Nicholas’s POV The air crackled with energy that buzzed right through me. It wasn't my own, though. Mine simmered low, a slow burn fueled by nervous excitement and a simmering pride. No, the nervous energy radiating like heat waves originated from the room itself, a collective held their breath as the music swelled and the double doors at the far end of the aisle creaked open. There she was. Lily. No, Florence. Not quite. Today, she was a vision in white, a goddess emerging from the sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows. The years hadn't touched her, not a single cruel line etched onto that face that had haunted my dreams for so long. She is still that beautiful being in my eyes with her dark blonde hair and hazel eyes that were sparkling brightly at the moment. She was wearing a white gown and a white veil on her head while her hand was clasped on a bouquet made of Lily of the Valleys. I noticed a nervous tremor in the hand that gripped Percival's arm as his, a
Florence Another Swiftmane Pack member was killed by the intruders while I watched. As they ran and struggled for their lives, their horrifying screams reverberated in my ears. I felt the weight of the silver chains binding my wrists, ankles, and neck, rendering me immobile. My alpha and his luna had already perished during the attack. I didn't pity the pack, nor did I expect them to care about me. It was a transactional relationship—I had paid a substantial sum of money to their Alpha and Luna in exchange for their pack's acceptance of me. But because I didn't shift alongside them, they shunned me like an outcast. And I didn't care. Feeling safe was far more important to me than the insecurity of this pack. Let them assume I couldn't shift; they couldn't be further from the truth. However, addressing it was both pointless and advantageous for me. I had no desire to share my story or flaunt my wolf to these unworthy individuals. I remained in this pack because I hadn't found any o
I had spied on a lot of packs to know this a lot and had gone into their plans and works. In my work, I discovered one or two that were not involved in my mission. In my last mission, I was ordered to spy on the MADCREST PRIDE and apparently, that mission brought me to the list of most wanted persons in the werewolf community. And now I was meeting a real member of MADCREST PRIDE again, not just any member, but a real squad commander, probably because, according to the intel I learned during my mission, only squad leaders had their pack name tattooed on their bodies. It explains why my wolf had a hankering for blood from these men and was ready to come out. It becomes clearer as well how they do not smell differently when normal rogues have a bad odor radiating from their bodies. These dudes are a part of that deranged group. The one lingering question, though, was how Swiftmane Pack was involved in this group that made them attack the pack. Sara was harshly grabbed by the leader,
We fell silent once again. As our pack crumbled, the sounds coming from them grew fewer and softer. I turned to Sara and said, "I'm sorry about your pack." Sara shook her head, her voice filled with rage. "They deserved what was coming to them." I was taken aback by the intensity in her voice. "What do you mean?" "I don't know if this is true, but I heard Alpha Jason joined forces with a bunch of rogues. Some of our pack members have gone missing since then. I overheard him saying that sacrifices need to be made for a brighter future. I don't understand it, but it sounds off," Sara explained, biting her lower lip in thought. My anger flared at the revelation. Madcrest Pride was associated with Swiftmane Pack, led by Alpha Jason. "That f*cker," I hissed, the pieces fitting together. "He's a terrifying man," Sara chimed in. "There are people scarier than him, trust me. But at least that filthy wolf is dead now," I replied, my voice tight with determination. After two hours, Austin
I felt the space on my left bounce a little as I sat on the class-A couch, something I had first assumed the club could not afford given its location in the middle of the woods. It was my first time being here, but it wasn't my first time pretending to be a club employee. To complete the tasks assigned to me, I performed nearly all of the jobs that anyone could imagine at a bar. "Nervous?" a woman seated next to me asked with a charming accent. Her golden complexion, complementing her brown eyes, and her auburn curly hair that fell to her waist made her look stunning. She tapped her gold heels on the ground and said, "Yes," with all honesty. "It's normal because it's your first time setting foot here," the woman said, extending her hand. "I'm Lynne, by the way." "Florence," I said, taking her hand. Lynne grinned and said, "Such a wonderful name for a gorgeous face." I simply smiled, not trusting the words that came out of her mouth. I was aware of how I appeared and how, occasion
Later, we would be led along a corridor from behind the door until we arrived at the stage where we would be showing our bodies to be sold off to a beast and be a mistress for one month. And the money that would be placed on my head would be sent directly to Austin. He was one of the second on my list to kill, along with many others. But it's not like I would be under a man's control for a month. I would escape as soon as I got the chance. When I heard the door open once more to reveal Austin, I let out an exasperated breath and dragged my fingers through my hair. He brazenly swept his eyes over us while whistling, but we were too preoccupied with looking presentable to spare him a glance. Much he deserves. I knew he would visit. Heck, I even saw more of his men going in and out of this place yesterday and earlier. It was entirely plausible though because rogues felt safer in packs, especially in their cases where they were being hunted by a lot of werewolves right now. Austin's en
I shook my head and sighed, feeling my body tense up once again. The Alpha King was here. I knew what the man looked like because I had seen him in pictures. And he was just gorgeous beyond words. Honestly, I kind of wanted to meet him. I was certain that my photographs did, but only as a wanted person. But I was sure the picture the Alpha King received of me had an image that was far from my real face or from years ago probably. When I was still a spy, well, I still was, just on a break, the man I was working for named Keith Cadwell met me twice a year. That man only knew me as Makayla Ellis and not Florence Lancaster—my real name. Meanwhile, others called me Veilios, which means shadow, known as the conniving spy. My father hated my mother so much that he changed my name to Makayla Ellis because my real name sounded like hers. He even made it a rule for me to wear contact lenses whenever I would go see him because apparently, I got my hazel eyes from my mother. Since I started to
I patiently waited for the next woman to be presented, observing the crowd's reactions. To my surprise, none of the men placed any bids on the remaining women, and I could sense the announcer's growing worry as he scanned the crowd, searching for Madam Barbara. The women in line grew visibly impatient, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread building within me. The host's whimsical tone cut through the air as he motioned towards the blonde woman in front, Elaine, who smiled seductively at the gentlemen in the audience. But before he could continue, a bulky man sitting in the front row interrupted, demanding my presence. Here goes nothing. Fear shot through my veins as his finger pointed directly at me. It seemed my time had come. The host's face lit up with excitement as he faced me, beckoning me to step forward. His words fell on deaf ears as I fought the urge to punch him in the face. Taking a deep breath, I composed myself and walked confidently towards the front even tho