KANE
“Where the f*ck do I start? This place is a mess.”‘We aren’t in yet, Kane.’‘I’m not blind.’‘But your memory is. I can bet on a thousand bucks that you don’t remember this place.’‘Keep your mouth shut f*cker.’ But the f*cker was right. I have memory problems and only remember the things I have to. How was I meant to know I had to store this sh*thole in my memory? ‘Use your mouth for something useful and tell me how we get in here.’‘You climbed before, dummy. You might as well just break the front door.’I did just that and the interior was more disgusting but what did I expect?The night’s darkness didn’t help the lifeless shadows of Southpaw’s packhouse. It smelt of peeled paint and mud. The floor was wet and I thought it couldn’t get worse until I went straight into a f*cking cobweb.“F*ck!” I screamed, fighting the cobweb off me.‘Sheesh, it’s not taekwondo.’I better get sKATRINAKane’s grip on my waist intensified as he fixed his gaze on the thing. I could hear my own heartbeat and I was sure Kane could as well.We didn’t look away from whatever that was, afraid that if we did, it’d come after us. I had never seen eyes so vicious, so hungry and so thirsty all at the same time. They were big and round—looked like it hadn’t slept in days. Its pupils were so small that you could hardly tell they were there.It didn’t break contact and if I was the only one here, I would’ve thought I was hallucinating.‘Thank the goddess we aren’t the only one.’Seconds felt like hours and the thing opened its mouth, revealing deadly yellow teeth.“Katrina?” Kane whispered, still looking at that thing. I was too shaken to reply him. “On the count of three, we run. Ready?” he continued, in a more silent tone. “One…” My heart rate increased by every passing millisecond. “Two…”At two the beast came out in full form and I was definitely not waiting for a three before I ran t
HENRY“What is this place?”Hell was the word. When we entered the tunnel, the entrance resembled the mouth of an unearthly beast, with its teeth guarding the entrance like prison bars.The interior was moist and slippery. Even with my wolf senses, I couldn’t scent a thing and it made me lightheaded.We walked on as Lilith swayed her hips, moving on the slippery ground like it was as dry as a desert. The path ahead was dark and gloomy, and I saw no end to this tunnel.“You haven’t answered any of my questions.” “I will answer them, Hen, when you answer mine.”Not that bosh again. “Fine, ask me anything.”She stopped and looked at me as a wicked smile spread across her face. “I have a lot of questions for you, Hen. A lot of them.” Lilith moved on and I waited for her reply. “How did you meet Katrina?”That question had more to it than words. “In a club. She was a bartender.”She chuckled and I
KATRINA I was still figuring out what was happening as the two of them walked over to me. But everyone’s attention shifted when we heard cries of, ‘Mummy!’ coming from the other end of the hallway.They ran past Alpha Hades and the eldest council member, surrounding and cuddling my legs.“We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Dash exclaimed, shifting from me with a frown and folding his arms.“Where were you, mummy? Where were you?!” Hilda said, hugging me tighter.“No one wanted to tell us,” Aurora said calmly.“I’m sorry about that,” I said squeezing Aurora and Hilda’s faces as I created smiles on them while Dash continued to be stubborn. “But I’m here and that’s all that matters.”‘Drama queens, it was just eight hours ago.’‘Nice to hear your voice too, Mel.’The kids turned to the approaching two. They recognized Alpha Hades and greeted him while I tried to feel less stupid in the short hospital
CANNONI poured a whiskey down an oversized glass as my mind went to today’s discussion, most especially the new Agmarbhs that arose from only the goddess knows where. Being the one that read the letter, I absorbed the words more and couldn’t bring myself to calm down. But in my six years of reign as Alpha, I’ve never been terrified of a problem.I saw them as a reason to get stronger. Be it wars. Be it plagues. Be it natural disasters. But why was I now? ‘Katrina…’ Shadow muttered in resonance. They were after her. They wanted her and the thought made sweat form dark circles under my arms. ‘Katrina…’ he continued, hungry and longing for her presence.If they caught her… I wouldn’t let them. Never. So many things were attached to her and the goddess forbid something happens to her.Was that why I was bothered? Because Katrina was involved?“Your vodka’s on the floor, Can. Long gone on the floor.” I shifted back to life and dropped the vodka bottle on the table, hissing at the liquid
GINA“Doesn’t it baffle you? Don’t you wonder where that kiddo can be?” I asked, tidying our tent and dusting our sleeping bags.We had a real eating frenzy in here and I didn’t want insects crawling on me when I sleep because of one of Jason’s stupid ideas. I’m smarter than that but that slim hunk can make me do anything.The smile Jason had since the camping trip died and I knew I had done it again. Spoiling moods. “We’re meant to be enjoying this camping trip, G. You shouldn’t bring it up.”I fluffed my camping pillow. “I know but let’s be real. She just vanished along with her kids. There’s no trace of Henry and we hear that Carissa’s been murdered. Doesn’t that scare you?”I was terrified for her… and the kids. They could be in some real danger.“G, please! We’re out here on a break. Don’t bring that up!”I had annoyed him again. It’s all I can do when I’m around him. I can’t give him that smile and shine he would’v
KATRINA ‘They’ve done something, haven’t they?’‘I-I think they’re fine, Kat,’ Mel said—uncertain.“What did they do to them?!” I expected the worst of answers.“They’re fine, don’t be worried,” Cannon said but it wasn’t so reassuring.“I don’t think they are.”Kane wheezed. “We’re not that bad, Kat.”I flashed a frown. “You should be the last person saying that.”Ian smirked, receiving a dirty look from Kane. “F*cking true.”“And you think you’re better?”Elder Sesan hit his hand on the table, redirecting our attentiveness to him. Ian was pissed off at what I said and I was glad he was. The triplets all looked annoyed.“Katrina, you mustn’t judge unless you know what happened.”“There’s nothing to judge…” I glowered at them again. “Mother of the triplets, that’s enough. I’ll explain what happened.” I kept quiet and huffed.‘Sheesh, Kat, you’re really somet
KANE Took some hours of running and getting lost but I made it. I tipped the cabman and absorbed the surroundings. D*mn, New York is one busy city. Everything’s so f*cking rushed and crowded, and some streets were a real pain to the nose.We were in front of a white bungalow located in Long Island, and thankfully in the suburbs. The bungalow was moderate with trees surrounding the backside and a Land Rover parked in the half-opened garage.The lawn was cut and the roof was ash-brown. Apart from the green and white present, there were a few flowerbeds that added color to the scenery.A phone call was all I made to find the designer but finally, I was here.‘Are you sure this is the place?’ Ante asked.New York addresses are a bit confusing but I was certain. Yet, I expected a huge jewelry industry that I’d have to break a few bones to get into but this was good.I kept an eye out for security as I went to the door. The p
JASONI shuddered from the heat in my sleep, having sweet dreams of Gina on me, pounding her all night. Slowly, those dreams became nightmares of ferocious beasts tearing our flesh and ripping our hearts out.My eyes shot open as I realized that the heat was real. The dream didn’t end as planned but the nightmare’s ending scared the sh*t out of me.Even though my eyes were open, I couldn’t see and my back was against hard rods that restricted my movement. Droplets of sweat rolled down my face and the urge to pull off my clothes was agonizing.When I heard Gina’s groan, my vision returned and I had to lock my scream down in my throat when I saw our location. We were in a cage, a large cage that could fit elephants but with people arranged on the floor of it. We were so many inside that some had no place to sit and had to climb over people.The heat was out of this world and the floor was covered with sweat. The horrific part was that this wasn’t the only cage. There were more cages—hund