ALAIA I stared at Zira’s stunned expression, waiting for her to answer my question. The fact that she was taking a long time to answer didn’t help my anger. I knew she loved him but wanted to hear her say it. Isaiah was caressing my shoulders, and I felt him tense up when I asked her. I may be directing the question to the wrong person. “Umm…” Zira looked back at Isaiah, and I moved to block her sight. She didn’t need him to answer this question. “A simple yes or no would suffice,” I said impatiently after a few moments went by. Zira’s expression quickly changed, and now I could tell she was getting annoyed. Like I could give two fucks. She’s the reason we’re in this predicament in the first place. She stood up a bit taller this time around and squared her shoulders. “Yes, I do,” Zira answered, and I could feel Elaine pushing to the surface from hearing someone was in love with her mate. “But not in that way. Like I said, we’re friends. So, we’ve been there for each other.”
ZIRA The power in this room was palpable. I was nearly choking on it. Even more than the choker I was wearing. I instantly regretted my decision to keep wearing it. Why the hell was I wearing it anyway? Even though my head was down, I could feel Alaia’s eyes burning into me like lava. If looks could kill, I would be dead twice over. I didn’t dare meet her gaze. She probably would have taken it as me being defiant, trying to show her up. It was the last thing I wanted. I really just want to leave this room and never come back. Besides, I needed to pee or possibly throw up or eat something. Yes, food. I groaned inwardly. How could I be thinking of food right now? We’re having a serious conversation. Pay attention, Zira. I glanced up quickly, and she still stared at me while Isaiah kissed her neck. The idea of throwing up returned stronger than ever, but I suppressed it. I really wished she could look somewhere else. Even though my eyes were cast down, she still made me feel
ZIRA violent content ahead I woke up in a dark room. Was it still nighttime? I looked around and saw nothing but darkness. I got up from the bed and started walking further into the darkness. There was nothing in sight. I started to panic, looking around for any signs of life. “Why do I always find you lost somewhere?” A figure materialized out of the darkness, and I saw it was Isaiah. Light was shining off his body as he walked towards me. I was so happy to not be alone that I immediately ran to him and gave him a huge hug. It felt great to be able to hold him again. “I thought I was alone,” I said into his shirt as he rubbed my back. “You’re never alone. I will always be there for you, Zira.” My heart swelled when he said my name. It was a melody to my ears. Then I heard laughter behind me, and another figure walked out of the darkness. It was Alaia. No light was coming from her, so I could barely see her. “Here you are again taking something that’s not yours, Zira!”
ALAIA I lay on my mate, trying to catch my breath after another round of lovemaking. This has been constant for the past month and a half. He had just returned from a run with his pack, smelling the pine needles and the morning air. Apparently, that’s all it took to get Elaine up and ready. I was surprised he hadn’t said anything about me giving control to Elaine whenever we had sex. I knew full well he wouldn’t like my answer. Don’t get me wrong, I can feel everything Elaine feels, and it was my body, but something in me was holding me back. Back for what? I wasn’t sure. I just knew intimately touching him was too much for me. I felt like I was cheating someone. Or maybe I’m still not fully ready to accept that this was my life and I have someone who was bound to me. In my mind, I just hoped it would be James. When Maria died, I knew I would be his second-chance mate. I was ready to step up and help him through the most painful part of his life, but he pushed me away further.
ALAIA I took the grimoire from my office and returned to the bar. The music was pure metal, and the clientele was rougher than before, with girls dancing on every platform and the workers looking out of their minds. A part of me was disgusted by the change, but right now, I didn’t have time to care. Instead, I had to find a way to read this book. I made my way through the crowd to the basement. A scream fell from Mirja’s mouth when I walked through the door. Nas had her chained to the wall. There were little cuts on her from head to toe. Some were new, while others looked more like scars. She was a half-werewolf like me, so she didn’t heal as fast as a regular werewolf, especially if Silver or Wolfsbane was involved. Is Nas using both? The silver chains around her wrists and feet didn’t cause physical damage but could still weaken her. “Anything yet?” I asked, plopping down in her chair. “Tough cookie, this one, but I can open her up. In one way or another,” Nas grinned. He was h
OMEGA MARY Right when things calm down, the Alpha has not one but two pregnant women. I examined the positive pregnancy test on the Alpha’s and Luna’s bathroom sink. I quickly threw it away, wishing I had never seen it. I’m not sure who I feel sorry for more. Zira was obviously in love with someone else’s mate; she tried to get away, and now she’s trapped with having his baby. Luna Alaia, the new girl who just got married to a guy who impregnated another girl, so she hurried to get pregnant to compete. Who don’t I feel sorry for? Isaiah. He deserves a bit of drama, and I hope he gets hell for all this. He shouldn’t be having unprotected sex with people who aren’t your chosen mate because, ultimately, the women get to bear the hard part of it. The only good thing about this is the excellent writing material I could use for my book. I have to think of a good name. The Messy Trio? No. Bermuda Baby Triangle? Ha! That’s crazy. Being surrounded by drama tends to freak me out. Too many
ISABELLA I stared at my best friend as if she had three heads. I couldn't believe what she just told me. Everything in my body told me to fight against what she wanted. "Zi, I don't know about this," I said, shaking my head. "This could get you into some serious trouble. Hell, it can get me into trouble just hearing you say it. I can't believe you can just say it like it's no big deal." Zira sighed. "I know it's serious, Isa, but I've thought about this a lot. Isaiah has Alaia, his mate. She can give him as many babies as he wants. On the other hand, I may not have that chance if I go through with this. I had plans, Isa. Plans that didn't include a baby." I shook my head some more, trying to really listen to what she was saying. I knew the odds of her surviving were slim, but this was extreme. Abortions weren't a thing in the werewolf community. She-wolves were more desperate to have babies and even more desperate to bring them to term. So, hearing Zira talk about getting rid o
ALAIA News about my pregnancy spread like wildfire, overshadowing the fact that Zira was also pregnant. Isaiah was excited, but I could tell he was nervous. It made sense. Becoming a father of not one but two babies by two different women only a few months apart can be taxing. When he told Isabella, her reaction was subpar, but Zira’s reaction was puzzling. She looked as if she wanted to cry. Not from sadness but excitement. I thought she would at least be nervous about the competition, but maybe she didn’t see it that way. I was wondering what was going on, but I will find out. The following week, Isaiah left to attend business with my brother, giving me time to figure out what to do with this grimoire. Things were looking bright for me. Now, if only there was a way to see the contents of the grimoire, and I could get rid of Zira for good. That’s all I wanted, and I could be happy. Well, as happy as I could be without James. My moment of solitude was interrupted by a knock on