps asking. And she was prepared to destroy our life. It only seems fair.'' ir drops her gaze when I don''t answer her question. "I get it, you''re torturing me. Never letting me know when the final blow is going toe so I live in fear, waiting." She rocks in her chair. "It''s a weird feeling, fear.¡±Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "You get used to it." I mutter back. It was a lie, you never get used to it. She mulls over my words, "Jenson told me everything that happened to you, before Dane? "I told you too, well some of it, but it didn''t change anything, did it?! Even when you learned how bad things were for me, it didn''t change how you felt. It didn''t change what you thought I deserved or what you deserved. Only now, when you have lost your identity, you im to have changed." She knew everything and yet she had still been prepared to ruin my life when she barely knew me. A half sister and she didn''t even bother wanting to get to know me. Her eyes flick up to me. "You are the Alpha." Nyx snorts, ''How can she be acting like she didn''t know? That was her goal.'' "I.." She pauses for several heartbeats. "It''s a bitter pill to swallow. But what I have learned is that I am not the person I once was. Everything hurts. Everything is different. I''m not who I was and I know you don''t believe that." "You''re right, I don''t." She sighs. "Maybe this was always the n for me. You know, payback for the trouble I have caused and inflicted. Maybe this is punishment for Jenson. For you, for everything." Sheughs to herself and shakes her head. "There is always someone worse." They had both said that. ir and Samara. "Who has said that to you?" "Cooper." She mutters. "The night he took me, maybe after. I think he was making a point, because he had outsmarted me. Though it seems it''s not hard to do that anymore." Her brows knit together. "You can link him, right?" I stare back at her, trying to decide if it''s worth telling her what I know. "Because he is a Lycan?" She continues. "You can link all Lycans. I heard it when you asked everyone toe here. So you must be able to link him and Samara if she is really a Lycan." ''Don''t tell her, she doesn''t need to know.'' Nyx murmursBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "Unless you can''t." ir mutters, "But that would be impossible. I can hear you, I know Damien can and Mallory must have linked you. My mother and step father heard your request." "I had a connection to Cooper. I check everyone when they arrive here." I tell her and Nyx groans. "But the connection seems to have evaporated. There isn''t one for Samara either. Brax thinks they are working with a Witch. A powerful one that is able to sever the connection to me." "Witches won''t work with Lycan''s. They will work with Wolves but not Lycans." ir tells me. "Look, I may not be of use in the physical sense, not anymore, but I still have a lot of knowledge about Lycans. Knowledge that you might now have." "A Witch worked with our father." I mutter "Don''t...." She starts as her eyes hover on mine. A small crinkle appears on her forehead. "You were bound as a child." "Which could only be done by the help of a strong Witch because I already had my Lycan. Think about it, ir. Cooper has the ability to take people''s Wolves and Lycans away He has been able to give Wolves something topletely hide their scent. Samara was able to conceal her identity." ''Tread carefully.'' Nyx warns. ''I am.'' "I never saw any Witches in the prison. At least I don''t think so. I wouldn''t be able to tell even if there were." She shrugs her shoulders at me. "But there were women, ''nurses'' Cooper called them. They weren''t. They would bring food, water change the drip bags and escort you to the showers. They never spoke and they always looked as if they were in some kind of trance. On autopilot." Chapter 0382 Chapter 0382 "Wolves and Lycans?" "I don''t know. I can''t tell anymore. They could be like me for all I know. People he has punished." She was cooperating a little too well. She could be telling the truth or she could be buying time. What if Cooper had given her something as well so that she could mask her identity? ''Damien.'' I link him. I knew he wasn''t far away. ''Come and take her to the dungeons and bring me Samara.'' Damien appears and doesn''t say anything. He unbinds ir from the chair but quickly ties her hands back together. "Where are we going? Where are you taking me?" She demands "For a walk." "Are you going to kill me?" "I guess you will find out." He winks at me as he forces her from the office. I blow out my cheeks when I''m alone. It doesn''t get easier. The desire to kill her on the spot is so tempting. To cut her open and watch her intestines fall out is a picture I can''t get out of my head. ''Well?'' I mutter to Nyx while we wait.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ''I am as unsure as you are. She is sharing, but it could be intentional. We should have kept Brax here.'' ''Brax has probably gone to see Maddie.'' "Please don''t...please...I''ve done nothing wrong." Samara''s voice scratches at my ear drums as Damien tells her to be quiet. "Just move." Damien snaps. "I''ve done nothing. Why does know one believe me? I told Neah what I know. This is cruel." He pushes the office door open and her mouth closes the moment she sees me. Her hands are bound just like ir''s, though she looked a little rougher, maybe she had been tossed around a bit. He tries to put her in the chair but she fights back against him. Damienughs, pressing both hands on her shoulders and forcing her down. One by one, he binds her wrists to the chair as she growls at him. Her scent was definitely making aeback and still, there is no connection to her. Her grey eyes lock on mine. "Why are you doing this? We haven''t done anything." "No?" "We came here to tell you about Cooper so why are you treating us like this?" Was she unaware that we could scent her? She had to be or she wouldn''t keep up this act. Damien rolls his eyes at her. "What did you hope to achieve by telling me about him?" "That you would do something about him. He can''t be allowed to get away with it. We don''t deserve this. We don''t deserve to lose our Lycans!" Nyxughs, ''She really has no clue we can scent her, does she!'' ''Maybe not, but if we can scent her, there is a good chance she can shift.'' I reply. ''Those ropes won''t keep her in that chair.'' "ir showed you where our pack was?" ? "Yes. She told me you are her half sister. Lcouldn''t believe my luck that you are the Alpha. I''ve been trying to find ways to bring Cooper down for years." "It does sound like you are lucky." The intensity of my need to kill was growing by the second. "You were hidden for so long." She mutters, avoiding eye contact. "I wasn''t hiding." "I didn''t mean it like that." She shakes her head, trying to get the blonde strand to move off of her face. "I mean you were hidden away for so long and then this happened to me and then I had no way of finding you, not until ir." Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org "And it just so happened that ir is my half sister." Hearing myself call ir my half sister out loud made my insides crawl "Right! Pure luck." She smiles "Not a setup at all." I watch the colour drain from her skin. "I don''t know what you are talking about. How can it be a setup? Why would I give up losing my Lycan?" ''She keeps ying the same tune.'' Nyx growls Damien watches me from behind Samara. Maybe he knew I was seconds away from ripping outher we heart. But maybe, just mound could use her to lure out Cooper. Chapter 0383 Chapter 0383 Abraxas Madison is asleep when I get to the hospital. She had been in and out of sleep for thest couple of days, well, mostly asleep. us insisted she just needed longer to heal and it was her body''s way of making it happen. It just feels unnatural, having to wait this long for someone to heal. The others had it handled with ir and Samara, if they needed me, they would know where to find me. I sit by Madison''s head. Her face is scrunched up like she is in some sort of pain. Her knees are tucked up to her chest and she lets out tiny whimpers as her fingers twitch at the pillows. She wasn''t in pain though, every time she slept, she relived what happened. I had managed to get bits of information in the short slots of time she was awake. Cooper had taken her. He had guided her towards the edge of the pack forest. Then pinned her down and thankfully she put up a fight. She might not have done so a few months ago. He still managed to inject her with something. She had told me her body became heavy and felt like she was losing control. He took her to a building and beat her until she was ck and blue. Those bruises, still evident on her body. She didn''t remember everything. She said it was fuzzy but he did tell her it was all because he saw her with me. He told her that she was broken. That a Lycan shouldn''t be with a Hunter and that he was going to fix her. That she was being punished for her actions. He had chosen her, not me and that makes me think he''s far weaker than he makes out. He wasn''t wrong about our kind being together, but to do this to her, it was disgusting. I shake my head, I was already nning to skin him alive. Slowly and with a very blunt tool. uses into the room with a new IV bag and I push all the dark thoughts from my head. There was plenty of time to daydream. "Still asleep?" He asks. There was definitely no way he would make it as a Hunter. I gesture to her, because it was pretty obvious. "It''s a good sign. It means her brain is giving her body the best chance He changes over the bag of fluids. "She just needs time." Conds. belongs to NovelDrama.Org "She will never be the same, will she." I state "Are you mad at her?" I shake my head. I couldn''t be mad at her. Though this should never have happened. Madison moans and stretches out. ??? Her chestnut eyes peek out from under her lids, until everything falls. into focus, She stares at me, her chestnut eyes full of sadness and pain. Her fingers move to her face, just like they did everytime she woke. Feeling for the stitches and making sure it wasn''t just a dream. She winces as she touches them and her eyes be watery. "I made it?" "Yes." She asked the same thing each time she woke too. Looking for confirmation she was safe. It had be her little routine. Reaching for my hand, her fingers curl tightly around mine and she tugs me towards the bed, just like yesterday.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. "I will leave you to it." us takes the empty bag with him as I settle on the bed next to Madison. She buries herself into my chest, n snuggling in as far as she could. Within minutes she is asleep again Her chest rises and falls against mine in a continuous rhythm. Her lips part as her body rxes, but her fingers remain in ce, clinging to me and preventing me from leaving. I sniff her hair, hoping for some sign of her jasmine scent but there is still nothing. She smells just like any other Human. Chapter 0384 Chapter 0384 I stay for a few hours, just watching her breathe. Every now and again she would do like a double breath and a tear would leak from her right eye. It was always her right. I wiped away each and every one as I tried to figure out what I wanted to do. I had unexpectedly be a Lycan''s safe person. If my parents were alive, they would be roasting me.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Dane knocks on the door and Madison stirs a little but doesn''t wake. "How is she doing?" "Her soul has more cracks than yesterday," I mutter. "She already had some issues that she was working through." "You told me that if they connect, it will tear her apart. Is that close to happening?" "If more keep appearing." Ib my fingers through her red waves. "And I don''t know if there is a way to reverse the shit this prick has pulled." He frowns. "I need you to do me a favour." "Another one." I cock my brow at him, "I feel like I have done more than enough for you." "Samara is being taken to Neah." He tells me "And you''re here?" "She doesn''t want me there." "And what''s that got to do with me?" Madison presses herself into me and I squeeze her a little tighter. "ir is in the dungeons." "You want me to kill her? I will be more than happy too, I''ve been waiting for this for a long time." "No." He pauses. "Out of curiosity, why haven''t you just killed her?" "Neah asked me not to." "Thought you didn''t listen to Lycans." "Normally, wouldn''t, but she has her reasons and oddly, I respect them. She isn''t like any other Lycan. She sees more than most. She listens. She doesn''t piss me off." | give him a sarcastic grin. "What do you mean ''she sees more than most?"" I shrug my shoulders. "There''s no real exnation for it. Maybe it has something to do with the way she was brought up. Maybe she feels t more settled now she knows who and what she is. I don''t know, but she isn''t a prick and I don''t feel the need to jam a bullet into her head like I do with others." He smiles at me. "Or maybe, you just realise that not all Lycans are assholes." I roll my eyes at him. "Anyway, I was hoping you woulde down to the dungeons with me. I want to ask her some questions and I want to make sure I don''t miss something useful." Madison was probably going to be asleep for a while if thest couple of days were anything to go by. She doesn''t stir as I pull my arm from under her. In fact she appears to be in the deepest sleep ever. I follow Dane across the grounds to the dungeons. ir is sitting in the corner of one cell, her hands bound together. Her legs folded up in front of her. She looked broken. It brought a small piece of happiness tomy cofer heart. "This is it, isn''t it." Her brown eyes flicker up to mine. I still found it uncanny how much they looked alike, though the brown eyes and the shock of short ck hair made them noticeably different. "You must be shitting yourself, waiting for death." I mutter She squeezes her eyes shut. "I''m ready." "He''s not going to kill you." Dane tells her "Yet." I add with a smile, though she doesn''t see it with her eyes screwed tightly shut. I watch her gulp, her fear is more than evident by the way her body is trembling. She was actually fearing for her life. Interesting. Chapter 0385 Chapter 0385 **** This chapter is a free chapter. If you have been charged for this specific chapter please contact Goodnovel as it is out of my control.**** Hey everyone, hope you are all well. Just to let you all know there will be no update tomorrow 6th June but I will be back on the 7th. I just want to add this bit for the people that do not like me putting in these author notes. I do it for all the people that do appreciate it and for the people that want to be kept up to date with chapter releases. I make it as a seperate chapter because if I tag it on to the end of a chapter, you will be charged more, rather than being able to read these notes for free. If you do not wish to read it, you can skip it and read the next chapter when it bes avable. Just look for the little speech bubble next to the chapter number, that is the sign it is a free chapter also known as a message from me.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. For all those that do enjoy being kept up to date, I will continue putting in these chapters so that you know what is happening as I know many of you are eager for the next chapters. As always, thank you for all the l gemsments and reviews See you on the 7th Taylor West Chapter 0386 Chapter 0386 ir My heart races as the two men tower over me, they weren''t in the cell with me and yet it felt like they were taking up all the space. Dane with his strange crimson eyes, watches me as Abraxas talks but I don''t even hear him over the rush of blood that''s happening inside my head. I do nothing but stare back, trying to make sense of his mouth movements, still, nothing sinks in. The more I try, the more my head hurts and my lungs feel like they are working overtime. A panic attack Sammie had called it moments before I agreed to have the drip bag removed from my arm. Abraxas clicks his fingers, "Are you even listening?" I wanted to say no, tell him that his words are not sinking in, but nothing moves. My muscles fail me in every way possible. I was pretty sure I would piss myself if there were any fluids left in my dder. Sammie had said that we have a fight or flight mode embedded in us. It''s only now with no Lycan that I would learn the true meaning of it. But what did it mean when I found myself unable to move or speak to the men who had put me here? fear." I only catch Abraxas''s final word. Somehow and somewhere, it seemed like I had forgotten what he was capable of. I force myself to lower my head and take a few deep breaths. Is this how everyone had felt moments before I killed them? Did they feel like everything was moving in slow motion as they faced their death? Or were they paralysed with fear? The back of my eyes burn as I try to hold in the tears. I was already weak enough without them seeing me in a blubbering mess. Something that I would haveughed at if it were anyone else. The cell door is pulled open and Dane moves towards me. He grabs my elbow and rips me up onto my feet. "What...what are you doing?" I croak. He smiles at me, but it looks forced, or maybe it has a hidden meaning. It''s pointless for me to try and guess, he wouldn''t tell me anyway. A tear breaks free and I wish I was able to wipe it away without them seeing but with my hands still bound together, it''s impossible and instead it runs freely down my cheek. Abraxas brings a chair into my cell and Dane forces me on it. Abraxas holds a cup to my mouth, the cool liquid tickles my lips but I turn my head away. Poison would be a slow death even without my abilities. "It''s just water." He muttersBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. I peer up at his hazel eyes. I couldn''t tell if he was lying or not and I certainly couldn''t smell if there was any poison in the water. My throat is dry, every swallow is like razor des are making their way through my flesh. I hadn''t had a drink in ages and take a chance. Sipping it, I''m relieved. The cold water is the best thing I''ve tasted in hours and it beats that weird tasting juice that Sammie kept giving me She kept insisting that my taste buds needed to adapt too, so drank it, but each and every time pulled a face because of the weird bitter after taste. "I need you to answer some questions." Dane tells me and my eyes move to Abraxas. "He is merely here to make sure that I''m getting the truth from you." My head moves up and down. I wasn''t risking lying to them, not now and that strange knot appears where my stomach should be. "So let''s start with a few trial questions. What is your name?" "ir Everwood." I whisper. But I see the way they look at each other. They were expecting me to say Kitson. "How many siblings do you have?" ¡°Thr...Four.¡± I mutter almost forgetting my new half sibling, she must be five months old by now. "Two half sisters and two half brothers." I confirm "How many people have you killed?" I shrug my shoulders. "An estimate." I frown, keeping count was not something that bothered or interested me. I knew many did, but was paid and counting was pointless. Once the job was done, I moved on to the next client. "Maybe a hundred." Chapter 0387 Chapter 0387 "Why did you sell that toddler to a bunch of Humans?" My eyes flicker to Abraxas. At the time, I felt no guilt about what I did to his daughter, it was purely payback. I had no problem tormenting someone in that way. It was just something that needed to be done. Now... Now I could see the cruelty of it. I had killed a mother and her unborn pup in the process and she wasn''t the first. I had taken a child without a second thought and gave her to the most vile creatures on Earth. Humans. ¡°Because I am a bitch." I whisper. I had be so cruel and not once had I stopped to think about it until now. I nod at them both. "I more than deserve to die. All I want to know is when." Dane looks over his shoulder at Abraxas who nods his head "Neah will make that call." Dane tells me, "Though personally, I would like my Wolves to hunt you." Being ripped apart while I was still breathing was not something to look forward to. I was starting to wish that there was poison in the cup. Dane squats down in front of me. "I want you to draw out any little bit of information you can from Samara." I still couldn''t believe she had set me up. Everything she said and did, made me think she was being truthful, but I could see it now, after everything Neah had said to me, I could see that Sammie was nothing more than a liar. "I will try." "You will more than try. Your life depends on it." Abraxas sneers ¡°Right." I lower my gaze. "And if I don''t.¡± "I think you know the answer to that." Abraxas tells me "So you will kill me if I don''t do it and you still might kill me if I do dig out information." "Correct." Abraxas smiles at me. "d you understand." Dane unbinds my hands and pulls a protein bar out from his pocket. "Eat. If you are going to do this, I can''t have you starving to death." His tone is hollow. I don''t think he would actually care if I were to starve. I was his game piece and for now, that means I get to live. He takes it out of the wrapper and gives it to me. "Move." I stand up and he takes the chair out of the cell. Abraxas swings the door closed and turns the lock. I take a tiny bite of the protein bar and stash the rest in my pocket. Who knows if I was going to get something to eat again. "Wait, what do you want me to find out?" UMS "Use your brain." Abraxas smirks. "You''ve done this shit before, shouldn''t be too hard for you to figure it out." I''m shut in the dark. It was shocking to realise how blind Humans were when it came to the dark. Sammie had been letting me sleep with the light on, just to give me some comfort. And the night we left el were street lights illuminating the read, but here, I could barely see my fingers in front of my face. The door to the dungeons eventually opens, bringing rays of sunshine that briefly light up the dungeon. I¨¨ see Sammie before I see Damien Her hands are bound, just like mine were Damien''s dark eyes find mine and narrow. He pushes Sammie into the cell opposite mine. She keeps her head down, but I could see that she had been crying. Fake tears? I wasn''t sure. I knew that I had never seen her fully cry. As he locks her cell, Sammie slides down the wall to the floor. I still couldn''t see how she might be a Lycan, but Neah said they could smell her. "Are you okay?" I ask quietly when Damien leaves. He had left the light on, was that for my benefit? "We have to get out of here, ir! You were right, we shouldn''t havee here." "What did Neah say to you? "She was asking me about Cooper. I told her what I know but, I don''t think she cares. I thought she was supposed to be a great Alpha." "I guess she is just being cautious." I sigh "You weren''t in there for as long as I was." She stares into herp as she talks. ¡°Maybe she just doesn''t want to listen to me.¡± I mutter with a frown. ¡°Maybe she thought you might know more. I guess now, we just wait.¡± "Screw that, I''m finding a way out of here."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapter 0388 Chapter 0388 us Tying my hair up, I grab the clipboard to check the stock of medicine. Raven had always kept a thorough check of everything and if anything was running low, she would have Dane order in some. I felt like it was something I could do to keep her memory alive. Being the new pack doctor was not in my ns, but I guess, out of everyone that Raven trained, I was the next best thing and the pack needed a doctor, especially with the amount of Wolves and Lycans here now.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Checking everything off, I make a list. I had used a lot of supplies with Mallory''s gun wound and now Maddie. I hear the front door swing open and close, sticking my head around the corner, I see no one. I smell no one else. It must have been the wind. I was used to being alone, but somehow this ce just made me feel more lonely. Grabbing a fresh IV bag, I head to Maddie''s room, only to find her bed empty. "Maddie?" I call out, maybe she had woken and was using the bathroom. "MADISON?" It''s deathly silent and for a brief moment, I wonder if it''s her that went through the front door. That was until I heard the small moan. Pulling open the bathroom door, she scares the shit out of me. She''s passed out, with her face pressed against the side of the toilet, a smear of blood against the porcin. Rolling her over, I see she has managed to rip some of her stitches. Brax is going to kill me at this rate, it wasn''t the first time she had done it andst time he had threatened to cut my dick off. Lifting her from the floor, I carry her back to bed and set up a new IV, clean up her wound and restitch her face, hopefully Brax wouldn''t notice. As I finish, she mutters Cooper''s name. The guy that did this to her. It was worse than cruel. I thought being bound was bad enough. Then to learn that Neah was bound four times was just sickening, but this was.... There wasn''t really a word to describe it. Though he definitely deserved to rot. Maddie starts to cough and rolls on to her side, reaching for the jug of water. "I''ve got it." I rush around the side of the bed before she knocks it over. I fill the cup and pop in a straw for her. Helping her to sit up, she lets out a groan as her deep chestnut eyes find mine. "Where''s Brax?" Her wordse out in a croak. "He just had to go and help Dane, he will be back in a little bit." "I''m safe?" "Yes." "I made it?" "Yes." She nods and slurps on the straw. She was an odd person. Or was. To be a Lycan and yet not be able to ???? shift. I hadn''t had time to do any research but I knew she thought it was because her captors drugging her with somethineer Though, from what I had learned in thest couple of years, thad a feeling it was not the truth. Maddie closes her eyes, "I have a message." "A message?" "Cooper said that I am the message." "You are the message?" I repeat and she sort of nods her head at me andzily brushes her red hair out of her face. "Where''s Brax?" She asks again, her chestnuts peeking out of her sleepy eyes. ¡°He will be back soon." I reassure her. ¡°Is there anything I can get you?" She to concher head. "I ran. I ran as fast SI could." Her fingers move lingered. "Why am I not healing?" I was sure Brax had already told her. Though it was starting to sound like her memory had been affected. "Cooper took away your Lycan abilities. Do you remember that?" She frowns at me as her lips part a little. Slowly she nods her head but then it turns into a shake. "You can''t heal anymore, Madison." "You''re wrong." She snaps in defence. ¡°I can heal, I''ve always been able to heal.¡±. I lift her arm to show her the purple bruises that painted her skin. "You have been here for almost four days." She rotates her arm and shifts her gaze tover other arm which is just away. I ran. I ran here own veget as bad. "He pinned me o belongs to NovelDrama.Org It sounded more like she was trying to convince herself. Chapter 0389 Chapter 0389 "Damien found you just outside the gates." I confirm Tears creep out the corner of her eyes. "Get some rest, Dane and Brax will probably want to ask more questions." Lying back, her eyes close and I step out of the room. Sitting behind the small nurses station, I wait for Dane. I had already alerted him and when he arrives, Brax is right behind him. "She spoke to you?" Dane queries "Yes. Though she didn''t say much that''s different from her previous conversations. She said she had a message and that she is the message but I get the impression she doesn''t remember everything." "She is the message?" He asks "A warning." Brax mutters. "So he is telling us how easy it was for him to do that to one Lycan, and how easy it would be to do it again?" His hazel eyesnd on mine. "Is she still awake?" "No. And I might as well tell you now that she got out of bed when I was doing a stock check. I found her in the bathroom and she had ripped her stitches. I''ve fixed her up, no harm done." "No harm done?" He res at me. We had been getting on fairly well until he learned of my background, now it seems that anything I do or say tends to rub him up the wrong way. "She is fine, us has confirmed that." Dane res at him. He turns to me. "How much longer do you think it will be before we can have a proper conversation with her?" "Normally I would be able to answer that, but I''ve never dealt with anyone in this state. It could be days, it could be weeks." Brax starts pacing while rubbing his temples. "We need more information on this Cooper guy!" "Do you think you are the only one to think that?" Dane mocks him "Neah can''t link him?" I frown. "No, somehow, he has no ties to her." Dane tells meBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Are you sure he is a Lycan?" It was a long shot, but I throw it out anyway. I was trying to add the pieces together and it was one of the things I could actuallye up with. Both men stop to stare at me. "Of course he is, I could smell him when he was here. ir said she could scent him the night he took her." Brax tells me. "But didn''t you say that Samara completely masked her scent to the point you couldn''t scent her." I reply and he scowls at me. He didn''t like feeling outsmarted, he had told me that himself when we went out looking for answers for Neah. I ignore him and continue to speak to Dane. "So what if he has found a way to trick the mind,pletely?" Dane nods at me. "We did think Neah was just a bound Wolf. But Neah has confirmed there was a link to him before all this shit went down and now, it''s gone." "Think about it, what do we know? We know that Cooper has somehow managed to take Maddies Lycan abilities away and irs. We knowet he convinced ir that he was her mate We know Samara was able to conceal her scent to the point we thought she was Human, ts she a Lycan or a Wolf?" "A Lycan." "So she achieved something that is unheard of and we know that Cooper probably helped her achieve that. So what''s to say that he hasn''t figured out how to make his scent smell like something else? And also figured out a way to make Neah believe there was a link to him. For a moment I was thinking Witch, but what if he is part Witch? Or maybe a powerful Witch? He likes to punish Wolves and Lycans, it almost makes sense." Dane grins while Brax looks like he has just chewed a wasp. He liked figuring things out and seeing what we couldn''t see, but maybe that was the problem, he needed to use his brain more rather than rely on what his senses tell him. Dane grabs my shoulder. "Come with me, I will call one of the nurses to take over here." "Are you sure, Maddie is still out of it." "I will stay." Brax mutters through gritted teeth. I tell him that I''ve just changed her IV bag and that nothing else needs doing other than monitoring her. He gives me a sharp nod and disappears into her room, though I''m pretty sure I have just be his new target. Chapter 0390 Chapter 0390 Neah ¡°What you are saying sounds like a fantasy.¡± I shake my head, trying to make sense of us''s words. "There was a time when none of us believed in Lycans either." He gestures to the window where I could see Lycans training. Damien had ordered them to up their skills in order to protect me. "We havee to learn a lot since then." "He''s right." Dane tells me. "Can you remember what happened when a Lycan walked out of that forest, directly over there. You hid and we ripped it apart because none of us knew what it was." ''He''s right.'' Nyx mutters. ''How do you know? You weren''t even here!'' ''I have ess to your memories.'' She huffs "So you think he''s a Witch, and that he isn''t working with a Witch?" I ask, the only one I had ever met was Madame Curie and she was no longer with us. But she was also not anything like this. Dane nods, "Witchese in all forms. They are not uniform like Lycans or Wolves or so I''ve been told. They all have different strengths, abilities and they are really fucking hard to find. Some, like Madame Curie, will work for Wolves, but only for a price. Others, well others think they are a level above the rest. I don''t know how when there are so few of them." "ir said they don''t work with Lycans, but Samara is a Lycan." I was trying so hard to make it make sense, but it felt like there was still a huge piece of the puzzle missing. Something that none of us were seeing. "Did Brax screw over any Witches, is that why Cooper is doing this?" I ask "I asked." Dane tells me. "He said he doesn''t deal with Witches, they are of no interest to him, until now." "Because of Maddie?" He nods. "He''s with Maddie at the hospital, right now." us adds. "She''s gradually bing more lucid. Maybe when she is ready, we will get more answers." I nod as I rock my body back and forth. Evrin continues to cling to me like he had done for most of the morning. Almost like he knew something was wrong. Dane offers to take him but Evrin just hugs me tighter. "So he is a Witch that somehow faked being a Lycan, and someone that is also strong enough to create a link with me?" "I know it sounds a bit far fetched." us nods, "But it makes sense." ''No,'' Nyx mutters, ''No it fucking doesn''t.'' "What''s our next step?" I ask, keeping mine and Nyx''s thoughts to myself. "We need Samara to break." Dane says as he leans over the side of the cot to check on a sleeping Logan. "She didn''t even realise I could scent her." I reply, "She carried on, continuing her story about what Cooper did to her even as her scent unravelled. I was waiting for her to shift, but she just continued acting like a victim, like we were the ones in the wrong for having her tied up." ¡°ir is going to try and get the information out of her." Dane tells me ''Why?'' Nyx mutters in my head "Why would she do that?" I ask. "I asked her. And because she feels just as screwed over by learning the truth about Samara. I don''t think she is necessarily doing it to help us, but instead to satisfy her own anger at being tricked. She still knows that there is a chance she will die either way, and she still epted my request." Dane''s crimson eyes hover on me. "I thought you might have killed her." "I thought about it, but with all that is going on, I figured we could use her as a resource. To do that though, we will need to feed and water her. Bring her out once a day so she can tell us whatever Samara is up to." "If we bring her out, we will need to bring Samara out too. She will know something is up otherwise." us adds. "It seems like Cooper has an attachment to Samara, am I right?" "Possibly" I sigh, "or it might be the other way around and Brax thinks there is a good chance that Samara is running the show." I could see the way Dane was looking at me. He had been a little iffy about us since the car ident but now, I hope he will feel a little better with us sharing this information. He could have just kept it to himself, just as he could have Kept the news of him being born a Hunter to himself, but he didn''t. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 0391 Chapter 0391 I continue rocking on the spot until I could feel Evrin''s grip rxing, he was finally falling asleep after barely sleepingst night. "So we just wait?" I ask quietly. "Yes." Dane nods. "Though I would still prefer for you to stay inside. I do not need Cooper getting his hands on you." I smile, "I will just kill him." "You won''t be able to if he drugs you first." ***** "Let me take him, you are exhausted." Dane peels a crying Evrin out of my arms. It''s almost three in the morning and he hasn''t stopped since the sun went down. Nothing soothed him. He is clingy yet doesn''t want to be touched. He couldn''t even stand to be next to his twin. Thankfully, Logan is still fast asleep in the nursery and we had brought Evrin into our room to keep it that way. "Do you think he is ill?" I was on the brink of crying. It''s heartbreaking when you can''t even help your own child. It''s even worse because I could feel his pain. I just didn''t know where that pain wasing from. Dane shakes his head at me. "He ate, his nappy was full when I changed him. He doesn''t have a temperature." He walks back and forth, crading our son like he was a newborn. "I''ve linked us toe and take a look at him." "You do think there is something wrong?" My tone is full of worry. I wish it wasn''t, but I couldn''t help it. "No, but I know you do, so us ising and he can reassure you." He continues to move back and forth but Evrin is relentless. And when I hear that knock on the door, relief floods through my body. us thoroughly examines my son, and eventually shakes his head at Dane. "Something has to be wrong." I snap, pulling Evrin into my arms. "Physically, he is sound." us sighs. "He has no temperature, no problems with his joints, no swelling anywhere. I''m sorry, Neah, but whatever this is, it''s not medical. How long has he been crying?" "Almost six hours." Dane replies. "And he hasn''t cried himself to sleep?" us queries Dane shakes his head and presses his lips into a thin line. He would be lying if he said he wasn''t concerned. "What about Brax?" I ask impatiently, "Maybe he can see something?" "Go find him!" Dane orders us. "No need, I''m right here." Brax saunters into the room in nothing but a pair of grey joggers. "I was doing somete night training, I''ve been listening to the kid cry for h....." He stops and stares at my crying son. A frown slowly creeps onto his face. "He''s the youngest one, right?" "Yes." "Interesting. Remind me, how old you were when you first shifted?" "I think they said a few days but then I was bound.¡± Dane holds a hand up, "Are you saying he is trying to shift?" "That''s exactly what I''m saying.¡± He steps towards me. "His bones are trying to crack, the crying is covering the sound. I''m sure you can remember how painful it was to shift after you were released from your binding? That''s what he is feeling, constant pain as his Lycan tries to push forward." His hazel eyes flick up to mine. "He''s scared." "Scared?" us asks Brax nods. "I believe so. He''s trying to hold it in." "You have to show him Neah." Dane tells me as Evrins cries continue. He turns to us and Brax. "Leave us." Evrin squirms and cries as I hand him back to Dane. I wait for Brax and us to leave and start taking off my clothes. I wasn''t ruining anymore ''Are we really doing this?'' Nyx muttersBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ''I will do anything if it helps our son." e I close my eyes and let my Lycane forward, Feeling every bone crack as they change position. Tufts of hair sprout along my skin as ws pierce the tips of my fingers. I open my eyes as my body completes the transformation to see Evrin staring at me in silence. The first silence in hours. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org His blue eyes are wide as he sits with his back against Dane''s chest, propped up by one of Dane''s arms. I was fully expecting him to scream, but instead, he reaches out with his hands, beckoning for me. Taking a step towards him, I hear his bones crack. He lets out a quiet whimper as tiny ws appear at the tips of his fingers. A few minutes pass and Dane is holding a small ck Lycan instead of a little boy. Chapter 0392 Chapter 0392 ir Sammie moves around her cell. Her fingers feel every nook and cranny as she searches. I sit and watch. Maybe it''s because she didn''t know Dane, or know the power he held over Wolves, but I knew he would make sure that every possible escape attempt would have been fixed, especially after Jenson told me how Salem had escaped. "There must be something." She murmurs, to herself I think as she doesn''t even look at me for an answer. She had muttered the same four words numerous times over thest few hours. "Let''s say you find a way out. Do you think you are going to make it anywhere without being caught?" She stops and her hands fall down to her sides. Slowly her face became level with mine, though the dim light made it impossible for me to see her eyes. ¡°We are not that far from the forest. I looked when that guy brought me back here. There were no guards." I found that hard to believe. Maybe she just hadn''t seen them. Maybe she had been to busy yelling at Damien. "Sammie, just stop, you will make this worse for us." "It can''t get much worse." "Will you be saying that when they send us out into the forest?" "What is that supposed to mean?" She snaps "I''ve been threatened with a hunt. That means you will be sentenced to that as well." I frown "A hunt?" she snorts and goes back to searching her cell. "My mate... ex mate, told me that for serious punishments, Dane has his wolves hunt the person or people. They rip them to shreds while they are still breathing." "They act like Rogues?" She had never really mentioned Rogues before and I hadn''t told her about that part of my life. "Pretty much. I don''t know if they are eaten, Jenson never did give me that answer." "I don''t buy it. It''s probably just some scare tactic." She shrugs her shoulders. "I''m not so sure." I mutter, breaking off a tiny bit of my protein bar when her back is turned and popping it into my mouth. It was vile, but I''m so hungry. "And even if it is true. He wouldn''t do that to us, we are basically Human, we wouldn''t stand a chance." Sammie tells me. "I don''t think he cares about that." I watch her press on the cell bars and she suddenly stops to look at me. "Have you got food?" "No." I lie. A part of me feels so guilty for lying, but she is doing the exact same thing to me, just not about food. "You''re lying." She snarls, "Come on, give me a bit." "I''m not lying Sammie!" I sit in the furthest corner of my cell. She must have scented the protein bar. If she was Human, there would be no way she could smell it. But I don''t ask I her. I wanted her to tell me things identally. It has always been a good way to catch people out. Sammie shakes the cell bars, like she was expecting them to just pop open. They should be worried about Cooper, not us." She mutters as she tries different bars. "Do you think he wille for Neah?" "Probably. I mean, taking away the female Alpha''s powers, now that would be an achievement." An achievement? It was a weird way to describe it. If she was supportive of Neah, I would expect her to say something along the lines of hope not, not call it an achievement. "By the looks of it, he will have a battle on his hands." I sigh, "There are a lot of Wolves and Lycans here." "There really are. How many do you think?" I shrug my shoulders. "Dane''s pack isrge regardless of the Lycans. And Neah called on everyone. I wouldn''t have a clue about how many responded."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. I see her nod her head. "A few hundred?" "I don''t know." "Well how many did you see?" "I don''t know. I wasn''t paying attention, I was just hoping that I wasn''t going to die anytime soon." Chapter 0393 Chapter 0393 "You need to pay attention, ir. If we are going to get out of this, I need you to help me." I nod my head. "I will lookter, I haven''t slept yet." "Fine!" She mutters in defeat. She drops to the floor with a thud as I curl up in the corner with my back to her. It might be a mistake but she wasn''t getting in here. I''m not sure how long I had been asleep when I''m woken by Dane hauling me off the floor. He binds my hands together with rope and doesn''t say a word as Sammie watches on. Pushing me towards the steps, I feel the knot in my stomach that is bing too familiar. Dane res at me and I keep my mouth shut while Sammie begs him to tell her where I''m being taken. He doesn''t answer her and turns the lights off when we leave the dungeons, plunging her into darkness. But she will still be able to see. After all, she is a Lycan. I keep my mouth shut as he pushes me towards the packhouse, hopefully that means I''m not going to die. Leading me into the office, I see that we are alone. He unbinds my ropes and points me to the chair. "Sit." I do as I''m asked as he takes the seat behind the desk. "Have you learned anything?" "She thinks she can escape." He snorts, "And?" "She made ament about it being an achievement for Cooper if he could take away Neah''s abilities." I shake my head. "I have been around a lot of different types of people, but to call something like that an achievement is...." I wasn''t even sure how to describe it anymore. "Like she wants it to happen." I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and nod. "Did you ask her anymore?" "You want me to get information from her. I won''t be able to do that if she is on to me." I drop my gaze, his crimson eyes were very unsettling. "Oh and she asked me about the numbers in your pack. She has already figured out that we are fairly close to the forest." "Anything else?" I shake my head and ce my wrists together, ready for them to be tied, when he walks straight past me to the door. Someone hands him something and the door is closed again. ¡°That''s a start.¡± He mutters, walking around me. "Now eat." He ces a te on the desk a few feet in front of me. It was only a sandwich and a ss of water, but it looked like the best sandwich ever right now. Even I hear the rumbling my stomach was making, but what if it was a trick? "Are you rewarding me?" I ask as my eyes lock on the sandwich "Yes. If you are weak or die of starvation, you will be of no use. Think of it as a contract. You are rewarded forpleting your end of the deal." "And what do you do?" "For now, I won''t kill you." It was a power move. He knew he had all the control. "I''m not signing anything." "I don''t expect you to." He takes his seat and when I bite on my bottom lip again he tells me to quit. "Verbally works. Your choice." "Fine." I take a bite of the sandwich and feel my taste buds ignite. So much for Sammie saying I would need to ept some changes when it came to food. Dane doesn''t speak as I take my time enjoying every mouthful. Who knows how long it would be before I got food again. I finish the water. "She will be suspicious." "We are on top of it."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "What does that mean?" "You don''t need to worry about it. Are you done?" I nod and he wraps the rope around my wrists again. I keep my head low as I walk back to the dungeons. He pushes me into the cell a little and releases the rope around my wrists. It was clearly all for show, but I would rather that than have my throat slit. Chapter 0394 Chapter 0394 Neah ''He already has his Lycan.'' Nyx murmurs, she was stilling to terms with it. ''Uh huh.'' ''What do we do?'' ''Nothing.'' I reply. I don''t intend on having him bound like I was. This is who he is. But what I couldn''t understand was why Evrin and not Logan. Logan is the first born and yet there have been no signs of this happening to him. As soon as Evrin shifted back to Human form, he crashed and he crashed hard. I''m certain if there were bombs going off, he would sleep through it. ''Nothing.'' It wasn''t so much of a question from Nyx, but a confirmation that we agreed on what is right. Running my fingers through Evrins short dark hair, his lips curve up into a smile. I nce over to Logan who is sitting on the floor ying with some toys. Was he close to shifting? Would he shift? Or would it be when he turns thirteen? I know I shouldn''tpare them, but I couldn''t help myself. I had so many questions and I knew no one here could answer them. Not even Brax. I briefly wonder how my parents must have reacted, but the thought disappears as I realise just how quickly they had me bound. They were obviously not happy about it. A far cry from how I feel about Evrin shifting. Picking up Logan, I tell him we are going to let his brother sleep. He needed it afterst night. I carry Logan down the stairs, just in time to see Dane pushing ir out of his office. She doesn''t see us and keeps her head low as Dane marches her from the house. Hopefully she had managed to give him some information. Logan and I head to the kitchen where we find Brax eating. He waves a hand in acknowledgement as I settle Logan on the floor with a couple of his toys. "Just the one." Brax muses. "Evrin is sleeping." ¡°Bit of a hectic night for him, wasn''t it?" He''s full of himself as usual. "What does it mean?" I ask. "I''ve been trying to understand it. He''s not the oldest. In theory, Logan is the heir to the Alpha position, both ck Shadow and the Lycans. But then when us was researching me, he said it was because I was thest female Alpha and that''s why I was gifted my abilities earlier. So why does Evrin have his?" He chews his mouthful of food incredibly slow while staring at me with narrowed hazel eyes, "I don''t have that answer." "You must know something." "You would think so, but I''m drawing a nk. As you said, he isn''t the eldest, it, doesn''t make sense, but the reality is, it''s happening whether you like it or not. Following i his mothers footsteps." I nod and the back door swings open. Dorothyes running in hysterically crying. She doesn''t even stop when she sees us and runs through the door that leads to the stairs Momentster, I hear her footsteps moving frantically above us, As Brax starts to move, Damienes in furious and tosses Dorothy''s bag on the table. "Why the hell is my daughter crying?" Brax is on his feet growling at Damien "Oh I don''t know, maybe it''s because she pinned one of the kids down at school. If you haven''t noticed, that is where she should be, but I had to go and collect her early." "You better start talking!" Brax demands "Like it was me who was talking to her teacher?!" Damien snaps and takes a seat next to me. "She pinned Kade down." Brax smirks but doesn''t say anything. It''s not something he should be proud of when we are trying to create something better. "Isn''t Kade Ryken''s eldest?" I ask "Yes." Damien replies "And we have already had issues with Ryken over Dottie attending the school." "Fucker should stay in hisne then." Brax retorts. "The school is for everyone." I warn him."And if you haven''t noticed, there are a lot more Lycan kids here than there are Wolves." I turn back to Damien. "Has Dorothy said why she did it?" "Not exactly, she just said that he made her really angry." He points to the ceiling. "She never does this." He''s right. She nevershes out unless she is in the middle of one of her nightmares. She is normally quite a chilled child and wants to be everyone''s friend. Anger isn''t something that is part of hN?velDrama.Org is the owner. character. "I will speak to the Lycan." Brax offers I shake my head at him, ¡°You will do no such thing. I don''t need those three kids being left without a father.¡± He smiles at me, almost proud that I knew exactly what his intentions were. Chapter 0395 Chapter 0395 "Spend some time with your daughter." Damien mutters. "You spend all your time, training, working or with Maddie." "Are you using me of abandoning my child?!" Brax''s nostrils re as he pushes his hands against the table as though he is trying to hold himself back. Damien res at him, it was exactly what he was saying. "Sort it out! I snap. "I have enough problems going on in this pack and I don''t need you two to constantly be at each other''s throats! Figure it out!" They both fall silent. I guess Evrin isn''t the only one that''s exhausted. "I am going to speak to my daughter and find out exactly what happened!" Brax snaps, storming from the kitchen. Damien opens his mouth to say something and I give him a warning re "Did she hurt him?" I ask when I know Brax is nowhere near us. "Not exactly." "What is that supposed to mean?" "Sheunched herself across the room at him. Used a chair to pin him to the floor and threatened him with ''my dad will kill your dad.'' The teacher said to keep her home for a couple of days. She''s going to ask Ryken to do the same with Kade" "My dad will kill your dad? Was she talking about you or Brax?" "I think we both know the answer to that. I don''t know if Kade said something to her or whether she is just having a bad day. There were no signs of nightmaresst night, even with Evrin crying at all hours." His eyes shift to Logan. "Where is he anyway?" "Sleeping." He didn''t know yet. I take a deep breath and tell him ¡°He shifted." He blinks a few times, "Sorry, what?" "Evrin shifted. He was crying because his body was trying to shift and he was holding it back. I showed him my Lycan and he shifted. A beautiful small ck Lycan. And Dane hasn''t spoken to me about it since." "Problems nevere just singrly, do they?" I shake my head. Problems never came one at a time, not in this life. **** ¡°I''m sure it''s nothing." Mallory tells me as she cradles Luca. ¡°He could just be in shock." "He encouraged me to show Evrin. And now he has been keeping his distance all day. I''ve linked him and he keeps telling me that there is something else that needs doing. It isn''t like him."Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "I''m a bitten Lycan, so remind me, how old are you when you shift for the first time?" "Around the age of thirteen." "Maybe that''s all it is. He was expecting to have at least another twelve and a bit years to prepare. Dane adores you and I''m pretty sure nothing scares him. But maybe, this bit of fatherhood does because it''s something he can''t control. "I hope you are right." I mutter, "Maybe now it will slow him down on the idea of having another." "Another pup?" "Yes. And before you get any ideas, I''m not pregnant." She presses her lips together and raises her brow as she turns away. "Do you wonder if the next one will be a Wok like Dane? That would be funny wouldn''t it. Siblings that are a mix of Wolves and Lycans. Orone that''s a mixture of both. Is that even possible?" "Who knows?" I cross my legs up under me. "Has Eric told you what''s been happening?" She nods. "You knew Cassandra quite well. Did she use Witches? I mean she must have done, her and Trey had me bound. What I mean is, did you ever meet any?" "No. There were very few people she would let me meet. After running away, the older I got I realised how much there was wrong with the situation, but I had just been too vel blind to see it. I should have challenged them more when learned about you. I should have seen everything that was wrong instead of just epting it." Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org She takes a deep breath. "I never came across a Witch, Cassandra nor any of the others never mentioned one. We didn''t evene across one when we were living with the Rogues." I could see she was bothered by my talk of Cassandra. Eric had told Dane that she still held on to the past and what she had done to me. We never spoke of it. It was like a dirty secret kept between us but everyone else was aware of it. I hadn''t forgiven her, though not verbally. In my head, I had forgiven her a long time ago. She had be part of this family, my only female friend and I couldn''t imagine my life without her. She thinks she''s being subtle, wiping a tear away as she kisses Luca''s head. "I forgive you." Chapter 0396 Chapter 0396 Mallory I am more than overwhelmed. Neah keeps her eyes on me. I don''t think she is waiting for an answer, instead I think she is watching to see how I process her words. My mouth opens and closes several times as I struggle to form any words. I''m also pretty certain that if I had been holding anything but Luca, I would have dropped it. Forgiveness was something I was never expecting. Never. She had made that very clear that day she finally heard me out. I clear my throat, hoping that my brain will engage my mouth muscles. "You do?" She bobs her head at me. "Why now?" I could feel more tears creeping along my eyelids "You are not who you were. I''m not who I was. We have bothe a long way.¡± She shrugs her shoulders at me like it''s no big deal. ¡°The person you were back then, she only ever cared about herself.¡±" She smiles to herself. ¡°I killed the man who shot you because it made me so angry that I thought I had lost you too." I hadn''t thought about it like that and she had never mentioned anything about it. Brax had told me that the guy was aiming for Neah and that was why I assumed she killed the guy. Not because he had hurt me. ¡°You have no idea what it means to hear you say that." I whisper, still trying to process the weird sense of relief that I''m feeling. I had no idea of the guilt I had been holding on to. I guess I had just grown so used to it, that now it''s gone, I feel strange, but in a good way. "It''s funny." Neah shifts her gaze to the window. "I never thought I would see you again, I definitely didn''t think we would be living in the same pack." "Or that you outrank me, big style." I add and see her lips curve up "I never had a friend until Raven, and even if she were still alive, I don''t think we would be as friendly as you and I have be." "She cared about you." I offer "For a while, but then.....Anyway, do you ept?" "Hell fucking yeah!" My response makes Luca jump, causing him to cry as Neahughs. I stay with Neah for a few hours while she mulls over Dane''s reaction to Evrin shifting. Though I''m certain it''s just because it''s something he wasn''t expecting. In the moment he was probably excited and then reality set in. It will be harder to protect him now and some people may not like it. Leaving the house, I find Dorothy sitting behind a bush, her back pressed up against a side wall, hidden from most people''s view. She''s doodling on a piece of and by the looks of it the discarded food wrappers, she had been here for sometime. Slipping in behind the bushes, she stares at me with bright green eyes, waiting for me to tell her off. "Dorothy?" I say softly. "Why are you sitting behind the bush?" "I don''t want my Dad''s to find me." I lower Luca and myself until I''m sitting with my knees touching hers. "You know they can smell you, right?" ¡°I didn''t think of that." Her shoulders drop and her bottom lip sticks out. "They are mad at me.¡± "Because of what happened at school?" It had to be the only reason. She bobs her head and the bottom lipes out further. "Something made you angry?" She doesn''t answer me and refuses to meet my gaze. "Everyone gets angry." I tell her, "Lot''s of different things make people angry and do you know what I''ve learned over the years?" She shakes her head. "It''s always better to talk about it." "But they will be angry." "Maybe, but if we don''t know why you are, we can''t help you." I''m hoping that she will find it easier to talk to someone that''s not one of her Dads. ¨¦n.swnovels wn ¡°He said I was different. That there is something wrong with me." "Kade?" She bobs her head and I notice how hard she is pushing the pencil into the paper. "I''m not bad. I help Neah He called me poison. I don''t even know what that is. Then he said.... He said someone will kill me in my sleep because I deserve it." Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. Chapter 0397 Chapter 0397 Her fingers curl tightly around the pencil until it snaps, "but I''m not the one who is bad." "You think Kade is bad?" Her head moves up and down making her braids swing. "Not right now, but he will be." Surely it wouldn''t be possible to know if a child is going to be a problem when they are older. They haven''t even experienced life. "Have you spoken to either of your Dad''s about it?" "Daddy Damien was angry and Daddy didn''t listen. I had to stop Kade, Mallory. Everything he said made me sad. He''s mean and only to me" She smiles at Luca sleeping in my arms. "Can''t I just stay here and y with Logan and Evrin? They like me." "That''s not up to me. But school is really important. Have you made any friends?" "One girl talks to me. Her name is Lyrah." "She''s a Wolf?" "Uh huh, she''s the one who told me to stick up for myself. So I did." "I want you to do something for me."N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Her green eyes are unsure as she studies me. "When you go back to school, if anything happens, I want you to tell the teacher. I don''t want you doing something that will get you into trouble." "That''s what Daddy Damien said." "Because he is right." Although if she had asked me when I was younger, I probably would have told her to beat the crap out of Kade. She pouts at me as a tiny crease appears between her brows. "I can''t wait to be a grown up." Iugh, ¡°Come on, you can stay with me and Luca. One of your Dad''s can collect youter." "Are you going to tell them?" "I think you should, but I can be there with you." It''ste when Damien and Dane arrive. I wasn''t expecting both of them, but maybe I could talk sense into both of them. "Dorothy is asleep. She can stay for the night. We need to talk." I wanted Dorothy to tell him, but I wasn''t waking her up after it took me so long to convince her to sleep. She was one hundred percent positive that Kade was going to kill her and I wouldn''t notice "Has she said anything?" Damien mutters as he takes a seat at my small dining table. I tell them the conversation I had with Dorothy. "He called her poison?!" Dane asks in disgust "She even said she doesn''t know what that means so it''s unlikely she made it up. I don''t know if it''s because she is a Hunter by birthright or if there is something else going on, but...." "I will handle it." Dane replies. "She is part of this pack whether they like it or not." "That''s not going to put her mind at rest. That girl cried herself to sleep tonight. She''s probably gone right back to square one." Right on cue, she starts crying. "I''m going to take her home. Maybe a familiar bed will help." Damien frowns and disappears up the stairs to find her. I sigh and nce up at Dane, "You haven''t said anything about Evrin." "Neah told you?" I nod, knowing was crossing over into dangerous territory by challenging him. "Is that why you haven''t spent any time with them todays that why you have been making excuses about going home? Because he can shift?" I don''t wait for an answer. "She''s sad and I know you feel her sadness. She thinks you are disgusted by Evrin being able to shift." "Not true." "But you came here with Damien when you didn''t need to. You could have gone home to her. Home to your boys." Dane shakes his head at me. ¡°I''ve been on duty, I don''t want the news of Evrin getting out." "That''s why you have been avoiding going home?" "No. I don''t want Cooper finding out that my son can shift. I have been working all day, chasing up possible leads, looking for the problems in my pack. Shutting down anyone that thinks they know something." "You''re worried?" "Wouldn''t you be if Luca started shifting? I''m not worried about who Evrin is. I''m worried about the assholes that think they can take advantage of it.¡± "Then you should tell Neah before she spontaneouslybusts from all the ideas going around her head." Chapter 0398 Chapter 0398 Dane The pack house is quiet. No soundes from Neah or the twins. Damien must have settled Dorothy because I don''t hear them either. Following Neahsvender scent, I find her sitting in the attic, surrounded by all the twins'' baby things. Her tired blue eyes flicker up to mine and she lets out a sigh but does not speak and continues to fold up clothes.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "I''m not upset." I move further into the light. "I just needed to put some arrangements in ce to protect him. To protect them. If Evrin can shift then Logan probably isn''t that far behind and I need to make sure no one thinks they can take advantage of them.¡± "Okay." She wasn''t saying how she really felt and I didn''t even have to read her mind to know that. ''She is angry.'' Aero murmurs ''I can see that.'' I sit on one of the boxes and it dips from my weight. "I wasn''t running away from it. That''s not who I am." "Okay." I hated the one word answers. I thought we were long past that. "Neah?" My voice drops lower and she stops folding. I watch her shoulders drop as another heavy sigh leaves her mouth. "I can''t remember it, but I reckon what Evrin saw when you handed him back to me, was exactly what I saw when I first shifted. A smile that vanishes just as quickly as it appeared and the need to get away." "You areparing me to your father?" "Not to him exactly, but his response. They had me bound because I was able to shift early. They tried to abandon me when they realised it didn''t work and when they still couldn''t get rid of me, they bound me again. And you...you just handed him to me and left and all day, you have ignored us and made excuses to note home." ''You''ve triggered her trauma.'' Aero whispers as though Neah could hear him I step towards her as her pain grows, but she pulls back, tears creeping down her face as she eagerly wipes them away. "I didn''t expect....." "I didn''t either, but you don''t see me running away from our sons!" She snaps at me "I didn''t run away." "You''ve been gone all day." The tears stop and all I feel is her anger. "I was making sure us hadn''t told anyone. Brax knows to keep his mouth shut but we both know us has a loose tongue and likes to overshare. Something like this is exciting news to him and he will think it''s a great idea to tell the pack, but only want the pack to know when you are ready to tell them, I want to keep the boys safe, I don''t want them to be new targets for Cooper. I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have left like I did and not tell you." I felt bad and Aero tells me I should feel bad. I had always made it clear with Neah not to keep secrets from me and I had done just that and I was still holding something back. But she was not in the rioght frame of mind for me to tell her. Not yet. "I assume the twins are asleep." She bobs her head up and down and wipes away another tear. I hated and loved seeing her like this. I hated it because was the reason for it, but loved how protective she is over the boys and I hoped that part will never change. S "Has Logan shifted?" I ask quietly as I take another step towards her. "No." She puts a lid on the box that she had finished sorting, "Evrin hasn''t either, he''s been mostly asleep." "Have you slept?" She shakes her head at me. I hold out my hand. Reluctantly, she takes it, letting me pull her to her feet. We head down to our bedroom where she barely makes it to our bed before crashing out. She doesn''t even wake as I take her boots and her jeans off. Stripping off, I climb into bed and pull her against me. She''s dead to the world yet her body automatically presses in against mine, like it did almost every night. ''You didn''t tell her!'' Aero mutters ''I will, in the morning.'' ''It isn''t going to go down well.'' ''I know, but there is no good way to tell her that one member of the pack is missing.'' Chapter 0399 Chapter 0399 ''She needs to know.'' ¡®And she will, in the morning. It''s no good telling her now when she is already sleep deprived.'' I nce down at my mates face resting on my chest. She looked so peaceful and all that was about to change. When I wake, she is still fast asleep. She has stripped off her remaining clothes and is sleeping on her stomach with the nket barely covering her ass. I wish I could stay with her, but I could hear the boys stirring in the nursery. Dressing first, I head into the nursery where both boys are wide awake and standing in their cots. They are both really happy to see me, but I do notice how Evrin looks to the door, looking for his mother. It was definitely easier to get them ready before they learned to walk and squirm out of any hold. Now it felt like I was wrestling two octopuses anytime I got them ready for the day. Taking them downstairs, Damien is already waiting for me. "Dottie is having breakfast. Have you told Neah?" I shake my head. "She was exhaustedst night and telling her would not have been helpful at all. She will have a clear head when she wakes up. Though he isn''t a Lycan so it''s unlikely that she will be able to do anything." He nods and takes a squirming Logan from me while pulling faces at him. "You''re certain he didn''t just leave?" "Positive, I can''t sense him at all. It''s like he has just fallen off the face of the Earth.¡± "I know I have already asked this, but do you think Brax...." ¡°No.¡± I cut him off. "I know Brax has issues, but I don''t believe he would do this. Besides, he hasn''t got the ability to take away someone else''s abilities. There is only one person that we know of who is capable of that." "But why us?" Damien questions. "us never puts a foot out of line. From what we have learned from ir and Maddie, Cooper punishes those who are ''bad''. And us, he just isn''t like that." "I know, and that''s what makes it more frustrating." We take the boys to the kitchen for some breakfast and Dorothy quickly runs past us. "You don''t think he has done something like those Wolves that attacked Neah and Brax, do you?" "If you had asked me a couple of days ago, that''s exactly what I would think. But us has been a part of this pack for a long time. He has helped out in a lot of ways, he wouldn''t just turn his back." "I hope you are right." Brax walks past the window with Maddie in tow. A heavy set frown stered on his face while she looks like she is on the verge of crying. Unexpectedly, he knocks on the door instead of barging in like he normally does. Even Damien raises an eyebrow at me. Opening the back door, I see how Brax''s fingers are tightly coiled around Maddie''s wrist. "Tell them!" Brax orders I watch her tremble. "Should you be out of the hospital?" Her eyes move to Brax, "I don''t even know if it was real." "If what was real?" Damien ushers her to a chair much to Brax''s annoyance "I think... I think Cooper was in the hospital." "When?" I demand. "I''m not sure. kwas tired. I was in and out of sleep." Her fingers run over her neck. "I don''t know if I was dreaming or if it was real." Her chestnut eyes move between all of us. "Theard voices. Angry voices but they were quiet, like a whispered disagreement." Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "Who?" "Cooper and us." Brax res at me "us was helping Cooper?" Damien asks, disgusted by the idea and after I had just said he wouldn''t turn against us. Maddie shakes her head at me and keeps her gaze low. "He offered to go with Cooper if Cooper promised to leave everyone alone." "Why are you only telling us now?" ¡°Because yesterday, she was mostly asleep again. I think the bastard drugged her." Brax seethes I nce at the door that leads out to the bottom of the stairs. "Shit!" I hadn''t been paying attention to my mates movements and as I move to the door and pull it open, I find Neah standing on the other side. "us is gone?" Chapter 0400 Chapter 0400 us "Why are you doing this?" I stare up at him as he strides back and forth. I still felt a little dizzy, but it was just like when I was a kid and my parents had me bound. I was just a little weaker. It was fine, nothing I couldn''t handle. "Do you always ask so many questions?" He growls. He keeps checking the window of the old cabin, as though he was expecting someone to be following us. No one knew that I had left, though it would only be a matter of time before someone figures it out. "Pretty much. It''s what I''m known for in ck Shadow. I like knowledge. My entire house is full of books." I fidget with my bound hands, trying to create a little wiggle room so I didn''t have to feel the rope burning my skin with each movement. "Okay then, Mr knowledge. Tell me how I get Samara and ir out of the dungeons." "You don''t. They are too heavily guarded. They will see youing from all angles. You would be stupid to think that Dane would have just one guard. Why do you want them back, surely they are usless to you now?" "They didn''t see meing to the hospital though, did they?" He smiles, ignoring my question. "Because it wasn''t a priority." He runs a hand through his cropped blonde hair. "You are going to help me get them back." "The agreement was that if I came with you, you won''t touch anyone inside the pack." "They are not part of the pack." Iugh, "Inside the pack, that was the deal. I''ve seen enough contracts to know the correct wording!" He squats down in front of me. His sage green eyes study me. "You love that pack. Why?" "It''s my family." Heughs and shakes his head. "There are a lot of bad people in ck Shadow." "And you''re not bad? You take away people''s abilities. To me, that''s bad." My neck still aches where he had jabbed me, and I''m desperately fighting the need to sleep. But sleep Completely takes me, I we meN?velDrama.Org is the owner. going to get as much out of him as I could. I will find a way to get the information to Dane or one of the others. "No us, I''m correcting everything that is wrong." He tells me "ording to who? You? Why do you get to decide what is right and wrong?" His fingers grab my cheeks and he squeezes enough to create pain. "Someone has too. Now get some sleep, we have a big day tomorrow." He moves out of the room and watches me as he quietly closes the door. Within seconds my eyelids grow too heavy for me to keep open. "Wakey wakey sleeping beauty.¡± He nudges my legs with his boot. Groaning, I push myself up until I''m sitting against the wall. "Here, eat." He ces an apple in my hands, "I don''t need you starving." Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org I take a bite as he watches me. "I assume you didn''t tell them. Is that why you came so easily?" "Tell them what?" ¡°Oh, you know exactly what I''m talking about." He squats and wipes some of the apple juice from my chin. I take another bite, refusing to say anything. "Just so you are aware, what I''ve drugged you with isn''t permanent like Madisons or irs. A couple of days or so, you will be able to scent me again. Though I''m hoping that I can convince you not to reject me.¡± The blue flecks in his sage green eyes seem brighter, full of hope. Like he was totally convinced I would be on board with him just because he happens to be my mate. "Maybe I can convince you not to be a prick!" He smiles at me and pulls a bottle of water from the inside of his jacket. "As much as you think I''m a prick, I would rather you didn''t die on my watch." ¡°But you will dly ruin the lives of others." My eyes move to the bottle, but I don''t pick it up. Chapter 0401 Chapter 0401 "You don''t trust me do you?" He asks "You are not trustworthy." He takes a swig from the bottle and puts it back in front of me. "See. Now drink. We have to move soon." He moves to the window, scanning the area. I knew we were still in the forest, but not ck Shadow''s forest because there are no abandoned cabins there.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. "Is Samara the Witch?" I ask. It couldn''t be him if I was mated to him. "No. I am. Well, half Witch. Though I am particrly proud of how strong I am." He turns back to face me. "Samara is the only one that knows that about me, and you obviously. Clearly my Lycan side has been linked with yours. Even funnier knowing that you are a Wolf" He lets out a low growl. "You thought your Witch side outweighed your Lycan side?" "I did, until I stumbled upon you. You scented me when I was hiding in the pack as Ash Thomas." "Only briefly, I thought my mind was ying tricks. I picked up your scent and then, in seconds, it was gone." ¡°Had to keep myself hidden while I sussed out the pack. I couldn''t have you ruining it for me, could I." He gives me a big grin. "That''s how you disconnected the link to Neah? Because you can hide who you truly are?" "Yes." "She will kill you." "I''m sure she will try, but will she kill you in the process?" He does a final check outside and pulls me to my feet. Ushering me out into the forest. Even though it was dark, the birds were already singing, a sign the sun would be rising soon. I don''t fight Cooper, there was no point, he had the upper hand. So I walk, letting him guide me through the forest until I recognised the location where Dane had asked me to bring clothes for Neah. "Where are we going?" "Well seeing as my little escapee has abandoned her house, I thought we could spend a few hours there. You know, close by but not too far away. Get some decent rest instead of that shitty cabin." "You don''t think they wille looking here?" "Why would they? ir and Samara are tightly locked up. But right now, I''m more interested in you. You haven''t onceined about not having your Wolf. Why?" n I shrug my shoulders and keep walking. "Now you stop talking!" He mutters in annoyance, "And I was just starting to like you." I keep quite for a little while and then ask the question that has been bugging me. "Why ir and not Maddie?" "Maddie is weak. I don''t need her. She is a waste of resources. Though I am impressed she made it back to the pack." He didn''t say anything about Samara. "So tell me us," his husky voice runs right through me. "Why are you so calm? could slit your throat. I could pierce your chest with my lovely tittle de and rip your insides out. could force you to shift skin you and make a nice winter coat." I nce over my shoulder. "Because you need me. That was why you agreed to leave everyone alone if I came with you. What is Samara to you?" "A pain in my fucking ass." He stops me. "You don''t see the resemnce?" "Can''t say I have really looked at her. I''ve been busy trying to help Maddie." "She is my sister. Same father, different mother." Iugh and he res at me. "What the fuck is so funny about that?" "One of the guys thought Samara had a thing for you." "Ew, don''t be so fucking disgusting." He shakes his head. "How long did it take for them to figure out Sam was working with me?" I considered lying. Telling him that only I had figured it out. But it wouldn''t achieve anything. Th might if he thinks she is about to be ughtered. it "Since she arrived." "So why are they keeping her alive?" Chapter 0402 Chapter 0402 ir A shiver goes down my spine when Abraxas Adler makes his way into the dungeons. He was thest person I wanted to see. He slowly runs his gun along the bars of my cell. Each bar lets off the sound of metal clunking on metal and it goes right through me. In the cell opposite me, I see Sammie shuffle to the back, the shadows plunge her into darkness, but her soft cries give her presence away. "You can rx, baldy. I''m not here for you." He spins around to Sammie''s cell and repeats the process, running his gun against the bars, whileughing to himself. "It''s your turn, princess." "No." Sammie cries. "I haven''t done anything." "We just have a few more questions. Answer them and you cane back here and rest your pretty little head." "I''ve told you everything!" She''s getting annoyed. "Sammie just answer them. You will only make it worse for yourself, for us." I mutter and Abraxas looks over his shoulder and gives me a wink. Just because I wanted the truth and didn''t want to die, it did not mean we were on the same side. Half of Sammie''s face appears, the shadows still cover the majority of her. She had been crying. I had spent all night listening to her sob. She would stop and start again, over and over until I wished I was deaf. It was worse torture than being starved. Until I realised that each sob sounded different. Forced. Laboured. But I don''t think it was for me, she was likely hoping a guard woulde down. And even now, with just one grey eye visible, I could see anger not sadness. Nothing was going the way she wanted it too. I probably wouldn''t have noticed if I had not spent so much time with her. And I had nothing but time. There were massive downsides to being Human, but you do get to know the people you spend time with, if you pay attention. "Does Dane want to speak to me?" She asks quietly. "No, not today. Today is all about my fun." Abraxas grins at her. He is a fucking mad man and I still don''t understand how he ended up here. Hunters work alone. He opens her cell and grabs her by the throat, pulling her protesting body close to him. "Don''t try anything stupid. I''m not in the mood for stupidity. Understand?" "Yes." She croaks I see it then, actual panic. And she should panic. A few minutes after they leave, I hear heavy footsteps on the stairs. Retreating to the back of my cell, I wait. Was this it? Was Dane tired of waiting and had just decided to kill us? It would be the only reason both of us are leaving our cells. My lungs tighten until I''m struggling to breathe. Strange ck spots start forming in my vision and I find myself slipping down the wall as my chest starts to hurt. "Shit, kid. Breathe." Ryken''srge hands wrap around the cell bars. His piercing blue eyes wide as he studies me. "What...what are you doing down here?" "Your mother is asking questions. I said if I could get permission, I woulde and see you. Find out how you are." The ck spots fade from my vision and I take a deep breath. I never want to feel that again. ¡°Just peachy." I mutter. "Why didn''t shee?" "The pup is a little restless today," "You didn''t have toe." "Yes I did, because I love your mother." He walks away and grabs the stool from the far end of the dungeon and plonks it in front of me. "Sometimes, we do stuff for our loved ones no matter how ridiculous it is. How did you end up here, ir?" "Let''s see. I went on a one woman mission to take something that was mine, that failed miserably. Met someone who I let mark me that I was also aplete bitch too. Ended up in a shit situation where I was locked up for months by a man who thinks he is a fucking God. And then myck of any Lycan abilities let me trust someone that brought me back to this ce, and now I am a prisoner until they decide the day of my execution. N?velDrama.Org is the owner. His brow dip. "Do you regret any of it?" I drop my head and snort. "Do you think I''m enjoying this?" He rolls his eyes at me and sits up a little straighter, folding his arms across his chest. "I was certain Alpha Neah was not going to let us exist, purely based on who you are and what you did, but she did, she gave us a chance. And your mother and brothers are thriving here, your little sister will too." "And what does that have to do with me?" "You could too, ir. You could put everything behind you and start afresh." "So we can be one big happy family, right?" I mock He rises to his feet, shaking his head. ¡°I knew this would be a mistake. You are such an ungrateful brat. You can''t even ept the help you are being offered." "What help? Reminding me that my mum moved on and had more kids so she could rece me?" "You know that is not what I mean and you know that is not true. For once in your life, pull your head out of your ass and look at the bigger picture." "You can go now." I fish in my pocket for the remaining bite of my protein bar, Only to find it had taken a hit when I crashed on the floor and all that remained were crumbs. Chapter 0403 Chapter 0403 "We are trying, ir. We want a life here. The Wolves are not bad people, well, maybe the odd one, but most of them are happy with the way things are run here. The boys go to school. Your mum helps out at the bakery when she hasn''t got Braelyn attached to her. Alpha Dane lets me work on the gate now." "Braelyn?" "Your sister." He smiles to himself. "Can I meet her?" He shakes his head, "Not while you are down here and not until you are no longer considered a threat." "A threat? I can''t smell anything other than my own stench. I can''t hear anything other than your words. I can''t heal. I almost passed out and I get this weird feeling in my stomach, yet you think I''m a threat." "Then prove everyone wrong." He turns to leave and then turns back, taking an apple out of his jacket. cing it just inside of my bars, he sighs. "Here, it''s not much, but I could hear your stomach from the top of the steps. If you want a chance ir, I suggest you do everything they ask of you." He didn''t know I already had a job. "What if that isn''t enough?" "Then I guess you didn''t try hard enough." I stare at the apple for sometime. Ryken had no reason to be kind to me. No reason to tell me to prove myself. If anything, I thought he would be grateful that I was going to be killed. Taking the apple, I retreat to the back of my cell, letting the shadows wash over me. I don''t eat the apple, but I do roll it in my fingers, trying to figure out what I can do to get something useful out of Sammie. Time passes differently down here. It''s dark all the time unless they leave a light on. The only way I could tell if it was night or day is when one of us was taken out. So I had no idea how long it was before Sammie returned. She is full on crying as Abraxas shoves her down the stairs. And this time, it didn''t sound fake. As shees into view, my mouth drops open. He had shaved her head right down to the skin. Sammie is balder than I am. Strands of her long blonde hair still clung to the dirty sweatshirt she is wearing and as Abraxas pushes her into the cell, she rushes to her own dark corner. "Maybe next time you won''t lie." He sneers as he turns away, not bothering to stop to look at me. "Sammie?" I whisper when the door closes and we are left alone. Her cries fill the air. "He shaved my head. He took it all." "Why?" ¡°He kept saying I was lying. That I''m hiding things. He shaved it as punishment." "It will grow back." It was what she had always said to me when I found myself mindlessly running my hands through the fluff that was my hair. "He''s cruel." She snarls. "He''s punishing us. He can''t shave my hair because it''s already gone." "Do... do you have any food?" She whispers I I look at the apple. She could smell it, just like she had scented the protein bar, if I kept withholding my treats, she might be suspicious and stop talking to me. Then, I would really be writing my death sentence. "My stepdad was here. He brought me an apple. Do you want it?" "An apple?" I nod and step into the light to show her. "I can roll it to you." "Thank you, you don''t know how much this means to me. My stomach is so sore." I take a bite and then slip it through the cell bars, pushing it hard enough so that it rolls to her.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She devours that thing in seconds, stupid girl. She should have made itst. ¡°What did he ask you?" I needed to know everything. "He wanted to know if there was anyone else?" "Anyone else? Like someone else that has been made Human?" She hesitates. "He thinks I''m working with Cooper. They all doz They don''t believe me. It doesn''t matter what I say, they are dead set on the idea. You have to tell them they are wrong!" "Did you tell them they are wrong?" "Of course. But that guy, he just stared at me, then he asked me about a girl called Madison." "Madison?" "I''ve never met anyone by that name, Cooper never....." "Never what?" My knuckles whiten as I clench the bars. ¡°He never brought anyone to the prison by that name.¡± "Did you meet the other prisoner''s?" "A couple." It wasn''t what she had told me before. She had reeled off a simr story to mine about being kept confined for ny nine percent of the day. "This isn''t much different, is it?" I gesture to the walls. "Though I can''t believe you managed to kill someone in the library, that couldn''t have been easy." "It wasn''t, but I did it." She sounds proud. Isn''t it amazing how easy Sammie slips up when she feels someone is on her side, She told me she had killed someone in the bathroom so she could escape, not the fucking library. I don''t even know if the prison had a library. But it was bing clearer and clearer about how much bull shit I had fallen for. Chapter 0404 Chapter 0404 Abraxas Samara was fucking useless. How can someone be so fucking stupid as to y this game with us? Maybe if she had stopped crying for one damn second, I could have got something useful out of her. Though I did enjoy shaving her head as she squealed. If I couldn''t get anything out of her, I will keep going until I break her. I push the door open and find Madison propped up on the bed reading. Dane had requested that she stayed in the house, given her situation. We had words, but ultimately, his decision outweighed mine. The room was small with only the bare necessities. A bed, a wardrobe and a dresser. She had ess to a bathroom just down the hall. "I take it that it didn''t go well with that woman from the dungeon?" Madison asks as she puts her book down. "I never said who I was meeting." She points to the window and rolls her eyes at me. "The power of sight is an amazing thing." She was starting to feel more normal, but still had a tendency to rub over one spot on her neck like it was bothering her. Though her attitude towards me today was starting to rub me up the wrong way. "No, it did not go well. She was a blubbering mess." "So you shaved her head?" Her chestnut eyes are on mine. "I saw her leave." "She deserved to have something done to her that she had done to someone else." Madison bobs her head, but keeps her rosy lips pressed together. "You don''t agree?" "I didn''t say that." She mutters, picking up her book and quietly flicking through the pages, tantly trying to ignore me. "You didn''t have to, your face says exactly what you are thinking." She ms the book shut. "Have you ever thought that always being mean to someone isn''t the way to get information from them. Especially not if they are in some kind of denial." She keeps her gaze on the book, "I sat on the stairs listening to you terrorise at her." She exaggerates opening the book and props it on her knees and reads, ignoring my presence. "Madison...." "I know. That''s what you do. You are a Hunter you are created to kill Lycans." "It''s only just bothering you now?" I smirk and she res at me. "Why are you here?" She fires back. "You made it quite clear that you couldn''t feel our bond anymore. Dane wants me to stay here until he figures something out because us isn''t at the hospital. You don''t need to watch over me, not anymore." "Mad...." "I''m fine." She shrugs at me, "I get it. You just couldn''t ignore the mate bond before and now you don''t feel it so you don''t have to worry about it. Cooper fixed the problem for you. You can just forget I ever existed."N?velDrama.Org is the owner. I stare at her as another crack creeps into her soul. Her exterior may suggest that she''s fine but her soul waspletely different and those cracks are forever getting closer and closer together. All it will take is for one or two to appear in the right spot and she will shatter. "You are right. I thought it was because of the mate bond, but for some reason, I couldn''t get you out of my fucking head and that still hasn''t changed, that''s why I am here." Her eyes widen from my unexpected response. "I spent hours in that hospital, trying to figure out why I couldn''t walk away. I watched you squirm in your sleep from the night terrors, wondering how I could make it stop. I thought about all the ways am going to make Cooper suffer for what he did to you." Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org "I''ve watched your soul crack over and over, waiting for the moment when all those cracks meet, knowing it will tear you apart. I watched because I didn''t want that to happen and I hoped my presence would be enough to stop that." She slowly puts down the book, her chestnut eyes are low. "You can''t Brax, you can''t stop it because I was already broken." The tip of her tongue slides across her lips as she scowls. "The fire you pulled me from was not the first time I''ve tried hurting myself. The men, the ones that sold me between their friends, had to take me to hospital regrly." That was already obvious from her soul, but I never pressed for the information. "You could heal?" I frown el "I could, but before fire, I used poison. It has different effects and is harder to heal from. At first, I did it to have a break from them and then it was a good way to numb everything, but my body started adapting, bing used to it. The doses were bing dangerous and they became more vignt about what I had ess to." She smiles, "It took them far too long to realise what I was doing." Chapter 0405 Chapter 0405 "Fire became the thing that worked, deep burns take time to heal, even if you are a fast healer because everything beneath the surface carries on cooking. I managed to burn down several homes in the process. I don''t regret that.¡± "But Enzo, the guy you killed, he caught on quickly, I was never allowed out of his sight, ever. I couldn''t even shower or use the toilet alone. If he took me anywhere to get new clothes, he would be in the changing room with me. At night he cuffed me to the bed so I couldn''t sneak out, set a fire or strangle him in his sleep." She bobs her head, "So I know I''m broken Brax. I''ve heard you talk about the cracks in Neah''s soul. And I know what happens when they meet. It was only a matter of time until everything caught up with me." "Why haven''t you told me all of this before?" I knew she had been holding something back, but this wasn''t what I was expecting. Yet I knew the words that areing out of her mouth are so heartbreakingly truthful. She lets out a soft sigh, "Coming here was supposed to be a new start for me. Especially after you shot Enzo," She rubs at her neck again, "Not once did I ever think I would lose the rest of my abilities." "What if you can get them back and gain your Lycan too?" It was a long shot, but it might just work. "Don''t be stupid. This is the hand I have been dealt. This is what I have to live with." "No. I don''t believe you were brought into my life, just for me to watch you wither away. The higher powers work in some messed up ways, but I''m sure your death is not one of those ways." "Brax, it''s fine. I know what''sing. And I am okay with it." "You can be so fucking frustrating." I snap, she wasn''t even prepared to listen to what I had to say. ¡°Just as frustrating as having you watch me for weeks on end and making me feel like I was losing my mind before you finally epted me, even if it was in secret!" I cross the room and rip her off the bed. She lets out a squeal as I pull her against my chest. My lips hit hers hard and she melts into me. Her arms loop around my neck as my hands move down to her waist. She pulls away, a little out of breath, but I hold her steady, keeping her hips pressed against mine as she leans back to stare at me. "Just because I can''t sense our bond anymore, it doesn''t mean that I don''t want you." "But I''m...." "Not if I can convince Neah to bite you." "Bite me? As in mark me? I don''t understand, she is mated." "Not mark you, that''s different. You would be like Damien and Mallory." Her eyes widen and her brows shoot up. "I still don''t understand." "They are not pure blooded Lycans, they were created. They were once Human and were turned." She frowns and sucks in her cheeks. When her eyes pop up to meet mine, they are full of sadness that wasn''t there before. "But you are a Hunter, why make me Lycan again?" "You don''t want to be?" "I don''t know anymore. For most of my life, have just been fighting t exist but more often than not, bet waited for Death to meet ¡°You were in an horrendous situation." "I was, but I''m not like the other Lycans, I know that deep down. I''ve never been able to shift. I didn''t have that exciting moment when I turned thirteen. The only thing that changed for me was that I became a toy for assholes. Having my abilities but not being able to shift did nothing for mel was always convinced they were drugging me with something to keep my Lycan trapped, but up until Cooper, I have been here, knowing exactly what is being put into my body and I still couldn''t shift. So what''s the point of being bitten if I''m still not able to shift?" N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Chapter 0406 Chapter 0406 Hey everyone, I hope you are all well. Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Just to let you all know that there will be no update tomorrow 14th July, but I will be back on the 15th. Also just to rify if you have not noticed, I am in the UK and therefore chapters are released based on my timeline which may not coincide with wherever you are in the world. As always, thank you for the gems, reviews andments. This book would not have made it this far without all of you and I hope you will continue to enjoy the story because there is lots more to come. Taylor West Chapter 0407 Chapter 0407 us Cooper slept on a chair in the corner of the room. His jacket cor hiked up around his chin. His arms folded tightly across his chest, while his feet rested on the coffee table that he had ced in front of the door like a barricade. We had made it to ir''s house without any witnesses, but on the way here, each step seemed to make Cooper more and more agitated. He was frustrated with my calmness, and angry that I wasn''t angry. It was clear he got off on making people lose their sanity, but it didn''t work with me. Leaning back against the corner he had dumped me in, I let out a sigh. He had pressed for more information about his sister. Something else he grew frustrated about when I didn''t answer him. I was fully expecting him to hit, to punish me, but other than keeping me tied up, he hasn''t hurt me. I hear him stir and close my eyes, just as his boots hit the floor with a thud. After listening to his quiet movements in the forest, his paces now seemed incredibly loud. He stops in front of me. "Can''t sleep?" I don''t respond. "us, I know you are awake." He doesn''t move and I keep my eyes closed. "You breathe a little heavier and you usually talk in your sleep." Crap, what had I been saying. My eyes snap open, "How do you know that?" He smiles. "You have a lovely home in ck Shadow." He drops onto the floor next me, his arm brushes mine. "I get it." He mutters, "You want to protect your pack. But you are going to have to speak to me eventually and, well, I always get what I want." "I will talk to you about anything other than my pack." Maybe I could find the real reason why he was doing this. "Why do you love that pack so much?" I press my lips together and turn away. "You won''t even answer me?" "That is talking about the pack." I keep my tone light. He hadn''t beaten me so far and I would prefer to keep it that way. "You drive a hard bargain." He winks at me. "I like that about you us. Or maybe I like it because we are mates?" "We are not mates." "Just because you can''t scent me right now, it doesn''t mean we are not. You will scent me again when the drugs wear off." "Only because you are doing something to trick my mind. We are not mated." I state confidently. I wasn''t falling for his games. "Is that what you really believe?" "It''s what you did to ir, right? And probably many others too. Lure them into thinking that you are there for them when in reality, it''s all about yourself. Tricking them toe with you so you can take away their abilities." "Maybe you are right. Maybe you have me all wrong. Only time will tell." He pats my leg, "Get some sleep. You are going to need it." He pushes himself up and pauses to look at me. "You are not like the others us. They do not see you as an equal." I roll my eyes, "Do you think I''m going to fall for that? I won''t be roped into your little game. Keep me your prisoner. Starve me. Lock me in a tiny room. Do what you need to do. I won''t give you the answers you are looking for." "You must really care for them?" I keep my gaze level with his, he wasn''t getting anything else out of me. He moves back to the chair, his sage green eyes are bright in the darkness, something I couldn''t see yesterday. The drugs are wearing off. He had given me nothing elet and yet it was increasingly obvious that could scent him, not by much, but it was there. Maybe it isn''t in the drugs. Maybe he was doing something to himself, projecting the scent. After all, he is part Witch.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "Why do I need my sleep?" "I would just like you to be well rested. Not everything about me makes me a prick, us. There are some things I do care about. You just don''t see it yet." "Like Samara?" "Thought you didn''t want to talk about the pack?" "She isn''t a part of my pack." There''s a moment of delight in his sage green eyes, I could tell by the way the blue flecks popped. His sister means a lot to him, probably more than anyone else on this pl. "You don''t have any siblings, do you, us?" My name rolls from his tongue. ¡°No and I''m grateful, siblings always seem to cause problems, especially younger ones." Apart from ir, she was a little older than Neah, but still, she was a sibling causing problems. He smiles at me and bobs his head, "They do, I used to believe that was why they were put on this Earth. Just to be a troublemaker to the older sibling. I couldn''t stand Samet when we were kids. She had her sticky hands in all my things and always wanted to be where I was. She''s the ultimate pain in the ass but I need her where I can keep an eye on her." "Exactly why I am grateful to be alone." Chapter 0408 Chapter 0408 "Do you always like being alone?" "Yes." A small crinkle forms on his forehead. "Never been concerned about finding a mate?" "No." "Isn''t that what all males want? To find their loved one and settle down." "Not me." Now that my eyes could focus on the smaller details, I could see myment frustrates him. "Life for me has never been about finding a mate. I was raised differently. What I like is knowledge." "Power?" "No, knowledge. I like to know things, figure things out, find little secrets hidden among life." "That exins all the books." A small smile flickers at the corners of his lips. "What else do you like to do?" "Why do you want to know?" "If you need to give it a name, call it curiosity." He had twisted his body around to face me properly. His scent of leather and tobo is strong, but it was a trick. A trick that I wasn''t going to fall for. "I like to help people." "But you don''t want to help me?" He cocks an eyebrow at me. "You found me in the hospital, what kind of help do you think I offer?!" "You are right. But you could help me and I could help you." I roll my eyes "Not open to that yet. That''s fine, but you will be. You will want to help me, because that''s what mates do." "Is that what you said to all the others?" Heughs to himself, spinning back around in the chair and propping his feet up on the coffee table. ¡°I don''t think I have enjoyed anyone''spany as much as yours, mate."Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "Stop calling me that." "I will call you mate until you finally see the truth." Cooper surprises me by going back to sleep. He could probably tell I was almost at full strength again and he had done nothing apart from block the front door. Pulling my wrists open, I''m able to break the rope. Quickly and quietly, I get to my feet, checking the windows for another exit. All are locked. I could break the ss, but that limits my get away time. I stood in the middle of the room for what felt like an eternity, trying to decide on my very limited options. In the end I just raid the fridge and cupboards for something more than a piece of fruit. Thankfully ir had some tinned sausages stashed in the back of a cupboard. It wasn''t much, but it was protein and that was more important than fruit. Moving through the house, I take a look in each of the two bedrooms. It was clear which one was ir''s. Though her room is immacte, there is a photo face down on the bedside table. I recognised her mother, and I assume the baby her mother is holding is ir. In the second bedroom, it was carnage. An open suitcase with clothes hanging out of it, clothes sprawled across the bed. Dirty tes and sses were in odd ces Broken perfume bottles littered the carpet by the side of her bed. If I didn''t know better would have said a teenager was living here, not Samara. I smell Coopering up the stairs. His feet are heavy on the carpet from the running. "I thought you had escaped!" He stares at me as the broken rope dangles from his hand. "I thought about it. But I was hungry." "Why are you in here?" He asks quietly "Trying to make sense of a few things." I turn to face him properly. Shadows were cast across his face, but I could still see the way his eyes focussed on me. ¡°You took away Samara''s abilities, didn''t you?" "You don''t know what you are talking about!" "She was the first one you tried it out on, right? But it was too strong and wasn''t supposed tost this long. She was the first one you had in that prison. You kept her there because you knew you had screwed up. She had to be close so you could keep aneye on her." I use his own words against him. "Is that what you did to Maddie and ir? You gave them the same dose as you gave your sister? So it won''t be permanent, it will just take years to wear off?" "Are you seriously suggesting I did this to my sister?" "Yes. I think that you had enough of her touching your things. That you finally snapped and now, somehow, she helps you. What was she supposed to be? Some kind of guard for ir?" "You really are smart, us." I keep my mouth shut and he starts tough and mutter to himself "Of course I would be mated to someone that can read between the lines.¡± "We are not mates. It is a trick, I am just your prisoner." He takes off his jacket, dropping it to the floor. His fingers make quick work of the buttons holding his shirt together. "Witches and even half breeds like myself are born with a mark over their heart. Many call it a Witches mark." He gets to the final button_ el actually the initials of our true matt and pauses. "But the mark is He rips the shirt open, and right above his heart in deep red is a clear KD. "Now remind me, what is your name?" "us Anderson!" Iugh "Before you were adopted." Chapter 0409 Chapter 0409 Dane Damien, Eric and I stand at the border of my pack. We had spent the day searching for clues in the hospital, his home, the forest and anywhere else we can think of. Ultimately, there is nothing. No blood, no hair, no footprints, not even a whiff of us''s scent. ''There has to be something.'' Aero mutters ''We''ve covered the entire pack, there is nothing. Wherever he has taken us, it''s further afield.'' "Where would Cooper take him?" Eric asks. "I doubt if he knows the area." "Then most likely, it is somewhere nearby." Damien replies. "But it depends if us is out cold or not. Cooper could be carrying dead weight or he could be making him walk. And it depends on what Cooper really wants. Is he sticking around because he has a target in mind? Or has he left, never to return, taking us with him?" "We expand our search." I dere ¡°We need more people to do that and we need reliable ones too." Eric puffs "No we don''t." Damien smirks. "We just need answers from one person." He turns and heads back through the forest. Eric cocks an eyebrow at me and shrugs his shoulders. "Damien, wait." I call after him "It''s time to get some real answers, Dane. There''s only one person who we know that is definitely lying to us." "Samara." "We can smell her. We know her scent is getting stronger everyday. We know from Brax that she is lying. Maybe now it''s time to see how close to death she is willing to go." "She''s in denial." Eric tells him. "No she''s not." I frown, "Damien is right. This is a game to her. I don''t know if she is trying to get information for her brother or what her end game is, but it''s definitely a game. I have seen too many idiots y games that they think they will win." We break through the tree line and head towards the dungeons when I freeze. ''Do you smell that?'' Aero mutters ''Yes.'' I could smell Neah''svender scent. She was supposed to be in the house, not out here. The door to the dungeons is wide open with the lights on inside. The guard stands to one side. He bows his head as we approach. "Is my mate down there?" I demand "Yes. Was I not supposed to let her down?" He asks, confused. "It doesn''t matter now, does it." I snap Hurrying down the steps. I find Neah standing in the dim light, staring into Samara''s cell. Samara is sleeping as is ir, bothpletely unaware that any of us are here. Neah doesn''t even turn to look at me as I approach. "I can hear her." She whispers I look in the cell at a sleeping Samara, curled up at the back as drool hangs from her mouth. Who the fuck shaved her head? "She''s asleep." I keep my voice low "Obviously." Neah mutters, "But her scent has been getting stronger and now there is no doubt about it, she is a Lycan, was bathing the boys and I was getting whisperings through a mindink. They weren''t really saying anything, just making sounds." She smiles, ¡°A part of me thought it was Evrin trying to speak to me, because he already has his Lycan. But when I spoke back, he didn''t respond. So I asked one of the omegas to watch the twins and followed the sound, it grew louder and led me here." "I don''t understand." Eric frowns. "She''s linking me without even knowing it." "Is that even possible?" Damien asks I nod. Neah had linked me a lot while she slept. It was never intentional, but it still happened. "What is she saying?" I ask "Not anything that makes sense. Just mutterings. Now and again she mentions Cooper''s name but nothing else. Mostly it''s just sounds, whimperings. Almost like she is in pain." "Is she in pain?" Neah screws her face up as she stares into the cell. "I don''t think so. Could she be dreaming, is that why she''s linked me?" "Possible. Did you shave her head?" Her blue eyes are full of surprise that I had even asked the question. "No, that was Brax. He took her for questioning earlier. He didn''t find out anything. I''m assuming that''s why he did it. A punishment that wouldn''t really harm her. But he has been busy with Maddie since sel haven''t had a chance to ask." ContentN?velDrama.Org is the owner. belongs to NovelDrama.Org ¡°She lied about how she got out of the prison.¡± ir whispers from behind us. Everyone turns to look at her. She is sitting up against the back wall, her eyes focused on the ground in submission. "What do you mean?" Neah asks "When I met her, she told me she killed someone in the bathroom, that was how she escaped. When I mentioned it to her after Abraxas brought her back, I changed bathroom to library and she didn''t even correct me. She was hysterical about her hair at the time, maybe that''s why I caught her out. She lied to me." "Paybacks a bitch." Damien winks at her. Chapter 0410 Chapter 0410 ir looks more than defeated as she hugs her knees to her chest. She is nothing like the woman who had turned up in our pack to introduce herself and cause drama. All her confidence and attitude appears to be long gone, but that didn''t mean she was trustworthy. "Has she said anything else?" I press ir shakes her head, "Not really, the most she was doing was cussing out Abraxas for what he did to her. She cried herself to sleep." "I can order her." Neah tells me. "I can order her to answer my questions and she won''t be able to lie. Not now the link is back in ce." I gesture to Samara''s cell Neah moves to the bars that separate us from Samara. She takes a deep breath. "Wake up!" Samara sits upright, automatically brushing her face like she was expecting hair to be there. For a moment I thought she was going to scream as her grey eyes sh around the dimly lit dungeon. She shuffles herself back against the wall, fearing for what''s toe as she properly registers all of us. "Get up." Neah''s voice echoes around the dungeon Samara is on her feet, her lips part and her grey eyes frantically dart about as she tries to figure out what is happening to her and how she has no control over what she is doing. I smile as Neah asks Samara for her name. She held so much power and yet she doesn''t unt it like so many others would. ¡°Samara rkson." She whispers through tears "But you can call me Sam or Sammie." It was the exact same line she had given before. "You are a Lycan?" "I was. I was drugged and now..." "Who is Cooper?" Neah presses, cutting Samara off before she has a chance to finish. Samara squeezes her eyes shut and tilts her face down. Her cheeks grow redder and redder as she tries to hold in the answer. "Answer me!" Neah snaps "He is my brother." She blurts out and her eyes are like saucers as she stares back at us. Horrified with herself for revealing that snippet of information. There''s silence. We were all surprised by the answer. None of us saw thising. Brax thought they were mates, not brother and sister. ''Seriously?'' Aero asks and I just nod. "WHAT?!" ir shrieks from behind us and Samara''s head snaps up. She hadn''t been aware that ir was awake. "You are his sister? You are his fucking sister!" ir pulls on the bars, "I''m gonna kill you. I will get out of here and I will kill you!" "You are siblings?" Neah asks, trying to ignore ir. I see ws appearing at the tips of her fingers, she was ready to kill Samara. Samara''s head bobs up and down, "He is my big brother." "So why did youe here, to ck Shadow?" I snarl She doesn''t fight her answer this time. "Because he asked me too. I''m sorry, ir. I wasn''t.... I.... You are a good friend." "You set me up. You brought me back knowing full well that I will be killed!" ir shouts. "Be grateful there are bars seperating us!" "I had to, he is my brother." Samara drops to her knees ir starts to pace. Her hands sit on her hips as she mutters to herself. At least she wasn''t focused on Neah anymore. "What does Cooper want?" Damien asks Samara "I don''t know." "Tell the truth." Neah demands ¡°It is the truth. He asked me to convince ir to show me where ck Shadow is. I don''t know why." Tears run down her cheeks and she doesn''t bother to wipe them away. "I was in the prison. That wasn''t I was out of control and Coop lie. .ne helped me. He had to do this to me before I became a danger too everyone." "What does that mean?" Damien frowns. She shrugs her shoulders at us. "That''s at he has always told me. He did?t to look after me. To keep me safe. To protect me. He''s good like that." "She''s delusional." Eric tells us "So you were just on a farm, waiting for me?" ir asks ¡°Coop asked me to wait there. He said you woulde my way. He wanted me to reassure you.¡± "Kill her!" ir snaps. ¡°Just fucking kill her!" Damien gives her a warning re and she backs away from the bars. He turns back to Samara. ¡°What did he do with us?" "Who is us?" "If Cooper was to take someone, where would he go?" I query "You won''t find him." "Where will he go?" Neah snarls at her. "I don''t know. I don''t keep tabs on him. He has always contacted me when he has needed me to do something. How are you doing this to me?" "She is the Alpha." Damien tells her with a smile. Neah''s ws lengthen, making me pull her away and she frowns at me. "I can kill her."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "As much as I like the idea of that you can''t, not yet. If you kill her, he might kill us." Chapter 0411 Chapter 0411 Neah ''Sometimes, it''s so frustrating when he is right.'' Nyx groans. She was just as eager as me to put an end to Samara, but Dane was right, we couldn''t risk losing us, not when we don''t have the full picture. "So we are just going to let her live?" I whisper to Dane as my ws retract. They wereing out with next to no pain now and sometimes, I didn''t even notice they were out. I could see Samara staring at us. A mixture of fear and hope that she thinks Dane is saving her. And now she was awake, I couldn''t hear her whimperings anymore, though there is no denying that there is a link to me. I could order her. I could feel it, but could she? "Why is everything so loud?" Samara suddenly cries, as she nts her hands over her ears. It was interesting how sound was thest thing toe to her. It was the first thing that hit me when my binding was broken "You have your Lycan, you dumb bitch!" ir screeches and Samara winces. "You''re wrong." She cries backBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "Enough!" Damien snaps. "Eric, bring ir to my office." Dane tells him. "Damien, make sure she doesn''t do anything stupid." ''Is he going to kill ir? We have information now. We don''t need her anymore. So he must be, right?'' Nyx asks ''I don''t think he is.'' I could tell Dane was mulling something over, if he was going to kill her, he wouldn''t be considering other things and he would have just done it. He gestures to the steps and holds a hand out to me. He doesn''t speak until we are outside. "We are going to have to find somewhere else to put ir." "Why? She is locked up in the cell." "Yes, but she has just made it very clear that she is pissed off with Samara now that some of the truth hase out. Moving forward, she''s going to be useless in getting any information. And you heard her. She wants to kill Samara. She will be too focused on that. Again, if Samara dies, there is a good chance us will be killed. I know you don''t want that." I shake my head, "You''re right." "So we are going to y this tactfully. I''m going to offer the bastard a trade.¡± "A trade?" "us for Samara and ir. Two for the price of one. We can see just how much he loves his sister because it''s either none or both." "Won''t that just make him think us is worth more?" "Contracts or deals often mean offering something that is worthwhile. Something that the other party thinks works in their favour. It doesn''t necessarily mean it will, they just have to believe it will. I stare at him as Damien and Eric appear with ir. She is quiet, keeps her gaze low and does not fight the men as they move her forward. "We don''t even know how to get in touch with him." I look around the dark grounds. "We don''t even know where he has taken us." "Something tells me we won''t need too. He will soon learn that the spell or drug that he used has worn off and he can link his sister. He will probably turn up on our doorstep if he is that desperate to get her back." "Okay." I mutter "And what are you going to do with ir?" I ask as the mming of the dungeon door makes me jump. ¡°You said she can''t stay in the dungeon. You can''t possibly think that I will agree to letting her live in the house. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org "Of course not. I need to find someone that will keep an eye on her and I know just the person to ask." He had never been the one to make people wait for their death. If death was what they deserved, death was what they got. So why was he content on letting her live? "You think Cooper will be pissed if we kill her too?" I ask "Possibly." "She''s too much of a risk." I keep my voice low as Damien and Eric take ir towards the house. "She is, but I don''t think you are her target anymore. She didn''t want toe here. She came here because Samara talked her into it. I don''t think you have been her target for a while I''m not saying forgive her, because there is no way she deserves that. But maybe we can put her to work, nothing security based. Just while we figure out next steps." Chapter 0412 Chapter 0412 ''To work?'' Nyx scoffs My eyes sh up to his. "You''re ying your little game again aren''t you?" He drops his arm over my shoulder and squeezes me into his side, but doesn''t answer my question. In his office, ir has been dumped into the chair. Her eyes focus on her knees and she keeps her hands sped together on herp. No one speaks as we wait. Several minutes go by and ir bes more fidgety. Her whole body trembles as her leg jigs. Ryken knocks on the open door. "You called me Neah, is this about Kade? I know we haven''t...." His eyes drift to his stepdaughter and a scowl appears. "What has she done now?" "It''splicated." Dane tells him. "I''m assuming you thought it would be best to tell me rather than her mother? How long does she have?" "That will depend on you, Ryken." Dane tells him "Me, you want me to decide how she dies?" I see ir''s eyes widen and Nyxughs, ''She''s practically shitting herself. But why is Dane lying to Ryken?'' ''You know he has his ways of testing people.'' "ir is not safe in the dungeons anymore. You are her stepfather. I am requesting that you take her in and keep a very close eye on her." Dane tells him. I still didn''t like it, but I didn''t want her anywhere near the house either. What was the saying, keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. us had taught me that. "Take her in? You want me to take her into our home?" Ryken acts like we are asking him to stick his head into an open me. "Take her in, feed her, keep an eye on her, don''t let her out of your sight. She will be put to work with a guard and when work is over, she returns home to you and does not leave the house unless it is myself or Neah that requests it." Dane tells him "She is your stepdaughter, Ryken. She is your responsibility. If you say no, I understand, she will not live to see another day. If you say yes, your family''s lives rely on her doing what has been asked of her. If she fails or steps out of line in any way, she will not be the only one to face death. Do I make myself clear?" Dane asks "I have a baby." He protests with a frown ''What are we going to do if he says no?'' Nyx asks ''I guess we will deal with it if it happens.'' "If I do everything that''s required, I get to live?" ir asks in a whisper No one speaks and after a few seconds, ir nods her head. "You are going to kill me anyway." "I will do it Ryken announces and everyone''s eyes move to him. We et I expecting him to conset but still say no. it "You will?" I ask as ir stares at me with wide eyes. She is just as surprised as I am. "I will kill her myself if she doesn''t follow orders." ir looks at me, her eyes full of tears. "Thank you." "It''s not me you need to thank." I leave the office before anyone else. My own heart racing as my head pounds. ''I don''t like it either.'' Nyx grumbles. ''She was set on destroying us.'' I wait at the top of the stairs, but it''s sometime before the rest of them appear. Ryken has his hands on irs shoulder, her eyes are still low as he pushes her through the front door Damien tags along, I''m assuming to make sure there is no problem. Eric disappears through the door. Dane casts his crimson eyes up at me from the office door. "I know you are not happy and this is just temporary."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Chapter 0413 Chapter 0413 Dane ''She is not happy.'' Aero groans ''I am aware.'' ''There''s still time to change the n.'' ''No, we need this done. And we need it to work.'' "Are you going to say something?" I ask my mate Neah doesn''t say anything, though she really doesn''t have too. I can feel it through our connection and by the way she stares back at me from the top of the staircase. She carefully gets to her feet, her hand gripping the bannister. Her blue eyes lock on mine for just a second. "I hope you know what you are doing." She turns away just as Brax appears. His eyes move from her to me, then he watches her with a small frown as she disappears down the hallway. "You''ve seriously pissed off that one." He muses as he makes his way toward me. "I know." He cocks an eyebrow at me, "Don''t you think you should go after her?" "Usually I would, but right now my presence will anger her more. She needs time to think and process what''s happening." ¡°And what is happening? What have I missed now?" I fill him in and he spends most of the time shaking his head and snorting dismissively. ¡°So let me make sure I understand this. ir made a threat. Samara is in some weird form of denial and you think you can solve the problem by bringing ir out of the dungeons. I have to say, I''m with Neah on this one and that is really fucking hard for me to admit." "You don''t run the pack, you don''t get a say." "That''s fair." He mutters. "But put it this way. You are talking about Samara ying a game, ir could very well be in on it. Her reaction could just be part of the n. You know that, right?" "I don''t think she is. Not this time. The defeat she feels is on disy for all to see. She asked us if she gets to live if she followed the rules we put in ce and then thanked Neah. She is broken. Maybe you need to spend some more time watching her." "You want to fix her?" He raises his brow at me "It''s not about me fixing her." "I can see that." He mutters sarcastically as he studies me. "Don''t act like you know everything, Brax." "You have to consider that Neah might not want family outside of this pack. She has been through a lot and until you, she had no one. Not all of us want siblings and quite frankly, I''m surprised that this is your reaction after what ir did to your brother." "My brother dug his own grave and took down my sister with him. He was always a prick and always thought about himself. Instead of just dying, he piggybacked my sistersoul. In reality, I think el I brought out his true colours. I''m not saying what she did is right because it''s not. And I''m not trying to make Neah trust her." "Right." He presses his lips together, watching me carefullyN?velDrama.Org is the owner. "It doesn''t matter what you think anyway. When the timees she will be offered for trade along with Samara." "If you say so." "I do." "In that case, I will keep an eye on her." He offers. "Not when she is with her stepfather, but when she is put to work. She fears me probably more than she fears you. I think my presence will be a good reminder." "You mean you want to keep a closer eye on Ryken?" He scowls at me as I mention Ryken''s name. "Ryken is returning tomorrow to meet with Damien and I to discuss what happened with the kids. As Dorothy''s father you are more than wee to join us, but on the simple conditions that you keep your hands off of any weapons and you keep your hands to yourself." He clenches his jaw as he stares at me. "Those are the conditions Brax." "She is my daughter." e'' "Then act like a father and have the fucking conversation with him. Both kids were in the wrong. You can''t put all the me on Kade. Dorothy pinned him down, she may have had her reasons and we need to get to the bottom of it. I have told Damien the same thing and he is willing toe up with an agreement with Ryken." Chapter 0414 Chapter 0414 "Fine, I will be there. No weapons and I will keep my hands in my pockets." He tuts with an eye roll. "and I can''t promise that I will agree." ¡°I can ept that for now and now we have that sorted. Why the fuck did you shave Samara''s head?¡± Heughs,"I wondered when you would ask. You said I couldn''t physically hurt her. So I made sure she felt no physical pain, just psychological. Though I still didn''t get any useful information out of her." "Always looking for a loophole." He nods his head and smiles at me. "So Samara and Cooper are siblings?" "You couldn''t pick that up when you looked at her soul?" "Why do I need to keep reminding everyone that I am not psychic? If they were twins, yes, I would have known, but I''m assuming half siblings?" "Why do you say that?" "There is no real resemnce between them apart from the blonde hair. Different coloured eyes, different nose, lips, face shape. If I met them in the street, I wouldn''t have thought they were siblings. Do you believe it?" "Neah ordered her to tell the truth. You could see that Samara didn''t understand what was happening to her. She freaked out because her hearing was getting louder and louder." "Almost like she has never shifted?" "Exactly that. It reminded me of Neah when her bindings were broken. She wore ear plugs for the best part of eight months just to cope with the heightened noise."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g He nods, "us told me." "He did?" "When we were out looking for something to help Neah, he filled me in on quite a lot of things and I think you are right about Samara. She''s never had the abilities." I frown "She kept talking about Cooper telling her that he was protecting her, keeping her safe so she wouldn''t be a danger to everyone. I was thinking Rogue, but if she has never shifted, that wouldn''t be possible. That means he would have done it before she turned thirteen." "And I would know if she had been a Rogue at any point. Let me spend some more time with her, I might be able to see her soul better." "Wait until morning and don''t touch her." He rolls his eyes at me. "I won''t." Brax rxes into one of the chairs in the office, "I assume there is no news on us?" "Not yet." "Madison doesn''t know anything else either." He sighs "She''s speaking to you now?" We had all heard the shouting earlier in the day and it was pretty clear how furious she was. It was about the only time I had heard Brax sound so uncertain. "Yes." He answers abruptly, "I wanted to talk to Neah about her actually." "About what?" "Turning Madison back to Lycan." ''Seriously?'' Aero scoffs and I hold a hand up to Brax while I try to push my frustration down. "You what?" I splutter as Aero starts losing his shit. It had been a long time since he had been so ramped up about something. "To give her her Lycan." Brax states "You want Neah to bite her?" "Yes, though Madison is unsure at the moment." "No." "It''s for her own good." "Why? So you can feel the bond again? You don''t like Lycans. You had a hard time epting her." "I know. She has grown on me." "Neah won''t do that. Not after....she just And we don''t even know given will if the Maddie tent wear off, just like Samara." He res at me as he gets to his feet and hastily leaves the was grateful for the silence. Over twenty four hours awake and hadn''t had a moment''s peace. ''Dane. Dane. Are you there?'' Chapter 0415 Chapter 0415 us ''Shit, us. Where the fuck are you?'' It was good to hear Dane again. ''With Cooper. I had to leave with him, it was the only way to make sure he didn''t do anything to anyone else.'' ''Are you okay? Are you hurt?'' ''He hasn''t hurt me. I mean he drugged me, but it''s worn off.'' ''Where are you?'' ''He has me at ir''s house. Don''te. It''s too risky.'' ''Why?'' He asks. ''I can bring enough people and we will be in and out.'' ''He will expect that and I don''t know what else he is capable of.'' There''s a loud snore from the chair in the corner and I silently watch Cooper, fully expecting him to wake up. ''us?'' ''The guy is half Witch, half Lycan. He is drugging people with something he made. Samara was his first guinea pig. Though he got the dose wrong and she hasn''t been right since.'' ''It''s worn off. There is a good chance he will know soon enough.'' Dane tells me ''He does.'' ''We can use that in our favour.'' He doesn''t expand anymore and I figure it''s better that I don''t know. ''What about Maddie and ir?'' ''No change.'' ''I need you to do something for me.'' I speak faster, knowing that Cooper would be awake any moment. ''us, we need to get you out of there.'' ''No you don''t,'' I mutter, seeing Cooper stirring. ''Not yet, let me get what I can out of him. But I need you to ask ir what scent Cooper was giving off when he tricked her into thinking she is mated.'' There is a pause. ''You think you are mated to him?'' ''He has a mark on his chest. ims that Witches are left with the mark of their mates'' initials.'' ''And.'' ''KD'' I mutter ''Your surname is Anderson.'' ''My adopted name.'' I mutter back. There''s silence again. I knew the news was going down like a lead balloon. ''Remind me, what was your birth parents'' surname?'' ''Daudet.'' ''us....'' ''I won''t ept him.'' I mutter hurriedly as Cooper starts making more noises. I can''t ept Ø¢ someone that thinks it''s okay to remove others abilities. Not after my parents did it to me. Not after ve seen Neah and Maddie struggle. I just need to know if it is a trick or not, before I reject him. I want him to break. I have to go, he is waking.'' I end the link and focus on the rising sun. Keeping my gaze off of Cooper. He had stopped asking me about my birth name after he realised he could tink Samara and whatever she had told him had made him angry enough to trash the house. He is a mad man with two personalities and if I wanted to make it back home, I needed to y along to a certain extent.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. Cooper yawns. "You''re already awake." "Early riser." I mutter back. "I like watching the sunrise." "I''m surprised your Alpha isn''t here, knocking down the door. I know you can link him. I know that you are a full Wolf again. So you either have and have told him not toe or you haven''t because you can''t resist the bond with me." Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org S "Do you always think so highly of yourself?" I cast a nce at him to find him staring at me. "Yes. Yes I do." I roll my eyes and turn back to the sunrise as pink hues fill the sky. "So is today going to be the day you give me your birth name?" "You are so smart, maybe you should figure it out." "I am going to cook you breakfast this morning." He announces, changing the subject. "Not hungry." I mumble, though my stomach said otherwises with its insistent noises He ces a hand against his chest, pretending to be hurt, "But it''s my special pancakes. They are loved by everyone." I highly doubt anything here will be edible. ir and Samara have been in the pack for ages. Anything you do find is probably off." "Lucky for you, I went out when you were asleep." Chapter 0416 Chapter 0416 "You went out?" I hadn''t heard anything all night, in fact, I don''t even remember falling asleep. ¡°Funny what a little sleep spell can do. Now get up, go shower. I hung some clean clothes on the back of the door for you." "What?" He grabs my arms and pulls me to my feet. "Go shower." "Why?" "Can''t have you looking like that over breakfast.¡± ¡°No, I mean why are you doing this?" I stare at him "I''m trying to show you that I''m not the asshole you think I am." I snort. "They really have you believing that I''m some kind of monster, don''t they?" He shakes his head. "I would never do that to you." He reaches out for my face but I retreat. "Is that what you say to all of them? You butter them up, worm your way in and make them believe something that is entirely false? I don''t fall for it like the others. You keep acting like you are doing all this for me. You''re not, you are doing it for yourself, in and simple." "What will it take for you to realise that this is real?" "Real? I don''t think you know the meaning of the word." His eyes narrow, I had hit a nerve. He grabs my shoulders and spins me around, pushing me towards the kitchen. A small smile creeps across my lips. Maybe he was finally seeing that I was not someone he could win over. Cooper directs me to a chair. "Sit!" He snarls As I sit he pulls my arms around to my back. He reaches for something and I feel the cool metal of a chain as he wraps it around my wrist. "Let''s try this a different way." He grabs my head and forces it over. His callous fingers brush my long hair off of my neck. "Get off of me." "You won''t be able to resist me if I mark you." "Don''t fucking touch me." I growl, pulling at the chains. "I am not your mate. You want to know what my birth name is? It does not start with a D." I lie. "It''s Monroe, us Monroe." His fingers pause in my hair. "You are lying." ¡°No, I''m not.¡± I had been prepared to go so far, but there was no chance I was letting him mark me. I would be tied to him until one of us meets our death. My chair is dragged across the floor. He squats down, locking his sage green eyes on mine. The blue flecks are darker again, it seemed to 1.n happen when he was on the verge of losing hisposure. "What is your name?" vent "us Monroe." I state clearly and confidently. "Liar." "And you''re an idiot if you don''t believe me." "I can smell you. You can''t deny that." "Maybe it''s your mind ying tricks on you. Maybe you are so fascinated by me that you want to believe it''s true. I''ve seen stranger things happen." His strength was definitely not the ability to tell if someone was lying. Idiot. He softly taps my cheek and turns away. "What''s your favourite topping? I''m going to make you the best damn pancakes you have ever tasted." "You mean you are going to poison me?" "No, why would I do that? I have told you already, us. I like you, I like you alot and I want you by my side?" He was delusionalExclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "What about your true mate?" He was certain it was me, though I will never ept someone like him. "We will see." He turns my chair back around to the table and slides it forward until I''m sitting at the table properly. He moves away, half talking to himself as he pulls out what sounds like a hundred ingredients. .n The reflection in the window shows his lips moving but now no soundes out, it was like he was talking to himself and it''s only when I caught sight of his eyes that I knew he was linking someone. It had to be Samara Chapter 0417 Chapter 0417 Hey everyone, just a quick note for all those that like to be kept up to date. There will be no chapter updates today due to a family emergency. All being well, I will be back tomorrow 20th July but this is not guaranteed. Take care and stay safe Taylor WestN?velDrama.Org is the owner. Chapter 0418 Chapter 0418 Neah ''What if we just kill her? It''s an option right? No one needs to know until afterwards.'' Nyx asks ''Because as much as I want to. Dane is right, we need ir to trade along with Samara. I don''t want us to die. He doesn''t deserve that.'' ''Okay. So maybe we wait until the deal has been struck. Then we kill her? Make it look like an ident? She is Human now, it will be pretty easy to do., maybe we could let her bleed out? And I know you have thought about it so don''t try telling me you haven''t.'' No thought was ever a secret anymore. Either Nyx was listening or Dane was reading my mind. ''We are!'' She tuts ''As much as I want too, I am going to wait, let Dane y this game of his. If something happens, then I will dly rip her heart out.'' I drop on to the bed and stare up at the ceiling as my body melts into the mattress. The omega had taken the twins to Athena''s and Sebastian''s not long after I leftst night. She was young and the twins, even at their young age, knew how to test her patience. Though she hadn''t witness Evrin shift yet. Shit, I hadn''t warned Athena or Sebastian either. Closing my eyes, it takes less than a second before I''m hit with a burst of Dane''s woody scent. The door swings open, sending in a rush of cool air. "Are you still mad?" He asks softly. "No, I''m too tired to be mad." He pauses and I knew he was digging through my mind to see if I''m telling the truth. "Then this might upset you." I prop myself up on my elbows to look into his crimson eyes. "What does that mean?" "us linked me." "He linked you? How.... he had....where?" Too many questions were going through my head. "He was drugged as we expected. But it seems to have worn off, just like Samara''s did." I was trying to process how. Samara had imed she hadn''t had her abilities for a long time. And Maddie and ir were still Lycan free. "Cooper has him." Dane continues. "Where?" "He doesn''t want us to go and get him. He thinks it''s a trap and it''s exactly what Cooper wants and expects." "We can''t just leave him!" I scowl "We are not. For now, he isn''t hurt, he is safe but he wants to find out more about Cooper and what his intentions are." "Where is he?" I pressExclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "There''s something else." He ignores my question. He really didn''t want me to know. "us has asked me to speak to ir about the scent Cooper had. The one he used to trick her into believing he was her mate." "Wh...." I catch myself when it dawns on me what he is saying. "He thinks Cooper is his mate?" "He has categorically said he won''t ept him even if he is. He can''t be with someone like Cooper." ¡°Is that why he left with him? Because of the possible bond?" "I don''t know. He cut the link before I had a chance to ask." "He cut the link?" "Yes." He sighs. "Thest thing he told me was that he was not going to ept the bond. It is why he is asking what ir could smell. If he knows it''s the same thing, he knows it''s a trick. And I''m letting him link me on his terms, when it is likely safe. "What if it isn''t?" I sigh. "What if the scent is what his mate is supposed to smell? He might not be creating the scent, but instead the idea of the bond. That means everyone he wants will smell the same scent." ''For someone so tired, you are on the ball today.'' Nyx mutters, impressed. I look at Dane who hadn''t said anything, "There''s something else isn''t there?" "Yes. Cooper is half Witch. He wasn''t using anyone. It''s all been him." I puff out my cheeks. The only other Witch I had met was Madame Curie. "He told us that they carry a mark." "Like a Witches mark?" Dane closes his eyes and nods. "The mark is the initials of their mate." "And?" I knew he was purposefully giving the information in small doses. Not for some big effect but so I could take it all in. Chapter 0419 Chapter 0419 "K D." I drop back on the bed. "us Daudet." ''Shit!'' Nyx mutters "Where is he?" I press. "I''m going to tell you, but you are not going to do anything. Do you understand?" "It''s us." I protest, "We can''t just let....." "We have too." "You are not doing anything!" I didn''t understand why he had no urgency about this. us was our friend. He had helped out with a lot of things. My Lycan history. Tutoring. The hospital. He stood in as Beta when Eric was digging himself a hole. He saved Mallory. I could list everything but I don''t think it was going to make a difference. "Trust me, Neah. I am. This isn''t a quick fix. We are not going to go in and get him out." "Why not? I''ve seen you kill multiple people." "You''ve seen me kill Wolves and Lycans. Witches are a different game." "I don''t understand what you are saying." "Theye with different capabilities and we don''t know what Coopers are. He was using a drug to take away people''s abilities, but we don''t know if he can just create potions. He could be capable of other things." "Like what?" "There was a story when I was a kid. It was about a Witch that wiped out an entire Wolf pack without ever physically stepping foot inside the pack." I frown as Nyx asks me how something like that is even possible. "The story suggested that she could make herself appear in the pack. Project herself. She was able to gain information without actually entering the pack." "They couldn''t see her?" I ask in confusion. "No." "Then how do you know that''s the truth?" "I don''t. All I know is that the story has been passed down through multiple generations of Wolves. I remember the first time I heard it and how I tried to talk to my father about it. It made him all weird and my mother told me to never bring it up again." "If I''ve learned anything. It''s that we shouldn''t believe it until we see it with our own eyes." I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. "I just know that story haunts many of the older generations of Wolves." ¡°And that''s why they don''t work with Witches?" "That''s right." "You did." I whisper "Madame Curie was different. Though I''m pretty sure she would have done anything for the right price." I don''t answer as I try to wrap my head around everything he is saying. "You don''t want me to know where us is, do you?" I ask quietly He sits on the bed next to me. "I''m concerned you will go after him on your own. And before you say anything I know you are more than capable of killing him. That''s not my issue. us has said he is waiting for That means he is fully prepared for our appearance. I''m not taking any risks." "But...." "us has said he is safe. Cooper hasn''t hurt him." "He took away his abilities." I frown "Temporarily. We will get us back, we just need to get our timings right and let everything y out. We will make our move when we are ready." I nod as he wraps an arm around me. But the idea of leaving us out there put a knot in my stomach. It felt wrong. It felt like we were abandoning him. Dane toes off his boots and crawls up the bed, dropping down with a groan. He holds out a hand to me. "Come, you are exhausted." "I''m fine." "We have a few hours before Ryken is back here and Athena is keeping the twins until midday." His hand doesn''t drop but his crimson eyes narrow at me. He was doing it to make sure I didn''t go anywhere. I roll my eyes and lie back down, but he grabs hold of me, pulling my back against his chest as his arms locked around me. I should be pissed that he isn''t letting me go. But his scent, warmth and touch wasforting for my restless mind. I had to trust his process. I had to trust what he was doing. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Chapter 0420 Chapter 0420 Damien Knocking on the office door, I''m surprised when there is no answer. I was expecting Dane to already be here. Especially when there is less than five minutes until the meeting with Ryken starts. Making my way in, I position myself in the far right corner, behind the desk and next to the window. I needed a good view of everyone in the room. Brax appears next and purposely spins in front of as he lifts his top just high enough to show me that he doesn''t have any weapons stashed in his belt. "You actually listened then." I mutter "It may surprise you, but I do actually care about my daughter and I can follow some rules." I don''t respond as Dane enters yawning. "I need to catch up with both of youter." "About my baby girl?" Brax asks "No..." He was about to say more when Ryken appears. He checks his watch. "I''m notte am I?" "Actually, you are right on time." Dane tells him. "Have a seat." "What about my baby girl and his brat? Shouldn''t they be here too?" Brax challenges, "Considering this is about them." "DON''T refer to him as a brat." Ryken growls with clenched teeth. "I don''t want either of you to speak." Dane''s crimson eyes move between the pair of them. "You both need to listen." He points to me. He had already asked me to exin how I had found Dottie. Believing that it would give Ryken a clearer picture. "Are you aware of how Dorothy lived her younger years?" I ask carefully. "Yes, I know what ir did." "I''m not talking about ir, I''m talking about the Humans that ir sold her too." "This has nothing to do with her attacking my son." "Maybe, maybe not. But I think it''s only fair for you to know and we might understand a little bit more why she pinned Kade down." Even Brax didn''t know the exact truth of how found her. He had just heard small details. Though as long as she was safe, all was good, but I couldn''t help wondering if he saw cracks in her soul too, but just didn''t want to say anything. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org His eyes sh up to me and I could already see how his anger bubbling up to the surface. He paces in the background. His hands balled into fists. He was like a grenade, ready to go off. ''Tread carefully.'' Dane links me but he is looking at Brax. ''He''s got no weapons'' But that didn''t mean Brax wouldn''t hit something. "She was just a kid." Ryken mutters with sorrow as I finish telling him how she ate food from a bowl like she was a dog the first night I saved her. ¡°She had to learn to survive on the bare minimum. She had nightmares for the best part of a year and they had finally settled down to the point they were happening maybe once a week." look over at Brax who was staring into space, probably thinking about how he was going to make ir suffer for making his child suffer. "Dottie has held everything in for so long that one day, I knew there was a damn good chance that she was going to blow. She didn''t attack him for a game. She attacked Kade for what he said to her." Ryken looks down. "He hasn''t told you what he said, has he?" Dane asksN?velDrama.Org is the owner. "He is sticking to the same story. The one he has given me is that he asked her for a pencil and she just lost it. But I know deep down it is not the whole story. While she has nightmares, he sleeps like a log, without a single worry." "He called her poison. Told her that someone will kill her while she is sleeping." I mutter. Hearing Mallory tell me that made my blood boil. "He wouldn''t...." "He did." His eyes narrow at me. "She told you that." "No, she confided in a friend and I believe her." "My son wouldn''t say something like that." Ryken shakes his head dismissively. "Then let''s bring him in here and I can find out if the little bastard is lying!" Brax growls. Dane holds his hand up to silence everyone. "Ryken, how would Kade know about poison? It''s not something that is taught to children this young." He shakes his head. "He''s never mentioned it before. Not even when he and his brother are fighting. I don''t even think Tara and I have discussed it. Maybe we have and we didn''t realise he was around, but if we did it''s not a conversation we have had recently. If you haven''t noticed Dane. It''s not like we are a family that goes out on hunts or wars or anything like that. We haven''t even participated in a pack run because we don''t feel we will be wee by the Wolves." Chapter 0421 Chapter 0421 "All Wolves or certain Wolves in particr?" Dane asks and I realise we hadpletely been missing the obvious. The Lycans will know of the Wolves causing problems. "I can give you a few names." Ryken sighs and his blue eyes catch mine. "I am Kade''s father. I will talk to him again." "He is already lying to you. Talking to him isn''t going to do anything." Brax snaps "Has Kade ever acted out before?" I ask, hoping Brax will just temporarily shut his mouth. "Never. He always had a good report from hisst school. We have never had issues with him at home, other than a bit of sibling rivalry. But that''s standard isn''t it." "Oh yeah." Dane mutters. "Wait until your daughter gets old enough to develop sass. Younger sisters certainly know how to create havoc." "Why do you ask?" Ryken queries ¡°As you are aware, Dottie has been helping Neah with any Lycans that have turned up. She does it because she is just like her biological father.¡± I murmur, gesturing to Brax. "She sees things others don''t" "Are you telling me she saw something in my son?" "That''s exactly what Damien is saying." Brax snorts "So what do we do?" Ryken asks. "They both need to attend school, but if there are going to be situations like this happening with the Hunter girl...." He shrugs his shoulders. ¡°I''m already having to keep an eye on my stepdaughter. Tara is going to be beside herself if Kade isn''t allowed to go to school. And it''s not like they can be split up, is it?" ¡°Actually," Dane mutters. Maybe that is exactly what we do. Some kids have lessons in the morning and finish at lunch. Others start after lunch. That way they don''t have to be in the same room together." "I will agree to that." Ryken nods "I guess." Brax mutters "Keep Kade off until Monday. My orders if anyone questions it and we will start the new rota then." "Thank you Alpha Dane." Ryken rises to his feet and bobs his head at me and Dane and then tantly walks past Brax without a simple acknowledgement. "Do you think it will work?" "There''s only one way we are going to find out. Brax, close the door." He gives Dane an odd look but does as he is told. "us is alive." "How do you know that?" I ask, surprised. "He linked me." "Where is he?" I press He takes a deep breath, almost like he didn''t want to tell us. "He''s still with Cooper." "You''re fucking joking!" Brax snaps. Dane shakes his head and closes his eyes as he sighs. "Cooper is trying to convince us that us is his mate." "He''s fucking delirious." Brax scoffsUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Danes'' eyes lock on Brax. "You know a lot of shit, I''m just wondering if you can confirm something for me?" "If I can, I will." "What is a Witches mark?" "I''ve never seen one, I can only tell you what I know and it may not be correct." "Go on." Dane growls. "It used to be said that the mark was a way to tell the difference between them and the rest of us, but over time as the world changed, it became different." "Different?" I mutter 1 "The mark began to mutate, in it;s ce, almost like a scar is the initials....." He stops and stares back at Dane. It was almost amusing seeing him lost for words, ¡°Initials?¡± I press, trying to get the information. His eyes shift to me. "The initials of his mate. Cooper is his mate, isn''t he?" "It is looking likely." "Has he switched sides?" Brax asks as I try to wrap my head around it. "No. He is very clear on what he intends to do. But he needs to sort a few things out at his end." ¡°We must leave to bring him back. You will be able to find him now that you link him." Brax suggests "He doesn''t want us to, not just yet. I know what he is nning on doing. We just need to be patient." "Since when is us gay?" They stop to stare at me. Brax startsughing first and then Dane too. "You''ve been here a while, right?" Brax asks throughughter. "Yes." "I mean, it''s pretty obvious." He replies I look over at Dane who is forcing his Outh together to try and hold t ter in. "You may have juse Roel me in a better mood." W Chapter 0422 Chapter 0422 ir Iy on the small single bed that was now mine. It was a wee relief to my spine after spending what seems like forever sleeping on a solid stone floor. Someone had even piled some nkets up at the end with a change of clothes. I''m assuming mum as it was already here when Ryken brought me here. I could hear my brothers running around upstairs. Their footsteps pounding the floor. Mum yells at them to quieten down before they wake Braelyn. It was odd, I never thought I would findfort in the sounds of my family. I had always preferred silence until Cooper forced me into it. Now every silence was ufortable. Every silence means a punishment is on its way.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Closing my eyes, a smile appears on my face. I was still alive. Still breathing. Maybe I could find a way to keep it that way. Maybe I just do everything that they ask me too and they will forget about punishing me. I hear the handle on my door turn and my eyes shoot open. One of my brothers is standing on the stairs, staring at me. I''m not even sure which one. They both had blonde ringlets framing their eyes. "You look like a boy." He spits out in disgust. I assume he is the slightly older one, Kade. The one Ryken had mentioned when he came to the office. The one he was having a meeting about some time this morning. I was starting to understand why there were problems with him. My hands automatically go to my hair. His brown eyes are wide as he stares at me. His lips turn up at the corners. Proud of himself because he thought he had upset me. "It''s what happens when you are naughty." I tell him. "Then you shouldn''t have gotten caught." He runs back up the steps and ms the door. His feet move quickly across the floor which is then followed by mutterings with mum. Though I couldn''t make out what any of it was. Minutester, my door opens again. I stay sitting on the bed, watching my mother slowly descend the stairs. Her hair had been scraped back in a bun, a few white hairs were making their presence known amongst the jet ck. A deep green dress clung to her frame. For someone who has had four children, you wouldn''t think so to look at her. Her body was in better condition than mine. Just the soft wrinkles forming on her face gave her age away. "What did you say to Kade?" She asks softly Of course he had gone running to mum. "He made ament about me looking like a boy because of this." point to my head. "I just told him it''s what happened because I was naughty." Her hands go to her hips. "You can''t say stuff like that to a seven year old." "Maybe he needs to hear it. I know Ryken has gone to have a meeting about Kim with the Alpha. There is only one reason why he would have to do that." She purses her lips. But I knew that she knew I was right. "Can you please just be careful what you say around the boys? I don''t want more trouble than necessary." "Mum! You and Ryken have been tasked with keeping an eye on me. What more trouble could you possibly have?" She res at me and I back track. "I''m not saying I''m going to be trouble. I''m just saying that you are already on the Alphas radars." She nods as she mulls over my words. "Come upstairs for breakfast. You will be going to work in a bit and you can''t do it on an empty stomach." "I''m okay." "I will tell you the same thing as I tell the boys. It''s not negotiable." I follow her up the wooden stairs and through to the dining room. She gestures to a chair next to my youngest brother. He hadn''t met me yet and he drops a spoon into his bowl to stare at me with dazzling blue eyes. He was a miniature Ryken but with blonde ringlets just like Kade. Ryken must have been blonde before he went bald. Chapter 0423 Chapter 0423 ¡°Calihan.¡± Mum speaks to him. ¡°This is your sister, ir. She''s going to be staying with us.¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. He gives me the biggest smile, showing me all his teeth. "Hi. You are my big sister?" "Hey, yes, I guess I am" I smile back as mum gestures to the boxes of cereal and tells me to help myself. Kade appears at the table and sits opposite me. He spends the whole time watching me as he eats but doesn''t say anything while Calihan talks to me about schoolpletely oblivious of his brother. "Your dad has just told me that there is no school today." Mum announces as she brings in some jugs of juice. It was like she was preparing to feed the five thousand not four of us and a baby. Calihan does a small fist pump when he hears the news while Kade demands to know why. Something else unusual about him. Every kid his age should be happy they don''t have to go to school for the day. "Alpha Dane is changing a few things around. Due to the amount of children he is splitting the ss so everyone gets more attention. So Kade, from Monday, you will attend in the morning and Calihan, you will go in the afternoon." "That''s not fair!" Kade ms his fist on the table. "It''s the rules and what do we do when ites to rules?" Mum res at him and Kade retreats a little. What was that about? "We follow them." Calihan states proudly. "Yes we do, especially if we want to be happy here." Calihan bobs his head in agreement and slurps the milk from his bowl. The boys were so different, but it was also more than that. Even without my Lycan abilities I knew there was some problem with Kade. Calihan goes right back to telling me about his friends at school as Kade continues to watch me. He wasn''t anything like the boy I had seen running around in the front garden that day. "It''s Kades birthday soon." Calihan tells me. "He is going to be eight." Calihan holds his fingers up proudly. "Two more sleeps." "Are you excited?" I ask Kade as mum leaves the room to get Braelyn. He rolls his eyes at me and takes his empty bowl to the sink. "He''s just being silly." Calihan tells me. "Maybe he is too excited and it''s made him tired." I lie to my little brother. "It happens sometimes." Mum appears with Braelyn. She was so much bigger than the first time I hadid eyes on her. Mum slips her into the high chair and puts a bottle of milk in front of her. She was a miniature version of mum. Deep brown eyes and a shock of jet ck hair. Oblivious to anything but her bottle of milk. "Do you think you could get used to this?" Mum asks me I had never had this in any shape or form. A tear creeps out and Calihan throws his little arms around my waist. "Don''t cry." I nod at mum. "I''m sorry." She smiles at me. "I know, it''s just taken you a long time to find your way home." **** "Dad. It''s not fair." Kade is stomping around, following Ryken while I tie theces o0f my boots "It''s what needs to be done. You won''t be in the ss with the Hunter kid. So there will be no more trouble." "There was no trouble. I just asked her for a damn pencil!" I watch Ryken spin around and re at Kade Kade immediately f and his head sinks lower and lower until his face couldn''t be seen. ¡°Watch yournguage and do not speak to me like that again!¡± "Yes Dad." It was apletely different tone to how he had been speaking earlier. "Now go to your room until I return." Kade bobs his head and runs off to the staircase. His feet move quickly and secondster a door ms and I watch Ryken groan. He looks at me Are you ready? Because your escort is here." Chapter 0424 Chapter 0424 "My escort?" "He wants to keep a specific eye on you. Not my choice, but I do not get a say in the matter." "Who?" I ask quietly, already fearing the answer. "The Hunter. So I suggest..." "I do everything he asks and answer his questions." I answer quickly He nods. "You will be over in the gardens today, checking the fruits and veg and doing some weeding." "I can do that." Though I wasn''t quite sure how I will feel with Abraxas breathing down my neck. "Here," Mum holds out a paper bag for me. "I made you some lunch."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "You didn''t...." "I know. I will see youter." A new feeling was bubbling up inside of me and I was certain I was going to cry again but not from anger or sadness. From something else entirely "Thanks." I whisper, but she had already turned away. I open the door to see Abraxas rubbing his temples. "So you didn''t try to run then? I was counting on it." "So you would have another reason to kill me?" I ask "Maybe. Though it does seem like you are catching on. Let''s go. I hope you have green fingers." I follow him to the gardens, rows and rows of different nts that multiple people were working on. They all look up and re at me. Abraxas nods to a woman with long red wavy hair. She slowly makes her way towards me with a bucket of small tools. Pulling off a glove she holds her hand out to me. "I''m Maddie." "You''re the woman they talked about. The one that was stripped of her abilities?" "Yes. Shall we get to work." Surprisingly, Abraxas doesn''t follow me though the crops. He s the end, watching me from made me even more at but "You don''t have to keep looking at him." Maddie mutters from my side. "He is just here to keep an eye, that''s all." "It''s just, I messed up his life and I know he wants to kill me. But I''m trying." "I know. Just the fact that you are even here means you are trying." She winces as she bends over. "Are you okay?" "He thinks it''s too early for me to be doing this, but I had to. I can''t stay inside all day." "Too early?" She lifts her shirt high enough to show me bruised ribs. "Did he do that to you?" I scoff ¡°No, not a chance. I''m still healing from Cooper." "I hope he gets what''sing to him. To do this and take away who we are, it''s worse than death." I sigh. "I''m sure they will find a way to deal with him. Neah is pretty smart and so is Dane. They always win." She gives me a big smile. "I really hope that they win this one." I was still so unsure. I work for hours, letting Maddie show me how to do certain things. Not once did Abraxas stand over me, but he always stayed where he could see me. He walks me to my new home in silence. I wanted to say something, anything, but ultimately decide to keep my mouth shut. He knocks on the door and waits for Ryken to answer. As soon as he does, Abraxas walks away without a single word and that''s worse than when he does speak. Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Chapter 0425 Chapter 0425 Abraxas "Told you she would be afraid of me!" "But you used Maddie?" Dane cocks a brow at me, though I could see he was annoyed with my actions. "It was her idea. She thought that if she could connect with ir over what Cooper did to them both, she might rx a little." "And?" He rocks in his desk chair. ¡°And nothing. ir didn''t lie like I was expecting her too, she was forting with information. She got on with the job, epting everything that Madison was showing her. If we didn''t know her past, you would think she was an outstanding member of the pack." "Most likely because you were watching her?" He mutters. "She fears you, of course she is not going to step out of line. But you really believe she is telling the truth?" "As much as I hate her and would dly use her skin as a g to warn off other assholes, she ain''t lying. I never thought I would say it, but Cooper broke her in more ways than I could ever imagine. I saw something that I have never seen in her before." Did I want to admit it? No. Did I really want to tell Dane? No. But it was better for it toe from me. "What?" "Empathy." "Empathy?" "Yes." I answer curtly. "The bitch has empathy." He stares at me in disbelief. "I need you to keep that information to yourself." "I can do that. Is it Neah you are worried about?" He shakes his head at me. "Neah can handle herself." "Okay, but...." "It doesn''t matter, Brax. Just do this for me." I scowl at him. "It seems like more and more things are being added to our deal." He looks me dead in the eye. "Are you going to tell me that you suddenly hate living here? You haven''t been back to your home in months." I keep my mouth shut, I wasn''t going to admit that I was getting used to living in the pack or that I didn''t want to be away from Maddie. I still didn''t like ny nine percent of the Lycans, but the Wolves I could cope with. "Having people to talk to on a regr basis is nice, right?" He pauses for my answer and when I don''t respond, h¨¨ continues. "Speaking to others like you every single day Having your mate here in the pack. And don''t tell me you don''t like my mate, because I know you are fascinated by her soul." "Alright! Yes, I do like living here." A smug smile appears and I roll my eyes at him. "It just wasn''t how I was raised. I couldn''t ever ept you as my Alpha, but yes, I do like living here." "I can ept that for now." His eyes flicker up to the clock. "Want to apany me to give the other prisoner some food?" "You are feeding her now?" "Need to keep her alive if we want to trade her." I follow him to the kitchen where a tray of food had already been prepped. Only a sandwich, a carton and some fruit, but it would be. n enough to keep Samara arton Personally, I would have let her starve for another day or two. In the dungeons, Samara is sitting at the back of her cell. She holds her knees to her chest and rocks. Dane opens her door and gestures for me to take in the food. She doesn''t move as I ce it on the ground and step out. It''s only when Dane turns the key that her head snaps up. "Cooper is going to kill you!"Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "Are you talking to me or him?" I ask while pointing at Dane. "Both of you. You both hurt me. You both punished me. You took away my friend. You ruined everything that I had." "Your friend? You mean the one that you lied to? The one you tricked into leading you here?" Dane challenges. "You are an excellent friend." I had to keep myself fromughing at his sarcasm because Samara didn''t see it. "Have you killed her?" "Does it matter?" She rests her forehead on her knees and the crying begins. "This is all wrong. This wasn''t supposed to happen." "Being thrown in the dungeons?" I ask out of curiosity "Why are you really here, Samara?" Dane presses "It doesn''t matter." She sniffles. "He''sing for me." "I assume you are talking about your brother?" Chapter 0426 Chapter 0426 "He wants me back." "Your brother is a prick." I mutter. She shakes her head. "No, you are wrong. He protects me. He has always protected me." "Is that what he tells you?" Dane questions. "He took away your Lycan abilities so that he could protect you? Do you know the name we give people that do that?" Her grey eyes peek up at us and she shakes her head. "Abusers. Cowards. Pussies. I could go on." Dane tells her, "But you wouldn''t believe me." "He''s my brother. He protects me." "Yet it is you who is in my dungeons and not him. We know you can link him, Samara and judging by the w marks on the wall, you have shifted too." I had been too busy focussing on her soul to notice the deep w marks in the wall "It hurt." She whispers and lowers her head. ¡°It''s going to hurt if it''s your first time.¡± I shrug my shoulders. She would have known that if Cooper had taught her anything. "When is Coopering?" Dane demands as her grey eyes drift to the food. Her stomach was making some awful sounds from hunger. "He just said he is on his way." "She''s lying." Her face snaps up to mine. "I''m not!" "You are. I see it and your whole demeanour has changed." "So he''s not on his way?" Dane asks for confirmation. She presses her lips together and frowns. "He said he would and then...." "And then?"Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "What he has is more important. He wants you to go to him." "Did he ask you to tell me that?" Dane demands She bobs her head and Dane looks at me. I nod, confirming she was telling the truth. "And you can''t see that he was using you?" He asks "He isn''t!" velm "He isn''t? He had you set up in a house, right where he expected ir to run. He had you make friends with her. Convince her toe back here even when she knew there was a strong chance she would be ughtered. What else? Did he expect you to scope out my pack? Draw him the pack''syout? Mingle with the other assholes he has working for him?" "I don''t know." "What did he want you to do Samara?" "I.... "What is his n?" Dane is growing louder and louder "I... I don''t know." "He is using you and you don''t even know what for?" "No." Tears fall thick and fast "I just had to get her here." Dane nces at me. I nod ¡°She''s telling the truth.¡± He ms his hands against the bars and storms out. My patience was almost non existent most days, but Dane seemed to be slowly losing his rag with theck of answers. "Eat. Stop that stomach making all those stupid noises." I snap at Samara and follow Dane. "You believe she is telling the truth?" He demands as I make my way out into broad daylight. "There''s several things I know. She believes Cooper is helping her, not punishing her by taking away her abilities. She believes she is a friend to in even though it was built under false pretences. She also has no idea what Cooper wants." "So he is using her?" ¡°We both know that, but he is being careful how he uses her. If no one knows his n but himself, it''s going to be harder to stop him. In some ways, the guy is a genius." He scowls at me. "He''s a prick." "I never said he wasn''t. But even you have to admit it''s a good idea to not share any of his n!" His scowl deepens. "Go and see Ryken. He is gathering names of Wolves who are causing the Lycans issues. They could possibly be working for Cooper." "I''ve checked them all." "Brax, just do it." "What are you going to do?" I ask cautiously. I could see he was angry. And my backhandedments were starting to do his head in. "I need to speak with my Betas." "Well, it must be your lucky day." I nod towards Eric who was talking to a Wolf a few hundred yards from us. I watch Dane stride away, making a mental note to speak to Neah. An extremely pissed off Alpha was not someone anyone needed and if he feels he is losing control over his pack, we are all in for a world of shit. Chapter 0427 Chapter 0427 Neah "And she was nice?" I ask Maddie, not quite believing what she was telling me about ir ''ir has to be ying us, right?'' Nyx mutters "She was. Brax made her nervous and she did keep checking to see where he was. But ultimately, she didn''t have anything bad to say about anyone but Cooper. I don''t really know her and that''s why I suggested that I be there. I thought if she is pretending, she would at least let it slip to someone she doesn''t know, or someone that has gone through something simr. I even showed her the bruises I still have and do you know what, she said I should be resting. But I told her I wanted to help." "You didn''t have to do that. "I know, I just wanted to contribute. You and the Alpha are both letting me stay in the house and I don''t even have my Lycan abilities so I figured this was something I can do." "Has Brax spoken to you about your Lycan?" I ask "He suggested you bite me and turn me back.¡± ''He what?'' Nyx replies, shocked by the idea "I told him I wasn''t even sure thats what I wanted anymore." "That''s....that wasn''t what I was talking about. There may be a chance that thisck of abilities is temporary. It mighte back." She frowns and shakes her head. "No." "What do you mean "No.?" "Cooper told me. It''s a bit hazy, you know." She taps her temple. "But he definitely told me. He said it was my punishment for being with Brax, that I would never get to experience being a Lycan again. Only those who are worthy deserve it." ''It wore off of Samara?'' Nyx murmurs "He said never?" I query Maddie nods. "Something about how he doesn''t make mistakes" "He doesn''t make mistakes?" "Sorry," She raises her shoulders, "Like I said, it''s still a bit fuzzy and sometimes it doesn''t sound right in my head. Now and again I will get a clear memory and know it''s not from a dream. I remember him standing over me and saying those words." ''He doesn''t make mistakes? It feels like there is a hidden message?'' Nyx murmurs ''I agree.'' "Do you remember anything else Maddie?" She shakes her head. "I''m sorry, Neah. I try and Brax keeps asking me. When try to remember it, it feels like I''m being pulled into a dream and I can''t always tell what is real 1 or not. Is it alright if I go and lie down, it''s been a long day?" Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org "Go ahead." I smile at her as Nyx continuously repeats the words Maddie had just said. ''He doesn''t make mistakes.'' ''It''s a weird thing to say, right?'' I mutter to NyxN?velDrama.Org is the owner. ''Yep!'' She pops the p. ''Everyone makes mistakes. Do you think she knows something?'' I shake my head. ''I don''t think there would even be a chance she could keep it quiet from Brax. Either verbally or because he sees it in her soul.'' Dropping on the sofa, I pull my legs up under me. "Do you think he fucked up by saying that to her?" I speak out loud as I yawn ''Like I said, everyone makes mistakes so there is a good chance. Maybe Cooper thought she was out of it? Maybe he thought she couldn''t hear him?'' "Maybe." It was so frustrating. Nothing with Cooper added up. What was his purpose of getting some of Dane''s Wolves on his side? Why target ir and then Maddie? Why did he have this hold over Samara? There weren''t any links between any of them. ''Power?'' Nyx mutters "Then why hasn''t hee after me or Dane? He isn''t achieving anything by going after the people he has. Maddie wasn''t even able to shift and he knew that!" I hear the front door open and secondster I''m hit with Brax''s scent. He drops on the sofa opposite. His hazel eyes studying me. "Dane isn''t happy." "I know." I mutter. "He feels he is losing the pack." "I know." He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, "That could mean trouble, Neah. For everyone. I am Pet aware Dane has his ways, but I''ve seen what happens to angry Alphas. I''ve seen their packs be non-existent." "What do you suggest?" I mutter, "Because some of this pack seem to be forgetting who is in charge." "We go after Cooper. Deal with him once and for all. Bring us home. Just you and me. Simply in and out and we leave Cooper with a bullet lodged in his brain." "I''m not doing that. That''s exactly what Cooper wants us to do. As much as us is my family, he is safe while we are not intervening. Cooper thinks us is his mate." Chapter 0428 Chapter 0428 He stares at me, trying to mask his annoyance. "You are missing the point, Brax. This is not a situation we can just st through and win. Do you not see that? He has been working on this for a long time. Whatever this is. ir isn''t his first victim and Maddie won''t be hisst. ir said there were others in the prison with her. We still don''t know what he wants." "At one point, we thought it was me and yet he went after your mate and then there is Samara. The asshole has abused her and she can''t see that. Cooper is using her and she is just going along with it because he has somehow convinced her that he is keeping her safe." "So you want to help her?" I frown, "I am saying I need time to think. There''s not just one thing happening in the pack is there?" I snap, as I think about the little Lycan that is fast asleep in his cot upstairs. Shifting while asleep was not something I thought was possible, but Evrin had done it. "Where is Dane?" I ask ¡°Last I saw him, he was speaking to Eric. He said something about wanting to speak to his Betas. I''m sure he will be back soon." I nod "I know I''m an asshole, but if you need to talk about something, I am all ears." Brax rxes into the sofa. "Maybe I can shed some light." "It''s nothing." He cocks a brow at me. "You are a rubbish liar. Did you know that?" "And you can be really irritating! And you are worse when you haven''t killed anyone." "Think of it as keeping me sane. It''s getting harder and harder for me to be who I am. I''m a Hunter, you know that. I used to go out and kill nightly. Being here, around Madison, you and even Mallory is making it almost impossible to be the man I was raised to be.¡± "See, not all Lycans are assholes." He smiles at myment "That''s why you want to go after Cooper? You need to kill?" He nods. "I need blood shed. Hunter''s thrive on it." "us doesn''t." "Are you sure about that?" "He''s not really a killer." "He likes to help in the hospital a lot, doesn''t he? Maybe he just thrives in a different way. Though I don''t think he would make a great Hunter, he is too.... rxed. But there are elements of it in him. Excellent diversion tactic by the way." "I wasn''t trying to divert you." "And yet you seeded. You may not be a good liar, but you are good at digging out information. Soe on, what''s guing your mind?" I shake my head at him. "Come on, I told you something about me, it''s only fair that you return the favour." "Samara?" I puff my cheeks out. "She linked me in her sleep. No one has done that before. It was strange. I could feel everything she was feeling as she slept. The mom ne like she woke up, it was gone. It was she didn''t know she was doing it and yet it feels like she knew she was." "Like her mind connected to you of its own doing?" I nod. "Almost like it wasn''t her, it was someone else?" I nod. "You have Nyx because you are an Alpha. The same as Dane having Aero. Evrin has his and no doubt Logan will too when the timees. "Wait, what? Evrin has who?" "His Lycan spirit.¡± He smirks at me. "I thought that was obvious after he shifted."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Nyx doesn''t say anything and I feel her retreating, though it wasn''t like she had anywhere to hide. ''You already knew, didn''t you?'' I snap at her ''I didn''t want to worry you.'' "She doesn''t carry Alpha genes." Brax continues "Because you are thest female Alpha." He takes off his ring and fiddles with it. "You are an only child, correct. Well minus ir." "Yes. Only child from my mother." "If she were a sibling, you would have already known." He turns the ring faster and faster. He had resorted to it after I had told him to keep his guns out of sight. "Did your mother have any siblings?" "I don''t know. I don''t remember. I just remember Trey. He was raised to be my brother but was really my uncle... my father''s brother. I don''t, remember meeting anyone on my mother''s side. I''m pretty certain there was no one. Ironically, the best person to ask would be us. He has been researching my family for years. Is that what you think it is? That somehow Samara is family, like a cousin or something?" Chapter 0429 ?Chapter 0429 Dane Her blue eyes flicker up to me as I walk in. "Have you heard this?" She scoffs I dip my head. I had only heard the end of Brax''s speech, "Though I didn''t need to. I had wondered if it was a possibility. But it''s not that. This proves it." I pass Neah the book that was tucked under my arm. Damien, Eric and I had been back to us''s house because I knew he had been digging into Neah''s past and I had wondered if there was a connection between Neah, Samara and Cooper especially after Samara was able to link Neah in her sleep. But there wasn''t. She flicks open the book and folds out the pages. us had been busy and while her father''s side of the family was limited. Her mother''s side wasn''t. There was name after name that eventually went all the way back to Aldous Kitson and then some. Where us had managed to gather so much information from was beyond me, but it was what he was good at. "Wow." She whispers as her fingers trail over the family tree. "This is... It goes all the way..." "It goes back centuries. You know us likes to research." I smile at her. I let her study the names and after a few minutes she frowns. "There''s no mention of Samara or Cooper, that''s a good thing right." "Yes and no. It means you are not tied to them, thankfully. But it also means we are not making any moves in finding out who they are or what they want. Samara is detached and seems to have a screw loose from the return of her abilities and seems to know nothing other than Cooper sendi9ng her here and even that information is limited." "At least I don''t have another half sibling popping up out of nowhere!" Neah tuts and I see the way Brax looks at me. I re back and he makes his excuses to leave as I sit next to my mate. She rests her head on my shoulder and her hand snakes onto my thigh. "Is us okay?" "Yes. He hasn''t managed to get anything else useful out of Cooper yet, but he is working on it." "We can''t leave him there." "It won''t be forever. us wille back home." I drape an arm around her shoulders and pull her in closer. "I will make sure of that." "What if...." "It''s not an option, Neah. He has said it himself. He will never ept Cooper." She falls silent. "Don''t lose control." She whispers "You listen to Brax too much." Her eyes peer up at me. "What does that mean?" "It means you don''t need to worry. We will figure it out." I kiss the top of her head and she buries herself into me. "Evrin shifted again. And Brax says he has his Lycan spirit." ''Crap. Aero mutters and I ignore him. It wasn''t necessarily a problem. "Was Evrin okay?"Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Neah bobs her head, "He did it in his sleep. I left him sleeping as a little Lycan. I didn''t want to wake him." ''In his sleep? Aero mutters. ''How is that possible, is that even a thing?" ''I don''t know bu it is now.'' I mutter back. "Evrin will be fine." I tell Neah and she sighs. "We don''t know what this means. Does it mean he is more powerful than Logan? Does it mean he is the next true Alpha? Logan is first born, I thought that is how it works." "You are worrying too much. Right now, he is a baby who has only just started walking." I pull her on to myp so that she is facing me, her legs straddle my thighs. "But it''s not just him you are worried about, is it? Me, us, Maddie, Damien and probably so many more." I tuck a strand of her dark behind her ear and her blue eyes lock on mine. "It''s probably one of the hardest things about being an Alpha. You feel responsible for everyone else. Just as one issue settles, something elsees up. It''s a never ending cycle. I grew up expecting that, you didn''t. Though you have adapted to it fairly well." Chapter 0430 ?Chapter 0430 She looks away so I turn her face back toward me. "You can''t keep everything to yourself. Some things, yes, but not everything and having me read your mind is not the same as you sharing what''s frustrating you." "I''m not weak anymore." she scowls "I never said you were." "Theck of knowing what Cooper wants, makes me feel like I am. He''s part Lycan which means I should be able to order him or at least link him. But it''s like he doesn''t even exist." "That will be his Witch half." "But still, it''s present, right? His Lycan?" She frowns "I would guess that it has something to do with how prominent his Witch gics are. If he has lived his life as a Witch then I''m guessing it would be stronger than his Lycan half. He might not have even shifted." Her brow knits together. "Every possible scenario that Ie up with just doesn''t seem or feel right. It''s not like Salem when he was one step ahead and it''s not like ir when she would taunt us from afar. This guy had only hurt Maddie and taken us and convinced a few Wolves to rebel against the pack. But that''s all. If it had been you, you wouldn''t have wasted time like this. He would already be dead and if he had a pack, they would be too." "You''re right. I wouldn''t have waited, but we are not just dealing with Wolves or even Lycans. He is part Witch? They are a whole different ball game. Not all of them are like Madame Curie and she wasn''t exactly squeaky clean." "I guess." She shakes her head at me. "I''m just over it." I cock a brow at her, "You are over it?" She nods at me. "I want it dealt with. I want him gone. I want Samara gone. I want to live in peace. I want to raise my boys and not have to worry that someone is going toe for therm." "Okay, I will link us and tell him to let Cooper know we are ready to trade." ''She didn''t mention ir,'' Aero mutters ''No she didn''t.'' I confirm, though I wasn''t nning on bringing her up right now. Neah leans forward, resting her chest on mine. "Thank you." I search for the link to us. ''Good time?'' I ask, knowing there were limited times he could talk ''Yes.'' He replies, though he sounds a little off ''Are you okay?'' ''Tired.'' He mutters back through the link. ''He''s watching me more. ''Anything?" ''No. He has spent the day trying to convince me I''m his mate.'' He sounds absolutely disgusted ''It doesn''t matter now. I need you to tell him we want to offer a trade. ''Dane, I need more time." ''I''m sorry, but I can''t give you any more time. We need this dealt with. Neah is right, this has gone on far longer than it needs too. Tell him that he needs to be at my gates with you by six tomorrow morning.'' ''He will refuse.'' ''In that case, tell him his sister will be killed. And there will be no hesitation." us pauses and I nce down at Neah. Her eyes are closed and her lips have parted as her breaths settle into a steady rhythm. ''I will tell him.'' I cut the link and don''t move. Letting Neah have some peace. I ce my nose against her hair, taking in hervender scent. It was a scent that calmed my own mind and one that I will never get tired of smelling.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Her body grows heavy, moulding itself into mine as she slips deeper into sleep. I close my own eyes when us links me. We will be there.'' Chapter 0431 ?Chapter 0431 us "And he said nothing else?" Cooper asks "No. Just to be there at six tomorrow morning or your sister dies. He is waiting for confirmation." He paces back and forth. "I''m impressed, us. You woke me up to tell me that. You could have just not bothered and let him kill Sam." "He asked me to tell you. He is my Alpha and that is what I did." "Right, but he wouldn''t have known if you had kept that a secret. As your mate, I think you are trying to make me happy buy telling me the truth. You know I want Sam back by my side." He winks at me. "But the question is, what does your Alpha want in retum? I assume you, because you are an important asset to him. Hmm" He runs a hand through his short blonde hair. "I''ve never had to contemte who is more important to me before. My sister or my mate? Thais is difficult." "I am not your mate. I have already told you what my birth name is." "But us, you lie. It''s not good to lie." He checks the chains binding my wrists. "Tell your Alpha that I will be there." "He won''t give you Sam if I''m not there with you." "Yes he will." He states confidently. His eyes are shining bright. "If he knows what''s good for him." "You don''t know Dane like I do. He will take one look and see that I''m not present and he will rip her apart. Trust me, I have seen it done." "Then he would be in for a world of pain. You may not think it, but I love my sister even though she is hard work. I will do everything I can in my power to make sure she lives." "You have not done anything while she sits in a dungeon." I mutter in frustration. He had given me barely anything and had kept information coded and going around in circles. He squats down in front of me and leans in close until his stale breath hits my face. He really needed to brush his teeth. "But she is safe there. Everyone else is safe while she is in there. It will be a bloodbath if she gets out." He rises up. "Tell your Alpha that we will be there. I will decide when everything is out in the open." I link Dane and confirm that we will be there. "You keep saying that she is safe in the dungeon. What does that mean? Why are you not in a hurry to get her out? Why a bloodbath. You think she is capable of killing everyone?" "I don''t need to be in a hurry when I know where she is." He didn''t expand any further and it was an oddment. I didn''t buy it. I needed to know why Samara was safer inside the dungeon and why everyone else is too. "She''s a Lycan, you have already confirmed that. She confirmed that." "Yes." "Is she some kind of weapon?" He smiles at me. "You don''t need to be concerned us. I can keep you safe. She won''t be able to hurt you. She won''t be allowed to." Allowed? He obviously thought he was poerful enough to stop her.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "Are you afraid of her? Is that why you wanted to block her abilities? You kept saying it was because she was touching your stuff. I do not believe that. I think you are hiding something from me." "So curious, all will be revealed in good time. You should get some sleep, it seems that we have an early start tomorrow." "I can''t sleep when you talk in code. Is my pack in danger?" "I haven''t decided." "Is it really for you to decide if you said Samara is capable of turning everything into a bloodbath?" He smiles at me and with the wide sage green eyes, it makes him look even more unhinged. Why the hell would the Moon Goddess think he is a good match for me? "Who are you after?" I push, but he doesn''t answer me. "I could just tell Dane to kill her!" He roughly grabs my face, lifting me inches off the floor, with more strength than I expected. "You will do no such thing. Do you understand!" He drops me with a thud and strides out of the room. When he returns, he is carrying a syringe. "Better yet, let''s make it so you can''t!" Cooper stabs me in the neck before I even have a chance to say or do anything. Instantly, I feel myself getting weaker and weaker, and my senses fade until they are barely present. I try to link Dane but there is nothing again. "Another reason why I am grateful not to be your mate!" I spit at him, I am met with a quick and painful p across the face. It bums and I knew he had probably left a clean red handprint on my face. One that wouldn''t heal for a few days. Chapter 0432 ?Chapter 0432 Opening and closing my jaw, it clicked a few times, but it wasn''t broken, just painful. "Don''t tell lies." He growls at me "You think hitting me is going to get me to say anything!" I snarl back at him. "You know nothing about me. And if we were really mates, you would be disgusted with yourself for doing that." "You are not making it easy for me to love you right now." He growls at me. "Love?" I snort "Is this when your Lycan shows itself? When you don''t get your own way?" I pull against the chains but now they were heavy against my wrists. "You''ve been saying that your Witch side is stronger, but I''m starting to think that''s wrong. You use your Witch abilities to try and shut down your Lycan side. But it''s not working anymore. It angers you that you can''t win me over and I''m starting to understand why!" "Why?" "Going to beat it out of me?" I sneer at him. He doesn''t answer me and sits back on the chair by the door. Kicking his boots off and settling his feet on the coffee table. His eyes are on me. He wanted to ask, but now he was unsure. Up until this point, he was the one with information. I wonder how he will feel to know that I''m a Hunter. Especially as he punished Maddie for being with one. I stare back at him. Every so often the corners of his lips would turn up, like he was enjoying the silence, but then they would disappear when I didn''t speak. Eventually, he moves, sitting himself in front of me. "You have a secret." "Only from you. I guess that''s not really a secret, just information that you are missing." "Tell me." "No." "Tell me now." He demands and I shake my head at him. "Is it about you or the pack?" I shrug my shoulders. He really hated not knowing something, this could really work in my favour. Heughs and drags a hand through his hair. "You are so fucking frustrating." "It''s a two way street." I mutter. "You are not giving me anything. So I don''t need to give you anything in return." "I''m starting to see why you haven''t met a mate until now." He smiles to himself I don''t answer, I didn''t need another p. "Tell me this secret and I will tell you about Sam."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I press my lips together and shake my head and the closer he gets, the more I realise how much I want to kill him. To gut him and watch everything fall out while he was still alive. Where the fuck did thate from? He taps his fingers on his knee, weighing up the decisions. "Okay, you have one question. I will swear to be truthful and in return, you have to tell me your secret." "Three questions." I mutter. This could very well get me killed. "Two." He replies "Three." "Fine. Three." He finally agrees "Who do you want that''s in ck Shadow?" "Sam." I roll my eyes at him, "Now who is lying." "It''s not a lie." "Why did you want ir to lead you down here?" "I didn''t." I stare at him. He didn''t let ir lead him to ck Shadow. Which means Samara did. When Dane and I were talkingst night, he told me that Brax had confirmed Samara was telling the truth about not knowing what Cooper wanted. But she would be telling the truth if it was her n, she wouldn''t necessarily know what Cooper was up to. "Final question." He muses "I''m thinking." How was I going to let Dane know before he let Samara out of the dungeon? "You attacked Maddie." He seems surprised by my statement. "Because she was with a Hunter." "That''s not a question." "But that was your doing. The same as taking away your sister''s abilities. But you said it was because Samara kept touching your stuff. But it was more. You love her because she is family but she is a danger to you." I watched the colour drain from his face as he knew I had figured it out. "But none of this is your n, it is all hers. You followed her down here, not ir. Maddie was just an unfortunate bonus for you." "Theck of Samara''s abilities means she could hide herself better. All the questions she is being asked are about you, not about her. She''s the one behind all this." Tlook up at him and everything goes dark. Chapter 0433 ?Chapter 0433 Neah "Hey, it''s time." Dane kisses my cheek as I stir. "Time for what?" I yawn "The trade." I sit up, half confused because I had fallen asleep on Dane yet I was in our bedroom. And half confused by the fact I had only asked himst night to bring it forward. "It''s happening? Nyx''s voice rattles through my head "You''ve brought it forward? When did you agree that?" "While you slept. You wanted it moved forward so that''s what we are doing. But there is a slight problem." "He''s not bringing us, is he?" "I think he is, but us has dropped off my radar again. I have been searching for the connection to him for thest thirty minutes. I just wanted to check in with him."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "You think Cooper blocked him again because he learned that us couldmunicate with you?" I ask as I continue to yawn. "You don''t think he has killed him, do you?" He shakes his head, "Maybe us has found something out and Cooper is stopping him from warning us." I frown and get out of bed and start pulling off yesterday''s clothes. I was surprised Dane hadn''t stripped me. Maybe he had been tired too. Or he had been busy nning this. "So what do we do? We need this to go in our favour. Not his." I mutter And we get to kill him, right? Nyx asks ''I don''t know yet." I tell her She rolls her eyes at me. Killing Cooper was all she wanted to do, but would he even get close enough so that could happen? My guess is that he is not stupid. "Nyx talking to you?" Dane asks. Inod. "She wants to know when we get to kill him." Dane grabs my hand and pulls me flush him. His warm flesh pressing against my own. A hand settles against my throat, holding me in ce as his lips mould against mine. I could feel his length hardening and it takes everything in his power to step away from me. "When this is done, I want you to myself." He growls and disappears into the closet while I brush my teeth. He is dressed in a simple ck tee and ck jeans when he steps out. In his hands are a pile of clothes for me. His crimson eyes trail over my naked body and although he doesn''t say anything, his smile certainly does. I think he secretly enjoyed that I did things the opposite way around to him, because it means he gets to watch me for longer. Dane doesn''t speak as I dress, but he makes a point of turning therge chair in my direction and watching me. As I pull the sweatshirt on, I frown. "You don''t think we should take Samara out of the dungeons do you?" He asks. "I think we need to see that Cooper has brought us first. That it''s not a trick." "I agree. Damien is already waiting at the dungeon for my signal." ''He knows us so well.'' Nyx murmurs, almost annoyed that we had be predictable. ''He can read our mind.'' I retort. She rolls her eyes at me as I push my feet into my boots "Ready?" He holds out a hand to me. We check on the twins before we go. Evrin had shifted back but he was wearing a nappy now. Dane squeezes my hand. "After I carried you to bed, I checked on them. He was back in Human form." "We can''t leave them." I mutter just as I hear footstepsing up the stairs. Mallory appears carrying Luca. "And that is why I am here. Go bring us home." Dane and I walk across the grounds hand in hand. There is no one about, though the scents of wolves and Lycans are strong. I''m certain they are just hiding. Waiting for permission from Dane. We head down to the gates where Ryken is already on duty. "No sign." He tells Dane. Dane looks at his watch and links me, ''Four minutes.'' I nod and don''t speak. Keeping my eyes on the road that leads to our gates. I had a clear view, I can see everything and with four minutes to go, Cooper should already be walking towards us. Two minutes and I hear rustling in the trees. us is pushed forward. His wrists bound in chains but instead of deep green eyes, they are an almost greyish colour. us moves like he is unable to coordinate his feet. Scuffing the ground and stumbling as he moves, almost like he was in some kind of trance. It reminded me of how ir had described the nurses at the prison. Cooper steps out of the trees with puffed out cheeks. "Sorry, we almost didn''t make it. It was a lot harder to walk with this one than I was expecting." Chapter 0434 Chapter 0434 "You''re making a joke?" I stare at him. "Don''t you think it''s a little funny?" He smiles at me and I don''t answer Cooper''s eyes flicker between me, Dane and Ryken. "Where is my sister?" "What have you done to him?" Dane demands, gesturing to us "Nothing much. He will be right as rain in a few days. And none the wiser that we were ever here." "You hurt him?" I ask. He imed to be us''s mate and yet he hurt him. Some men were just assholes. "I couldn''t have him passing secret messages to you, could I?" Cooper beams at us. "Now where is my sister?" "She is being held in the dungeon." Dane replies ''This is a trap!'' Nyx splutters. "Well chop chop, go and get her." Cooper demands I step forward to the gate. My hands coil around the bars. "Why are you doing this? You don''t know us. We don''t know you." "You are right. We don''t know each other." Cooper mutters "Why Maddie?" "Right time, right ce." He smiles back at me. "Come on, are you trying to tell me you have never taken advantage of a situation? Because I wouldn''t believe that. I have heard a lot about you, Neah. I know how you like to rip out people''s hearts." "us told you that?" "No." Jenison told ir. ir probably told him. Dane links me. Cooper shakes his head at me. "In fact us didn''t give me much information no matter how I persisted. It''s really quite annoying that he would treat me this way. I am his mate." I snort. He was nuts. "You think that''s funny?" He frowns at me "I think you have a fucked up idea of what it is to be mates." I nce at us who has his head tilted down and is swaying on the spot. He was present and not present at the same time. "None of this makes sense." I mutter to Dane. "None of it has to make sense." Cooper smiles, "Now is someone going to bring me my sister or do I have to kill you all." "Your sister for us. "Dane spits. "Uh, No." "It''s a trade." Dane frowns. "I want both. I want my sister and I want my mate. It''s cruel of you to make me decide. I would never expect you to decide between Neah and Jenson or maybe Neah and Raven." "That''s not how this works." Dane is growing angry. I could understand why. This guy had been in our pack, learning everything he could about us. "Incorrect, this is how it doesn''t work for you. I leave with my sister and my mate." "He isn''t your mate!" Cooper points his finger at Dane. "Now that is not the first time I have heard that. us keeps denying it too, yet I can smell him and oh, it''s the best smell ever. So someone is lying and I don''t like lies." "Says you who constantly lies." I mutter "You are wrong, and I will let that slide this time." Cooper tells me. "I skirt the truth, but I don''t lie. I share what I want to share." "You make your prisoners think that they are mated to you. What''s that if it isn''t a lie?" He frowns at me. ''Did he honestly not think that was a lie? Nyx muses I nce at us who had his eyes tilted up towards me, the grey was fading and slowly being reced with his usual deep green colour. Whatever Cooper had given to him, it wasn''t as strong as he hoped or nned. us''s swaying slows and I watch him blink a few more times as Cooper demands for Dane to get Samara.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "I will get her as long as you agree to hand over us." Dane tells him. "It''s as simple as that." "You don''t get it do you, Dane. This decision isn''t yours. It''s mine and only mine and I will be leaving here with both." Hook to Dane. ''We can''t let him walk away with both of them." "I can keep him safe." Cooper continues. "He can have the best life with me. I can provide him everything he needs. Trust me, he will be safer with me." "You call that safe? He is bound and drugged. You are beyond delusional. I am your Alpha."I re at him. "You may not feel it right now, but trust me, I will find a way to make you feel it and I will find a way to make you suffer." Heughs at me. "Go and get my sister, princess." "Don''t" us yells, "She''s behind all of this!" Chapter 0435 Chapter 0435 Dane My eyes lock on us, he is furiously shaking his head at me while watching Cooper. "She''s dangerous." He dodges out of the way as Cooper tries to grab him. ¡°Everyone is safe if you keep her in the dungeons. Don''t let her out." ''What the fuck does that mean?'' Aero demands as we watch us dodge Cooper again. I pull on the gates, dragging them open and squeezing myself through the small gap just as Cooper takes a de from his jeans and dives at us again. "us." Neah whispers, her voice cracking as his name tumbles from her lips. I look up to see the de sticking out of us''s chest. His shirt steadily grows red as blood oozes from the wound. He stumbles back only for Cooper to grab him and hold him upright. "You bastard!" I roar. My eyes shift from him to us. The colour was quickly fading from his skin. Cooper just frowns at me, "Look what you made me do!" He continues to hold us upright. "You made me kill my mate. You made me mateless. You took him away from me. You will pay for that." I just stare at him. How could he me me when he had just stabbed us? ''us is right. This guy is unhinged.'' Aero scoffs Neah pushes past me. I grab her hand, stopping her from going anywhere. I didn''t need him stabbing her too. Her blue eyes find mine and I shake my head. ''He''s killed us'' She whispers through the link. I could see she was fighting the tears and I was having to use all of my strength to stop her throwing herself forward. ''Look at the angle of the de. It should have missed us''s heart.'' I mutter even though us had stopped moving and his head hangs low. ''There is still a chance.'' At least I hope there is. Cooperbs his fingers through us''s long dark hair. Begging him to open his eyes. "I can fix this us. You just need to open your eyes." He taps us''s cheek, pleading with him. "You stabbed him you idiot!" ¡°Because he shouldn''t have done that. He shouldn''t have listened to you. He shouldn''t have been awake." Cooper''s eyes flick up to me and growls. "I will make sure she gets out and rips your pack apart." "No you won''t." Neah growls back at him. ¡°I am your Alpha and you will do what you are told. You will listen and you will follow my orders. Look at me!" "What are you doing to me?!" Cooper demands as his wide eyes shift to Neah "Reminding you of your ce." Neah snaps. "Let go of us." She orders Cooper trembles as he tries to fight the order, but his body is forced to lower us to the ground whether he wanted to or not. "I am a Witch. You can''t do this!" "No, you are part Witch!" Neah growls back at him. "I have been wondering why I couldn''t get through to your Lycan half and now see that''s obvious. You need to be at your weakest. You need to be vulnerable. When your Witch half is failing, your Lycan thrives, no longer blocked by a stupid spell Her eyes are darkening as she stares at him. It had been a while since I had seen Nyx so close to the surface. "Let go of him." Neah demands. Cooper''s fingers retreat from us, leaving scratches across his arm, "You bitch!" He growls, but forces himself to straighten up when out of the corner of my eye, I see us, ripping the de out of his own chest and slicing it straight across Cooper''s abdomen. Cooper frantically grabs at his wound, thick@rimson blood spilling freely over his hands as us faces him. "I will never be your mate even if you were thest man on Earth: But want to be thest thing you see" He takes the de and plunges it through Cooper''s left eye and forces it as deep as it will go.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. With a smile, us''s legs buckle underneath him, forcing him to the ground while Cooper''s body falls in the opposite direction. Hitting the ground with a dull, heavy thud. Chapter 0436 Chapter 0436 "Is he dead?" Neah whispers I point to Ryken to check Cooper while I check on us "Dead." Ryken mutters seconds after pressing his fingers to Cooper''s throat. "Double check." I mutter, pulling us''s shirt open to find his chest already healing. A sigh of relief escapes me. "He''s alive." "Are you sure?" Neah asks "One hundred percent." I watch his wounds knit together abnormally fast. Sometimes I forgot just how quick he could heal. It was almost as quick as me. "And this prick is definitely dead." Ryken tells me. "What the fuck was he ying at?" Hollow gasps rattle from us''s chest and he finally takes a deep breath. "He''s not ying or plotting, at least he wasn''t." us croaks. "He was only ever here to keep an eye on his sister. He had no ns for any of us. Except me." "But what about Maddie?" Neah presses "She was just in the wrong ce at the wrong time. He took advantage of the situation." His breath is still a little wheezy. My guess would be that Cooper managed to hit a lung. "Samara wanted ir toe here." "Why?" "That''s something I don''t know. I don''t even think he really knew." "That makes no sense. He let her out of the prison." Neah states "I don''t think he did. I think it was her." us coughs and spits out a bit of blood. "He talked about her being safer in the dungeon, but also said you lot would be safe with her in there. He said if she gets out it will be a bloodbath now she has her abilities. I thought he was controlling her, but I think it''s the other way around. Or maybe they were controlling each other over different things." "Brax would have seen the lies. She already fooled him once." "Not if the questions were specifically about Cooper and Cooper''s ns. She wouldn''t have known because they were never his, they were hers." He rolls onto his side and frowns as he stares at Coopere''s body. "She''s a Lycan. I can control her." Neah mutters I hold a hand up to Neah. "So he blocked her abilities to keep her safe? That''s why he hasn''t trieding for her. Samara is locked away, but he wanted to stay near just in case." "Not just for her." us coughs and spits out more blood "So in a fucked up way, he was trying to help?" Ryken scoffs "Until he realised we were mated." us now hers. "I feel so much better marked me." Content bene never ¨¨ is dead. I''m so d he never toExclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. I nce over to Cooper. The de still remained in his eye and the wound on his abdomen continued to right. bleed. But something we ''Damien, is Samara still in the dungeon?'' ''Yes, Are you ready for her?'' UMS quite ''No, there is a change of n. Is she okay? Or is she upset?'' ''She''s angry. She knows my presence means something.'' She would be upset if she had just felt her brother die. I nce back at a lifeless Cooper. Something seemed off. "Can you stand?" I mutter to us "I think so. Fuck. I don''t want to be stabbed in the chest again." He rubs the wound I offer him a hand and pull him to his feet as Neah throws her arms around his waist. Telling us how happy she was to see him. ¡°Everyone, get on the other side of the gate. Ryken, Do you have a lighter or a match?" "I think so." He looks inside the little office by the gates and brings me a box of matches. ¡°Am I missing something?" "Dealt with any Witches before?" I ask "Can''t say I have. Always taught to stay clear." "What''s happening?" Neah asks as I strike a match and watch the little orange me appear. I toss it at Cooper and itnds on his chest. He goes up in mes, igniting in a ball of orange fire. "It''s not him." us scowls, suddenly understanding what I was doing. "No it is not." Chapter 0437 ?Chapter 0437 us "That doesn''t make any sense. How can it not be him?" Neah demands. "I watched him stab you. I watched you kill him. You stabbed hirm in the eye!" "It''s..." "Are you saying this was one of his abilities?" Ryken asks "Yes." I look to Dane, hoping that maybe he would be able to exin it better than I could. "Are you trying to tell me it''s a twin?" Neah searches my face, looking for an answer. I turn back to the fire. Not even a hint of an aroma of burning flesh. It''s what I would have expected if it was him. "Dane?" Neah asks. "I don''t understand." "us didn''t kill him." He tells her "I''m right here. I saw it happen." "There''s something called astral projection." Ryken exins "Astral projection? He stabbed us!" Neah mutters Dane cups her face and tilts it up until she is facing him. "Remember how I told you Witches have different capabilities?" "Yes but...." "He was never here, Neah. But his projection was strong enough that he was able to wield a weapon. It is why you can''t smell any burning flesh. It is why when the fire bums out the body will either remain or it will disappear for good, leaving just the de." On cue, the de tters to the ground. Turning to the fire, I watch it slowly burn out. Nothing but the de remained, just as Dane had said. "So he can be in two ces at once? Neah asks as Dane moves towards the de. "Yes, though it could be more depending on the strength he has." I reply "If he wasn''t here, how was I able to force him to let go of you?" "Because you did find his weak spot. From what I know, projecting takes a lot of work. When he thought he had killed me, it did weaken him. The problem is, he knows that now and is likely going to find a way to make sure that never happens again." "So if he wasn''ting after us before, he is now?" Ryken asks "Yes. Maybe just for me and Samara, maybe for everyone." I frown and look around. "The worrying thing is, I don''t even know how I got back here." "You were in some sort of trance." Dane mutters as he takes off his tee and wraps it around his hand. He carefully picks up the de and brings it back to us. "Your eyes were grey and you could barely walk. I assume he gave you something." "He drugged me after I confirmed that he would meet with you. That took away my Wolf, but there was a point where I was asking questions and he got pissed off because I figured things out. All I remember is everything going dark and then waking up, here." "Neah, us go back to the house." Dane instructs. "I need to catch up with the sister." He looks at the de, turning it over in his hands. "Ryken, let us know if there is any sign of him or anyone else." Ryken bobs his head. "At least I know what the prick looks like."Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Neah walks quickly to keep up with my long stride. "How do you know so much about Witches?" "Truthfully, I''m not entirely sure." "What does that mean?" "Information on Witches is limited. There are no books on them, the same as there is limited information on Lycans. But it feels like some knowledge is just here." i press a finger against my temple "But you like to research so maybe you have learned it at some point." "Is the fucker dead?" Brax asks, rising up to his feet as we approach the pack house. He folds his arms across his chest as he stares at us. "I assume he has to be if you are standing here." "No." I groan "Why not?" "He projected himself." "Different." He mutters. "Where''s Dane?" "Gone to ask Samara some questions." Neah tells him. "Oh shit, so the fucker lost you and his sister. Right now he is probably beyond angry. I know I would be." He purses his lips, "Now can Neah and I go and kill him?" "You have just said it yourself. He is beyond angry. Do you think you will be able to just walk in there and kill him?" "Who said anything about walking in? I have guns with longer range than a pistol." My eyes shift to Neah. Ultimately it wasn''t my decision to make, but I was hoping Neah would see how stupid this idea was. She shakes her head, "Brax, I know you think that''s the easy way. But I don''t. What if the one you shoot is just another one of his projections? What if it''s a trap? What if it is exactly what he wants us to do?" Chapter 0438 ? Chapter 0438 "He was counting on you turning up." I tell her. "If anything, he was annoyed that you hadn''t. He has enough syringes full of drugs to wipe out more than the people in this pack. Essentially, he could turn us all Human." "Was it intentional for it to wear off so quickly? Was that what he wanted?" "I don''t think so. He seemed surprised when he realised I wasn''t drugged anymore. Hence stabbing me."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "It''s because he is a Hunter." Brax shrugs his shoulders like it''s no big deal. "What does that have to do with anything?" "Ohe on, Mister Research." Brax rolls his eyes at me, "Are you seriously telling me you have created her whole family tree, going back centuries, but you haven''t even bothered to look up your own ancestry?" "Well, I have been a little preupied." "You are a fast healer, right?" "I guess so. I always just put that down to being lucky." Brax rolls his eyes at me. "You are a Hunter. As much as that word should not be connected to you. It is. Hunter''s are fast healers. We heal like Alpha''s because we are our own kind. Have you ever seen me with a wound?" "That''s why the drugs didn''t stay in his systern long?" Neah scowls "Bingo." "But there is also something else you should know about Hunters." His eyes flicker around the grounds. "That maybe we should discuss inside." He gestures to the door and Neah is the first through it. She leads us into the office and takes Danes'' seat behind the desk. "Well?" "This is information I never thought woulde in handy." "Spit it out Brax." I snap. I was done with this. I need a good sleep and a space to clear my mind. "If you haven''t done research on yourself. I''m guessing you haven''t done much on Hunter''s in general?" "I haven''t needed too. Generally if I ask you, you will tell me what I want to know." He sits on theer of the desk, much to Neah''s annoyance. "Hunter''s don''t just hunt Rogues." "What?" "Actually, that is the wrong phrase. There are Hunter''s that don''t hunt Rogues." "So what are you saying?" Neah asks," Because I''m clearly missing the point. "It doesn''t help when Brax has a need to be dramatic!" "Doh, look who is growing a pair of balls after making a decent kill!" He smirks "BRAX!" Neah warns him "Fine. You were with Cooper for a few days. What did you learn?" "He is unhinged!" "More?" "We are mated!" "Are you sure about that?" Brax cocks an eyebrow at me. "He has a mark with my initials." "Does he?" "He showed me." "See, now that''s where it gets a little interesting. Witches do have a mark." "The mark is the initials of their mate. Yes I know. i lied to him and gave him a false name but I don''t think he bought it." "That''s not entirely true." "That''s what you told Dane. You said over time the mark mutated into the initials of their mate." Neah frowns "I said I believed, but now, I don''t think that is quite true. Or there would be more Witches present and he would likely be mated to another Witch to keep the bloodlines from disappearing altogether." "Brax, just spit it out. These short answers make me want to rip out your tongue!" Neah scowls at him. Or maybe it was Nyx with how dark her eyes are. Since when has that started happening again? "So I''ve been wondering why you are unphased by the Lycans. In fact, you are so fucking curious about them that it makes me a little sick. But nevertheless, you are a Hunter. There is a reason you can withstand Cooper''s bullshit. That mark that he showed you, I don''t believe is a mate mark. He is still half Lycan. And clearly he hasn''t been raised to understand that. I think I was wrong. I think the initials belong to the person who is going to kill him, not his mate." "What?" Neah presses. I couldn''t tell if it was a ''what'' because Brax admitted he was wrong. Or a what'' because of what he said about me. "us isn''t just any Hunter. He is a Witch Hunter." Chapter 0439 ?Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 0439 Dane Samara is sitting in the back of her cell as I enter the dungeons. Her knees are pulled up tight to her chest as she tries to hide her face from me. "She stopped crying a little while ago." Damien tells me. He is sitting on a stool at the far end. "But she''s clearly shifted again at some point. More w marks." He points to the top of her cell. "Is the bastard dead?" I shake my head, "It''s a little moreplicated." Stopping outside of her cell, I observe the deep w marks. They were all focussed around the top of her cell. Almost like she is trying to dig a way out. She will have a hard job, inside the cement is more bars. I wasn''t letting someone else escape. "My brother is alive isn''t he? He was here and now he is not. She whispers though she continues to keep her face covered by her arms, like she was hiding something. "You tell me. It seems that you have been lying Samara. Do you even know how to tell the truth?" I ask "I''m not...." "Cut the bullshit. I know you are behind everything. Why did you want ir to bring you here? Who are you after?" "I came for help. That''s true." "If you continue to lie I''m going to open this cell and run this de from your neck to your navel. Very, very fucking slowly." I hold the de up to show her and she finally raises her head to look at me. Slow healing w marks littered her face. Her eyes drift to the de, "You can''t hurt me with that." "Don''t test me." She shakes her head, "You literally can''t. There are marks on the handle. Marks that mean it can''t touch my flesh." I look at the handle. She wasn''t wrong. Strange marks had been carved into the wood. "Why?" She shrugs her shoulders at me. "Coop made it for me to use. It was so I could protect myself but it could never be used against me. Though, he never actually let me use it. Decided I wouldn''t need protection when I had him." "Protect yourself against who?" She drops her head forward on to her knees and doesn''t answer. "Samara!" She remains silent. I was on the verge of ripping her cell door open and testing out her theory until I remembered what us had said. If she got out, it would be a bloodbath. Yet I still didn''t know why. "Everyone and no one." she whispers "What does that mean?" Damien edges forward. "How can you need protection from everyone and no one at the same time?" "From yourself? Is that who you are talking about? Or are you talking about Cooper and his projection abilities." I demand Her grey eyes are wide as they flicker up to mine. "He''s mastered it?" ''Is this a trick?'' Damien links me ''I don''t know Samara scowls into her legs. Her mouth opens and closes like she couldn''t find the right words to say. "If he has mastered it after all this time.... I don''t know what will happen now." "How about you tell us the real reason why you came here." Damien presses "It''s true, it was my n toe here, but not for the reasons you think. Cooper didn''t know, I never told him. But I knew there would be a good chance he would follow. I have to stay close by. It''s what he does. I made ir believe he would follow her. I didn''t want her to know that it was really me." "Why?" "I don''t know." "You can''t keep saying that. You clearly know what you are saying so why are you withholding information." Damien snaps. "You know you are just speeding up the chances of you dying." He looks to me, "At this point, it will just be easier to bring Brax in. Her answers are not even making sense any more. One minute she is telling us her brother is going to core for her. The next she is a mess." I agree, her story was making less and less sense. What do you think?'' I ask my Wolf. ''I''m thinking of Neah." Aero replies ''Okay'' Just how she was when we first met her. Keeping quiet about things happening to her because she knew there was a strong chance things would get worse if she spoke up. We saw what that family was like. Maybe Neah is right. Maybe Cooper has screwed with Samara''s head.'' He nods, ''But that doesn''t necessarily mean it''s Samara''s truth." I grab the stool Damien had been sat on and take a seat right in front of Samara''s cell. "I did like ir." She mutters quietly. "I didn''t want to use her. I had no choice." "We all have choices. And one of you is lying or you are both stupid enough to y each other off. That never works." "I''m telling the truth about this!" "About this?" She nods her head at me. "I couldn''t even link the Alpha. When she told me that Neah was her half sister. I saw an opportunity" She buries her face in her hands and starts screaming. Her fingers paw at her skin, digging and scratching until blood reaches the surface. "GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!" She pulls her clothes off as she screams and ws at her skin as she squirms around on the floor. It reminded me of Jenson as he fought against his Wolf. "Samara, stop!" Her grey eyes find mine, they ze over as she continues to dig at herself. "What do we do?" Damien asks "We need to see what happens." "GET OUT!" She screeches again as ws sprout out of her fingers. Tufts of dark fur erupt from her skin. She screams as her bones break. I had watched Neah shift as well as my own son, yet neither of them made this much noise and Neah had said it was the most painful thing she had experienced. The whole process takes a good thirty minutes and stretched out on the floor is a veryrge Lycan. Her breaths are heavy and her eyes remain closed. Damien shifts his eyes from her to me. "What do we do?" "We wait." Another thirty minutes pass before there is any sign of movement. Her fingers twitch and the twitching spreads to her arms. Her eyes open and she continues to lie on the floor. I watch as the nostrils move, she inhales the scents around her and slowly sits up, staring at us. Neither Damien or I speak. I wasn''t even sure if Samara could hear us. My hand tightens around the handle of the de, preparing myself for an attack but she just continues to watch us, like we were the ones locked in a cage. She glides her tongue over her sharp teeth as she stands. She is definitely bigger than the average Lycan. Chapter 0440 ?Chapter 0440 Damien She stares back at me from her cell. Samara had been staring at us both for a while. But since her grey eyes had shifted to me, I seemed to be all she could focus on. ¡®Rogue?¡¯ Dane asks through mindlink ¡®No. Brax would have scented it a mile off and so would I.¡¯ I look in the cell. All the w marks at the top made sense when she was probably over eight feet tall, though it was hard to tell while she was still sitting. The rest of us were probably around the seven foot mark once shifted. ¡°Can you talk?¡± Dane asks her and for a second her eyes shift to him before returning to me. ¡°Maybe we need Neah.¡± I mutter "I will ask her toe over." Dane frownsUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Samara gives me a sharp nod, like she knew that was who she needed. She doesn''t move as we wait for Neah, but she does not stop watching me either and it is starting to creep me out. Neah''s footsteps are soft as she creeps down the stairs. "What did you....?" She stops as she spots Samara''s Lycan. "She shifted again?" "She doesn''t seem to be able to control it." Dane tells her. "But she knows it''sing in time for her to remove her clothes?" She points to the discarded clothes in the corner Dane sighs. "Yes, it seems that way." Neah suddenly holds a hand up to Samara. "I am talking to my mate." I look in the cell to see Samara has dropped her head in submission. It was new. She had been angry, frustrated, even tearful but to ept dominance was different. Maybe it was the Lycan in her, maybe she couldn''t refuse, or maybe she was starting to see that she couldn''t win. It had taken long enough. "She just shifted?" Neah asks Dane "She screamed and wanted us to leave, then this appeared." Dane gestures to Samara "We all knew she was a Lycan." I murmur and Samara''s grey eyes flicker to me. "But she is a lot bigger than the rest of us. Could she be something else?" Neah moves closer to Samara''s cell, yet Samara keeps watching me until Neah speaks to her. "Who are you?" "What do you want? Neah is silent for a moment and then tells Dane and I to turn around. "No one wants to be watched while they are shifting if it hurts." We turn and face the opposite cells. A growl turns into a howl that is quickly reced with a Human screaming and crying. "Get dressed." Neah mutters. "You need to give us clear answers." "I can''t." A whispered reply echoes around the dungeon "You mean you won''t." Neah presses "No, I can''t. I didn''t lie. I came here for help. That is my truth." "First you said you came for help and then you said it was your brother who wanted you toe here. Now you are back to saying it was for help. Which is it?" Neah dehands "Help. I need help." Her voice cracks "Then why did you threaten us with your brother?" "You were going to kill me and he always said he would protect me. Now this, the monster.... It hurts so much. Is that what he was protecting me from?" I turn around to see Samara sitting on the floor. One leg folded under her at an awkward angle while she hugs the other. Tears fill her grey eyes "Cooper followed you here?" I ask She points to her neck. "I think he put something in me. I think he does it to most people, to keep tabs." ''A tracker?'' I link Dane. ''Possibly." He replies, but he is deep in thought about something else. "The farm? You or Cooper?" "Coop at first, to stop anyone running away, ir was not the first but she was the first that I liked. That''s why Thelped her. She reminded me of me and I just thought that maybe he wouldn''t away. The other''s they, bet miss one. I could just help one.get different, dangerous even without Wolves and Lycans. I had to keep them busy until Coop came for them. That was my job and I got to stay on my little farm." Her eyes settle on Neah. "ir told me who you were. I thought....I thought this would be it. But I knew I had to lie. To her, to him, to everyone." "That''s the trouble when there are too many lies." I tell her. "You unravel and you end up in even more shit. The kind that gets you killed." "What do you want?" Neah demands. "I just wanted to get here. It took so much time to convince ir toe here and I really thought she was going to walk away after we hade so far. I knew there was a chance that you would kill her. took that risk because I thought if I could just get her to show me where you were, then maybe I could convince everyone she is not who she once was. I didn''t think that my death would be a possibility. I thought... it doesn''t matter anymore. I know you won''t help me." Chapter 0441 ? Chapter 0441N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "You thought we would just allow aplete stranger into our home?" Dane asks "You are both Alpha''s. I hoped... I hoped one of you would understand." "He used the word bloodbath. Told us that you would get out and ughter everyone." She locks her fingers together, twisting them around as she struggles to find an answer. Her words are barely audible as she mutters that Cooper told her she was dangerous. "Did you kill someone at the prison?" She bobs her head. "I had too." "You had too?" Neah presses "Yes. I..." She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. "It wasn''t what I told ir. It was a nurse, that was true. He used toe in at night." Her lip curls up and her eyes harden." Touch me when he thought I was sleeping. I saved a fork, when he snuck in my room again, I waited for the perfect moment and stabbed him in the throat." Her eyes flicker up to me. "I pulled it out and made sure he never left the room as he choked on his own blood." It was a little surprising she wasn''t a Rogue. "Iran. Coop found me. He didn''t make me go back though. I was too much of a risk" She lowers her gaze and blinks a few times. "He made me like this, didn''t he? Coop made it so my mind is not my own." "Yes." Neah mutters. "It''s what abusers do, especially when they have been doing it for a long time." She turns around to look at Dane and disappears up the steps. Dane follows her, leaving me alone with Samara. "Why do they keep saying that?" Samara asks quietly. "Because it''s true and if anyone can confirm it, Neah can. Cooper has used you. He has you doing his work for him and he does that with the promise of keeping you safe and protected. Only he hasn''t kept you safe at all." "He talks to me. I hear him. It''s because I''m no longer stripped. Obviously I have my abilities back, I wouldn''t have just turned into that... Lycan. And the Alpha wouldn''t have been able to hear me." "What does Cooper say when he speaks to you?" "That he will get me out. That he is working on it." She pulls her shoulders up around her ears. "Something about a mate. Sometimes he sounds angry. He mes me for something." "For what?" "I don''t know. His voice can be loud, sometimes it is barely a whisper. Other times it isn''t even there." "Have you always heard him?" She shakes her head at me. "Only when he wanted me too." I move towards the steps "Don''t go. I don''t like being alone down here." "You were alone on the farm." "It was different. I had freedom. You don''t have to talk to me. I can just sit quietly." I sit on the wooden stool, folding my arms across my chest and she lowers her eyes. "How do you expect us to believe anything you say?" Her forehead creases as she frowns. "I don''t expect you to. I tried to y a game. I tried to trick my own brother. If someone here doesn''t kill me, he probably will." Samara lets out another whimper. "It''s happening again." Frantically, she pulls her clothes off as she screams. Trying to curl herself up into a ball but the cracking bones won''t allow it. I watch her roll onto her stomach and push herself up onto her hands and knees. The screams are hard to listen to and I have watched the living be ripped apart by Rogues. The screams mix with roars of pain as her body contorts itself in ways it hadn''t donest time. I couldn''t stand to listen to it any more. "Hey, listen to mel" As her body continues to jerk about, her eyes find mine. "Stop fighting it." "I can''t." She cries through a scream. "It''s not me." "Samara, it is you. It is your Lycan, no one else''s, you have the control. Let it out or shut it down!" Tufts of ck fur begin to appear along her legs as they lengthen and widen. She throws herself back against the wall, her ws scraping along the ground. "STOP STOP STOP. You can''t do this to me!" She lets out a final whimper and stills. The tufts of fur disappear and her legs begin to shrink. She slides over until she isid on her side and draws her knees up to her chest, crying and hyperventting. "There''s a nket right behind you." Without looking, she reaches behind her, fumbling for the small piece of fabric and drags it over her naked frame. A few more of her bones slot back into their rightful ce but this time, she only cries. "Were you talking to him? Was that who you were telling to stop making you shift?" She pushes the nket down just enough for me to see her eyes. "No." "You were telling yourself? "No, I was telling the voice in my head." Chapter 0442 ? Chapter 0442 Neah "Slow down." Dane runs after me, grabbing my hand and pulling me to a stop. "Why can''t she see it?" I frown at him. "If she is telling the truth, why can she not see that what he was doing to her was wrong?" "If she is telling the truth and that''s a big if, it''s most likely because she has been brainwashed. He made her promises, promises that she believed. ''She is still stupid.'' Nyx murmurs and I repeat her words. Would you have said that about yourself? I know why you just walked out of the dungeon, Neah." Dane continues. "It''s too close to home." "There are so many bastards in this world." I mutter He tugs me towards him. "You are right, there are." "Do you believe her?" "No. I''m following the path of not trusting people until they prove otherwise. Before you stormed out, I was about to leave to find Brax, just as Damien suggested." "He''s at the house, trying to convince us he is a Witch Hunter." His crimson eyes shift in the direction of the house. "Did I just hear that correctly?" I bob my head. "A Witch Hunter?" "Apparently. Brax said he was wrong before, or at least he thinks he is when ites to the mark of the initials meaning they are mates. He thinks that because us isn''t bothered by Lycans in the same way he is, that he thinks us is a Witch Hunter and that he is meant to kill Cooper." He stares at me with wide eyes and I shrug my shoulders. "I don''t understand either." "us said he could scent Cooper. Cooper keeps referring to him as his mate. You heard what he said at the gate, he med us for stabbing us." Dane''s frown deepers "Brax said something about us being able to put up with Cooper''s bullshit. And something about how there would be more Witches if they were all mated to the name on their mark, not less." He nods his head at me as screamse from the dungeon.N?velDrama.Org is the owner. "She''s shifting again?" I ask, confused. I didn''t understand why she would keep forcing a shift. "It sounds like it." He mutters back "Why is she so big? Her Lycan is bigger than Damien''s." "I don''t know, but it seems like being in the cell is the best thing for her. We can keep an eye on her and monitor what''s happening to her." I look back towards the dungeon. Curiosity was burning through me. "You go speak to Brax and us, because I don''t understand what he is saying. I will stay with Damien." "Stay out of her cell." He stares into my eyes as he waits for an answer. "I won''t go into her cell." He uses a finger to tip my head up and presses his lips to mine. "I will be paying attention." ''Anyone would think we were about to do something stupid.'' Nyx murmurs I creep back down the steps of the dungeon, just in time for Samara to tell Damien about a voice inside her head. Damien''s dark eyes sh in my direction and it takes me a moment to realise Samara is curled up under a nket in Human form. Her shift has either failed or she stopped it. "Where''s Dane?" Damien asks "Gone to find Brax." Samara whimpers at the news. "What voice?" I press. Samara refuses to answer and pulls the nket up over her face. "It''s just easier if you tell me. I won''t have to force it out of you." Could it be Cooper? Was he somehow getting in her head? "It started yesterday, it woke me up. Sometimes she shouts. Sometimes she is quiet like small whisperings." When she woke us'', Nyx mutters, ''Was it her Lycan that was linking us?'' ''She can''t have a Lycan spint, she would need to have Alpha genes.'' "You said she." Damien speaks. "Who is she?" Samara shuffles herself back against the wall, tucking the nket around her so that just her legs poked out. "She called herself Dakota. She said she is my Lycan." "That''s impossible." "I''m not making it up." She mutters quietly, lowering her head "You would need Alpha gics to have a Lycan that speaks to you and I wouldn''t be able to force you to answer me." Chapter 0443 ? Chapter 0443 "An Alpha?" her brows knit together. ''This doesn''t make sense.'' Nyx mutters. We are thest female Alpha. There can''t be two of us.'' "Who are you parents?" "My father was a man called Axle rkson. I don''t know my mother''s name. My father told me stories that she was from a powerful family but said she was never ready to be a mother. He convinced her to carry me to term and said he would raise me alone." "Cooper''s surname is Ash." Damien mutters "No, that''s his middle name. Cooper Ash rkson." Samara frowns. "What is happening to me?" "Just breathe." Damien tells her. "Keep your mind clear. Don''t let her push through." "What happened to your father?" I ask her as she takes multiple deep breaths. "Heart attack. Even Lycans are not able to bypass that. I was twelve I think. Coop looked after me." She snorts and shakes her head, "But he didn''t, did he, not really." "Can Dakota tell you if you have Alpha genes?" I press "I don''t know." "You have to ask her." Damien tells her. "Just like when you told her to stop shifting." "Am I an Alpha?" She speaks openly to the room.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g A few minutes pass and her brows shoot up. "No." Samara tells us. ''She took a long time to answer, just to say no.'' Nyx mutters "What else did she say?" I ask curiously "I''m not... I''m not an Alpha but I do carry the genes of one. How?" She shakes her head, her grey eyes wide. "How is that even possible? You are the Alpha. We are not siblings." ''No we are not siblings. Nyx growls I feel the heavy thud of my pulse as the blood rushes between my ears as I try to process what Samara is saying. If she had Alpha genes, she had the potential to wipe me out and rece me. Just like how Jenson would challenge Dane. Is that what Cooper was talking about? It could be a bloodbath because she had the potential to wipe out everyone including me. Samara stares back at me through her cell bars. Her eyes are wide and fearful. Maybe she thought the same, that I would now kill her because she was a threat to me. Damien strides towards me. "Let''s get some fresh air." He turns back to Samara. "I will find you some clean clothes." "You''re leaving." She whispers. "Just temporarily. My advice, get to know your Lycan." "What is happening?" I murmur as the guard closes the dungeon door behind us and locks it. "I think we might need to ask us." "Why us?" "He is the one who has been working on your family tree." "You do think she is rted to me, don''t you?" "Ryken once said you don''t get multiple Alpha''s for Lycans, not true ones anyway. There is a bloodline." He points to me, "So although she might not be a sibling. Maybe she is a distant cousin or something. The problem is, many things were kept from you. You didn''t know who you really were, not until a few years ago." "Do you think Cooper knows?" I ask as we walk over to the house. "He certainly knew she was powerful. Though there is a chance he doesn''t know how powerful." Inside the house, us, Dane and Brax were arguing about this Witch Hunter business. I couldn''t really make much out of the argument because they were mostly swearing at each other. "SHE CARRIES ALPHA BLOOD!" I scream. The three of them stop shouting and turn to look at me and Damien. "She has a Lycan called Dakota." I mutter. "There is a good chance that we are rted." I couldn''t believe those words were evening out of my mouth. "I would have seen it." Brax scowls. "Well clearly something is wrong with you, because you have missed so much when ites to Samara!" I snap and he res at me "She isn''t wrong." Damien confirms. "It''s like your Hunter skills are slipping. You should have killed Cooper when you had the chance but you didn''t." "My skills are not slipping!" Brax snarls through gritted teeth. "Are you sure about that?" Damien challenges. "You want to challenge me now, Rogue?!" Brax spits Chapter 0444 ?Chapter 0444 Damien Brax''s hands automatically move to his jeans, preparing to grab his gun. It takes him a millisecond to realise he didn''t have it and he growls in response. He was actually following Neal''s rules. If I wasn''t preparing for him to charge me, then I might have congratted him on it. "I don''t care what is going on with you two." Dane snarls. He pushes his way between us as he looks at Neah. "Tell me more." "She said she could hear a voice. But it''s not Cooper, it''s another female. She has a Lycan. Dane. Just like how I have Nyx." "That''s not possible. You are the end of your bloodline. You saw it in the family tree." "Actually..." us pipes up. "It''s not finished." "What do you mean it''s not finished?" Dane demands. "There''s more?" "I think so, I just ran into a dead end." "Are you telling me that I have another sibling?" Neah stares at him in disbelief. "Because Nyx is one hundred percent certain Samara is not my sister." "No, no, definitely not. Only ir. us confirms. "You were your mother''s only child, but some birth records that I managed to get hold of, indicate that your grandparents had another daughter after your mother was born." "She still would have carried the Alpha gene." I mutter. "In the exact same way as Jenson and Raven did." Her name leaves my tongue with a bitter taste. I hadn''t thought about her much and she was quickly bing a distant memory. "The grandparent would have passed it down to any children and so on." "Do you think the prick knew?" Brax asks with a frown. "Samara is unsure. Her father told her that her mother wasn''t ready to have children. But she still carried Samara to term and then handed her over to Samara''s father. He raised her right up until he died." "Cooper kill him?" Dane asks "Surprisingly, no. He had a heart attack. Cooper has raised her since she was around the age of twelve." "Before she could shift?" Neah mutters. "That''s a bit of a coincidence, isn''t it?" "It is." Dane confirms I shift my eyes to Brax. He is frowning and pacing. With his eyes narrowed and with the creases on his forehead, he looked absolutely fucking livid. Possibly because Neah is right about him getting things wrong. But how had he missed so much when he ims to see their souls? "But Cooper has to know this about her, right?" Neah asks. "The way he spoke. The way he was pissed with us for telling us not to let her out." Everyone nods their heads. "What if he projects himself into the prison and lets her out?" Neah frowns and turns to us. "You said he had to be strong to be able to wield a de while projecting. So in theory he could appear in the dungeons and open her cell? Is that how his ability works?" There''s silence "Someone say something!" Neah snaps "I will watch her." Brax offers "Fine, go. Don''t fucking kill her." Dane wams him "Is that wise?" I ask as Brax leaves the house. "I imagine he is trying to figure out how and why he managed to miss so many signs." He takes Neah''s hand in his. "For now, we need to work out if Sarmara is definitely connected to my mate and how." "She doesn''t know, I don''t know." Neah mutters. "Like I said, Nyx is certain we are not siblings and us said my mother never had another child." "I think that it''s time to return to where all this started." Dane tells her. I watch fear fill her blue eyes and she tugs her hand from Dane. "Moon.... Moonshine?" she whispers Dane nods. "Maybe we can get more answers there." "We haven''t been back there since..." Neah trails off. I watch her try to process what Dane suggested. I hadn''t seen this much fear since she learned she might be Rogue. The confidence she normally has just vanished. I knew the circumstances of how Dane had met her, I knew what Mallory had done to her in that house, but I had always kept myself away from knowing the finer details.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Dane cups Neah''s face. "Technically, it is yournd now." Neah''s eyes drop to the ground. "No one is there anymore." She mutters to herself and I watch her take a deep breath. "Okay, but I''m not taking the boys." "Fine. Damien, us. You two are bothing too. Pack some things, we leave in an hour." "An hour? Not in the morning?" us asks "It''s a few hours away. Might aswell get a headstart." Dane disappears into his office to make some arrangements as us heads for the door. Nesh doesn''t move, almost like she is glued to the spot. "Are you okay?" "I haven''t...um... I haven''t been there since they tried to kill me." She folds her arms across her chest and sighs. "Did Cassandra ever take you there?" "No. I was not that privileged. But Dane is right, no one is there anymore." Chapter 0445 ? Chapter 0445 "I know, it''s just..." "Dark memories?" She nods her head. "If Dane had nevere to that house, I could be in a whole different situation right now. Or maybe even dead. I would never have gained my Lycan. I probably would have died never knowing who I really was. And it''s not just Trey, Cassandra or even Kyle or the others. It''s where I watched my parents die. Something I was framed for." Her blue eyes lock on to mine. "How is it that one word can take you right back there?" "It''s the way our brains are wired. But you survived, Neah. You became something that they never got a chance to see. You have several hundred Lycans here that will follow you into battle if needed and you wouldn''t even need to order them. They would do it freely." "Thanks Damien." She gives me a small smile.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "You don''t have to fear the past, Neah. Everyone from that time is dead. You won. This trip is purely about getting answers." She nods her head. "Then I better go and pack a few things and make sure the boys are ready for Mallory." "Not Athena and Sebastian?" "No. They haven''t had to deal with Evrin shifting yet. And I''m not sure they are ready for that." Dane drives while us sits in the passenger seat telling Dane about how and why Brax thinks he is a Witch Hunter. I roll my eyes because Brax seems to be getting more and more things wrongtely and I wouldn''t trust a single word thates out of his mouth. "That doesn''t make sense." Dane mutters I nce over at Neat while listening to the conversation. She''s asleep with her arm tucked up behind her head to create a makeshift pillow. "She''s nervous." Dane mutters. "Sleeping will give her a break." "She told me it was the memories." I reply "You knew what Cassandra was like. If I had it my way, I would have seen her head on a spike for the life she forced my mate to live." "You think this will give her closure of the past?" us asks "We will find out soon enough." At the fuel station, we switch over so I can drive. The moment Dane gets in the back, he pulls a sleepy Nesh towards him. She curls up next to him, her head on hisp and his hand protectively on her stomach. I wondered if either of them knew yet. Following Dane''s directions, we turn off into a narrow road. But the trees and bushes have be so overgrown that we have to abandon the car and walk the remainder of the way. The packhouse is much smaller than the one at ck Shadow. Covered in a jungle of Ivy, it was almost impossible to find the door. "Where are the other houses?" us asks "Around back. It''s backwards here. The main house isn''t protected by the others." Dane replies Ripping the Ivy from the door, I push it open. The musty scents of dust, death and decay fill the air. us gags as he enters and I try not tough. "Are you sure you are a Wolf?" I muse "It was unexpected." He mutters back "No one has been here for a long time. How could it be unexpected?" Neah doesn''t move from the porch. Her eyes are wide as she stares up at the front of the house. Dane moves back to her, holding out his hand without saying a single word. She sighs, but she takes it and follows him inside. "Split up?" I suggest and Dane agrees Upstairs, aside from the smell and dust, everything appears immacte. One by one, I search the bedrooms, not finding anything of importance. There''s a tiny bedroom at the end of the hallway, not even big enough to swing a cat. I knew it was Neah''s bedroom the moment I pushed open the door. Her scent still lingered but there was nothing here other than a small bed and an old rotting wooden dresser. No photos, no toys or artwork. "She arrived with just a carrier bag of clothes," us mutters as he steps in behind me. "The first time I met her, she was so afraid. She probably thought she was leaving one hell for another." "Back when I was Human. I killed other Humans that were like Trey and Cassandra. Ones that hurt children and took thern away from their parents. Sometimes it was even the parents that needed punishing. If I had known...." ''That was how Cassandra was. Even Mallory said she didn''t see it and she spent a lot of time here. We never even knew of Moonshine''s existence. Not until the leader asked Dane for help. It was a bit of a surprise that there was a pack living so close and yet it wasn''t on our radar. That was the mistake Trey made. That''s when everything went downhill for him." "Yet it was Neah that suffered." Chapter 0446 ?Chapter 0446 Neah ''It''s just like Damien said. They are all dead. We killed them. They can''t hurt you anymore." Nyx whispers as we follow Dane through the house. We stop outside the office door. My heart hammers in my chest and Dane squeezes my hand as he leads me inside. "Not all memories are bad. I met you here." My eyes flicker around the room, settling on the bloodstain on the carpet. It was where Kyle had fallen. In typical Cassandra style, it was never cleaned up. That would have been my job. "Why did you lie?" I whisper "Lie?" "You told them that I put you in the office. You lied." "I had a suspicion that they were hurting you. Trey proved my point when he went to hit you and then again when they tried putting you in the basement" "It seems so long ago and yet...." I had spent ages in this office, scrubbing it from top to bottom with a toothbrush while Cassandra stood over me, barking orders or yelling at how I had missed a spot. There were so many times that I wished I had the courage to shove the toothbrush through her eye. Well, you went a step further than that.'' Nyx muses I smile to myself and Dane presses his lips to my cheek. "You havee a long way since then." He drops my hand and begins rummaging in the desk. I move to the bookcase. Several dozenrge books lined the shelves. Books that I had always longed to read but never could. Pulling out the one closest to me. I run my fingers over the gold lettering. Just one simple word ''KITSON'' I shift my eyes to Dane, but he was now busy rummaging through a cab, pulling outrge amounts of paperwork. As I sit on one of the chairs, a cloud of dust is thrown up around me. Spluttering, Dane asks me if I''m okay. Nodding, I open the book. Pages and pages of fancy handwriting in anguage that I didn''t understand. What is this? I ask Nyx. ''Looks like Latin.'' She mutters back ''Latin?'' "I can''t be certain, can I? I''ve only been with you for a few years!'' Continuing to turn the pages, I stumble on to a family tree. Just like the one us had done for me, only this one had more names and spread over several pages. Next to my mother''s name is the name ''Amelia Kitson'', with a birth and a death date. Stemming from her is another line that just reads ''Female, unknown. Was that Samara? Because that would make her my cousin. "I think.... I think I''ve found something." I mutter to Dane. "Good, because Trey and Cassandra were shit at keeping decent paperwork." He makes his way towards me and I offer him the book. He sighs. "It would make sense. If Samara didn''t know her mother. The family would not have known about her to record her." "But someone knew something. Maybe Amelia told them the baby didn''t survive?" I shrug my shoulders "Anything is a possibility. But sadly, it does mean Samara is right. You two are rted." "And she is a threat." I frown. "She carries Alpha genes. She could kill me and be Alpha." "I don''t think so." "Why?" "Because you are thest female Alpha. She can''t just rece you. And besides, if you were to die. The role wouldn''t be hers anyway. You have twin boys that are next in line." "Then what do we do about Samara? She can''t stay in the dungeons forever. And Cooper might stille for her." "Maybe not. Maybe we can convince her to help us." "How?" "By telling her where shees from." He hands me the closed book. "Maybe start with that." I nce up at the shelves. There are other identical books to the one I''m holding. Pulling each one out, I see that they all have the same gold lettering, but the pages are nk, like they are waiting to be filled. "Any luck?" Damien asks as he and us make their way into the office. "We have something, it''s not much, but we know who Samara is." Dane tells him. "Neah''s cousin. You were right us. Neah''s mother did have a sister." "Is she alive?" Damien asksN?velDrama.Org is the owner. I shake my head. "ording to this, she died fifteen years ago. But I never met her, at least, I don''t remember meeting her. I don''t even remember my mum talking about her. The only thing I really remember is watching my parents die." "Do another sweep." Dane instructs. "Make sure we haven''t missed anything. Hidden rooms. Trap doors, anything." us and Damien bob their heads and head in different directions Chapter 0447 ?Chapter 0447 "Do you think they would be embarrassed?" I ask Dane. "Your parents?" "No, generations before. To see what had be of my bloodline. The pages in this book show that once, there were so many Kitson''s, dwindling all the way down to me and I guess Samara now." "And the twins." "No." "No?" He cocks a brow at me. I shake my head. "I know we haven''t talked about it, but they are cks. Not Kitsons. They may be Lycans but they are yours as much as they are mine. Kitson is a name that probably doesn''t mean the same as it once did." His lips mould against mine, kissing me furiously. He breaks away with a smile. "Whatever you want." We move through the house, stopping outside the basement door. I was trying to focus on the memory of Dane making me part of the contract. At the time I had panicked but ultimately, it had been my ticket out of here. "I can''t go down there." I groan "You can do this." "It''s different. It''s.... This isn''t about what they did to me." Nyx is quiet too. "Mallory?" Dane asks quietly "Mallory and I havee a long way. She is home, watching our boys and I can''t have what she did stuck in my head again. I forgave her and if I go down there where my blood is probably still stained on the wall because I wasn''t allowed to clean it. It''s going to... It''s not a memory I want to relive. It''s not who she is anymore." "Then I will go down." He opens the door and we are hit with the rancid smell of decay. It''s a hundred times worse than when we opened the front door. Dane had opened windows, it had aired it out a little. But this. My stomach ties itself up in knots and I feel the milkshake I had earlier, forcing itself back up. My legs propel me through the house and I barely make it outside before emptying my stomach. "Sickness hitting you already?" I look up to see Damien holding out a bottle of water "Dane opened the basement door. I think we figured out where the smell ising from." He looks past me into the house and then back at me as I take the bottle from him. "Right." "I thought you and us were doing a sweep." I mutter. "We were, I needed a drink and then you came charging out here." I swill the water in my mouth and spit it out to try and clear the taste of vomit. It just makes my stomach tie itself up again. "Wait. You said." I look up at him, "You asked if the sickness was hitting already." "I did." "You didn''t ask me why I was being sick." "I did not." "Do you know something?" I point my finger at him. "I know that there was only one other period of time where you drank milkshakes. The drink you requested when we stopped five minutes into the journey because you were hungry." "Are you saying that I am pregnant?" "It''s early, but yes, there is a very subtle change in your scent." ''Nyx?'' I mutter I didn''t want to freak you out.'' she whispers and then starts humming to herself so she doesn''t have to talk to me. "Plus, whenever you and Dane are standing together, he always has his hand on your stomach." Damien grins at me "He does not." He smiles at me. "Does he know?" I ask "He hasn''t said anything to me." "This is not good. I''m going to have three under the age of two and what if these turn out to be twins. That''s four under two. What if they can shift too? And the amount of nappies!" "You have a while to prepare." His smile grows. "I''m d you find this funny." "What''s funny?" Dane asks as hees out behind me. He had brought a couple of the Kitson books from the office. "I just... Did you find anything?" "The smell was from a badly decayed body. My guess, Kyle because the body was just at the bottom of the stairs, like it had been dumped there. Nothing else, a few boxes with bits of tat. A mattress. But I thought these woulde in handy." He taps the books, "and we can add our own family to them. However many children we have."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. "You knew?" I demand "Of course I knew." He presses his lips to mine and links me You should have started your period over a week ago." "Okay, so now that is out in the open." Damien winks at me. "Howe Brax wasn''t able to see that you are pregnant?" Chapter 0448 ?Chapter 0448 ir "You want me to walk Kade to school?" "Please don''t talk with your mouth full." Mum scolds me. "But yes." "Isn''t the school like two hundred feet from here. You could watch him from the window." "I could, but the entrance is around the other side." "I''m not allowed to leave the house unless I''m being watched." "Maddie has agreed to watch you from afar. All you have to do is walk him there, make sure he goes inside ande straight back. I would but Braelyn has been awake most of the night. I need to get her to settle." Hlook at my little sister, clinging to mum as she lets out little whimpers. Last night was about the only night I wished I could leave the house. "Okay." I agree, only so I can try and find out what is going on with the little brat. "Thank you." Kade stares at me as he pulls his bag onto his back and even without my Lycan I can see that he hates the idea. "I''m not a baby." He snarls at me "Then maybe you should tell mum, because she asked me to walk you." "Only because my stupid sister was up all night." "HEY!" I snap at him and he actually seems surprised. "Braelyn is a baby. She cannot tell anyone what is hurting or if she wants something. Maybe you will realise one day that we all have bad days, no matter how old we are." "Whatever." We leave the house and immediately he kicks over one of mum''s nts. Stamping it into the ground. "You say you are not a baby but you are certainly acting like one." "Fuck off!" He res at me and even I''m shocked. He turns eight tomorrow, not eighteen... "Are you serious right now?" I fold my arms across my chest and he copies me. "I''m not scared of you. Maybe you should be scared of me. Now that you haven''t got your Lycan.¡± I grab hold of his shirt cor and drag him back to the house. He tries to punch me and kick me, but I''m intelligent enough to keep him at arms length. Pushing open the front door, Calihan stares at me with wide eyes. "Where''s mum?" "Her bedroom." his blue eyes move to Kade and then past us. "Dad is going to be so mad." Looking over my shoulder I see Ryken marching towards us. A deep frown on his face as his hands ball into fists. Calihan disappears while Kade tries to get out of my grip. "Care to tell me what''s happening?" Ryken demands "She hit me!" Kade pulls himself free of my grip or maybe I let him go at the shock of his response. I wasn''t really sure. Ryken''s eyes narrow to slits as he stares at me. "Basement." "You don''t...." "Basement." He repeats. His tone deep. I nod and turn away, just to hear him tell Kade to go to his room. "But dad...." "I said bedroom, now." I don''t hear anything else as I slip through the door leading down to my room. Sitting on my bed, I keep my eyes locked on the door at the top of the stairs. Waiting for Rykens inevitable appearance. Kade was going to be the reason everything goes tits up for me. Not unless I can prove otherwise. My leg jigs on its own, like I have no control over it. It moves faster than the beat of my heart as a drop of sweat makes its way down my spine. There''s a knock on the door. "Come in." I whisper Ryken appears, the floorboards creaking below his feet. He steadily plods down the stairs and lets out a heavy sigh as he reaches the bottom. "What happened ir?" I tell him exactly what happened. Repeating Kades words exactly. There was no way I was letting a seven year old be the reason I die. "I have to ask."Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. "I didn''t hit him. It was like I said, I grabbed his cor and brought him back inside. Ask Maddie." Thad seen her watching us, though I hadn''t mentioned it to Kade. "Maddie?" "Like I said, mum asked me to walk him to school, I reminded her that I couldn''t leave the house unless I was being watched. She said Maddie would watch me and I saw her." He sits on the bed next to me, "Sadly, I believe you." "You do?" "I''m as surprised as you are. But I believe you because you didn''t see me watching you." "It was a test?" I scoff "You like Maddie, I wanted to make sure she wouldn''t cover for you. I saw what he did with my own eyes. I heard exactly what he said to you." "Then why didn''t you intervene?" "I wanted to see how you handled it. If you had hit him, this would be a very different conversation." "I''m trying to not get killed." I mutter "But if you don''t do something, that kid is going to end up killing someone." "Speaking from experience?" I don''t answer but we both know I am. "What are you going to do?" I ask quietly "I need to get to the bottom of it. I can''t fix anything if I don''t know what is causing the issues." I nod in agreement. Though Kades attitude would suggest this has been building for a long time. I spend the rest of the day in the basement, slipping out to use the bathroom or grabbing something to eat. I figured if I just stayed out of Kades way, it would help a little. After everyone has gone to bed, I make my way up to the kitchen to grab a ss of water and sit at the counter, thumbing through one of mum''s many books. "Why are you awake?" Kade makes me jump. I was still trying to decide if theck of hearing was worse than theck of scenting someone. "Kade, you should be asleep." I whisper "I asked you a question." I gesture to the ss. "I was thirsty." He walks to the other side of the counter and stares at me. "Are you here to hurt us?" "No. Why would you ask that?" "You left before. You left mum, me and Calihan." "That was a long time ago and it was a mistake." I couldn''t see his hands and it was making me nervous. "Sometimes, we make mistakes. Sometimes, they are so bad that they ruin our lives." "Why?" "I lost my Lycan because of my choices." "Because you were stupid. That''s what he said. You were stupid and you needed to be punished. Everyone is stupid." "Who said that?" He continues to stare at me and right now, more than anything, I wish I could link mum or Ryken. "What''s in your hand?" He smiles and lifts his hands to show me that they are empty. "I''m going to bed." He turns and runs away. My heart pounds in my chest. "Mum?" I mutter running for the stairs just as Kade ms his bedroom door. I dive into her room to find her fast asleep with Braelyn next to her. Calihan is tucked up in his bed too. Ryken. Where is Ryken? I find him asleep in Braelyns room, most likely wanting some peace and quiet. I close my eyes and let out a breath. At least he hadn''t hurt them, but who was he talking about. Chapter 0449 ?Chapter 0449 Damien "We have checked out the entire pack grounds. I think we have found all there is to find." I tell Dane as we walk back to the car." Whatever stuff there once was, it seems like Trey or Cassandra got rid of it. I''m assuming so Neah could never find out who she is." "I was hoping for more. But at the same time, I know you are right." He frowns as he stares at us, leaning over the car bo. ¡° What''s he looking at?" "A map that he found. He''s trying to figure out if there are any buildings anywhere that the pricks here used." Dane''s crimson eyes shift to Neah who is curled up in the passenger seat, asleep. Vomiting and the realisation that she is pregnant again seems to have wiped her out. "I''m curious, if you knew she was pregnant, why didn''t you say anything to her?" I ask "She wasn''t ready to hear it. It was not long ago that she made it clear that she wasn''t ready. Though she has taken it alot better than I expected." He smiles. "You would have a whole army if she let you." "There''s nothing wrong with that. You will find out one day." I don''t answer. My first mate had been unexpected. The chances of finding another seemed unlikely. "Anything?" Dane asks us "No." us frowns and folds the map up. "This seems to have been a wasted trip." He mutters "Not entirely." Dane replies, "We know who Samara is. And Neah has learned something about herself." I cock an eyebrow at Dane. Why wasn''t he telling us that Neah was pregnant? ''Too early.'' Dane links me as though he had read my mind. He moves Neah from the front of the car to the back so she could lie down marefortably. He slips in next to her. The protective hand quickly takes its ce on her stomach as us gets in the driver''s seat. "Are we telling Sarmara?" us eventually asks "Yes." Dane confirms "Is that the right thing to do? I get that it''s her family, but it doesn''t mean it''s right." "It''s only fair. She has started being a little more open. Maybe if we give her something, she will be a little more cooperative." "But what if that''s exactly what Cooper wants? Maybe he wanted confirmation and now we are about to hand it to him." "I don''t think so." Dane tells him. "The guy already knew something. It''s why he keeps tabs on her. It''s why he threatened us with her. But from the sounds of it, he has not met her Lycan. He never would have if he kept drugging her." "He told me that it was an ident. That he drugged her to protect her. But the dose was wrong" "Do you really believe that?" "No." I see how us''s hands grip the steering wheel. "What exactly went on when Cooper held you hostage? You haven''t really spoken about it." He presses his lips into a thin line and keeps his eyes on the road ahead. "It''s nothing." "Nothing?" "You did feel a connection to him, didn''t you?" Dane keeps his voice low so he doesn''t wake Neah but the tone in his words suggested us better start talkingN?velDrama.Org is the owner. "Yes, but it''s more than that. He was so eager to make me admit that I was his mate. But his moods flipped when he wasn''t getting his way. I think things have always gone his way and when they didn''t he showed a different side. Angry, aggressive. He was going to mark me." TIR DUTOS Other than the engine, there was no other noise. "Did he?" "No, because I lied and gave him a fake name." His hands hit the steering wheel. "Brax is wrong. He has to be. A Witch Hunter is just... It wouldn''t work." "Brax isn''t exactly useful right now when ites to knowledge. He is missing things." I nce back over the seat and look at a sleeping Neah. "Missing obvious things. He fucked up when he didn''t kill Cooper and now he keeps contradicting himself. Something has changed in him and it''s like he is getting weaker." "you think he is wrong?" "Yes. Brax is a Rogue Hunter and he just happens to be mated to a Lycan." "That''s different." "Is it?" I ask. "Alright, Maddie doesn''t have her Lycan abilities now, but what it theye back. Just like yours did. There is still every chance she could turn Rogue and yet she would still be mated to a Hunter." "So I''m what? His mate and possibly his killer? I can''t be mated to someone like him. He is unhinged. A psychopath." "Not necessarily his killer. Remember that." Dane mutters "But it would exin why you are getting so worked up about it." I shrug my shoulders and he ms on the breaks "For fuck sake us!" Dane snaps from the back as we are thrown forward. "I''m sorry, but I just want to make it clear that I love my family. I love ck Shadow. I will do what needs to be done to protect it. I will not ept him." "Then why didn''t you just reject him?" Neah whispers from the back. "Just like how Jenson tried to reject Jess." There''s silence as Neah sits herself up. "..." us frowns again. "Jess still said no. She wouldn''t ept the rejection so what good would it have done it he said no? And I have made my point already. I stabbed him." "You stabbed his projection because he stabbed you first. If it came down to it, could you really kill him?" I couldn''t go through with killing Raven. Neah had to do it in the end and I massively regretted it. "us, it''s okay. I know what it''s like to be mated to someone you don''t want to be with." Neah tells him. "It''s confusing and frustrating and so many other things." It takes me a second to remember she isn''t talking about Dane but the first guy she was mated to. He was someone else I never got to meet. If I had, I most likely would have ripped him to shreds. Chapter 0450 ?Chapter 0450 Mallory I drop onto the sofa. All three kids were having their naps at the same time. It was some kind of miracle. And I am exhausted. Maybe I could have a nap too. I close my eyes and a weird soundes from upstairs. It wasn''t a cry but more like a gurgled groan/ growl. Apart from the boys, I was the only one in the house. Eric had gone to deal with a problem. Creeping upstairs, I check my bedroom and then Luca''s bedroom where the twins were also set up. Luca and Logan are fast asleep, but sat in the corner of Evrin''s travel cot was a small Lycan, staring back at me with bright blue eyes. Neah had warned me. But even with the warning it was a still a surprise. I had never seen a Lycan so small. "Your mummy did warn me." I mutter as I lean over to grab his ripped vest and nappy from the cot. "What are we going to do with you?" He stares up at me and very slowly, his eyes close as he shuffles down onto the mattress. He may be able to shift but he was going through what every new Lycan did, extreme fatigue from shifting. I slip out and leave the door open a little and head downstairs. On autopilot, I make myself a cup of tea and take it out to the front of the house to sit on the small porch. It was so much better than the stones that made up the porch of myst house. Taking a sip, I see ir and Ryken marching across the grounds and it looks as if they are heading directly for me. No, they are definitely moving towards me. "Is the Beta about?" Ryken asks "Eric or Damien?" "Either." I nce at ir, her eyes are low and her hands are in the pockets of her hoodie. "Damien is doing some work with Dane. Eric is dealing with a situation at the packhouse. Can I help?" Ryken nces at ir. "Can you watch her for me?" "I don''t think that''s a good idea." Mostly because I wanted her dead, but also because I had three kids in the house. Two of which are not mine.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "It shouldn''t take more than ten minutes." Ryken mutters. "I just need to speak to someone with a title." "Is this about her?" I gesture to ir. "Yes, but it''s not what you think. She''s done the right thing this time." Her brown eyes briefly flicker up. Almost surprised by Ryken''s acknowledgement "Ten minutes." I mutter and turn to ir. "You sit there." I point to the small chair. "You don''t move until Ryken is back. Got it!" She bobs her head and shuffles to the chair. A few minutes pass and the curiosity couldn''t be held in any longer. "What did you do?" "I don''t think I''m supposed to say." She tells me "You know the Beta is my mate." She frowns. "What would the Alpha''s do if they found out a kid was causing trouble?* "Kade?" I cock a brow "I didn''t say that." "But that is who you are talking about. It''s obvious, especially when you are only around three siblings and there have already been problems with him." "Something happenedst night." "Is someone hurt?" I ask "No, but I have this feeling that someone was close to being hurt." "By a kid?" "He''s different. It''s like...pared to Calihan he has this dark steak." She looks around as if expecting him to be here. "Are you trying to tell me he is already a Rogue?* "I don''t know anymore. It''s impossible to tell and he isn''t old enough. I could always sniff them out, read the warnings. But now... Last night I ended up sleeping outside his room to make sure he didn''t hurt anyone. He had gotten up while I was having a drink and started spouting a load of stuff about everyone being stupid. He made a strangement too, ''he told him I was stupid, that I needed to be punished." "Cooper?" "I don''t know. How would he have gotten to him? He is a kid. He is either at school or home with mum. And he is seven. Well technically, eight. I was a brat at his age, but I wasn''t like this. He is a devil child." Chapter 0451 ?Chapter 0451 That was a harsh thing to call a child. Though Dorothy had said he was bad. She scratches at the wood of the chair, "Last night, I felt this need to protect the family. I checked everyone and set up camp outside Kades room just in case. Ryken found me this moming. The kid is nuts. He tried telling Ryken that I hit him to get me into trouble." "Did you?" "No! I know I have a bad reputation, but no. Besides, Ryken saw." "You understand why I asked?" She nods at me. "You are one of many that hates me. Once upon a time, I wouldn''t have cared, but I''m learning to ept it. Because I know that''s how it will always be. I made a lot of enemies." "You did. But right now, you are not the problem we need to deal with." She jumps up from the chair. "What... the fuck...is that?" I turn around to see a small ck Lycan creeping towards me andugh. "So someone can escape too." I mutter as I pick Evrin up. "Are you telling me that''s your kid?" "No." "One of Neah''s?" "Yes." "He can shift?" "Is there something wrong with your eyesight? Obviously he can shift!" I retort "But he is a kid. A baby." "And you had your abilities taken away from you. There is a lot of weird stuff happening in the world." "Does anyone else know?" She presses "No, and it needs to stay that way." I stare her down until she agrees. "Are they going to bind him?" She follows me inside my home. "Why would they do that?" "It could be dangerous for him. I mean, shifting at this age, it could be doing all sorts to his little body." "It''s not something you need to worry about." I re at her, making it clear that she needs to shut her mouth before I do it for her. "And you should be asleep." I mutter to Evrin. His blue eyes find mine and he shifts back into his Human form. "This is nuts." ir mutters. "And amazing. Why are they keeping this a secret?" "Are you fucking stupid? Did you lose allmon sense when Cooper stripped you?"Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Evrinughs as ir just stares at us until someone knocks on the door. Ryken frowns as he steps in but it is a frown full of concern. "You let her in." "I had no choice, one of the twins woke up. All sorted?" "Yes. Thank you. Dane is on his way home, we will be moving forward with the next step then." What did that mean? "Let''s go." He tells ir before thanking me again. I keep Evrin upied until he eventually goes back to sleep and Eric appears. He has a frown that almost matches Rykens. "Are you okay?" He asks quietly. "I heard you got roped into babysitting ir." Inod, "And she knows about Evrin. He climbed out of the cot and found me sitting outside talking to her." He shrugs his shoulders, "It''s going to have toe out eventually. But I guess if ites from her, no one will believe her. Did she tell you what happenedst night?" "Yes. It has to be Cooper, right?" He sits next to me on the sofa. "It seems likely. It might exin why he has such an issue with Dorothy." "ir spoke as if she thinks Kade is already Rogue. Is that something we need to consider? He''s not thirteen, but then this one has his Lycan already. What are you nning to do with him?" "Ryken wants to bind him." "How is that going to help him? If he doesn''t even have his Lycan, it''s going to make no difference. How he is acting right now, it isn''t going to change that either. Can''t we get Brax to figure out what his issue is and put a stop to it that way?" He goes silent. "What is it?"" "Brax left. He left and Maddie went with him." Chapter 0452 ?Chapter 0452 Brax Madison''s chestnut eyes find mine. "Are you sure? What about the others? What about Neah and Dane? We are doing this without even telling them." "They will understand." "But I don''t." "Then why are youing with me?" She sighs. "Probably because I''m an idiot. I mean, it''s not like I can help you in any way, is it?" "We can go back." I offer, "I can take you back to the safety of the pack, but I need to know what''s happening to me." Madison looks back over her shoulder in the direction of the pack. We werepletely out of sight now. The Wolf on the gate had probably already told Eric unless he didn''t bother reading the note. "If I don''t find out what is happening to me, I am more than useless to them." She frowns at me. "That is not what I meant and you know it." I scowl back. "They brought me here for a reason and I am no longer holding up my end of the deal with Dane." "I''m sure if you exin..." "I can''t exin it, Madison. I don''t know what''s happening to me. Even as I stand here, looking at you, your soul is getting harder and harder to see. It''s like my Hunter abilities are slowly being sucked from me. Tomorrow I could wake up and I will be a bog standard Wolf." "You really think there is something at your old house?" "I don''t know, it''s worth a try." She pouts and slowly nods her head. "I wille with you." "Then let''s go. I have a car parked up the road." As Madison climbs into the passenger seat, I see how she is rubbing her neck again. "Still sore?" "Ites and goes." She shrugs like it had just be a part of her daily life, but it bothered me. I had even felt her neck to make sure nothing had been injected under her skin. "ir said that once she lost her abilities, she noticed changes." Madison tells me. ir seemed to talk more freely to her just like I expected. They shared something inmon. "What kind of changes?" "Like you feel aches and pains more because you don''t have the ability to heal. Sometimes, even lying funny makes me ache now. I guess we just healed before, even little things like achy muscles weren''t even a thing. My scar still itches like a bitch." She points to the long thick scar that runs over her eye to her chin. Luckily she hadn''t been blinded. "It is where he injected me.. I think. Maybe it''s more in the head than it actually hurting." She shrugs her shoulders. "Why haven''t you said anything?" "Because it annoys you when you can''t fix something. And this is one of those things." I nce over to her. She has an elbow propped up on the door, staring out the window. I could fix it if she was willing to be bitten. But I don''t bring up the topic. It upsets her every single time. "This is your home?" She mutters as I pull up next to it. "Yes." I reply, ncing up and down the street. Something felt off. It was the middle of the afternoon and there was no one. No one walking their dog. No one is running or cycling. As much as Humans annoy me. They were predictable with their habits. Madison moves to get out of the car. "Don''t," I mutter, grabbing her arm "What is it?" she whispers back. "I haven''t been back here for a while and it looks like Rogues might have moved in. I''m pretty certain that we are being watched." "What do we do?" "You don''t do anything."I reach in the backseat for my shotgun. "You stay here. You lock the doors behind me. You do not open them until Ie back." "What if....?" "No what if''s. You do exactly what I say. Understand?" She nods as I quietly exit the car. I watch her press the locks down and something ms into me, sending me to the ground. My gun slides across the road away from me, just in time to see another Rogue moving towards me. Blood from a recent kill coated its face. It drops down on to all fours, picking up speed as I reach for the gun in my belt. A bang makes my ears ring and I watch the Rogue drop to the ground. I turn to see a wide eyed Madison, poking one of my guns through the small gap in the window, both hands sped around it The first Rogue attacks me from the side. ws sinking into my shoulder before hurling me through the air. As Ind on my stomach, the air is knocked from my lungs. Screamse from the direction of my car. Rolling over, I see the Rogue desperately trying to get to my mate as he forces the window down.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Chapter 0453 ? Chapter 0453 Madison fires the gun over and over until she is out of bullets. Each and every one somehow misses the bastard. Creeping towards my shotgun, I point at him and blow his fucking head off. Blood sprays my car, sttering Madison as the Rogue''s headless body slides down the side of the vehicle. She flings the door open and runs to me, jumping up and wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. ''Let''s get inside." Head her in through the back door of my house. "I need you to stay here while I get rid of the bodies. I don''t need any more turning up on my doorstep, not until I know what''s happened here."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "Okay." she whispers and I reload the gun for her. "Just in case." I mutter I don''t see anyone else when disposing of the Rogues. I also don''t sense anyone else watching us, but that doesn''t mean that they aren''t, especially if I''m losing my ability to sense them. I should have scented the one that knocked me to the ground. I should have seen iting. It didn''t matter now. They were both dead. Lighting a match, I toss it on to their bodies, watching them go up in mes before walking away. "Madison?" I call out as I enter my kitchen. She doesn''t answer immediately. And then I hear a very weak and scared "Here!" Slowly pushing open the door to the dining room. Cooper has Madison with her back pressed to his chest. An arm locked around her as he holds one of my fucking kitchen knives to her throat. "You''re not here."I growl He pushes the tip of the knife into Madison''s throat. She lets out a squeal as a bead of blood appears. "You are still not here." "You are a smart Hunter, but a stupid one." "Maybe, but you are still not here in this house. You project yourself, right? Make it seem like you are present. You are clearly strong to be able to carry a weapon. Strong enough that you seem real. So how did you get here?" "Does it matter? I will be able to find all of you, won''t I Maddie?" He drags her back a few steps. She squeezes her eyes shut, trying not to cry. "You put something in her?" I demand "No." He smiles at me "It''s in you." Madison cries. "It is in you." "Me?" "And everyday, you grow a little weaker." He smiles at me. "You haven''tid a hand on me!" I snap. "No, I haven''t." He agrees "It''s funny what a little spell can do. How easy it is to control someone, right Maddie?" "I didn''t know." she whispers. "That''s the beauty of it. They don''t even know they are doing it." Cooperughs. "Amazing abilities us Witches have!" "Do you know many other Witches?" I mutter sarcastically The smile disappears from his face as he res at me. "So what''s the purpose of tracking me, huh? Taking away my abilities? What do you get out of it?" "Pick you off, one by one, Cooper and Sam get to have lots of fun." He sings. "Samara? Samara is locked in a fucking dungeon. Thest I heard, she wanted nothing to do with you, you cunt!" He pushes Madison to one side and points the knife at me. "What did you say?" "Which bit? Calling you a cunt or telling you that Samara wants nothing to do with you. Lets see, when I threatened to cut her finger off a few hours ago. She told me she never wanted to see you again. That you lied to her, her whole life and if she does see you again, she will rip your throat out." "LIES!" "Nah. I don''t have a reason to lie to you when I know the truth will piss you off more." "I could slice your throat open." "Yes, you could. But I can see from your legs that you are getting weaker." They were slowly fading. "Anger makes you weak, not strong. You are barely holding on. So get the fuck out of my house, because when I do see you. I''m going to string you up and let the crows feed on your decaying flesh. That''s if the Witch Hunter doesn''t get to you first." The knife tters on the wooden floor as he disappears. I nce over to Madison who is curled up under the side table. "You didn''t know you did that to me, did you?" She shakes her head but refuses to meet my eyes. "He told me just before you came in." "Injection or a drug?" "I don''t know. I don''t even know when, where or how. I don''t even know if he is telling the truth or if I have done it to others.." "I have a machine downstairs that scans bodies. So we will soon find out." Chapter 0454 ?Chapter 0454 Neah "Brax is gone? Is heing back?" I ask "What an idiot." Nyx mutters "Oh, decided to stop ignoring me now? I mutter back, but she doesn''t answer Eric hands me a folded up piece of paper. "It''s unclear. All it says is that he needs to figure out what is happening to him." "So he does know something is wrong with him." Dane mutters as he swings Logan up onto his shoulders. "I''m guessing so, but Maddie has gone with him." "He made her?" I ask. I knew they were mates but Maddie said the pack was the only ce she felt safe. "No." Mallory replies. "Well at least it doesn''t look like it. I went and looked around her room for clues, a few basic things are missing, but it doesn''t look like either of them left in a hurry. It looked like they had nned it." "After Cooper?" Dane frowns as I pass him the note. "I know Brax wants Cooper dead, but I don''t think he would put Maddie back in harm''s way." Mallory mutters "The problem is, we can''t link either one of them if they are in trouble." I groanExclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. Fucking Brax and his need to get things done. "You better tell them the other thing." Eric tells Mallory. "Is this about Kade? I''m about to go over there now." Dane replies "No. There was a little bit of a situation earlier." Mallory drops her gaze "He shifted, didn''t he?" I look down at Evrin who is pulling at Danes shoeces "Yes. I don''t want you to get mad. They were asleep. Ryken asked me to keep an eye on ir when he went to speak to Eric about Kade. She sat right there." Mallory points at the chair on her porch. "Evrin had already shifted. You didn''t wam me he could climb out his cot and well, he made his way out here." "ir knows?" Dane asks with a cocked brow "Yes." "Did she touch them?" "No, she freaked out and then asked why no one else knew. Actually, it was weird to see her scared. Nothing like the person that turned up here to announce herself. And definitely not like the woman that held me to a chair and stabbed me in the leg. I''m sorry, Neah. He was asleep. I swear else I would never have agreed to watching her." "Okay." I mutter She looks up at me, shocked. "Okay? I thought you were going to hit the roof." I shrug my shoulders. "Everyone is going to find out eventually. Logan will be next. ir was not the ideal person to find out first." I nce up to Dane. "But it might scare her enough to not be stupid." Mallory presses a hand to her chest and lets out a puff of air. "She''s been stressing out." Eric tells Dane and they both roll their eyes. "Are you really going to bind the kid?" Eric asks. "I get it. From what Ryken told me, he is a little brat but binding him." He nces at me. "Preferably, no. It is what Ryken wants though, unless I can convince him otherwise. But I''m hoping Neah can talk some sense into him." "Me?" I ask, surprised. "He may be a kid, but he is a Lycan kid which means he bows to you." "You want me to scare him?'' I wasn''t sure howfortable I was about that. "Only if you need to. Sometimes it will work." Mallory and Eric agree to watch the twins while we visit Rykens. ir opens the door and as soon as she sees me, she lowers her gaze. "Do you need me for something?" "No. Where''s Ryken?" Dane asks "In the kitchen, this way." She leads us through the house when a small boy pulls on my sleeve. "Hi." He beams at me with blue eyes that are brighter than my own. "My name is Calihan," "Hi." I smile back at him and he blushes, quickly running off somewhere. "I think someone has a bit of a crush." Dane links me ''Don''t be stupid.'' ''I think I''m going to have to keep an eye on that one." He jokes with a smile Ryken appears and ir makes her excuses, disappearing through a door and down some steps. "Eric has told you everything?" "Yes." Dane replies. "But before we get to that. I want to try something else." "You don''t want to bind him?" "At the end of the day, you are his father. But from experience, it''s one of the worst things you can do. If anything, that might make him hate everything more." Chapter 0455 ?Chapter 0455 "I thought about that." Ryken mutters, "Yet talking to him doesn''t seem to be making a difference." "But you haven''t tried having the Alpha speak to him." Dane gestures to me. "Okay." Ryken nods his head at me. "He is in his room after a rough day. Do you want me to call him down?" "No need." I mutter. "But you have to let her handle this. Don''t intervene in any shape or form." Dane tells Ryken He takes a deep breath, "Do it." I move to the bottom of the stairs "KADE EVERWOOD!" Kade appears at the top of the stairs. There is a flicker of annoyance at his dyed reaction in recognising me. I watch as his brown eyes soften. His bottom lip trembles. "Alpha Neah," He whispers, lowering his eyes "We need to talk." I sigh. He was just a kid. A kid a little older than I was when I was used of killing my parents. Scaring him was not what I wanted to do. I will find another way. "Let''s go for a walk." He silently moves down the stairs and looks to Ryken for help. Ryken keeps his mouth shut, just as requested. Kade follows me out of the house, neither one of us speaking. He shoves his hands in his pockets and scuffs his feet as he walks. But he walks quickly, as though he was in a hurry to get away from the house. "Tell me something." I mutter "Like what?" He asks, confused. "Anything. School, friends, home." "I don''t have any friends." He grumbles. "They are all stupid." "Stupid? That''s a bit harsh."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "They just...you won''t understand." A frown appears on his tanned face. "Try me." "They won''t get to live so what''s the point in being friends." "That was unexpected.'' Nyx frowns "What does that mean? Why won''t they get to live?" I ask He rolls his eyes. "Do you know that I have this way of getting information out of people even when they don''t want to share it!" "That''s a lie." ''He is one little cocky kid.'' Nyx snorts "How do you think I made youe out of your bedroom?" He shrugs his shoulders at me and we keep walking. He didn''t want to be here, that much was clear. "Are you not happy here?" I ask He looks up at me and shakes his head. "Why?" Kade presses his lips together and keeps walking. "Are you talking to someone who is not in the pack?" I changed my tone enough to force him to answer me. "Yes." He squeaks. Though he looks confused about why he had to answer. "Who?" "Cooper." His voice couldn''t get much higher. "What does he say?" "He wants to punish everyone." His tears fall faster. I hated that I had made a kid cry, but it was crucial to confirm that it was Cooper. "Kade. He is a liar. Whatever he is telling you is not true." He shakes his head at me. "You are wrong. He said we could be free. He said I could help him because I am a strong Lycan. He said that you will ruin us. He said he would help me. I''m not scared. He picked me. Not stupid Dorothy or my brother or anyone else in school. He picked me. I just have too...." "Have to what?" I press His brown eyes lock on mine. He really didn''t want to tell me. "I have too..." He lifts his wrist to me and points to what looks like a watch, but instead of a clock face, it has a small button. "Press this." "What does it do?" "I don''t know." "He said to press it but you don''t know what it is? I grab his wrist. He tries to pull away and at the same time, press the button which panics me even more. I had no idea what it did. "Let me go!" He bites my hand and ms his finger onto the button. An explosion knocks me off my feet. Kade takes off running as I look over to the pack house. All the windows have blown out, half the roof is missing as the side of the house crumbles. mes fill the open space, sending ck smoke into the sky. Kade had blown up my home. Kade is a fucking kid who had blown up my home. There are screams and shouts as people move around me. But all I could do was sit and stare. ''Fucking little bastard!'' Nyx growls Chapter 0456 Chapter 0456 Hey everyone. I hope you are all well and enjoying the year. For me, I can''t quite believe we are in August already. As usual, I want to thank eveyrone for the reviews,ments and gems you are sharing with me. I can never say it enough, but it really does mean a lot to me. Especially when I didn''t expect my book to do as well as it has. A little bit of imposter syndrome happening here. Anyway. There will be no updates this weekend 3rd and 4th August. Need to spend some much needed time with the family and reset my brain for the month. Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. Taylor West Chapter 0457 ?Chapter 0457 Dane "What the fuck was that? Looking through Ryken''s kitchen window, I see thick smoke seeping up into the sky. I almost knock Calihan over trying to get out of the door. Ryken sweeps him up just as ir appears asking what the noise was. I don''t answer her and disappear out the door in the direction of the explosion. The packhouse was in bits. Half the building was crumbling as my pack worked quickly to put out the mes. The remainder of the roof barely hangs on as more bricks tumble down. Then I see my mate, sitting on the grass, staring up at what was left of our home. Dropping down by her side, she doesn''t say a word. *Were you inside?" I didn''t know where she was nning on taking Kade. She shakes her head Where is Kade?'' Aero asks. I scan the grounds and don''t see him. *Neah, where is Kade?" I mutter as people continue to run around us "He did this." She whispers. "What are you talking about?"Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. *He blew up our home." She pats her wrist. "He was wearing something. Like a watch, but it had a button. Cooper got to him." "Neah...." *He blew up our house!" "Let''s get you out of here." I lift her into my arms. She doesn''t fight it. It seems like she is in some kind of shock. I take onest look at the packhouse and head for Eric''s home. Thankful that the twins were with them and not in the house. I link everyone that is normally in the house and I am grateful when I get everyones check in. The house had been empty. Eric is on his way out when we arrive. "What the hell was that? Is she okay?" "I need to use your house." "Of course." I put Neah on the sofa and listened to her mind working overtime. She is so angry. The tips of her ws poke out of her finger tips. I didn''t understand how a kid could have the ability to blow up a house that big. But her mind insists it''s Kade. That Kade had been promised something from Cooper. "What happened out there?" Mallory asks quietly. *The packhouse has been blown up." "What?" *Kade blew the house up." I repeat Neah''s words, still partly in disbelief *Seriously?" I nod as I watch my mates eyes slowly darken. Nyx was close to the surface again. "Where is the little shit?" Mallory demands "I don''t know." "He ran off." Neah mutters. "He ran off after we were knocked to the ground." She swings her legs around and sits up. The darkness of her eyes fading until they were their usual soft blue. "He was talking about Cooper and promises. The guy told Kade they could be free and that I would ruin them. He said Cooper picked him, not Dorothy and not his brother." "Dorothy?" I ask. "Was Dorothy a target of Coopers?" "I don''t know." Neah shakes her head at me. "I should have ordered him to take it off." She rubs her hands over her eyes and when she takes them away, I see how they are full of tears. "I got him to tell me. He said that Cooper told him when the time was right, to push the button. Because I didn''t know what the watch was, I tried to stop him and he pressed it anyway. I should have ordered him to stop... I don''t even know if anyone was in the house... I could have stopped him." Guilt was radiating off of her and Mallory sits down next to her, putting an arm around Neah''s shoulders. "He is a kid, none of us would have expected him to do that." *I should have. Ordering adults is so much easier. I could have stopped him and this wouldn''t be happening." "It would have happened anyway." I mutter "He''s right." Eric confirms. "Whatever was used to blow up the house, has probably been in the house for some time. But clearly it''s something scentless or we would have sniffed it out. When the fire is out. I will gather a team and we will do a sweep, see what we can find." "At least you and the boys weren''t in it." Mallory sighs. *And no one else was in the house either." I confirm to Neah. "They were all out. Everything we lost can be reced and rebuilt. No one was hurt." *The boys," Neah mutters, looking at Mallory. "Are they okay?" *Asleep. They slept through the explosion." Eric smiles reassuringly. Neah nods. "Ryken keeps linking me, asking where his son is. How Am I supposed to tell him that Cooper got to Kade? That Kade blew up the packhouse?" "I will handle it. Tell him I''m on my way back." I press my lips to hers and wipe away the lingering tear on her cheek. Passing the packhouse, I see that the mes are almost out. But there was nothing salvageable. The whole thing would need tearing down and rebuilding. Chapter 0458 ? Chapter 0458 Damien steps out of the house with a scarf partially covering his face, the remnants of smoke littered the remainder of his face. "I thought you might be with Dorothy?" He pulls the scarf from the bottom half of his face. "Athena picked her up seeing as her biological father has walked away." His annoyance, evident. I understood why he was pissed. I couldn''t imagine walking away from my boys. Damien looks back to the house. "I''m sorry." He mutters "Everyone is alive, that''s what counts." "Do you know who did this?" "Yes, and I still can''t quite believe it." He raises a brow at me. "Kade." "As in the kid who attacked Dottie? That little shit?" "Yes and I''m about to go and tell his father." "I don''t agree on many things with Brax, but that kid needed his ass whooping a long time ago." *The problem is, he has now done a runner." Ryken looks around me when he opens the door. Clearly expecting to see his little bastard of a son. "You''re alone?" "We need to have a conversation about Kade?" "Was he hurt in the explosion? I would know if he was, right?" "It''s more serious than that. Maybe it''s a good idea if Ie in." He stands back to let me in the house. I see ir sitting at the table ying a game with Ryken''s youngest son. Her brown eyes momentarily pause on me before continuing the game.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g *Calihan, ir, can you go to your rooms please." Ryken requests *Actually, ir can stay. She might be useful." There''s a brief flicker of fear, and she does her best to hide it. Which isn''t very well at all. *Is Tara about?" I ask. Kade''s mother needed to know what her son was capable of. *She''s gone into the city with a couple of others and taken the baby with her." Ryken tells me I wait until I hear Calihan ascend the stairs. "Then there is no easy way to say this. Kade was responsible for the explosion you heard." He stares back at me, his mouth opening and closing a few times. Disbelief, or shock, I wasn''t sure. No one wants to hear that their kid is a little terror. "You''ve put him in the dungeon? He is just a kid." *No. He blew up the packhouse and then took off. I have Damien and a few others looking for him." *He blew up the packhouse?" ir asks. "Is everyone okay?" I was almost surprised that she was showing any interest in the welfare of others. "Yes, no one was hurt. Cooper gave him the ability to do it." *Cooper got to him?" "He told Neah that Cooper offered him a better life than living here. Made him a promise." "No." Ryken mutters. "No, you are wrong. He wouldn''t do this and he wouldn''t fall for that." "Ryken, you found me sleeping outside his room because I thought he was going to hurt someone while you all slept. You know something has been bothering him." ir mutters. "He is a kid." Ryken frowns "And so was I, but what he is doing, that''s a whole step further than I have ever achieved. I never blew up someone''s home." Ryken sits on one of the wooden chairs at the table. His hands curl into fists. He ms one down on the wooden table, making ir jump. "Where would he go?" I ask "He is eight." Ryken protests "He doesn''t have friends." ir mutters. "He doesn''t go anywhere but school or somewhere with Mum and Ryken." *He must have done at some point else how would he have met Cooper?" "I have to find him." Ryken frowns. "I have to bring him back and make him understand." He gets to his feet. "Tara will lose herself if another child goes off the rails." I see the way he looks at ir as he speaks. "You won''t find him." ir murmurs, staring down at her hands on the table. "If Cooper promised to help Kade. He would be waiting for him. One of Cooper''s big things, he doesn''t break promises. He drummed that into me over and over." "You think Cooper would have been waiting for him?" ir bobs her head. "Kade did the dirty work for him. Cooper will offer him a reward. A prize, something that Kade wants. It will make Kade feel like he did the right thing even though he knew it was wrong." Her eyes flicker up to me. "Think about it. Contracts give you a sense of satisfaction, Dane and you offer something in return. Protection. Alliance. Whatever it is to suit you. It''s probably the same for Kade. A contract of sorts, only it doesn''t truly favour my brother, but Cooper." Chapter 0459 ? Chapter 0459 Brax *You need to take it out." I hand Madison a scalpel, but her hand is already shaking and I close my other hand around hers. "It''s making me weaker. I don''t know how weak it will make me and I need it out." *You have to do this Madison, I can''t reach, well not to do a clean job." I tip her face up to mine. Her chestnut eyes are filled with panic. "The scan shows you exactly where it is located. It''s a quick and easy job." "I can''t... we can take you back. Get us to do it." She pleads *There isn''t any time for that. I need it out before it takes everything from me. I have you to take care of. My baby girl is back in ck Shadow, probably wondering where I am again." I watch her close her eyes and take a few deep breaths. Her hand steadies and she nods. "Okay." Iy face down on the table and feel the cool metal of the scalpel as she holds it over the spot between my shoulder des. As she presses down, my warm blood spills down my spine. The pain from the cut is minimal, but still, she repeatedly tells me that she is sorry. Madison uses something else to dig into my wound. She pauses when I let out a small grunt, eventually pulling a tiny ball out of me. She drops it into a bowl and it makes a sound like metal, yet it doesn''t look anything like metal. I will take it back to ck Shadow, maybe us can tell me what it is. *I got it." She whispers, looking for somewhere to clean the blood off of her hands. Instantly I felt better. I look at Madison and smile when I realise I could see her entire soul once again. How could one tiny thing cause so many problems? *Now your turn." I mutter. "Me?" "I need to check first. In the scanner." "He took away my abilities." "You said he injected you with something. If it is the same what was in me. I can get it out and you can have your Lycan abilities back." I scan her multiple times. Nothing shows up. Not a single thing out of the ordinary. So why had something different been used on me? For a brief second, Madison seemed frustrated that we couldn''t find anything. It gave me a little hope that deep down, she did want her abilities back. *I hate him." She mutters quietly as she gently cleans the blood from my back. *Understandable. She moves around the table to face me and stands between my spread legs. "How can someone be this cruel? Why would he feel the need to do this to people they don''t even know?" "He thinks he''s a God." *Pfft. It just doesn''t make sense." *Alot of the time it doesn''t." I wipe a speck of blood from her cheek. "Deep down, everyone has a dark element. Some it never shows, others, it takes overpletely." *You are talking about Rogues?" "Yep. The problem is, we have a man that is half Witch. If that part of him is stronger, he can channel the dark side that would otherwise have turned him Rogue." She tilts her head down, a wrinkle appears between her brows as she frowns. "So how do we beat him?" "Neah and us," *Just Neah and us?" "I believe so. I told you us is a Witch Hunter." *Neah can''t link him, can she?" *She can when he is vulnerable. That will be the key." "You have a n, don''t you?" "I''m working on something. I will talk to Neah tomorrow. Tonight, we stay here and get a decent nights sleep." "Do you think he wille back?" *If he does, it will just be a projection of him. He won''t actually be here." Madison sleeps tightly curled up into me. All evening, her eyes had been darting around the house, looking for him. She was even sleeping in one of my tshirts because she didn''t want him to see her naked. Anytime, I made a hint of a move to pleasure her, she would tell me no. Something about Cooper projecting himself made her nervous and vulnerable.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g I don''t sleep. Not a single wink. I was aware there were more Rogues out there than just the two that tried to kill me. I could smell them near my house, but was it worth leaving my already scared mate, by herself? Iy awake, listening to their sounds. There were at least eight. Eight that prowled around below my bedroom window. But not a single one tried to enter the house. They could smell that we were here. I was expecting one to try a door handle. Or one to climb the side of my building and try a window, but they don''t. Chapter 0460 Chapter 0460N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. They circle the house, taking it in turns. I couldn''t stand it any longer. Slipping out of bed, I silently grab the rifle that I stored in my wardrobe and creep up towards the window. Aiming at one, I don''t fire immediately. I watch as they talk to each other in hushed, gravelly voices. They spoke in code too and just like that, they leave. Disappearing behind the empty house opposite mine. Unusual behaviour for Rogues, they didn''t usually care about a locked door or window. I watch until the sun rises, but they don''te back. "What are you doing?" Madison asks with a yawn. *There were Rogues herest night." I''m not going to lie to her. "You didn''t wake me?" "They didn''t do anything. It was more like they were looking for someone." "That''s not normal, is it?" "No." "Were they looking for you?" she asks "I''m not sure." Her eyes cast a nce over the rest of the room. Almost like she expected to see Cooper here. She shivers and quickly gets dressed. "Can we go back to ck Shadow now?" *Sure.* ***** Madison is quiet in the car. Brining her with me had been a mistake, but without her. I never would have got that shit out of my back. "I will keep you safe." I mutter and ce my hand on her thigh but she pulls it away. "You don''t know that." "I know that I want to protect you. I know that I can now I''m back to full strength." *He made me inject something into you without my knowledge. How can you keep me safe from that? How do I know that this isn''t a dream created by Cooper?* I pull the gun from my hip and hand it to her. "If you think this is a dream, point it at me and pull the trigger." She takes it and slowly lifts the gun. I don''t slow the car. I don''t stop either. If she really believed it was a dream, then I was about to die. I take my eyes off the road to look at her. She can barely keep the gun straight. Tears flood her chestnut eyes. "I don''t know what to do?" *Yes you do." Her breathing is heavy as she continues to point it at me. A little gasp escapes her parted lips. "He wouldn''t know would he? He wouldn''t know that you would voluntarily let me shoot you?" I shoot her a wink and she drops the gun into herp. "Besides, you would need to take the safety off." My fingers drum on the steering wheel. "He''s really got to you, hasn''t he?" From the corner of my eye, I see her bob her head. "It''s like nothing is mine. He took away my abilities. He somehow convinced me to do something to you. What else could he have done? Did he make me do that to other people? Did he touch me when I was with him? How long has he been watching me? I didn''t have an answer for her. But I understood why she was so reluctant to want to do more than be kissed. He had put more cracks in her soul and I couldn''t let anymore appear. "He wouldn''t have touched you, he has a thing for men, not women." I watch her rx and then lean forward, "Is that ir''s brother?" Madison asks I slow the car to see a boy with blonde ringlets running in our direction. His feet pound the pavement, sweat drips off of him as he eagerly looks around. Ignoring the cars passing him. "Why would he be out here, alone?" Madison asks. I pull the car over and the moment I step out. He tries to pick up speed, running away from me. It takes two seconds to grab him. "Where do you think you are going?" The little shit tries to kick me in the balls. "I don''t think so, get in the fucking car." "You can''t tell me what to do. I hate you." I re at him and he drops into silence. The kid certainly did have a darkness about him. "Get in the car." We were only a couple of miles out from the pack, so he had made it quite far, but who was he running from? Chapter 0461 ? Chapter 0461 Neah "You will figure it out." Mallory offers me a smile. "You have always figured shit out." She cradles Luca and rocks side to side as Luca makes little noises. She had settled into motherhood like it was where she was always supposed to be. Yet, a part of me was nervous to tell her I was pregnant again. How do you tell that to a woman who will never carry her own children? Being here has given me some time to calm down, toe to my senses. And I felt more than stupid. For a brief moment, I could see why Kade had called everyone stupid. "No one is perfect." Mallory mutters. "You can''t keep beating yourself up over it. If Dane suspected anything, there is no way he would have let you wander off with Kade. No one would have expected a kid to do something like that. You did what most sane people would do. Think about it, by the time you could have ordered him to give you the watch, he still could have pressed it." "It still shouldn''t have happened." *Eric said that if the house was the target, it still would have happened anyway." I nod as I look over to my boys who are ying in the corner. Half wondering how they would react to another sibling. And half wondering whether this pregnancy was making me miss things. Last time it made me miss important things, I had been so tired with the twins. "I''m sure they will find something." She smiles at me. "Even if they do, what good is it? The house is gone. The only ce I''ve ever truly known as home, has gone." "Dane will have it rebuilt." I nod. Knowing Dane, he was already nning a rebuild as soon as possible. "What are you going to do with Kade?" Mallory asks curiously as she sits down next to me. *Truthfully, I want to kill him. But I know that is wrong. At the end of the day, he is a child that has ultimately been groomed. To kill him for that, would be wrong." I shake my head. "But he still needs a reasonable punishment for what he did." *Cooper did it in the same way as Cassandra did with me." She murmurs. I dip my chin in agreement. "I know they will find him. There is only so far he can run, even if Cooper is waiting for him." *And Cooper? The asshole seems to be prepared." I run my thumb over the tips of my fingers, I could feel the very tips of my ws hiding beneath the surface. "If he wants to y games, then let''s y a game." She cocks a brow at me. "I need to work out the finer details before I share." I kneel on the floor next to my boys, kissing the top of their heads. "Could you watch the boys a little longer? I just need to do something." *Sure. I will set up the spare room for you and Dane." Leaving their house, I hurry over to the dungeons, keeping my eyes off the mess that was my home. The guard dips his head at me and tells me that Samara seems to be more frantic than normal. *Frantic?" "She''s pacing alot. Muttering to herself." He shrugs his shoulders and rolls his eyes. "Lycans." Talking to her Lycan.'' Nyx mumbles. ''Maybe, but he doesn''t know that.'' The guard opens the door for me. Immediately, I hear Samara arguing with no one. She stops when she sees me. What was that noise?" *The packhouse." "Cooper?" She asks quietly "It seems that he had something to do with it, yes."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g A frown appears on her face. It slowly softens. "I''m sorry." "You''re sorry? For what?" "Dakota wants me to tell you that it is all my fault. That if I hadn''t been stupid, we could have gone about this differently." Her words throw me off, "Why would she want me to know that?" *She says that we are supposed to be your Beta." "What?" I scoff, trying to bury theughter that is determined to break out of me. "You think that you of all people, are supposed to be my Beta?" "Dakota thinks so." she mutters, dropping her gaze. "I''ve been telling her she is wrong. But she is one hundred percent certain and I can''t change her mind. I told her you would probably kill us." Nyx snorts. ''Never have I heard so much crap.'' Samara runs her hands over her head and drops to the floor. "I''m not expecting you to believe her or anything I say." Chapter 0462 ? Chapter 0462 I stand there, staring at her in some kind of disbelief. "We are cousins." I mutter "Cousins?" "That is how we are rted. Your mother was my mother''s sister. That''s how you have Alpha gics." She creeps forwards, her fingers winding around the bars as she focuses on me. "Did you know her?" "No." "Oh." *She wasn''t spoken about, but my parents died when I was a kid, so maybe I just don''t remember. Her name was Amelia." *Thank you... hold on, you keep saying ''was''. She was your mother''s sister. Her name was Amelia." "She''s dead." Her hands drop from the cell bars. "Sounds about right. I assume you don''t know how?" *No. The book just had her birth and death date." A small frown appears and her tongue glides along her bottom lip. "There is a reason you are telling me all of this, isn''t there?" "I want you to help me kill your brother." "What?" she squeaks "Do I need to repeat myself?" I mutter "No...I just don''t understand. Why do you need my help? You are the Alpha." "So he doesn''t see iting." *Are you seriously trusting this bitch? Nyx asks me ''No, but I want to see where she stands.'' Samara turns around in her cell, facing the back wall, likely talking to Dakota. Her handse up to her temples, rubbing them. She slowly turns back to me, "If I do this...." "I might give you a chance to live." I mutter She mulls over my words, "Cooper is smart. He always has been. He just seems to be prepared for anything. Or maybe he designed it so that everything works in his favour. I don''t know anymore. It seems like I was blind to everything." *You say that he is prepared, but will he be prepared for his sister to set him up?" Her grey eyes hover on mine. "I don''t know. He has always been in charge. But that was before and now I don''t hear him." "How long?" *Since Dakota made an appearance." She pauses. "She says she is cking him." "Good." ''At least she has some sense.'' Nyx mutters "Can I ask you something?" Samara whispers. "Do you ever get used to hearing the voice in your head? Like the random sarcasticments? Or the huffs they make when they don''t like something." *No, never. Wait until Dakota starts humming, it''s enough to drive anyone around the bend. I will be backter." "Everything alright?" The guard asks me as he ms the door shut behind me. "It will be." "It''s a shame about the packhouse." He mutters as I start walking away. "At least no one was hurt." I smile at him and he just stares at me. Emerson was usually on guard duty at the gates, not here at the dungeons. "It''s unusual to see you working here." "I guess they felt like I needed a change." He shrugs his shoulders at me, but I could see flickers of annoyance. "I quite like keeping an eye on the bitch down there." He taps the dungeon door ''He gives me a bad feeling." Nyx mutters This is the one who has issues with Lycans.'' I reply *Do you ever go down there?" I ask Emerson "Why would I?" I shrug my shoulders. "Curiosity?"N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. *I''m not curious about those assholes." His eyes widen as he realises what he has just said. "I didn''t mean you... just, they... she is taking up space and resources." ''Digging his own grave, isn''t he?'' Nyx smirks as he stumbles over his words. "Are we?" I ask. "Are we taking up your home? Are we letting you starve? Are we killing you off?" "That''s not what I was saying." He protests *Then what is your problem?" I demand, stepping towards him. "Because this isn''t the first time you have shared your dislike of my kind." His hand moves to the de in his belt, but I was quicker. My ws pierce his chest as a loud bang almost deafens me. A small hole appears to the side of Emerson''s forehead followed by a trickle of blood. As he stumbles back, my ws retract from his chest and he falls to the ground. I turn to see us, his hand firmly gripped around Kades wrist. "Can''t let the prick kill a pregnant woman, can !!" Chapter 0463 ?Chapter 0463 Just a little heads up. The previous chapter was supposed to end with Brax holding on to Kade. Not us. My mistake and although I have corrected it. It will not reflect until my editor approves it. Brax Her blue eyes flicker from me to Kade and back. "I saw the house." I gesture over my shoulder. "This little shit have something to do with it?" She nods at me as Kade tries to peel my fingers from his boney wrist. "Let go!" He screeches at me, I just roll my eyes. "You know I''m pregnant?" Neah asks with a frown. I nod, "I can see your soul properly again." Kade tries to kick me in the balls. He had a nasty habit of doing that so I rip him off his feet. Letting him dangle in the air. His body swaying as he tries to escape. "That''s why I left." I tell her. "I needed to find out what was happening to me. And now, the issue has been resolved." She turns back to the dead Wolf. "I could have killed him." *You could have, but that de was a little too close to your belly for my liking." She looks down at her top and frowns as she fingers the hole in the fabric. "What do you want me to do with this one?" I purposely swing Kade through the air and he lets out a whimper instead of protesting. Her eyes hover on the boy. She knew she had to punish him and yet, somehow, she felt sorry for him. Not something I was expecting to see. "Dane is with Ryken." She murmurs. "Letting him know what his son did." "Then we will go there." I point to the dead body. "I will deal with him after." Dane answers the door to us. A deep growl rumbles through him as he locks eyes on Kade. "Bring him in." "Where''s my Dad?" Kade begs "I''m right here." Ryken replies, as we move through the house to the kitchen. I spot ir, peeping through a door that is barely open. It quietly closes the moment she spots me. Dropping the little brat into a chair, his gaze immediately lowers as his eyes harden and he requests his mum. *She isn''t here right now, but she wants you to know that she is disgusted with your behaviour." Ryken tells him, though he refuses to look directly at his son. "You blew up the packhouse. You blew up the home of the pack that we were weed into. What the hell were you thinking?" "He wasn''t." Neah mutters. I nce over to her and she is rubbing dried blood off of her fingers. "I''m sorry." Kade whispers. He wasn''t, not a single ounce of him was sorry for what he had done. "Are you, Kade?" Dane asks "Yes," Kade whimpers "You can''t stop lying, can you?" I ask as I sit up on the kitchen counter. "When I look at you, I see no truth. Just a ball of lies, where does it end and where does it begin? Because it''s almost impossible to tell." There''s a sh of anger in his brown eyes. He had his head lowered, but I still see it. "I suggest you start speaking the truth." "Asshole." He mutters under his breath. His cockiness for his age was on another level *KADE!" Ryken bellows at him Kade folds his arms across his chest and huffs, slumping in the chair. *What did Cooper want you to do?" I ask curiously. He stares at me. "Were you supposed to blow up the house with no one in it? Or was that a mistake that you made?" He screws his face up, still refusing to look at me. "Answer the question." Neah snaps. She was ordering him to talk *He just said when the time was right, I would know." "Was it the right time, or did you panic because you had been caught?" I press. My guess was he panicked. What would be the point of setting off a bomb or whatever it was if there was no one inside? "I...." His eyes move to Neah. "I''m not meant to say." *Look around you, you little shit." I snarl. "Do you think you are leaving here without telling us?* *To teach you a lesson." He blurts out and shakes his head making his blonde ringlets bounce. "He said to teach you a lesson. To show you that you don''t have all the power." He starts crying. Finally, the fear was kicking in and all it had taken was a tiny little threat. I should have done it the day he upset my baby girl.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Where were you going?" Neah asks him "He said he would wait for me." Kade mutters through sniffles. "He wasn''t there." Chapter 0464 ? Chapter 0464 *You were going to run away from your family?" Ryken demands. "Did you even think about us? Did you even care what me and your mother would think?" *You said I''m just like ir!" Kade snaps. I heard you and mum." "You are wrong. We said we didn''t want you to end up like your sister." Kade shakes his head as Dane moves over to a very pale Neah. She looks close to throwing up, but I keep my mouth shut. *Dane, Neah," Ryken mutters. "How do you wish to punish my son?" *I have one more question." Neah frowns, bringing her hand to her mouth as she pauses to breathe deeply. "How was Cooper talking to you?" "He came to my room." Kade whispers "He was in my house?!" Ryken snaps *Likely projection." Dane replies. "Not physically here." "Only here?" Neah asks and Kade nods *How many other kids has he been talking to, without anyone knowing?" Dane mutters in frustration. "None." Kade pipes up. "He told me they weren''t good enough." *Kade, that is what bastards like him say." Ryken tells his son. *He promised." "People like that, make promises that don''t mean anything." Dane tells the little shit. "He only wants you to do his dirty work for him. He doesn''t care that you get in trouble." *No. No. He said I was strong. That I was good. That I could do this. I''m his favourite." "He doesn''t see it." I tell the adults. "He doesn''t see what was being done to him as wrong. You are not going to get through to him." *Then what do you suggest?" Dane asks "A few nights in the dungeon might do him some good." *You want to put my kid in the dungeons?" Ryken scoffs "It worked for your other kid." "She is an adult. He is not." "Let me guess, your idea is to bind him. Something that won''t really affect him until he is actually old enough to gain his Lycan abilities? So by your thinking, we should punish himter for something he did now?" Ryken stares at me, his brows slowly knitting together in anger. "You can''t put him in the dungeon. He is eight." *Brax is right." Neah tells Ryken. "I know what it''s like to be bound and honestly, I would rather have died. He will spend a few days in the dungeon and we will re-evaluate." She looks at Ryken. "No visitors." He looks at his son, like properly looks at him for the first time since we walked in the house. "Don''t say it." ir creeps out through the door that she had been peeking out of when we first arrived. "Don''t say it Ryken, because he will never be the same." "Go back to your room!" Ryken snaps. "I''m just trying..." "Room, this isn''t your business." ir retreats to her room as Ryken epts Kade''s punishment. Dane pulls a protesting Kade to his feet and with a hand on his shoulder, directs him to the front door. Ryken doesn''t say anything else, in fact he walks out of the room as Kade calls for him. I follow Dane and Neah to the dungeons. The moment Samara catches sight of me, she takes a few steps back until she is pressed against the rear wall. Her eyes hover on me. Not out of fear, but anger. "Who is that?" She asks quietly. "Cooper got to him." Neah tells her as Dane locks Kade in a cell "He''s a kid." She mutters in disgust *Not his style?" I ask She steps forwards, her fingers curling around the bars as she frowns and shakes her head. "He doesn''t like children." I was almost surprised at how forward she is with her answer, but I see that she is telling the truth. "Is this what he is doing now? Screwing up children?'' She asks "He did it to you." Neahes to a stop next to me as she looks in at Samara. "And just like him, you couldn''t see what he was doing was wrong." "A part of me did. And I...I just let it happen. Maybe," she drops to a whisper. "I can help. I can talk to him. Am I allowed to tell him who I am?"Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. She nces over to where Dane is talking to Kade. "Within reason." Neah mutters "I understand." I didn''t. There was clearly a secret I didn''t know. I follow Neah up the steps. "Are you going to tell me what that was about? She is his sister, so what is it she isn''t allowed to tell him?" Neah stares back at me. "What is it that you are not telling me?" Chapter 0465 Chapter 0465 Neah "You left with Maddie and all that you left was a note.¡± I stare at him. "Youe back and you say that you have figured out what was wrong with you, but you haven''t said what that is. Are you fixed Brax? Or are you going to deny it like everything else?" "Okay, I get it, you are pissed!" ''Understatement of the year!'' Nyx rolls her eyes "I went home. That''s it. I went home hoping to find something and that brother of her''s" He points at the dungeon door, "Projected himself into my home and held a fucking kitchen knife to Madison''s throat. He somehow convinced her to inject something into me." "Maddie injected you?" "At some point, yes. She doesn''t know when. She doesn''t even remember doing it." He pulls a tiny ck ball from his pocket and holds it up to the light for me to see, "Like I said, it has been dealt with." "What is it?" "That is something I haven''t figured out yet. There''s nothing to it. It doesn''t do anything as I hold it. Yet when it hit the tray, it sounded like metal. But when it was inside of me, it was draining me. It was making me weaker and weaker." "Has she been forced to do that to others? What about her? Is that how she lost her abilities?" He shakes his head at me. ¡°I scanned her, there was nothing. Cooper is methodical.¡± ''There has to be something.'' Nyx murmurs. ''No one is perfect. Everyone slips at some point.'' "Are you sure Maddie is clean?" I ask He nods at me. "He scares her. He makes her fidgety, nervous. She couldn''t even hold a conversation with me without her eyes scanning the room. It has unsettled her of how easily he has manipted her."Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org. He looks me up and down. "Now are you going to tell me what you are nning?" "I haven''t figured it all out yet." "Right." I could hear the scepticism in his tone. "But it has something to do with Samara, doesn''t it?" I don''t respond. "I will take that as a clear sign that you don''t want to say anymore." I watch him strut away just as Dane appears next to me. He doesn''t speak, but his hand slips into mine and he tugs me in the direction of the forest. "What happened with Emerson?" He asks when we are far enough in the trees that no one could see us. "I know you would have had a good reason. "Where is the body?" "Damien dealt with it. I saw the blood on your fingers and asked him to find out who it was and to clear it up before anyone notices." "Emerson didn''t want me here or any of the Lycans. He made it very clear." ¡°The hole in the tee is from him, right?" Dane queries I nce down at my top. "His de. Brax shot him." "Okay." He sits on a fallen tree and reaches out for my hand. His brows dip as a small frown appears. "Why did you bring me into the forest?" "You need a moment. A moment you are not going to get while surrounded by other people." "I''m fine...." "I didn''t say you''re not. Sometimes, the peace and quiet is exactly what is needed for everything to make sense." I sit on the tree next to him and feel my body rx. Thest couple of days had just been filled with constant news and before there was really time to process one thing, something else was happening. I hadn''t really had time to think about the new pregnancy either, ¡°I need him dead.¡± I mutter quietly. "I can''t keep living like this." "We will find a way." Dane replies. "There is always a way to take someone down." "I want to try something," He waits for me to expand. "He has lost Samara. I see it when I look at her. She was slow to see it, but now she does. She was disgusted that Cooper went after Kade." "You truly believe her?" ? "Frustratingly, yes." I sigh, I wasn''t sure how he was going to take it. want us to take Samara to him. I think both of them are the key to helping me kill him." Content belongs to NovelDrama.Org Chapter 0466 Chapter 0466 He studies me, ¡°And what are you going to do?" "Shred him." I hold my ws up to him ''And gut him'' Nyx adds gleefully "Not if I beat you to it." He smiles at me. "The asshole is slowly destroying my pack, right in front of me. No one has ever done that. The pack had always been strong, united. But gradually....." He shakes his head in frustration. ¡°I''m not letting it continue." ''Cooper will be dead by the end of the week.'' Nyx murmurs. ''Dane didn''t disagree with our n.'' ***** The twinsy between us on the bed in Mallory and Eric''s spare room. They slept soundly and both in Human form. I had only been away for a short time but I missed them so much. Even watching them made my heart ache. "When the house is rebuilt, I think we are going to need a bigger bed. Especially when the new pupse along." "Excuse me!" I whisper, trying to not wake the boys up. "Pup, not pups!" He smiles at me, "One, two or even three. I don''t care, as long as you and they are healthy." He leans over the boys and kisses my cheek Why does he keep saying they? I ask Nyx if there is something she needs to tell me. ''Too early.'' she mutters quietly. ''Let''s focus on the main problem.'' Multiple times I wake with a foot in my face or a finger up my nose. For two small boys, they certainly moved around alot in their sleep. In the end I get up and sit in the rocking chair that Mallory had left for me. The boys wiggle their way on to Dane''s chest and though I enjoyed watching them. Though, I couldn''t help but think of the way I was going to kill Cooper. I didn''t want him ruining anymore lives and I certainly didn''t want him anywhere near my children. Quietly, I change into a pair of jeans and a hoodie, pulling on my boots, I sneak out of the house and head to us''s ce. The lights are still on and when I look through the window, I see him sitting at the table where I had spent so many hours learning to read. I tap on the window and his deep green eyes pop up to me. "Neah?" He checks his watch. "Has something happened?" "Cooper needs to be killed." "If this is about the Witch Hunter ove stuff again, I think Brax might have been on to something." He waves me forward and quietly closes the door behind me. "So we have all been a bit unsure of Braxtely, right?" He continues I nod. "But apparently it has been sorted. It''s a long story, but...." "He told me." "He told you?" I mutter in surprise, I had to ask him to tell me. "Yes, He brought that little ball thing to show me. Told me about Maddie." "Do you know what it was?"Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "No, but without Brax telling me, I knew who it belonged to. I don''t know how or why, but I could smell him when Brax handed it to me." "Like a mate scent?" "Not quite." "I don''t follow." I say with a frown. "I don''t understand it either." He tells me. "That''s why all these books are open. I''m trying to find something that will guide me. Something that will help me understand if this is really what I am. But even without reading, a lot of it makes sense." "Like Brax, I am different. I''m not driven by the need to belong. I''m not a true pack Wolf, though I love this pack. I will do what is asked of me sure, and understand now why never fitted in, long before I was weed here. I was nevero supposed to be a pack member. And this maye as a surprise, but when Cooper is dead, I will be leaving to find my own path." Chapter 0467 ?Chapter 0467 us *You are going to leave?" She asks quietly I nod. "I need to find out more about who I am. And I know you understand that, probably better than anyone." "Have you told anyone else?" *I only decided a little while ago." She looks past me at my books. "Where will you go?" "Wherever the road takes me." I smile at her. "I''m not saying goodbye just yet and when I do, it won''t be forever. Since this news about me hase to light, I can''t stop wondering. I mean, I have done research on you, other Lycan''s, even Brax, but I''ve never fully looked into myself. I''ve never felt the need." *Until now?" "Until now." I confirm, "And I know nothing apart from what my first pack told me. Which was extremely limited." I gesture for her to take a seat. "It will be weird without you here. Who will be the pack doctor?" *Some of the nurses that have helped me are more than qualified. They will be around to help you deliver the new pup or pups." "You knew?" "Doesn''t take a genius. Especially when you have been rubbing your stomach since you have been here. How far along are you?" "It''s early," she mutters, "Why is everyone so sure it''s more than one?" *Twins run in the ck family." "Dane isn''t a twin." she replies and I press my lips together. He hadn''t told her. "us?" *Dane was a twin when his mother carried him." "What?" "I''m sorry, I honestly thought you knew." I mutter, half cursing myself for telling her. "His twin was stillborn." She stares at me with her jaw dropped. "It''s not something he talks about." I try to cover up my mistake. Dane might actually murder me. "I really thought you knew, Neah." "No...no, I did not." She looks down at her stomach. "And all I came here to do was ask you to help me set Cooper up. Now I understand why Dane keeps saying it''s more than one," I figure it''s best not to respond "Can I have some water?" she asks quietly "Sure." I head to the kitchen and when I return, Neah is thumbing through the current book I was reading. "Neah. I''m sure he has his reasons for not..."N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Will you help me with Cooper?" She interrupts. "You know I will, but I''m not sure how I can help." "I need you to take Samara to him." *You want to let her out of the dungeons?" *She has her Lycan now. I''m certain her Lycan won''t allow her to betray me. Her Lycan, Dakota, believes she is supposed to be my Beta." "You''re Beta?" That was different, a Beta is chosen, it''s not something that is inherited. Most of the time. She dips her chin. "So you want me to take her to him, and then what?" *Make him vulnerable. Make him think all his christmases havee at once, so that I can get into his head." *When?" "There is no time like the present." "It''s the middle of the night." *Precisely. I can''t wait any longer." We move quickly across the grounds, stopping in front of the dungeon where Damien is waiting. "What are you doing here?" Neah whispers. *I saw you creeping across the grounds to us''s, figured you might need a hand with something and this would be where you end up." He offers her a smile of reassurance. A smile that said he was on board with anything. *us is going to take Samara to Cooper." Neah tells him. "I need to be far enough away that he can''t scent me, but ready for the moment his guard drops." "I mean no offence, but why would you think us is the answer? After what happened when Cooper projected himself here, I''m pretty sure he is going to be expecting it." "Yes, he will." I confirm. "The time I spent with him was short, but I learned a few things. He is quick to recognise his mistakes. He won''t fall for it again, but if Samara is with me, he might just think that I have switched sides." *And he still thinks us is his mate." Neah adds. "He won''t give up on us so easily." Damien pauses for a brief moment and finally nods his head. "Okay. Someone has got to make sure you don''t get harmed." His dark eyes move to me. "Though I''m going to make a suggestion." "What''s that?" *If he believes you are mated to him, lead him down that path, but keep him at a distance. It will drive him up the wall." Both Kade and Samara are fast asleep in their cells. I felt bad for the kid, but I understood why Dane and Neah were doing it. If he had been an adult, he would have already been burned alive or ripped apart for his actions. Damien quietly opens Samara''s cell. Silently creeping in, she starts to stir and Damien is quick to cover her mouth and stop her from screaming and waking Kade. Chapter 0468 ? Chapter 0468 Her grey eyes are wide as he pulls her to her feet and Damien removes his hand. "Now?" she whispers "Yes." Neah replies We keep Samara sandwiched between Damien and I as we move up the steps and back out into the night. She doesn''t try to get away or to challenge us. But the moment she steps out onto the grass, she sucks in oxygen like it was herst chance. Damien watches Samara with interest as Neah tells her what is about to happen. "What do you want me to say to him?" Samara asks "That''s down to you." Neah replies. "I don''t understand." *You came here for help, even though you went about it the wrong way. Now it''s your turn to prove yourself." "You want me to kill him?" "No." Damien tells her. "You just need to make him believe that we don''t know you are there. That us broke you out." *He knows when I''m lying." *Then you better figure out how to cover it up." Neah tells her. *Okay...okay. I can do this." Samara mutters to herself. Her grey eyes settle on me. "You are the one he believes is his mate." "Yes." "One other thing." Neah tells us. "Do not mention Kade." "We wille down to the gate with you." Damien tells me. "But you need to go on ahead. If anything changes, link me." Hemands "You can link Wolves?" Samara whispers to him "I can." She cocks her head but doesn''t speak Eric is on guard at the gate. He doesn''t question anything. I''m assuming Damien linked him because he doesn''t ever work the gate. Samara makes a little squeak as we move through the gates. I''m guessing from the length of time she had been in our dungeons, she never expected to have any form of freedom. Though she still doesn''t have it now. "How far?" She whispers to me after we break away from Neah and Damien. "He is hiding out in ir''s house." *Still?" "Well I guess we will find out." She doesn''t ask any other questions. If anything, I was a little surprised. She had been tossed into a n with no real details but she took it in her stride. The house eventuallyes into view. "I screwed it up with ir, didn''t I?" she whispers. "She was a good friend and I just couldn''t tell her everything." "That happens sometimes." I mutter, watching the house. There was a single light on like always. Once night fell we stayed in the main room. One, so he could block the main door. Two, so he could keep an extra close eye on me. Was he watching me now? The front door swings open and I see a boot before him. Purposely moving slow as he steps out. "I know you are there." He calls out. "I can smell you." I step out of the shadows, my hands hold Samara''s behind her back. I couldn''t do what Damien had suggested when all I felt was anger. The fucker had stabbed me. He takes one more step in our direction. I watch him sniff the air. Neah had been right about that, he wanted to make sure we were alone. "I didn''t think you woulde back to me." *They had me in......" Samara starts. "I''m not talking to you Sam. We will discuss you soon enough." I feel her tense up. The promises he had made her had never been followed through. *I brought you your sister." I mutter *Then you should bring her inside." He grins at me I push Samara forward and she lets out a growl that I''m hoping is just for him. "Is it really you or are you projecting?" "It''s me." I ster on a smile.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. *I was certain I had upset you. But I realise now you were probably confused and disorientated. I shouldn''t have drugged you and I have been looking for a way to make it up to you." He tells me "What about me?" Samara asks. His tone changes as his eyes narrow. "I told you, I would get to you." *No Coop! You promised me. You said you woulde for me. I have been stuck in that shitty little dungeon and not once did you try and get me!" I was almost impressed, considering she told Neah she couldn''t lie. "Sam. You weren''t in danger." *The risk of being killed wasn''t danger?" She snaps at him. Cooper ps her face hard, knocking her to the ground. "I said we will discuss it." Her grey eyes are aze, as his handprint is left behind but she stays on the floor. Possibly trying to contain her Lycan. I knew how hard it had been for Neah in the early days. "You don''t need to hit her." I speak calmly. "She has been locked up. Limited food. Had her head shaved." He looks at me. "She is supposed to be strong, bloodthirsty. Now look at her, she has be useless." Chapter 0469 ?Chapter 0469 Hey everyone, I hope you are all well or at least better than I am. I have fallen victim to the sickness that is going around here. There is no update today (11th) as I cannot concentrate on anything long enough to edit and make sure there are no mistakes. As always, thank you to all those that are still reading and for the gems, reviews andments. Also for those asking when the book will end. There is a lot more toe (poor Damien is yet to meet his second chance mate and get his happy ending)N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Hopefully I will be a bit more with it tomorrow. Stay safe Taylor West Chapter 0470 ?Chapter 0470 us "Useless!" Samara scoffs from the ground. "I''m not useless!" "I thought this was what you wanted." I keep my tone even. "I thought you wanted her back." "I wanted you more." Cooper turns away and walks inside. Helping Samara to her feet, we follow him in. "You weren''t even going to bother, were you?" Samara demands, "You were just going to leave me there like some fucking rabid dog!" *You served your purpose, I''m moving on to better things." He sits on the sofa, unphased by our presence "What does that mean?" I ask before Samara says anything else. "Time will tell." *Just for once in your life, say exactly what you mean" I snap. "You know I don''t like it when you use riddles and skirt the meaning." He res at his sister, "She is of no help to me anymore. So I reced her with someone that is willing to do the job." "Who?" He smiles at me and his sage green eyes light up. "If you are trying to say that it is me, you are wrong. I''m not ripping apart a pack for you."I tell him. "I''m not destroying the best thing I have ever known." *Calm down. You us, would never do something like that. That is why it isn''t you." *Then who?" "He''s already blown up the packhouse." He speaks with a smile, "Tell me, who was injured. Your beloved Alpha? His son''s? Or the female Alpha? I''ve been waiting for news since I saw the smoke." *You were nearby when it happened?" I ask *One of many ces that I have visited recently." He runs a hand through his blonde hair, brushing it back out of his face. If he had been nearby, even projected himself, why hadn''t he met Kade like he promised? "Why are you doing this?" Samara asks "Because little sister, there are so many people who think they know better." I snort. It was the same conversation he had tried to push on me. He was utterly delusional. *So who was killed or injured? Please tell me." He waits expectantly *No one." "What do you mean?" *The house was empty Cooper. Not a single soul was inside. All you created was strength as the pack rallied around to put out the fire."N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "He told me..." *You mean a kid lied to you?" I knew Neah didn''t want us discussing Kade but Cooper had already brought it up. *Fucking little brat. Just when I thought I could get through to another child." "Another child?" "Me." Samara whispers. "He is talking about me. After d died, I was the first." Her head snaps up to him and I see pure rage. "You weakened me. You told me stories that made me believe that you were doing the right thing." "And you were dumb enough to believe it!" He tells her "What you have been doing is wrong! None of us deserved it. None of us. Do you even understand that? You made me believe the Moon Goddess put you here for a reason. You said all those people were being punished by her. That you were just the messenger. Is that what you told the boy?" He opens his mouth to retaliate. But Samara carries on ranting at him. *You are worse than evil. You deserve to lose everything. You took away people''s abilities. You took away mine, promising me that it was the best way to keep me safe" She shakes her head. "You made me believe I was doing the right thing. You shielded me from who I am. I lost my friend because of you. I lost everything because of you." She lunges forward and grabs hold of him, ripping him out of the sofa. His eyes are wide at the unexpected move. He wrestles her and fights for dominance as she pins him to the floor. Locking her hands on the shoulders of his jacket, she repeatedly smashes his head against the carpet while screaming at him. I catch sight of how ck her eyes are. They are just like Neahs when her Lycan is pushing through. But I don''t do anything. I stand there and let it happen. Because Samara is right, this is the least he deserves. "Get off of me you stupid bitch." Cooper swings an arm, all it hits is air. A growl rips from Samara and she starts shifting. Her weight easily holds him down as the ripped fabric of her clothes falls to the floor to reveal her overlyrge Lycan and still I don''t do anything. Her attack grows more violent, slicing him with her ws. Biting into his skin as he fights back, but nothing is deep enough to kill him. Like she is purposely holding back. Chapter-0471 ?Chapter 0471 Cooper mutters words under his breath in a differentnguage but it doesn''t seem to do anything. With one final blow, Samara knocks him out cold. Her Lycan is strong, even after all the time she has spent in the dungeon. Stters of blood litter the carpet around Cooper as Samara gets to her feet, almost hitting her head on the ceiling. This wasn''t how it was supposed to go. Samara wasn''t supposed to attack him, but we could use this to our advantage and take him back to Neah. Slowly, Samara''s eyes lighten until they are back to their usual grey tone. "ir probably still has clothes upstairs." I tell her. She nods at me and hurries out of the room. Her footsteps heavy as they make their way up the stairs. Looking for the chains Cooper had bound me with, I find some syringes in a drawer. Full with a thick yellow liquid. Without missing a beat, I take one and stab an unconscious Cooper in the neck. His scent disappears in seconds and my heart finally stops pounding. "us?" Samara is quiet as she peeks around the kitchen door. "He''s alive. You didn''t kill him." I confirm. "And I have drugged him. He won''t be able to fight us or Neah now."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She bobs her head. "There''s something else." She looks behind her and slowly moves forward until I can see all of her. She wasn''t alone. Samara steps to one side. Another woman is standing behind her. Long obsidian hair hangs around her face and probably doesn''t finish much before her navel. She has a very faint scent, like one that is trying to break through. Though it is so weak that it exins why I hadn''t even noticed she was in the house. Rope burns mark her wrists and ankles. Her trainers are scuffed and she needed a goos scrub. *She was tied up, upstairs." Samara tells me. "This is the right thing to do, right?" "Of course it is. What''s your name?" I ask softly "What''s yours?" She asks "us." "Eris." She whispers back. "Eris Neoma." "Funny name." Samara smiles at me. I nod, hoping that her name didn''t actually represent her personality. It literally means chaos, new moon. "Are you a Wolf?" "I was." She keeps her voice to a whisper, but turns her face towards Cooper. I still couldn''t see her eyes. "He took it from me. And now, I don''t know what I am." She reaches for a knife and my instinct is to grab her wrist. "We are taking him back to the Alpha. You cane with us too." I offer. I was certain Dane would let her in if she needed help. *The Alpha," she asks from behind her dark hair. "Does he shift to look like her?" She points at Samara. "One of them does." I tell her. Sometimes I forget there are still people in the world that don''t know of Lycan''s existence, even when there are probably more of them than us. They had been living in in sight for so many years. "I don''t want to go." "We have a couple of other people like you. Ones that had their abilities taken away. They are Lycans though, like her." I gesture to Samara. *Lycans." The word rolls off of her tongue. "Yes." *Did he take their abilities?" She nods at Cooper and as she brings her face back up, her hair falls to one side, allowing me to see her golden eyes. "Yes." "But they haven''t got their abilities back?" "No." *A little scent?" she frowns *They smell like Humans. Did he drug you?" *No. He muttered something over me." A brow crinkles into a small frown "What is your Alpha going to do with him?" She stares me down. *Skin him alive." Samara blurts out. I nce over to her, her eyes are wide and her lips are curved up into a smile. Somehow, it seems like she felt a little more free. Maybe hearing the truth from Cooper cleared her confusion. "You won''t do that. I heard him. He called you his sister." Eris mutters. *I just helped you, you don''t need to be a bitch!" Samara snaps back. "I''m not trying to be." Her golden eyes sh to me. "Would I be safe?" *Safer than being here." She shakes her head. "Hmm, I think it''s better if I''m on my own." "Where''s your pack?" She screws her face up. "I was running from them when he convinced me that he was my mate." Chapter 0472 ?Chapter 0472 us "Why?" Samara asks Eris "It''s a long story. I would rather not get into it." Cooper moans from the ground and my eyes move to him. "There must have been a reason. How did he find you?" *Can we not." She turns away. "I get it, you are curious. I would be too if I had just stumbled on someone that was tied up. But I don''t need anyone else involved in my shit. Just tell me that he is going to be dealt with and I will be on my merry way." "If you are running from someone, they will find you in the end." Her golden eyes lock on mine. "Then maybe, I will just be a ghost." I should just let her go. She had made it clear that it was what she wanted. But she was right. I was curious. Why did Cooper have her here? He groans again and his eyes flicker open. The realisation on his face brings a smile to mine. A taste of his own medicine would be just the beginning. "What have you done to me?" He demands as he pushes himself up. "I thought you would appreciate the irony of being injected by your own potion." Samaraughs and his eyes settle on her. "You stupid bitch. Just you wait. I will make you pay for this." Samara squats down in front of him. "I''ve believed you every other time that you have said that. I don''t this time. This is it for you Cooper." He turns to Eris. "Eris, let me go." "And why would I do that? You''ve kept me here against my will. You made me believe a lie." "That''s what he does." Samara adds. She stands and turns around to Eris. "You are not the first to believe that you are mated to him. It''s what he does to lure you in. He prays on people that he thinks needs correcting." *I figured that out from all the shouting." Eris mutters. "I just don''t understand why you haven''t killed him yet. You look like some kind of mutant monster. Pretty sure you could kill everything in your path." *us told you." Samara murmurs. "The Alpha wants him." *Come on, Sam. You are not really going to take me to them, are you?" Cooper shuffles himself to the wall and leans back against it. His eyes are searching the room, looking for the best exit, but he was the one who had made it to be one entrance and exit. "He doesn''t stop, does he?" Eris mutters *Because he likes to have control and he knows he has lost it." *us," Cooper whispers my name. "You won''t do this to me. I mean too much to you." "What is he talking about?" Eris demands "He thinks we are mates." She cocks an eyebrow at me, "Are you?" "It wasn''t too long ago that he was holding me prisoner here. He drugged me and tried to mark me, yet kept me in chains." She turns back to Cooper, "Bit kinky? All I got was thick ropes." Samara looks away as she stifles augh.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "You don''t seem bothered that you were tied up." I frown *I should be, shouldn''t I? But he fed me, and I had a decent bed to lie on. And because of theck of scent, it meant my pack wasn''t able to find me. Silver lining." She shrugs her shoulders. "But it doesn''t mean I''m happy with what he did to me. Or by the sounds of it, what he has done to others. That is just fucked up." She wanders off to the kitchen and roots around in the cupboards. "Do we just go?" Samara asks in a whisper. "What do we do with her?" "She doesn''t want toe, I can''t make her. She doesn''t want any help. And we have him to deal with." "Okay." *You won''t win." Cooper smirks at us. "Do you think it just ends with me?" "Yes." I pull him to his feet and he tries to push me. But that strength I had felt when he pped me, was long gone. Chapter 0473 ? Chapter 0473 "We''re leaving." I call out to Eris. Her head pops around the door with a spoon in her mouth. She steps into the room with a jar of jam in one hand as she carefully scoops out another spoonful. "Oh, you are actually going through with it?" She licks the spoon clean. "I just thought because of how long you were taking, you weren''t actually going to go through with it." She puts the jar on the side and licks her lips, smacking them together. "Wait, can someone at least tell me where I am? He took me in the middle of the night and I haven''t got a clue." *Few miles from ck Shadow." "Wait, that''s it? That''s as far as I''ve made it." She turns to a smiling Cooper. "You absolute prick." "What is it?" I ask "I''m from Nightfall." "Nightfall, where is that?" She casts a nce at Cooper. "It used to be called Ashburn city, but the new Alpha renamed it." *Alpha Ryan renamed the pack?" *Alpha Ryan has been dead for a long time. The new Alpha is Alpha Ss. He ughtered the Alpha and took his ce, moved his men in." *He wasn''t someone already in the pack?" She shakes her head. "He was an outsider." I turn to Cooper, "And you didn''t think he was worth punishing?" He just smiles at me. I might have to ask Neah to remove his lips first so he can''t do that anymore. *He wants to rule the Wolves." Eris tells us "Well, he took the pack." *No, you don''t understand. All Wolves around the world. He thinks they should fall under him." "Why?" She shrugs her shoulders at me. "The same as anything I guess. There are some people in the world who are just so power driven that nothing else matters. The problem is, there are a lot that agree." "Get what you want, mate?" Cooper asks *You are not my mate." I tell him for the hundredth time. "What did you do, Eris?" "Well, I sort of made a promise that I never nned on keeping." "What kind of promise?" Samara asks, she was so invested in what Eris was saying, excited by the gossip *Honestly, it''s not that bad. He just...it didn''t exactly go down well and if he gets his hands on me, he will, without a doubt, kill me." *It must be bad." Samara scoffsUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g *You are all so dramatic." She throws her hands up and walks over to the sofa. Puffing out air as she sits. "I aborted the Alpha''s pup. I had a one nighter with him, before I even knew who he was. The contraception I was taking clearly failed and then he attacked. It wasn''t just Alpha Ryan that died, so many others did too. He spared me only because he recognised me from our night together and I knew right then, I couldn''t keep it." "I spent days in the mansion with him. He made all these promises to me and asked me to make them back to him, then he ughtered my best friend. So I did what I had to do. I found a Human hospital because I couldn''t go to our doctor, because it would be a sin and I probably would have been killed that day. So when I could, I slipped out. I had a decent gain until he found me." "And that''s why you took away her abilities?" I snap at Cooper. "I have my reasons." *You should tell your Alpha about Alpha Ss. If you live nearby, you will be a victim. I guarantee it." Eris tells us I keep my mouth shut, she didn''t need to know how many Wolves and Lycans there are in the pack. *Come with me." I offer again. "You can tell them yourself." "Why? You don''t know anything about me!* "We have someone that will be able to tell if you are lying." "I don''t understand." "If you are telling the truth, you have nothing to worry about." Chapter 0474 ? Chapter 0474 NeahN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "Why haven''t we heard anything?" I ask Damien. The sun would be rising soon and we had heard nothing. Neither us nor Samara had linked us. I look back over my shoulder. We were about a mile out from home and Dane must be still asleep otherwise he would be in my head, questioning my location. "A little while longer." Damien mutters. "Unless you can get in his head." "Tried." I sigh. "It''s like it always is, non existent. I just... I want him dead. I have this need to end him." *There is still time. us knows what to do." *How are you so sure everything is going to work out?" *I have a hunch. Maybe you need to talk about something else." I nod, "Did you know Dane was a twin?" "No I did not." He furrows his brow. "What happened to them?" *Stillborn. us told me." I probably shouldn''t be talking about it until I had spoken to Dane, but Damien was right, I needed something to upy my mind and Nyx was not being helpful in any shape or form. "And you are worried?" He asks *Well, everyone keeps going on like I''m automatically carrying more than one. What if it is more and that happens?" *The boys are healthy." He tells me through a yawn. "This doesn''t stop." I point to my head "It''s good that you are concerned. I would be worried if you weren''t." He smiles at me. "You will find out soon enough and then if you are worried, you just have us do more scans." *us is leaving." *Since when?" "He told me he was leaving after we have killed Cooper. He wants to find his ce. I don''t want him to leave, but I understand." I sigh. "We all want to find our ce in the world, Neah and it''s not the same for everyone." We stand in silence, hidden by the trees as the sun rises. "We should go after them." I mutter "No, we don''t need to." He points up the road. us is pushing Cooper forward. He stumbles about, trying to keep himself upright. Samara is talking to someone too, another female. "Who is that?" I ask quietly "I have no idea. Definitely a Wolf, but her scent is weak." "She''s not from this pack." I mutter "No, she isn''t." He confirms and keeps his dark eyes on the road ahead, watching them graduallye towards us. Three times us has to pull Cooper up off the ground. By the looks of it, Cooper was purposely falling over, looking for a way to escape. Damien stands slightly in front of me. It was his standard reaction when he felt a threat. "Who are you?" He demands, his eyes settling on the long haired woman. Her golden eyes are wide. Maybe she wasn''t expecting such an abrupt greeting. It''s how us and Damien differed. "Her name is Eris." us answers for her. "Cooper was holding her hostage and has taken away her abilities." *Not all, because she still has a little bit of a scent." Damien res at her. "He didn''t do it in the same way as he did the others." us tells us *A spell." Eris adds "And you brought her here?" Damien asks "We are not inside ck Shadow yet." us replies. His deep green eyes settle on me. "Are you or Dane aware that Ashburn city has changed their name to Nightfall?" "No." "It was a forced name change." Eris adds. "It wasn''t our Alpha. It''s what the new guy does. He takes over." *So you thought we would take her in?" I ask with a frown. I didn''t want any part of it. us doesn''t answer me "It''s fine." Eris tells us. "I understand." Her gaze shifts to us who is holding Cooper steady. "I told you this was a mistake. I''m better off alone. I can figure it out." Chapter 0475 ? Chapter 0475 Cooper grins and the grin irritates me so much. I step around Damien, squaring up to the half Witch. Our size difference was obvious as he stared down at me. If his hands were not being held back by us, then I would probably be too close. "What are you smiling at Cooper?" I push the tip of a w into his stomach just below his belly button. The smile disappears and I see the sh of pain in his eyes. *I injected him with the same thing he injected everyone else with." us tells me. "He can''t project. He can''t heal. He can''t do anything." "Is that right?" I push the single w a little deeper. Cooper presses his lips together and tries to breathe deeply. The pain must be excruciating, but he hid it well. *Tell me Cooper. Why do you think you have the right to do this to so many people?" His lips move a tiny little bit, just enough for me to hear the word ''punishment''. *Then what should your punishment be?" I retract the w and he hunches forward, muttering under his breath. I hear Eris whispering to Samara, "She can control her shift?" "Yes." "Holy shit!" Damien snaps his head up to her, but doesn''t say anything. *I''ve already been punished." Cooper mutters to me "For what?" *Doing the Moon Goddesses job." He growls at me I see Samara shake her head and roll her eyes. I stab another w into him and he hisses at me. "I can do this all day." *Fucking kill me then you whore." Why did they always resort to calling women whores? Cooper stumbles sideways as Damien right hooks him, cracking his jaw. My w slices through his stomach like butter. He falls to the ground as us lets go of him. Pressing his hands into the ground. Cooper forces himself upwards, blood soaking through his already stained tee. "Remember, Neah, there is always someone worse." "Who are you talking about?" He grins at me again, blood coating his perfect white teeth My eyes move to the women standing behind him. Samara has her eyes locked on us while Eris has a hand over hers. Cooper spits a mouthful of blood at me,ughing when itnds on my cheek. "I should havee after you, though you were never my target. The preciousst female Alpha. You would have made an excellent trophy. Such pretty blue eyes. It''s a shame you are female." He presses his hands against his wounds and drops back to his knees. Continuing to call me different slurs. us grabs Cooper''s head. His hands firmly gripped either side and he twists until we hear his neck snap. us lets go and for a moment, Cooper''s body is perfectly still. Stepping back, a breeze catches him and makes his body fall the small distance to the ground. Samara gasps as us stares at me. "It was always supposed to be me, Neah and I couldn''t listen to him talk to you like that anymore." I nod at him, mostly because I''m speechless. I never thought us would actually go through with it, but he showed his true loyalty. "Okay, I thought Alpha Ss was a mad man, but I think you lot may have just beaten him in that department." Eris splutters.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g Samaraes forward and leans over her brother. "You finally got what you deserved, Coop. I told you years ago, you would mess with the wrong person." Her grey eyes move to mine. "Thank you." *So now what?" Eris asks. "We just stand here over......." She sniffs the air, "I can smell you. She turns to face Damien, pointing a finger at him. "And I can smell you." Chapter 0476 ?Chapter 0476 Damien Her floral scent is strong. Much stronger than Raven''s vani scent ever was. When I told Neah that Eris had a slight scent, I never exined that I knew it was the scent of my mate. Was I ready for another mate when I still couldn''t bring myself to easily talk about Raven? *Are you going to say something?" She asks, staring at me with her golden eyes as she hastily ties her long obsidian hair into a low bun. I turn to Neah, "We should take the body back to the pack." "You are just going to ignore me?" Eris scowls at me. "I''m not ignoring you." I frown.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. *Is there someone else?" She presses "Yes and she is dead!" I snap and she drops her gaze. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it like that. I... me and my big mouth." "I need time to process this. There''s a lot happening right now." "His heart is beating." Neah mumbles before Eris is able to respond. "What?" Neah''s hand is on his chest, but she takes a step back as his lungs expand. "I broke his neck." us murmurs. "He has no abilities. He can''t survive that." "What do we do?" Samara asks I move over to him, pulling my belt from my jeans. While Cooper is still out of it, I bind his hands, making sure he can''t move them. "Cover his eyes." Neah mutters, pulling off her sweatshirt. I rip the sleeve off and tie it around his face. Pulling up his shirt, I frown, "His wounds have healed too." "What?" Neah leans over me to have a look. "How?" "Is it possible that his own potions don''t work on him?" Eris asks. "Or maybe notpletely work?" "I don''t..." He starts moving, I look at everyone and put a finger to my lips. Cooper didn''t need to know what we were doing or where we were going. "us." Cooper calls out. "I know you are still here. I can smell your delicious scent. I know you are frustrated but I can forgive you for what you just did to me. All you have to do is let me see those beautiful deep green eyes of yours." Neah shakes her head at us, warning him not to speak or move. It was odd to see us so angry. But he remains quiet. He knew it was some kind of trap. A smile spreads across Cooper''s face. "Is the Alpha telling you to keep away? You know you don''t have to listen to her. She isn''t your Alpha." us''s hands ball up and Samara puts her hand on his shoulder, shaking her head at him. *Is someone going to say something?" Cooper presses. A level of irritation could be heard, though he was trying his very best to mask it. Cooper startsughing as we continue to be silent. Theugh was forced and his irritation was growing. "You can''t kill me, but you have figured that out now. I will continue to be your problem and you will never be able to stop it." Neah creeps up to him and leans down to his ear. "There is a way to kill everyone, but I want your death to be as slow and as painful as possible. Still being alive means I get what I want." "Have you learned nothing?" He seethes Neah gestures to me to stand him up. "More than enough." She tells him, "You keep telling me there''s always someone worse. Well I''m about to be your worst someone. You will have wished you had stayed dead just now." *Bring it on." Neah turns around and heads in the direction of the pack. Samara and Eris hurry past me and while Samara seems in a hurry to catch Neah, Eris''s golden eyes are full of wonder as they hover on me. us grabs Cooper''s left side as I hastily grab his right. We haul him to his feet. "You are making a mistake. us, I can offer you so much more." us breaks his silence. "No you can''t. If they don''t kill you, I will and I will be a damn site more thorough. You are right Cooper. Those initials on your chest are for me. My name is us Daudet and I am a Witch Hunter." Cooper tenses up and tries to push all his weight in his feet to stop us dragging him forward. "It''s a trick." He scoffs. "No trick. You just didn''t do your research." "You are lying. You know I don''t like it when you lie." Cooper growls. "I can smell your scent." "I''ve already killed you once. Why would I do that if we were mates?" us challenges. I was really starting to see a different side of us. He has always been the voice of reason, but piss him off and it brings out a different side. *I know you can smell me." Cooper "You are right, I can. At first I believed what you were saying was true until I spoke to another Hunter. What I was smelling is what tells me that I''m supposed to kill you. It was okay at first and then the more time we were together, it grew vile." Chapter 0477 ?Chapter 0477 Cooper''s lips almost be non-existent as he presses them together. I''m sure that if he wasn''t blindfolded, I would be able to see the fury in his eyes. We drag him forward and he starts calling for Eris. She nces over her shoulder at him, but then her eyes shift to me before she catches up to Neah. "Eris, I saved you!" Cooper called out The words stop her in her tracks. But this time, she doesn''t look back. "You took away her abilities." us growls at him. *Two birds, one stone. She was on the run and she needed to be punished. I punished her and they couldn''t find her. I saved her. I save them all." "Is that what you think you are doing, saving them?" us demands. "Taking away their abilities is not saving them." Cooper doesn''t answer. And I nce up to Eris who has shoved her hands in her pockets and dropped her head forward as she followed the others. Was it an agreement? us had said she had been Cooper''s prisoner, but what if it hadn''t started that way? "No more." I mutter to us. We quicken our pace, lifting Cooper so his feet can''t touch the floor. He tries desperately to get us to talk, making threats, asking questions, but mostly pleading with us to help him. The realisation that it wasn''t working was soon bing reality. The women disappear around the corner that leads up to ck Shadow''s gates. By the time we get there, the gates are wide open and I could already see a huge number of shifted Wolves and Lycans waiting with Neah and Dane standing at the front ready to hunt. "What''s happening?" Cooper demands as wee to a stop. us and I lower him until his feet are firmly on the ground. He struggles against us and Neah nods at me. Letting go of his shoulders, I release the belt locking his wrists together. He frantically pulls off the blindfold and stills. *You think this scares me?" His eyes move across the waiting creatures. He starts muttering something beneath his breath. I m my fist into his jaw for a second time. "Fucker!" He growls as he holds his jaw "It seems that you enjoy ying games." Neah''s voice is cold and her eyes are dark. "So let''s y a game." *You will have five seconds." Dane smiles at him *For what?" Cooper demands "A head start. I will start counting the moment you enter the forest and then, well, I will let you figure out the rest." Cooper snorts. "You can''t find me if you can''t scent me." Brax creeps up behind him and slices a de down the length of his back. He takes a piece of fabric and rubs it over Cooper''s blood. "Bastard." Cooper growls *Thanks." Brax smiles at him as he takes the bloodied cloth to the crowd and passes it around. Everyone inhalesthe bloody scent. "Can''t hide the scent of blood." Dane mutters. "I wouldn''t bother trying to wash it off either. It lingers." Cooper looks to us. "He can''t be serious."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "It was mine and Neah''s idea." us steps up to him. "You should have stayed dead. This is going to be painful and this time, there is no survival." "Whenever you are ready." Dane tells him Cooper scans the crowd, settling on his sister. "Sam. Don''t let them do this." She doesn''t answer and moves to stand next to Neah. *Control is a funny thing." I mutter. "You have it right up until you don''t and when you take it for granted, that''s when you lose it, and you lose all of it." He res at me. *And going by Eris, the moment us snapped your neck, everyone you screwed over gained their abilities back. If by some miracle, someone here doesn''t kill you. Those prisoners of yours wille for you and I will be happy to help them." He spits at me and looks back at Neah. *Run." She growls He turns towards the open gate. Ryken and a few others including ir block his way. His choice was the forest or nothing. He starts walking backwards in the direction of the forest. Keeping an eye on us, he pauses just before he reaches the trees "Fuck you!" He bolt''s into the trees as Dane calls out "Five." Everyone crouches ready to charge. *Four" Dane starts stripping, ready to shift. *Three." Eris stares at me lookingpletely confused about what is happening. I need to know more on how she came across Cooper. "Two." The Lycans and Wolves are growling and I turn to face the forest. There was no way I was letting him get away. *One." Chapter 0478 ?Chapter 0478 Dane The others race forward. It was standard. They hunt, I give them a chance to track the prey down before I join in. Neah''s blue eyes flicker to me. She is more than ready to go. ''Let them have their fun. He will still die.'' I link her She nods as howls and growls erupt from the forest. Birds frantically fly up into the sky, desperate to escape the camage that is about to unfold. Silently I count to ten, as ires running to Neah. "Please let me go after him!" *You have your abilities back. Can you shift without going Rogue?" Neah asks. ir doesn''t answer. "Then I suggest you stay here." ''It''s time for us to go.'' I link Neah. As she runs next to me, she shifts. Her clothes fall to the ground in tatters as her body fills out. Each and every time, it amazed me. And the fact she could still do it while pregnant was something else. She rips through the trees with ease. Her feet barely made a sound as she moved. She pauses a few times and regrly changes direction. I let her take the lead. She hadn''t been a part of a hunt before, but I knew how much she was ready to rip Cooper apart and I was more than happy to watch her do it. ''He''s cut himself." Neah murmurs as she stops at a bush with fresh blood. ''He''s trying to lure us a certain way.'' ''Trying to survive.'' I mutter back, pressing my nose to the ground. ''And it''s fresh, so he is nearby.'' Nearby howl''s call for us. Winding through the trees, we find two Wolves standing over a dead female. One that had already shifted back to Human form. A sharpened branch sticking out of her chest.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g ''She was one of mine.'' Neah growls That''s not all.'' One of the wolves mutters. They both use their heads to roll her over onto her stomach. Written on her back in Cooper''s blood is the number two. ''Two?'' Neah asks ''He''s killed someone else. He''s trying to take control by taking each one of us out." I tell the Wolves and Neah. He''s marking his kill count.'' ''Stick together'' I add. Splitting up was a bad idea, any individual could be Cooper''s victim and they wouldn''t necessarily see himing. Neah and I head in a different direction to the Wolves and it wasn''t long before I''m linked by another to say they had found a dead Wolf, this time with the number three on their back. I knew there would likely be casualties, but three people this early in the hunt, is concerning. He was marking his kills and that pissed me off even more. And there could be more yet. We hadn''t even found the first one. Moving deeper into the forest, his tracks be difficult to follow. They went off in different directions, trying to confuse whoever came across them, but the smell of his blood is strong here. He couldn''t be far. Neah watches me rmed as I shift back to Human form and step out into the small clearing. "Cooper!" I call out. As expected, there is no answer. *I know you are near. I can smell your blood." I speak to the forest. "You try to deceive us but it is bing more obvious that you are nearby." *Killing two members of the pack is a bold move, Cooper. When it is your turn, the pack will make you pay for the lives you took. I''m thinking we start at your feet. Maybe a couple of toes and then we switch to your fingers. Taking them off one by one." I see movement, but it''s just the Wolves and Lycans showing me their positioning. They had all figured out the same thing. "Are you scared, Cooper? You know you can''t outrun this." I wondered if he realised there were people ced all along the edge of my border. He could run the length of the forest, but he will never get out. ''You don''t need to go far.'' Damien links me and Cooper falls from the trees,nding t on his back with a heavy groan. He''s inches from me and there are already healing bruises on his chest. It was definitely him and not a projection. I look up to see Damien in Lycan form, squatting on a branch. He casually puts a hand up to me. Cooper continues to lie on the ground. After a few seconds, he startsughing. "You don''t get it, do you?" He muses "What is there to get?" I step on his ankle and he tries to kick me with his other leg. "You killed three members of the pack." "They were going to kill me. You never said I couldn''t kill anyone. You should be more clear when ites to the rules, Alpha Dane." I press on his ankle with my entire weight and watch him screw up his face in pain. "Maybe you are right. Maybe I should have been more clear." I mock and take my foot off of him. I wave everyone forward. I see the panic settle in as he realises there is no way out. "I was just saving them!" He shouts out as several Wolves grab hold of his limbs and start pulling. Just pull until they pop out of the joints.'' I want to enjoy every moment of this Chapter 0479 ?Chapter 0479 Cooper struggles against them, until I hear the satisfying pop of his knee joints that are quickly followed by his hips. He lets out a scream as his shoulders are dislocated too. The Wolves drop him and he lies still, moaning in pain. It takes a few moments, but eventually they heal "Toes!" I call out and a couple of Lycans swap ces with the Wolves, sinking their ws into his toes and ripping several digits off. He screams, sits up and grabs his ankles as blood spurted out the end of his feet. Just a couple of toes remain on each foot. *You could have just walked away, Cooper. The moment you found out ir was a half sibling to the Alpha, you should have never shown yourself. You should have just gone home." *You will pay for this!" Cooper yells at me. "Who do you think you are going to tell? Look around you. Do you think you will have a life after this? There is only one way this hunt ends." He res at me *Saving people, or whatever you call it, is worse than cruel. You say you are doing the Moon Goddesses work. So tell me, why would she want that done to her own creations?" I wait for him to say something, but nothinges *Just as I thought. You use it as an excuse. Everything thates out of your mouth is an excuse in one way or another. You hate lies and yet your whole persona is built on one. Do you even know your own truth?" "Cunt!" He snaps at me The others growl and from the corner of my eye, I see Brax appear with an axe. "Take off his foot." I tell him *Happily." Brax steps forward, taking my ce and dropping a backpack on the ground. "Hold him!" He asks a couple of the others. Two Lycans pin Cooper down and Brax grins at him. "This will hurt. I made sure it was blunt especially for this asion. This is for Madison." He swings it down, just above Cooper''s right ankle. The axe barely cuts through to the bone as Cooper lets out a blood curdling scream. It takes five swings before the foot ispletely removed. Brax bends down and picks up the severed foot and turns around to face me and Neah with a smile. Sshes of blood covered his face and body. He may not have been able to make the final kill, but he seemed happy enough with this. Cooper passes out. From the pain, the shock or maybe the blood loss. But I don''t care. I will wait until he wakes up and let the torture continue. Brax casually pulls a pair of shorts out of the backpack and hands them to me. "We don''t all need to see what you are packing." I roll my eyes at him, but take them as Cooper starts toe around. Moving over to my mate, I smile at her." Your turn." She steps forward and grabs him by the footless leg. Dragging him across the ground, Neah rips him up until he is hanging upside down. I watch her inspect the wound. Very slowly, she slides a single w in, just beneath the surface of the skin. Cooper''s screams fill the forest but it just cheered everyone on. Everyone here wanted a piece of him. Neah''s w circles the entire leg, slicing deeply like she is using a knife. Slowly, she starts to peel the flesh back from the muscle, rolling it down like it was a sleeve. Pausing every so often to slice off any attachment. *STOP! PLEASE STOP!" He screams out "I bet that''s what they all said to you, wasn''t it?" I ask as Neah continuesFrom N?velDrama.Org. "Just kill me." He begs *There''s plenty of time for that. You''ve still got all your fingers" He vomits as Neah reaches the knee cap, but she stops and drops him. Leaving his skin rolled up around his knee and the muscle exposed. He vomits again as he looks at his leg. "You live by the motto that there is always someone worse. Well, you have found us. You should be careful. you never know people, not really." Neah stands over him and rips his tee open. Her ws slice down his chest and with one quick movement, she rips the skin back, exposing everything underneath. Cooper couldn''t speak even if he wanted to. His eyes roll back and he passes out again. They can rip him apart now.'' Neah links me. I wave everyone forward as Neah steps back next to me. Teeth and ws sink into his flesh as everyone fights for a piece. It takes seconds for his arms and legs to be ripped from his torso. Cooper opens his eyes for a brief second, letting out a gargled scream until a veryrge Lycan rips his head from his torso. It takes me a moment to realise it was Samara. Pieces of flesh scattered the clearing. Everyone and everything in the area was covered in his blood. The group part for Neah. She moves to the remainder of his torso and plunges her ws into the chest, pulling out the heart. Holding it in her hand, she stares at it for a while and then closes her fingers around it and squeezes until it explodes. Chapter 0480 ?Chapter 0480 Neah It was so satisfying. I roll the remainder of his heart in the palm of my hand as the deep red blood slowly drips from my fingers. No one could survive that. Not even him. My eyes flicker up to Samara. She is still in Lycan form but sat on the ground, right next to the head she removed. The first kill is always overwhelming. Something takes over and it just kind of happens. For her, it might have been Dakota taking the lead. Behind her, hiding behind a tree is ir. The moment she realises that I could see her, she turns around and runs through the forest. At least she was heading back to the grounds. Damien drops out of the tree,nding a few feet from me. He grabs my wrist and turns it over letting the crumpled up heart fall to the ground. ''Go.'' He links me. ''I will burn what''s left.'' There''s nothing else we can do here. Nyx murmurs I turn around to find Dane waiting for me. His crimson eyes lock on mine and he smiles. He always did enjoy watching me kill. "There''s something in there for Neah." Brax calls out. I look to see him pointing out the backpack that was by Dane. Dane swipes it up and pulls out a shirt for me. As I shift, Dane wraps the soft fabric around me, threading my arms through the sleeves. He slowly fastens the buttons, working from the top down. "We need to get you cleaned up." He murmurs with a smile. "ir was here." My words were barely as whisper but my head was buzzing "I expect she wanted to watch." He keeps his eyes on mine as he fastens the final button. "Wouldn''t you if the person in question had almost destroyed your life." He takes my hand and leads the way through the forest. "The people he killed?" I mutter, looking back over my shoulder. "We can''t just leave them." *They will be handled with respect." Dane tells me as he pulls back a branch for me. "They put their lives on the line and as much as I hate that we lost them, it drove the others forward. They were all too happy to rip him apart for what he did. And they would do it again and again if they could." As we get to the edge of the forest, I could see ir talking to Maddie and sitting a few metres from them is the new person, Eris. *Did Maddie get her abilities back? ir did and so did Eris." Dane nods, "She can smell Brax again. Heal and hear better, but just like before, she still can''t shift, but that wasn''t anything to do with Cooper. That is something else entirely." He stops me moving any further. "Are you going to tell me about the new woman?" I was half surprised she was still here. She could have left the moment we were no longer present. But I guess she was sticking around because of Damien. "She is Damien''s mate." His brows knit together. "His mate?" I nod. "Already? I didn''t think it would happen this fast." I shrug my shoulders because I don''t know how it worked. I was sort of still mated to Kyle when Dane came into my life. I didn''t think that was possible. *And Cooper had her locked up in the house." I mutter. There hadn''t been time to exin everything. As soon as I realised snapping his neck hadn''t worked. I linked Dane to set up the hunt. "Why?" "I don''t really know the ins and outs but us said she was okay. The priority was Cooper." We walk over to her and she jumps up on her feet. She drops her head to Dane and sticks out her hand. "I''m Eris. Thank you for letting me be here. Do you know where Damien is?" "He is just clearing up. He will be back soon." Her eyes sh up and she drops her hand as she stares at Dane, "Oh shit!" She takes a step back. "This was a trap for me, wasn''t it?" "A trap?" Dane muses. "If you hadn''t noticed, we were too busy hunting the prick that held you hostage." Eris''s eyes move to me, scanning me from my feet up, taking in all the blood. "He''s really dead?" "Yes." Her eyes move back to Dane. "Have you told him I''m here?"Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "Have I told who?" He asks She nces around, "I only came here because us said it was safe, he lied to me." "About what?" I ask confused *Is heing?" She presses, taking another step back. "I don''t know who you are talking about." *The man I''m running from, Alpha Ss." "Who?" Dane demands Eris''s eyes are wide and she doesn''t blink as she stares back. "Alpha Ss. Please don''t. Please, I had to do it. I can''t be part of that! Please don''t make me go back. I will do anything. Give me time. I can look after myself. You don''t need to tell him I''m here. i can leave." Chapter 0481 ?Chapter 0481 "Why would we tell him?" I ask Dane''s hand wraps around my wrist. "I need to talk to you." He pulls me away with urgency and doesn''t stop until we get to Mallory and Eric''s home. "Sit down." He tells me as soon as we walk through the door. "Dane, what''s going on?" *There is something that I need to tell you. I have been trying to figure out how for a long time and now, it seems like my hand is being forced." "You''re trying to tell me you had a twin." "You kn... us told you." He frowns I shrug my shoulders and nod. "I don''t know why you didn''t tell me, especially when I got pregnant with the boys, but it would have been nice to know if multiples run in the family, to prepare me for whatever is in here." I pat my stomach and realise how hungry I am. I hadn''t eaten for almost twelve hours. "It''s more than that. Did he tell you what happened to them?" "Stillborn." I feel the lump in my throat. It must be every mothers worst nightmare He shakes his head at me. "They weren''t?" "No. It was the story I was told. But it wasn''t the truth. It''s not a new thing I have discovered either and the reason why Eris is freaking out is because Ss is my twin. I''m guessing by Eris''s reaction, we look alike." "I''mdreaming, right?'' i mutter to Nyx. ''Nope.'' Nyx mutters. This is very much real life.'' My eyes lock with his"Are you telling me that you have a twin out there that none of us know anything about?" He dips his head. I open my mouth to say something and all thates out is a puff of air. Should I be mad? Probably. But I think mostly it''s disbelief that he has never told me. Pushing myself off the sofa, I make my way into the kitchen. I needed to eat no matter how many questions were being fired at me by Nyx. Dane follows me. "I''m sure you have questions." I stop to stare at him and then carry on searching the cupboards for food. I had more than questions. His crimson eyes follow me around the kitchen as I make myself a sandwich. I take a bite and put the rest down." What the actual fuck?!" *There has been so much stuff going on here that there never seemed to be a decent time to tell you. What I know is that Ss was given away at birth to another family member. They couldn''t have children and my father only wanted one. He only intended on having an heir until he met his mate, my stepmother, then Raven and Jenson came along." "He just gave him away, just like that?" "I don''t think it was quite like that, but neither of them are here to tell me exactly what happened. Ss was raised overseas." "You''ve never met him." "No and I never wanted to." "If Eris hadn''t reacted that way when she saw you, would you have still told me?" "Yes." *Because you keep mentioning that I might be carrying more than one." He nods his head. "The first time could have just been luck, but if you are having twins again, it was only fair I told you."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. *You are right about that!" I blow out my cheeks Maybe I hadn''t spent all my anger on killing Cooper because I didn''t have anything left in the tank or maybe it was because I found it almost impossible to be angry with Dane these days. "I don''t know why he is here or where he is. I will have to speak to Eris." He mutters "No one else knows the truth about him?" "I confided in Eric, but that is all. Everyone else that is older or were around when I was born, were all told the same thing. That I was the only one to survive. This could ruin my status, Neah." I shake my head. "No it won''t. The Wolves, they trust you and because of that thrust, they epted me and the other Lycans, well most of the Wolves did. You won''t lose them because of a dirty secret." I take my sandwich and sit down at the small table, still covered in Cooper''s blood. "I understand that you are angry." He mutters "I''m not angry." I take another bite. "Confused, definitely but not angry. Maybe I''m on some kind of high from killing Cooper." I smile. "I have a half sibling and a cousin that I never knew existed. It''s only fitting that you have a messed up family situation too." He knocks the small table over, sending my sandwich and the te across the room. His hands settle on my hips and he lifts me off the chair, pressing his lips against mine. "Do you know how much I love you?" Chapter 0482 ?Chapter 0482 Damien We gathered everything we could find. Making a pile of what was left of Cooper, along with some kindling to help the fire. Samara ces his head on top and Brax eagerly tosses a match on to him. It takes a moment for the mes to spread, but when they do, the entire pile is engulfed with different shades of orange. The smell is so strong that I could taste it on my tongue. A sickeningly sweet smell that makes the stomach twist. No matter how many times the smell invades your nose, you never quite get used to it. Others stand with me, watching the fire. Silently enjoying the satisfaction that we won. That we had finally taken this man down before he did anymore damage. One by one, they begin to leave, yet Samara remains with me. Her grey eyes are focussed on the mes. I wondered what was going on in her head as she stares at the fire. As far as I''m aware, it was the first kill she had been part of. But still, he was her brother. She had said it herself, he raised her. *Samara?" Her head flips to me. I see the confusion in her eyes at my ability to speak in Lycan form. "Are you okay?" She dips her head at me "I don''t think Neah will be sending you back to the dungeon." I offer She lowers herself to the ground, pulling her long legs to her chest and starts shifting back to Human form. She screws her face up from the pain, but she doesn''t scream like she had done in the dungeon. "It''s strange." She mutters when she has finished shifting. "He was my brother. But I had to help. He has caused so much pain and so much hurt." *I was close to killing my brother once." I keep my eyes on the fire. She clearly didn''t want anyone to see her naked. "You didn''t go through with it?" I feel her eyes hovering on me "I was going to. ir beat me to it." *Salem was your brother?" she asks, her tone full of surprise. "She told you about him?" "Bits, but I clearly don''t know everything." She lets out a sigh. "I feel like I should feel sorry for Coop. But mostly, I feel guilty." *For his death?" *For his actions. Maybe because if I had really tried, I could have stopped him a long, long time ago. If I had just stood up to him... If I had looked for help earlier..." "Hindsight is a beautiful thing. You couldn''t have known it woulde to this." "I do know that my father would be rolling in his grave." There''s a pause. "I thought I would feel pain too. You know, he is family and the bond between us has been severed."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "It seems that it depends how close you were to them. Your bond with him wasn''t a true family bond. He controlled you, Samara, just like Neah said. He preyed on you." I let out a groan, "It''s ridiculous, no matter what species it is, there are bastards like him everywhere." I sit on the ground next to her as the mes begin to die down. Embers remain in the ash along with the shattered bones, droplets of rain begin to fall, thinning out the smell of the burnt flesh. Suddenly, she leans her head against my shoulder but doesn''t speak as she continues to hug her legs to her chest. "Are you ready to head back?" I ask "Why?" she responds quietly "You said you don''t think Neah will put me in the dungeon and there is nowhere else for me to go. Not anymore." "You can stay in the house I''ve currently taken over. Until we figure out what is happening." "What about Eris?" "I haven''t figured that out yet." I tell her the truth. "I don''t think I''m ready for another mate, not just yet." "What was Raven like?" "Different. She was gorgeous, cared about others way more than she cared about herself. It''s why she liked working in the hospital. We argued over stupid shit, but at the end of the day I knew we were good together. She had a ridiculous love for ice cream and she thought I didn''t know that she had a secret stash of sweet treats in our bedroom." I had no idea why I was telling Samara, but it was easier to speak to someone that didn''t know Raven, ''She was close to Neah, but something changed and that is still one thing I''m not clear on. And until I am, I don''t think I can ept a new mate." "You should Eris that. It isn''t fair to let her think there is a chance. If I met my mate and he wasn''t ready, I would want to be told. I would like to be with someone who wants me and only me. Someone who epts me for me. Not someone who is trying to figure out something that went wrong."From N?velDrama.Org. "Wise words." I muse. I feel her shrug her shoulders, "I read a lot when I was living on my little farm. You should take it with a pinch of salt, it''s not like I''ve ever been mated." "We should go." I mutter ''The question now, is how am I going to get out of the forest naked and without anyone seeing me." Chapter 0483 ?Chapter 0483 "Climb on my back." I offer "What?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Climb on my back. The house isn''t too far from the edge of the forest and if anyone sees you, it will just be the back of you." *You are insane." "Either that or you bite the bullet and walk out with everything on show." "Why is it that everyone enjoys being naked?" she scoffs, but she shuffles behind me and wraps her arms around my neck. *Comes with being a Lycan, especially when you can shift." I rise to my feet and she hooks her legs around my torso, pressing herself into me until I can feel the curve of her breasts. Stamping out the remaining embers, I make sure the rest of Coopers bones are in tiny fragments. Just in case. Samara clings to my back as we move through the forest and she finally asks me how I can talk in Lycan form. "It''s a long story." "I can''t." she mutters. "Is it something I need to learn now that I have my Lycan?" *No. Think of it this way. You are lucky you can''t. It''s not a good thing." I break through the trees almost by Mallory''s old house. It had been fixed for a while and since the packhouse had gone up in a massive explosion, the house was where I had set up camp. I open the back door and turn around to drop Samara. "I have some clothes upstairs. I''m sure you can find something that works." *Thanks Damien." I wait until I hear her footsteps disappear to the back of the house and up the stairs. I grab the joggers that had been drying on a nearby chair. Shifting, I quickly pull them on and settle on the doorstep when I catch Eris''s floral scent. She was quickly heading my way. Her arms are swinging as she marches toward me. Her golden eyes lock onto mine. She is furious about something. *They won''t let me... why do you smell of another woman?" There is a hint of anger in her tone "I was helping someone." Her golden eyes narrow, "You stink of her." she snaps before I have a chance to expand. *I told you, I was helping her and right now, I don''t care for your attitude." She shakes her head and folds her arms across her chest. "This ce is all kinds of fucked up. They won''t let me leave. That us brought me here as a trap. The Wolf Alpha is a fucking mad man. Someone could have said something about his eyes and I definitely would not havee here. And my mate is.. What do you call it... a Lycan who is stuck in the past. Should have taken my chances and stayed out there." "us didn''t trap you." I keep my voice calm, although i''m irritated by her assumptions "Why are you covering for him?" she stares at me "He offered you safety. us is the most easy going Wolf that I have ever met. He genuinely means everything he says." *Some fucking safety. Is Alpha Dane going to call Alpha Ss?" "Alpha Ss?" *The guy I''m running from. They are rted right, I mean they look identical." *Clearly I have missed something because I don''t have a clue what you are talking about." *Alpha Ss!" She speaks his name really slowly *You mentioned something about Neah being worse than him, but that was it." *Crap," Her cheeks flush, "It wasn''t you who I spoken too. My mistake." She takes a deep breath ready to tell me whatever it is she thought I knew. "Damien." Samara mutters behind me. "I think I''ve found something that works. The tee is a bit big, but I''ve tied a knot in it. Hi Eris." "You!" Eris growls. "You knew that he is my mate and now you are in here, swanning around in his fucking clothes. You bitch.... She tries to charge past me, jealousy racing through her. Her hand slices across my cheek when she can''t get past. "I''m right here and you choose to sleep with her." She screeches at me Pushing her back, she falls on her ass. "I told you, I helped her. What do you not understand about that?" I stare at her in disbelief. Not quite believing the wordsing from her mouth. Her attitude was disgusting. Was this my punishment for almost killing my own mate? She jumps to her feet. "I came looking for you because I thought you would help me. I didn''t expect to find you with another woman. Is this what you Lycans are like? You don''t care about your mates. You just jump into bed with anyone?" "Smell the air. Does it smell like we have had sex?" She stares at me for a moment and then casually sniffs. "And even if we had slept together, do you really think you would be standing there?" She frowns at me, "Why is she wearing your clothes then?" "I told you, I was helping her. And if you hadn''te in here with so much attitude, I might be helping you too." "Do you like her?" She demands "Right now, I like her alot more than I like you." Chapter 0484 ?Chapter 0484 Damien "You can''t say that to me!" Eris screeches at me again. I was already sick of her behaviour. She wasn''t even giving me a chance to exin. Clearly she cared about no one else but herself. "What do you want from me?" I demand Her eyes widen and she seems surprised by my question. "We are mates, you could at least act like it." she snaps "And I have already told you that I have a lot to think about. What is it about that statement that you don''t understand?" The irritation was creeping into my words "I thought you would at least have the decency to stay away from other women!" I let out a snort, "You shouldn''t let jealousy control you like that. Look around you, this pack has arge amount of Wolves and Lycans. Are you going to have issues everytime I talk to another woman? Or what if I''m doing something for Neah or my best friend. Are you going to be calling them a bitch too?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content. *Your best friend is a woman?" she scoffs "Yes." I stare her down and she just stares back. "And I''m curious to know how you are going to react when you find out I have a kid." Her jaw drops, and her stare turns to confusion. "From your first mate." "No." I should expand, but I could already see that she was angry. She had already jumped from zero to one hundred when I had Samara''s scent on me. She frowns and backs up. Holding her hands up. "I can''t... I can''t do this." "That''s what you get for jumping to conclusions. You have limited information. You don''t know anything about me, but you have already decided how I should act." "I..." Her golden eyes dart around *Daddy!" Dottiees running across the grass towards me, her backpack swinging side to side and Sebastian holds a hand up to me to confirm that I had seen him. Dottie practically throws herself into my arms, squeezing herself against me as her arms lock around my neck. She had been with Athena and Sebastian for a few days and it was so good to see her. "Eris, this is Dorothy." *Your kid?" she splutters "Yes." Dottie holds up two fingers, "Two dads." she announces proudly. Though she seemed to spend a hell of a lot more time with me than Brax. She smiles at Dottie and I was expecting Dottie to smile back, but she just stares at Eris and I knew she was reading her. "Why is she staring at me like that?" Eris demands The little bit of flesh between Dotties brows wrinkles up, "I want to go inside." she mutters. *There''s someone inside." "Okay." Dottie smiles. "She won''t hurt me! Promise." I put her down, surprised that she was more bothered by the Wolf in front of me than the Lycan inside. She shoots a final nce at Eris and slips past me. "What was that about?" Eris asks *She is a good judge of character." *She doesn''t like me, does she? She barely spoke to me? So you are going to trust a kid?" Don''t like it when it''s the other way around?" I challenge. "That''s not what I meant." Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "Isn''t it? That''s exactly what you have done to me. The difference is, my kid is able to see your soul. There is no hiding that, that is why she didn''t have to speak to you." I turn back to the house, I was done with this conversation. *You are just walking away?" Eris asks I nce over my shoulder, "Yes. Or would you rather I reject you on the spot? Because that is looking likely at this point." "I thought you wanted to think?" "I did. But you are making it impossible for me to consider the positives of being mated to you." "..." She doesn''t know where to look and she couldn''t look at me either. Instead her eyes settle on the ground at my feet. She walks away as I enter the house. I feel an ache in my heart. She was supposed to be for me and yet I couldn''t imagine being with anyone like her. Heading through the kitchen to the lounge, Dottie is alreadyid on her stomach, doodling. Samara is sitting on the sofa in a ck tee of mine that is knotted at the hip and wearing a pair of my shorts. The drawstring is pulled so tight that it fell past the bottom of the shorts. "I''m sorry." Samara mutters as I sit in the chair. "I didn''t mean to cause trouble for you. I can find somewhere else to stay." *It was all her doing. There''s nothing to be sorry for." She studies me with her grey eyes and nods. "Dottie, what did you see when you looked at Eris?" Chapter 0485 ?Chapter 0485 She pauses over her doodles and slowly lowers her pencil. She pushes her small frame off the floor and moves towards me with her brows knitted. "Thedy outside?" she asks casually "Yes. I saw the way you looked at her. I know you were reading her." "She isn''t happy. She was a long time ago and something changed. It''s not dark, but it isn''t light." Dottie pats her chest. "She hurts but she doesn''t want anyone to know." "Why did you run inside?" "Um, she um," Her eyes drift to Samara. "She is your mate but she doesn''t like that you have friends or me." *Dott....." *She will take you away from me." Tears are creeping down her face as she blurts out the words. I try to reassure her that no one is taking me away, but she runs to her bedroom crying. "Do you want me to go talk to her?" Samara offers. *No. Thank you for the offer, but it''s me that she is worried about." "I don''t understand. How can she read people like that?" *She is a Hunter. She is biologically Brax''s child. She frowns. "That was the child ir told me about." "Yes." *You have a Hunter in your house and you are not worried? Should I be worried?" she asks as her brows shoot up her forehead.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "She isn''t exactly like Brax."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "Why does she call you Daddy if she is Brax''s child?" "It''s a long story." "I''m happy to listen," she offers "It beats listening to my own narrator." "Dakota?" *Yes. She likes to talk, alot. I don''t mind it, it''s different and sometimes weird that she knows exactly what I''m thinking, but it''s reassuring too. Does that make sense?" *Neah told me the same." "But we don''t all have the inner Lycan?" "No, it''s to do with carrying Alpha gics. At the end of the day, you carry Kitson blood." "Still a lot to understand." she murmurs. "But tell me about Dorothy. I would love to understand more." She listens carefully as I tell her how Dottie came into my life. She doesn''t interrupt me and smiles at me when I finish. "You helped her." "I like to think so." *Can I ask you a question?" she murmurs "Sure." *Do you think Salem knew she was there? Do you think he left her purposely for you to find? Did he ughter those people because of what they did to her?" "Yes. There was no way that he didn''t know she was there. Rogues have a stronger sense of smell and Dottie saw him. Whether he chose to leave her there for me to find, or to use her as an opportunity to get further away is a different question and one that I will never know the answer to." I turn my face to the ceiling. "She is far stronger than most people realise," "I agree, she is." My eyes lock on hers, "What did she say to you when she was in here, alone with you?" Samara smiles at me. "She told me that she could see I was a good person deep down. That I just need to get out of the trap that no longer exists." "Anything else?" She shrugs her shoulders, "Only that she likes me." she points to the back of her hand where a blue unicorn sat." She gave me a sticker. Told me that Neah would know I was a good person. But I know it will take more than a sticker for Neah to believe that. I keep expecting her to knock down the door ande and take me back to the dungeon." "It''s not going to happen. I''ve already told her you are here with me and I am keeping an eye on you." "You don''t have to do that Damien. As much as I am grateful to not be sat on a concrete floor, you don''t have to be nice to me." She wiggles herself back into the sofa, letting out a soft sigh as she enjoys thefort. *You are right. I don''t have to do anything. I''m choosing to let you stay here." She looks at me with wide grey eyes. "Thank you." she whispers. "You should talk to Eris though." "I will if she is willing to listen, but she seems to be stuck on it''s her way and her way only. Maybe she got away with that in whatever pack she came from, but that doesn''t work with me." *Ashburn City." "Hmm?" *Ashburn City is the pack she hase from. An Alpha has moved in and taken over, killed the old Alpha." "Who is it?" "She''s already mentioned him. Alpha Ss." Chapter 0486 ?Chapter 0486 Neah "Are you sure there is nothing I can get you?" Dane asks softly as he sticks his head around the bathroom door. I re at him as my stomach churns and he silently retreats. Apparently I can watch someone have their foot hacked off, I can take part in skinning them alive and rip out their heart without a single desire to throw up and yet the smell of chicken has me rejecting the tiniest amount of food I had managed to eat. *Dane, you are the Alpha, but you are not a woman. Let me go in." Mallory mutters. *Just tell her I''m going to speak to Damien." He replies as Mallory scoots in around the door. *Shit, you look horrendous." she muses Apart from the sweat, I was still covered in Cooper''s blood. Dane had picked me up off the chair and Mallory hade in with a freshly cooked chicken and since then, I had been in the bathroom, practically hugging the toilet. My throat burned, my stomach hurt and yet I was so damn hungry. *I remembered these helped youst time." She hands me a packet of ginger biscuits. "Not sure if they will this time, but it''s worth a try." I take one from the pack and nibble on it and it seems to do the trick, for now. "This is worse thanst time." I mutter as she sits on the floor next to me "I''m sure it will get better." "I''m sorry. This is probably thest thing you want to deal with." "Don''t be silly and I have Luca now. But maybe it is time for you to get checked out. Just to make sure everything is good." "It will be too early to see anything. Raven told me that the first time round." "But didn''t she find something?" *Fine, let me at least shower first." *I will be right outside if you need me." She gets to her feet first and offers me a hand. As she closes the door, I tum the shower on and strip out of the shirt. The hot water is refreshing as it hits my skin. For a moment I watch the streaks of red disappear down the drain, washing away thest of that asshole. ''Neah, something is wrong.'' Nyx murmurs as I feel the pounding beat of my heart against my rib cage.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "With the baby?" I didn''t want to end up on bed rest again. Especially not this early. ''No. Us. Call for Mallory. I turn the water off and struggle to wrap a towel around me as my hands shake. "Mallory." Shees into the bathroom as ck spots appear before my eyes. I reach out to the wall to steady myself, but it''s further away than I thought and I start going down. "Hey, hey! I''ve got you!" she stops my head hitting the floor as the pounding of my heart echoes in my head. I hear her call for Eric and then nothing.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. *** Steady beeps make me wince. It was a sound I knew like the back of my hand. I was in the pack hospital. As my fingers twitch, I feel Danes hand tighten around mine. I didn''t need to see to know that it was him. Light sparks ignite my skin as his thumb moves in soft cicrles across my knuckles "Neah?" he whispers as I struggle to open my eyes. The lights are bright and I m my eyelids shut. "Neah, you are okay." "What happened?" I murmur, squinting at him. ''You didn''t eat.'' Nyx murmurs "Your blood sugar was dangerously low. You passed out." "That''s what you get for not letting me eat." I mutter with half a smile. It had happened all the time when Trey and the others had starved me. "Why didn''t I just heal?" *Because even Wolves and Lycans suffer from it. Why do you think we are always eating? Especially after we have shifted. Besides, with the babies on board, you need to be eating more. "Baby," I mumble. Until it was confirmed otherwise, it is just the one that I am carrying. "And how am I supposed to eat if I''m throwing up?" *Babies, and us has suggested those milkshakes that you like if it means getting food in you. For now, you have that." he points to the bag that is connected by a tube to my arm, drip feeding a liquid into me. I prop myself up on my elbows and wince as I knock the tube in my arm. "He scanned me, didn''t he?" "Yes." *One?" He shakes his head with a smile "Twins?" Please, no more than two. "Yes." He leans forward and presses his lips to my cheek. "Told you." "I thought it was too early." Chapter 0487 ?Chapter 0487 He shakes his head at me, "There is something else." "Don''t you dare say bed rest!" *us wants you to take it easy, just until you are consistently okay." I feel Nyx''s annoyance. She hated bed rest as much as I do. "Does he remember that we have two little boys, one of which can shift and escape his cot on a regr basis." "I think he probably means no shifting. It takes a lot of energy." "I guess I can do that. Have you spoken to Damien about the other thing?" *No, I had only just made it to his when Eric linked me to say you had copsed." *I believe I heard my name." Damien raps on the door. His dark eyes settle on me. "You good?" "I''m fine, just everyone else being dramatic." He raises an eyebrow at me as he smirks, but doesn''t say anything. *Could you close the door." Dane tells him. "There is something I need to discuss with you." Damien slowly closes the door. "Is this something to do with Eris, because that girl is nuts." "Have you rejected her?" I ask *No. To be honest she came in for an attack which surprised me. Then Dottie was dropped off so I didn''t get a chance." "Where is Dorothy?" *Samara is keeping an eye on her." "You left her with Samara?" Dane asks, surprised. *Dottie likes her and Samara isn''t that bad once you get to know her. She is trying to make sense of a lot of things and until ir, it seems like she was on her own for a while, well partly with Cooper, but we all know he didn''t tell her everything." *Brax will hit the roof." Dane smirks. "I don''t really care what he thinks." Damien mutters. "So do you need to talk to me about Eris?" *You heard her mention Alpha Ss?" Dane asks. "Yes" He rolls his eyes. "She had a bit of a tantrum, said something about your eyes, us and a trap. To be honest, she was just having a massive rant about everything. But one thing she said that I can agree on, she shouldn''t havee here." He shakes his head and seems appalled by her. And I don''t think she is going to be able to change that.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "So who is Alpha Ss?" He asks. *If it is the same Ss. It is my twin." Damien''s eyes move to me and then back to Dane. "The twin that was stillborn?" "Yes." He takes the empty chair by the door. As Dane tells him the same thing he told me. "Are we sure it''s the same man?" *Your mate freaked out when she saw Dane''s eyes. Kept saying it was a trap. That us had brought her here. She said she would never havee if she had known Dane''s eyes were red." I tell him *Please, don''t call her that. I had a mate and Eris isn''t her." He shakes his head. *Is she running from him?" Dane asks. *I''m not entirely sure. Samara told me that she had found Eris tied up. Eris told them that this Alpha Ss took over the pack she was in, killed the Alpha, renamed the pack and moved his Wolves in. Maybe he had issues with Alpha Ryan? Who knows at this point! But what I do know is she is..." he holds his hands up like he wants to wring her neck. *Irritating?" I offer. "Beyond irritating. I don''t think I have ever met someone as annoying as her and that includes Brax. Which speaks for itself."N?velDrama.Org owns all content. I had to hold in myugh, Eris had really gotten under his skin and it takes a lot to be able to do that to Damien. "Back to this Ss. Do you want to do anything?" Damien asks Dane. "Does he know who you are?" "I don''t know." "Can you sense him?" I knew my boys could sense each other and I knew Raven and Jenson had been able to. He shakes his head at me. "I don''t know if it''s because we were separated at birth or what." He scratches the stubble on his jaw. "He could be a risk, or Eris could be making everything seem ten times worse than what it is. He might not know me or want anything to do with me and yet he could be forced toe here because we have Eris here." "Where is she?" I ask, "I will talk to her." *She stormed off after I told her that I was finding it impossible to see the positives of being mated to her." Damien mutters. *She wouldn''t have gotten very far. Everyone is keeping an eye on her." Chapter 0488 ?Chapter 0488 Brax "Hey, you!" A woman with hair darker than nightes running towards me. I stop in my tracks, sighing. I was supposed to be having dinner with Maddie. "Yes?" She was the stray that hade back with the others. Full of so many lies. "Can you help me?" "That depends." I mutter "On what?" She cocks a brow at me "What is it that you want?" "Can you help me get out of here?" She pleads "Yes." She stares at me for a moment. "Will you help me get out of here?" "No." She''s taken aback by my refusal. "Why?" "Dane has questions and I believe Neah does too." "So I''m not allowed to leave?" she scoffs as she narrows her golden eyes. I didn''t answer, it was pretty obvious. *This ce is fucked up." She mutters "Not as fucked up as you running away from your problems." I smile and she res at me *Have you spoken to us or that bitch that''s at my mates house?" "No." "Then how did you know.... Do you see things like that kid?" *I assume you are talking about Dorothy. Dorothy is my daughter." She takes a step back as her eyes remain on me. "Two Dads. You are the other Dad." "That''s how she likes it, yes. I take it that you don''t like him having someone that calls him Daddy? I kind of agree, but my daughter is happy. She''s with him now?" "When I left, yes. That bitch was there too."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g *Calling someone a bitch doesn''t mean I know who you are speaking of." I mutter "Samara." "Excuse me?" She shakes her head, lowering her gaze. Unaware of my anger. "I went there to talk with him and Samara was already there." Her face screws up, "Parading around in his clothes. I could smell her scent on him, but he denies it. He is supposed to be my mate. Mine!* *One, if he had slept with her after knowing you''re his mate, you would likely be dead. Two, the clothes could be because she was a prisoner that had nothing else and she did have a hand in killing her brother. Three Damien isn''t like that." "Like what?" "Not someone who jumps into bed with everyone. And I can see that you have already taken the time to get to know him." I mutter sarcastically. I stretch and her eyes catch a glimpse of the gun in my belt. "Why do you have that?" *Just in case I need to put someone down. Or maybe," I move quickly, pulling it from my belt and pressing it against her temple, "I use it as a waming to liars." She freezes. "What are you doing?" Her eyes move to the side, focussing on the gun. "Please don''t kill me." "Why are you running from this pack of yours?" "It''s dangerous." "Bullshit." "I swear." "What story did you tell us?" "The truth." "You lie." I watch the gulp as a lump forms in her throat. It happened to everyone I had held a gun to apart from Maddie. She had been ready to die. "It''s the truth." The woman splutters.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "No it isn''t, it''s a story you have cooked up. One that you think will pull on the heart strings of others and you sucked us in. I see it, you are full of lies, weaving your own web of shit. What did you tell him? It must have been something good to make him feel sorry for you." "I swear." *You keep doing that, but you are not actually telling me what you said to him." "Daddy?" I turn around to see Dorothy holding Samara''s hand. Samara''s grey eyes shift between me and Eris and the gun. "I can tell you what Eris told us." Samara tells me. "Bitch, you better keep your mouth shut." Eris yells at her. I push the gun harder against her temple. "Now now, that is not your choice." "I don''t want anyone else to know." "Then you shouldn''t have told them. Or is it because if other people know your lie, you will find it harder to cover it up?" I smile at her. "Dorothy, cover your ears. I don''t want you to hear this. What did she say, Samara? And please don''t leave out any details." I listen to how this Eris allegedly had an abortion because of an Alpha. That he found out and she had been running from him until she met Cooper. Samara tells me other things about how Eris was tied up. How Eris told them she didn''t want toe, but that was before she told them the lie. How she was from Ashburn city, but they had recently changed their name. Chapter 0489 ?Chapter 0489 us would fall for something like that. I didn''t me him, if it had been the truth, I would have helped too. "So Cooper just happened to find you?" I ask "Yes." Eris mutters. "He made me believe we were mates. But i know that was a lie." "Where did he find you?" *Running through a forest. I had to get away, I had too... "But you knew nothing of Lycans?" Ashburn city knew about Lycans. ir had already informed me of that because it was where they killed Damien''s brother "What''s that got to do with anything?" She frowns "My curiousity." She shakes her head at me. "Not until he told me. Everyone smells the same. And then he took everything from me. He locked me up, injected me with something." "No." Samara scowls. I nce at Samara who is shaking her head. "No, you said he muttered a spell over you." *He did after he injected me with something." "But us asked you if you had been drugged and you said no." Samara presses "I thought you meant like pills or something." Eris mutters "Samara," as much as I hated what I was about to ask, I needed Dorothy not to see what was about to happen." Can you take Dorothy back to the house with you?" I keep the gun pressed to Eris''s temple as Samara leads Dorothy away. "You don''t need to do this!" Eris whispers. "I wouldn''t normally, but I''m giving you onest opportunity to tell the truth." "Brax." Dane mutters from behind me. "Put the gun down. Neah wants to speak to Eris." "She''s lying." "That may be so, but Neah still wishes to talk to her. And I know you respect Neahs requests." I slowly lower the gun in frustration and watch as Eris breathes a sigh of relief. "How is Neah?" I ask. I had watched them race her across the grounds to the hospital. I thought the twins might have already been putting to much strain on her body.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "She is okay. Just needed some fluids and food." *The twins?" He pauses, because I hadn''t said anything. "They are good too." "She''s pregnant?" Eris mutters "Yes. Feeling bad about lying now?" I ask She doesn''t answer "Eris,e with me." Dane instructs. I watch her walk over to him. She regrly tosses her hair over her shoulder and gives me one final nce as they head towards the pack hospital. I should go inside to Maddie, but I needed to check my daughter was safe. Knocking on the door, Samara answers. Her body stiffens a little. "She''s in there." She pulls the door further back and steps to one side. My eyes move to her hand where I see a unicorn sticker. "She likes you?" "I think so." She mutters and briefly smiles at the sticker. "Dorothy?" "In here Daddy!" She calls back.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. I make my way in and find the room decked out in sheets and nkets. Dorothy sticks her head out "Do you like my den? Sammie made it for me." Looking over my shoulder, I see Samara standing further back, cautious. "You seem different." "I doubt if you would believe me even if I told you, but Dakota has helped me understand a lot of things and still is." *Or maybe with Cooper gone, you have be free to be who you were always supposed to be." I follow her to the kitchen as she offers to make me a drink. Her soul was healing. It wasn''t quite there, but it will be. "You like Damien, don''t you?" I ask "He''s kind to me. He didn''t have to let me stay here. He didn''t have to lend me his clothes. He didn''t have to do anything." "You know that''s not what I''m talking about." She ces her hands on the counter and tips her head back. "He is mated to someone else. I can''t do anything about that." "Do you know that sometimes, the mate bond isn''t for everyone." "What do you mean?" "Not everyone who is together is together because of a bond. Obviously it is better that way, ny percent of the time. But not always. Some people choose each other because they fall for each other." "Why are you telling me this? You hate me. I know you came here to check that your daughter is safe around me." "Because I can see when someone is trying to turn their life around." Chapter 0490 ?Chapter 0490 Neah "Can''t you just let me leave!" I hear Eris before I see her. Damien rolls his eyes as he sits across from my bed. ''Does she ever shut up?'' Nyx mutters ''No.'' "You really can''t stand her, can you?" I whisper to Damien *Could you if she was making ridiculousments to you every time her mouth opened? It''s not only that, one minute she is begging to leave, the next she expects me to do exactly what she tells me." The door swings open and her eyes move straight to Damien. "Why are you here?" "I''m here to support my brother and my Alpha''s." He tells her "Sit!" Danemands and she shuffles to the empty chair. "I don''t know what you expect from me. I''ve already said what I need to say." She tells us. "Well," Dane starts. "Brax seems to think that you are lying." "Brax?" I ask.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "He was questioning her and he has made it very clear that our guest is full of shit!" Dane frowns I stare at her and she lowers her gaze. Brax was never usually wrong about someone lying. "Why were you speaking to Brax?" I ask. "I was seeing if he could help me. I didn''t expect to run into the other father of your kid!" She snaps as she res at Damien. "That''s some messed up situation." *Remind me again why I should ept you as my mate?" He snaps back and Eris closes her mouth into a pout "What about Alpha Ss?" I mutter.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She straightens her spine. "You were running from him?" "Yes." she murmurs "Why?" "I''ve already told us." "And I''m guessing that was a lie. Otherwise Brax wouldn''t have held a gun to your head." "You couldn''t have seen that." she scoffs "I have eyes everywhere." It was only Samara that had linked me but Eris didn''t need to know that. She slouches back and keeps her head low. "I was running from him." She drums her fingers on the chair. "But the story I gave them was a lie. I thought... I don''t know what I thought. Safety maybe. A chance to find someone who understands. Someone who will help me. I didn''t expect to find my mate." "Understand what?" Dane demands "If you don''t give us any information, how do you expect us to help or trust you." *Alpha Ss is a menace." she whispers ''She can''t even look directly at us when she is talking.'' Nyx growls ''And she doesn''t seem to have any fear.'' ''She is lying." I whisper back. "Is he, or are you just looking for an excuse to cover your ass?" Damien frowns at her "When he killed Alpha Ryan, it was unexpected. A shock. Alpha Ryan didn''t have enemies. Alpha Ss came in the night. ughtered Alpha Ryan in his sleep. And I''m not talking about just slitting his throat. They ripped him open, spreading all his organs out on the bed around him. I found him." ''Pack takeovers are not unheard of.'' Danes voice echoes in my head. "But they don''t happen like they used to. "I sounded the rm and when Alpha Ss discovered it was me, he promised to make my life hell. I became a ve to the pack I once knew. He would make me do stuff." She shivers "What kind of stuff?" I ask "Do I really need to answer that?" she frowns "I''m pretty sure you can figure it out. I escaped by the skin of my teeth and just ran. I ran and ran until I scented Cooper. He was watching me and offered me safety." The words fall from her lips so easily, yet none of it felt like the truth. She kept her gaze off of me. She couldn''t even properly look at Dane or Damien. It was all crap, but I wanted to see how far she would go. "Call Alpha Ryan." I tell Dane "What? No, wait. You can''t, he is dead!" She panics "Then it will be Ss that answers, won''t it?" she stares at me in horror. "If Ss answers, we don''t need to confirm you are here and it will tell us that you are partly telling the truth. If Ryan answers, then we will know that you are lying." *Please don''t. He will know I''m here." "Who, Ryan or Ss?" Damien presses *Alpha Ss. He keeps everything tightly wrapped up. People don''t get to leave the pack and if they do, well.... I''m pretty sure you can figure that out." ''That''s twice she has said that.'' Nyx mutters *He keeps everything locked up. He doesn''t want anyone to find out that he is there. And if someone calls, you will be his next target." Eris tells us Chapter 0491 ?Chapter 0491 "Is that a threat?" Dane cocks an eyebrow at her. "I just mean..." *Can you stop lying?" Damien mutters. "Is it even possible? Do you not understand that Dane would be ringing for Ryan. No one else." *Alpha Ss will know it''s me. I''m the only one that has ever made it this far. I''m sure they are still looking." Damien shakes his head and gets to his feet. He looks at me and shakes his head. "I can''t do this anymore." He turns to Eris, "I, Damien ck, Beta of ck Shadow, reject you, Eris Neoma of Nightfall Pack as my mate." He spits the wordsN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "No." she stands her ground. If she was hurting, she wasn''t showing it. "ept." Damien demands. Being here was so ufortable. I nced at Dane and I knew he was feeling exactly the same. Tears flood her eyes as she clutches her chest. "I can''t." "Yes you can, say it!" "I can''t." "Why?" Damien snaps. "Because you don''t mean it. You''re angry with me because I didn''t handle things well. Don''t reject me because of that. Give me a chance." She begs I watch him pinch the bridge of his nose. "You don''t even want to be here. You keep asking to leave so ept the rejection and be on your way." "You are supposed to protect me." she frowns.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. *And I''m also supposed to like my mate! Normally I am willing to give people a chance to a certain degree, but you are impossible." "I''m impossible? What the fuck does that mean?" She asks wide eyed I quietly watch Dane tapping into a phone, neither Damien or Eris are aware as Damien tries to force her to ept the rejection. A few seconds pass and the phone beeps. "Ryan is alive." Dane confirms. "Ashburn city is still going strong." Eris''s eyes are like saucers. She managed to stop Dane from ringing, but that hadn''t stopped him from sending a message. Damien rubs his temples. "Are you some sort ofpulsive liar? Do you even know what the word ''truth'' means?" "Why would you continue to lie?" I ask Her golden eyes move to Damien like she was expecting him to bail her out, but if anything, he was even more pissed off. He sort of reminded me of a cartoon Raven had shown me, where smokees out of their ears. *Do you even know Alpha Ss?" Dane asks She looks to the floor "Answer me!" Danes voice booms, making her jump *Cooper told me about him." she whispers "Cooper? Why would he tell you about him?" She shrugs her shoulders, "Alpha Ss is rted to you, isn''t he?" Eris asks, "Cooper told me about the eyes. When I saw yours I knew you must be rted somehow, it''s such an odd colour. He told me a lot of stories about a crimson eyed man and his pack of animals." "Did Cooper know him?" She shrugs her shoulders *And Ashburn city?" I press "I don''t know, just a name Cooper gave me." "You''ve never met him?" Dane asks in confusion. She slowly shakes her head *You said you were his prisoner? Samara found you tied up." Damien mutters "He kept me safe." She smiles like a mad woman ''He''s dead and he is still somehow fucking with us.'' Nyx tells me what everyone else is likely thinking "Where are you really from?" I demand "A ce called White Cliffs. It''s far away from here." Her eyes grow even wider. She had slipped and Damien could now reject her. "I, Damien ck, Beta of ck Shadow, reject you, Eris Neoma of White Cliffs as my mate." He states it again, desperate to break the connection with her. She felt it this time. I see it in her eyes. Pain, anger, confusion. She clutches her chest differently, like she thought her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She fights back the tears and hunches forward. "Say it." Damien demands and for a brief moment, I hear Kyle, demanding me to ept his rejection. "Are you going to kill me?" Eris begs "ept my rejection!" Her breathing is heavy as she stares back at him. "You are apulsive liar, Eris. Not a single word out of your mouth can be trusted." She lowers her eyes and whimpers. "I, Eris Neoma, ept your rejection, Damien ck, Beta of ck Shadow." She falls forward from the chair, curling up in a ball on the floor as she cries in pain. Damien stares down at her before leaving the room. ''Should we kill her? Dane asks through mindlink I shake my head. What she is feeling, that won''t go away. Not for a long time. Let her leave.'' Chapter 0492 ?Chapter 0492 Dane I cock an eyebrow at my mate. It was not the answer I was expecting. Shifting my gaze to Eris, I sigh as she remains curled up, sobbing. She reminded me of Raven and how she had been after rejection. The difference, I felt sorry for my sister whereas I felt nothing for this woman. She had only been here for a short time and already she was a pain in my ass. Pressing my lips to Neah''s forehead. I tell her I will be back in a little while. "Get up." I mutter to Eris. She doesn''t move and continues to whimper in pain, but she had brought it on herself. Damien would never be happy with her. "Get up!" I snap, pulling her to her feet by her elbow. "Where am I going?" *There is no ce for you here. You get to leave, just like you wanted." I tell her "Really?" I nod and guide her through the hospital. We pass us but he doesn''t say anything. He had done what he could, but it just wasn''t going to work out. It would be too much of a risk to let her stay here. And she doesn''t acknowledge him either. She shuffles along at an awfully slow pace and I had to keep tugging her forwards. "Wait, this isn''t the direction of the gates." she protests. "The gates are over there." she points in the opposite direction. "We are not going to the gates." I direct her into the forest.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "Why?" *Too many eyes. And Damien doesn''t want to see you." I murmur "Okay. You will have to point me in the right direction once we get to a road. I''m getting all turned around." I nod. She was already all turned around. "Cooper spoke of Ss?" I ask, wondering if I could get a tiny bit of truth from her. "Yes. At first I thought they were made up stories, but after a while, I knew that they must be true." "How?" *Facts, small details. They never changed." "Why did you panic when you saw me?" I ask *Because you are the picture Cooper painted in my mind. You might look like him, you might not. But I do know from the stories, he has eyes just like yours. Strange and weird for a Wolf." "And you could be lying." I mutter as she scoots around a tree stump "It''s hard sometimes." "What is? "Everything." She frowns as she ducks under a low tree branch "Are you just saying it to try and get some sympathy votes, because that won''t work on me." "My mate just rejected me." "I was there, I saw and heard everything. But what does that have to do with everything being hard?" She stops and her golden eyes find mine. "Because people never see me for me." "Understandable when you lie to everyone." She scowls at me. "And you haven''t lied?" "I didn''t say that, did I? Now keep walking?" "He could have had me. I could have been his perfect mate, but no, I am not good enough." "No, no you couldn''t have. You are too much of a liability." *Excuse me?!" *Damien was right. It''s impossible to tell what is a lie and what is the truth when ites to you. You are all over the ce. Scattered." "I am not!" *Then tell me who are you running from?" "I told you." "You did. Then you admitted it was a lie. That you had never met Ss. So who in White Cliffs are you running from?" "No one." "White Cliffs are not a local pack, they are far north. So you travelled a long way before Cooper." "Why do you want to know?" *Just curious. Plus I need to know who to alert about your death." She tugs her arm free. "What?"Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g "I love my mate and usually, I would agree with her decision. Buttely, things have be too problematic to allow you to live." "You can just let me go. I won''t say anything. I promise." "That''s the problem, Eris. You might be more believable if you had just told everyone the truth in the first ce." "I mean it." She begs, her voice going all squeaky. "I really won''t say anything and I won''te back here. It will be like it never happened." She takes a step backwards. Holding her hands up. "Neah said I could go. I heard her." "Yes, she did say that. But did you not take notice of her surroundings? She was in a hospital, exhausted. She wasn''t necessarily clear in her thinking, but I am." With each step I take towards her, she backs up until her body crashes into a tree. "Please!" She freezes as a gun goes off, not even a second passes and I see the small bullet hole in the centre of her forehead. A tiny trickle of blood runs down between her eyes. The light dimming from them before her body slides down the tree trunk. Chapter 0493 ?Chapter 0493 "How long have you been following us?" I ask as his footsteps crunch on the ground. Brax steps up behind me "Long enough." "I was going to kill her." "And if you had, it may just screw things up between you and Neah." I spin around to look at him. "Neah understands more than you will ever know. I was going to kill Eris for her, for us, for our family. Letting her go would have been a mistake." "We all know that." He walks to Eris who is still slumped against a tree. Using his fingers, he carefully closes her eyelids. "But Neah is pregnant and she is going to need you. And this way, you don''t need to lie to her. Besides, Neah already knows that I will do what I need to do, to ensure that she and her babies are safe. That was the deal right?"Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "I wasn''t going to lie." "Okay." He mutters, pulling Eris over his shoulder. "Let me deal with this, you head back." I take my time going back to Neah. I wasn''t sure why Brax thought I would lie to my mate. I had no intention of lying, that wasn''t the agreement between Neah and I. I just needed to kill Eris first. At least now, she was another problem cut from our lives. ''Dane,e to mine!'' Eric links me What''s the problem?'' ''Um, it''s a little tooplicated for me to exin. Just hurry." Eric is outside with Luca and Logan when I arrive. "What''s happening?" "Evrin." He points to the house and I hear a crashe from inside. "Mall is trying to contain him." "He''s shifted?" I ask as there is another crash along with Mallory telling Evrin to stop. Eric nods at me I walk inside to a house looking like a tornado had ripped through it. Furniture was uprooted, broken dishes scattered the floor. Clothes and food had been flung around the room. I hear Mallory upstairs, talking and trying to calm my son down. It''s met with growls and footsteps pounding across the floor. Evrin tears down the stairs towards me, throwing his Lycan frame at me. His arms lock around my neck as he buries his nose against me. His breaths are heavy and his heart races but as I hold him, I feel his body grow heavy and he slowly starts shifting back. A frazzled Mallory descends the stairs, staring at me. "Is that really all it has taken?" My eyes move over the trashed house. Evrin couldn''t do a lot in Human form, but he could as a Lycan. "Mumma." He whispers tearfully. "I think we have found what this was all about." I look down at my son. He was a miniature version of her. But unlike Logan, Evrin seemed to know when something wasn''t right with his mother.From N?velDrama.Org. "Is Neah okay?" Mallory asks "She''s resting, but she will be okay." "Mumma." Evrin whispers again. "Let''s get dressed and go find her." I smile at him and tell Mallory that I will be back to clean up. Logan stands up when I''m outside, holding his hands up and waiting to be picked up. In true sibling style, they start pushing each other, but startughing when I carry them like footballs and purposely swing them through the air. They are giggling all the way to the hospital and are desperate to get down when they see Neah. The boys scramble all over her, both fighting for attention as she hugs them and I feel my heart burst with pride. If anyone had asked me a few years ago about my future children, I would haveughed in their face, but here they were and soon enough two would be four. "Has she gone?" Neah asks as the boys settle down. *You don''t need to worry about her." I tell her She studies me for a second. "Did you..." "I was going to, but Brax beat me to it." Her eyes remain on me as shebs her fingers through Logan''s dark hair. "I understand what you said, but after all that''s happened..." *She was too much of a risk." she bobs her head. "We didn''t know who she was or if Cooper was using her and she was ying us. This way. There isn''t a chance that she can screw us over." "Okay. What about Ss? Do we need to be ready for him?" "Maybe, maybe not. But he isn''t my priority right now. He might just be a story. Cooper may have found out a few things to try and use against us. If somethinges, I will deal with it." *I would prefer it if nothing happened for a while." Chapter 0494 ?Chapter 0494 Damien *Rejecting Eris was the right thing to do." Mallory sighs as she rocks back and forth, cradling Luca. I nce around her chaotic home, "And I''m pretty sure she is dead now anyway."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g She freezes. "Care to exin?" "I was going home to check on Dottie but I changed direction toe here. I saw Dane take her into the forest and shortly after, Brax followed. Dane came out." "But Brax and Eris didn''t?" "Exactly." "Are you feeling guilty? Because that isn''t like you." "I''m not sure what I feel. Everything that I''ve been working so hard to ignore and bury, hase right back to the surface. When the hold on Eris broke and I realised who she was, all I could think about was Raven and what happened to her." "You know that what happened to her was not normal." *Is anything about us normal?" I cock an eyebrow at her. *Okay, poor choice of words." she mutters.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "What I''m saying is, I don''t understand how Eris could have been mated to me. She was a self righteous, crazy bitch. And that is putting it lightly." Malloryughs at me. "Yep, definitely not your type." "And Dottie hated her." "Dorothy does have a pretty clear view on who she likes and who she doesn''t. Speaking of Dorothy, how is she doing now that things have changed with Kade." "Better." "And Kade? What is going to happen to him now?" "Now Cooper is dead, I think that he will be allowed out. He will probably not be able to go anywhere on his own for a while." *Just like his sister." I hadn''t given much thought to ir. She had kept her head down and got on with everything. "I''m going to head home." *Sure you don''t want to stay?" "No, I need to clear my head." ANA I stand at the front door of my home, listening to Dottie squealing with pure happiness. For a moment it reminded me of how Raven had made herugh. Each and every time I had heard it in the past, Raven had always been right there with her. Dottie appears at the window, her skin flushed and what looked like beads in her hair. "Are youing inside, Daddy?" "I will be back in a minute. Is that okay?" "Okay, but hurry, me and Sammie have a surprise." I couldn''t get over how much Dottie liked Sammie when everyone else around here had a problem with her. I take the long way around to the small cemetery. I hadn''t set foot here since the day Raven and her twin were buried. I didn''t have the words then and I''m not sure if I do now. The cemetery was kept spotless. Weeds and fallen leaves had been removed and brightly coloured flowers lined each grave. I stand at the edge of hers. My hands in my pockets and silently wishing that she had never given up on life. That she had found a way to tell me that she was done. I still med myself. I had watched her fade and the little things I did to stop her fading further, were just not enough. I should have tried more. I should have made her more of a priority. I should have fought harder for her. "You couldn''t have changed anything." I nce up to see Brax. Dirt all over his face and a shovel over his shoulder. "I thought I would find you here. I did the exact same thing when I realised Madison was my mate. I returned to my first mate''s grave." He lowers the shovel, bncing it against the small gate and makes his way over to me. "You wish that things had been different. That you could have found a way to save her. Trust me, I know. I saw it that night and it''s also the way I felt about my wife." "When my mate and children were taken from me, I went on a mission, hunting and ughtering every Rogue could find in my search for ir and Dorothy. I didn''t stop because I didn''t want to feel. You distanced yourself, because the slightest conversation about her brings you right back to feeling this." He points at Ravens grave. "Is that why you don''t spend any time with your daughter?" I snap Chapter 0495 ?Chapter 0495 *She looks just like her." He murmurs. "The eyes, the hair, even those little cheek dimples. I should be more than happy that she looks just like her mother." "It''s a constant reminder of what you lost." I sigh *I love her. She is mine and she will always be mine." We stood in silence for a few minutes. "Is Eris dead?" "Yes." I nod, "Raven would have hated her. I don''t understand why I was paired with her." *The higher powers work in mysterious ways. But I do have a theory," *Please enlighten me." I mutter with an eye roll. *You were Human once." "That''s all you''ve got?" *The story is that each and everyone of us has a life expectancy. A day where we can no longer recover or heal from whatever is thrown at us. Part of that story includes us finding our mates. But Wolves and Lycan mates are decided long before we even touch this Earth."N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "If that were the case, why are Lycans being mated to Wolves?" He shrugs his shoulders at me. "As I said. It was decided long ago. But your kind threw a spanner in the works." "Lycans?" "Bitten Lycans. Maybe it was something they didn''t seeing." *That makes no sense. If our mates were already chosen, then they would have known we were in the works otherwise we wouldn''t be mated." He looks up to the sky. "Or maybe they are just ying with our lives and throwing challenge after challenge at us. A game of survival. But we all die in the end. That much is guaranteed." I cock a brow at him, "Did you eat some mushrooms when you were in the forest?" He smiles at me. "No, but sometimes we are missing what is right in front of us, Damien." He walks to the gravestone and ces his hand on it as he looks back at me. "She was your step to finding the one that you are supposed to be with." "Are you talking about Eris or Raven?" "Maybe both." He picks up the shovel as he walks away. Sometimes, I was certain he was high on something. Lowering myself to the grass, I stare at her gravestone for far too long. Wondering what she would think of all that has happened. Maybe Brax was right. Maybe she did have an expiration date and was never meant to live this long. But I knew a part of her would always be with me. It''ste when I get back. Samara is sitting on the sofa, with her hands sped around a mug as she practically inhales the coffee. I nce around the room. Sheets were stretched out everywhere being held up with pegs and string.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. *Sorry, we made a den. Dorothy wanted to show you, but she crashed out." "She''s asleep?" She nods at me as puts her mug down. "She had a bath. A story and is asleep in her bed." I nce over my shoulder towards the stairs and furrow my brow. "She hasn''t made a sound?" There were very few people who she would allow to tuck her in. "How long has she been asleep?" She nces up to the clock. "About an hour. When you didn''te back, I told her that you might have been called to do something for the pack and that she was fine." She pauses and frowns. "Sorry, did you not want me to "It''s surprising, that''s all. Excuse me for a minute." Quietly moving upstairs, I poke my head around Dottie''s door. She''s sprawled out on her stomach. Her light brown hair is braided and soft snores fill the quiet. It was odd to see her so rxed in her sleep and not curled up in a tight ball. And the teddy bear that she had been given not long after I rescued her was on the floor instead of in a death grip. *Is everything okay?" Samara asks as I make my way down the stairs. "Yes. There has just been a lot happening today. A few things I need to wrap my head around." She smiles at me and nods. "Do you want to talk?" "Not yet." "Okay, do you mind if I get some sleep. Your kid is great but I am exhausted. It''s been a long time since I''ve been this active." She lets out a smallugh Chapter 0496 ?Chapter 0496 *Sure, take the bed. I will sleep on the couch." *Thank you, Damien."She runs up the stairs as I settle on the sofa **** Dottie talks her ear off at breakfast. Between mouthfuls of cereal, Dottie tries to give Samara every detail she could think of when ites to school. I couldn''t get a word in anywhere and instead, I found myself watching Samara. Her grey eyes are bright as she listens to every word thates from Dottie''s mouth. And I was still surprised that Dottie had slept through the night without a single nightmare and because I couldn''t quite believe it, I hadn''t slept a wink. Well that and the fact I couldn''t get Raven out of my head. "Daddy?" I blink a few times and smile at Dottie. "When am I going to shift?" she asks curiously and the question catches me by surprise, "When you are much older." "But Evrin can." Dottie smiles at me, ''and he can barely walk." "Neah''s twins?" Samara asks "Yes.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "One of them can shift?" I nod "Is that a thing?" "Neah could when she was young." "Wow. Do you know if my mother could?" she asks with a frown "I don''t know. I don''t think there is much information on your mother and I think it''s more to do with who Neah is." "Thest female Alpha." Dottie proudly announces and she looks at Samara. "Don''t be sad about your mummy. I don''t have one either and I''m okay." Samara looks away, running her hand through her short blonde hair, it was starting to grow out, though she still hated it. I liked it, it suited her. "Go get ready." I tell Dottie. She shoves another spoonful in her mouth and runs off towards the stairs. "You want to find out about your mother?" I ask.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. She frowns at me. "Yes and no. I understand that Neah and I are cousins and that our mothers were sisters. I know she gave me up to my dad. I know that she wasn''t ready to have me. But that doesn''t stop me from being curious about her. What was she like? Do I carry any of her traits? Do I resemble her?" She sighs. "Then there is the part of me that wonders if it''s better this way. I can''t see what I missed out on." She passes me as she takes the dishes to the sink. Holding out her hand she waits for my mug. Her fingers catch mine as I hand it over. A sharp current makes its way up through my finger and I almost drop the mug. Samara doesn''t react to the spark. Instead she asks me if I didn''t get enough sleep while slowly taking the mug from me. *The brain is on overdrive." I tell her "I take it you didn''t talk to Eris then." she mutters with her back to me "We talked and I rejected her." I see her freeze, but she doesn''t turn around. "I was at the hospital with Neah and Dane. Neah wanted to talk with her, and everything that came out of her mouth was a lie." "I lied." she whispers and I hear the sadness in her tone "It was different. You were being forced to do something you didn''t want too. She just kept spewing more and more shit. Making demands. She couldn''t even look Neah or Dane in the eye as she was bullshitting them. And that Alpha Ss, was just something Cooper had told her." "So it''s not true? There is no Wolf that is trying to im power?" "No." *Are you sure?" She turns around to face me, supporting herself on the counter. "They seem toe out of nowhere. And she did say she was running from him." "I can''t be sure about anything these days. But Alpha Ryan of Ashburn City is alive and well. It hasn''t been taken over. Eris came from a ce called White Cliffs." She frowns at me. "I know that name." "White Cliffs?" "Dad told me that was where he met my mother." Chapter 0497 Chapter 0497 Samara "Your mother was in White Cliffs?" Damien''s dark eyes lock on mine and I try to ignore how much I wanted him to kiss me. To feel his lips on mine now. To lift me up on the counter behind me. ''Make the first move.'' Dakota cheers me on "It''s not like I know anything more than that." I shake my head, ignoring Dakota and wondering if I should have mentioned it when they confirmed Neah was my cousin. But it wasn''t something I had been thinking about. "I only know what I have already told you. She didn''t want me. And other than Dad telling me where they met, he never spoke about her. No matter how much I asked." I sigh and lower my gaze. "Sometimes, I wish I could speak to him, just for a chance to get a tiny bit more information. Does that make sense?" "You should have said something?" ¡°I didn''t think it was important." I run my thumb across my finger tips, I''m certain I had felt something when my hand brushed his. A spark, some kind of heat snaking up my hand, it had taken my breath away but he hadn''t said anything. So I kept my mouth shut. ''It''s your chance.'' Dakota mutters ''He is still hung up on Raven. And I don''t even know what I felt. It''s not like I can smell him.'' "Was that where your mother lived?" Damien interrupts my conversation with Dakota. I shrug my shoulders, feeling a strange fluttering in my chest. There was just something about the way he looked at me. Not like I was a bad person and not like I was just around. Like he could see me for me. "Is that the original location of the Kitson family?" He asks "I don''t know. My father would never say anything more." "But Eris was a Wolf!" He mutters to himself "There are Wolves and Lycans here. Maybe they did the same there." I hunch my shoulders up ¡°That doesn''t make sense. Eris didn''t know about Lycans. Or if she did, she was very good at hiding it. Then again, that could be a possibility when she lied about so much other shit." "Why wouldn''t those Lycans havee here?" I ask. I knew Neah had called them in. ir had told me that much. "It was never an order. She gave them a choice." He moves away from me and I didn''t realise how tense I had been over our closeness. "But that would mean they are aware of her." "Wouldn''t us have known? You told me he is a researcher."From N?velDrama.Org. "Depends how well the information was hidden. We will drop Dottie off to school and you cane with me to Eric''s ce and speak to Neah." Hees close to me again and I on hold my breath as his hand resto my shoulder sending another short sharp apike of something. "This might actually be helpful Samara." I could feel the blush creeping up my chest and knew it would show itself on my face at any second if I didn''t excuse myself. "I just need to go wash up." I blurt and hurry past him. Running up the stairs, I slip into the bedroom and quietly close the door. Leaning against it, I let out a sigh. This crush was stupid. It made me feel like a teenager. And he was off limits. We are not even mated. And then there is the fact that he still longs for his first mate. ''You''re overthinking it.'' Dakota murmurs. ''Please don''t encourage this.'' ''I don''t have anything to do with it. This is your natural reaction to him. I''m just enjoying the ride.'' ''So helpful.'' I whisper In the bathroom, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was stuck out everywhere, not that there was much of it. Running the water, I tten it down until it looks somewhat tidy. The day that it is back to its long length, it will be extremely satisfying. There''s a knock on the door followed by Dorothy calling for me. "Daddy has asked if you are ready. We need to leave." "I will be right there." Sshing my face with cold water, I take a deep breath and make my way to the top of the staircase. Damien is waiting at the bottom et Leaning against the wall with a foot propped up as Dorothy races back and forth, calling out a list of all the things she needed for her session. "Dottie, we do this almost every day. I promise you, you have everything." "But..." "If there is something you need. I''m sure your teacher will let you borrow it or she can link me and I will drop it off." He was so good with her and she wasn''t even biologically his. ''Our children are going to be beautiful.'' "Dakota!" I shout mortified at her words Damien and Dorothy look up the stairs at me. Both wide eyed and full of curiosity. Chapter 0498 Chapter 0498 "She''s winding me up about my short hair." I lie,pletely and utterly embarrassed. "Well Dakota." Damien mutters as he stares at me. "I think it suits her." My stomach practically trips over itself. Compliments were never said to me. He offers me a smile. "Are you ready?" I nod when I don''t seem to be able to form any words. Dorothy holds my hand as we walk to the school. But I could see the looks. I could feel the judgement. A couple of days ago I had been locked in a dungeon because I wasn''t trustworthy and now I was walking with the Beta to the pack school. Wee to a stop and I see ir with a young boy. Her brother I assume. I watch him hug her before he hurries inside. As she turns to leave, she spots me. I could see the immediate anger in her eyes. She hated me for keeping her in the dark, for lying to her and letting her trust me. I open my mouth to apologise, but she walks straight by without a single look back. "She will get over it." Dorothy tells me as she lets go of my hand. Throwing her arms around me, she squeezes me tight and tells me to make sure Neah sees the sticker. And puts another one on the tshirt that I''m wearing "Do I get a hug?" Damien mutters as Dorothy starts to walk away. "You should hug Sammie." She smiles and runs in through the school doors. He doesn''t respond and just sort of stares ahead. Clearing his throat he asks me if I''m ready to speak to Neah. "As ready as I can be." I had made sure I had eaten enough breakfast tost me a while, just in case she puts me back in the dungeon. Damien doesn''t say another word to me as we walk by the ruined packhouse. There were already people inside, clearing the rubble. We stop at a house further along. There is a lot of noiseing from inside as Damien knocks on the door. Dane answers. His strange crimson eyes casually drift over me before he invites us both inside. Neah is sitting on the sofa with her feet up on a small ottoman. The twin that looks most like Neah is clinging to her while the other one is pushing toy cars down a little ramp and squealing as they shoot across the floor. "How are you feeling?" Damien asks her "Like I''m being watched constantly." She murmurs, looking at Dane "I''m just making sure you are getting what you need." He mutters back She rolls her eyes and they settle on me. "How are you finding things?" "Um, I''ve pretty much just been at Damien''s house. I did go for a walk with Dorothy, but that''s it. I promise." I really wanted to stay out of the dungeons, I hated being down there alone. "No trouble." Damien confirms. "Samara has actually been quite helpful.¡± There was just something about the way he said my name. He made me sound far more exotic than I am.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "But you have something to tell us?" Dane asks "I told Samara about some of the things Eris said." Damien tells them. "Particrly the story that Eris is from a pack called White Cliffs." Damien gestures to me. ¡°Apparently that is where my Dad met my Mum." I blurt out. "Your mother?" Dane asks I nod. ¡°And before you ask, that was all my father said. He never gave me any more information. I knew more about Cooper''s mother than my own." Dane starts asking the same questions that Damien did. Questioning why Wolves and Lycans existed in the same location. If Eris had lied about her knowledge. They pretty much have the same conversation as me and Damien, only this time, Damien tells him what I had said. I see Neah watching me, but I keep my mouth closed. It''s easier that I didn''t talk see how she moves the twin that is hugging her. He is fast asleep, yet he looks so much like her. He must be the one that can shift. "White Cliffs were never mentioned to you?" Dane asks Neah. "As far as I''m aware, I always lived in Moonshine. But then again, I don''t know much, other than what happened to me." Creases appear in her forehead as she frowns. "Is that where the rest of my family are?" "Not necessarily." I mutter Her eyes snap to mine. "You are the Alpha. You became Alpha because your mother died. She would have been Alpha too, right? But it normally passes down when either the parent has died or they''vepleted a ceremony, right?" They are all looking at me. "There might not be anyone there. But then there might be others, a wider family.¡± I shrug my shoulders. Deep down, I wanted to go. I wanted to know more about my mother. I wanted to know what she was like. Someone there must have known her. Chapter 0499 Chapter 0499 Neah ''She could be right.'' Nyx murmurs. ''There could be more out there.'' ''Even if there are, they never bothered to look for me? You know as well as I do that they would have felt it when my binding was broken. They would have heard me when I linked everyone. Not one of them has even tried to contact me. Not one of the Lycans here have mentioned White Cliffs.'' Dane watches me as I shuffle Evrin around, trying to getfortable. I don''t remember feeling like this so early on when I was pregnant with the boys. I frown when I could feel Dane searching my mind, looking for some clue on my silence. "Do you really believe that was where your parents met?" I finally ask Samara. She hikes her shoulders up around her chin and lowers her gaze. ¡°I don''t know. I just." She frowns. "When Damien told me the name, it rang a bell. Like a forgotten piece of information, hiding in my brain. I hadn''t even thought about her until Dakota arrived and now it''s like an itch I need to scratch." After a brief pause, she looks up at us. "You know, find out about her and learn about that side that makes up my gics." "We know what you mean." Damien speaks softly to her and I watch as she gives him a small smile. Her cheeks slowly turn rosy. Quickly, she starts talking to me again, trying to hide the blush that was deepening the colour on her cheeks. "Don''t you wonder? If it really is a ce where our bloodline runs deep, don''t we deserve to know?" Samara presses and points at my twins. "Don''t they deserve to know everything about themselves?" I couldn''t hide my scowl. I already knew where this was going. She wanted to go to White Cliffs. And in a weird way, she was asking my permission. "I need time to think." I mutter. "It''s not a simple case of packing up and heading to a pack I''ve never heard of. I have kids." "She is also pregnant." Dane adds, "And supposed to be taking it easy." He gives me a look that dares me to agree to this stupid idea. "us." I murmur to Damien. "Go and ask him if he can find any other information on White Cliffs other than them being up north. And take Samara with you." "No dungeon?" Samara asks quickly. "For now, no." I confirm. She had a hand in killing her brother, letting her have a bit of breathing space was the least I could reward her with. She smiles at me. "I won''t let you down." Damien is grinning at her too, and not in a ''we''re just friends way''. He liked her more than that, but she seems to bepletely unaware. They leave together and Dane sits next to me as Logan climbs up on to hisp. "Did you see what I saw?" I nod. "They will figure it out. It''s not our business." "I don''t think they''re mates." I shrug my shoulders. "Eric wasn''t mated to his wife." "True." He throws a giggling Logan up into the air and catches him easily. You really don''t want to know anymore about your background do you?" I shake my head. "If the way my parents tried to get rid of me is anything to go by. I can only imagine the others, if there are any, they are probably just as bad." ret "It''s not necessarily all of them. And in no way am I trying to defend your parents for their actions. But maybe they weren''t prepared for you. Maybe they didn''t know that you shifting so early was a possibility He frowns, "The whole situation has me thinking about what ir said in the early days. How she wanted what was hers. To take the pack as she was the eldest even though it was never your fathers. It sounds like your mother may have left everything behind to be with him. To set up a new life and there were a bunch of them that followed." "You think they were some kind of forbidden couple?"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Possibly. Maybe your father was nobody and your grandparents didn''t want them together." "Does that happen? They were fated mates." I ask "It happens more than you realise." "It would exin why Moonshine was always hidden." Chapter 0500 Chapter 0500 He nods his head and bounces Logan on his knees. "And why Trey was so desperate to make a deal with me. Who were they preparing to fight against?" "You think they were going to fight White Cliffs?" ¡°The eagerness. The unwillingness to read the contract even when warned. How he so easily agreed to letting youe with me. It sounds like we missed something. Never have I had an Alpha that has been so desperate to make a contract with me without reading through my terms and conditions. Normally, it has always been the other way around. I would practically force them into it, but I would still give them a chance to opt out, if it suited me." He pulls faces at Logan as he catches him, "But Trey was beyond desperate. It may not have been that they were going to fight, but maybe the n was to protect themselves and they did not in any way have the numbers. They needed help." "What would they have been fighting over?" His crimson eyes lock on mine.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Me?" I scoff "Your mother had died. You had be the Alpha. Though Trey and Cassandra were pretty quick at binding you again. But you said it yourself, the day you turned eighteen, for a short while, you were unbound again. If you had stayed that way long enough, Nyx may have shown up and they would have been able to find you. They couldn''t locate you when you were bound." "You really think they wereing for me? Because that sounds insane." "In the grand scheme of things, does it?" "They could havee and found me at any point since I''ve been here." I mutter "They could have. Or maybe something changed. Maybe they realised just how powerful you can really be and have decided that it''s best to keep their distance." "That is just crazy." "Is it? Think about how things have happened. And I''m not talking about the stuff that happened to you. Changing Humans into Lycans long before they attacked us and long before I was in the picture. Damien has said Cassandra did it because they would be great weapons. Yes they had ns for you, but it seems like they must have had other ns too, because I didn''t know you until I set eyes on you in that office of Treys." "Even if we consider that what you are saying is true, why would they havee for me?" "To take you back to where you should live. Raise you to be the strong female Alpha that you are." I shuffle over and slide Evrin onto Danes''p so I can get up. I loosely retie my hair into its bun, ignoring the escaped strands as I mull over Danes words. "It''s a lot of maybes!" I sigh "It is, I''m just trying to work through possible scenarios. Maybe it was because they knew your parents tried to abandon you. Maybe, they were trying to save you. Maybe they wanted to offer you something better." "Anything would have been better than the crap Trey and the others put me through. Practically starving, dehydrated and barely able to stand sometimes without the room spinning. All I ever wanted was to be Content epted for who I am" vel belongs to NovelDrama.Org "Like I said, it''s only theories. We don''t know if any of it is the truth." He shrugs his shoulders at me "But you think I should consider it?" "I think you should do whatever it is you need to do. I''m not forcing you either way. This has to be your choice." "As I said to Nyx, not one of them has bothered to contact me when they could have quite easily done sq. I''m not chasing after something that doesn''t need to be chased after. Besides, I am carrying another set of twins. Would you really be letting me travel way up north when we don''t know what we will be walking into?" "You have a point." He smiles ¡°If us can give Damien something that is worth investigating, I might consider it, but not until these are here.¡± I pat my stomach. ''We could try and sift through the links to find them.'' Nyx offers ''No.'' I mutter. I wanted the quietness tost. I wanted to focus on the pack and my growing family. Especially with my ever shifting son. Chapter 0501 ?Chapter 0501 Damien "Nothing?" I ask us as Samara eyes up his mountains of books. "In all of these books, there is really nothing?" "From what I understand, they are more secret than a secret. What Dane told you, about being a northern pack, that is pretty much all there is on them. I can''t find anything else." "How far north?" "I would assume the furthest you can go without leaving the maind." us mutters "Dane never bothered to make a deal with them?" "Why would he? They never requested his or the pack''s help. And they are hundreds of miles away. From the little information I know, they likely keep themselves to themselves." He moves around, packing a few things in bags. It looked as though he was sticking to his word and leaving ck Shadow now Cooper was dead. "Then how did Eris end up all the way down here?" Samara asks as she runs a finger along the edge of a book shelf, pulling books out a few inches to look at the cover before sliding them right back into ce. us raises his shoulders. "I know you rejected her, Damien, but I guess you could try and get the truth out of her. Whether she will give it is a different question." "That ain''t going to happen." "I know you Damien. You can get what you need out of people." "It''s a little bit harder when they are dead." He pauses to stare at me and turns away. "I honestly thought she was telling me the truth. Damien." "We both did." Samara adds. "She was very convincing." "I''m not here to tell you that you were right or wrong. We all make mistakes at some point in our lives. I came here purely because Neah suggested you might have some information or at least be able to find it." He loads up a bag with full water bottles and drums his fingers on the table. Walking past Samara, he reaches up to a thick book that sits on top of the tall bookcase. He stares at it briefly and blows the dust off the cover and hands it to Samara. "This might be of some interest to you." "What is it?" she asks with raised eyebrows.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "It''s a story from a long time ago. Written by Aldous Kitson." "Who is that? Kitson is obviously a connection, but who?" "As far as I understand, he is a great rtive of yours and someone who led the Lycans in the great war, a very long time ago." "And how is that going to help?" I ask. "Is there something in there about White Cliffs?" "No pack name is mentioned. But there is something that refers to the Kitson n. And maybe Samara will find it interesting." He flips his head upside down and gathers his hair in his hands, quickly and casually tying it up in a knot on top of his head. "It''s like I said Damien, there is nothing. You are more than wee to search these books, but I know them all pretty well." "Thanks." I mutter, looking at the stacks and wondering where I would even start. "You are still leaving?" He nods at me. "I have to do this. I need to know who I am, what I truly am and where I really came from. I know, itN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. sounds ridiculously selfish, but I have spent years doing everything for everyone else. Always finding the answer that they need, but now, it''s time for me to find my own answers." "What about Neah? She''s pregnant." "I know and I did consider staying, but there are others that are more than capable of working in the hospital. And there are plenty of women in the pack who have given birth including Neah. Besides, Neah epted why I wanted to leave." "Where will you go?" Samara asks as she tucks the book under her arm "Wherever the information leads me. I will be back at some point, though I can''t give you an exact date. When I have finished my search, I will return." He shes his deep green eyes at me. "Don''t worry, I won''t run off in the middle of the night, I will say my farewells." Chapter 0502 ?Chapter 0502 "I can''t believe he is leaving the pack." Samara mutters as she follows me back home. "He needs to do what he needs to do." "But it''s still a huge risk. He could be gone for years." "That''s us''s choice. He isn''t being kicked out and he has spoken to Neah about it." Back inside, she makes herself a coffee and settles on the sofa. Crossing her legs, she flips the book open and rests it on them. I took my own coffee to the table, I could see her through the open door. Several times she goes to take a drink, but the mug never quite makes it to her lips. A wide range of emotion shes across her face as she turns the pages. Curiosity, surprise, sadness and every now and again, she would look overwhelmed by what she is reading. "Do you know much about the war?" She asks and her eyes lock on mine. A rosy pink tinge fills her cheeks and she starts drinking the coffee to hide her face. Before I have a chance to answer, she starts firing information at me. Nothing that was really useful, but to her, it seemed to be. She nces back to the book. "There''s allsorts in here. And it''s weird to read about a great ancestor." Samara slowly closes it with a small frown, "What about you family?" "What about them?" "Do you ever go and see them?" "Why would I? I''m not Human anymore. Salem is dead and Dane is my brother now." "Parents? Any other siblings?" I shake my head at her. "Sorry. I''m intruding." She mutters and takes another sip of coffee.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "You are not intruding. I rarely talk about my past life. It isn''t important." She drops the book on the sofa andes through to the kitchen, sitting at the opposite end of the table to me. How did you get here?" "Luck."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "You believe in luck?" she scoffs "Not always, but I do think it was luck that brought everyone into my life. The woman who turned me, she was a problem. I left before she could get me to do something that I didn''t agree with. When I met Damien, I was trying to get Mallory out of a shit situation. And they just happened toe along. Did I expect to meet my mate here? No. But I guess everything happens for a reason." Samara lowers her eyes. "She was a big part of you." "She is, but she didn''t make me who I am. That happened a long time ago." I watch as she nods, but she doesn''t make eye contact. Suddenly she gets to her feet. "Another coffee?" "Not for me." She doesn''t say another word as she fills the kettle and starts making herself another drink. She stands with her hands on her hips, cinching in the tshirt she is wearing and showing the curves of her hips. My eyes involuntarily drift down to her pert ass and for a second an image appears in my mind of her bent over the counter, her bare round ass in the air, waiting for me. I cough to clear the thought and she turns around to look at me. "What happened?" "Coffee, wrong hole." I splutter and make an excuse to leave. "Do you want me to stay here?" "I think that''s for the best." I shout back and head out the door. Mallory is staring at me with a cocked eyebrow, a few feet away from my door and with Luca in a sling. "I''ve seen that look before." She smirks as I stride past her. "It''s nothing." I mutter "Hmm." "There is no ''hmm''. It is nothing." "If you say so." She muses "Why are you here anyway?" "Eric is on duty, there are a lot of people in my house and I just needed an hour or two. And it''s good for Luca." "Sounds like you regret inviting Neah and Dane to stay." I tease Chapter 0503 ?Chapter 0503 "I don''t regret it." "Liar." "I''m not the only one lying to myself, am I?" She winks at me. "Spill." Her pace is quick as she follows me across the grounds to the burnt out packhouse. She doesn''t push for more information, well not verbally anyway. Just her presence was enough to know she wasn''t leaving until I had given her something. She had always been the same and a lot of the time, her persistence pays off. Shees to an abrupt stop next to me and looks up at what was left of the packhouse. "This isn''t why you had that look on your face." She mutters "I''m not ready to talk about it." I try, hoping that for once, she would just drop it. "Okay, so tell me why you havee here." "Work has started." "I''ve seen that." "I might as well help." I tell her "Damien."N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "It''s fine." I snap and she just stares at me. "Sorry, that was a little abrupt." "Just a little. What''s going on?" This time there was no teasing, she wanted to know. Maybe if I just give her the minimum. "There is alot going on in my head right now." "I can see that. But you know as well as I do that it''s best to get it out." "I went to Raven''s grave." I sigh "Okay."Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "I haven''t been there since she was buried." I mutter "Why now?" "I felt like I had too." "Because of Eris?" She asks "Partly." "Because there is someone else?" "If that''s what you want to call it because I don''t know what it is." "Do you like this other person?" She presses. "Yes." "And....?" "It''splicated." I sigh as I scan the building. "I felt something when she touched me. A spark, a bolt of electricity. I don''t know what it was but I haven''t felt that." "Not even with Raven." "It was different with her. With Raven, it spread through me, reaching every nerve ending. This was different. It was short. Sharp. Unexpected." "Good or bad." "That''s what I''m trying to understand. It''s not like I can smell her or that I feel a pull to her. And surely there is no way I would have been given a third mate so quickly. But then there are times where she invades my thoughts. Or I find myself watching her." "How does she feel?" "I have absolutely no idea. She didn''t give me any kind of sign to suggest that she had felt something too. And I''m not saying anything until I know what it was I felt." "That exins why you went to see Raven. You feel guilty." She gives me a tight lipped smile. "Raven was your mate and this other woman made you feel that you had to go to her." "That''s exactly what Brax said." She punches me in the bicep sending pins and needles cascading down to my hand. "You told him before you told me! I''m your best friend." She drops her voice to a whisper. "Does he know who you are talking about?" "He found me at the cemetery." "You didn''t answer my question!" She scowls at me "He had a hunch and yes, he was right." "Who?" "Let me figure things out first." I tell her "Okay, fine. But tell me this. Do you like her?" "Yes, I have already said that." "Would you ept her and mark her even if she isn''t your mate?" "Yes. But then...." "No buts. Raven was your past. There is no reason why you can''t love both of them. This person could be your present and your future." Chapter 0504 ?Chapter 0504 Samara Poking my fingers through the ts of the window blind, I part them just enough for me to peer through. Damien is walking away and Mallory is following him at a quick pace, trying to keep up with hisrge strides. ''Stalker alert. Dakotaughs "I''m not a stalker!" Sheughs, ''That''s his friend?'' "They go way back." ''You''re annoyed?" she asks "No, of course not. They are friends. And from the sounds of it, they helped each other loads. You know, after they became Lycans. I just don''t understand why he left so quickly." My eyes stay on Mallory for less than a second before shifting to him. I liked the way he walked. The confidence he carrie. An aura of power surrounds him and it is clear that everyone supports him as a Beta. He would likely make a good Alpha too. He was kind, though maybe he didn''t always show that to others, but he always did to me. I still wondered where he was going and why he left, like he did. "He could have been linked? Dakota suggests. We need to be more involved in the pack. Then we wouldn''t have to stay inside all the time. I need space to move. To stretch." "I''m not pushing myself in somewhere where I am not really wanted. I will keep my head down." She rolls her eyes at me. "I''ve caused enough problems, Dakota. I just...you keep saying we are supposed to be Neah''s Beta."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "We are.'' "Then let me at least try to settle in. She already doesn''t like that I suggested we go to White Cliffs. I could see that much." I peer through the blinds again. I couldn''t see them anymore. Making myself another coffee, I sigh. I wanted to be around him all the time and not in a needy way. I love hispany. I love that he gives me a chance to feel what I need to feel. I love that he knows he can talk to me. Then there is the added bonus that he is good to look at. But still, I didn''t understand what I had felt when my fingers brushed his hand. I sit at the table with the book us had given me. I had to take my mind off of Damien. There was a lot in the book, but it was just as us said, there is nothing on White Cliffs, not even a mention of a home. Well not so far anyway. But it was interesting to learn Aldous''s thought process. The detail that he goes into is fascinating and yet somehow, he omits a lot of information. A knock on the door almost makes me spill my coffee. Carefully and quietly I move to the door. Pulling it open, I''m met with a woman with that has waves of red hair. She''s holding a box and standing behind her is ir. irs arms are folded across her chest and she refuses to look at me. "Hi, I''m Maddie" The redhead smiles at me. I was almost jealous of her long luscious hair. "Samara." I smile back at her "I know." She nods to therge box in her arms. "I''ve seen that we are a simr size and thought you could use some clothes that are not Damien''s. They might tie you over for a little while until you can get some that you like." "You didn''t need to do that." "A little kindness can go a long way, can''t it ir?" Maddie digs her elbow into ir "I''m only here because I''m not allowed to wander off alone." ir huffs, "Still. But it seems like you can." "I''m not wondering around. I''ve been told not to leave the house." I take the box from Maddie and thank her. "I still can''t believe you lied to me!" ir snaps at me "I said I''m sorry." "You still lied after I told you I couldn''t take it if someone else lied to me.* "I just..." "Suddenly speechless." She cuts me off. "Usually you don''t shut up." "ir!" Maddie snaps at her.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "It''s fine. She is right, Maddie. I did lie, and I did it to save myself." I put the box on the floor and focus on ir.* You spent maybe months being tortured by Coop. I spent years. And no he didn''t do the same things to me as he did to you. No, I understand that. I was just emotionally ckmailed every single day since my Dad died. And I didn''t know it until people here helped me to see the truth." You tell her!'' Dakota cheers me on. "Is that another one of your bullshit lies?" ir demands "Do you think Damien would be letting me stay here if he didn''t believe that I had changed?" "I think we should go." Maddie frowns at ir as she tugs her arm. "If you need anything, Samara, just let me know. You can generally find me." She gives me a smile, but when I nce at ir, I''m met with a look that suggests I should sleep with one eye open. Chapter 0505 ?Chapter 0505 ''We can take her.'' Dakota mutters as they walk away. "No. That will just add fuel to the fire that I''m already trying to extinguish. Besides, she is Neah''s half sister." ''But they don''t get along.'' "Maybe not, but I don''t want to risk being kicked out." I groan Because you want to be with Damien! Damien didn''te back for hours and since he has been back, he has barely spoken a word to me. He didn''t seem angry. But he sits at the small table in the kitchen, an arm resting on the top as his fingers drum the wood. "Is Dorothying back tonight?" I ask quietly. School would have finished a couple of hours ago. And at least she would break the tension that seemed to be surrounding us. "Sleepover." He mutters as his dark eyes find mine. "That''s nice." I wasn''t sure what I should say. Being around him made me nervous, but it also made my heart flutter. "She didn''t mention it this morning." I was trying so hard to keep the conversation light. Maybe he had changed his mind about me being here. What if ir had said something to him. "I asked if she could stay with Mallory for the night." "Oh." "So we could have the ce to ourselves," "What?" I roll off the sofa and smack my head on the coffee table as I hit the floor. "Ow!" Looking around, I realise I am alone. Damien had never returned and it was dark outside. I feel the warmth of my blood trickle down my forehead and quickly get to my feet. Why did the dream have to seem so real? Moving upstairs to the bathroom, I look in the mirror and scan the small inch long cut. It was already healing. which was weird to watch. I had never been able to heal until Cooper''s power over me was broken. Using a cloth, I wipe away the blood and groan. It had been a long time since a man I liked had invaded my dreams like that.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. I toss the cloth in the basket just as I hear the front door open. He''s back and at least he hadn''t seen me act like aplete twat. "Samara?" He calls out, "Why can I smell blood?!" "I tripped over. It''s okay, it''s already healed." I tum and see him standing at the bathroom door. He nces at the bloody cloth in the basket and slowly his dark eyes return to me. "I fell asleep on the um, the um, sofa." How was it that he made me trip over my own words? "I woke with a jump and uh, I fell off, not remembering where I was. I hit my head." I rub my forehead where the little wound had been, it was already long gone. "It''s stupid." His dark eyes hover on me. The intensity was just that. I feel my chest tighten, my breaths are short as he continues to stare. "Are you sure you are okay?" He steps forward closing the distance until he is inches away from me. He smells a little like smoke. He could have been at the packhouse, it would exin why he was gone for so long.Content belong to N?velDr¨¢ma. Org. "I''m, uh, It''s healed. It''s weird to watch it heal, but you know, it was going to happen eventually and it was something that wasn''t too serious." The words tumble quickly from my mouth as Dakotaughs You sound like a bumbling idiot!'' I feel her shake her head in amusement "Did you hit your head a little too hard?" He asks, but I''m certain he is low key trying to sniff me. "I didn''t pass out or anything, if that''s what you mean. I woke up, hit my head and came up here to clean it. No big deal." I really wanted to touch him again, to see if I felt that same weird spark. I just about manage to keep my arms at my side, ignoring the intrusive thoughts. But damn, he was so close. "May I?" He asks cautiously. I nod and he ces his hands on my cheeks. My legs almost buckle at the intensity of the sparks that fly through me. I just about keep myself upright as his thumb glides across my forehead. He must feel it, there''s no way he couldn''t have. I look up at him and there is a deep frown on his face. "No Dorothy?" I force out, I had to talk about something. "School finished ages ago." "She''s having a sleepover." I gulp, it was just like my dream only now, he steps back. "I would suggest you don''t fall asleep on the sofa. We don''t want something like that happening again." "Okay." I mutter confused, but he is busy rubbing his fingers in his palms. Like he was trying to figure something out. ''He felt it too.'' Chapter 0506 Chapter 0506 Damien Her skin is flush again, as she stares at me with wide eyes. "Uh, I...." Her eyes dart around the room, trying to avoid my gaze. "I know you felt that too." "You felt something?" Her brow crinkles up as she nods her head "And when I touched your hand this morning. I can''t hold it in any longer. I saw it, I saw how you reacted, you felt it, just like I did." Samara leans back against the basin and takes a deep breath. "Are you going to say anything?" She presses. "Please don''t say you didn''t feel it. Please don''t lie to me. Because I am so confused right now. I just need to know it''s not in my head. And I need to know what this is." "Yes, I felt something." I felt something every time I looked at her, especially since getting to know her a little more. And she constantly invaded my thoughts. She slowly bobs her head and takes another deep breath. "I''m definitely not imagining it?" I cock a brow at her. "You thought you were going mad?" "I just needed to know I wasn''t losing it." She spins around and turns the tap on, sshing her face with water. I move quickly, locking my arms around her as she lets out a small squeal. Pressing my nose against her neck, I felt that same spark. It only seemed to happen when our skin touched. Inhaling, I smell nothing but another Lycan. No sweet scent. No intoxicating smell that drew me in. Nothing. Yet the sparks continue to pulsate, sending wave after wave of life through me. It didn''t make sense, but maybe it didn''t have to. She leans her head back against my chest, her eyes close as she takes slow deep breaths. "What''s happening?" she whispers. I could smell her arousal, but I don''t say anything. "Damien." My name is barely a whisper as my hand slides up under the shirt. Her skin is warm and seems toe alive under my touch. More sparks radiate down the length of my fingers, spreading out across my hand as she holds her breath. "Breathe," My lips are millimetres away from her ear and her cheeks turn the reddest I have ever seen. "This is a dream." She mutters. "Is it?" I drag my teeth over the lobe of her ear. She lets out a little hiss. "But......" As I reach her breasts, she pushes them against my hand, desperate for my touch. She lets out another little hiss as my palm grazes her hardened nipples. I could no longer hide how I felt about her and I had kept my gaze to e myself when she had shifted in the forest, but now, I wanted to see every inch of her. I wanted to see her trembling under my touch. I wanted to learn every inch of her body so that when she does invade my mind, the image of her is exactly right. As I roll her nipple between my thumb and finger, she lets out tiny little gasps. My other hand works its way inside of her shorts, cupping her wet pussy. "Damien..." She pleads and parts her thighs a little. As I slide a finger between her folds, she is so wet for me that it makes my cock strain against my zipper, desperate to fuck her. Pushing my finger deeper, she leans forwards, gripping the basin, letting out a gasp. I press my chest against her back, wanting to keep us locked together as I thrust my finger back and forth. "Fuck." She mutters As my finger retreats, I m back into her with two fingers. Her hands hit the wall as she lets out a growl. She tightens around my fingers, already close to an orgasm as my thumb settles on her clit. Pressing my lips against her neck as she moans my name, I push my fingers in all the way to the knuckles. She breaks around mN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Her muscles mping my fingers in ce as my namees from her lips in a whispered delight Releasing my fingers, her breath is heavy. She stares at me in the mirror for a moment and slowly turns around to look at me. Her lips are parted a little and her eyes are wide with surprise. As I start to lift her shirt up, she raises her arms so I can lift it over her head. Her eyes stay on me the entire time. Leaning down, I carefully lick around each of the dark pink swollen nipples, and momentarily take them in my mouth, giving each one a little bite. Chapter 0507 Chapter 0507 She gasps as I start pulling down her shorts, but doesn''t tell me to stop. I pause when her beautiful pussyes into view and slowly flick my tongue over it, tasting her wetness. Her fingers lock in my hair, a mixture of surprise and delight at the invasion. Stepping out of her shorts, I throw them to one side, taking in every inch of her. She had always hidden herself until now. "Your turn." she whispers. She slowly unfastens the buttons of my shirt. Her hands settle on my chest before she pushes the shirt from me, letting it fall to the floor. Her eyes lock on mine as she unfastens my jeans and cups my throbbing cock. A brief smile appears. She isn''t as slow at setting my cock free either and her hands glide up and down my length, making it so hard that it''s painful. "I want you." She whispers. "I want this." Her hand squeezes my cock. "I want everything with you." I lift her off her feet and m my lips against hers. Whether we were mates or not, I didn''t care. At some point, I had fallen for her and she was what I wanted and what I needed. I press her up against the wall. Her legs automatically hook around my hips and my cock is already perfectly positioned against her pussy. As I deepen the kiss, I push myself into her. She''s tight, but she doesn''tin. It''s maybe three thrusts before she starts tightening around me. Her fingers dig into my shoulders as she moans against my lips. She pulls her face away as her back arches and she shudders around me. "Sorry." She whispers, almost embarrassed that she had orgasmed so quickly "For what?" I don''t give her a chance to answer. "It just means I get to make you orgasm over and over." ***** She''s fast asleep on her stomach when I get up. I automatically lean over to kiss her cheek and a smile appears. Last night wasn''t supposed to happen, but I couldn''t stop myself. Not after I entered the house and picked up the smell of blood. Not after the way she looked at me. Big, wide, grey eyes that were full of curiosity as she tried to downy why there was blood. All I could think about was protecting her and keeping her safe. Then I touched her face to check the invisible wound and I couldn''t stop myself, it was like something else had taken over me. And all thoughts of my first mate went out the window. Maybe that is the way it is supposed to be. I pull on a pair of jeans and look over to her. The sheet was gathered around her hips, her feet poke out of the bottom. Her hands nestled under the pillow her head wasid on. Comfortable and content. While brushing my teeth, I receive a link from Dane. Asking me to get up ande down to the gate. us was leaving. I half expected us to change his mind at thest minute. Or after our conversation, that it would at least be a few more days until he left. ''I will be there.'' I reply. Squatting down next to Samara, I run a finger over her cheek. ¡°Hey, sleepyhead." She takes a while to open her eyes, or rather one eye. "I can''t go again, I''m sore." I try to hide my amusement, ¡°No, it''s not that. I need to go and meet Dane, us is leaving this morning." "Do you want me toe?" She asks surprised. "That''s up to you, but if you are, you have about two minutes to get ready." Samara rips past me to the bathroom and yells for me to find her a top. Digging through my. wardrobe, I find her one of my fitted tops. It will still be big on her but at least it won''t be down to her knees. I''m pouring her a coffee as shees tearing down the stairs. "For once in my life, it''s a good job I have no hair." She mutters, taking the coffee and necking it like it wasn''t boiling hot. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. We step out into the early morning sun and she walks quickly to keep up with me. When we are almost at the gates, I grab her hand threading my fingers through hers. She stares at our hands. "Are you sure?" "Yes. There are still things we need to discuss, but yes. I want you to be my mate." Chapter 0508 ?Chapter 0508 Neah "Are you sure about this?" Dane asks us after Mallory finishes hugging him. He has a car running and it''s already loaded up with a lot of his things. He was definitely going. us smiles at me. "You know why I''m doing this?" I nod, "I won''t stop you. I will miss you, but I won''t stop you." Dane''s hand tightens around mine. There is an overwhelming sadness in my heart. It was an odd feeling, to miss someone already. I could always count on us for anything and he would never turn down a request. He crouches in front of the twins, both of them throw themselves at him, wrapping their small arms around him as they squeeze as tight as possible. "Make sure you look after your mummy." us tells them as they let go. While Logan is already trying to climb up Danes leg. Evrin stares at us for a moment and then nods his head. I was certain he could understand way more than he should. "Damien is on his way too." Dane tells him. "And we are here." Brax walks towards us with Maddie. "Goodbye Hunter brother." Brax mutters. "I hope you find what you are looking for." And strangely for Brax, he offers his hand to us. "You have taught me alot." us tells him as he shakes Brax''s hand "But not enough." Brax sighs. "If you were like me, I could have trained you in everything that I know." When had Brax decided he liked us? "Thank you for saving me, you know, after Cooper." Maddie mutters quietly. "You don''t need to thank me for that. Everyone deserves a chance until there are no more chances to give." From the corner of my eye, I see Damien, but he isn''t alone. I turn to see him hand in hand with Samara. "Dane." I whisper. He follows my gaze, "Looks like whatever it was, they worked it out." "That''s who he was talking about?" Mallory mutters to her mate, Eric As theye to a stop, Samara''s eyes move to each one of us. Her mouth stays closed as Damien tells us goodbye. ''He asked me to be his mate.'' Samara''s voice echoes through my head ''He asked you?'' I was surprised. After Raven and Eris, I was certain that he wouldn''t ept anyone else. I see a tiny nod of her head and a deep pink creep up her neck towards her face. There was no denying they had chemistry, Dane and I had both seen it when they came to the house yesterday. We all say a final round of goodbyes as us climbs into the car. He gives me a final smile and reassures me that he will be back. We all watch as the car disappears down the road and out of sight as therge gates close. It was strange to see someone walking out of my life, especially someone I cared about. And I hoped he wouldn''t be gone forever I stare at the closing gates as the others talk around us. Evrin pulls at my top for me to pick him up. As I lift him, Dane tells me that us hasn''t rejected the pack and that he could link him whenever, even if it was just to check in. Nodding, I give Dane a small smile. "He has to do this." "You have chosen a prisoner as a mate!" I hear Mallory snap. "She''s not a prisoner anymore." Damien growls back at her. "Then why wouldn''t you tell me? I thought we told each other everything!" "Because you don''t understand. And there are some things that I just need to work through." "She is Coopers brother." I didn''t think Mallory would be so against this.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "It doesn''t mean they are cut from the same cloth." Damien fires "That''s enough!" Dane snaps as Eric tries to pull Mallory away. Brax looks like he wished he had brought popcorn to the show as he sits on the grass, with a smile while Maddie tugs on his arm. Chapter 0509 ?Chapter 0509 "Am I not allowed to be happy?" Damien demands, ignoring Dane "Don''t be an idiot, of course you can be happy." Mallory tells him "Then why can''t it be someone I have chosen? The two women who were destined to be my mate didn''t work out. So I''m making the decisions. I''m choosing the person who makes me happy." "She is not who you are supposed to be with!" "Why?" He challenges, "Come on Mallory, tell me why. Who do you think I should be with?" "I''m not doing this here!" She shakes her head in frustration "This is exactly why I didn''t tell you. I knew you would have a problem with it." "Eric, take Mallory home." I tell him. "The show was just getting started." Brax protests but Maddie takes the lead and tells him she wants to go home. "Fine, I''ming." "Eric." Dane stops him, "Take the boys with you," When they are far enough away, Damien sighs, rubbing his eyes. "I was expecting some level of disagreement from her, but not this."N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "I think Mallory is just being cautious given how Samara arrived here." Dane tells him. "I don''t want to cause any more trouble." Samara whispers. "I just... "You are not going anywhere." Damien tells her as he drapes an arm around her shoulders. That deep pink blush appears again. There was no hiding how much she liked that he stood up for her. "You''re happy?" I ask Damien. Mallory did have a point, but Samara seemed to havee a long way in thest few weeks. Agreeing to trap her brother, ripping his head off. I had seen the stickers that Dorothy had given her too. Another good sign. "For the first time in a long time, yes." He gives me a big smile "I promise to be the best fa...pack member I can be." Samara mutters. "I''ve learned alot about myself recently." She nces at Damien, her smile almost matching his. ''It''s weird.'' Nyx mutters "Sometimes weird things happen.'' I reply and she rolls her eyes at me. ''Does this mean we need to ept her?'' She questions. ''I think, for now, we have to tolerate her. I love Damien. He is a huge part of our family and I am not interested in pissing him off. He likely already knows that it isn''t going to be easy. He knows that Samara will have to prove herself to everyone, not just me, Dane or Damien.'' ''A lot of people saw her as a threat.'' Nyx tells me ''Exactly, but they need to make up their own minds. I''m not doing it for them. I look over to see Dane talking to Damien and Samara. Dane seems rxed and unphased by the situation. I was worried he would be dealing with his own problems. He had made it quite clear that Eris was too soon after Raven. So why is he so calm now? I rub my stomach as today''s nausea sets in. I was definitely worse than when I had been pregnant with the boys. Even Nyx groans. Focussing on Dane, I hear him repeat my question and ask Damien if he is happy." Damien nods. "Yes. She makes me happy." "Seriously?" We all look up to see ir. Her hands on her hips as she res at us. Ryken grabs hold of her jacket cor and drags her forward. "None of our business." He tells her. "Keep walking. We have work to do." "But she''s....." ir protests "I don''t give a shit. You don''t run this pack." Ryken snaps. "Move on." "But I have to stay trapped under someone''s watchful eye!" She snarls as he continues to drag her away. "while she gets to waltz around with the Beta and y happy families!" "Stop! Just stop!" I demand. Rykenes to a halt as ir continues to re at Samara. I move over to them, the others following me. Chapter 0510 ?Chapter 0510 "What is wrong with you?" I ask ir. She scowls at me. "What is that supposed to mean?" "It''s a genuine question, what do you not understand?" "Why does she get a free pass?" "Why is it a free pass? You asked why you still have to be watched. Don''t you think she is being watched too? Damien, Dane, me, Mallory, Eric. Everywhere she moves she is just as watched as you. Maybe even more while you get to stay under the watchful eye of your step father." "I thought you were changing, ir. You told the truth about Kade. You''ve stuck to the work you have been requested to do. Even Maddie has said good things about you. But this seems like jealousy is seeping back in again. You don''t know the full story, but you jump to conclusions, just like before. If I were you, I would listen to Ryken. And right now, you better go before I hurl my breakfast all over you." "Let''s go!" Ryken orders. As they start walking away, Ryken links me to apologise for her. ''Don''t let her slip back into her old ways'' I mutter back. He looks over his shoulder and nods his head.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Thank you." Samara whispers. "You didn''t have to do that." "She needed to be reminded that she always has a need to jump to conclusions without knowing the whole truth." "She was the same yesterday." "You saw her yesterday?" Damien asks. "Maddie bought some clothes around to the house. She thought I might find something to fit because we are simr sizes." She shrugs her shoulders. "ir was with her." "You should have said something." Damien replies She looks at him and her cheeks turn pink. "I was a little distracted." She grins at him. "ir just wanted to remind me that I had I betrayed her. And I get it, I did. So I don''t expect her to forgive me." Totally not what I thought she was going to say.'' Nyx murmurs. ''I half expected her to beg us to make ir stop. Thought she might have yed the cousin card.'' "Try to keep your distance from her." Dane tells her. "As you can see, we have a lot of people in this pack, both Wolves and Lycans. Not everyone gets along. That''s bound to happen." "I will try my best." She smiles at him. As my stomach announces that it needs more food. How it was possible to feel sick yet hungry, baffles me. "And that''s enough excitement for you." Dane tells me as slides his arms around my hips. His hands settle on my belly as I roll my eyes. I knew he was just being extra cautious but I wasn''t about to break into a million pieces. "Damien?" I ask with a frown, "Can you smell them yet?" I point to my belly. "Yes." "And?" "It''s still too early to confirm whether they are Wolves or Lycans." I let out a heavy sigh. Deep down I knew it was too early. I was at least another two months along before he could scent themst time. "But I''m pretty certain of the gender." He smiles at me. Samara is staring at him in confusion. They couldn''t have talked about his past yet, or maybe they hadn''t had time. "I thought it was too early, they wouldn''t have developed yet, would they?" "Sometimes the scent is too muddled, boys growing, girls growing, especially twins. Sometimes it can take a bit of growth to be clear. But baby girls on their own, they tend to have a stronger sweeter scent that has already developed with no n of changing." Chapter 0511 Chapter 0511 Dane "Girls?" Damien nods his head at me. "You had a fifty-fifty chance." "Two of each is good enough for me." I smile "And no more." Neah adds. "Four will be plenty." She stares at me until I reluctantly agree. I love being a Dad, and she knows that if I had it my way, she would have more. But she also knows I will respect her decision. "At least they will already have older brothers to protect them." I grin and watch as Neah presses a hand to her mouth. It was definitely time for us to go. I sweep her off her feet and she presses a hand against my chest. "I can walk." "And I can carry you. Just let me enjoy carrying all my girls at the same time." As soon as we are back at Eric''s house, Neah races past Mallory and dives into the bathroom. "She''s suffering a lot this time, isn''t she?" Mallory murmurs. "It''s just one of those things." I mutter Mallory slowly nods her head. "Are you on board with it?" "The pregnancy stuff?" She shakes her head at me, folding up her arms. ''She''s talking about Samara.'' Aero mutters "You can''t always help who you fall for." I reply to Mallory. "It''s like he haspletely forgotten what happened. I mean, I told him to go for it, but I never would have if I had known it was her." "We have seen a different side to her since she has been able to shift." "And that is probably put on as well." I couldn''t be certain if she was jealous or annoyed. ''Maybe both.'' Aero mutters "If it were put on, I''m sure Brax would have said something. It''s not like he keeps that kind of thing to himself. Especially now the whole situation of him losing his abilities has been sorted." "I still don''t buy it." "She ripped her brother''s head off." I remind her. Mallory hadn''t been on the Hunt, but she had learned how Cooper died. "Could be part of her n?" "Have you spoken to Eric about this?" I ask. Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org "He says I''m reading too much into it." She mutters as she frowns. "Or maybe you are upset that your best friend has found happiness in an unlikely source." I sigh. "Neah is right. Samara is the most watched person in our pack at the moment. The moment she puts a foot out of ce, Damien is likely going to be the first to know. Do you think he will just sit by and let it happen?" "No, he has too much respect for Neah." "Exactly. Things didn''t go to n with my sister. She... When she should have lent on him for help, she didn''t. She shut him out, she also concealed everything from everyone. Her twin, that she always had issues with became the apple of her eye. It''s actually a little concerning when I think about it." I shake my head. "Damien should have been able to settle down with her, there was even talk of them starting a family, but that was taken away from him. And then Eris was fucking crazy. Surely you can see why it has be his choice. He is not interested in what has been set up for him. And I get that. Before Neah, I was considering settling down with someone who wasn''t my mate." "They have nothing inmon." She murmurs "Did you and Eric?" I ask She frowns and shakes her head. "If I were you, I would let Damien carry on. He can still be your friend and have Samara as his mate, but if you keep having a shouting match with him, who do you think he will choose? Who do you think he will walk away from? Don''t ruin your friendship over this."N?velDrama.Org owns all content. Upstairs, Luca starts crying and Mallory leaves before another disagreement leaves her lips. I hear the bathroom door open and a sweaty Neah makes her way towards me. She leans in against my chest and slips her arms around me. "Do you think she will give Damien space?" she whispers "I don''t think she will have a choice." A few weeks pass with no real dramas, thankfully. Neah had hit the stage where the pregnancy fatigue was kicking in and is currently crashed out on the sofa while the twins follow me around. Mallory hadn''t said anything more about Damien. Any meetings Eric, Damien and I needed to have, we held at Damien''s ce. Purely so it didn''t start an argument. Though Mallory hadn''t said anything, I had seen her face when she came in from her walk an hour ago. It seemed like she was trying, but the irritation was stronger. I had hoped the space from Damien would give her time to reconsider, but so far, it wasn''t working. Picking up the boys, I head out to check on the packhouse. Chapter 0512 ?Chapter 0512 All the rubble had been removed and the new groundwork was already getting started. The n is to have it built and decorated, and for us to move back in before the girls arrive. While Evrin holds my hand, staring at the space where our home once was, Logan runs around us in circles. The boys were so different and I still didn''t know why Logan couldn''t shift. Technically, he was the eldest. It would be his birthright to be the Alpha, but Evrin just seemed more aware Though I had only heard from us once, he had confirmed he could find nothing about Evrin. Eventually just putting it down to following in his mother''s footsteps.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Ryken appears on my left. "It''sing along nicely. I''m making sure everything is as it needs to be." "Thank you." He had taken the lead on the build. Checking in with me regrly about the progress. Just before the work started properly, he hade to me and told me that before he came to ck Shadow, this was the job he did to support his family. As a pack, we had always managed to stick up new houses ourselves, but the packhouse was thergest ce here. It needed someone that could spot problems that we might not see and Ryken seemed to be the man for the job. He nces down at Logan who is busy pulling up grass. His eyes shift to Evrin who is still staring at the empty space. "Different, aren''t they?" "Yes." He dips his head but doesn''t say anymore and strides over to meet with others that are already gathering to help with the work. I had forgotten to ask how Kade was doing. He had been home for a while now, but was yet to return to school. It was the teacher that had told me, because neither one of his parents had. I will check inter if I have time.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org "Let''s go see uncle Damien." The boys push through the door before Damien has a chance to open it all the way. I knew who they were after. They loved climbing all over Dorothy, but they were about to be disappointed because Brax and Maddie had taken her into the city to pick up a few things. Their smiles quickly disappear as they realise she isn''t here. Samara is quick to the rescue, bringing out some toys for them to y with. Neah had been a little hesitant about the boys being around her. I understood why, but with the promise of me not letting them out of my sight, she agreed. "I wasn''t expecting you. Neah sleeping?" Damien asks "Thought we could give her a little bit of peace." I mutter with a nod "Actually, it''s a good thing you are here." He tells me. "Samara has been going through that book us gave her." "Still?" He nods at me. "We think she might have found something." "About their location?" "It''s not named, but there are hints throughout the book. Light descriptions of areas." He grabs therge book off the kitchen counter and hands it to me. ncing through to the lounge at Samara putting together a train track, he smiles. "I actually think her and us would have gotten along." "Really?" "If you open the book, you will see why." Paragraphs are highlighted in a multitude of colours. A piece of paper is folded in the front with the matching colours and a description of what each one is for. "She''s desperate to find out if there are other family members out there." He tells me "I wish I could say the same about Neah." I mutter. "She has had too many bad experiences with the family she had. That won''t just go away. I''m certain she will change her mind on this." "The descriptions are vague." Samara tells me as she moves to the kettle. "But there are a few that cross over. There is mention of a small beach in one part when they are getting ready to battle. Another bit mentions a tide washing out the beachnders, sending them crashing into the cliffs. There''s something about the waves being dangerous and if people don''t know the area, they shouldn''t go. Boats are rarely seen in the area. Things like that." She shuffles into a chair. "It took me a while to see it." "To find the descriptions?" "I think it''s more than that." Samara tells me Damien shakes his head, "It''s just her theory. We don''t know anything for certain." I nce over to the boys who are attempting to climb up on the sofa. I had no more family to offer them. I couldn''t give them any more insight on who they are or their bloodline, but Neah could, especially if she knew more. "Let me hear it." "I think this was written specifically for Kitsons to find their way home." Chapter 0513 ?Chapter 0513 Neah. "I was just about to link you." I tell Dane as hees in with Logan sat on his shoulders. I look down to see Evrin sitting on Dane''s foot with his arms and legs wrapped around Dane''s leg. "I took them to see Damien. It seemed like you needed the nap." He lowers Logan and leans in to press his lips against mine. "Did it help?" "For now." Logan holds his arms up to me. Opening and closing his hands to tell me he wanted to be picked up. "Samara thinks she has found something." He tells me as I swing Logan up on to my hip "About White Cliffs?" It had to happen sooner orter. Damien had said she was being pretty relentless at trying to find something. "us said there was nothing." "He did, but she has a bit of a theory." He tells me "And Damien believes it?" "Belief is a strong term. I think he is trying to take a step back and let her figure this out. Yet he is cautious. It seems as though he is trying to keep her level headed and not run away with an idea. While I was there, he did tell her we needed something more concrete and that we wouldn''t go on a hunch." "Was she annoyed?" "No. She took the book and started reading it, again. She is determined." ''He wants us to go there.'' Nyx murmurs "What was Samara''s theory?" I ask. I can ask him the other thing in a minute. "She thinks the book is to help Kitsons find their way home." I snort, "This pack is my home. This is the twins home. You took over from your father here. You''ve grown your pack. I somehow helped the Lycans move in and made it even bigger. My home isn''t somewhere with a name like White Cliffs." ''I agree.'' Nyx murmurs "And how is it that of all the Lycans here, no one knows anything about that pack? Yet the majority of them knew there was a female Alpha? Even ir knew before I did. I know you said they are likely a secretive pack, but someone has to know something."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "I don''t have that answer, but I also didn''t know what you were when I met you." He gives me a small smile." Maybe it is somehow ingrained into the Lycan connection. Maybe it''s the importance of your bloodline. Maybe they grew up listening to stories of a prophecy. And when you epted who you are, that broke everything that was keeping you disconnected." ''It makes a tiny bit of sense.'' Nyx tells me in a huff. ''Like how it is ingrained in us. Maybe that''s why Dakota believes she is supposed to be our Beta.'' "We talked about this." I mutter to Dane. C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org "We have," "You said you would ept my decision." I murmur He nods his head at me. "You also said if they found something, you would consider it after the pups are born. You know I will support you, but this, I think, is something you should seriously consider, for them." He gestures to the boys. "Their home will always be ck Shadow no matter what their legacy is." He takes Logan from me. "Now go get dressed, we are going out." "Out?" "It''s about time I took you on a proper date, isn''t it?" He cocks a brow at me. "Athena has already agreed to take the boys and she is currently Lycan proofing her home. Just in case Evrin tries a repeat of what he did here." "You told her?" I mutter in surprise "You did say there was no point hiding it anymore. Though I am still surprised that ir hasn''t run her mouth off." ''Because no one will believe her.'' Nyx snorts. Mallory helps me choose something to wear. She pulls a long ck strappy dress out of her wardrobe. "It stretches so it will fit the bump and will show off your figure." She smiles at me. "I think ou will look better in it than I ever did. I had stayed clear of dresses as much as I could. Only wearing them as ast resort. Being forced to live in a ratty maids outfit for years made me hate them. Give me jeans or joggers and I was content. But I hadn''t lived that life for a long time. I couldn''t let things like that hold me back anymore. I had found my ce and I was finally thriving. Chapter 0514 ?Chapter 0514 Running my hands over the soft fabric, I sigh. I knew Dane would like it. It was simple, no embellishments of any kind. Something you could dress up or down, depending on the situation. Thanking Mallory, I take it as she asks where Dane is taking me. "I don''t know. He just said to wear something nice." "Fancy or non fancy?" She presses I shrug. He had given no clue. "Have trainers and heels prepared." She winks at me. Then randomly adds, I think I might have something that will cover both. After I shower and change, she has me sitting at her vanity table so she could curl my hair. I wanted to ask her how she was, especially with the whole Damien and Samara situation, but I said nothing. It was easier not to poke at the wasp nest. But it was her who brought up the topic. "Do you know if he has marked her yet?" She asks as she wraps my hair around the curler. "I haven''t seen anything." "Oh." "He might not be ready yet. A lot has happened to him this year." "I thought men found it really hard to hold themselves back from marking us." She frowns and my hand goes to my neck. My mark had released my Lycan abilities. Though Dane had managed to hold off marking me until I agreed.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org "And now you love me.'' Nyx chirps as I roll my eyes "Can I ask you something?" Mallory murmurs I bob my head as her eyes lock with mine in the mirror.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Why is it always the men?" "Huh?" "Why is it that the men do the marking, but not the women? Surely we im them as much as they im us." "It''s not... it''s not something I''ve thought about." "It''s just, if the men are shitty, they can force their mark on anyone. Or like Damien, not even bother." "That''s not fair Mallory." ''It exins why she has gone down this rabbit hole of hers.'' Nyx murmurs "I''m just saying." Mallory mutters I stand up and face her, I didn''t care that my hair was only half done. "It''s not fair that you of all people are doing this to him, Mallory. You should be happy for him. Do you not remember him telling you that Raven was his light? That Raven kept the darkness from seeping in? I have been watching him ever since I had to kill her. Making sure that he was okay. When he shifted to take part in the Hunt for Cooper, I was certain that was it. That we would lose him to Rogue life." She opens her mouth. "No, you need to listen, Mallory. He didn''t lose his shit. He could have, easily. Yet somehow, he didn''t and I think she is the reason. I don''t know exactly why, but I see more happiness in his eyes whenever he looks at her, then I ever did when he looked at Raven." She lowers her gaze. "I''m worried." "Then be worried, don''t project your fears onto him. It''s not fair. It''s not like he ever stopped you being with Eric is it?" "No." She pouts "And trust me, he had a lot to say about that, but he kept it to himself because he is your friend. If things had gone bad, who do you think would have been there for you?" She stares at me, "I''m overreacting, aren''t I?" I nod, "We have all been trying to tell you that. I''m not saying you have to be best friends with her. I''m not. But as long as he is happy, let him be happy. Plus, I''m pretty sure he will be the first one to find out if things are not right. And I think Samara has actually learned that there is no point in lying. I don''t think Dakota will let her get away with it." She nods and gestures for me to turn and sit back down. She mulls over my words and quietly asks "Is it weird to find out that you have another family member." "Yes. I grew up only knowing of my mother, my father, the guy who pretended to be my brother but was actually my uncle and the pack. That was it, that was my so-called family. And what an amazing family they were." I mutter with frustration. Chapter 0515 ?Chapter 0515 She doesn''t say anymore on the subject and mostly talks about Luca as she finishes my hair. My dark hair and the ck dress seem to make my blue eyes pop even more. "Do you want makeup?" "No." I scoff and sheughs. She had asked me so many times. Waiting for the day that I would agree, that I think it had just be a habit of hers. Dane is waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. He was all in ck too. A crisp ck shirt, ck jeans and ck boots. It makes him look like a mystery. A man with many secrets of his own. He radiated Alpha and yet his crimson eyes don''t leave me as I make my way down. "Whatever you arefortable in." He tells me as I ask him if it was a fancy date or not. His crimson eyes drift down, taking in every inch of me as Malloryes forward with a pair of pristine white tform trainers. "Somewhere in the middle." She smiles at me as Dane pulls me in against him. His nose settles in the crook of my neck as he inhales my scent.N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "Where are we going?" I whisper, as his lips leave little sparks across my flesh. "Let''s see where we end up." He mutters as he peels himself away. He lets me put on the trainers and then with his hand pressed on the small of my back, he guides me to the passenger side of the ck car that sits out front. As I take the seat, his lips press against mine and he pulls the seat belt around me. The tingle of his lips lingers. I wasn''t sure if it was just our bond, or the excitement of actually doing something other than pack stuff. We pass irs old house as we head to the city. It had been Cooper''s hideout, but now it sits abandoned and like no one had lived there for years. "Where are we going?" I ask again "I''m taking you to a restaurant. One that I haven''t been to for a long time." "You''ve been there before?" He nods. "You remember Madame Curie, it''s the ce where I would meet with her, and they also do excellent food." He rests his hand on my thigh. His thumb moves back and forth across the ck dress covering my leg and I already knew he was desperate to get it off of me. The question is, how long could I make him wait? As we pull up, some kind of worker opens my door. A Human. Dane gets out and rushes round the car. "I should have warned you. It''s just valet parking." He looks at the Human. "She''s getting used to a different kind of life." The guy bobs his head. "Yes sir." My interactions with Humans were still limited. I had barely met any and the ones I had, have either been turned into Lycans, Or they were Lycans that lost their abilities. Danes voice settles in my head, ''I should warn you, if you haven''t already scented it, there are a lot more Humans here than there used to be.'' "Okay.'' I whisper back as Dane tells another Human that we have a reservation. "Of course sir, right this way." The Human opens the door and out of all the people here, I could tell there were no other Lycans. A few Wolves, but at least eighty percent were Human. We are led to a booth where Dane gestures for me to sit down first. As I slip into my seat, I couldn''t help but look around at the crowd. The majority may be Human, yet there was someone here with power and it wasn''t Dane. Note : Author says Hey everyone, hope you are all well. Just to give you a little update moving forwards. There will be no chapter releases at weekends for the month of September. You will still receive daily updates Monday to Fridays, just none at the weekends. If you want to me anyone, you can me all the people deciding to get married next month and my parents for having me in September ;) Taylor West Chapter 0516 ?Chapter 0516 Neah My eyes move over the crowd of people. They arepletely unaware that someone powerful is here. "You smell it too?" Dane asks quietly. He is more subtle than I am at casting a nce across the room. Inod. It was definitely an Alpha of some kind. A Wolf too. "Don''t read too much into it. It''s a ce where anyone can go. Sometimes others pass through. Remember, neutral territory." He tells me Even I could see that deep down, he was pissed off. He wanted to take me out. A peaceful evening and we are probably going to get as much peace and quiet as we did when the twins were newborns. When the waiteres over, Dane orders himself a whisky while I just order a water. "We have some delicious wines." The waiter tells me, a stupid grin stered to his face. "I''m sure there will be something to your taste." "I don''t drink." I mutter, ncing down at my bump.From N?velDrama.Org. He makes his excuses to leave, his cheeks burning. He probably thought I was just on the chunkier side. ''There isn''t an ounce of fat on you.'' Dane links me. ''Humans are very central.'' What do you mean?" I ask curiously They have an idea about things and can''t always cope when they realise they are in the wrong.'' The waiteres back with our drinks. He doesn''t make eye contact with either of us and announces that another waiter would be over to take our order.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org My eyes scan the crown again, I just wanted to pinpoint where this Woll was Dane ces a hand on mine. "Stop." "I''m just...." "I know. But tonight is about us. Don''t you think if we can smell them, they can smell us? If they were that interested, they would have alreadye over or at least made their presence known. They are keeping their distance just as we are." "Okay." I whisper ''I will keep an eye out." Nyx tells me. "That goes for Nyx too." Dane muses as he takes a swig of his drink Nyx huffs, but I knew she wouldn''t just let it go. "Okay, "I sigh. "Where is thedies room?" I ask. "These girls are using my dder as some kind of trampoline today." Dane grins and gives me directions to somewhere near the back of the restaurant. Every single step I took away from our booth, the more I felt as though I am being watched and not by Dane. I still couldn''t pinpoint the location of this Wolf. The scent seemed to shift easily. and I''m also certain it''s them who is watching me. Surely they wouldn''t try anything in a building full of Humans? "I would hope not." Nyx mutters. That will just bring more problems to our pack. And we could also just puncture their heart.'' I feel the sting at the tip of my fingers from my ws that are already trying toe out. ''Problems we don''t need'' I whisper back shake my hands. Stepping out of the bathroom, I smooth down the ck dress. Mallory was right, it did hug me in ways I didn''t expect and somehow, it made my bump look even bigger than it was. I''m about to head back to my seat when I spot crimson eyes staring at me. They belonged to a face that looked just like Danes. It wasn''t him though, there was no woody scent. Just an aura of power. The one we were quickly made aware of when we entered the building. ''Is that the man Eris spoke of?'' Nyx asks ''She never met him, but judging by the eyes, I''m guessing so.'' I keep my movements fluid, ready to walk straight past his booth. "Do you always ignore family?" His deep voice carries and sends an involuntary shiver through me. I hadn''t even made it all the way past his table. He had a different ent to Dane, showing me that he was not raised anywhere near here. "I''m sorry."I mutter. "I don''t know who you are." I lie. It was obvious he was Ss. He is apletely identical man to Dane. Just theck of mate scent and the ent separated them. My stomach involuntarily ties itself up in knots. Seriously? Now the twins want me to vomit?! He smirks. "Is that what you are going to tell my brother? Do you often deny the truth?" Eris may not have known him, but some of the stories Cooper had told her were true. Chapter 0517 ?Chapter 0517 "If you knew he was here, why haven''t you bothered introducing yourself?" I should just turn and walk away, but he is like an irritating itch that I need to scratch. *And ruin his evening with his beautiful pregnant mate. Why would I do that?" He takes a swig of his drink. Swirling the remaining liquid in the ss before he puts it down with a soft clink. His crimson eyes lock on to mine. "You can go." He waves his hand as though he was sending a waiter away. *I can go?" I frown "I know where you are now. So you can go back and enjoy your evening with my brother. There will be plenty of time for a catch up." *You call him your brother, but you don''t even know him." I try to keep the anger buried. This was not the ce. "I know enough." "You know enough?" My arms fold up as I re back at him *That is what I said." His crimson eyes lock on mine as he takes a bite of his meal. "Are you always this sensitive, or is it the pregnancy?" "Why are you here?" He gestures to his meal. "I was hungry." His eyes don''t leave mine. "And this seemed as good a ce as any." I start to walk away and he calls out, "You can thank me another time." *Thank you? For what?" *I freed all of Cooper''s prisoners. Most have been returned to their packs. The Lycans have been relocated to White Cliffs. Many need to be rehabilitated. Can''t have them going Rogue now, can we?" He gives me a lopsided smirk and a wink. "You set them free?" I don''t know why I was so surprised, but he had just given me a lot of information in a few sentences. He knew about White Cliffs. He knew about Lycans and going Rogue. He knew about Cooper and his prisoners. Was ck Shadow thest pack to find out about my kind? *Cooper has been a pain in my ass for a long time. So you are wee. Now go." He rubs a thumb across his knuckles. Another difference. Ss has tattoos, Dane doesn''t I turn away from him and as I look back over my shoulder, he is busy eating the rest of his meal. Not even remotely interested in me. "Is everything okay?" Dane asks as I slip back into the booth. "I was about toe and look for you." I frown. "I met Ss." "What? Where?" *He was sitting at a table not far from the bathroom." Dane stands up, looking across the room. "What did he say?" *He knows who we are. And that he wasn''t going to ruin our evening. Then he told me some stuff about Cooper''s prisoners." I screw my face up. "It was such an add interaction." ''It was all very weird.'' Nyx mutters. I nod in agreement. "And Eris wasn''t wrong. He is identical to you. And I don''t mean in the same way that ir and I look alike. You are identical. If he had your scent and spoke like you, I would have thought it was you." Dane frowns. "Did he touch you?"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "No." After a few minutes, I realise the powerful scent I had picked up is slowly fading. He had left before Dane had a chance to meet him. We fall into a weird ufortable silence. Dane was bothered and by the time our meal arrived, he had barely spoken two words. His eyes were zed over. Likely speaking to Eric and Damien, or even his Wolf, Aero. "Are you angry?" I use my fork to push food around the te. I had lost my appetitepletely and was doing everything in my power not to dash to the bathroom. His eyes settle on me. "Frustrated." "Because he was here." I nod. "He didn''t attack. He didn''t threaten you. He didn''t introduce himself. But he gave you some information to try and win you over." "That''s a good thing, right. We can''t all have asshole siblings. Maybe he just wants answers." *Don''t fall for it, Neah." "I won''t. If anything, I was thrown by his...." *Kindness?" This time I hear jealousy. "How he casually provided me with information." I add quietly. "He already hates him.'' Nyx murmurs. ''He doesn''t like how Ss spoke to you first or how he never made his presence known to Dane.'' ''I''m not blind.'' I murmur. ''But Dane didn''t want to see who it was that we could scent." Chapter 0518 ? Chapter 0518 Dane Neah pokes her food around her te. She doesn''t think I''m watching, but I am. I''m always watching. Especially since she passed out Her eyes flicker between blue and ck as she speaks to Nyx. But this time, I stay out of her head, letting them vent to one another. Her blues sh to me as I end my conversation with Aero. Tonight was supposed to be about me and my mate. We are supposed to be having time together, away with the constant noises of the pack. A break from the chaos of parenthood. As usual, nothing is ever simple and now the brother I never knew is here. Too close to home for my liking. "You need to eat." I tell Neah "If it''s not my dder, it''s my stomach." She replies, taking the tiniest bite of potato. "Did you tell Ss that Cooper was dead?" I ask "I didn''t think I needed to. I didn''t say anything, because it seemed like he already knew." She puffs out her cheeks. "He called Cooper an asshole. It seems like he upset more people than just us." I nod. "Well, he has left now. So for the time being, we can forget his existence." She stares at me a little too long. An eyebrow raises as she nods. She knew I wouldn''t just let it go. But at the same time, I wanted her to have all my attention. It''s been spread a little thintely. I ask her the question that she has been dying to get the answer too She had asked Damien a couple of times now, but it was still too early. "Do you think they are Wolves or Lycans?" She wanted to know, but was yet to make it clear on what she thought about it. "I thought I wanted to know. But does it really matter? As long as they are healthy, right?" "Right." I smile "And I still don''t know if I''m ready for four." "You are more ready than you know." I lift her hand off the table and bring it to my lips, kissing the back of it. "Well, we could both be wrong." She shrugs her shoulders at me. "Half breeds exist. us told me so and then there was Cooper, Half Lycan, half Witch, What if I produce girls that are abination of us. Will the world be ready for that?" "I don''t even know if the world will be ready for Evrin." I murmur.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org She stares at me with wide eyes. "Your parents were not ready for you. You didn''t get to experience the life you should have had. They stopped that from happening. Evrin is you. The difference is, he is allowed to live his life. Shifting and all." I smile at her Neah lowers her gaze. "Do you think there is something wrong with Logan? I thought he might have shifted by now. He was the first to crawl, to walk, to learn new things and it just seems like Evrin has suddenly flown by." "No, of course I don''t think anything is wrong with him. He will shift when he is ready, even if that means waiting until he is thirteen. Maybe the boys are both supposed to be Alphas. One as a leader of Wolves and the other as a leader of Lycans." "Maybe you are right." She mutters with a scowlFrom N?velDrama.Org. "Only time will tell." I nce at my watch. "To be honest, I was half expecting a panicked link from Athena or Sebastian by now." I grin as she pushes another piece of food across her te. "Do you want to get out of here?" I ask. The evening was tainted and I could see she wasn''t as rxed as when we left the pack. "Home?" "No, there is somewhere else I would like to take you." I tell her. I was ny nine percent sure she would never have been. I had searched her mind and couldn''t find even a hint of a memory of it. Chapter 0519 ?Chapter 0519 I call for the bill and the waiter that had tried to convince Neah to get some wine hurries over. His cheeks are already the colour of beetroot. He could barely look us in the eye. Neah presses her lips into a thin line but I see her shoulders jigging up and down as she tries not tough. As we walk to the car, Neah links her arm with mine, almost pestering me like a small child, asking me where we are going. "You will see." I drive for another hour or so down to the coast. It had been a long time since I had been here. I used to take Jenson and Raven all the time when they were little, but as they grew up, the trip became just for me. A ce where I could clear my head. A ce of peace as I listened to the sea crash along the sand before it dragged itself out again.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. It had been almost four years since I had been here. Nesh is silent as the cares to a stop. She slowly unclips her seatbelt and leans forward on the dash, smiling at the waves. "The beach." She whispers "I haven''t been here for a while, but I thought you might appreciate it as much as I do." I''ve never been." She starts pulling off the trainers. Excitement flooding through her and a strange pang of happiness hits my heart. She gets out of the car before I have a chance to say anything and runs down onto the sand. For a moment, she just stands there. Wiggling her toes in the soft sand as she stares up at the crescent and stars that light up the night sky. Looking back at me, she smiles and stretches out her hand in my direction. "Coming?" I take her hand and she pulls me towards the water. Stopping a few feet away. Nervousness radiates from her. It was different, new and not something that was purposely trying to cause her trouble. She hikes the long ck dress up to her knees and lets out a small giggle as she steps forward, letting the cold waves wash over her feet. Slowly, she turns around to face me,ughing as a wave crashes into the back of her legs, sending her stumbling towards me. "You''ve never told me about this ce." She looks up and down the deserted beach. "The boys will like it here." "My father used to bring me here. Before the twins came along. To teach me about the power of the ocean. After he died, I tried to do the same with Jenson and Raven, but they missed the point. Raven had her own ideas for her future and Jenson just wanted what everyone else had. Maybe that was part of their downfall." I wrap my arms around her, holding her flush to my chest. "Father used to tell me how easy it is to lose power. To keep it, you had to stay alert and own it. Constantly fight for it." "He used the sea to teach you a lesson?" She asks as the water licks our feet. "He did." "You think that''s why Ss is really here. To take your ce, just how ir thought she could take mine?" "I won''t let him. ck Shadow is mine. Always has been and always will be until the boys are ready to take over." "He called me family." She mumbles into my chest. "I was just going to walk right past him and he asked me if I always ignore family. He didn''t want to interrupt us, that''s why he didn''t make himself known. Maybe I got the wrong impression" She shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head.C¨®ntent belongs to Nov¨¦lDr¨¢ma. Org "To me, that doesn''t sound like he ising for what he thinks is his. Not everyone we meet has to be bad. Not everyone can have a secret reason for showing up. I refuse to believe that, because otherwise, what kind of world are we bringing children into?" Chapter 0520 ?Chapter 0520 Neah He tips my head back and leaves a lingering kiss on my lips. "How is it that you can be so hopeful after everything that has happened in your life?" "Because it''s not me I''m thinking about." My hands sit on my small bump, "I know if there is a problem, we can handle it. Because that is what we do. That doesn''t mean I want that for any of our pups." "Which is why you are not keen on exploring the White Cliffs topic." He softlybs his fingers through my curls. "It''s not about you, it''s about the ones who call you mum. You want to protect them." He presses his lips against mine once more. The waves that had barely been licking our feet, suddenly crash into me. Dane does everything in his power to hold on to me as we are both knocked over into the water. He loses his grip on me and the waves drag me out from the beach and away from him. My heart races as panic sets in. I had no idea how to swim. Just as my face clears the surface to take a breath. Another wave hits me and sucks me down. As I''m pulled beneath the surface, hands find my shoulders. They half drag me, half carry me from the sea and up the beach as I try to spit and cough out all the sea water I had swallowed. "Are you good?" I look up at Dane. He''s leaning over me, his ck hair is wet and stuck down to his forehead. Crimson eyes are etched with concern, but it wasn''t him. That odd ent rings in my ears as he repeats the words. Turning my head, I see Dane a few metres from us, hunched over and spitting up water It takes a second for my senses to fall back into ce as Nyx mutters ''That''s Ss.'' "Ss?" I splutter at the man standing over me. *I was waiting patiently by the car." He points up the beach as if I didn''t know where the car was. "Neither of you were paying attention to the waves. Just because you are capable of healing, it does not mean that the ocean won''t take that power for itself. Many Wolves have been lost to treacherous waters." "Were you listening to us?" I frown as I get up. "No." He stares at me with as much curiosity as I had about him. "I saw the wave hit you and drag you out. Why didn''t you try to swim?" "I can''t." I cough up more water as he raises an eyebrow at me. *Interesting." *Leave her alone." Dane mutters as he crawls towards me. *I am keeping my hands to myself." Ss tells him, holding them up. "Would you rather that I didn''t help? I could have left her to drown, though that would have been unnecessary and would have cost me my life." "I want you to exin why you followed us." Dane snaps "You think I followed you?" Ss sneers. "I would say it was the other way round. There is a small house just up there, around the curve of the beach. It''s where I have been staying."C¨®ntent from N¨®velDr¨¢m¨¢!! "I couldn''t scent you." I mutter. I thought it would have been obvious after the restaurant, but it''s only now, up close that I could smell him but it was still mixed with the scent of the ocean. *The beauty of staying near the beach." He tells me. "The mix of the sea breeze, the constant air flow and the scents of mother nature is enough to make it seem like I was never here." *How long have you been here?" I ask as Dane checks me over "Here? About a week." Ss tells me. "Why were you waiting by the car?" Dane demands "I wanted to know why you followed me. It''s not like you have tried to find me previously, is it? And again, you were having a moment. I wasn''t going to interrupt. There would be a time when I could say my piece." "I was told you were stillborn." Dane mutters "What about after you found out the truth?" Ss stares at him. "And don''t say you didn''t know. Because this is not the reaction of someone who finds out their twin is alive." "I had siblings to look after." Dane is frustrated. I see the way he stares at Ss, ready to break his jaw. "And what about you, it sounds like you knew about me?" "New information. Why do you think I''m here?" Ss''s crimson eyes shift to me. Likely because I hadn''t stopped staring. It was almost freaky how identical they are. And I still couldn''t look away. He winks at me. "You came to find Dane?" I ask "Yes and no." *Do you want something from me?" Dane demands. "I''m just curious." Ss tells him. "I''m a little surprised that you are not." "Where do you usually live? Where is your pack?" I ask. He was definitely here alone. *Sorry, I thought I had made myself clear when I informed you of Cooper''s prisoners. I live in White Cliffs." "You are an Alpha?" I was so confused. If it was a ce where my family was from. Why would a Wolf be running it?Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. He snorts. "No. Why on Earth would I want that role?" The smell of power tells me that he is lying. Nyx murmurs. I trusted her. His scent is thick with power. Nothing like Damien or Erics and possibly, even stronger than Dane''s. Was Ss the first born? Chapter 0521 ?Chapter 0521 *There is a temporary Alpha." Ss tells us. "A temporary Alpha?" I ask "Well, he isn''t the current true Kitson Alpha is he?" He smirks at me "Are you his Beta?" Dane asks *No, again, wrong word choice. From my understanding. A Beta for the current Kitson Alpha has already been established. That was what I was taught growing up." ''Is he talking about Samara? Nyx murmurs. I don''t reply. I''m too busy listening to all the information he is offering "Who is running White Cliffs?" Dane presses. "Do you have a name for us? I was told you were given away to family. Not to White Cliffs" *I do have a name, but you do not need to know until you decide toe meet with him." He doesn''t answer Danes other question ''The family tree''. I mutter through mindlink to Dane. The name must be on there.'' Ss looks up and down the empty beach. "We can continue this conversation here, or we can take it to my rental. As I said, it is only up around the corner. I can offer some dry clothes while those dry out. You need to keep that pup warm." ''At least he doesn''t know everything. Nyx murmurs. "We should go." Dane tells him as he drops a protective arm around my shoulders. *Actually Dane, I need a moment. I''m wet and I''m cold." Dane takes one look at me and nods "Wise choice." Ss agrees, turning away from us. We follow him to a small beach house. "It''s not much, but it is only temporary." He tells us as he starts stripping out of his wet top. "They are eagerly waiting for my return." Tattoos littered his chest and back. Animals, tribal patterns and even roman numerals are among the ck shades. "Do you mind?" Dane mutters at him *Sorry. Privacy isn''t really a thing where I''m from." Dane wasn''t much into privacy either, but he seemed to be a little irritated by Ss''s tantck of respect. Was it because he thought I was suddenly going to jump on his twin?C¨®ntent from N¨®velDr¨¢m¨¢!! Ss grabs a dry white shirt and fastens it quickly. "Here, this might work." He offers me a robe, "Everything else will be too big. Bedroom is through there. I will start a fire. You can hang your clothes in front of it." I nce up at Dane, wondering what the chances were that he could keep the peace for a few minutes. "Thanks." I mutter and disappear into the bedroom. Quickly stripping out of the wet dress and underwear. I wrap the fluffy blue robe around me and sit on the edge of the bed in silence. There had been no words exchanged so far. No whispers. No heated argument. No talking at all. I expected something more than deathly silence. ''They need to talk.'' I murmur to Nyx. They need to figure out each other.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "They will." She tells me A few more minutes go by and I hear Dane ask "Why are you really here?" "I don''t think you are going to like my answer." Ss tells him. *So you are here for a reason then. You know she had hoped you weren''t here for some kind of power move. But it looks as though she might be wrong." "It''s no power move. I do not want anything to do with your pack. We were not raised together. I was not pushed to lead this pack that you inherited from our father. I don''t expect anything from you. I was given a different opportunity. One that is far more satisfying than being an Alpha." *Every Wolf wishes for a title." Dane fires back and Cooper told a woman that you were an Alpha." *Cooper spun a lot of shit. I will say it''s a good job he is dead. And as for titles, it doesn''t work like that in White Cliffs." Ss is probably giving Dane that lopsided grin. "Do you know the story of the war? How Lycans went into hiding so they could repopte what they had lost?" "I have been told." I quietly shuffle to the door. I open it just a crack to make sure I hear everything. *Just because there are vast numbers now, it does not mean there is a need for more titles. In White Cliffs, everyone falls under two people. One Alpha and the one predetermined Beta. I could want a title, but it would be pointless. I can''t have something that isn''t mine." He cocks a brow, "Well I guess I could, but that would mean killing the Alpha and I have no interest in that. Besides, I like my head where it is." I was certain Dane was staring at him in a way that said ''you better tell me more. *The temporary Alpha has a thing about removing heads. All Kitsons seem to have a style." Dane was likely mulling over me, ripping out people''s hearts. "You keep saying the temporary Alpha." *Temporary is what he wants to be known as. He handed over control of White Cliffs to his daughter a long time ago. But she skipped town to be with another man. So he was forced to step back up." ''Is he talking about my mother? Because that makes no sense if they could be with a Wolf.'' ''He said another man.'' Nyx mumbles back. "She was already with someone." I fling the door open and stare at the men. "I... I have a grandfather." "You do. And my job is to give you an invitation toe home." Chapter 0522 ?Chapter 0522 Dane "She has a home." I growl "It''s not her true home is it? She is not in a ce where she is one hundred percent protected." Ss tells me "She has me and the pack!" I snarl "I can protect myself." Neah huffs, putting her hands on her hips. *Just like you did in the ocean?" Ss replies. He waves his fingers dismissively. "I am not here to force you toe with me. It will always be an invitation. A choice. Your own freewill. I am purely offering you an opportunity that you may not have been aware of." "An opportunity?" The sarcasm rolls off of her "Bullshit." I snap. "You said it yourself, the Alpha you follow is temporary. You need Neah to take over his position in White Cliffs." "I will admit that it is what the Alpha wants and needs. He is old. He has outlived all his friends, his mate. He is desperate to spend his final years not having to be a leader and gaining some well earned rest. Until that pup is born, you are the rightful heir, Neah. I, however, am just the messenger." "Messenger?" I snort. If my father knew what had happened to his other son, he would be disgusted. "What happens if he dies while still holding the Alpha position?" Neah asksContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org. *There are protocols in ce, but I will assume that everyone will leave toe and locate you. They all heard your link. Well the Lycans did. There were celebrations for days. You still lived. They saw hope for the future. Some even prepared to leave." *Prepared, but didn''t actually leave?" I ask He nods but doesn''t answer me. *The people of White Cliffs are desperate to know they have someone to follow. It''s how they thrive. From what I know, when your mother ran away, there was uproar, chaos, even suicides." *Suicides?" I ask "I was young myself, so I only know what I was told. As I said, the people there are loyal. Maybe a little too loyal. Their Alpha was no longer present, they saw no reason to carry on and Neah didn''t exist then. Most likely, if Neah was still not in the picture, they will do the same when the Alpha dies." ''Pussies.'' Aero scoffs ''If it''s even true.'' I reply "Why didn''t they go after my mother? You said that when this guy dies, they wille after me, so why didn''t they go after her?" Neah challenges. *Because she rejected the pack. Your grandfather had very little choice. He had to step back in. He had worked hard to get the numbers to where they are and the people needed him. He trained his daughters. And your mothers disappearing act rocked the pack." *He really has a pack full of Wolves and Lycans?" Neah asks.Content from N¨®velDrama!!! *Yes. He changed things up. He epted those that would normally be killed on the spot. He is a fair man unless challenged. He knew he had to adapt in order to stop the pack fading away. There were already many living there after the wars and he, his father and his fathers father have worked tirelessly to build it back up." *Lycans were kept a secret. They hid themselves from everyone." Neah frowns at him. "Even White Cliffs are a well kept secret." He dips his chin, "Many did, especially in the southern regions. Others united. White Cliffs grew stronger over time." His eyes shift between us. "Ah, you thought you were the first ones to be mated to each other. To bring Wolves and Lycans together." He shakes his head. "It''s been going on far longer than that, but at the same time, it does surprise me that someone with the Kitson bloodline has been mated to a Wolf." *You said my mother ran off with ''another'' man?" Neah asks. "You mean she ran off with my father. I am still trying to understand how that worked out. My father was already seeing someone. He gave me a half sister." "Half sister?" He raises a brow at her and she nods her head. "I can''t speak for your father," He tells her, "but after it was discovered that your mother did not have a mate in White Cliffs. A male was chosen for her, one that she was not happy about. She started skipping town, going further afield and one day, she just didn''t return. Though it was probably for the best that it didn''t work out, or you and I would not be having this conversation. And White Cliffs would perish when your grandfather passes." He smiles at Neah, "You may not want to believe me, but there is no denying who you are. I see it, I feel it, I smell it." *So you do want to take her to White Cliffs!" I demand *Of her own freewill. I''m not someone who is going to put a pup through hell before it is even born because she doesn''t want to ept the invitation. That pup carries your legacy and as I have already told you, I like my head where it is. Maybe this is why you were selected for one another. My guess is that it has something to do with that pup you are carrying. Maybe they are even more special than I first realised." He gets up from the table, moving away with a smile stuck to his face as he fills a cup with water. Chapter 0523 ?Chapter 0523 He hands it to Neah, "You look as though you could do with this." Ss doesn''t know Neah is carrying twins and he doesn''t know about Logan and Evrin either. *You think my pup is special?" Neah asks. She was following his lead thankfully and not correcting him. "We won''t be certain until he is here." Ss tells her "But likely, yes." "How do you even know that it''s a boy and that he will be special?" She pushes *Because he ising from thest female Alpha. It has to be a boy, the first one, anyway. Future pups could be girls." Neah slips into a chair at the table. A dozen questions running through her mind. "I can answer most questions." Ss tells her. "I have been training for this for a long time." *Training?" I scowl at him *I am not a Kitson, yet I was raised by one. Family history is important to them. When the time came that I would have toe looking for you, it was crucial that I would be able to answer all of Neah''s questions." *You were trained with Kitson family knowledge?" I muse "To try and convince us that Neah needs to go to White Cliffs." "We all have our ce, Dane." He smirks back at me. "Have you found yours?" Who the fuck does he think he is?!'' Aero snarls "Why didn''t theye looking for me?" Neah presses. "When I was a baby? When I was bound? Or what about when my parents died? Why was I left in the hands of an uncle that despised the ground I walked on? I may not have known about White Cliffs or my family, but it seems like they knew of me and they just abandoned me." Her eyes are incredibly dark, but it doesn''t phase Ss one little bit. If he worked for Neah''s grandfather, he had likely be ustomed to the Lycan hovering near the surface. *The Alpha wasn''t ready for you." Neah snorts. "He wasn''t ready for me?" "He was concerned that you would have been turned against your heritage." "As a baby? Do you even know what they did to me?" His eyes shift to me and he almost seems puzzled. "No." "Here''s a clue." She snaps at him as her eyes get impossibly darker. "I didn''t get my Lycan until I was twenty two. Almost ten years after I should have had her. I didn''t even know I was a Lycan, I was raised to believe I was a Wolf. And I definitely didn''t know I was thest female Lycan from an old blood line that runs through history."Content from N¨®velDrama!!! "They didn''t bothering for me. Not once.. They didn''t protect me from the torture I was put through. But do you know who did?" She points at me. "He saved me in more ways than he will ever know. A Wolf. My mate. He helped me learn who I am. He helped me put pieces of my life together. Not a so-called family member who wasn''t ready for me and has never bothered to make himself known to me until now. And it''s not even him, it''s his messenger!" If we were alone, that robe would being off. "I understand why you must be frustrated." She shakes her head at him. Every conversation of her past brought up the deep buried resentment in her. And it was more evident now she was a mother. Being abandoned and treated like she was, just didn''t make sense to her, because she would never do that to her own children. "I''m sorry Neah. I wasn''t aware of your past." "You never questioned why they waited so long to send you." I mutter ''Clearly I should have." Neah sighs, "I used to wonder about my family. Whenever I was locked in the basement on the brink of starvation, or when I was repeatedly beaten, I used to wonder if I had grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. I wondered what they would think if they saw what was happening to me. It took me a long time to realise that if there were others that knew of my existence, they didn''t care. No one wasing to help me." "I was never told." I see the sadness in his eyes as he watches her. "If I wasn''t told, it''s highly unlikely that Serkan knew." *Serkan?" I ask *Alpha Serkan Kitson. Neah''s grandfather." He mutters without looking away from my mate.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "How long have you been looking for Neah?" I press *I started my travels a few of weeks ago. Had to deal with Cooper''s prisoners first. It would have been unfair to leave them locked up when he was causing issues elsewhere." *You really let them out, it wasn''t just a gimmick to try and lure my mate into believing you are being kind?" "No gimmick." He keeps watching Neah and it''s really pissing me off. The only person that should look at her like that, is me. Chapter 0524 Chapter 0524 ? Neah He looks at me in the same way that Dane does. One that says he can see deeper than what''s on the surface. A look full of curiosity and intent. It''s unsettling, I didn''t want anyone but Dane to look at me that way. "Thank you for the invitation. But I won''t being with you. I may share a surname and blood with Serkan, but that is all. He isn''t my family. He could have had a chance and he didn''t bother. You can tell him that." ¡°He likely won''t take it very well." Ss tells me "I''m not taking it well." I snap. "You told us that the people of White Cliffs need someone to follow. Not that they want to, that they need it or all hell breaks out. Serkan is only interested now that I''ve developed my abilities and because he is old. Where was his interest five years, ten years, twenty years ago? Oh right, he wasn''t ready." Maybe I was being a little irrational. Maybe my hormones were making me extra snappy. But I was not letting this grandfather that I have never met try to dictate what or where I should be in life. I had figured it out so far and he was not the one who helped me." "He has his reasons." Ss tells me ¡°And I have mine. You said it was an invitation. I am rejecting it."From N?velDrama.Org. I grab my damp clothes and head towards the door. I could tell by Danes'' footsteps that he was right behind me. Ss doesn''t follow us as we make our way back to the car. Launching my damp clothes into the back seat, I pull the fluffy robe around me tightly and sink into the front passenger seat. Dane rests an arm on my open door. "I''m not changing my mind." I frown "Okay." "I will tell the boys what I know and when only they are old enough. Then, if they want to, they can explore it. Right now, I refuse to be forced into something because of someone else''s expectations and desires." "That''s fair." "You''re not going to tell me I should take him up on his offer?" I knew he wanted me to find out more for the boys. Particrly Evrin. "You know I have wanted you to consider it. You have, I won''t push it anymore and at least then you won''t be anywhere near Ss." His eyes burn into mine. "I saw the way he looked at you. He is lucky he still has a set of eyes." "I will never belong to anyone else." I mutter My lips curve up and he leans in the car to kiss me. Before his lips hit mine someone clears their throat. Dane growls as he pulls away and turns to face Ss. "Thought you didn''t like to interrupt?" Dane snarls "Believe me, usually I wouldn''t, but Serkan would like me to ask Neah what it is that he can offer in exchange for Neahing for a visit to White Cliffs." "I''ve made myself more than clear." I mutter, pulling the robe ridiculously tight. Though he was no longer looking at me like he had been in the small house. Ss shoves his hands in his pockets and nods, "I informed him. But he feels you haven''t given it enough thought. In other words he thinks I have not tried hard enough to convince you." ''Is he being serious?'' Nyx snarls "I thought it was an invitation.¡± Dane scowls at him. ¡°An invitation gives the receiver an opportunity to say no. She said no. There is nothing more." "I agree." Ss mutters. "And it in appears that have been misled or rather he thought that I understood his unspoken request." He turns away and leans back against the front of the car and folds his arms across his broad chest. "What has he asked you to do?" Dane presses. ¡°I''m sure you can imagine.¡± Ss tells him, ¡°And I''m not on board with that." I feel the pressure at the tips of my fingers. My ws were ready toe out if I needed to protect myself. "If I don''t go, he will kill you?" I ask "On my return, yes." "You''re certain?" "Not one hundred percent. Though I''ve seen it happen. I believed this to be different. I was led to believe you hadplete choice." He shakes his head, "It seems that I am more disposable than I realised." ''This is where we need Brax.'' Nyx mutters. I agree, Brax''s ability to read people would be very weed right now. Because Ss didn''t seem the least bit annoyed that Serkan hadn''t given him the whole truth. Chapter 0525 Chapter 0525 ? "How did you end up in White Cliffs?" Dane asks ¡°Our father gave me away. I thought you already knew." Ss tells him "I was told you went to a family member." Dane replies He shrugs his shoulders, "Maybe I did, and even if it is true, I do not remember them. I grew up in White Cliffs. It is the only pack I have ever known. I spent my youth running around a castle and ying hide ''n'' seek with the staff until training started. A brilliant way to grow up.¡± "A castle?" I splutter He turns his face in my direction. "Royalty deserves a castle, don''t you think?" I roll my eyes. If anything, a castle made Serkan sound even more of a jumped up egotistical asshole. "Link Damien and ask him to bring Brax to meet us somewhere." I mutter to Dane "Already have." He winks at me. "They are probably not that far away now." "Is that our younger siblings?" Ss asks with a raised brow "No." He doesn''t tell him that Jenson and Raven are dead. Ss gives us a lopsided grin. "I guess I should have expected you to have guards around. Though I''m not interested in dying tonight. So I will warn you that I will fight back and I am more than adequately trained." "If anyone is going to kill you, it will be me." Dane tells him. "Though I might let my mate start by skinning you." Ss brow shoots up again as he turns in my direction. "Is that your style?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content. "No. But it is satisfying." I stare back at him and heughs. Even hisugh was just like Danes. It sends a shiver down my spine and when I look up again, I see Ss watching me. Car lights flicker down the dark road behind us. I recognised Damiens car as ites to a stop. Brax is the first to get out. He takes two steps andes to an abrupt stop. "Well fuck me sideways! Damien wasn''t kidding." "Brax, this is Ss. My twin." Dane gestures to him "You don''t say?!" The sarcasm was rolling off of Brax. I was certain he had a million morements. But he looks at me sitting in a robe. "Interesting outfit. Damien tried to exin the situation on the way, just be grateful they are nothing like Raven and Jenson." ''No part of the soul lives in the other.'' Nyx deciphers his code for my sleepy brain. "Do your thing." I murmur "Where are you from?" Brax asks Ss as the wind catches his shirt. I see his gun, but then again he would never havee without it. "As I have already exined, I am from White Cliffs." Ss tells him. "Ah, the secret pack that no one knows about." Brax continues to ask questions, mostly the same ones we had. I rub my eyes, listening to the same information being repeated. I was tired and hungry and desperate for thefort of a bed. Quietly closing the car door, I could still hear everything. Dane gets in the driver''s seat and reaches over to cup my face. "Do you want to go home?" "I do, but I don''t want him following us. He doesn''t know everything." I sigh and change to speaking to Dane through mindlink, just in case. ''What if we send Samara? She wants to go. She is trying to find proof so I will give her permission. She wants to find out about her family and her mother. I''m sure Damien will apany her. ''It''s a risk, and you could be throwing her into the lion''s den. We don''t even know if Serkan knows about her.'' He replies ''He must do, his daughter was pregnant.'' ''Yet from what Ss is telling us, you and your presence is Serkans only priority.'' Brax taps on the window and opens my door. "As much as I hate to say it, the clone ain''t lying." Dane gets out and joins the others. I mostly tune out of their conversation to watch Dane and Ss. If they switched ces, would Serkan even know? I close my eyes, searching for a possible link to my grandfather. I find nothing. No link to a man called Serkan. But Ss had said the Lycans in White Cliffs had heard me. That they wanted to find me and yet, there was no connection to a man that was technically family. I don''t even know if there ever was. Chapter 0526 Chapter 0526 ? Neah Dane gets back in the car as Damien and Brax move to the car behind us. I watch as Ss walks away in the direction of the house he is staying in. "That''s it?" I ask "We have agreed to meet tomorrow evening. I do not want you toe." I nod as he backs the car up and turns it around. "You tried searching for a link, didn''t you?" He asks as he rests a hand on my thigh "There is nothing. It''s like, I hear what Ss is saying and I heard Brax confirming that Ss is telling the truth. But there is no link to Serkan. Not even something that is blocked off from me. There are also no other names that could be mistaken as his." "It is an unusual name." He confirms "Why have you agreed to meet Ss?" I ask as he picks up speed "I want to pick apart his answers a bit more." "You mean test him." I yawn He nods "And it''s easier to do it without him staring at you every two seconds." "I think we have made it clear to him that we are inseparable. Maybe he''s curious because of who I am. And he seems more than aware that if he tries anything, he would be signing his own death warrant.¡± "I agree." His thumb makes small circles on my thigh. "It was not how I was expecting your first beach visit to go." "Does anything ever go as nned?" I muse and sink down further in the seat as his hand slips up under the robe. "I can think of a few things that do." He pulls the car over, switching off the engine and the lights. He slides his seat back and pulls me on to hisp so that I am facing him. He hadn''t bothered changing into anything Ss had offered so his jeans were still damp. His hand slides up into the back of my damp hai. "The sea air smells good on you, but this does not." He tugs at the robe Ss had given me. The belt that was holding it together, easily slips off. With one hand still in the back of my hair, he uses the other to remove the robe from me. "My dress is wet." I mutter as he pulls my face towards his. "You don''t need anything." His voice is low and his lips press against mine, sending a flutter of sparks through me. His hand moves from my hair to my ass as he pulls me even closer. I could already feel the swell of his cock pressing against my entrance. Only a piece of damp denim and a zipper holding him back. "Here?" I whisperN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "I would have fucked you in the house if we were alone when you spoke about how I have helped you. Or maybe I would have fucked you if it had been anyone but my twin sitting there." His hand moves back into my hair and he tips my head back as he presses his lips against my mark "Or maybe it was the moment you told me that you would never be with anyone else." His lips hit mine with force. His n tongue tangles with mine as he thrusts up against me. He squeezes my ass and the hand in my hair moves to my breast. Rolling my hardened nipple between the tips of his thumbs and fingers. His mouth reces his fingers and his fingers find a new home, cupping my pussy. Danes'' sharp canines pierce the flesh surrounding my nipple as his fingers prate me. He sucks hard, catching all of the spilled red droplets with his tongue as his thumb settles on my clit. I let out a growl as thebination makes my core ache. His thumb provides more pressure against my swollen nub and his lips curve up into a smile as he watches me. He slows his fingers down, testing my entrance and when I try to set my own rhythm, he stills his hand. I press my forehead against his, "Please." I whisper. I was so close and could feel it slipping away. They start moving again, but painfully slow. I m my lips against his, to silence the loud moan as his fingers slip knuckle deep into me. The ache in my core spreads. "Dane." I mouth. The sound of his zipper joins my moans and I feel his solid length pressing against my entrance. His crimson eyes lock on mine and he thrusts, sliding straight into me. Chapter 0527 Chapter 0527 ? His arms lock around me, holding me steady as he sinks impossibly deeper. Each and every time was the same and yet his size always took me by surprise. Dane thrusts up again, I let out a low moan as he smiles, delighting in the noisesing from me. When he thrusts again, I m down on him and he stares at me. A wicked smile passes his lips. "You want to y that game." He studies me I nod at him. "You always lose." "Prove it." I mutter and begin riding him. I knew there was no way I could oust him. He knew every trick in the book to tip me over into ecstasy and I didn''t care. ¡°Nothing makes me happier than watching you orgasm for me, over and over." He keeps from thrusting as I ride his cock. Instead, he teases me with his tongue and teeth. A nibble of the ear lobe, a suck of my nipple. He even bit my lip but I refused to make a sound, and m myself down on his cock over and over. He growls and his grip on me tightens, I could feel him swelling inside of me, locking us together until I could no longer bounce. I bite down on my lip, trying to hold in the intense pleasure that''s coursing through my body. "Fuck!" He groans as my own moans break from me Grabbing my cheeks, he presses his lips against mine, slowing his pace as we both hit euphoria. "I think we might be making a stop at a hotel tonight." He whispers into my ear My breath is heavy and my core continues to spasm as I fall against him. "Hotel?" I mutter breathlessly. ¡°As much as car sex is fun, it limits you a little and I am far from done. I want to see how many more times you think you can orgasm without me knowing." He gives my ass another squeeze as I screw my face up at him and try to hide my smirk. "Now let me get you some clothes out of the trunk." "You have spare clothes and you let me sit in the car in nothing but a robe." I scoff. "Surely it was better than me ripping the clothes off of you." He muses. He puts his dick away and gets out of the car. He still has a smug smile on his face when he hands me some underwear, a sweatshirt and leggings. I quickly dress and watch him in the rearview mirror as he changes his clothes. He tosses the wet clothes in a bag and slips back into the car. "Did you expect that we would needa change of clothes?" I ask curiously. "Mallory would be fuming if you had ripped the dress she lent me." He doesn''t answer me, but the smirk tells me everything. Ripped clothes means nothing to him. We are not on the road long when Dane pulls in at a fancy hotel. There were a lot of Humans here but just as many Wolves. "Neutral territory?" I ask quietly as we step into the foyer. He nods at me. It was quiet, but then it was the early hours of the morning. The woman at reception gives me an odd look. I catch my reflection in the mosaic mirror behind her, only to see my hair stuck out at all angles. "One room." Dane mutters, handing over a ck credit card. ¡°Certainly, Alpha Dane." She doesn''t look him in the eye She taps away at theputer and hands back his card plus a room card. "Have a nice stay." She calls out as we walk away. "I''m confused." I whisper as we step into the lift. "Because she knew who I was?" I nod.From N?velDrama.Org. "This is not the first time I''ve stayed here. This is where I used to stay after I took Jenson and Raven to the beach. Though I am surprised she remembered me, it''s been a while.¡± "The eyes." I mutter, "There''s only you and Ss that have crimson eyes." A colour that was so unusual that everyone alwaysmented on. A colour that had creeped me out to start with and something that I had always wondered about. Chapter 0528 ?Chapter 0528 Dane Her hand slips into mine as the elevator carries us to the top floor. I pull her into me, leaving a kiss on her forehead just as the elevatores to a stop. The doors slide back, leading us onto a long hallway that was just as I remembered. Light grey carpets stretched across the floor. Small paintings lined the walls between the room doors all in matching frames except for the one right outside our room.From N?velDrama.Org. Neah stops to look at it, as I swipe the room key. Her hand pulls out of mine and she points at the boy in the middle. "Is this...you?" *Yes. My mother painted it. It was ourst trip together as a family before they were taken from us. Jenson is on the left and Raven is on the right of me." The painting showed the three of us looking out at the waves on the beach I had taken Neah too. She doesn''t ask any questions, she only tells me that it makes her think she''s looking at an older version of the boys. I open the door, stepping into a familiar suite. It was always kept avable for me, even though I hadn''t been here in years. I move from room to room, checking that everything was perfect and only stopping by the floor to ceiling windows when I was done. We were on the fifth floor. From here you could see the beach in the distance. The sea only just visible in the darkness. Over to the west, there are lights that lead into the nearby city. The rustling of a crisp packet catches my attention and I turn to find Neah raiding the mini fridge while already armed with treats from the bar. *Hungry?" I muse. Food wasn''t what I had nned, but if she needed it, then I was more than willing to wait. I had the rest of my life to watch her orgasm for me. She stares back at me and gives me a slight nod. It was rare to see the fleeting fear these days, but there were still hints of her past that lingered. It normally showed up when she waspletely exhausted. Almost as if she spends the day working hard to block it out, though she could never make the triggerspletely go away. Food was still the main one that stressed her. I move to the dining table and grab the room service menu. Handing it to her, I smile. "What do you want?" She doesn''t even look at it when she says "pizza." "Let me guess, the one with pineapple?" She smiles at me, "Yes please." I try not to hide my disgust. She knew I hated it. The first time she had it, I was certain she was doing it to just annoy me. But it turns out she actually loves it. How the hell could anyone eat pineapple on a pizza? She manages to get a slice down her throat before the nausea started. She was definitely suffering more with this pregnancy. Lying back on the bed, she stares up at the ceiling, rubbing her bump as she mutters about how hungry she is. "Maybe the girls don''t like pineapple on pizza." I muse. She grabs a pillow andunches it across the room at me. Stepping out of the way, I move into the bathroom and fill therge bathtub. Maybe a good soak would help. "They won''t let me eat. They won''t let me sleep." She mutters when I retum. Taking her hands in mine, I pull her up and off the bed. "I know what I said, but I can''t Dane. I''m so tired." she murmurs. "I know, but you can join me in the bath." She doesn''t stop me as I lift her sweatshirt over her head or when I lower her leggings and panties. I get in first and she follows, settling herself between my thighs in the bubbles. Neah leans herself back against me, causing some of the water to overflow. She takes my hands and ces them on her stomach. The movement beneath was constant and relentless. A smile creeps across my face. They would be strong, just like their mother. As the movements of the twins be less intense. Neah''s body rxes into me a little more until I know that she is asleep. She doesn''t stir as I shuffle her forward so I could lift her out of the water. Chapter 0529 ?Chapter 0529 Lowering her onto therge bed, she quickly rolls on her side, but her eyes don''t open. I pull the sheets up over her and take the seat near the window to watch her.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. There had been a lot of discoveries in the night. Brax was certain that Ss was speaking his truth. But it wouldn''t be the first time he had missed something and I wasn''t willing to solely rely on him. Serkan wanted Ss to take Neah to White Cliffs regardless of her saying no. So what will he do if Ss doesn''t return with her? Will hee after her himself? Will hee for the boys when he learns of them? How much of a threat will he be to my family and my pack? Did we outnumber them? He had Lycans and Wolves, but so did we. I consider sending Samara, like Neah suggested. It would be a way to get more answers, but it would still be unfair to send her somewherepletely unprepared. Especially as she was just finding her feet and then there was Damien too and he had Dorothy. I don''t sleep. I pace. I watch my mate and I order more room service, but I don''t sleep. I needed more definitive answers and there was only one asshole that could give them to me and I couldn''t wait untilter for the meeting. The sun was already present and Neah is still fast asleep. Grabbing the little notebook by the telephone. I write a note to Neah. Telling her to stay put and order more food if she needs too. That I was just a link away if she needed me and that I would be back before tonight. I dress and kiss Neah''s forehead and quietly slip out the door. Taking the car back to the same spot by the beach. Parking my car, I could already see Ssing out of the water. He runs his hands through his hair,bing it back from his face and puts a hand up when he sees me. He''s patting himself down with a towel as I make my way towards him. "I thought we agreed on ater time?" He asks and looks up behind me. "No mate?" "No, I want to speak to you alone." "You have questions about Serkan that couldn''t wait?" "We have barely breached the surface." I mutter *I agree." He tells me "But you are not who he wants. I don''t know how my words will be of any benefit to you. And I''m more concerned about other things." "My mate is who he wants but she carries my child." I almost said children, but I needed him to continue believing it was just one. Just to be on the safe side. *You think he will hurt her?" He asks I nod. "And I know you believe there is a possibility that he will. It really sounds like the man wants his granddaughter to take her ce there." "He is the Alpha." "No he isn''t, not anymore. You called him a stand in. Said he had to take back the position. If he were the true Alpha, Neah wouldn''t exist. But she does and she is thriving without the need to be in a ce called White Cliffs." He mulls over my words. "I have seen her link Lycans. I have seen her turn bitten Lycans against one another. I have watched her bring Lycans to their knees. I have enjoyed witnessing her rip out hearts. I have seen her partially shift. Her prophecy is true. She is the female Alpha. So tell me, why does he really want her there, because I call bullshit." "I''ve told you what I know. Your guy even confirmed it." "And you are second guessing what Serkan has asked you to do." I reply "Don''t deny it. I know what I hear and I know what I see. You don''t want to die but you know that if you return without her, you will. You also don''t like how the n has changed. You don''t like that the invitation has be a demand. But yet you will not say that to him." He picks up his things and treads through the sand towards his ce. He looks over his shoulder. "Youing?" Ss doesn''t talk until we are at his house. He tosses the towel on to a chair. "Early morning swims are brilliant to freshen you up." Chapter 0530 ?Chapter 0530 Fresh was thest thing that I considered him to be. He seemed caught up in his own problems. "Is that right?" I mutter *The waters are not so treacherous in the mornings. It''s like the storms of the night have calmed. Just like people." *Are you trying to tell me that you think Serkan will change his mind?" "Yes, I think that he is being unreasonable." Ss tells me as he grabs a couple bottles of juice from the fridge. He slides one across to me as he flicks off the top of his. *Unreasonable? He isn''t offering her something she wants. He will never be able to." "And I am telling you that he will not ept that." *So you have said. But this is non negotiable." I take a swig of the juice. "Would you want to get to know our father after knowing he gave you away? Would you want to know the man that never showed an interest in you in the years he was alive? Because that is how she feels. I feel it, I feel every emotion that goes through her and now, some asshole expects her just to do what he is asking because he said so." "You have a point." He stares at me. *And you are his glorified puppet." He ms his bottle down, a crack snakes its way up through the ss. "I am no one''s puppet." He growls *Said the man that is doing someone else''s work without knowing the full details." *I will admit, it was not the request I was asked to follow through on." *So I will ask you again, do you really think he wants Neah to take over? The people might. They know of her existence. It sounds like they are desperate to follow her but are not allowed to. For all I know, Serkan fears her. She is a female Alpha. She could ruin what he has built. He may not know what she is capable of. So the best option would be to snuff her out. And that is something I won''t let happen." "He said he wants to retire." He scowls. Even I could see that he doesn''t believe the wordsing out of his own mouth. *Does he or has he just said that so you would make more of an effort to retrieve her?" I push, trying to make him see the likely truth. "He is actually treating you like a domesticated dog and asking you to y fetch." There''s a twitch under his right eye as he stares at me. "Don''t insult me on things you don''t understand." "You insult yourself by not knowing what Serkan actually wants. Do you actually have Alpha blood in you?" He curls his lip at me. "I''m your twin, of course I do." "Then fucking act like it." He res at me. "Come on then. You think you know what I should do. Why don''t you tell me?!" *To start with, grow a pair of balls." *Haha, very funny." He sneers. "Why did you even bothering to find me this morning? All you have done is insult me, over and over. I have told you that I am not happy with the change of n. It is not what I agreed to, nor what I signed up for. I have a mate back home, waiting for me. Now, I need to figure out how to get her out of White Cliffs without hersing her head.* *You have a mate?" I was a little surprised, there had been no mention of one until now. I was positive he had a thing for Neah. He stared at her like so many other men. One of want and desire. "Yes I do." He snaps. "If I don''t return, who do you think is going to be punished for my forced betrayal?" His hand closes around the cracked bottle. He squeezes it until the ss explodes in his hand. Red streaks creep out from between his closed fingers.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Wanting to protect his mate was something I understood. I would give my life if it means that Neah is kept safe. "How long have you been mated?" I ask "Five years." *Pups?" *Just the one." "I will advise that you find a way to get them out before it''s toote." Chapter 0531 ? Chapter 0531From N?velDrama.Org. Hey everyone, so it looks like I need to clear a few things up for many readers. Firstly, this book is NOT over. Trust me, you will know when it has beenpleted. Mostly because it will say The End at the end of the epilogue. If I have not written ''The End,'' It means it is still ongoing. As previously stated. Updates are reduced this month (September) It is an incredibly busy month for me so there will be no updates at weekends. You will still receive the same amount of chapters you have been receiving other months. Updates are added by 5PM British Summer Time. This will obviously be a different time to wherever you are in the world if you are not in the UK. Some days, updates will be less, other days, there will be more. Once again, September is a ridiculously busy month but I am still getting chapters out when I could have easily taken more days off, so please be patient. Not many people write 400k+ words in seven months and that is just this one story. Probably 600k+ words if you include my rewrites because I didn''t like what I had written. For those who think I don''t appreciate my readers because I didn''t release a chapter or left you on a cliffhanger; I appreciate every single one of you, more than you will ever know. It''s why I regrly thank my readers for their support. It is also why I give updates if I''m not uploading for a day or two. If you want to ask me any questions. I am on F B under my author name. You can always drop me a message and follow me for updates. If you are still reading the book, thank you. It was originally supposed to be a series, but the higher powers had another n in ce. For all my readers-Thank you Taylor West Chapter 0532 ? Chapter 0532 Neah Groaning as I roll over, I reach for Dane. My eyes sh open as a surge of panic fires up through me when I realise he isn''t here. Sitting up quickly makes my head spin. Grabbing the clock from the bedside table, I knock something on the floor. Retrieving it, I see that it''s a note from Dane. I knew where he had gone before I had finished reading it. He wouldn''t have waited for the meeting with Ss. He probably didn''t evene to bed. The clock tells me it''s almost five in the afternoon. I had slept most of the day away. And judging by the way my muscles ached, I had stayed in the same position. I scowl at the bed. I don''t even remembering to bed. I remember getting in the bath, but even that is a little hazy. ''He probably moved us.'' Nyx yawns. You know he likes to do that.'' Scanning the note again, it tells me to order room service and that he would be back soon. My eyes sh to the pizza box still on the table. I couldn''t even remember if I had eaten. Exhaustion does funny things to the brain. Shuffling out of bed. I make my way into the bathroom to freshen up and dress. I''ve barely finished pulling on the sweatshirt when I hear the door to our room open. It''s apanied with Danes strong scent. A part of me feels relieved that I didn''t have to wait long for answers. "Have you eaten?" He calls out "I''ve only just woken up." I mutter, walking out the bathroom. He studies me as though he didn''t quite believe me. "Did you sleep well? Because you were certainly tired." He smiles. "It was a long day." *I knew you were exhausted the moment you forgot about Logan when you mentioned my eyes." The corners of his lips curve up "I did not!" I protest. "I would never. The boys are with Athena and Sebastian. I just... Why was it so hard to remember? "I was talking about adults." I splutter as it startsing back to me. "It''s not like Logan is going to wander into a hotel and book a room, is it?" I had been tired on a whole other level. I''m sure I wasn''t this badst time. He grins at me. "I know." He seemed to enjoy teasing me, especially when I was pregnant because I would always fall for it. Pregnancy hormones are something else. *How did it go with Ss?" I mutter *He is in a moreplicated situation than I first thought." I sink into the nearby chair, pulling my legs up under me as I wait for him to catch me up. *He has a mate?" I splutter at the news. I was certain he had been looking at me like I was a piece of meat. It reminded me of how Jenson had always looked at me. "And a pup." He adds ''Just one?'' Nyx asks, puzzledN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. She was right. If I had learned anything, the cks produce twins. ''Maybe something bad happened.'' I whisper back. My hands move to my bump as my thoughts drift to the boys back home. "They are fine." Dane tells me. "I have already checked in." I sigh "You think Ss had twins?" *Yes. It was the way he answered. He didn''t want to talk about it. I didn''t push him. He was sharing plenty." "And his family is in trouble." "It seems that he hasnded himself in a difficult position. He doesn''t like how the situation has changed with you. He doesn''t like how he was tricked by Serkan but he also knows that if he does nothing, his family will be in danger." *He will choose his family." I mutter. It''s what I would do if I felt they were being threatened. It''s what Dane would do if it was any one of us. ''He''s going toe for us.'' Nyx tells me, ''because he feels he doesn''t have a choice.'' Dane moves towards me. His rough fingers catch my chin as he tilts my face up to look at him. "I''ve asked Damien to meet us here with Samara." "You''ve changed your mind?" I was surprised. When I had mentioned it before, it was quickly shut down. *Ss will do anything for his family. I will do anything and everything for mine." His lips gently press mine. **** Samara''s grey eyes flicker around the room as she enter''s, but she wasn''t looking at us. She seemed fascinated by the grand room. "So tell me Dane, why did you want me to bring Samara here?" Damien asks as Samara''s eyes settle on mine. *Ss." Dane mutters, "I just need you to hear me out, can you do that?" Dane frowns at him. Damien folds his arms across his chest and dips his chin. *Serkan doesn''t know what Neah looks like, but Samara carries his blood." Chapter 0533 ?Chapter 0533 *Serkan is my grandfather?" Samara asks as she nces at Damien. I assume that he had caught her up on everything, especially as he had toe out in the middle of the night to meet us. ''If you can call him that.'' Nyx sneers as Dane nods his head Dane repeats what he had learned to Damien, telling him that Ss is trapped. "If he is telling the truth." Damien mutters. "I know what you are going to ask and the answer is no. I have the right to protect my mate. Just as you will protect Neah." *Am I missing something?" Samara asks in confusion. "Dane wants you to go with Ss to White Cliffs." Damien tells her "Okay," Samara nods. "I will do it." She doesn''t hesitate with her answer. I knew she was desperate to go. Damien had told me that she wouldn''t stop until she could convince me that it was safe. But it wasn''t safe. It was a risk and one that might not pay off. "You don''t even know what Dane is asking of you." Damien scoffs "You told me that Serkan has other ns for Neah. We can''t go sending the Alpha into something we don''t understand. She has the boys and the pups on board." Samara gestures to me. "You could be walking into a trap. You could be walking to your own death. I''m not letting that happen." Damien tuts Samara sighs and squeezes his arm. "It''s not like you cane with me. You have Dorothy." I felt horrendous. Damien and Samara had settled into a happy little life together and because of me, it was about to be ripped apart. I was all for sending her. But now, seeing how protective Damien was over her. I knew that if something bad happened, Damien wouldn''t be Damien anymore. I look down at my bump. I could protect them. I had done it when I was pregnant with the boys. I had shifted to protect myself and they were fine. I had killed multiple people when I was pregnant the first time. ''No.'' Danes'' voice rumbles through my head. ''You are supposed to be taking it easy.'' "I can do it." Samara mutters. "I tricked ir. I can do it again to this man." Damien''s brows knit together as he frowns. "I''m a huge Lycan. You have all said it." Samara adds, "Even bigger than the men. If I have to shift to convince him. I will do it." Her eyes hover on me. "Let me do this. Dakota is more than happy to do this." "Dakota agrees?" Damien asks "Yes. She wants us to do this. She wants us to prove ourselves." She screws her face up at me. "I know you won''t make me your Beta, but Dakota said this is what a Beta does." ''Damien is a big part of our family. He has helped you in so many ways.'' Nyx mutters. She was also stuck on whether we should let Samara go. ''So what do you suggest? Because we don''t know what is happening up there. They are miles away and even if Samara goes to White Cliffs, she would be going in blind. She might not even make it through their gates if Serkan believes that Samara is me. And then Damien....'' I nce at him, but he is too busy ring at Dane to notice. I would demand hees here.'' I mutter, ''But there is no link to him. I''ve searched.'' ''He''s a Lycan.'' Nyx murmurs. There has to be something. ''I know that. He is my biological grandfather. Wait.'' I mutter ''Ss could link him. How can Ss link him if I cannot?'' ''We don''t know if he actually did.'' ''Yes we do. He came running up to the car, asking what Serkan could offer in exchange for me going to visit. He definitely linked him. ''Maybe you are searching for the wrong thing. Nyx murmurs I close my ears, ignoring the disagreement going on between the men. Instead of searching my mind for my grandfathers name. I search for the connection that would be specific between us. Granddaughter to grandfather. Tied to one another by blood. One that is simr to my connection to Samara and ir. It''s a mess in my mind. The deeper I look the more the connections be jumbled, knotted. Some appear as though they are far away, yet they are still connected to me. "Neah?" Dane whispers. "Shhh!" I needed to concentrate. ''Nothing is blocked.'' Nyx whispers.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. But if nothing was blocked, why couldn''t I find him? It reminded me of trying to link Cooper. Maddie and ir too. The ability to link them just stopped existing when they had their abilities taken away. But Cooper, he managed to conceal his from me. Only showing his Lycan side when he was vulnerable. Did Cooper know Serkan? Was that how he knew of Ss? I open my eyes to find all three of them looking at me. "How did Ss know Cooper?" Chapter 0534 ?Chapter 0534 Neah They continue to stare at me. We had all been focussed on why Serkan wanted me, that we hadn''t considered the smaller detail of the role Cooper had yed. *Ss saved the people Cooper had imprisoned." I frown, trying to piece it together. "He said Cooper had been a pain in his ass. Cooper told Eris stories about Ss. Almost like he wanted the information to get back to us." *He also told her that Ss was an Alpha." Damien mutters "What if Cooper wasn''t talking about being an Alpha of White Cliffs?" I mumble, ncing up at my mate. "What if he was saying that Ss shares your blood. He carries Alpha genes just like you, Raven and Jenson. We all know that Cooper was very good with his words. They always had a different meaning." "He''s my twin. Whether he was raised that way or not. He still carries our family''s blood. So yes, it could be what he was talking about." *You think Serkan is using Ss in more ways than one?" Damien asks I puff out my cheeks. "I was raised on lies. Led to believe that I was something entirely different. It wasn''t until Dane noticed there were errors in what I was telling him that we started to pick apart my past, but I never lied. It was my truth. It was what I was raised to believe. What if it is the same for him?" I don''t give them a chance to answer "Ss already told us that he was trained to learn everything about Kitsons so that he was ready for the day he found me. When I turned down the invitation, Serkan changed the rules." "And he didn''t like that." Dane adds *But then there is Cooper. The one man who was capable of blocking his connection to me. If Ss knew of him, I would put money on Serkan knowing him." *Ss could be lying." Samara shrugs her shoulders *Then you have the added question of how did he know who you were when he had never met you before." Damien tells me. "You came out of the bathroom at the restaurant and called you family." "I think he saw me with Dane. He said he could smell my power." "It''s not hard." Damien smirks. "I don''t believe you have reached your full potential yet, either." "Can you link Ss?" I ask Dane. He shakes his head at me. "Just because we are twins, it doesn''t mean we are connected like that. Remember when Jenson left the pack, the tie with him was snapped because he wanted nothing to do with the members of ck Shadow." *Links work in funny ways." Samara sighs "It was never there with Ss and I to begin with." Dane tells her. "He was brought up in a different family, a different pack." He turns back to look at me. "Ss and I are not the same as Jenson and Raven. A Wolf Alpha only has the capability to link members of his pack. You have the ability to link every Lycan." "ept Serkan." I mutter in frustration. *I will go get Ss and bring him here." Damien offers. "And he better talk." Samara gets to her feet ready to follow and Damien shakes his head at her. "You stay here. I won''t be long." She sinks back into the chair. Her nervous energy radiates off of her. Whenever she was in my presence, she always had Damien with her. I''m sure she felt as though I was still going to change my mind and toss her back in the dungeon. Her leg jiggles and she pulls her sleeves down over her hands as Damien leaves. "I''m fine with it." She blurts out. "I will go. It''s like I said, I want to do this. Dakota and I both do." "I know, but things are changing." ''But...?" "Originally, it was my idea and it was only an option. I am grateful for you being onboard, but Damien is family. If something happens to you, Damien will more than likely go Rogue." I was certain of it. He had been so much happier with her than he had been in ages. I wondered if he had talked to her about that part of his life. *Plus you have only just started training." "But you can''t go." she protests I nce over to Dane who is watching me with a raised brow. Even if I wanted to, I don''t think I stood a chance of going. ''You would be right.'' His voice echoes inside my head. I ignore him as Nyx delights in his need to protect me. Returning my attention to Samara. "Instead of going to him, I want him toe here. If he wants me that badly, he cane for me himself instead of sending someone else to do the job."From N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 0535 ? Chapter 0535 "Do you think he will start a war if he doesn''t get what he wants?" She asks "He has Wolves and Lycans. But so do we." AWAWA "Well you look better than thest time I saw you." Ss tells me as Damien pushes him into the room. His crimson eyes move to Samara. "And who is this?" *Serkans other granddaughter." I tell him He frowns a little, his eyes dancing between us, "Amelia''s daughter?" "You knew my mother?" Samara stares at him He dips his chin "Do you know how she died?" "Yes." He tells her. She stares at him expectantly, but he just stares back with his mouth firmly closed. *Can you tell me?" Samara pushes. *I''m not sure if you are ready to hear what happened. You are hard to read." *Serkan killed his own daughter." I mutter. Ss clenches his jaw. It was easy enough to make the connection, otherwise he would have just told her. "He killed his daughter? Why?" Samara asks. There is no emotion in her question. But then she had also not met her mother. He runs a hand through his dark hair. It''s a little longer than Danes but not much. "I believe Amelia was part of a plot to overthrow Serkan. It was a long time ago and the details are vague. You know how stories are. Over time details are added, some are removed and it''s not always the clear picture that it once was." "You don''t think it was a plot?" "I was in myte teens. Do you think I was interested?" He cocks an eyebrow at me "But you studied Kitson history." *I did.... Amelia was removed from it." *Removed?" Damien leans against a nearby wall, watching Ss carefully Amelia''s name was still in that book I took from Moonshine. Which had been in the house when it burned down. Erased from history. Maybe she was someone I could learn from. Why had she wanted to get rid of her father? Ss dips his chin again. "Even though Amelia was his biological daughter. He decided that he no longer considered her to be once she tried to have him killed. She was removed and no one ever saw her again." *So she could be alive?" Dane asks "Doubtful." ''But there is a chance?" Samara presses but Ss shrugs his shoulders "You don''t know why she plotted against him?" I ask "I don''t think anyone truly does. Except for maybe Serkan." *Families are fucked up." Damien snorts "Did Serkan know about me?" Samara asks quietly. She was desperate for answers about her family. But I don''t think she is going to get what she is looking for. "Yes." Ss replies Everyone falls quiet. I was certain he didn''t know about her. It was probably a good job that we were no longer sending her to White Cliffs.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "Well some things don''t change. Was he even interested in her?" Damien asks Ss''s crimson eyes move to Samara. "I''m sorry, but no. No he wasn''t. You were not destined to be Alpha. You were the child of his untamed daughter. You were a tiny blip on his radar. Nothing more.* Samara''s mouth is hanging wide open as Dane snorts. "Is that what he calls it? Taming his people into submission. A blip?" "He was the reason she gave me up?" "I believe so." He runs a hand through his dark hair and sighs. "I told you earlier Dane. I will tell you everything you want to know. I am not ferrying someone to their death. Not when the only reason their death is called for is because of their blood." Dane studies him. "You said he is an old man." "He is." *So what benefit does he gain from murdering my mate?" *I don''t know. As I said, my job was to invite her home. But the more you talk, the more you open my thoughts and then there is Lyall. My Wolf." He adds casually. "Who feels like there is something wrong with the entire situation." I study him. "How does Serkan know Cooper?" "I don''t know. Now and again he would appear. Meetings were kept between them. He would stay for maybe a day at a time, and then not return for months." "Were you aware of this?" I ask Samara "No." "Why would she know?" Ss asks *Cooper was my half brother." "He was Amelia''s? I thought she only had one pup?" "No, different mothers." She glides her tongue over her lips. "Would Serkan have a need for a Witch?" Chapter 0536 ?Chapter 0536 Ss Scratching through the stubble on my chin, I sigh, "He has several." Other than the beating hearts in the room, you could have heard a pin drop. It was not the answer any one of them wanted to hear. "Witches are rare." Dane mutters. "They don''te along too often." I nod in agreement. I knew they were. It had been drummed into me when I had been full of questions as a kid. And White Cliffs are incredibly happy to have them, even the one that denies her heritage. Or maybe, people felt like they had to be happy with their presence. I wasn''t sure anymore. There were just so many holes in the story and all it has taken is for me to meet my twin. *And Witches rarely work with Wolves." Dane continues "Depends what they are being offered, I guess. They have nice homes, a couple have family''s. They have jobs, they are not looked down on by others." But when I think about it, they tend to stick together. They didn''t really have other friends. "How many?" Neah asks. Her bright blue eyes hover on mine. She was definitely not what I was expecting for thest female Alpha. The moment I saw her in the restaurant, it was clear who she was. Her scent. The electrical charge that surrounded her. I was one hundred percent certain that she was stronger than Serkan. I had never sensed anything so powerful before and I had been around other Kitsons. Yet, she was small and looked fragile. I''m surprised the sea didn''t drag her out further than a few metres before managed to catch hold of her. What I had heard about her, just didn''t fit the woman sitting across from me. Her legs crossed up under her. A hand on her small bump, that is moving around in circles. She had a little bit of an attitude, but that could be the pregnancy hormones, if my mate was anything to go by. She''s also nothing like her grandfather. If anything, the cousin looked like she would cause more issues. Samara hadn''t said much more either and mostly just stared into space. Maybe talking to her Lycan. I couldn''t be sure, it was impossible to tell with her grey eyes. "Well?" Dane snaps "Four." I confirm. "Well, three and a half." *So Lycans, Wolves and Witches?" Damien mutters from his spot against the wall. "Yes. But I guess they are not what you would consider as strong. Two call themselves ''healers''. They use herbs and other weird things to help kids and sometimes the adults, especially the pregnant ones that are suffering. Or they help to calm the minds of those that are grieving. Stuff like that. Nothing outrageous." *And the other two?" Neah asksContent is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "One refuses to acknowledge their abilities, she is also only a teen. Hence the half." I muse. "The other one is my mate." There was that silence again. The shock settling in as the reality of my words hit. A Wolf and a Witch. It happens, but is as rare as the number of Witches in the world. "You didn''t tell me that!" Dane straightens his spine. "You didn''t ask." *And what are her abilities?" Damien asks. He is watching me, poised but ready to kill me if needed. "Can she project herself? Does she take away others'' abilities?" *Hers is a little outside the standard field." I murmur. "Her main ability is that she can control fire." *F...fire?" Samara scoffs *Yes. But she hasn''t used that ability in several years." I frown. It wasn''t a story I wanted to talk about, but I knew if they asked, I would need to tell them. I would need to relive the worst night of my life. "What...." Dane doesn''t finish the question and I see Neah shaking her head at him. Instead, he clears his throat." All of this generation''s cks have been mated to Lycans." Dane tells me. "Were you fated mates, or did you choose her?" Chapter 0537 ? Chapter 0537 *Fated. I may be a ck by birthright, but again, that wasn''t what I inherited. It seems the Moon Goddess had other things in store for you." Damien rolls his eyes at me "Let me guess, Serkan was more than happy that you have a Witch as your mate? I bet that hase in handy." Neah''s eyes shift back to me. She didn''t trust me. I didn''t me her, but she will one day. I hope. I was voluntarily giving them all the answers to their questions. But some people didn''t like that. Sometimes they felt that it was easy. It made it look as though I was luring them into something. I wasn''t. All I wanted now was to get my family out of White Cliffs. *Funnily enough, Serkan has never mentioned it. He has never asked for anything from any of the Witches. The only one he ever had interest in was Cooper. As I said, no one knows what happened when Cooper came to visit. I just knew that when he left, Serkan was more agitated than usual. He would wee him like an old friend and then something would happen and when Cooper left, Serkan would be pissed." "You didn''t question it?" Damien asks "None of us did. It was routine. Serkan likes things a certain way. It wasn''t affecting anyone else, so people kept their mouths shut and carried on as usual." I feel like an idiot.'' I mutter to my Wolf Lyall You are not the only one." He grumbles as Neah and Dane give each other an odd look. *How did you meet her?" Samara mutters as the others try to figure out what to say to me. *I found her. I was on my way back after a run and she was just walking up the road. A small bag hung at her hip, a thin white dress hung over her frame. Leaves and twigs littered her hair. She looked a mess." I smile at the memory. She had panicked at the idea of being mated to a Wolf but she didn''t run away and she didn''t try to set me on fire. Though I hadn''t known what she was capable of at the time. The rain poured down on both of us. She was cold, I was fascinated by her. Then she started a fire with a simple click of her fingers. That should have been my cue. I should have ran. I knew what she was and yet I couldn''t. "We have been together ever since." "That''s so sweet." She beams at me. "Some of us find our people in the unlikeliest of ces." She shes her grey eyes in Damiens direction, but I see no mark on her neck. I couldn''t be sure if they were together or not. *You were not concerned that you had just walked into a Witch?" Dane asks "Why would I be? I could smell her exotic scent, she could smell me. And sitting here talking to you isn''t giving me time to n how to get Thalia and Quinn out!" *Quinn is your child?" Neah asksN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "Yes, he''s three and I have no idea what is happening to him." I stare back at her. I really didn''t want to kidnap her, but every second here is a second that I could save my family. "Can you link him?" She asks "Quinn?" I ask wondering why she would want me to link my son. *Serkan." She frowns at me. ''Tell him I will meet him, but not in White Cliffs. Tell him that if he wants to meet me, he cane to me and give me the invitation himself. He wants me. I don''t want him. I''m not making the effort. The moment Serkan leaves White Cliffs, your family can get out." *You want him toe to your pack? Because he won''te alone. I can guarantee that much." I wam her. Chapter 0538 ?Chapter 0538 *Somewhere neutral." Dane mutters. "The city." "You think he won''t do anything because there are Humans?" I shake my head *He will cause more problems for himself." Dane smirks at me. ''It''s a good option. Thalia will be able to get out unseen and even if she is seen, it will be toote for Serkan to do anything. He will be after his number one priority.'' Lyall tells me "Your choice." Neah mutters "Okay." I agree. "When?" "A few more questions first." Neah states, "If that''s okay." I nod in agreement. I will answer everything and anything she throws at me if it means I can save my family. *So you rescued Cooper''s prisoners and many of them joined White Cliffs." She confirms *For rehabilitation."N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "Is that the first time?" She presses. "No." *But Serkan was meeting with him?" *Fucking asshole was providing Serkan with people to grow the pack." Damien sneers at me "And you didn''t see it. He was just doing it in a better way than how Cassandra did it." *Cassandra?" I mutter. I didn''t know anyone by that name. "You don''t need to concern yourself with that." Dane tells me. "She''s dead. Damien is just making a point." I slouch back in the seat, staring at him. He couldn''t be right, could he? How could I have missed something so tantly obvious? "He''s right." Dane tells me. "What better way to make people feel secure. Offer them a home within the pack that supposedly saved them." "No, because the others that I saved had no abilities. They had been stripped, they were practically...." I trail off. Every single one of them had eventually been killed for one reason or another. But the lot I saved this time, had been weed with open arms. They had gained their abilities back and were ready to start over. To believe in something better. I already knew that better is currently staring at me in a much smaller than normal size. "He''s got it." Damien chirps *Cooper was punishing them and then Serkan would invite them into his home with open arms. Making him look like a saviour. It''s a good n. But not good enough." Dane mutters as he moves behind Neah, cing his hands on her shoulders. She seems to melt under his touch as she leans her head against his hand. "Did you know about this?" Damien mutters to Cooper''s half sibling. She shakes her head at him. "I swear. I knew he had been taking abilities from people for a long time, but I never knew what happened to them. Coop used to move me around a lot. I was at the farm for a while but before that, we never stayed in the same ce for long. And after the age of sixteen, I was never allowed to stay in the same location as him. I think it was because he didn''t want me to know. He knew if I figured it all out when I was younger, I would have be a much bigger problem." "I can confirm that all the people rescued were not rescued from the same ce." I mutter She gives me a small smile. She looked so much like her mother. Serkan would have known who she was the moment he saw her. *It''s nothing to smile about." I murmur. "Serkan always knew where I needed to go. Always told me there had been reports of sightings, or stories of Wolves and Lycans that were confused. And like the idiot I am, I believed it. I don''t know what is worse. Feeling like this, or having to convince my mate that the man we believed in has been using us like puppets. He offered us a superior life, but it''se at a price." Chapter 0539 ?Chapter 0539 Dane Damien returned Ss back to the beach, but not before Ss gave us his contact number. He agreed that if Serkan was to reach out to him, he would let us know and we would let him know when we are ready to go ahead with the n. "Do you believe him?" Samara asks "Unfortunately, yes." I tell her, though I knew Neah wasn''t so sure. "His mate is a Witch." Samara frowns "Yes. He could have lied about that. He could have said it was another Wolf, even a Lycan considering he has already told us that Lycans and Wolves have been getting together for a long time in White Cliffs. Yet he chose to tell us what she is." *And what about the fire?" Samara''s eyes are wide. "She can control fire. Even Coop would have been impressed with that." *Maybe a fire is why he only has one child." Neah murmurs. "You heard him, she hasn''t used her fire power in years. His pup is three." *I could have asked more, but you didn''t want me too." I remind her. "You didn''t see the way he tensed up when he mentioned it. It was barely visible but it was there. His spine straightened a little. His jaw clenched a little tighter." She sighs. "He shows the same signs of irritation as you." *As me?" She bobs her head. "It''s scary how simr the pair of you are. Even Jenson and Raven were not that simr." *You don''t need to worry about that." I lean down to kiss her but she unexpectedly pulls back. I try to read her mind but Nyx has sealed that off from me. "What''s wrong?" I press. Her eyes search mine but she doesn''t speak. Suddenly lowering her gaze, she shakes her head at me. "It''s nothing. Why is she acting this way?'' Aero mutters. ''I don''t understand." The only thing I can think of is that she sees the same thing that happened between Jenson and Raven happening to Ss and myself. She killed Raven because no one else could do it.''Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. I study my mate but she keeps her eyes low. It would never happen. I''m much stronger than my twin, that much was clear. He was busy taking orders from a mad man. *If his wife and pup escape. Are they going to stay in ck Shadow?" Samara asks trying to break the tension It was a difficult choice. I couldn''t have a Witch in my pack, not if I wanted us to return and not after what thest Witch put everyone through. She may not be like that, but at the same time, it wasn''t worth the risk. "We will see." I mutter. It would need to be a conversation with the pack. When Damien returns, he informs us that Ss has asked if we are sure we want to go ahead with this n. Neah nods her head. "Serkan needs to know that he doesn''t control me. And it''s like I said. If he wants me, he cane to me." "Exactly what I told him." Damien winks at her. He turns to Samara, "Come on, time to let the Alphas be alone together." I turn to Neah and easily lift her out of the chair. Taking her ce while pulling her on myp. "You''re trying to distance yourself. Why?" "I''m not." She whispers "Then tell Nyx not block me out." ''I...'' "It won''t happen. My mind isn''t as weak as my sisters. The only people that are allowed in my head are my pack and that is purely to speak to me. I can see that you are frustrated." Her eyes lock on mine and she drags her bottom lip in between her teeth, but lets go when I use my thumb to pull it out. A habit that was slowly seeping back in. "Talk to me." *If something happens..." "It won''t." "Dane, if something happens to... *Stop." Chapter 0540 ?Chapter 0540 *You want me to talk but you won''t let me get my words out." She frowns at me. *Nothing will happen to me." I tell her confidently." *Not you, me." Her eyes are wide as the words tumble from her lips. "You are underestimating yourself. Damien thinks you haven''t reached your full potential and Ss, the one man here that knows of Serkan, is certain you are more powerful than him." "I know what I''m capable of. I''ve done things that I never thought I would ever do." She lowers her gaze, "I just need you to promise me that if something happens, you will always be there for the boys. And the girls, if they are here. I just need to know that."N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. My hand cups her face. Her chin sits in the crook between my thumb and my finger, forcing her to look at me. "I am not going anywhere. You are not going anywhere. Do you understand?" A small crinkle appears on her brow as she nods. She takes in a deeper breath. "I''m still surprised that I havested this long." "I know you are. But you are not the frail, broken girl that I first met. You are not the same person that threw herself back against the door to hide from me. You are my mate and an amazing mother of our pups and I will not let anything happen to you. *You have survived every fucker that hase after you. You have battled demons that nearly destroyed you and you have thrived. You may not underestimate what you are capable of, but you underestimate your ability to survive." She wraps her fingers around my wrist, pulling my hand from her face. "I''m not giving up." She whispers as her frown deepens. "But I''m not stupid. We are going up against another powerful Kitson. It would be stupid to go in with an expectation that we will seed. Of course it''s what I want. But that''s how people lose. They get cocky. they make mistakes. Cassandra, Trey, Kyle, Devon, Cooper even Jenson and they are just some of the ones that have died, but they all have the same thing inmon. I''m just preparing for the possibility." ''As if she thinks we will let her die.'' Aero mutters in anger. But the anger isn''t aimed at Neah, it''s the situation. She leans into me, looping her arms around my shoulders and pressing her nose into my neck. Her bump presses against my stomach as she sighs and I feel a few half hearted kicks. *The thing I am worried about." Her warm breath fans across my skin as she sighs. "What if he bes aware of the boys, especially Evrin?" *The boys will be nowhere near. Just like before, the kids and the vulnerable will be moved to another location. Just in case, they will be moved further south. Mallory will likely be with them because she has Luca. And several other new parents plus guards. They will be more than protected." She doesn''t answer me. "I will always protect them with my life." I tell her exactly what she wants to hear. Though I will do more than that. If it ever came to her or me. I would sacrifice myself so that she could live. Most of the way home, she is quiet. Nyx had let her guard down and I was able to search her mind again. She was thinking about how many times she hade close to death. And as much as I hated it, she was trying to be realistic about the situation. I smile at her and reach over to rest my hand on her thigh. At least this time she doesn''t pull away. Hearing me confirm that I will keep the boys safe, seems to have reassured her on one level. "Can we stop?" She mutters a few miles away from home. "I need the bathroom." Pulling into the local fuel station. She practically jumps out the car before ites to aplete stop and charges towards the building. Chapter 0541 ? Chapter 0541 As I begin fuelling up, a car pulls in at the pump behind. Arge Wolf gets out and nods his head to me as he starts to fuel up. I return the gesture, though he wasn''t a Wolf from my pack. There was a good chance he was just passing through the area. ncing up to the building, I could see Neah through the window as she tries to decide on a snack. When I look back at the Wolf, he is staring at her. And then I see him. An older man, sitting in the back of the car. The darkness almost shields him except for the whites of his eyes. ''Is that Serkan, in the car?'' Aero growls ''Ss said he was still back home.'' I mutter back, returning my attention to Neah. "Is that her?" The Wolf asks me. He speaks like he knows me. "Yes." I try to replicate Ss''s ent. If it is a guard of Serkan''s, he must think I''m my twin. I could y along. Lowering my head. I link Damien and Eric. "Four miles out at the fuel station. Bring back up." I cut the link before they would have time to realise what I was doing. We were only a few miles from home, I could buy time if I needed to. Sniffing the air, I couldn''t be certain if there were others. The Alpha of White Cliffs being out and about with one guard was unlikely. I cast a nce at my mate. She''s waving at me toe in. ''He''s here.'' I mutter through our link. I watch her drop whatever she is holding. ''Go back to the bathroom." She smiles at the worker, like nothing strange is happening and hurries out of sight. *She''s pregnant and has a dder the size of a pea." I tell the Wolf with a roll of my eyes. He smirks at me, "The Kitson line grows stronger." Hees to me and punches me in the arm. "Good job, Si." "It took some convincing. You didn''t need to bring Serkan here. I''m on my way home." "You are further south than we expected." "Ran into a few difficulties, nothing I couldn''t handle." He nods, "Between you and me, he didn''t think you would follow through. But now that you have, we can go home and you can see that fire kissed mate of yours." *When have I not followed through?"Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He smiles at me and smacks me in the arm again. "You are right as always. We will wait until she gets back in the car and just in case, we will follow you." "Don''t you need to pay?" I gesture to the pump. "Right as always, Si." He pulls his wallet from his back pocket and starts to walk away. Grabbing the back of him, I force his head through the rear passenger window. Spraying the back seats with shards of ss. For a brief second, I see the old man lean forward between the gap of the front seats. His eyes on me as I m the Wolf''s head into the car door again. He knows I''m not Ss, yet he does nothing but watch me m the guards head into my car over and over. The Wolf tries to get out of my grip, gasping for breath at the unexpected beating. Listening to the crunch as his skull starts to cave in, I m him into my car once more, splitting his head open and making his brain matter seep out. Letting go, his body slides down the side of my car, leaving blood and other bodily fluids behind. I look up to the old man who is climbing into the driver''s seat. His dark chocte eyes aze as he starts revving the car. He pulls past me at speed, running over his own guard. If I hadn''t killed him, that certainly would have. Chapter 0542 ?Chapter 0542 Brax "Keep going." Damien yells at me while we try to catch up with the car that had just left the station. "My fucking foot is on the floor." I yell back at him. "This piece of shit can''t go much faster!* The car in front jumps the lights and I have to m on the brakes to stop anyone colliding into the side of us. *Fucking go!" Damien yells as the green lightes on. I speed forward, barely missing the pedestrian running across the road as I cut another driver off. We couldn''t lose this guy. Damien had filled me in on the n before he received a link from Dane. He had been telling me that we would prepare for Serkan toe here. And in the blink of an eye, everything had changed. The threat was already here and we barely had a clue of what we were dealing with. I round the corner, lifting off on two wheels. From the corner of my eye I see Damien grab the dash. He wanted me to hurry and this was the only way. "We can''t let him get away!" "Don''t you think I know that!" I shout back over the screaming engine. "I knew I should have gotten behind the wheel." "I''ve seen your driving, we wouldn''t even be this close." I snap, watching the car in front drift around another bend. We round the bend and m on the brakes. In front of us is the car, only it''s abandoned.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. *Shit!" The car is forced into a skid. It stops inches away from the abandoned car. "He couldn''t have gotten far!" Damien yells as he jumps out the car. He''s quick to scan the area as I check out the car. "Do you smell that?" He asks as hees to a stop next to me. "Of course I do. It''s what I was raised to deal with!" I snap. It was even worse than we thought. Serkan was borderline Rogue. *Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" I nce at Damien. This was something we agreed on. "We can both smell him. Split up, let''s see what else there is." I mutter. "Link Dane and call the clone because the clock is ticking." If he wanted his mate out, he had to get her to leave now. Damien dips his chin and we move in opposite directions. The mixture of tall trees and tall buildings castrge eerie shadows across the ground. Serkan could be hiding anywhere. He could be watching and we were running out of time to find him. I slowed my movements, listening to signs of breathing, but wherever this guy was, he was good. The scent of a Rogue was quickly fading, but not as though he was moving away. More like the scent was being sucked out of the air that surrounds us. Definitely the work of a Witch, definitely the work of Cooper. The fucker was dead and he still had a hand at y. *Come out,e out, wherever you are!" I call out. I wanted to know exactly what we were dealing with before put a bullet in him. Was it just him? Were there more cunts like him? I looked over my shoulder and couldn''t see Damien. A good sign, I hope. A small movement drags my eyes over to the left, only for a bird to fly out of the darkness. Stepping forward, I focus on the spot, letting my eyes draw out anything that didn''t fit as my hand sits on my gun, but there was nothing. Wherever he went, he was gone. "There are other tracks." Damien calls out as I tum back to the cars. "He got out and got in another vehicle." He growls. It exined why the scent was fading fast. "Come on, this is pointless. We''ve lost him." I mutter in frustration. "I don''t say this often, but we need to regroup and pass the information to Neah and Dane." **** "He''s a Rogue?" Neah mutters from the car. She is in the passenger seat with Dane partially blocking her. Though she looks a little off. *Borderline or a Rogue in Human form." I tell her and she just gazes at me as though the information went right over her head. I go to repeat my words. "I heard you." She frowns. "This is why he wants me dead. Rogues have issues with authority. I''m his descendant. I''m a problem that he needs to deal with." *Ss didn''t know he was here either. He hung up pretty quickly so he could contact his mate." Dane pulls the phone out of his pocket and frowns, "But still nothing." I nce in the car at Neah, but she just looks through me as her eyes darken. I could see the tips of her wsing out of her fingers as rage flooded her soul. *Take her home." I mutter to Dane. "Take her to her kids." "What do you see?" Dane asks *Trust me, take her home. There are more than enough people that will guard her." "I will follow." Eric nods "What are you up to?" Danes'' crimson eyes hover on mine. *Damien is going to help me with a small task." I cast a nce at Damien. He gives me a small nod of approval, but doesn''t ask any questions. "Any problems, you contact me." Dane instructs Damien. Eric heads back to his car as I watch Dane settle in the driver''s seat. Neah was still staring into space and doesn''t even seem to acknowledge that Dane is in the car. We watch them leave and Damien asks what I was nning. *Serkan can link Ss." *We have already established that." He frowns "Where do you think Serkan is going to go?" I shrug my shoulders "It would be a mistake. And he could have other guards." "Well then, where are they? This is our best option right now." "And Neah?" He asks "Did you see the darkness in her again? Because that was Nyx and she has worked through that." "No, it''s not the darkness, but the rage that is firing through her system. It isn''t doing those unborn pups any good. Dane will protect her, but she needs to be somewhere she feels safe enough to rx or no one is going to see those pups. Chapter 0543 ?Chapter 0543 Damien "Keys." I mutter, holding out my hand for them. I wasn''t letting Brax drive after that fucking car chase. I didn''t need to die in something so meaningless as a car crash. Brax rolls his eyes and hands them over. "Pussy." He mutters with a smirk *Really? Do you want my help or not?" I tut back at him. "Because I''m more than happy to go back to my mate who is looking after Dottie!" "Fine." He snaps, walking around to the passenger side. "It annoys you that Dottie likes Samara, doesn''t it?" I muse and feel him re at me. "eptance takes time. You can''t deny that." Tuming the car around, I head in the direction of the beach. It was a good distance yet and the onlypany had was a man who likes to kill my kind for fun. He was useful, I knew that, but it doesn''t mean he won''t suddenly change his mind and try to put a bullet in my head. If he ever tries taking me down, I will take him down with me. And he probably knew that. *Are we certain that Ss doesn''t know about Serkans location?" He asks, fumbling with the radio *You were the one who told Dane that Ss was telling the truth." "He was, about the invitation. Or as we now know, the truth he believed." *Neah said soemthing simr earlier." I frown. "About how if you don''t know differently, you believe it. How it was her truth."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. *She isn''t wrong. The brain works in funny ways. She also didn''t have Nyx to help her find her way." I look over to him as he continues trying to decide on a radio station. "Will you choose a damn channel!'' "There are situations." He mutters with a scowl. "In Neahs case, everyone around her followed the same pattern. In Moonshine, no one was allowed to shift around her, so she never saw what they looked like. She was fed bullshit on a day to day basis. If your mind doesn''t know any better, it bes your truth whether it''s a lie or not. Your brain has the ability to alter your memories. It''s like raising a child to believe certain things. If she had known the truth, her life could be very different right now." Mallory had told me all about Neah when she first started helping me. If I was certain she had survived Mallory''s beating, I would have gone to find her then. "So ultimately, they are lying without lying." "Nailed it. Sometimes it''s not always ck and white, there is a whole range of colours to wade through." "Are you talking about the souls you see?" He nods and waves his fingers through the air while grinning. "Yours is all kinds of colours." I roll my eyes at him. I was probably the only one who still hadn''t asked him about my own soul. I didn''t care to know. No one should know everything. *This guy, Serkan, seems to have a weird hold over everyone in White Cliffs." He tells me. "You told me that Lycans were stopped froming to see Neah." "That''s what Ss told the others at the beach." I confirm. "They had heard her call and they were excited but yet they were blocked by Serkan froming. But Ss didn''t know why." "That right there could possibly have been what triggered all this shit." "Because Neah linked them?" He bobs his head. "She was doing something to benefit her family, not knowing there was another Kitson out there. He knew of her, yet has never bothered to meet his granddaughter. Stop the car." He demands "Why?" *Just stop. I need a moment." I pull off to the side of the road. "What now? We need to get to Ss." "It''s rare for me to say this, but I think you might be right." He tells me I snort, "About what?" *Neah hasn''t reached her full potential." He ps the dash, smiling. "Even after all this time, there is still a part of her that hasn''t been unlocked." Chapter 0544 ?Chapter 0544 "What the fuck are you talking about?"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. *You have been saying it for a long time. You are not the only one who senses her power. Everyone in ck Shadow does, it''s just not talked about. So what do we know about this situation?" He mutters to himself. *Neah can''t link Serkan. She doesn''t seem to have any form of connection to him." I reply *Right, but he has also never called to the others in ck Shadow. There are a great number of Lycans in ck Shadow." He shudders." I think there is a possibility that Serkan can''t link anyone outside White Cliffs." *That''s probably because he is a Rogue." *That may be true if he was a standard Lycan, but he is not. He is a Kitson, their blood runs deep." "He can link Ss." I mutter *Just how you can link the Wolves of ck Shadow. All it took was an oath. If Serkan is taking in people, I''m betting that''s what he gets them to do. A condition of them staying." *You really believe he can''t link the other Lycans?" "If he could, he would have already done it and ordered them to bring Neah in. His strength purelyes from the people in his pack. Maybe he was partly responsible for the other Rogues." "What are you talking about?" "When I was having issues with my fading abilities." "You mean, when you disappeared for a couple of days without saying a word?" I correct him. "Yes. We were attacked by Rogues, well sort of." "You were ''sort of'' attacked by Rogues? Rogues when they have shifted, don''t ever ''sort of attack someone, they go in with one goal in mind. Food. You know that." *The first ones did. The fuckers attacked. We killed them. During the night, there were more of the bastards. They kept circling my house but never more than one at a time. They knew we were inside and yet they never entered. They never even tried a door or a window. They took it in turns like they were performing some kind of duty. When they stopped, they had a meeting and then they just left." "Did you tell Dane?" I scowl He dips his head, "It wasn''t an ongoing problem, though he is aware. However, I''m starting to believe they might be connected. I am a Rogues worst nightmare. They would do well to pick me off." He smiles at me. "Is that a hint? Because I don''t need a reminder to know that you are a Hunter, Brax." He winks at me. "You don''t want to kill me anyway. Just think what that would do to my baby girl. Besides, I think we have great conversations. I would even go as far as to say, yourpany is wee." I roll my eyes "The stuff with those Rogues happened a while ago. It''s likely nothing to do with them." *Then tell me why the second lot turned up after Cooper projected himself into my house?" Brax stares at me as he continues. "Cooper learned of Neah through ir. Cooper had already been meeting with Serkan. He likely passed on the information about her." *Cooper always imed he didn''te for her, but to punish those that deserve to be punished. Then there was the whole thing with us." I frown, "Ss said that Serkan was always angry when Cooper left." "Maybe because Cooper hadn''t located Neah yet." He shrugs his shoulders at me. I would be pretty pissed too if that was the one job he had to do and he still hadn''t sorted it. *And Serkan told Ss where to find her." I mutter "I''m sure Ss said he had been on his travels to find Neah for a few weeks. He can clear a few things up for us." *So it seems like dear old granddaddy left around the same time as him." Chapter 0545 ?Chapter 0545 Ss The first set of thuds on my door force me to turn the shower off. The second set suggested that they belonged to someone who means business. "Who the hell is that?'' Lyall growls Pulling on a pair of shorts, I silently tread down the stairs, leaving puddles of water on the floor. There were two scents lingering on the other side of my back door. One that I remember from earlier. The other one, I wasn''t so sure of. Flinging the door open, I take a step back, barely avoiding the punch that came my way. "What the fuck?" I growl as Damien squares up to me. "Where is he?" He demands "He''s not here." Dane had called me to tell me that Serkan was already here and what had happened. It made no sense. Serkan never leaves White Cliffs. He didn''t even leave to chase down his own daughter, he had sent someone else to do that.From N?velDrama.Org. "He''s not here." The other guy confirms. He was at the beach the other night. He had turned up with Damien, quizzing me on the exact same questions that the others had asked. Neah and my twin seemed to ept that his words were true like he was some kind of prophet. "And I don''t really care about him right now." I add. "I have more important things to sort out. *Your mate?" The guy with hazel eyes asks "She won''t leave. She thinks it''s some kind of trap. She kept asking me if I was being held against my will. If someone was forcing me into saying she wasn''t safe. She has my son and she won''t leave White Cliffs. But if I go there, we will all be killed and if I don''t go there, they will probably be killed. You don''t get it." "Yes I do." The hazel eyed man tells me. "My first mate was taken from me, killed by another. She was pregnant with my unborn pup. Do you know where that woman lives now?" I shake my head *ck Shadow." "What?" Why would Neah let someone like that live there? She was clearly friends with this guy. "Do I like it? No. Do I want to rip her limbs from her torso everytime I see her? Yes. But what is even more bothersome is that my mate has struck up a friendship with her." I see the way Damien cocks an eyebrow at him. Maybe some of it was news to him. *And him," He points at Damien, "He lost his mate, your sibling. So if anyone knows what you are going through, it''s us. But right now, she is still alive, be fucking grateful for that. Because we all have our own problems.* *How dare you! Of course I''m grateful for her to be alive." *Brax, search the house, just in case there is something else." Damien interrupts us *Certainly. Don''t lose the carbon copy." He mutters as he moves away. ''Can we punch him?'' Lyall asks as Brax passes us. I don''t think that would be wise.'' *Ignore Brax, he likes to be dramatic." Damien tells me. "He is right though, every moment that she is alive, is a good sign." "I fear for her." "I can see that." *Can you tell him to stop calling me stupid names that reference me being a twin? We may lookalike, but we are not the same." *Unfortunately, I have no control over that. He will call you different names until he settles on one he likes" "He calls you by your name." I mutter *For a long time, he didn''t." Damien nces around my home and pulls a chair out from the table. He stares at me as he lowers himself into it. "Why wouldn''t she believe you?" *Because up until a few days ago, I had never questioned the actions of my Alpha and now, after a couple of weeks away and meeting you lot, I am. She told me that I don''t sound like myself. But she did confirm something." *Serkan left not long after you?" I nod. "I don''t understand why she didn''t tell me straight away. She could have contacted me any time to tell me and she didn''t." I listen to the footsteps above me. Brax is moving from room to room. "It doesn''t make any sense?" I had never felt so useless in my entire life. Chapter 0546 ?Chapter 0546 We will figure it out. Somehow.'' Lyall mutters "Maybe she was asked to keep quiet." Damien offers *She only spends time with the other Witches." "Maybe he threatened her before he left."N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. *I would have felt it if she was scared." I shake my head, so much hase to light in thest few days. From meeting Neah, I didn''t expect my life to unravel so hastily. "My family is trapped. I am happy to help with Serkan, but..." "You need to help them." *Or at least find a way," I frown. Thalia and Quinn were everything to me. When she made me a father, my life turned upside down, but in a good way. I never med her for what happened to Jarret. She was caught off guard and she had punished herself ever since by refusing to use her gift after what she did. Even Serkan had paid his respects. Allowing me time off to be with my mate and Quinn. We both grieved and I''m thankful that I still see Jarret in Quinn. I wasn''t losing both of my pups. I couldn''t. I refuse, but no matter what angle I look at, I can''t see a way to get them out safely without someone dying. Serkan had made himself look like the almighty one. And it worked, but the more I think about things, the more gaps there are. As I grew older, I was moved out of the castle, but with no exnation. There were people that would go into the castle who never exited, but nothing was discussed and there were no announcements of missing people. No one cared. It was just another day in White Cliffs. It was normal. But I see now that it is the furthest thing from normal. I nce at Damien. "I can guarantee Serkan would have got word to the guards." I try to swallow the lump in my throat. Lyall didn''t have any ideas of what we could do. "Even if she changes her mind. They don''t stand a chance of getting out, not now." "I can go get her." Brax tells us as he moves down the steps. In his hand is a photo frame, the one I keep by my bed. "They don''t know me. I''m a Wolf. I don''t belong to a pack. It''s what Serkan likes, isn''t it." "Yes, but he isn''t there." "Even better." "You are not just a Wolf, are you?" I ask *That''s nothing for you to worry about." He ces the photo frame on the table. "This them?" "Yes." I murmur, looking into the eyes of my family "That''s a big risk." Damien tells Brax. *Maybe it is, but I like risks. Just make sure my baby girl is kept safe. And Madison. I will be pissed if something happens to either of them." "You know I won''t let anything happen to them." Damien tells him. I nce between them. I was certain Damien was mated to that other girl, Samara. Brax had also mentioned someone, yet the men in front of me also seemed like they were in some sort of weird rtionship. I shake my head, it wasn''t my business. "I wille with you." I offer Brax raises a finger at me. "No, you will do no such thing. This is going to be tricky as it is, I don''t need someone that can screw it up." *How are you going to convince her?" I ask. "She is dead set that I am wrong." "Who said anything about convincing her?" *His methods may not be standard practice, but he will get it done." Damien informs me "You will kidnap them?" I mutter in shock "Do you want my help or not?" Brax stares at me I look at the picture on the table. Even with the burn marks up the side of Thalia''s neck and face, she still smiled. I wondered if she was happy now or if she was trying to figure out what was wrong with me. She had refused to speak to me since I told her she needed to get out. *I assume ites with a price?" *You said you would help with Serkan. That is the price." Damien tells me *And if you try to fuck any of it up, you will find my gun pressed against your asshole." Chapter 0547 Chapter 0547 Neah "Athena is happy to have the boys another night." Dane tells me as he takes off his shirt. "I should be with them." I frown "Another night is not going to hurt them." Dane replies as I start to get out of bed. "And you need to rest." He leans down and softly kisses me. Lifting my tee, he tugs at it and kisses my bump. "Now tell me, why are you wearing clothes to bed?" "Just in case." No one wants to be caught out in the middle of the night while naked. "You won''t need them." He smiles at meN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. I tug the tee back over my bump, "It''s hard to rest when I know that Serkan is somewhere nearby. He can''t have just disappeared into thin air. Have you heard anything?" As much as I trusted Damien, I knew he would link Dane and not me if there was a problem. Especially while I was supposed to be resting. ''It''s like they have forgotten that we have been pregnant before. Nyx murmurs in annoyance I know. But I guess with everything that happenedst time, everyone is just being extra cautious.'' She huffs, though I felt the exact same. Apart from being ridiculously tired all the time, I felt fine. After years of being left to battle through life on my own, it was still hard to ept that there are people who care for me. I look over to Dane and watch him in silence as he finishes undressing. When he gets into bed with me, his hand nts itself on my lower back and he pulls me in closer, until his face is inches away from mine. "Whether you are pregnant or not, I would still want to make sure you are safe." He whispers in the dark. "And before you tell me that you can protect yourself, I already know, but it doesn''t change my desire to keep all of you safe." "Do you think he will try again soon?" I ask quietly. I hadn''t seen Serkan at the gas station, just the aftermath. Only Dane had managed to get a small glimpse of him. While I hid in the bathroom like the scared little girl I used to be. "He knows that you are pregnant. Thankfully, he still doesn''t know about the boys. If he wants you dead, he will probably try again while you are pregnant." "And if he finds out about the boys, he wille after them." I mutter and see him frown.* Before that happens, I will rip his heart from his chest. I mumble and curl into him. The bed is empty when I wake. Letting me sleep in had be a new habit of his. Sometimes I liked it, other times it was frustrating. At least this time, I was in ck Shadow and not some random hotel. From the dim light creeping in around the curtains, I could tell it was early. I had probably only been asleep for a couple of hours. Yawning, I creep across the floor, trying to remember where the squeaky floorboards are as I tiptoe around them. I didn''t want to wake Mallory or Eric this early, not when they had stayed up with us to talk things through. Silently making my way down the stairs, I almost miss the bottom step when I realise I could scent Ss. Peering around theer, I see him sitting at the kitchen table, casually drinking coffee like he had been here his whole life. "What are you doing here?" I splutter, feeling the pressure of my ws against the tips of my fingers. "Arrived ten minutes ago. If you are looking for Dane, he is outside talking to Damien." "Why are you here?" I demand "Brax has gone to White Cliffs to retrieve my mate and child. Damien brought me here on the agreement that I would help you guys. That was the deal I was offered and I took it." "Just like that?" My hands move to my bump as one of the girls gives my dder a sharp kick. "I figured this would be the best choice." "Why would he do that?" I ask "I guess he follows his Alpha and likes to make deals." "Not Damien." I speak through my clenched teeth as my dder is booted again, "Why would Brax go to White Cliffs?" "Thalia wouldn''t leave." He lowers his eyes. "She didn''t believe me. But then again, why would she? I''m making her leader suddenly sound like a monster. Brax went because he said he isn''t tied to the pack, they would be more epting of him." "But she''s your mate." I frown "If I go, we will all be killed." ''Brax must believe him if he offered to go.'' Nyx sighs "Why didn''t she believe you? You are mated. You have a child." I demand "Apparently that stands for nothing when I am trying to take her away from the home she knows and loves." He scowls. "Believe me, it doesn''t make sense to me either, not after everything we have been through." "So Damien thought it was a good idea to bring you here? To our home?" He dips his head and then locks his crimson eyes on mine. "I''m sorry if you disagree," "What if Thalia..." "She won''t." He mutters before I get a chance to get my question out. "You don''t know what I''m going to ask." "You think she is working with Serkan." He stares at me. "It wouldn''t be the first Witch who has worked with him." I snap. "A fated mate bond is supposed to be the strongest thing in the world. It should outweigh what your Alpha wants or needs. She shouldn''t have even questioned you." Chapter 0548 ?Chapter 0548 He stares back at me. "I know that. And that is why I am confused by her reaction. Now she refuses to speak to me. I have no idea if Quinn is okay. I don''t know what is happening up there. Though I do know they are alive." "Why is she refusing to ept what you are saying?" "Your guess is as good as mine. And I don''t think I''m going to know until she is here." His tattooed hand wraps around the mug and he takes a long swig. "Remind me how you knew you were mated to her." I press ''Shit, do you think she tricked him?'' Nyx whispers. Just like Cooper did it to the others?" We are about to find out." He rolls his eyes at me, "I wasing back from a run and she was just walking up the road. Her scent hit me like a tonne of bricks. She denied it, but in the end, she couldn''t fight it." He stops and looks at me. "Why are you asking me this, when you already know? Do you think I''m lying?" "Curiosity." I mutter. "You had a set of twins?" He dips his head again. "What happened to the other one?" "Thalia..." He closes his eyes. "She was at home with Jarret, alone. I had taken Quinn to run some errands. The boys were a year old but Jarret was acting more clingy than usual. He wanted Thalia and no one but Thalia. If I hadn''t taken Quinn with me, we might have lost them both." I drag out a chair and lower myself into it. Quietly waiting for more. "She was exhausted. Jarret hadn''t been sleeping, but the healers could find nothing wrong. Serkan said it was probably a phase." He shakes his head. "I shouldn''t have gone out." He lets out a heavy sigh and closes his eyes. "Jarret had finally settled and Thalia fell asleep. An rm went off and when I raced back, our house was a ball of orange mes. Thalia escaped with just a burn mark up her neck and face. Jarret didn''t survive." His face hardens. You wanted to hear the story, are you happy?" He stares at me. "Is that what you wanted to hear?" "I''m sorry." I mutter, I couldn''t imagine losing any one of my children. But what if the story he is telling is wrong? He wasn''t there at the time. He only knows what he has been told. "Then there is his mate.'' Nyx tells me, ''She can control fire, but she burns?'' "Are you saying she shouldn''t? I ask her, confused. ''A bit of a weird ability to have if it can hurt you, don''t you think?" You think she killed her son? I was about to ask what kind of parent would do that, but I already knew the answer to that. ''I think there is a lot we still don''t know.'' I silently wished that us was still here. Not because of him being a Witch Hunter, but because he could research it. He would know where to look. I will ask Dane to link him. Maybe us had discovered some things on his journey already. "Are you talking to your Lycan?" Ss asks. "Your eyes went dark." "Yes." I mutter, but don''t say anything more about Nyx. "What happens if Thalia refuses to leave with Brax?" "He has a different n in ce." "I just..." I start moving around the table towards the door and his eyes follow me. "I just need to speak to Dane." I don''t know why I was justifying myself to him, this wasn''t his pack or his home. "I will be here." Damien has his arms folded across his chest while Dane has his back to me as they discuss Ss. "You thought bringing him here was a good idea?" I snap, just as I''m booted in the ribs by one of the girls. These girls are a lot more active in the wombpared to the boys. "Best thing for now, unfortunately." Dane replies "I need to talk to you." I mutter back "Damien and I have already had the same conversation." He tells me unexpectedly. "Oh. About Cooper?" I ask, confused. "About Thalia burning when her gift is fire." Damien tells me with an equally confused look I shake my head and nce back at the house, dropping my voice to a whisper. "I don''t think Thalia is his true mate. I think somehow, Ss has been led to believe she is, just like how Cooper got his prisoners." "It''s possible that you are right. But we don''t know for sure." Dane mutters. "Not yet anyway." "They had kids together." Damien mutters with a cocked brow. "That is one hell of a scam." "A long con." Dane tells him. "Especially if it was to keep him under the thumb." "Brax has no issues with Ss." Damien adds. He turns his attention back to Dane. "How the hell you two are twins is beyond me. He may look like you, but he certainly does not possess the ability to think like you." "The first night I met him, he seemed... powerful." I frown, "He sort of still does." "A front." Dane tells me. "The same way Beta''s carry an aura of power." "And because he carries ck gics?" I askFrom N?velDrama.Org. "Yes." "I need you to link us." Chapter 0549 ?Chapter 0549 Dane "Neah," I sigh, knowing she wasn''t going to like my answer. "He can help. He knows where to find information. He might have already leamed something. It''s what he is good at." "I know but I haven''t heard from him for over a week." "Well donel'' Aero snaps in annoyance Neah''s lips part as she gazes at me. There is a brief flicker of hurt in her eyes and in that moment, I felt as though my soul was being crushed. Of all the things she had learnedtely. this was the thing that had hurt her. She wasn''t even upset when she found out I was a twin or that I had kept the information from her. I didn''t like that I had hurt her. I didn''t like the way she was looking at me. It hurt deeply, right down to the core. My chest is tight and there is a strange tug at my heart that I couldn''t exin. It''s not a nice feeling and something I never wanted to feel again. She nces over her shoulder at Eric''s home. Her blue eyes return to me. She shakes her head and strides past me without muttering a word. "Do you want me to go after her?" Damien asks. "No, I know exactly where she is going." She doesn''t even look back as she continues to stomp across the grounds in the direction of Athena''s home. "I''m just going to give her a few minutes." "I told you that you should have told her." "I was just trying to protect her. She is supposed to be taking it easy." I mutter, watching Neah disappear around theer and out of sight. "After all this time, you still can''t see that she isn''t like other women. She likes to know what''s going on. She has her own way of dealing with things that neither of us will understand." "I know!" I snap in irritation. "Just keep an eye on Ss will you?" "Is Mallory home?" He asks "Yes, asleep." "Then I will be taking Ss to my ce." I nce at him. "You two really need to sort it out." "I''m not the one with the problem." He tuts as he moves to the house and pokes his head in through the door, calling for Ss. I watch as Damien leads Ss in the direction of his home. Neah is sitting on the bench outside of Athena and Sebastian''s house. A hand circles her bump as her eyes flicker between blue and ck. Sitting down next to her, I let her have her conversation with Nyx until she sighs. "You should have told me." "I should have." I agree "But you didn''t because I''m supposed to be resting." A small crease forms on her brow. I nod, taking her hand in mine. "It''s a shit excuse, I know." "You don''t have to treat me like I''m going to drop dead at any second. I''m not going to run off, or try to do something stupid. us is family." She turns her face in my direction. "No more secrets." "No more secrets. "I confirm. "Is he in danger?" She asks with a frown "No, I don''t believe so. I think the freedom of being able to do what he wants has given him a chance to be himself. A chance to figure things out, but he can''t do that if he is always helping us." "But..."From N?velDrama.Org. "He said he would contact us if he is in trouble." I confirm. "And he did tell us that he wille back when he is ready." "So we just figure it out ourselves?" She frowns and her hand pauses on her bump as a small crease appears. "Maybe with the help of one or two people." "Ss?" She asks "And maybe Samara. She seems to be quite good at finding things." She nods her head at me and grabs her stomach. "Kicking?" She frowns. "No, ow!" The colour begins to fade from her skin. She suddenly doubles over, vomiting in Athena''s garden. Sitting back up, she wipes her lips. "Home." I mutter, lifting her off the bench. "It''s okay." she mumbles. "I just feel..." "You are going home, to bed and I will cuff you to it if I need to." She doesn''t fight it this time. Letting me carry her back to Eric''s ce. Mallory''s eyes are wide as I push my way in through the door. "Is she okay?" Neah half waves a hand at her, but doesn''t speak as I head directly for the stairs. "Call me if you need anything." Mallory shouts behind us. Chapter 0550 ?Chapter 0550 Tucking Neah into bed, she frowns at me but doesn''t quite look at me. "I''m okay." "No you are not." "I just need to sleep." She tells me, closing her eyes. ***** Six days of sitting by her bed in the hospital and she still hadn''t opened her eyes. Beneath the surface, the girls are active and move like crazy, but Neah remains as still and as silent as the day I brought her in.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Thad been alerted by Aero to go and check on her. I had walked in the bedroom to find Neah coughing and spluttering as she gasped for breath. Fast asleep, she was choking on her own vomit. The nurses had tested her for every possible thing they could think of, but everything came back fine. They couldn''t find a problem with anything in her body. It made it a hundred times more frustrating because there was nothing inside her that needed healing. Apart from being unresponsive, there was nothing else wrong with her. Ilean forward, resting my elbows on the bed and holding her hand between mine. I had tried linking her, tried searching her mind, but there is just silence. And everyday I beat myself up over it. Flickering between anger and guilt. I had done this by not telling her about us. I had hurt her to the point that she was no longer functioning. "Neah, you have to wake up." I kiss the hand that I''m holding, desperate for a sign. Just like the other days, there is nothing. "The boys miss you. I miss you." A knock on the door pulls my attention away. Malloryes in and hands me a coffee. "You need to keep your strength up." She tells me "The boys?" "With Eric and Luca." She tells me as she settles into the chair on the other side of Neah. Evrin is a little more clingy than Logan, but he is okay. Eric is really good at keeping them entertained." "Thanks." I murmur "You know you don''t need to ask us. We will always help. "You were supposed to leave with the others." I mutter "You haven''t looked around your pack, have you Dane? None of us left. We all know what it could mean and yet we are ready to stand by you and Neah. All the children will be kept safe. Ryken has been working on something for the past week, in the basement of what''s going to be the new packhouse. Besides, Serkan hasn''t shown himself since that night." "That we know of." "Either way, we are not leaving. Your Wolves follow you. The Lycans follow her. Together, we make a strong team." She sits quietly, sipping on her coffee as I watch for any signs of Neah waking up. "Can I tell you something?" Mallory whispers. "Sure." "Don''t take this the wrong way, but maybe her body can''t cope with being pregnant." She freezes when I look at her. "I''m just saying. She had problems when she was carrying the boys and now..." she sighs." Now this." "Damien thinks it''s because she is carrying Wolves. She is a Lycan carrying Wolves. It''s likely harder on her body. Using up all her energy." "Wolves?" She raises an eyebrow at me. "He isn''t a hundred percent sure. He says the scent is different, but yes. The boys are Lycans, the girls are likely Wolves." "Or both." she mumbles "What was that?" I heard exactly what she said but I wanted her to repeat it. "It''s just a theory," "And?" She blows out her cheeks and gestures to Neah. "She''s bigger this time round, almost like she is growing twice as fast. She''s sicker. More sensitive to everything. I''ve said this to her before and now that you have told me what Damien said, it makes me wonder even more," "Mallory?!" "Hybrids." She splutters and tries to hide behind her cup of coffee. "Something that is both a Wolf and a Lycan." Neah had mentioned it before and I had also overheard both her and Mallory discussing it. But again, it was not something that I thought was possible. We are two separate species. Just look at the bump. For someone who is only about halfway through her pregnancy, she looks ready to pop. Like she could go intobour at any point." "It has grown in thest week." I confirm "Like doubled in size. When she wakes up, she is going to be so confused." "I don''t think that Hybrids are a possibility." I mutter "You didn''t think Lycans were either." Chapter 0551 ?Chapter 0551 Brax White Cliffs was north, that was the extent of my knowledge. Somewhere I had never been before, but then I never had a reason for a visit, there were always enough Rogues down south. I flip open the notebook with Ss''s directions and information. And still the castle was not at all what I was expecting. Stretched out across a cliff and surrounded by a concrete wall that is easily twelve feet tall, maybe more. Clearly the wall was not just designed to stop people getting in, but people getting out. I nce down at the image Ss had drawn. It was exactly the same, turrets and all. It wasn''t until he told Damien and I that a spell had been put on this ce, that it began to make sense. Hiding it from in sight. Thankfully, I wasn''t blind to it. Heavy gates sit closed, but surprisingly no one guards them. Between us is a fast flowing river that leads to a waterfall at the cliff side. The water crashes down onto the rocks below. Even standing here, I knew the sea below was rough, stopping people from arriving on boats, just like Samara had told everyone. A single drawbridge that is closed, stops me going any further. It wasn''t going to be easy to get inside, but like anything, there would be a weak point. My eyes move back to the castle. Ss could have warned me that the people here lived in medieval times. I could hear people. Happy people. Not a single sound of someone who is in trouble. Music ys and the smell of a roasting hog is strong in the air. It takes me a second to realise they are celebrating something. Behind me, footsteps are slowly and quietly edging forward. Turning my head slightly, the footsteps stop. *How did you know I was behind you?" A female calls out. She brings her hand up and a little ball of fire appears, hovering just above her palm. So much for her not using her ability in years. *Put it away Thalia." "How do you know my name? And how did you get through the barrier?"Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. *Ss." I mutter his name and the ball of fire disappears as she drops her hand. *You have spoken to Ss?" She seems to have forgotten the other question that she asked. "More than you." I turn to face her properly. Tight curls hang down to her shoulders, a fringe stretches down to her lc eyes. Though there is no scar on her face like there had been in the photo. She didn''t even look as though she had been touched by fire. But then why would she. "You don''t know anything, Hunter." She spits "Ah, so you do know what I am." I muse *You stink." She tells me in a sneer. "A Wolf full of arrogance. Just like the rest of them." I tilt my head to one side and smirk. "Do you say that to your Wolf mate?" Her lc eyes lock on to mine. "My rtionship with my mate has nothing to do with you!" "You are right, it doesn''t. But he has been offered a deal and I am fulfilling my end." I stare back at her. Her soul is full of little ck orbs, flying in all directions. Different from a Rogue and different from the waves I had seen within Neah. But like anything, there will be those that drift into the darkness, like it is their destiny. "A deal?" She scowls, not believing a single word I tell her. "Yes." I was bored of the conversation. *Ss doesn''t make deals." "Maybe being away from this ce has made him a different man. He has realised Serkan is a nut job." *You are wrong. Something is wrong with Ss." She mutters. "Is he erratic? Has something happened? Why didn''t hee back? Did you do something?" "Oh dear Thalia, do you really think I''m that fucking stupid? You were ready to kill me on the spot. You only changed because I knew who you were. Now you are ying this little game of innocence. Tell me," I tap my cheek, "Where is the scar from that awful fire that killed your son?" The colour drains from her golden skin. "I don''t know what you are talking about, Hunter." *The innocent game continues." "It''s not a game. Why are you here?" She demands *Fancied a walk." I snort, making her re at me. "To return you and your son to your mate." "I told him we are not leaving. This is our home. This is where Ss belongs." *So you want to do it the hard way?" I ask. "I''m not fussed either way." "What, you think you are going to get in through the gates and just take us?" She chuckles. "There is no way they are going to let in a Hunter. I just have to give the word and you will be killed on the spot." Chapter 0552 ?Chapter 0552 Definitely a follower of Serkan. Ss had been blind to so much, I almost felt sorry for him. If only he realised his own strength. "I never said whether you would be dead or alive. I won''t kill little Quinn, but you, you have already pissed me off. All I hear and see is lies. Did Serkan put you up to it? Did he want to keep Ss under his thumb? Or was it your idea? You saw him that day, thought he was an easy target, right?" "Piss off." *You saw him and thought ''easy target.'' Right?" I ask again. Her soul tells me I''m right, but her face looks as though she is ready to kill. "He is my mate!"N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. *Is he or did you just want him to be? You see, I found a lovely photo of you and your son. Only something didn''t add up. You y with fire, yet you were scarred because of fire and now, by some kind of miracle, you''re not. A little hole in your story, Thalia. Somehow he missed it, but he probably didn''t, did he, not really. I reckon he asked you questions. I think even then, things began to unravel and you had to do something right? And now, he is unaware that you have some sort of hold on him." I watch the irritation grow. Her lc eyes drop to my feet and orange mes erupt around me, trapping me in a small circle. "Burn in hell." I smirk at her as the fire quickly warms me. "Do you want to know a little secret?" She doesn''t answer me. *There is no hell. The higher powers," I gesture to the sky, "They have no need for hell when they can make you live it." "Higher powers?" She snorts. "You Hunters are all the same." "Even Witch Hunters?" I muse, I was curious of how far I could push her until shepletely loses it. "You underestimate the father of your children, Thalia. He may be confused right now. But he is changing, he is starting to see everything for what it is. The longer he is away from you, the clearer his mind bes, because you are not present to fuel the spell you cast on him." I look down into the mes that surround me. "Is this what you did to Jarret? You killed his son because you couldn''t get him to stop being so clingy." *Screw you." She strides past me. "No thank you, I would rather fuck my mate." I step through the mes towards her. Her eyes widen and her jaw drops. "How... You can''t do that! You are a Wolf." I nce back at the circle of fire. "Looks like I just did." She didn''t need to know that I met another Witch on the way up here. Or that the Witch was the reason I could see the castle. She brings her hands up and balls of fire appear. "Do your worst." I smile at her and she throws ball after ball at me. They bounce off,nding on the grass and causing small fires. The Witch had done a fantastic job of protecting me from fire. I might have to pay her a little more. "What are you?" She snaps *You have already said it. A Hunter. Now you are going to help me get inside and you are going to introduce me to your son as though I''m an old friend. Do you understand? And then, and only then. I might let you live through the night." "If I don''t?" "I will kill everyst person inside of that wall." "You are lying!" "Would you like to test me? Four days it has taken me to find this ce. I have killed a dozen Rogues on the way, f not more. A few irritating Wolves that thought they were above everyone and now, I am currently staring at my next victim." *Ss will kill you?" "No he won''t. He may think that it''s you he wants. But it isn''t, not really. His son is all that matters and sooner orter. He will realise that." She hits me with another ball of fire. It doesn''t even knock me back a step. "You will never get inside!" She moves backwards onto the river bank and she steps into the water. She appears to be standing on top of the fast flowing river. A smile stered to her face. "Follow me then, Hunter," she sneers. I step down the river bank, but my foot drops into the water as she continues to walk away. I hear a cackle as she crosses to the other side and watch as the gates open just enough to let her pass through. They m shut as I retreat. I hear multiple locks slot into ce, deadbolting the gates shut. No one in and no one out apart from a select few. This is going to be fun. Chapter 0553 ?Chapter 0553N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Dane I stand just outside of Neah''s hospital room, watching her through the window. Still nothing had changed. She looked peaceful. Rxed as though she was sleeping. Monitors are still connected to her, just in case, including one wrapped around her stomach for the twins. Yet everything points to her being in some sort of deep sleep. The doors to the hospital open, a gush of air rushes in, apanied by my twin''s scent. He was alone, which surprised me. The pack were yet to ept him. Giving him stares and odd nces wherever he was. Some even went as far as checking in with me to make sure it was him. The pack had heard my side. Every single Wolf and Lycan had listened to the news of what my father had done and thankfully, they still stayed, just as Mallory said they would. It was a relief. Though they were unsure of him and probably would be for some time. I didn''t me them, not after everything I had learned from a single phone call with Brax. "Where''s Damien?" I ask *Helping Samara with something. He said you wanted to see me?* Ss stops next to me, looking in through the window that separates us from Neah. His eyes move to my mate and a small frown appears on his face. "Still not woken up?" "No." I confirm *Is this why you wanted to see me? I can''t help with this. Is it the pup?" He had been here for a week and somehow, he had still not learned of Evrin and Logan. "No." I nod my head at one of the nurses and she heads in to sit with Neah as I take Ss into another room and quietly close the door. "Why didn''t you tell us about White Cliffs? The walls? The river? The deadbolt gates? The fact that the entire pack is concealed under a spell of some sort." "I thought the walls and the gates would be expected. You have gates. As for a spell, I don''t know what you are talking about." He shakes his heas as he cocks an eyebrow I stare at him. Brax did suggest that he was under some sort of spell too. That his mate, Thalia, had tricked him. Just like Cooper tricked so many people, only the one Ss is under is more severe. *I assume Brax is there then?" He asks me. "Yes." *I swear, there is no spell, Dane. If there were, I would have told him. I even drew a picture of the castle he needed to look for." "Okay." I mutter, not believing him about the spell. He had to know something. *Thalia and Quinn, are they safe.?" *He has met Thalia." He lets out a sigh of relief. "You don''t know how good it is to hear that. Is she okay? She must be, I would know if she is hurt." *Thalia doesn''t have a scar." I tell him without missing a beat. He opens his mouth to say something, but changes his mind and closes it as a frown develops. *Brax told me. Don''t you find that interesting? I know I do." He snorts. "Brax is lying. I''ve seen it. I''ve spent years convincing Thalia that it doesn''t bother me. It covers part of her shoulder, the side of her neck and her face. That was the worst day of our lives. We lost our son and now you are telling me that I imagined the fire that burned down our home? What the hell is wrong with you?" Brax did say there would be denial. "Next you will be telling me that I imagined my children. Just because you have had problems with a Witch, it doesn''t mean I have." *You need to calm down." "I thought you were going to help. That was the deal." *Damien made the deal, not me. My deals usually favour me." I turn away from him and sit on the empty bed." Tell me why she refuses to leave? Why wouldn''t she bring your remaining son to safety? Why doesn''t she believe you?" "Why does everyone keep asking me that? I have exined myself over and over. She doesn''t see Serkan as a threat. It has taken some time, but I do. I understand that, but you are making my mate sound like she is his sidekick." I fold my arms up across my chest and lean against the wall. "Come on, Ss. Surely you are not that blind? Did you know what Cooper did to all those prisoners?" *Not entirely." He frowns at me. *Honestly, I''m a little surprised Samara hasn''t told you considering you are sleeping on their sofa." "Well why don''t you enlighten me brother?" He snaps *Firstly, you need to earn the right to call me brother. There is only one person that I will ept that from and you are living in his home. As for Cooper, he lured them in with the pretence that he was their mate. Created an aroma that would convince people that they had found their fated mate. Male, female, he didn''t really care as long as he got what he wanted. Chapter 0554 ?Chapter 0554 "Now we have already worked out that was how Serkan has been growing his poption. Then you were sent to go and get them." *That doesn''t mean my mate was involved." He tuts. "You are implying that she has tricked me. There is no way she could keep that going for years." "Really?" I scoff. "You really don''t think a Witch with the ability to control fire would be involved in something like this? Witches like two things. Power and money. Is she driven by money?" "No." "Interesting." ''Maybe a good clip around the ears will help.'' Aero tuts. "All I want is my mate and pup. That''s it." Ss pleads "She won''t be wee here." I tell him *Just her or all of us?" He scowls at me "I don''t think that requires an answer." I lock my eyes on his. "A mate bond is strong. It provides a level offort. We are able to see past the surface. Connect with them on a different level to everyone else. Neah is in some sort of deep sleep and where am I? I am here, in the hospital, every day and I will be here every single day until she wakes up. Even in her sleep she feels my presence. Whereas your mate will not even consider that you are telling the truth. Do you know what that tells me?" He doesn''t speak "She knows what Serkan is like because she is doing his bidding. Just like how you collected people for him." "She''s not bad." He protests. "Brax will bring her here. Just speak to her. You will know she is on our side." *Brax did speak to her. She tried to kill him with fire. Now I know he can be a bit of an asshole and it does take some time to get used to his ways but she didn''t hesitate." "You''re lying. The same as this idea that my mate killed my other son. What is wrong with you?!" "Brax isn''t a liar. In fact lying is one of his most hated things. That and Rogues." He rolls his eyes at me. I couldn''t get through to him. I don''t know why he couldn''t see that his mate was involved. ''The spell maybe?'' Aero suggests ''Potentially.'' I murmur back ''I''m guessing the spell won''t be broken until Thalia is dead." Aero mutters. ''It seems that way. *What does your Wolf think?" I ask. I was curious. If Thalia was able to put a spell on Ss, could she put one on Lyall as well? "He is unsure." Ss runs a hand through his hair, and shakes his head. "You have to be wrong. We had pups together, you would have to be mad to carry a rtionship on that long." "Were they nned?" "Yes, we spent months trying to get pregnant." "Months?" I ask curiously. "Yes!" He snaps "Then finally, the twins came along." "Was she happy?" "What kind of question is that?" He demands. "Of course she was."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. *Ss. I am trying to help you. I don''t know if it''s because you were sheltered or what. But I have dealt with a lot of shit over the years. Witches. Lycans pretending to be Wolves. Bitten Lycans. Watching my sister descend into death while her twin brother invades her body like it was his own. Rogues. The list goes on and at the most, all you have ever had to do is ''save people"," Shit. That was what Cooper was talking about. He never saved people in the way I thought. He was saving them for Serkan. The punishment speech was just to make them believe they deserved it. *You have power, I can sense it. You have Alpha genes, Ss. But you don''t fucking act like it. Somehow, you agree that we are not wrong about Serkan, why do you think we are wrong about your mate." *She loves me." "I don''t see any form of love. She''s cut you off, Ss. The only way you are going to see your son again is if Thalia is dead." He res at me, ripping the door open until it ricochets off the wall. He storms past Neah''s room and out the door. ''Damien.'' I link him ''You need to find your house guest and keep him inside your house." "What has he done now?" Damien replies. ''I''m sure he will be more than happy to tell you.'' Chapter 0555 ?Chapter 0555 Damien I roll my eyes and get off the bed. "Where are you going?" Samara asks as she sits up. The sheet falls away from her revealing her flush skin. *Beta duties." I mutter in frustration. Dane''s timing couldn''t be any worse. "But..." I see the disappointment in her grey eyes "I will make it up to youter." She flumps back on the bed with a sigh. "That''s the third time this week." "His mate is still in hospital." I remind her as I pull on my jeans. "They still don''t know what''s wrong with her. It won''t always be like this." "I thought they said that Neah was fine." "Yes to an extent. They still don''t know why she won''t wake up." I lean down to kiss her but she wrinkles up her nose. I connect my lips to hers anyway and she rxes into it, hooking her arms around my neck. She frowns as retreat. "Until then, I am picking up some extra duties and this one includes keeping an eye on our guest." *Ss has annoyed Dane?" she asks "Yes. Did you expect anything less?" I muse "A sibling thing?" "I''m about to go find out." "Well I guess I better get dressed then." She sucks in her cheeks but doesn''t move. "This way suits you more." The fading flush returns, burning into her cheeks as she drops her gaze. "If I''m not back, can you walk across to pick up Dottie?" "Of course. I said we would make muffins this evening." I give her a final kiss, and grab my jacket. Maybe I should just tell Dane that he keeps interrupting every time Ie close to marking Samara. Especially when he keeps asking me if I am going to mark her. I had finally decided to do it. But each and every time, I was pulled away. It was unbelievably frustrating. It didn''t take me long to find Ss. He is standing by the training ground watching the females spar. Some of the women pause to look at him before making their way to the opposite side. Others clearly didn''t give a shit who he was while some were still nervous of his arrival. "The women train?" He asks me as I put a hand up to the trainer. "Why wouldn''t they?" "They are female." "What century are you from? Of course they train. All of them are Lycans. Neah may be in hospital, but they train for her."N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "Can the men not protect them here?" He quips *You do realise who the leader of the Lycans is, don''t you?" "Of course I do. And I know she is powerful, but she was born into that bloodline. So why is there a need to train the other females?" I was starting to understand how he may have pissed off Dane. "I assume they didn''t do that in White Cliffs?" "No." He frowns as one woman is knocked on her ass "You have been here a week and you have not expressed your concem before." "It doesn''t seem right. Men are naturally stronger." "Maybe so, but what is the point of them being able to shift if they are unable to defend themselves?" "You might have a point." "Maybe? Is this what you said to Dane?" His crimson eyes flicker to me. "We didn''t talk about training." "No? What did you talk about?" His brow crinkles into a frown. "He thinks my mate is helping Serkan." "And you don''t believe that?" I state the obvious He throws a hand out, palm facing up like he just couldn''t believe that it was a possibility. "It''s mad. We have been together for five years. We had twins. We have a three year old. Why the hell would he think that it is even a possibility? Do you know he told me that she doesn''t have a scar? You saw the photo. The burns are thick on her delicate skin. I have spent thest couple of years studying them while she slept. I told Dane how I had to convince Thalia that I didn''t hate them. That I still loved her for her." I nad letting him talk. "It''s mad, right? To even suggest such a thing. And then he started telling me something about our siblings." ''Did he?" He nods, but cocks a brow. "It didn''t make any sense." "Come with me." I turn away from him "Where?" "You will see." He follows me to the small cemetery. Maddie is just finishingying fresh flowers on all the graves. "Do you want me to go?" She asks I shake my head. "You carry on." *You had mee here because you want me to visit my birth parents?" Ss asks "No. Your siblings." "I didn''t know them." "I know that. But I want to tell you a little story about what happened to them. I want you to understand that not everything is always what it seems. That sometimes there are other things at work and we just can''t see it until it''s toote." Chapter 0556 ?Chapter 0556 He follows me in through the small gate. I lead him straight to Raven. "Your sister." I murmur. "My first mate as a Lycan." I gesture to the headstone next to hers. It had no name and was merely here because he was a ck." Jenson, your brother, Raven''s twin." He listens carefully as I tell him everything that happened to them. How she died for Jenson and how he took over her mind and killed her a second time. "That''s impossible." "And yet we watched it happen. Then I watched her die." I stare at Raven''s grave. "There are things that are happening and we have no control over it. Things that seem to exist outside of what we know. And when you see and deal with a lot of unexpected shit, it makes you look at the bigger picture, it makes you look deeper. If things don''t add up, it''s likely because there is something else going on." "I couldn''t save Raven and she was my mate. I knew she was struggling but I didn''t know how bad it was. She kept that to herself, her Wolf cked her off from me. She gave her life up for her brother. Her love for him was stronger than what it ever was for me." "Are you trying topare yourself and Raven to me and Thalia?" He splutters "No of course not. I''m trying to help you understand Danes point." He frowns and walks by me. Moving to the graves of his parents. "He called you his brother." "I am by oath." I reply "Why you?" "You would have to ask him that. He asked, I epted. Him and Neah are my family. ck Shadow is a family." don''t mention that the weak were weeded out. "He had another brother. He could havee to find me." He suggests "He could have, yes." I agree. "But you have to remember that he didn''t know where you were and he thought you had been given to a family member. Not to a Kitson." *Technically it wasn''t a Kitson but Serkan ended up raising me in the end. If I can even call it that." *How did you learn of Dane?" I ask. He still hadn''t made it clear even when Dottie was pestering him. She hadn''t given him a sticker yet, but she also hadn''t stressed out about him. I think she was still trying to figure him out. "I was told when I was younger. Not much, but when I saw Neah at the restaurant and who she was with and how much we looked alike, well, it wasn''t hard to put it together." ''And you only introduced yourself to Neah?" "Yes. She looked at him as though he was her saviour." I knew the look well. I could count on one hand how many times she had been angry with him. Their understanding of each other was on a different level. *Thalia ever look at you like that?" I ask curiously. "No." "Okay, so I want you to really think about the next question I''m going to ask." "She''s not bad." He mutters. I wish that everyone would stop assuming she is." I hold a finger up. "Just one question." "Fine." *You were certain that Thalia was going to be killed along with your son. Either if you returned or not, her fate was sealed. That''s what you said. Serkan has made an appearance, they thought Dane was you and that he had managed to kidnap Neah." "Yes." "It''s been a little over a week and Thalia is still alive, what does that tell you?" "That he hasn''t had her killed."From N?velDrama.Org. "Now what reason would he have to let her live?" He frowns at me. "That is more than one question. But I expect it''s to lure me back." *Or?" I felt like I was trying to get a child to solve a problem. Even Dottie could figure this out. *She got away." I was so close to smacking him across the head. "She''s refusing to talk to you Ss." "You sound just like Dane." He snaps "Brax spoke to her." I tell him as he frowns at me. "I''m one of his Beta''s, of course Dane told me. The woman you call mate, walked across water. She attacked Brax with fire balls. I don''t know what else I can say to you to make you see the truth." I stare at him, "You don''t want to believe that it''s a possibility, do you?" He lowers his gaze. "If I believe you and all the others, that means she killed my son and I can''t... I won''t ept that. She would never do that!" *Jarret, was he like you or her? Was he a Witch, a Wolf or something in between?" His shoulders drop "A Wolf and Quinn is like her." His eyes be zed as they are coated in tears. "Even if I was to consider that what you are saying is true, how can anyone be so cruel?" Chapter 0557 ? Chapter 0557 Brax I watch all day. As expected, no one else goes in and not a single soules out. Music continues to y as the sun sets. Until about ten at night there is still noise, then silence sweeps the area, as if everyone had just suddenly dropped dead at the click of fingers. All that could be heard was the rushing water of the river crashing down over the cliff. There was nowhere for me to hide here. Anyone could see me, I was an open target, yet no one had tried anything. I was a little disappointed. I didn''te here to sit on my ass all day. Stepping up to the river, I strip off. My bones start to snap and change position as I drop down to all fours. It had been a while since I had shifted and it felt so fucking good. I was also a better swimmer as a Wolf and I do not intend on getting sent over the cliff. The water is cold and much deeper than I expected. The river bed quickly falls away beneath my feet and it''s a battle to keep my snout above the water as the under current pulls me. Swimming is hard. Almost like the water is turning into thick sludge. Every drive forward does nothing and it easily carries me in the direction of the waterfall. I fought to swim against the flow, knowing that if I did nothing, my time was up and I would never see Dorothy or Madison ever again. Halfway across I pick up a new scent. A rope is thrown to me. And golden eyes sh from under arge hood. "Grab the rope, quick." Biting on the rope, the woman starts to pull me in, dragging me through the water. The flow seems to be growing faster by the second. I finally manage to touch the river bank, dragging my wet ass out. The woman falls back on the ground. Her breath heavy, her chest overreacting to the work as she lets go of the rope. "What the hell were you doing?" She snaps I shift back to my Human form, "Clearly I''m out for ate night swim!" As she sits up, her hood falls back revealing a bob of whiter than white hair, but she looked no older than twenty. She hastily pulls the hood up, tucking in any loose strands and looks away. "You must be mad to swim in that at any time. You could have died." She scratches her head. "I haven''t seen you before. You are not from here, are you?" "No. But I assume you are from White Cliffs?" I ask, trying hard to keep my sarcasm to a minimum. She frantically nods but looks puzzled, "You can see the castle? The walls? The metal gate?" She sounds excited. *Like actually see it? With your eyes?" "Yes, stupid white roofs and all. I''ve been watching all day, how did you get out?" "I can''t say." She tells me. Turning over onto her stomach, she crawls across the ground away from me. "Where are you going?" "I can''t talk to you while your dick is hanging out." She moves towards the cliff and lies on her stomach as she reaches over the edge with both her arms and suddenly flips over, disappearing from sight. My heart is in my throat. Did she just save me and then kill herself? Her head pops up a few secondster. "Are youing?" Every instinct told me not to follow her, but her soul was different, not a hint of a dark side. Bright, full of excitement. I creep towards the cliff edge a few metres away from the river. For a moment I watch the water crash down below. It was mesmerising and I knew it would be something Maddie would like. She loved nature "Hello?" I call out "Put your arms out." She replies. I couldn''t see her but I could scent her. "Why?" *Just do it. I swear, you will be fine." This was fucking nuts. I tten myself to the ground, stretching my arms out above my head. Large hands wrap around my wrists, ripping me forward and around until I''m sitting on my ass in some sort of cave with a man staring at me as the woman throws me some shorts. Being pulled over a cliff was not what I had in mind. "Put them on." She demands "Who are you?" She nces at her male friend who nods. "I''m Indy." She mutters "Brax. You''re a Witch?" "Half. I prefer my Wolf half. I''m useless at most of the other stuff." "Do you know Ss?" I ask She pauses to stare at me. Her golden eyes like saucers. "Yes. You know Ss?" "Yes. He is why I''m here." A smile spreads across her face. "Is he okay? Is he safe? Has he got away from Thalia? He must have, she is here and he is..." *Somewhere else." I mutter "But he is okay?" "You wanted him to get away?" I press She bobs her head. "This ce, it''s cursed. Do you know how long I have been waiting for an outsider to see it for what it is? You are the first in a decade." The guy nods in agreement "You will have to excuse my friend. He had his tongue ripped out by Thalia a few years back. He goes by the name Orion but he can''t speak. He links me" She gives him a smile and he smiles back.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "If you dislike it here. Why haven''t you left?" I quiz "The river. We can''t get past it." "What are you talking about? I was just in it." Chapter 0558 ? Chapter 0558 "And you are lucky." She folds her arms up and sits on a rock. "Thaliaes and goes as she pleases, just like Serkan. They can cross it no problem, but anyone else." She shakes her head. "We will meet death unless we have permission. You are the first that has tried to get across and the only one that has been sessful. I don''t know how, but you are lucky and even luckier that I came out when I did. That river, it speeds up at night. The water bes your enemy. Going faster and faste until it''s a blur. Look if you don''t believe me." I nod my head ncing at the water, "I see that." "Can you help us?" She asks. "Can you help us get away from this ce?" "If you tell me what this ce is and how I can get in. I might consider it." "Why would you want to get in?" She frowns in confusion. "I mean Thalia is why you are here, right? But you can just leave. Just walk away." She lowers her hood. "People don''t get to leave here. Ss.... this was a chance for him, though he didn''t know it and I am so happy he is alive." "I came to get Ss''s son." Orion straightens his spine as Indy looks at him, her eyebrows knitting together. "It didn''t break." "Are you talking about her spell?" I ask She nods her head at me. "There is no easy way to say this. Ss doesn''t have a son. He never has." I drop the shorts before I finish pulling them on. "What are you talking about?" She closes her eyes as I roll mine and yank the shorts up. *What do you mean Ss doesn''t have a son? He has twins, one died." "No. It''s a spell. I''ve been trying to break it for a few years. To bring him back. She has made him see things that just aren''t there." "Scars?" She bobs her head. "A house fire, the death of a child?" "Yes. All of it." She looks heartbroken and her soul flickers like mad as she talks about him. *Shit. She''s not his mate. You are." A single tear trickles down her face as she nods and Orion pulls her in for a hug. "If they were sleeping together, it would have killed you." Indy shakes her head, "Serkan didn''t like that Ss and I were fated and wanted it stopped. Everything about his life with her is in his head, none of it is real. She doesn''t let him touch her. She just needs him for something. I don''t know what. I do know that he didn''t return after thetest run. I heard rumours that he was going after someone special, but I didn''t know who. The dy in him returning has sent Thalia into overdrive. She is angry. More people are getting hurt each day. I thought if he was away, it would break the spell. He would remember his life with me." "Has she hurt you?" I press "Not yet, but I know it''sing. I just need to get across that river, find Ss and we can be free." "What about Serkan?" Not a single word out of her mouth was a lie. She is the most truthful person that I have evere across. "He is more of a nut job than Thalia. The two of them together. No one inside those gates can think for themselves." "ept you and Orion?" "I figured out how to put a protection spell on us when things started changing. It''s about the only Witchy thing I have managed. We just have to y along when we are inside, that''s all." "When did things start changing?" "Maybe three ish years ago. Everything has always been hidden for as long as I can remember, but things started going south in thest few years. Something changed and I don''t know what it is." I frown as I guess that it would have been around the time Neah got her abilities unbound. "Well you are here, so how did you get out?" Orion points down to the back of the cave. *There is a tunnel. Orion and I have been working on it for some time." "And this takes you inside the walls?" I ask, looking down into the pitch ckness. Even with my heightened sight, not everything was clear "Yes." "Show me." She nods and makes her way into the darkness. She pulls something from her back pocket. As the me appears, I see that it''s a cigarette lighter. She holds the me over a torch. The ball of fire quickly igniting. "I know you won''t tell me anything, but please can you just tell me if he is okay." Her golden eyes plead with me. "He is okay." I confirm and she lets out a sigh of relief. "Though I don''t know how he is going to handle the news that his children never existed. But I will tell you this, he has mentioned you. Not by name, he referred to you as a teenager that won''t ept their Witch side." She gives me a small smile and her soul lights up again. "He never did like how I shut away one side of me. But I am not a teenager. I''m twenty five." *Speaking of you means you are in his head somewhere even if you are buried deep below the surface."From N?velDrama.Org. "Do you really think so?" I nod. "Now I need you to help me knock the wicked witch off of her perch." Chapter 0559 ?Chapter 0559 Neah It''s always dark. No matter how much I try, there is not even a slither of light. I want to move, but I can''t. Everything hurts yet I can''tin to anyone but Nyx. She doesn''t know what''s wrong with us either, and apart from calling me an incubator, she is no help. I hear the others as theye to visit me. Whispers rattling around the room. Some were scared about the state am in, others were hard to read. Dane is and will always be my favourite. His voice is calming, his presence momentarily takes away my pain. He had only brought the boys to see me once. I didn''t me him, I probably looked like I was dead. I knew it had to be something to do with my pregnancy. I heard what Mallory told Dane. I wondered if she was right. Maybe the years of abuse hadn''t allowed me to develop properly. Or maybe it really was Hybrids that I was carrying. Twin girls that hovered somewhere in between a Lycan and a Wolf, but then that were true, why were other half breeds not considered Hybrids? Lying in the darkness had questions fading in and out of my mind. I was alive yet somehow I am trapped in my own body. ''It could be worse.'' Nyx sighs. ''We could be dead." ''I just want my eyes to open.'' I murmur back. I just want them to know that I can hear them.'' I keep trying to lift my eyelids, to just show a hint of my blue eyes to whoever was in the room. The pitch ck doesn''t change and I let out a sigh. The door to my room opens and Damien''s scent invades the space. His footsteps move towards me along with the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor. If I could move, I would be wincing at the sound. Maybe that''s why he was doing it, because he knew it irritated me. He sits down next to me with a sigh. "I need you to wake up Neah. I need some advice and Mallory still has her head up her butt." I wanted to scream at him, to tell him that I could hear every word, that the only thing wrong with me was that I was trapped in some sort of paralysis. "I''ve talked to Ss, he is confused. I don''t know if it is a spell or just pure denial. I''ve tried to help him make sense. We''ve gone over it hypothetically but... I don''t know if we will be able to help him." Dane had spoken about Ss. About how Thalia was tricking him. That Brax had found out much more than we expected. We knew she was a Witch. Ss had already told us, and from what I understood, Thalia did the same thing to him as what Cooper did to everyone else. It made sense. Cooper was doing work for Serkan so why not Thalia. "But that isn''t why I am here." He mumbles. I didn''t need to have my eyes open to know he was frowning. Mallory had called it his resting bitch face. "I have tried to mark Samara several times, each time, Dane interrupts and it pisses me off. Samara has been okay with it, to a point which I''m really surprised about. But is it divine intervention? Could the higher powers that Brax speaks of, be stopping me?" He snorts. "Actually, I know what you would say. You would tell me to screw the higher powers and do what makes me happy." He is right, I would. I had watched him fall for Samara, I was slowly getting used to her but it wouldn''t stop me telling him who he should or shouldn''t be with. His warm hands wrap around mine. "Enough about me. You need to wake up. I don''t know if anyone has told you, but you look like you are going to give birth any day now." Mallory had told Dane the same. I had also heard the nurses mention it. Has my bump really grown that much? ''I''m sure he is exaggerating.'' Nyx sighs They all keep saying it." "I do think the others might be onto something." Damien continues. "The extra scents that you carry flicker between Wolf and Lycan. Maybe you are carrying the unexpected. Something that is neither Dane or you. Something thatbines both of you." He halfughs. "And it would be your children wouldn''t it?" ''What is that supposed to mean?'' Nyx scoffs ''I think it is his way of telling us that drama follows us everywhere." A steady growing ache makes its way through my hips. I knew what was happening. I had felt it before with the boys. My waters break, but I couldn''t speak to tell Damien. ''It''s happening!'' Nyx murmurs *Something has changed." I hear Damien mutter as my insides contract. The chair legs scrape the floor as it''s pushed back. I feel the nket as it''s dragged off of me. "Shit your waters have broken. This can''t be happening now. BETH!" He yells out to the nurse.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 0560 ? Chapter 0560 Internally I scream, unlike with the boys, it felt as though these girls were trying to w their way out of me. Something inside me splits and a scream leaves my throat as my eyes fly open. Damien stares at me in shock, but he grabs my hand telling me Dane ising. "You are inbour." He tells me. I didn''t want to believe him but my bump was huge, it had easily doubled in size since I had cked out. Tears burn my face as I squeeze Damien''s hand. I hear cracks, but Damien doesn''t make a sound and when I nce at his hand, I see how crushed it is between my fingers, and also how my ws had pierced his hand. "I''m sorry." I cry, I didn''t mean for it to happen. *Keep going!" He tells me as blood drips from his hand to the floor. "I can heal." The girlse quickly, one after the other with no problems. Dane crashes in through the door, just as both girls are ced in my arms. His crimson eyes move between the girls and me, "You''re awake? I missed it!" "It seems likebour will bring anyone out of a deep sleep." Damien mutters, flexing his hand as his fingers realign and the wounds heal. "And now you are here, I will leave you to it." He heads towards the door. "Damien, do it now." I tell him He looks over his shoulder, then slowly turns to face me. "You heard what I said?" "Everything." I offer him a smile. "You won''t be interrupted. I promise" He nods. "I wille backter to check on my nieces. Stay awake." As Damien leaves, Dane leans over me and kisses me on the top of my head. "I''m sorry I wasn''t here." "I had the next best thing." Looking down at the girls, they are just like Logan and Evrin. One has crimson eyes, the other has blue eyes. They hade along so quickly that we hadn''t even discussed names. "There''s time for that." Dane tells me. "Are you okay? It''s so good to be able to listen to your mind again." "A little confused, but I''m okay." I stare at the girls, they were tiny, but I was certain they had been trying to dig their way out of me. "Mallory said she thinks..." "I know, I heard. And I think she is right. I''m done Dane. No more. I want to be here for the pups we have. Not die because my insides can''t cope." He presses his lips to mine. "I agree, I''m not willing to lose you for the sake of growing my family." He takes the twins, cradling one in each arm as the nurse checks me over. Apart from a few questions, they give me the all clear, though they want me to stay in for the night just to be sure. "I don''t know what happened? I just remember going to bed." I whisper. I had tried to make sense of it. I was tired. I briefly remember Dane joining me in bed and then nothing but darkness. "And you didn''t wake up again." He sighs. "A little over a week you have been in the hospital." "Oh." Time operates differently when all you see is darkness. I didn''t sleep, I was just trapped by my own body. I had effectively shut down to allow the twins to develop through their final stage. "Are the boys okay?" *Evrin has had a few bad days, but otherwise, they are both good. Shall I ask Damien to go get them." "No no, ask Eric." He cocks an eyebrow at me as the girls start fussing. "You keep interrupting Damien when he wants to mark Samara." He shakes his head, "He hasn''t said anything." "He shouldn''t have to." "I will link Eric." He winks at me. Ten minutester, amid the discussion of names. Eric and Mallory appear with Luca, Evrin and Logan. "Up up up!" Evrin demands while holding his arms up. Dane lifts him on the bed followed by Logan. They sit quietly, staring at the girls, unsure of what to make of them. I was curious to know if there was a sibling bond in ce between them already.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Eventually the boys crawl up next to me, trying to get on myp with the girls. *Boys, these are your sisters." Dane tells them. "You must always look after them." Evrin lies down next to them, his head partially propped on my belly as he watches. Logan had already lost interest and was trying to fling himself off the bed at Eric. Again it was as if Evrin was far more aware of what we were saying. I couldn''t put my finger on it, but he seemed to be more in tune with everything. "Congrattions." Mallory smiles at us as she turns Luca around to see the twins. "Do you have names?" "Aderyn has blue eyes." I smile, "And Wi has crimson eyes." Chapter 0561 ? Chapter 0561 Ss Orion lifts the little wooden door from above my head. Daylight almost blinds me after being sat in the darkness for several hours, listening to the sounds of the crashing river echoing through the tunnel. He reaches in a hand and pulls me out with ease. Casting a nce around the room, I see that we are in someone''s lounge. As the wooden hatch shuts, Indy quickly ttens a worn rug back over it. "Sorry" she mutters. "I didn''t think I would be so long. This is my home. You should be safe here." I stare at her. "If I didn''t believe what I had seen, I would have thought you were setting me up." "I''m sorry. Thalia''s guards were on the move. The problem with you is that your scent is quite strong, but luckily for you," She gestures to the floor, "It''s blocked down there. I went to the healer a few days ago and stole something that hides it and now we need to hide yours while you are out and about." She pulls a ne out from under her sweatshirt. A small key dangles from the thin leather. She tugs it over her head as Orion removes a few books from a bookshelf. The books conceal a keyhole. Indy slots the key in easily, opening up a small trapdoor. Inside were a few vials with different coloured liquids. "I thought that side of you was weak." I watch her soul, ready for a lie "It is, these are all stolen." She mutters as she checks each one, "You never know when you might need something." She nces at Orion, "Don''t judge, it''s helped us both out." Orion rolls his eyes. But I liked her honesty, though I''m surprised she hadsted this long with being so truthful. If you are in a pack where someone is trying to gain all the power, you weed out the problems first. Maybe she had been overlooked because her Witch side wasn''t strong. But she was smart. She continues to rummage through the small vials and finds one with a blue liquid. "This hides your scent." She holds it up between her thumb and forefinger. "You should be able to move around without a problem. But you need to ce a drop on your tongue every hour." "Unless they are all blind, it is no help at all." I tut "Well... That''s the thing, they are pretty much blind." "Thalia took their eyesight?" Some of my methods were questionable but to blind people for the sake of power. That was different. She shakes her head, her white hair fanning out. "Not quite as dramatic as that. From what I understand, no one out there sees White Cliffs for what it is. They all have this image in their heads. I''m guessing maybe an image from the past. Like you, you said there are white roofs on the castle. They never used to be white. They used to be gold, catching the sunlight. People loved them and that is probably what they still see. It used to be the ce everyone wanted to be, but it hasn''t been that way in a long time." Orion elbows her. "I was getting to it." She tuts and a crease appears on her brow. "The others out that door, don''t even see the dead. They see what they are told to see. Acting like their precious life is perfect when it couldn''t be any further from the truth." *The dead?" She nods her head.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "I need more than a little nod. I need you to tell me everything if you want me to help you get back to Ss." *The ones Serkan fed on. Serkan is a... "I know he is a Rogue." I point to myself. "Rogue Hunter. He is one of those fancy ones that can shift, but still hunts like a fucking beast." "Okay, did not see the Hunter thinging." She looks away but her eyebrows are practically up in her white hair, *Anyway the bodies are just out in the streets, rotting away. The people walk around them like there are no decaying corpses." *Surely they smell. If they are decaying, the smell must be rancid." "Did you smell them from outside the walls?" she stares at me expectantly. "Because you should have done if you think that''s bad." She had a point. I had scented the delicious food they were cooking, but now, I question what it really was that they were doing. *Are there other Rogues here?" She shakes her head, "I don''t think so. I don''t think Serkan would let them live here." She sits on a nearby stall," Everything about this ce is cursed. The people in it. How it''s hidden. The smell. The truth. Even Thalia''s guards are oblivious to the truth. But if she wants them to kill you. She will put your image in their minds. She is crazy powerful. More powerful than Serkan." Chapter 0562 ? Chapter 0562 *I hear you. But something isn''t adding up." "What?" *Ss told me that there was uproar when Serkans granddaughter linked the Lycans." "There was." *Serkan wouldn''t let anyone leave?" I quiz *He freaked out. There were a lot who died that day. Because for some reason Thalia''s spell glitched." *So for some, they saw what White Cliffs was really like, they didn''t die during the riots?" Indy and Orion shake their heads at me. "Serkan shifted and killed a whole bunch of them so word wouldn''t spread. Thalia convinced all the remaining people that it was in their imaginations. Then they went back to acting like everything was normal. Well, if you can consider what she is doing as normal." "No one has that much power." I mutter *She gets stronger all the time. We know that if we don''t get out of here, that we are going to die. We both know that if we stay, it is our fate. She''s buying time, making me suffer because she knows I want Ss back. She cut out Orion''s tongue to stop him talking to anyone. The next step for us both is death." "Do you have a phone I could use?" Mine was still with my discarded clothes on the other side of the river. I expect if they have been spotted, Thalia will think the river took me *You need to call someone?" She tilts her head to one side. "I do." *Ss?" She asks hopefully as Orion ces a phone in my hand. "I would love to hear his voice." "No, this is someone that might be able to help me deal with your Witch problem." I had sworn I would only call him in an emergency while he was off finding himself. But this was something he needed to handle, after all, it was what he was born to do even if he hadn''t figured it all out and thankfully, I had the number memorised. Serkan is a secondary problem. We need to deal with Thalia first and then all the people might just go to the true leader. Neah. Three rings and he answers. "Abraxas." His voice echoes through the phone. "Ah, so you do answer when people contact you." I knew Dane had been trying to get hold of us. "If you are calling me, you must have a reason. Dane just wants to check in." us mutters. He sounded different to the guy that had been living in ck Shadow. "How can I help?" "I will get straight to the point. I am in White Cliffs, and there is a little bit of a problem with a Witch here." Indy has wide eyes as she watches me whereas Orion has wandered off to another room. *You are in White Cliffs?" us mutters in surprise "It''s a long story, I don''t want to bore you much. But yes, I am here and I have a problem that I don''t think I can deal with on my own. The Witch is powerful. She controls more than what I expected." I may be on the ball, but even I knew when I was in over my head. *Can you not handle it?" He almost sounded cold "I will give you a quick run down." I mutter. "She is in some ways like Cooper and has managed to convince Danes ''twin that they are mates. It''s a lie," I add when Indy stares at me, "In fact his true mate is here with me now. The Witch seems to have a lot more power than Cooper and is able to contorl more than I originally thought. I''m hoping you have learned something while you are off gallivanting."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. There''s a pause. "By any chance is the Witch called Thalia?" Her name rolls from his tongue with a lot of spite. What had happened to make him change so much in such a short space of time. "Yes." It was my turn to be surprised. "You know her?" "Yes." He growls through the phone. I don''t think I have ever heard us growl at anything other than me calling him surfer boy. "What did she do to you?" "I will tell you when I see you!" Chapter 0563 Chapter 0563 Hey everyone. Just to let you know, it was the wong persons point of view on thest chapter . It should have said Brax and not Ss, it''s because I changed the order in the chapters being released and didn''t catch it early enough before it was automatically posted. I''m very sorry. It has been a very long and stressful few days in the house of Taylor West, but the end of the month is coming and normal service can resume. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. If you are not following me on social media, please check me out, I would love the support and to keep you updated with exciting future ns. Have a fabulous day Taylor West Chapter 0564 ?Chapter 0564N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. us Brax stays on the phone for a few more minutes, giving me directions to White Cliffs. He warns me that the ce is invisible to the eye. When I question him about how he can see it, he tells me he paid a Witch for a potion. Thement surprises me, but then again, I knew Brax would do what he wanted. I hear a female in the background, telling Brax to warn me about the river. "I assume you heard that." He mutters through the phone. "Yes. I will be there as soon as I can." Whistling, a white Wolf named Xavies running out of the nearby trees. He jumps into the back of the van. His amber eyes fixate on me as he sits. "It looks like we are going to find the Witch that did this to you." I murmur ''Are you sure?'' He links me *More than sure. It seems like our fates were intertwined long ago. The Witch that did this to you is causing problems back home with my family and I have just learned of her location. It''s time to break the curse she put on you." I nce down at my wrist, if it wasn''t for Xavi marking me, he wouldn''t be able to talk to me. He was cursed to spend his life in Wolf form, to never have interaction with anyone ever again, until I came along. His fated mate. He was thest thing I was expecting to find. Leaving ck Shadow had been incredibly hard, though I refused to admit it to anyone so I just drove until I was almost out of fuel. Stopping at a hotel one night, I was distracted by a scent of rich oak. Instead of heading into the hotel, I followed the scent in the opposite direction. Entering the woods and weaving my way through the trees until I saw Xavi. A white Wolf tied down by ropes. Human children throwing stones at him. Xavi had given up, he wasn''t even trying to fight. He remained perfectly still as stone after stone bounced off of him. Blood dripped from his nose as the childrenughed. I knew he was a Wolf like me yet I didn''t understand why he wasn''t trying to get away. His attackers were just children, he could have easily broken free. His amber eyes had flown open as my scent invaded his senses, they quickly found me. But he still didn''t fight. It was only after he marked me that I learned how weak he had be. We needed both sides of ourselves to remain in peak condition. I scared the children and freed him, but he could barely lift his head, let alone walk to my car. Picking him up. I carried him back to my vehicle, settling him on my makeshift bed on the back seats. At some point in the night, he woke me by sinking his teeth into my wrist. I could have fought him off, but I didn''t. I just epted it as his teeth sank deeper and deeper until blood seeped out of me. As the connection between us snapped into ce. His gentle deep tone runs through my head, apologising to me over and over. Telling me it was the only thing he could do so that he could speak to me. ''Mate,'' was hisst word before his eyelids closed and he sank deeper into my bed. It was where he remained for two solid days. Now and again, I would see slivers of his stunning amber eyes, but never for long. We had been together ever since. He even helped me pick out this van. I wasn''t sure if it was because we were now bonded, but he seemed to be growing a little stronger as each day passed. I did consider that maybe the bond between us was stronger than the curse the Witch put on him. Though no matter what he tried, he couldn''t shift back. Climbing in the van, I pull the door shut and settle on the bed. Xavi jumps up next to me, resting hisrge head on my chest, his amber eyes settling on mine. ''How did they find her?" He asks through mindlink. "I''ve been looking for years.'' *From what it sounds like, Danes'' twin found Dane. Thalia has somehow got the twin under a spell and Brax, remember how I told you about him? He happens to be in White Cliffs where Thalia is hiding. We will find out more when we see them. It''s only a day''s drive." I didn''t know what had happened or what I had missed, though it seems like the drama never stopped after Cooper. Chapter 0565 ? Chapter 0565 I sense Xavi is nervous. I knew his story, he had told me exactly what happened to him. How he was caught in the wrong ce at the wrong time. He was exactly like me. A Witch Hunter. Though at the time of his curse, he had been drunk and unable to focus, celebrating the killing of another Witch. Before he had a chance to do anything, she cursed him to live forever as a Wolf. "Are you worried?" I ask him ''I''ve been a Wolf for six years. A part of me has forgotten what it''s like to live in Human form. To walk on two feet. To not have to hunt for every gram of food. To be epted for what I am, who I am. I am worried, but not for me. I don''t want her to do the same to you. You have a family waiting for you." "I have learned alot about myself." I remind Xavi. He had been with me every step of the way as I sought information. I had also learned a lot about Witches. Some from him, some from the hidden secrets of my past. "I wouldn''t have been able to do it without you." ''I''m not exactly a good Witch Hunter am I?'' He mutters, closing his eyes "I think we are stronger together." He falls asleep as I listen to the rain bouncing off my van. What exactly made a good Witch Hunter? Thest one I killed came back to life. But this one wouldn''t. I''m not suffering because she decided to curse my mate. *Do you see what I see?" I ask as I climb up on top of the van, trying to get a better view.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. In the distance, up the cliff, I see what looks like the pointed roofs of a castle. "I see it.'' Xavi mutters from the ground. "When I read the book by Aldous, I was under the impression that it was hard to find. There was no information. I have no idea if Samara has managed to find out anything." ''Maybe there was something.'' He mutters as he sits. I shake my head. "I went through that book so many times and now look," I gesture to the castle on the cliff, "it''s just sitting there, avable for all to see." ''I don''t think it is.'' I look down to find him staring up at me. His white tail wraps around his feet as he studies me. You are still new to Witch Hunting. Maybe your mind wasn''t ready for it. Not until you epted it.'' I jump down from the van, "What are you talking about?" ''Look again, tell me what you see.'' I turn to face the cliff, looking up at the castle and the thick ck clouds that hover above it. "Looks like a storm is about to hit." ''Those ck clouds are not what you think. They are a sign of dark magic." "I''ve dealt with another Witch. I''ve met an olderdy who was also a Witch. I didn''t see any of that." ''Like I said, maybe you weren''t ready.'' He sighs, ''Or maybe it was because I marked you.'' "Hmm." What does that mean? Do you wish that I hadn''t?'' I shake my head, "I was thinking of Neah. Neahs Lycan side was unlocked when Dane marked her. I was bound by my adopted parents, but Dane worked hard to break it. Maybe I wasn''tpletely unbound. I''ve always been a TAU BARUS part of ck Shadow but have never quite felt right. Don''t get me wrong, they are and always will be my family. But I was also never interested in pack runs or hunts or anything like that." ''Hunts?'' "Punishing those that betrayed Dane. Most get involved. Thest one, Cooper, was ripped apart but not before he was partially skinned and then the other one that I told you about, Samara, ripped his head off." ''I''ve heard of worse things.'' He mutters, turning his attention back to the sky above the cliff. *So dark clouds like a storm is dark magic?" ''Not all the time. We still do have storms, but yes.'' He shuffles around to face the cliffs, ''Looking at it, I would say the entire pack is under some sort of spell. *The women with Brax mentioned a river. I hear it, but I don''t see it." Chapter 0566 ? Chapter 0566 ''Mentioned it like a warning?" I nod ''Most likely has a spell on it. We won''t know until we are up there.'' He heads in the direction of the path that will take us up to the top. There was nothing to hide us from sight. Everything was open but Xavi continued anyway. The sounds of the water grow and it''s not long before I see the watering from anotherrger cliff, opening up and blocking the castle and its walls from us. Familiar clothes are abandoned on this side, but there is no sign of Brax anywhere. Xavi doesn''t mention the clothes and moves closer to the river. He ces a foot into the fast flowing river and quickly removes it. ''It''s been a long time since I have seen anything like this." "Like what?" I ask as I study the walls. No one seemed to be watching us. ''It''s a deterrent. No one can cross it. Actually, that is not entirely true.'' He moves along the river, putting his feet in at random intervals. ''We just need to know the exact point that she crossed it.'' Xavi takes a step forward, and appears to be standing on top of the water. I''m not sure what kind of spell this is,'' he moves forward carefully, but I bet she wasn''t expecting Witch Hunters. "How are you doing that?" I demand ''I''m not, it''s the same way as we can see that dark magic has been used. It leaves a trace. Faint, but still a trace, the others are unable to see it. Follow me foot for foot.'' As my foot hits the water a sh of light circles my boot and it''s only now that I can see the same around Xavi''s feet. Our feet hit drynd and as I turn back to the river, I watch it flow over the edge, the water hitting the rocks below. "How the hell did you do that?!* I turn to see a woman with a hood pulled up over her head, golden eyes peeking out from underneath. ''WITCH!'' Xavi roars through my head and charges forward. Brax appears from nowhere, tackling Xavi to the ground. "Go Indy, I''ve got this." She runs to the edge of the cliff, throwing herself down on her stomach, disappearing from sight. *Brax, stop!" I demand *Not if this asshole is going to attack her. We need Indy!" *Brax, let go of my mate!" He cocks a brow at me. "Your mate?" "Yes!" I growl, "Now get the hell off of him." I re at him and tell Xavi to listen to what Brax has to say. The sound of metal locks puts all of us in silence. We turn to face the opening gate. "We need to move now!" Brax whispers at us. "Come with me." He copies the woman and runs over to the cliff edge. "Come on then you idiots!" Rushing forwards, we do as he tells us and are ripped over the edge of the cliff and dragged back into a hole, A man with thick dark hair drops Xavi and stares at us. The woman is further back, almost hiding behind him. Xavi settles on my legs, guarding me as he lets out a low growl. "It''s okay." I reassure Xavi, "Brax wanted us here to help." Brax nods and points to the woman. "Half breed, but mostly Wolf. Her name is Indy. This is Orion, a Wolf" He points to the guy. "Thalia cut out his tongue so he can''t speak." I point to Xavi. "Cursed by Thalia to live forever as a Wolf. I''m us, a Witch Hunter. Now does someone want to tell me why we are in a hole in a cliff?" "It''s a tunnel," Indy whispers, lowering her hood to reveal shocking white hair that was almost as bright as Xavi''s fur. "It takes us to my house." "But before we move, there are some things that you need to know about this ce." Brax tells me as he watches Xavi, "Though it seems we all want the same thing." Chapter 0567 ?Chapter 0567 Ss After my talk with Damien, I found myself in my own little bubble, talking to Lyall, trying to understand the possibility that Damien might be right. Each and every time, I feel a pull in my heart that told me he was wrong. I longed for the woman I loved, the child I loved. I just wanted us to be together again. And if Dane didn''t want her here, that was fine, we could go it alone. Sitting at the kitchen table, watching. Damien, Samara and his little girl act like one happy family. Damien spins the kid around the room, making herugh until she cries. I wanted my happy family. I wanted everything to make sense. I scratch my head as Dorothy stops to chug some water. She drops into the chair across from me. Bright green eyes stare at me. She carefully slides a muffin across the table. "These always make me feel better." "I''m good." She shakes her head, "You are sad." "I miss my family." I reply. I didn''t know much about her, but for a young kid she was on the ball. *Your real family?" She asks curiously "My only family. Dane is my brother by blood, but we are not a family, not really, we barely know each other. He has chosen his family." Her brow wrinkles up and she chews on her bottom lip. "I miss my other Daddy. I''m sad." She shrugs her shoulders, "I know he is doing a job and that is important." When she realises I''m not eating the muffin, she looks over her shoulder as she pulls it back towards her. Carefully pulling off the wrapper she takes a bite. "Maybe you just have to find a way to help. That''s what Daddy has always told me." "I don''t know how I can help other than what I have told them." *Maybe when the foggy brain is better." She gazes at me. "Maybe then you won''t be sad. Maybe then you can help." She grins and little dimples appear in her cheeks ''Foggy brain?'' Lyall mutters, There is nothing wrong with our brain." Music res out and Dorothy jumps to her feet, abandoning the half eaten muffin. "My favourite song." She disappears through to the lounge and dances with Samara as Damien takes her ce. "You kid is weird." I mutter "I know, but I wouldn''t have her any other way. What did she say to you?" "You weren''t listening?" I was surprised, though I would never hurt a child.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "I wasn''t paying attention." *She used me of having a foggy brain." "Interesting description." He muses and casts a nce over his shoulder to look at Samara and Dorothy giggling. "Is she always so..." He faces me, his expression bing unreadable. "I suggest you think before you mutter the next word." "I didn''t mean.... I just... Has she always been intuitive?" "Yes." *Are all the kids here like that?" *No. Dottie is different. And that is all you need to concem yourself with." I frown, "Quinn is much younger than her, and being around Dorothy makes me miss him even more to the point it hurts. I hope Brax finds them. I hope they are alive. I need to be with them." He studies me, "You still don''t believe what we are telling you, do you?" He scowls, "I think Dottie is right, you do have a clouded mind. I think that the possibility sounds so insane to you that you just cannot see it for what it is. Nothing is insane any more, Ss. Just when you think you have a grip on reality, something else throws a spanner in the works. Trust me, I have seen a lot since I was turned." *Brax will bring..." *Brax will kill Thalia the moment he gets a chance." He tells me. "He won''t save her for the sake of keeping you happy. He will kill her to save all the people living here and possibly those that are living there. What are you going to do? Go to war with an entire pack or ept that this is reality?" "My son." "You don''t have a son." I lean around Damien. Dorothy is standing on her tiptoes, chewing on her bottom lip. Her bright green eyes hovering on me as her fingers wrap themselves up in each other. Chapter 0568 ?Chapter 0568 "You don''t have a son." She repeats *Dottie you can''t say things like that." "But it''s true." Her eyes don''t leave mine. "I see him." She points at me Clearly I had given her more credit than what was required. Possibly, she was a little nuts. "Darkness?" Damien asks her an edge of concern to his tone. She shakes her head. "Just sadness and it''s all empty." "I can''t listen to this!" I snap, getting to my feet. Dorothy grabs my wrist. "Look for the light!" Pulling my arm free, I leave the house, mming the door behind me and step out into the evening sun. ''I don''t understand her,'' Lyall mutters, ''Is she some kind of Witch? ''She''s Brax''s kid, so I''m assuming a Hunter, but she is young, she doesn''t even have her Wolf yet. How can she say we don''t have a son? I''ve already lost one, I can''t lose another." Thear the door of the house open and close. Light steps make their way towards me as I turn my face to the sky. *Are you okay?" Samara asks quietly I turn to look at her. A fresh mark sat on her neck, one that had already healed. She casually presses a hand to it and smiles, "He marked me earlier when you were out of the house." "Thalia''s sits a little lower on her corbone." I murmur. The funny thing is, I don''t actually remember giving it to he., "Are you happy?" "I couldn''t be any happier." She steps in front of me, "Dorothy confused me at first. She sees things in a different light to others, but she is a good kid. What may seem obvious to you, may not to her and vice versa. She doesn''t always know when she should keep things to herself. She sees things on a deeper level. I mean, I don''t even know what she fully sees, maybe souls like Brax, maybe more. What I do know is, she has never been wrong." *She is just a kid that has no filter." She adds with a smile. *She is saying that my son isn''t real!" "I know. I''m sorry."N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. *I paraded my boys around White Cliffs the day they were born. Showing them off like the proud father I became. Finally, I had people that were rted to me by blood, the family that I had been so desperate to have." I sigh," After Jarret, I spent so much time with Quinn and now I''m expected to act like none of that is real, that it is what, a lie? What was I carrying around, a sack of spuds? What would you do if they told you that your children were just in your head?" "I probably wouldn''t believe it either." *Damien tried to convince me that Thalia killed Jarret and that made absolutely no sense to me. She is their mother. How am I expected to believe that my sons were never here in the first ce? Three years I have been raising Quinn. It sounds..." "You feel like you are losing the plot, right?" I nod. I was more than confused. There was no evidence and it was starting to sound like I had fallen into a trap. Maybe they were trying to get information from me. But then why bother bringing me here, to the pack I was born in? Then there is Dorothy, surely they wouldn''t use her for something so low? I don''t think they would, I see how much Damien and Samara care for her. I''ve seen the other children go to a makeshift school. And then there were the gaps in my mind. Theck of memories surrounding me marking Thalia. Heat, the twins birth. I think if it was a trap, they would have tried to kill us by now." Lyall tells me. I didn''t want to admit it, but everything they were saying was just.... *She knew Cooper, right?" A woman with her hands in her pockets steps out from behind a tree on the outskirts of the forest. She looked simr to Neah except the short dark hair and brown eyes. "Your mate knew him?" *Ss, this is ir." Samara sighs. "Eavesdropping?" She tuts and her arms quickly fold up over her chest. *If you must know, Ryken told me to wait here. You and your big mouth make it hard for me not to listen." She sticks her hand out to shake mine "ir, Neah''s half sister." Chapter 0569 ? Chapter 0569 *Really? You are calling yourself her half sister now. She doesn''t even talk to you unless it''s to put you in your ce!" Samara res at her. *Ladies, calm down! I don''t need to be caught up in this, I have more important things on my mind." ir groans, "Regardless of this cow. You might want to consider that not everything is what it seems." "You were one of the prisoners who got away?" Damien had mentioned it to me but until now, I hadn''t met her. "That''s the thing. I didn''t get away, I was let out and then she took me in under false pretences." She jabs a finger in Samara''s direction *Yes, and I held my hands up to that. I was lied to as well you know, tricked into believing it was my duty!" Samara snaps back at her. She turns to me. "I have apologised over and over, but she refuses to ept it. No matter what I do, she paints me as this viin. But she forgets all the stuff she did such as the time she caused havoc and tried to im Neah''s position for herself. "She doesn''t even seem to remember that Cooper screwed me over as well as so many others. Or that I was the one who ripped off his head. Something she can''t even deny because she was in the forest at the time! That''s right! I saw you!" I don''t think I have ever seen a more hateful look than the one ir is giving Samara. Her eyes narrow to slits as she clenches her jaw. Her cheeks pulsate as her lip curls up, showing her gritted teeth.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. "I think both of you need to go. I just need some time to think." *Sure, you know where I am if you want to talk." Samara tells me. She turns and heads in the opposite direction as ir stares at me. *And you. Go." "You think you can make the decision for me. You are not an Alpha. You are not in this pack." ''This one has a right attitude problem. Maybe it was a good thing she wasn''t taken in at White Cliffs, something tells me that she would already be dead.'' Lyall muses "I never said I was." I stare back at her. "ir!" An older man calls as hees out of the forest. "Let''s go!" She rolls her eyes and stomps in his direction. Neah''s half sister. Not a Kitson. An ex prisoner of Coopers. Thalia would have hated her just from the way she spoke. But then again, she didn''t have many friends and now I questioned why. *I would keep your distance from that one." Dane tells me as he walks up behind me. *She is a problem, isn''t she?" *She has her moments. She didn''t exactly get off on the right foot when we first met her. She is part of the reason why Jenson did what he did to Raven. He marked ir because she looked like Neah. Then ir slowly made his life not worth living, but instead of it ending there, Jenson took his twin down with him. ir is very lucky to be alive after the shit she has pulled, but she is trying. A lot of people despise her." *This family is a mess." I scoff. The only sane thing seemed to be Dane and Neah''s mate bond. "Wee to the club." He smacks me on the back. *You were listening to all of what they were saying, weren''t you?" "Yes. I was on my way back to the hospital and heard themotion." I shove my hands in my pockets, Dorothy told me that I don''t have a son." I frown, it sounded wrong to say. "Okay." "And that my brain is foggy." I sigh though I felt fine. "Lyall doesn''t agree." *Clouded." He mutters. *She told me to look for the light?" I mutter in confusion "I know." "Damien already linked you?" I ask "Yes." He dips his head "I just want to know the truth." "Maybe there is a way we can find out." Chapter 0570 ?Chapter 0570 Dane I walk a few steps to Damien''s house and knock on the door. *How am I going to find the truth in there? Ss demands "I said maybe there is a way we can find out. It''s a long shot, but it''s all I have right now. Witches are not exactly easy to find and the one reliable source I had is likely no longer with us." Damien pulls open the door and I already see Dorothy sitting at the table, shoving food into her mouth. "She said she will try and help. But if she gets upset or it''s too much, we stop." "That''s fair." I nod. She was still young, it was unfair to put this much on her, but it was the only thing that I could think of that might help him. I was certain that her abilities were more powerful than Brax''s and there was a reason Neah had Dorothy sit in with her when the Lycans were arriving. "We will stop whenever she wants." He lets me in and Samara offers me a coffee. A fresh mark sits on her neck. I cast a nce in Damien''s direction, ''Happy?'' I link him. I hoped this was the right choice for him. His eyes lock on mine and he nods as he moves behind Dorothy. Damien ces his hands on her shoulders." Anytime you say stop. We stop. I promise. No one is going to make you do anything that you don''t want to do." Damien had told her those exact words so many times since he rescued her. *I know Daddy. I want to help. I can try to look." She smiles and those dimples appear. "Sit!" I order Ss. He rolls his eyes at me and settles into the chair opposite Dorothy. ''Hopefully this will be what he needs to hear." Aero murmurs. He was fed up with trying to convince Ss and has told me several times to let him go so he could figure it out himself. I watch Dorothy chew on her bottom lip as she stares at Ss. "Dorothy," Her green eyes shift to me, "why do you think his mind is clouded?" She refocuses on him, her brow creasing while her shoulders drop. She wrinkles up her nose, "When there is thunder the sky gets dark. I thought it was bad, the noise scares me. They are so loud. Daddy told me it''s just hiding the blue skies and the sun." "What is that supposed to mean?!" Ss''s booming voice makes her jump and I see how Damien res at him. "Your light is blocked." Dorothy tells him. "I can see a little bit, trying to break through." Tears appear in her eyes making the green of her irises shine bright. "You are full of sadness." "I miss my family." He tells her. She shakes her head at him. A tear rolls down her cheek. Damien is quick to wipe it away. "We can stop," He whispers. She shakes her head. "I''m a big girl." She takes a sip of juice and settles her attention on Ss. "I don''t know why you can''t feel it. You are sad and it will hurt." "I do feel it." He tells her. "I feel it everyday." Dorothy shakes her head at him. "Not really." She turns to look at Damien. "I don''t know how to say it." "I do." Samara quietly puts her mug down and turns to Ss as she takes a deep breath. "I was thinking about what you said and now, listening to Dorothy, it makes perfect sense. You are not allowed to feel what you are supposed to feel. The clouded head. Unable to recognise it, unable to feel it, unwilling to believe it. You have some sort of spell on you, but not the kind that makes you lose everything. The kind that makes you blind to the truth." Ss res at her. "It''s....." Dorothy shakes her head at him, the tears threatening to spill over. "The Witch is bad. She''s not who you love." Everyone''s attention shifts to her, but she doesn''t notice. I nce at my twin, who was Dorothy talking about? Who did Ss really love? He had only ever expressed his feelings about Thalia and his sons. *I''ve loved Thalia since I first met her." Ss protests. He drops his gaze, a frown appearing.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. *The clouds are working hard to make you forget. Blocking your thoughts" Samara mutters. "Was there someone else before Thalia?" *No. Thalia and I have been together for five years. I..." His brow dips as confusion fills his crimson eyes. "The twins..." A part of me felt sorry for him. Why were there so many people in this world acting like this? *When?" Damien asks him. "What date did you meet her?" *L..." *You should be able to remember," I add, "It''s a Wolf thing. Dates stick in our heads." He shakes his head at us. "It''s not clear. So many things are not clear anymore" *Look for the light. It''s trying to grow." Dorothy mutters. She looks up at me. "Don''t worry uncle Dane, it''s not dark. Just fuzzy clouds." Ss keeps his mouth closed, his jaw clenched as he stares down at his balled hands. I could see him crumbling as his breathing changes. Breaths be deeper and quicker, his body trembles. He opens and closes his fists as a low growl rumbles through him Chapter 0571 ?Chapter 0571 "Dorothy let''s go!" Samara pulls her from her chair "Okay." She nods as she eagerly takes Samara''s hand. They are quick to get up the stairs and out of sight. *Ss. It''s okay. I can help you." I had been waiting for this. For the truth to finally settle in his mind, though it was likely temporary. I also knew that the aftermath was going to be messy. His fists hit the wooden table with force, splitting the wood right down the middle, sending the table crashing to the ground. His chair flies back, mming into the door. He stands tall and his bones start to crack. *Shifting won''t help you." I snap "I need to go back!" He growls at me. *No you don''t. You need to stay put, let Brax do what he has to do." Damien tells him. We both position ourselves ready to pin Ss if needed. "My life is a fucking lie! My children. My mate. Everything that I have ever known. I grieved for Jarret and it is all one big lie." *Not everything. Dorothy said you love another." I remind him. "Who is she?" His crimson eyes flicker to mine. "I don''t know. I don''t see them. I just see... *Thalia." As soon as Damien mutters her name, there was no stopping Ss from shifting. His clothes rip at the seams. He drops down to all fours as the remnants of the material fall from hisrge ck Wolf. ''Is Ss''s Wolf bigger than me?'' Aero mutters ''Later!'' I snap Ss pauses to stare at me and then breaks through the door, charging out to the forest. Damien runs after him. Removing his clothes as he moves while into hisrge Lycan. Chasing my heartbroken twin through the forest was not what I was expecting. I thought there would be more chaos. The need to fight. Anything but running away. But we had finally got through to him. I could hear Damien running on two feet and a set of four feet that clearly belonged to Ss. It sounded like Damien was gaining on him. "Stay still!" I hear Damien roar. The feet belonging to Ss skip to a stop. Moving around the trees. I spot Damien and then Ss, who had shifted back to Human form *You can talk?" Ss mutters, ring at Damien The sound of breaking bones echoes through the forest as Damien shifts. "It''s not the problem right now, is it?" Ss shakes his head. "This.. ..." A frown appears. He reminded me of the early days with Neah when she would stumble over her words "It''s a lot to take in. No one is expecting you to just ept it." Damien tells him as I shift to my Human form *Ask him why his Wolf is bigger than ours!'' Aero tuts ''Not now! *I can only imagine how you are feeling." "How I''m feeling?" He scoffs. "My children are not real. The boys, they were mine. They were my life. I would have done anything to bring Jarret back. I would have done anything to save them. To protect them. I beat myself up for a long time, ming myself for not saving Jarret. Quinn lost his brother, he used to look for him. And now...." He jabs a finger in my direction. "You were expecting this. You told me she wasn''t wee here!" "We have dealt with a Witch that has caused problems. A Witch you are familiar with. You wouldn''t listen, Ss. Any mention of a lie and you refused it. But I know it ced doubt in your mind. I know it has made you question your existence. And now, it is important that you ept that. You will not be able to move on until you have." "It probably won''t just be today either." Damien adds, "You will have to battle it daily focusing on the light Dottie was speaking of. Until Thalia is dead, that magic is likely not removable. I imagine each time you sleep, it resets, never faltering. Everyday you will need to search for that person you need to be with. Everyday you will probably go through this until the spell is broken or she is dead." "I don''t even know who it is that I''m supposed to be with. I''ve searched my mind. Lyall has as well. Any time I try to think of any other woman. Thalia is there, invading my thoughts and feelings. For a tiny second, it goes and I realise that there is a gap in time. One that doesn''t make sense no matter how I look at it. How am I supposed to just forget this?" He taps his temple "You don''t, you use it."Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. He sits on a nearby trunk. "My life hasn''t been mine." *Do you know the funny thing about all of this?" I muse, "If you had nevere to find Neah, you would be trapped under that same spell, until the day you die, would you rather you have carried on like that?" "No of course not!" I nod. "Now will you help us eliminate the threats?" Chapter 0572 Chapter 0572 ? Brax "We need to make a move." I mutter, looking through the tiny peephole in the boarded up windows. Almost a whole day had passed since us arrived and we were still hiding inside Indy''s home. Waiting and watching. "I know that''s what you are used to doing." us mutters, "I think it would be a mistake. We don''t even have a n in ce other than to kill her." I see him nod at the white Wolf. "I will ask. Indy, are there any white Wolves here in White Cliffs?" "One." "Let me guess." I tut. "One of Thalia''s men?" "No. Me. But if you are thinking of doing what I think you are going to do, don''t bother. I''m small. If Xavi goes out there and Thalia sees him, she will know without a doubt that it isn''t me. Plus he can''t hide his balls." She smiles and from the corner of my eye, I see Orion silentlyughing. "I was thinking more about the eyes, but you are right, you can''t miss those." I''m met with a snarl from the Wolf and roll my eyes at him. "He doesn''t need to go far." us tells her, "He wants to go straight across from here and up into the tower on the opposite site of the courtyard. No one seems to go there. He said he can keep watch and keep me updated." The colour drains from her face. "I don''t think that''s a good idea." "Why?" us presses Indy scowls at Orion, "I know, I know." "By your reaction, I''m assuming there is a reason no one goes up there?" I askExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "There is one person that goes up there. Serkan. It''s where..." Her eyes close, "It''s where his food is kept. It''s how Orion lost his tongue." She casts her eyes in his direction. "Do you want me to tell them?" He dips his head. "Orion was out collecting us both some fresh food from the market that gets held once a week." "They hold a market around the dead?" "Remember, the people can''t see or smell the rotting flesh. Anyway, he tripped over near those steps that lead up to the tower." She frowns as she stares at him. "Those steps have been there the entire time but somehow, he never noticed them before. Another trick of the mind." She clears her throat, "Orion went up to investigate. There are bodies, alive but silenced. They couldn''t speak. They couldn''t scream. Orion tried to help them but Thalia caught him. His tongue was removed before he had a chance to speak." "She didn''t kill him?" us asks "Trust me, we are as surprised as you. I think it was a lesson of some kind, or maybe she wasn''t expecting to find him and was caught off guard. At this point, who knows." She shrugs. "It''s like I said. The steps have always been there, butno one noticed them. No one goes up them. It has to be something to do with her spell, right?" ¡°Likely. If she has been controlling everyone, then it is probably in her interest to keep people away from learning about Serkans food source." "It''s sick!" She splutters I nod in agreement. I like meat, but to eat a Human, even my stomach churns at that. "Are they still there?" us frowns. "Are there still people in that tower?" She hikes her shoulders up around her chin, "I don''t think so. We have watched, no onees, no one goes. I guess they might have been removed when we were in the tunnel. Do you see how much is wrong with this ce? You have seen the dead, the rotting corpses that line the streets. You know what she is like." She sighs as her golden eyes settle on us. "You know and you haven''t even met her." ¡°We are here to help.¡± us offers her a smile. "I hope you can, because this is not a way for us to live anymore. Knowing everything and yet watching the others carry on in some sort of oblivious state, unable to escape. I want to live. I want to see Ss again. I want to be with the man that is mine. I want Thalia to suffer." "That can be arranged. Where is that potion you showed me?" Her eyebrows disappear under her white hair. ¡°The one to hide your scent?" Chapter 0573 Chapter 0573 ? "No, the one to turn me into a frog! Of course I''m talking about the one to hide my scent." "It was a genuine question, you don''t need to be sarcastic!" Indy scowls at me. "Did your mother not teach you good manners?" I had met a lot of people who were afraid of me as a Hunter, but not anyone quite like Indy. She didn''t seem to care one bit, almost like Neah. Though I wasn''t the Wolf in the room that had a problem with her. Xavi''s eyes had been fixed on her for almost the entire conversation. Only briefly leaving her to look at us. "Yes he is always like this." us whispers to Xavi Indy gets the little vial of blue liquid from the safe. Grasping it tightly in her hand. She slowly turns to face us. "This is all I have. I don''t think I can get anymore." ¡°One drop every hour." I nod, "I remember, but it''s not for me. It''s for the white Wolf." She turns to us with an outstretched hand. Behind him, Xavi''s snout twitches, a low rumble vibrates through him. "Not a full blooded Witch!" I snap at him. My abrupt announcement makes Indy jump. She lets go of the bottle. Thankfully us grabs it before it hits the floor. For a moment, everyone is silent. Xavi''s amber eyes shift to me. "She is on our side. She is a half breed. Her Wolf is stronger. I suggest you pull it together if you are going to help." us closes his eyes with a frown. "Go on, tell me what your mate is saying because I would love to know." I keep my eyes on Xavi "He called you a moron." us mutters Ads by Pubfuture I shrug my shoulders. I had heard worse. "It just hides the scent, right?" us questions Indy. "It doesn''t take away the other abilities, healing, strength, his connection to me?" "I''ve used it. I swear it just hides your scent." us squats down next to Xavi, "Are you sure you want to do this? You don''t know what is going to happen out there. She could see you and she could kill you on the spot." There is a brief silence as us squeezes a tiny blob of blue liquid on Xavi''s tongue. He loops his arms around the neck of the white Wolf, pressing his face into his white fur. ¡°Make sure youe back to me." "Orion." Indy mutters. Orion moves forward to the door. "Orion will leave with you. We are always seen together, it might look suspicious if you are wandering around by yourself." She hands Orion the bottle, "Just in case you are not back within the hour." They slip out the door and quickly across the courtyard, carefully navigating the dead. Thankfully no one sees them. "I am still shocked that his ce doesn''t stink of death." I mutter as I watch through the peephole. "I was expecting to smell it when the door opened, but nothing." "It''s weird." Indy mutters. "You seem to be able to see everything and yet the smell doesn''t bother you." ¡°We need to talk about that!" us tells me as he watches through the other peephole. "We need to talk about what you have done to your hair." "It''s not a big deal. I cut it after I couldn''t wash the blood out." "A Witch''s blood?" "Xavi''s." He replies "But you didn''t answer my question. Why did you go to a Witch?" "Because I''m not an idiot." "Guys, can we focus on what they are doing out there? We can talk about hair cuts another time." Indy scowls "The Wolf has gone up the steps, Orion is standing guard." "Thank you." She starts to pace in a small circle. Stepping away from the peephole, I study her. "Orion knows what he is doing." "I know." "You are worried about your friend." "Unless we break this hold Thalia has, he is my only friend. I don''t want anything else to happen to him." "He''s fine." us mutters, "They are already on their way back." "No one saw them?" "It seems that way." He confirms. "See, they could....." I look back at him. He had his eye pressed right up against the peephole, but he had changed. Anger pulsates from him. His tone had also changed, "The Witch is here."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 0574 Chapter 0574 ? us "What? No. She shouldn''t be." Indy mutters. Brax huffs as he gets shoved out of the way. Indy presses her eye to the other peephole. "Why shouldn''t she be?" I ask. My heart pounds as Xavi and Orion dip behind a wall. I didn''te here for Xavi to die "The music starts soon. She hates it and keeps herself away. She shouldn''t be here. Why is she out? She must know you are inside my house. Is sheing this way? You should get in the tunnel, just in case." "It''s okay." "Her presence worries me." She sighs "I won''t be going anywhere while Xavi is out there." I tell her as I keep watch Guards follow Thalia in a V formation. Her long green dress hides her feet, giving her the appearance that she is gliding along the ground. With a flick of her hand, the dead bodies move out of her path, but not out of the way of the guards. Brax had said her gift was fire. There was definitely more. The entire situation told me that she is not a standard Witch. There was something far more powerful about her, to have this much power didn''t make sense. All the books I had managed to find described Witches as nothing more than creatures of the earth. Creatures that use herbs and potions. They were described as harmless. It didn''t match Cooper and it didn''t match Thalia. And if they are really harmless, why did Wolves like me and Xavi exist? The thick grey clouds that litter the sky above White Cliffs seem to be getting darker by the second. "She doesn''t like music?" I ask with a frown "She hates it. I don''t know why." Ivy mumbles Thalia marches through on some kind of mission. Her guards keep formation as they follow her, trampling over the bodies in their path. I wasn''t sure if they were aware of the dead or not. "Are her guards Lycans?" I ask "Most definitely!" Brax tells me. "Some are borderline Rogue, I can feel it." "Are they under a spell or are they following her?"Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "I can''t be sure. Maybe both." Indy sighs. "I just know she walks around like she is the Queen of White Cliffs and Serkan lets her." "The others that live here, how do they react when they see her?" Thalia and her guards turn the corner out of sight as Xavi and Orion speed back across the yard, charging inside as Brax opens the door. ''She was right there.'' Xavi mutters through our link. ''She was right there and I could have ripped her throat out.'' "You would not have been able to get close enough before she killed you." I remind him. "Someone like her needs to be handled with precision." It was as if all my birthdays hade at once when I found Xavi. A mate that I was never looking for. Coming into my life when I least expected it. Everything about him was calm, unless he was faced with a Witch. If I speak of Thalia, all signs of reasoning disappear into a ck hole. Anger, hatred, frustration were just some of the things that flooded through our bond. I knew it was partly because of her beinga Witch, but mostly because of the curse she put on him. He didn''t trust Indy either. But that wasn''t for me to fix. He had a lot more experience with Witches than did. If I wasn''t here with Xavi, Indy would be dead. He was only holding back because I had asked him. Though I did hope he was wrong about her. Indy wraps her arms around Orion and then punches him in the chest. "Don''t do that to me!" He rolls his eyes at her and pulls her back in for a hug. Squeezing her until she tells him she can''t breathe. "Indy? How do the others react to her?" I wanted to know what was in that tower but I wanted answers while there was little chance that we would be attacked. "They don''t. The only one they ever react to is Serkan. He is an Alpha. He is a Kitson." I shift my focus back to the darkening sky just as the subtle sounds of music appear. Ripping a wooden nk from the window so that I could see better. Indy panics, grabbing the wood from my hands. "No, she will see." Chapter 0575 Chapter 0575 ?"No, she won''t, you said it yourself, she doesn''t like the music, she leaves." The tunes grow louder and people begin to pass the house in some kind of a trance. They areughing and muttering to themselves, walking right over the dead as they head in the direction of the music "The same music every night?" The thick clouds above seem to crackle "Yes, with food, like a celebration. Every night at the same time. The rest of the people seem to love it and will even join in when it''s pouring with rain, nothing stops them.¡± Ivy mutters, trying to put the nk of wood back into position." ''You think it''s the music?'' Xavi asks as he jumps up to have a look ''You taught me magic leaves a trace. She doesn''t like music and just as the music started the clouds became darker. Have youe across this before?'' He shakes hisrge white head at me. ''Because you have managed to beat them to it?'' ''You could say that. I do think you are right about her power though. I was only out there for a few minutes. It sent a cold shiver through my spine. A hollow pit in my stomach.'' "Is someone going to let us in on the private conversation?" Brax frowns. ¡°We have a hunch that it''s the music that has everyone in a trance. Every night it''s yed, the spell is reset.¡± ¡°Right, well that''s simple enough to handle. We kill the band." Brax smiles. "You are wrong." Indy frowns and gives up with the wood. "There is no one ying the music. It''s almost like it is in the air around us." She res at him. "And even if it is a band, it''s cruel to kill them for being under a spell." He waves a hand dismissively. "It''s not like I''ve got my gun anyway is it?" "What kind of Wolf carries a gun?" Indy screws her nose up at him. "The one who kills Rogues for a living." He winks at her. "And you help the female Lycan Alpha?" "I do." "Are you scared of her?" Indy asks as she ces her hands on her hips. "No!" He splutters. "I have an agreement with her mate. And I have an agreement with your mate." "Oh." She drops her hands and sighs, "He wants you to bring Thalia to him."Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. "He wants me to bring his mate to him." He nces at Xavi. "I guess I will need to make sure you stay alive." ''What happened at the tower?'' I ask Xavi, letting the others talk ''Nothing.'' ''Not even a whiff of death. The prisoners were gone, there was only one door and it was wide open. There was nothing.'' "Xavi has just confirmed it is as we expected, the prisoners have been moved, if they are even still alive." I tell the others. "They found nothing." Indy nods. "Orion told me the same thing. Do you really think it''s the music that is affecting them?" "Yes." "Okay. There is one other person who might be able to help us." Ivy whispers. "It''s a really long shot, but she might know more about the music and Thalia. She used to talk about hearing music before..."Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Before what?" "Before she went a little crazy. Look, I haven''t seen her in a long time, I know they stripped her and she is practically Human but I don''t think they would have killed her. At least I don''t think Serkan would and + don''t think he would let Thalia kill her either." "At least we know why Cooper wasing here." Brax mutters, "That is his specialty." "Where do we find this woman?" I ask "I think she is kept in the dungeons." Indy tells us. "It''s just a guess, but it''s the only ce I can think of." "Why?" "She is a Kitson. Her name is Amelia." "Amelia?" Samara''s mother is alive. "Do you know her?" "I know of her. Serkans second born grandchild. I thought she was dead." "So do alot of people." "Including Ss." Brax mumbles at me. "He told us that Amelia was effectively wiped from history, seems like it''s more that she was wiped from people''s memories." "Why would he tell you that?" Indy challenges. Chapter 0576 Chapter 0576 Hey everyone hope you are well. You may have noticed that there is an Ivy in thest chapter. That is because I messed up. Indy was originally going to be called Ivy and I thought I caught all the changes. Clearly not. Though it does not help when there are constant messages shouting and demanding for me to ''hurry up'', ''just release it, ''get on with it'', ''you take to long''. And they are some of the less harsh messages I have received. You don''t need to hear the details of the others, I will leave that to your imagination. Just releasing the chapters means cracks develop and it is not something that is easily rectified. Like today. All because I gave in to the demands and not for the first time. A mistake I will not be making again. I want to apologise to everyone else for having to read this message. It wasn''t something I was going to post, however this behaviour needs to be addressed. To those that are patient and will wait, and to the fans who send me lovely messages, you are all superstars and I cannot appreciate you enough. Be kind Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. Taylor West Chapter 0577 Chapter 0577 ?Brax "At least Samara will be happy." I snort. All the family members wereing out of the woodwork these days. If I was asked, I would never admit that I secretly enjoyed the drama. It often means I get to kill someone and that is always pleasant. "Samara?" Indy asks curiously. "Amelia''s daughter." "What?" Her jaw drops "Amelia''s daughter." I repeat She narrows her eyes and tuts, "I''m not deaf. I was in shock." She looks over to Orion. "How could we have not known that she had a daughter?" He shrugs his shoulders. "She was given away to her father just after she was born." us sighs, "With some story that Amelia was not ready for children. Samara isn''t a kid, she is an adult." "Oh." "You think Serkan would have killed Samara if he knew about her?" I ask us. I knew Serkan wanted Neah dead. If Amelia was locked up and everyone thought she was dead, it would make sense that he would want Samara dead. It was a weird situation. Kitson''s were effectively the top dogs of the Lycan world. They would be stronger together, a united front.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Where did it go wrong? Was it because Neah''s mother ran away? Is Serkan hungry for more power? He is an old man, he would die soon enough. Then what? Thalia gets to be a leader, acting like a puppet master. We do not need someone like her in power. "Maybe" us ignores my question and carries on talking to Xavi. "What I do know is that Amelia met Samara''s father here in White Cliffs. I know that Cooper knew where this ce was." "That means her father was let in." Indy interrupts, her golden eyes dance between us as she tries to keep up. "What if he wasn''t let in?" us mutters from the window. "What if he was already here and Amelia helped them escape?" He spins around to face me. "Do you know how old Samara is?" "Twenty five ish. Maybe. Keeping tabs of people''s ages is not really on my list of things to do. I would say something simr to Neah''s age. I didn''t think Thalia had been here that long?" "Not twenty five years." Indy confirms. "Cooper was also Samara''s half brother." I nce at Xavi as he curls his lip, "She is also not a Witch." us nces at Xavi. "We don''t need to go down that road, but no, different mothers!" I re back at the white Wolf. He was starting to piss me off. us normally can''t keep his mouth shut, but time away from the pack had changed him. He knew when to keep things to himself. "Though now that I think about it, it appears that there is more to that story." us mutters to Orion. "What about Samara''s father? Do you know him? Can you ask him?" Indy smiles hopefully. "Maybe he knows the answer." ¡°Dead.¡± I tell her. ¡°Died when she was almost a teenager." I watch her hopes of getting away fade. A tiny part of me is guilty. It was an odd feeling. Guilt. I didn''t like it. It had only ever happened with Madison. I shake it off. "Oh." she mutters, her shoulders dropping. "That really sucks."This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. "Until we decide to do something, we are not going to find out anything else. We can''t stay here forever. We all know what needs to happen." I tell them. A part of me wanted to apologise to Indy, but it''s not in my nature. "If you want to make a move, we should go now." Indy mumbles. "We only have a few hours until the music stops." "You didn''t want them to go across the courtyard, but you are happy to go snooping around in the dungeons to try and find Amelia?" I ask directly to her "The music has started." Indy shrugs. "Thalia won''t be anywhere near here. In fact everyone will be where the feast is. It''s like I have already told you, they can''t stop themselves. The dungeons are essible in the opposite direction. It''s just timing, that is all. When the music starts, it is when Orion and I sneak out to try and n our escape. Every moment outside those gates is like my soul is no longer being crushed. Even if it onlysts a little while." "Thalia has never noticed you missing?" "You keep makingments about me listening. Do you? She is never there, she hates the music." She scowls at Orion. "Yes, I know." "What does Orion say about this?" I ask, ncing at him "That it''s suicide and he wants me to tell you that he is in." She lets out an exasperated sigh, ¡°We both are. I know we are running out of options. wezare It''s only a matter of time before that bitches barging through my door and discovers all of She quickly shakes her head. "It seemed so much easier before." I raise a brow at her, "You think being trapped is easier?" "No... It''s not what...I just want to see Ss again. I want this to be over. But I''m getting to the point where it feels like it is never going to happen. That I will never get a chance to be with my mate. Don''t you ever feel like that?" Her golden eyes shine and she blinks quickly, trying to stop the tears from breaking free. Chapter 0578 Chapter 0578 ?Madison is hundreds of miles from me, but it was not an option to stop and think about her. Not when she was being kept safe. Indy is a confident Wolf, but even confident Wolves can get backed into a corner where they see no way out. They eventually give in to defeat. But this was not defeat, not yet. Not until that Witch is dead. Turning around, I find us still looking out the window. The white Wolf stands on his hind legs, his front feet propped up on the windowsill right next to us. "Anything?" I press. The wolf gives me a condescending side nce. us shakes his head at me. "There are less and less people passing by. Indy is right. Now is the time." "You really want to do this?" In the past he had never been one to jump head over heels into an attack. He briefly frowns and turns to Indy "Tell me everything you know." "There isn''t much else. I told you, it was made to look like she didn''t exist. I think we are the only ones who remember her. If she is anywhere, it will be the dungeons, I''m sure of it." "Did she try to overthrow Serkan?" I ask, remembering what Ss had told us,This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org. "I don''t know. If she did, I don''t know anything about that. I do know that Amelia hasn''t always been crazy." Indy tuts. "Maybe, a little longer than when everyone else started acting weird. When I was little, she would always walk Ss around and y games with the other children." She looks at Orion and shrugs her shoulders. "He thinks maybe it started just before everyone else was affected, but he can''t be sure." "There is only one way to find out. Where is that potion?" Orion passes me the small vial of blue liquid. Carefully untwisting the lid. I drop a tiny spot on my tongue and pass it to us. He repeats the process and then gives Xavi an extra drop. Orion and Indy do the same. Pulling the door open, music fills the courtyard. No one of any kind could be seen though I did wonder how the others were not being influenced by the sounds. A question for another time. The sun had already set and stars dotted the sky. Somewhere, theughter of many could be heard. The smell of food wafted around us and still the dead didn''t smell. I step forward as Indy starts making ''pss pss'' noises behind me. She hands me a jacket. "It''s obvious if you are walking around in just shorts." She tuts The others follow her out of the house and she heads in a different direction to the smell of food. She takes us along the wall that separates us from the outside world. Indy is quick. Her feet move without making any noise. Impressive when we are sneaking across gravel. She pauses in her tracks, looking in all directions and races across the grounds and into a dark shadow.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. "You''re up." us mutters to me. I repeat the process and as I disappear into the shadow, hands settle around my ankles, pulling me downinto a thick swamp. The smell of shit lingers in the air. ¡°Are you seriously telling me this is the way into the dungeons?" I snap "Do you want to find her or not?" She whispers us crashes into me before I have a chance to answer "It''s just rotting food." Indy tells me as I''m sttered with something rancid. This time, I know she isdying, but it''s not to hide a secret. It''s to keep me quiet. The white Wolf and Orion join us as Indy leads us through the rotting sewage. "This way." She whispers "How do you know this?" "Ss." She mutters. "He used to sneak out at night before he was moved out of the castle." The spell on him is strong if he cannot remember the connection they had. From what she tells me, it sounds like their connection is simr to Neah and Danes. "I don''t know exactly where the dungeons are." She adds, "But I know they are not far. Ss used to Ito visit the prisoners when he was younger. Take them food and water. He didn''t agree with them being locked up. Then he would sneak out to meet me." She hops out of the sewage and offers me a hand. I roll my eyes and jump up with ease. We stand in the doorway. A corridor built out of stone with no windows heads in either direction. We could go either way. "Split up." I suggest Xavi, Orion and us take the left while Indy and I head right. The ce was a maze. Dead ends, loops and somehow twice we ended back right by the sewage. "This shouldn''t be that hard." She sighs as she leans against the wall. "Ss did it all the time." "You are right. It shouldn''t be." Somehow with all the turns we took, we never bumped into the others. Thalia knows we are here. Chapter 0579 ?Chapter 0579 us ''Stop us. Just stop for a moment.'' I could sense the concern in Xavi''s tone "I know.'' I mutter through our link. ''I feel it. Something is off. ''Retrace our steps.'' He suggests. Turning around, Orion is staring at us. He gestures forward. I shake my head, "No, we need to go back. Something is not quite right." Orion quickly jabs his finger over my shoulder in the direction we had been walking as he makes a weird noise. Hisck of tongue stops him from telling us what it is he wants. His deep blue eyes are wide and I see a hint of fear. ''He can''t be in on this." Xavi mutters, ''Can he?'' ''I don''t think he is. Look at his eyes. That''s fear.'' Orion looks behind him then tries to squeeze by, beckoning for us to follow. *Is it Indy, is she in trouble?" He frantically nodded at me and looked around, like he was searching for something, but there was nothing other than dimly lit, stone corridors. In the end, he bites his own finger until blood appears. He quickly writes on the wall Thalia has them both. I have to find Indy." "Okay, we will. Brax will try his best to keep Indy safe." I offer. I hoped he would, he had made it more than clear that Xavi wasn''t allowed to touch a hair on her head. I''m certain he is not going to just let her die. What do you want to do?'' Xavi asks as he gazes at me. ''I know you don''t like either of them, but Orion is right, we need to find them.'' He rubs hisrge white head against my leg. Then we will find them. You know I will always help you.'' We quietly move through thebyrinth of corridors. There were never any doors or windows, or even steps, just solid stone walls that run in all directions with a few torches lighting the ce up. Eventually we stumble upon Orion''s message that he had written in his own blood. We had somehow gone full circle without realising it. We hadn''t been able to scent ourselves because of that potion we took. This ce is a minefield.'' Xavi mutters. "How the hell are we supposed to find our way out of here!'' ''I don''t know, but we have to try. Brax asked me here to help. I can''t just abandon him.'' Orion''s hands are balled into fists at his side. He randomly punches the wall in frustration and a small gap appears in the wall. Pushing against it, a secret door opens up. The three of us stare at it. It was a lucky punch. ''Secret doors?'' I murmured to Xavi, wondering how many others there were. I moved through the new door and once I saw that it was clear, waved them through. I finally understood that where we entered the castle, it had been designed to throw people off. Walking around in circles,pletely lost. Anyoneing down here needed to know exactly where they were going. It wasn''t a Witch''s spell. It was a clever defence method. Orion quietly pushes the door shut and leans against it. His deep blue eyes are full of worry. It must be hard when the only person he can properlymunicate with is Indy. He puffs out his cheeks as he looks around "We will find her." I reassure him. Whether she is dead or alive, we will find her. Looking down the newly found corridor. Lit torches lined the walls, closer together than thebyrinth we had been struck in. They removed all shadows. Halfway down, there are stone steps and even further than that, to the naked eye, the torches appear to have burned out, plunging the rest of the corridor into darkness. ''What do you see?'' Xavi asks me as he stares at the darknessN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. ''Magic.'' I mutter. The darkness was not because the torches ended. They continued right the way down, yet a dark cloud filled the space. Confusing those that couldn''t see past it. I move forwards, passing the stone steps. Orion lets out a gargled groan. I look back to see him ready to climb the steps but something was hidden down here. Something that only Xavi and I could see. ''It probably looks like a wall to him.'' Xavi suggests Locking my fingers around Orion''s wrist, I pull his protesting body through the thick cloud. On the other side of the cloud are rusty bars, separating us from her. A small hole at the bottom just big enough to slide a te of food through. Curled up on the stone floor with a chain around her neck is a frail woman. At a quick nce, I would have thought it was Samara, only this woman''s blonde hair is waist length. Wrinkles on her forehead and the creases at the corner of her eyes give her age away. Her eyes flicker open and she scurries back across the stone floor. Pulling her thin legs up to her chest. She trembles as she ces her hands on either side of her head. She begins to rock. Whispers leave her lips, but they are nothing more than sounds. Chapter 0580 ?Chapter 0580 "Amelia?" She doesn''t acknowledge us. *Amelia Kitson?" The rocking stops and she temporarily looks up at us. *Amelia, we are here to help you." I tell her. She shakes her head and pushes herself further back against the wall. Like she is trying to make herself disappear. ''Didn''t you tell me that everyone got their abilities back after Cooper was killed?'' Xavi asks ''Yes.'' I stare in through the metal bars at the frail womanN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ''So if Cooper did this, the moment he died, she should have had her Lycan back?'' ''Not necessarily. We don''t know what else has been done to her.'' I frown. They could have done anything to her. Her skin was thin and looked as though it had been pulled tight over her thin frame. The raggy clothes she is wearing are barely staying together. Her hair is matted and her eyes look excessively big for her face, yet at the same time, they are sunken. Amelia covers her ears. "No, no, no." She taps her chest, "Amy," ''Maybe Amelia is a trigger to her.'' Xavi suggests I look in through the door and study her. Crazy. That had been the word Indy had used to describe her. She had gone crazy. I hadn''t believed her, though not entirely. Being locked up for years in this tiny hole would probably do that to a person. Even Dane would have killed them rather than letting them suffer for this long. On the floor of her cell are rat carcasses, a pan with a dribble of water. A bucket lingers in the corner. "Amy. We know what Thalia is." I whisper. I point to Xavi, "She cursed him to never be able to shift." I gesture to Orion, "She cut out his tongue. I know she is helping your father. Your father wants to kill your niece. We want to help you!" "No father." She mutters as her hair falls over her face. She rocks side to side. "No father." ''What does she mean?'' Xavi asks *Serkan. Your father.... *NO FATHER!" ''I don''t understand," Xavi mutters, "You said he is." ''Neah is her niece. Serkan is Neah''s grandfather. I know. I did her family tree.'' I study her. Why was she saying he is not her father? "I need you to keep watch." I had to link Dane. Maybe there was something that I didn''t know. I wait for Xavi to position himself. Orion joins him as I search for the connection between me and my Alpha. Dane?'' ''us!'' He sounds relieved. ''It''s so good to hear from you.'' His familiar voice rumbles through my head. ''Are you okay? Are you in trouble?" I''m in White Cliffs with Brax.'' There''s a pause. "How the fuck did you end up there?" "It''s a long story but I''m here now and we found Amelia Kitson. ''Neah''s aunt?'' He scoffs. ''Ss said she was wiped from history. She''s dead.'' ''I''m looking at her now. She is very much alive and is being held in a dungeon. Everything is not as it seems here. The people in White Cliffs are under some sort of spell. The deady in the streets with no smell and the living are unable to see them. No one is allowed to leave. Thalia has more control and Amelia...Well, she is notpletely with it and she keeps saying her father is not her father.'' ''us, you need to get out of there!'' I hear his concern ''Not until the Witch is dead and the curse is broken on my mate.'' There is another pause ''Your mate? ''Yes.'' He doesn''t ask any questions about Xavi. ''There''s not much I can do from here. I can''t leave Neah, she has just had twins. Girls. He announces proudly ''She''s had them?'' She wasn''t due for another couple of months. ''It''s a long story, but she is safe. We need to focus on you. I''m not sure what I can do to help from here. We did run into Serkan a while ago. He mistook me for my twin. Brax and Damien went after him in a car chase but he disappeared and hasn''t been seen since.'' ''Can Neah link him?" ''That''s the problem.'' He murmurs. ''She can find no connection to him in any shape or form. It''s almost as though he doesn''t exist. But I have seen him with my own two eyes. I killed his chauffeur. If you are with Brax, I''m sure you are aware that Serkan is a Rogue." ''I am." *NO FATHER!"Amelia screeches from her cell as she stares at me. ''Ss was made to believe that he and Thalia are mated.'' Dane continues. ''We have finally got through to him, but we don''t think it willst. Yes I know. His real mate filled me in.'' I reply ''His real mate? What''s her name?'' ''Indy. Maybe it will help him.'' I don''t know how much it would help, but it was worth a try. This Thalia had done a real number on people. What has Ss told you about Thalia?'' Chapter 0581 ? Chapter 0581N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Hey everyone, just to let you know there will be no update today. I also want to do a shout out to all my fans and thank you for all the lovely messages I have received over thest couple of days. You are all stars xx Taylor West Chapter 0582 ? Chapter 0582 Brax "What''s happening?" Indy''s heart rate speeds up as her hands move along the wall, desperately patting for an exit. *This is Thalia," I growl. We are closed in on all sides. Plunging us intoplete darkness that even I was struggling to see through. The only thing that is clear is Indy''s bright soul, though it is slowly being taken over by panic. "I''m still here," I add as I make my way toward her. "You are not alone." "We are trapped! How are you so calm?" I could tell she was trying hard not to break, but it was only a matter of time. "You''ve told Orion. The others will be along to find us. The Witch Hunters, remember." There is no point in panicking in a situation like this. All it leads to is more problems. "One is stuck as a fucking Wolf!" Her hands p the wall. In some ways, she reminded me of Madison. Quick to panic when things no longer made sense. "Indy, has Orion said anything?" "No." I watch her soul drift down the wall as she slumps to her ass. "I let her take Ss from me. I just stood there and watched him forget me like a curtain pulled down over his eyes. I didn''t try. I didn''t do anything. I''m never going to see him again, am I?" "Yes, you are. I made a deal. I am getting you back to Ss. But you might have to dig deep and find those damn fucking Witch abilities of yours because these walls are fucking moving." *It''s not my imagination?" She whispers "No." It is so gradual that it''s barely noticeable, but it was still happening. Millimetres at a time. A way to mess with our heads, knowing that a slow death ising. Thalia couldn''t even kill us herself, she had to squash us with some pathetic trick. A cackle rips through the small room. "Little girl, you couldn''t just leave it alone, could you?" "Why don''t you show yourself?" I yell into the darkness.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "Oh Hunter, how fun it is going to be to watch your brains explode all over those walls. I might need to record it, just so I can watch it over and over." "Bitch!" "Don''t you mean Witch?" She cackles. Indy''s hand finds mine and she pulls me close whispering "They found Amelia." It was thest thing I was expecting to hear. *Little girl, where is that tongueless friend of yours? I''m sure he would like to watch your death. I saw you both, trying to hide from sight after investigating the tower. You thought we didn''t see you. You thought that you had got away with that little game of yours. I watch you, little girl, I watch you every damn day." I put a hand over Indy''s mouth. Thalia hadn''t seen Indy, she had seen Xavi. *Though I am impressed at how you overcame my spells to sneak in the Hunter." Thalia continues, "Tsk tsk. You are like a naughty child, sticking her nose in ces it isn''t wanted. I''ve let you live and have enjoyed watching your torment because my dear mate Ss has no interest in you." Indy mumbles something against my hand, stopping when I use my hand to turn her head from side to side. I''m all for putting people down, however Thalia was on some kind of rant. Information cane from a rant. Such as why she was calling Indy, little girl"? Thalia was at the most a few years older than Indy, that was it, but she spoke as though there was arge age gap between them. *It''s a shame that nothing was in the tower, wasn''t it, little girl? What did you think you were going to do? Free them? Finally escape with them? We both know you can''t get across the river, Indy. You would have led them to their death. You put our kind to shame. You put the Wolves to shame." "I will tell you this, they are all dead, everyst one of them had their throat slit. Though I have to admit, their blood was rather delicious, like a fine wine." A tear rolls down Indy''s cheek and hits my hand. I already had an idea that being a half-breed was not something Indy was proud of. That it had probably been used all her life to hold her back. Though knowing that she did nothing more to help the prisoners has her rattled with guilt. Chapter 0583 ? Chapter 0583 "A brave challenge for you Hunter, if only you hadn''t had any help. It would have made my day to see your body on the rocks at the bottom of the cliff. I guess this way, it is...final." The wall moves a little more, pressing into my back. Indy''s grip on me tightens. "I will ask you again, little girl. Where is that other brat?" I remove my hand from her mouth and she shouts "I don''t know." "Do you think I''m stupid? My magic doesn''t affect you. The music doesn''t affect you. That means you are still able to link him. Where the hell is he?" Indy always said it was potions. The tunnel beneath her house was concealed with one, the blue liquid to take our scents away. As I stare at her in the darkness, I realise that it is her Witch half that is protecting her from Thalia''s spells, not potions. She could be our chance at getting out of here. Is that why Xavi had a problem with her? Did he see her potential? I couldn''t speak to Indy without Thalia hearing. I had two options, mark her, but then Madison and I could never be together again and it would be the same for Ss and Indy. The other option is a blood tie, but even that can bring on a whole load of shit, we wouldn''t be able to do anything with our mates not until it was broken but at least it could be broken. I stare at Indy. It was shit that we could deal withter if it meant we got to live. Tugging Indy to her feet, I pull her in against me, pressing my lips close to her ear and dropping my voice to barely a whisper. "I need you to trust me." "We are about to die!" She whispers back *We have to try. I have a daughter. I have already missed years of her life. I am not missing the rest for this bitch. I have a mate that I need to get back to. And you need to get to Ss.* "Isn''t this romantic!" Thalia chuckles. "A Hunter and a useless half-breed. Ss is so much better off without you. I''m sure when I tell him what happened, he won''t even be bothered. He hasn''t been interested in you for thest few years. He just sees you as a weak little girl." I feel Indy tense up. "Your mate, she will die." *I haven''t marked her yet," I whisper. I like Madison but I still hadn''t marked her. I know what she is, and I think that is the one thing that is still holding me back. Generational issues that I was struggling to break from. "A blood tie can be severed." "Stop whisperong!" Thalia screeches The walls move a little more, "Okay." She bites into her hand as I tear a chunk of flesh out of my own. We press the open wounds together, hoping it would be enough to connect us. "What are you doing?" Thalia demands She may be able to see through the visibility of her spell but I knew she couldn''t see everything with the way we were standing. *How long?" Indy whispers "I don''t know." We keep our hands locked together, allowing our blood tobine though it would start to heal if we weren''t quick enough. "At least you will die together," Thalia mutters happily, oblivious to our n. One of these walls had to be fake. We had walked into another dead end and the wall behind us appeared from nowhere. But we had moved around since then, trying to find a way out. It was impossible to detect the false wall. "It''s not working." Indy whispers. "Yes, it is." I could see a piece of her soul breaking off andtching itself onto mine. Mine did the same. Tying us together. ''Can you hear me?'' I link her ''Yes,'' she whispers in shock ''I need you to focus. ''I can''t do anything.'' She whispers back through the link.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. ''Every Witch has a gift. What is it?" ''I don''t know. I don''t even know what I''m doing!" The walls move a little more. ''Brax, I can''t.'' You have a choice to make.'' I tell her, ''Live or kill us both!" Chapter 0584 ? Chapter 0584 us "Amy? Amy look at me." Her tired grey eyes find mine and the rocking stops. "Who is Serkan?" "My father but not my father." She mumbles ''We are not getting anywhere with this.'' Xavi mutters through the link. I think she might be beyond the point of saving, us. ''I don''t believe that.'' Xavi has been great with the advice and maybe I should learn my lesson. I tried to help Eris and that backfired. But something about Amy told me not to leave her here. He studies me with his amber eyes and sighs. ''Okay." *Amy," I mutter, turning my attention back to her. "Amy, who is the man pretending to be your father?" *A very bad man!" She practically spits the words as her lip curls up. ''An imposter?'' Xavi asks as I spot Orion writing on the wall with his blood again. We have to go!'' Was written inrge capital letters as he aggressively pointed in the direction of the stairs. "Brax will keep her safe," I tell him. He points at his words again. *Noise," I mutter. "We need to bring Thalia to us. Give them time to figure something out. Lure her here." Xavi starts to howl as Orion stares at us with wide eyes. He tries to cover Xavi''s snout and silence him. *Orion. Xavi and I are the Witch Hunters, we need her toe to us." I turn back to Amy. She has her hands pressed against her ears. Her eyes are closed as she rocks. As Xavi continues to howl, I press myself against the door to Amy''s cell. "Amy, do you remember your daughter, Samara?" *Sam...Sammie....Samara. Just a tiny baby." She waspletely out of touch with time.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org. "She''s not a baby anymore. She lives in a safe ce, with your niece." *Thest female Alpha." She mutters. "She''s just a baby." *No. They are grown up." Footsteps could be heard above us, thudding along the ceiling and making their way to the stairs. "Lycans," Amy whispers with her grey eyes on the ceiling. "Lycans areing." Orion backs up next to me as Xavi growls. Footsteps move down the stone stairs until the men appear on the other side of the thick cloud. At least twelve of them. They look up and down the corridor but don''t see us behind the thick cloud of magic. "Move you fools!" A woman yells out They divide for her, allowing her to move through the centre of them. Her thick tight curls bounce as she struts. Lc eyes glow in the light, yet the shadows cast an eerie glow across her golden skin. She holds up a hand and a ball of fire quickly appears. ''It won''t hurt us.'' Xavi mutters, refusing to move. ''She knows she can''t throw it through the cloud. "Who are you?!" She demands as she res at Xavi I feel his annoyance through our bond. *You are not poor, little Indy. Who the hell are you?" He res at her. How could she not remember who she put a curse on? Unless that was the problem, she had done it to so many people that she couldn''t remember. When she doesn''t get an answer, she chuckles. "Your friends are about to be crushed and you are making me miss it!* Her eyes move to each one of us. She settles on Orion. "So loyal to one another, yet you abandon her in her time of need." She bounces the ball of fire in her hand. "Would you like to watch?" She waits a second for an answer andughs. "Oh I forgot, you cannot talk anymore." "I will kill you," I mutter, ring at her. "Ha!" she shakes her head. "Why do you think you can when no one else has seeded? Your Hunter friend. Wolves. Lycans. Pathetic little Witches. You are all weak. You will die here. Your bodies will rot in this very spot and no one will ever be able to find you." She looks directly at me. "No one leaves White Cliffs unless I say so." *What about Ss?" I needed to buy the others as much time as possible. Her eyes narrow to slits. "He had one job to do. Bring me that shitty little Kitson." Chapter 0585 ? Chapter 0585 "Sammie." Amy mutters from behind me *Sammie? Sammie is long dead you stupid little cow." Thalia snorts, "Cooper murdered her the first chance he got after he killed his father. We can''t have no sudden surprises running around can we." Cooper was supposed to kill Samara? He took her abilities telling me it was to stop her from bing a monster. Had he just been hiding her from Thalia? Somehow, in all the shit he pulled, he tried to keep her safe. He still deserved what he got. "My Sammie!" Amy cries out from behind us. "Dead, you idiot!" Thalia screeches. "And soon, Neah will join her." She had no idea about Neah''s children. And we are going to keep it that way. She rolls the ball of fire around in her hand, ying with it, trying to taunt us. ''Ask her where Serkan is.'' Xavi mutters "Where is Serkan? Who is the man pretending to be him?" "Her father." *Not my father!" Amy screeches. "Not my father." Thalia rolls her eyes, and I finally get what Brax means when he talks about how souls change when people lie. I couldn''t see Thalia''s soul but the words sounded different to my ears. *The real Serkan is dead, isn''t he?" It would exin why Dane said Neah could find no link to him. "Of course he is alive." She smiles at us. "And he has gone to do what Ss could not." I didn''t believe it. *Serkan is dead. The man that is pretending to be him is not a Kitson." There is a sh of anger in her eyes. "I hear your lies, Thalia." "What are you?" She demands *Just a Wolf,* I mutter. Sheunches the fireball at the thick cloud that separates us. Orion drops to the floor while Xavi and I remain rooted to the spot. Thalia res at us, trying to figure out why we didn''t move. "What potion did she give you?! Or did another Witch help you like they helped your Hunter friend?" "Witch, Witch, Witch," Amy mutters from her cell. I feel Xavi''s gaze on me, but I refuse to break eye contact with Thalia. ''Is she trying to tell Thalia that a Witch helped us or is she trying to tell her that we are Witch Hunters? It didn''t matter either way. *So it seems that only you can talk," Thalia mutters with a smile. "We could change that. A Wolf. A tongueless idiot. Maybe I could take away your ability to hear." She smiles to herself and clicks her fingers. Nothing happens. I still hear the heavy breathing of her oblivious guards. I still hear the beating heart of my mate. "What was supposed to happen?" I stare at her, but I also feel Xavi watching me. She clicks her fingers again, and then again, growing more irritated when nothing happens. ''Nothing happened?" Xavi asks, concern etched in his tone. "What the hell are you?!" Thalia snaps *A Hunter. A Witch Hunter." I mutter just as there is an explosion somewhere above us. Bits of stone fall from the ceiling, and Thalia backs up. Her attention moves from me to the falling debris. "No. No. This is not happening. She isn''t even a pure breed." "Move!" She screams at her guards as the clunking of a metal chain winds itself up. Her feet hit the steps as she races away. Her guards close behind her. Somehow, after everything that happened, her guards still acted like we weren''t even here.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ''The door!'' Xavi mutters I turn around to see him watching Amy''s cell door rise. "Amy,e on." *Not safe. Danger, Danger everywhere." Orion creeps under the rising door and lifts her from the ground, draping her over his shoulder. Amy doesn''t protest other than her mutterings about it not being safe. The clinking of the turning chain stops. "Orion, move." He ducks under the gate and the moment he is free, the cell door drops, mming into ce. *Indy?" I ask Orion He gives me a thumbs up. Brax must have found a way for them to escape. But now we had to kill Thalia or try to get out of this ce alive. Chapter 0586 ?Chapter 0586 Brax ''Dig deep.'' I tell Indy through our connection. You have to find a fucking way." ''I''m not a good Witch. I was never good at it.'' I hear howls in the distance. Possibly below us somewhere. ''We are going to die.'' ''Is that what you want? You want our insides smeared across the walls? Do you really want to give the bitch the satisfaction?" ''No. I.... The walls close in. It wouldn''t be long now and we would be sandwiched on all sides. Howls grow louder and the walls appear to stop. *Thalia," I call out, knowing she couldn''t resist knowing we were close to death. She doesn''t answer. *Thalia!" *Orion said they are trying to buy us time." Indy whispers. *Indy, she thinks you are weak. She believes she can just walk all over you and you are letting it happen." "I am weak." "I don''t believe that. I see a lot of confused souls and yours isn''t one of them. She has made you believe that you can''t do this. She took away the one thing that gave you strength. I know I''m not your mate, and we are just Blood Tied, but you can use that. You have to. I''ve watched people get stronger by being connected to someone." "While we can still breathe, you need to do something. Concentrate, Search your memory for anything different. Something that happened a long time ago that you have buried deep down inside you." I squeeze her hand. "I''m not going anywhere." "You are like an annoying brother!" She tuts at me in the darkness. I hear a muffled screech from below. I had no idea what they were up to. But I''m sure Thalia would make it so she returned to us as soon as possible. Indy''s breathing slows. "There''s something from when I was younger. It''s not clear. I hated school. Like, really hated it. Witches were singled out. They were expected to be great. Powerful. I wasn''t. One day, the teacher was being a dick and all I kept wishing was for the school to crumble." "It did, didn''t it?"N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. *Bits of the ceiling at first. Then the cracks appeared in the wall from floor to roof. Everyone screamed and ran for cover." There is a tiny hint of amusement in her tone. "I''ve never told anyone that." "They didn''t suspect it was you?" "Orion doesn''t even know. But Brax, I don''t know how I did it. It just happened." *It happened because you wanted it to happen." Her fingers tighten around mine and she falls quiet. Secondster, the cracks could be heard, snaking through the cracks. "Keep going," I whisper. The walls are almost rattling around us. Indy is tense as she concentrates. Her nails dig into my skin as dust falls from above. Glimmers of light flicker through the cracks and the stone shatters, causing a sound like a bomb to go off as the walls tumble around us. Indy''s eyes and mouth are wide open. "I did it." "You did." She throws her arms around my neck, pressing herself against me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," "We need to move," I tell her, climbing over the rubble and pulling Indy with me. No doubt the sound would alert Thalia. We leg it through the corridor, cracks lingered on every stone wall we passed. "What the fuck!" Thalia screeches ''Keep moving.'' I tell Indy. "Fucking find them!" ''We are going to die,'' Indy mutters. ''Not if I can help it!'' We turn a corner and find another set of steps that lead up, taking us further into the castle. You are going to bring this whole ce down once we are all out. ''What?'' You have already started.'' I gesture to the cracks that snake across the ceiling. I pull Indy to a stop as footstepse barreling towards us. They wereing from behind us and in front of us. I catch the scent of us and the others. Orion appears first. A woman draped over his shoulder but he looks so relieved to see Indy. "We can hugter," I mutter to him. "Where is she?" us asks, "Where is Thalia?" *I thought she was chasing us." I look back at the way we came. The pounding footsteps had stopped. This wasn''t over. She was changing tactics. Chapter 0587 ? Chapter 0587 Xavi watches Indy. Absolute hatred in his amber eyes. He seems to be forgetting that she just saved his life. It may be the Blood Tie that is making me feel this way, but I am ready to rip his throat out if he so much as touches a hair on her head. *She has the upper hand here. We need to get out." I tell them I nce at the woman on Orion''s shoulder. Her eyes are closed and a trickle of blood runs across her temple. *He knocked her out turning a corner," us tells me. "She is fine or at least she will be." We continue to move through the stone corridors and up multiple levels of steps. There is never a window or another door, just more stone walls. Indy suddenly stops, pressing her hands against a crack. She nces back at me. ''I can try." I nod. Xavi watches her. A hint of his sharp teeth on show. I block his path, ring at him. He could try, but he will never seed. "Pack it in, the both of you. We just need to get out of this ce!" us snaps The crack in the wall grows until the early morning light breaks through. Pieces of the stone fall away, crashing down to the ground below, leaving a massive hole for all of us to look out. We were at least four floors up, maybe even five. Below, the people of the pack stare up at us. Still and silent. Thalia moves between them, her dress dragging along the ground behind her, probably whispering some spell to them. *How did she get outside so quickly?" Indy whispers *She knows this ce like the back of her hand," us mutters. "Secret doors, probably secret rooms. She wants to keep us here. Trap us forever." I lean out, it is a sheer drop and the chances of survival jumping from this height are unlikely. "I don''t know Orion!" Indy snaps at him. "It''s new to me too!"N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. *This is not helping. We need to find a way out." us sighs *And without all the fucking zombified assholesing after us. I''m happy to kill, but even I can see we are well and truly outnumbered." "But it''s not them." Indy pleads with me. "They don''t deserve to die for something they don''t know is even happening." I feel her pain. She was so desperate to help these people. To snap them out of whatever trance the wicked Witch had put them under but I''m not even sure it''s possible without killing Thalia first. And by the looks of it, Thalia knew that. It was why she was putting more people between us and her. "What do we do?" Indy asks "Ugh," Amelia mutters from Orion''s shoulder. *Amelia?" "Don''t call her that," us tells me. "She goes by Amy." Orion lowers her to the ground and props her up against the wall as she continues to groan. Her hand moves to the dried blood on her temple. "Blood. My blood." She blinks a few times and her grey eyes move between us before she slumps forward. "Amy," us mutters as he squats. "Amy, is there another way out?" "Not here. Somewhere else." "Where?" I demand Her head wobbles side to side. Her grey eyes widen as they focus. "Trapped." *She is not helpful." "You don''t know that!" us frowns at me. "Amy," Indy whispers. "Do you remember me? It''s been a long time. You used toe and visit me, bringing me presents." There is a hint of recognition in her grey eyes as she smiles. "Baby girl." "It''s not Samara," us tells Amy. "I''m going to take you to meet her, but we need to get out of White Cliffs." *Just let her believe it." Indy mutters. "If it means she gets to be more responsive. Let her believe it." She lets Amy cup her face. "Can you show us how to get out of here?" Amy''s eyes flicker around the rest of us and she nods. "I can help." Chapter 0588 Chapter 0588 ?Neah "You''re not joking either, are you?" I couldn''t believe what Dane had just told me. "No," Dane mutters. "I wish I was."Content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Let me make sure I have this right. us has found his mate, and they are now in White Cliffs with Brax. Thalia has some sort of weird hold over everyone there. Brax has found Ss''s true mate, and now you are also telling me that Amelia is somehow alive?" His crimson eyes don''t leave mine as he nods. I know he is trying to figure out what was happening in my head. ''And the news just keepsing.'' Nyx tuts. "How bad is it?" I ask Dane ¡°From what I gather, pretty fucking bad. They are currently trapped inside a castle. us is dropping me bits of information when he can.¡± "And they are hundreds of miles away with no help," I whisper so I don''t wake the girls "I''m not happy about it either." "What about Serkan? We haven''t seen or heard anything since that night at the gas station. Any mention of him. Is he back in White Cliffs?" "No. He could possibly be in hiding while he tries to figure out his next move or while he waits to hear from Thalia. As expected, Serkan and Thalia are working together." "Well, that''s hardly a surprise." I groan "And he may not actually be your grandfather." ''What?'' Nyx echoes my thoughts "Serkan is my grandfather. It''s in the family tree. Both in the one us made for me and the one I took from Moonshine.¡± "It''s not him. Well, that''s what us thinks." He watches me as the words sink in. "Another imposter?" "It would exin why you are unable to link him." He frowns "Whether he is family or not, he is a Lycan. There should still be some sort of connection. I should be able to contact him." "Not necessarily. Cooper found a way to trick you, to trick all of us. There is a good chance Thalia has helped whoever this guy is and he is just ying a part in her n." I sit on the edge of the bed, cradling Wi. "But Ss could link him.¡± "We don''t know that for sure. Thalia has already convinced him that he lived another life. That she was his mate. That they had children together. She may have convinced him that Serkan was talking to him when it was really her." "How powerful is she?" "Pretty fucking powerful by the sounds of it." ''I don''t believe that.'' Nyx mutters. ''We are thest female Alpha. Thalia can shove her powers up her ass.'' ''I could try linking the Lycans there. See if it wakes them up from whatever spell is being held over them. Ss said they heard us before. Maybe they will hear me again. Even if it''s just for a moment.'' I look up at Dane, "You should tell Ss about...." I didn''t even know her name. "Indy." Dane continues to watch me "And I will tell Samara about Amelia. It''s only fair ites from me." "I don''t think that''s wise." "To tell Ss or Samara?" "Neither of them. Samara believes her mother is dead. Giving her hope when Amelia might not even make it out alive will be another blow. Ss has had more than enough news.in thest twenty-four hours. He is processing something unexinable. He is definitely not in the right head space for this." I could read between the lines. I knew that he was trying to tell me that it was going to be unlikely that any of them would make it out of White Cliffs alive, so it was better not to tell the others the truth. Moving to the girls'' cribs, I lower Wi into her bed. Her eyes drift open just enough for me to see her crimson eyes, but they close again before she can properly wake up. It was ourst night in Mallory and Eric''s home before we officially moved back into the packhouse. But I couldn''t keep packing our things knowing what Dane had told me. I had to find a way to help. Dane''s hands settle on my shoulders, his lips close to my ear. "They are not stupid. They will fight until they draw theirst breaths. They will take down as many enemies as they can." Chapter 0589 Chapter 0589 ?I spin around to scowl at him, "I don''t know if it''s because you are sleep-deprived or what, but are you really giving up on them? us is a good friend! And what about the others? Brax has done so much for us." He frowns and lets out a sigh. "You don''t see a way for them to get out of this, do you?" Dane ces a finger under my chin, tipping my face up to his. "From what I have been told, no." He sighs, "I can''t see what''s going on in White Cliffs. I only know what I am being told. us is telling me that things are not looking good." I step back away from him, surprised. It wasn''t like him to give up so easily, which means he really didn''t see any way for them to get out of this. My stomach ties itself up in knots. I shake my head at him, opening and closing my mouth while trying to find the right words, but nothinges out. Thalia had everyone exactly where she wanted them. Split apart from the pack, miles away from one another. Was that always the n? Had we done everything that she wanted without even seeing it? "Can you stay with the girls?" I mutter "Neah," "Please? I just...I need a moment. I need to process." I wanted to speak to Samara. "Neah," There is a hint of a warning in his tone "I won''t go far," I tell him. "I promise." He nods and steps out of my way. Creeping down the stairs, I step out into the early morning sun, quietly closing the door behind me. Wolves and Lycans are already out and about, as many of them prefer to train early, including Damien. "Rough night?" He raises a brow at me as he makes his way across the training ground away from the others. "Do you know?" He dips his chin, "I was with Dane when he got the first couple of links from us. You were asleep. He didn''t want to wake you." "Do you agree?" "I think he is stuck between a rock and a hard ce." "Taking quotes from Brax?" I muse He gives me a smile "I refuse to ept that I can''t help them, Damien. There has to be something." It was a risk, but I think the only person who could help me was Samara, more specifically, her Lycan, Dakota. "You are the Alpha." "Is Dorothy at yours?" He narrows his eyes, "No, sleepover with a couple of other kids. Why?" "Ss?" He points to the training hall. "In there." He raises a brow at me. "What are you up to?" "Samara home?" "She''s probably already on her third cup of coffee." He smirks. I start to naway. " We said wouldn''t tell her." "I know." "Should I be concerned? You''ve just had twins." "I''m okay." "In that case, as Beta, I think I wille with you." "Okay," I mutter as I carry on walking. From the corner of my eye, I can feel him watching me. He had probably already told Dane that he was with me. "Has Samara done something that I should know about? Has ir been running her mouth again?" "No." I stop and turn to face him. "You can link everyone in the pack, right?" "You know I can." "But only when you epted the Beta role?" "Yes." "You can order people just like we can?" I confirm. ¡°To an extent. Fear works well. What are you up to, Neah?" "I have a hunch." He opens the door to his house. Samara lowers her mug, and her grey eyes find mine. "Is everything okay, Neah?¡± Her eyes shift to Damien then she slowly brings the mug to her mouth. ¡°Neah, are you sure everything is alright? I can call Dane." Damien asks again "I''m fine." ''She''s the chosen Beta.'' Nyx mutters. ''I know.'' ''You think she can help us?'' Nyx asksExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. ''There is only one way to find out.'' Chapter 0590 ?Chapter 0590 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 him a big 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 entire 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.*N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "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. 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." Chapter 0591 ?Chapter 0591 "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." She sighs heavily. *You tried and tried with me. Refusing to ept that I would hate you forever after what you did to me, and now look 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 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.Content ? N?velDrama.Org. *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 are 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 0592 ?Chapter 0592 Hey everyone I''m really sorry to have to do this but I am temporarily pausing here. Hopefully not for long. Maybe a week while I sort things out. (Today''s date; 6th October) I am dealing with some major piracy issues. This, unfortunately, is taking up most of my time while I try to get thesepanies to remove my work. The only sites/apps that my book is on with my permission is Goodnovel and their sister apps, Meganovel and Buenovel. I know many of you are keen for the next chapters and I hope that you all understand how important it is for me to sort this out and put a stop to these people stealing my work. Updates regarding this will also be shared to my socials so please feel free to follow. Just search my name.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. As always, thank you Taylor West Chapter 0593 Hey everyone, I know many of you are waiting for the chapters and it''s taking a little longer than expected. I am probably more annoyed with this than you are. Please try to be as patient as you can. There is moreing. The book is not abandoned, but it also will not be continued here from thest chapter as these pirate sites are refusing to take it down. My editor person and I have agreed that the only way tobat this is by making the continuation a part 2 in a different book.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. This will take a few days to set up. (Today''s date 16th October) as soon as it is ready to go. I will drop ament here. Chapter 0594 Goodnovel/Meganovel/Buenov onlyContent ? N?velDrama.Org. Hey everyone, book 2 is finally here. Name is in thements so please only like and do not add morements as it will be knocked out of sight. There are only a handful of chapters at present as we are keeping an eye on things. Enjoy x Chapter 0595 .Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. 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."N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. "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. 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." P2- 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." 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.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. 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." P2- 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?" "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. en FindNovelThis text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. "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. P2- Chapter 0004 us shakes his head at me as a warning not to push further. I look out at the viscious sea, "She jumped?" 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.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. "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. en FindNovel "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 here 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!" P2- 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."Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. 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 the 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. en FindNovel "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." "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?" P2- 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 copyrighted ? 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. P2- Chapter 0007 DamienText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "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." "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." P2- 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?" "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."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "My my of mutter, adjusting tell stand. "Are you who the assholes you talking about are "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 bepletely hat-is ochet broken, 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?" "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 bet you are far from ready. Now, if you will excuse me, Dottie''s teacher is linking me." P2- 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?" 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?"N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "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. P2- 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.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. 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." 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." P2- Chapter 0011 BraxN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. 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. "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, turning 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 Cooperaron et 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." P2- 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.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. 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. "This is Orion. He is unable to speak. Thalia Leun out his tongue." us tinues, ignoring Brax. "An ''The half Witch.'' Nyx whispers. who "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. look," scary how alike they continues to stare. "I sis 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 approachimet 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." P2- 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?" 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.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "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.'' P2- 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. 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.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "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. Slike 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 you I a are 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." P2- 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?" "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?" This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. "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." r "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." P2- Chapter 0016 "Hunters." He sighs, "A Hunter''s soul doesn''t break." "How is that even possible?" "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."This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org. "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.¡± BUMS Chapter 609 ?Chapter 0609 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. 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."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "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 610 ? Chapter 0610 "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."Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. "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? 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." "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." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 611 ? Chapter 611 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..." "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."This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. 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 612 ? Chapter 612 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." 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.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. 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 continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 0613 ? Chapter 0613 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. 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.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org. 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 0614 ? Chapter 0614 "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.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ''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?'' ''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 0615 ? Chapter 0615 "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. "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!"Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. "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?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 616 ? Chapter 616 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."This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. 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." 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 617 ? Chapter 617 "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 murmurs 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!"This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org. "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." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!