Derek:“Damn it,” I cursed as the Benjamin finished stamping in the dirt to flatten the ground. “I hate doing this.”“What part of it do you hate?” He grunted, looking exhausted. “Finding the spies or having to take care of them afterward?”I didn’t respond; every part of this was a hated thing.I hated having grown used to the idea of looking over my back for anyone that would be watching. I hated that Gerard was like a problem that had no end. Like the head of a hydra, cutting down one of his spies only led to two more taking their place.We made our way out of the forest and back towards the main compound after a few more minutes, covering our tracks on the forest floor and making sure no scent of blood was on our body.“I’m sure that Gerard would soon start suspecting something, if he doesn’t already, that is,” I spoke up as we made our way back.Benjamin hummed, combing his fingers through his hair.“It may get harder to hide Alisha as time goes on,” he finally said. “But for now

Alisha:Ares and Aria were playing on the carpet under mine and Melissa’s watch.“So, I really am sorry for everything I said. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I finished. I felt bad truly; I never wanted her to get hurt because of my anger. I had lashed out and it wasn’t right.As I tendered the apology to her, she was silent. And when she finally spoke her words were full of relief.She finally spoke, “I’m glad you’re not so upset with me. I didn’t mean to dredge up the past like that. I suppose…” she clasped her hands together, wringing them. “I just didn’t want you both to be unhappy. I know it’s a selfish thing but… I know now that it’s best to stand aside. I don’t want to cause any more problems between the two of you.”As she finished, I noticed Ares stand and walk up to Melissa with a toy in his hand. I smiled as he handed her the toy. It was clear by the way that Melissa’s face lit up that she was pleasantly surprised.“For you,” he said in his soft, adorable voices and then ran

Melissa looked absolutely weary as she took my hand in hers. Her warmth seeped into mine and I don’t know why but it made me relax a lot more.“You see,” she sighed. “Simon… he was always there for me. He was Pack Doctor even when… the former Alpha, was still alive. He saw how I was treated by them. He was the one who healed my wounds, who would be called on in the middle of the night when Marcus got a little too heated. He was sworn into secrecy. But he never liked it. He always encouraged me to stand up for myself even then. and because of that, Gerard always considered him… well…”I was beginning to understand even more now. Simon was seen as against Gerard for a long time since he never liked the way that the previous Alpha treated Melissa.I wondered briefly if that might have carried over into the reasons Simon protected me even more when he took me in. But I brushed those thoughts aside, and instead focused on Melissa’s words. She had begun to speak again.“He would always find

DerekThere was a look that her face had when I said that, and she didn’t look pleased.“You can feed them like this, right?“ I asked her, feeling a tad awkward. How did one handle having his mate coldly looking at him like this?Finally she let out a grunt and reached for a small stool, placing it before me and sitting on it.She began to feed the twins, barely looking at me.However I didn’t mind at all. Just being there, having her warmth close to me, and holding my children as she fed them. It was the closest to a perfect day I ever had.I would make sure I had more perfect todays like this in times to come.When she was done, she reached for a small cup filled with water and handed it to me.“Let them have it,” Alisha instructed, glaring as I reached to take the water from her. Our fingers brushed and she immediately snatched her hand away.After Ares and Aria drank their water, i noticed they had begun to yawn. Their weights became heavier as they rested their bodies on mine. I a

Sebastian:I entered the meeting hall to hear the sound hushed whispers around me.A smirk pulled my lips into a wide grin, and my green eyes took in everyone’s frantic gazes. They hadn’t noticed me yet.“Elders,” I raised my voice and they immediately fell silent, all of their eyes turning to me in an instant.The atmosphere was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.I chuckled under my breath; something about seeing them like this - so worked up and tense - was amusing that I might lose my head.“Alpha Sebastian,” I heard one of the Elders - the one that always deemed himself to be the spokesperson for the group - say as I sat down on my chair. It was more like a throne, with intricate carvings and gold filigree all over.I had enjoyed having the craftsmen make this piece - a symbol of my power.“Well well,” I kept my grin on my face though my eyes were piercing. “What was it that you called me for? You interrupted my sleep, so you know that? Let’s say I’m a little fucking cranky right