Helen POV We ran through the village in the dead of night. The moon was a fingernail of a sliver, thrown into the stars above without a care of our actions. I had to cover my lingering heat in the heavy perfumes littered in the bathroom closet, my scent terrible now and even more of a headache for Justin, his powers more acutely tuned than most and overwhelmed by the smells stuck to his mate’s body. He held my hand and pressed me close to his body all the same, dodging through the estate until we could rush back to the court. “In here,” he rattled, opening a back room full of file boxes and mounds of manila envelopes sealed as evidence to crimes that happened ages ago. He shut the door behind me, pointing to a desk on the far wall. “That box there.” It read in clear, bold font, Lycan Mate Case. I turned my nose up at the causal way they seemed to label my status. I was his mate, sure, but I had a name and my fur was finally acceptable in their minds. Yet still, the only way
Helen POV None of it was in the effort for truth. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came from it. Part of me felt small under the Alpha King’s gaze. He wasn’t caring on if I had murdered Donna or not. He had to make me a villain, just as he had built up Justin’s reputation of being The Devil. “You don’t actually care,” I snarled, my voice in a whisper but he could hear it all the same. “You just want to make me the villain, blame me for Justin’s anger. It has nothing to do with Donna.” The Alpha King shrugs, unbothered. Justin mimics that mood as well, his eyes drifting around the file on the desk, his frustration withered away with the nonchalant air he carriers. He is used to this, he even warned me of it, but that doesn’t mean I have to accept it. “I am not a killer,” I growl, my body taut. “It’s not my fault Donna died and we came here to show you proof about that. You obviously don’t care.” I rip the file from Justin and throw it across the desk. Juden lets the fi
Helen POV “Helen,” he panted, pulling to center my hips onto his lap. I could only be manipulated, too weak to move and far too chained up to associate my body against his. He had it handled, though. He yanked me forward onto his hips and grinded our bodies against each other. Panting, kissing, moaning—he wanted all of it. He wanted it now. I tipped my head back as he tore my clothes off, uncaring of them anymore. I have so little outfit choices that the maids have brough into this room and I’m running out quicker when Justin does this. He doesn’t care. He needs me now and I’m not going to stop him from that smoldering necessity. I felt the wetness swell, his fingers taunting my sex and pressing into it, against it, watching my face as I reacted to each movement. He was taunting me, building my pleasure up to the maximum cliff but back down slowly before I could fully jump in. Justin was pleasing me. That, in turn, gave him a pleasure I couldn’t reciprocate. But I wante
Helen POV The library is disheveled in the estate. We managed to sneak down various halls while the guards are busy at the medical office where Juden is still healing from the attack he raged on his son. It must have been an ugly fight, too; Justin is convinced when his dad reawakes, he will be set into chains, maybe even whipped, as to tame the Lycan inside. He was worried about the marks on my back but after some panting kisses and few lingering touches, the marks closed on their own. I was powerful, more powerful than I ever felt as a Tiger Lily, but more powerful than a Snow White. My coat was everchanging and Justin knew it was turning me into something stronger, but I don’t know if he realized how strong I had become. His wounds hurt in the moment, but the pain didn’t last. My fear would be palpable by now, loitering through the library, but I feel invigorated. I feel relentless. “What happened in here?” I took lengthy steps over the piles of books in the library, the
Helen POV Justin checked over his shoulder more times than I could count, waiting for my parents to follow and start more trouble. I knew how they felt by now; they didn’t care to fight me after Justin’s outburst. I wasn’t worth the trouble of war. We aimed for the hallway where he said his mother used to reside. Justin pulled my back into a spare closet, throwing us inside and shutting the door before a set of footsteps crossed past us. I held onto my mate, still overwhelmed by my parent’s words earlier. “Stop it,” Justin groaned, brushing my face with his fingertips. “Stop letting it consume you. They don’t deserve the right to break you, Helen.” I stared up at my second mate, feeling the warm cries on my cheeks trickle downward. “It’s not fair.” “What’s not fair, my mate?” “If Diana had beaten me in the games, if she had ripped my throat out, they would be proud of her. They would congratulate her and be glad that we had our victory.” I dropped my head, feeling the wor
Helen POV My heart shot up into my throat at the sight of my first mate. His eyes were hollowed in bruises, his lips clashed in a cut and he was favoring his left leg, limping on the other as he shut the door behind him and locked it accordingly. Only now do I notice the claw scratches on the inside of the door. Something tells me this room was built for fortitude, not for an easy break in. “What are you doing here?” I swallowed. Scott looked down at me in his battered state. I could have only hoped Justin killed him before in the courtyard. Now I’m not so sure this snake will die unless it’s head is cut off. I wince at such a morbid thought. “You’re mate has caused a lot of damage to this pack, to other packs, and I think it’s time he sees that just because he is a Lycan Devil, doesn’t mean he is invincible,” Scott sneered. “What are you planning to do, Scott? You will not hurt my mate!” “No, I’m not,” he growled. “At least, not directly. It’s clear that whatever stren
Justin POV I couldn’t ignore her pain. She cried in the shower every night, ushering me out as to not hear her wailing. I knew it was bad, but I couldn’t determine how bad it would get. We’ve been at Lone Wolf Estate for so long, I thought even through the lousy murder charges, we were somewhat safe here. Seeing that collar around her neck changed everything. They’re planning something, my father and Scott, and every time I try to dip into her thoughts, she shuts down. It’s an uphill feat, battling to open up a broken trinket. “Helen,” I breathed, peering into the bathroom to see her curled up in the tub. She sniffled a reply I couldn’t make out and cowered with her back toward me. “Helen, please. Let me look at that thing and I can get it off of you, I know—” “No,” she said, firm with a hint of tire in her tone. “You can’t. It will unleash wolfsbane, Justin. They set me up.” “Is that why you’re so upset? My father wouldn’t have you killed. I know he wouldn’t. Not after e
Helen POV Thankfully Alpha King Juden is a celebrity in the mortal world. His name got us around where our money lacked. We didn’t have much to pack, Justin finding a few coins and bills around the estate and throwing them in the bag before we fled, but it wasn’t nearly enough. His father’s name, however, was fucking plenty. “The gold room penthouse,” the receptionist said, her eyes beaming. “Please, follow the red line past the elevators, to the golden set behind the casino, and then ride it all the way to the top floor.” I swallowed with those words. Top floor? Penthouse? It seems impossible and yet, I opened my eyes to the suite at last, Justin nudging me to move forward. I held in an inhale, looking thoroughly over the large view of this endless city. Justin set down the bags and collapsed on the couch, burying his face into the cushions before snoring a few minutes later. He had driven the entire way out here on our stolen shuttle, looking over his shoulder every minute,