* * * Alpha Charles’s POV * * *That stupid Omega just had to come out of the kitchen and have her bruised jaw and head wound seen by the others. What was she trying to achieve? I’d forbidden her to come out, she could have made an excuse. But no. She had dared to defy my orders. I’d noticed the looks on their faces. She deserves her punishment. It feels good to punish her, it’s been far too long since I’ve shown I mean business. Maybe the others will now listen. That man and his wolf have come out of nowhere. I didn’t even see or hear him enter the kitchen. The first I know of his presence is his wolf’s teeth tearing into my shoulder and throwing me across the kitchen. It hurts like a bitch. It’s been some time since I’ve fought and even longer since I’ve been injured. Who is he to interfere with how I run my pack and how I punish insubordination? “Who the fuck are you to challenge me? You will regret this boy,” I tell him as I prepare to add another to my kill list.He’s edging t
* * * Eve’s POV * * * The last thing that I remember is Alpha Charles beating me. He’d viciously and repeatedly kicked and punched me. I haven’t received a beating like that in years. I’d required Hospital treatment that last time. There’d been a fight, between who I can’t say. There were crashing and banging sounds and the angry snarls of wolves. Something had squashed me and then, my vision had started blurring and I’d felt ridiculously hot, and then I’d blacked out. The blackness had welcomed me, it beckoned me closer and embraced me. It provides me with a way out of the pain I’ve been feeling. I accept its embrace and I float weightlessly in its darkness. A place I don’t feel pain. A place I am safe. The black abyss is still present but fading. I’m on the edge, between the abyss of nothingness and reality, but I’m partially aware of my surroundings. I’m laid on something lumpy. Something lumpy with soft sheets. My body feels battered, tender and bruised. I try to open my eyes,
* * * Max’s POV * * *The Nurse witch-wolf has mind-linked her husband, Walter, she says he’s called. She says she’s told him to gather all the visiting Alphas and councilmen in the meeting room at once. While Doctor Andrews has stabilised Damian and transferred him to a Hospital bed, I’ve called my pack to request a small team of my strongest warriors to attend the Mountain View pack urgently and without delay. They will be here within the next hour. I told to use their wolf form once they reach the national park. Travelling in wolf form over rough terrain is much quicker than travelling by car. I’ll deal with the damage limitation of possible sightings by humans at a later date. For now, my mate is my priority. Nate and I are crazy for this girl we have never met. Walking to the meeting room, in silence, beside Dorothy, my mind wanders. It’s as though my soul has stopped the search it’s been on for a time that feels like forever. As though it no longer sees nor seeks a path, yet
* * * Eve’s POV * * * I come to with a thudding headache; I clench my eyes shut against the dull pain. My whole body is throbbing, and it stings something rotten, my wounds are slowly healing. I bite out a curse and try to move my left hand to inspect the damage - except my hand doesn’t move. I then try to move my right hand. Again it doesn’t move. Panic wells up inside of me, something is restraining my arms. My legs are also immobilised, which I realise when I try to move them. Why am I restrained? Restrained on a bed. Oh merciful Moon Goddess, please don’t let them abuse me, I silently pray.Everything is black. I can’t see, but my eyes feel physically fine. I wiggle my eyebrows and feel fabric rub against my face. I must be blindfolded, I think. The violent hum of electricity streaking through the air assaults my battered head, calling forth a grimace of agony. A steady dripping sound of liquid echoes all around me. When I try to focus on the sound, it seems to be coming from a
* * * Max’s POV * * * We’ve been searching, digging and following the damn concrete tunnel for bloody hours. Despite the valiant efforts of every single wolf here helping. Each wolf is determined to find my mate. The wolves in my pack, maintaining their focus and determination to save their Luna. Whoever had made the tunnel had known what they were doing. They had planned for the event that somebody could track it from above. It’s bought him a head start of multiple hours. A head start that could change the outcome of this hunt. It’s snaked around in direction multiple times, but it does have a general direction. That direction is away from the pack-land. Pity that we didn’t figure it out sooner, it would have saved us hours. Valuable hours that could have been spent saving my mate, valuable hours that I could have spent looking at my mate for the first time. But we’re now approaching the outskirts of the pack-land. The tunnel forms a T shape just outside of the Mountain View pack-
* * * Eve’s POV * * * I’m riding in the back seat of my body. I watch as Cora prepares a syringe of wolfsbane and then as she looks down with my eyes. Watching our claws elongate into deadly weapons. She walks us to hide behind the door. She uses my body to adopt a predatory stance, a hunter prepared to attack. The rhythmic sound of metal mechanisms unlocking has Cora crouching, the ding of the door handle turning has her leaning forwards, preparing to pounce. Slowly the door edges open a crack, its hinges creaking. She raises our left hand high, with our elongated claws poised for tearing flesh, and our right hand holds the syringe of wolfsbane. The door opens further, and the outline of a slight person enters the room, not bothering to look around and take stock of their surroundings. They turn and slowly and gently shut and lock the door. ‘That’s mistake number one. Always be aware of your surroundings’, Cora tells me, commenting internally. The person’s silhouette is walking i
* * * Eve’s POV * * * We’re floating in the blackness. Only this time it’s different. I’m floating in my human form and in front of me is the most magnificent creature I’ve ever laid eyes upon. The creature's fur is a deep grey, almost charcoal. Its eyes are a brilliant sapphire blue, and it’s on fire. Small flickering blue flames cover its entire body. “Cora?” I question, quietly and in awe. “Yes Eve. This is me within my true form. Within our true form.” She tells me.“You are truly beautiful. You are majestic. I’m honoured,” I say.“The honour is all mine, my friend. It’s a pleasure to finally look upon you with my own eyes.” She speaks truthfully. “Why are we here? Are we dead? Can we go back?” I ask her.“No, we’re not dead Eve. In time we can go back, but first we must heal. It’s the price we must pay when we exert so much power. One can only use so much power freely, anything more and it costs us. Using the maximum amount can kill us. We are lucky. Our bodies and minds mus
* * * Max’s POV * * * ‘Come on buddy, we can do this. We will find her; we will save her and we will cherish her. I need you. I can’t do this alone’, I say gently to Nate.‘You’re never alone. I’ll always be here for you. But don’t stop me when we find him’, he tells me. I feel him come forwards as he forces the shift.With his nose to the ground, Nate hunts his mate’s scent. Trying to ignore the smell of sex. He’s confused as there is another scent in the mix, stronger around the smell of sex. He follows his mate’s scent away from the sex and circles a bush once, twice, three times and a fourth slow circle. Raising his long snout into the air, he finds her scent. He has her. He tears up a tree from the ground, claws at another and then howls to the emerging moon. His howl tells the group he has found the trail. He howls again, hoping that somewhere in the distance his mate will hear him and know he is working to make her safe. His final howl calls his pack into action. He turns whe