Beta Darius's POV "How can I trust you?" My voice boomed with a false confidence I didn't feel. The cove was ghost-quiet except for the crunch of dried autumn leaves under my feet and the haunting screech of owls at the foot of the cove. The blinding darkness reached into my lungs and squeezed mercilessly, making breathing a Herculean task. Jittery nerves shot to my feet like a bolt of lightning and turned them to jelly. I hoped to the Moon Mother that these disgraceful nerves didn't burst to the surface and betray the brave expression I hoped looked convincing enough on my face. I let out a shaky breath, "Say something. I have come from a far distance," My heart was in my throat, threatening to leap out. A low, crisply accented voice sliced through my thoughts like the edge of a blade from behind me. "The Lycan Beta of Adivaine, Beta Darius. Am I correct?" My head snapped around so sharply in shock, a jolt of pain zapped through my neck. Where the fuck did she come out from

Luna Freya's head lay in the Lycan King, Alpha Zane's lap, as she slept. Delta Burke shot up to his feet as fourteen out of twenty of the earlier dispatched recruits floundered in on wobbly feet. Some of their counterparts that came out stronger were supporting those that couldn't hold themselves up. The Alpha Lycan king's gaze searched the disheveled mess of recruits for Logan. His real target. A glimmer of a smile touched his face upon seeing Logan. He looked less alive than a dead person. His brow quirked up at the young male holding him up. He recognized him as the lad his mate, Freya, had saved earlier the night before. "Now," everyone jumped - Delta Burke's voice even that early in the morning was louder than the cry of a female in labor - "our valiant recruits have returned." "But oh what a pitiful sight you lot make. What terrible thing did you encounter in that forest?" Luna Freya stirred awake from her position on the king's lap and sat upright as she yawned, confu

Freya's POVThe realization hit me like a ton of bricks. 'Oh my God,' I gasped, covering my mouth as I staggered backwards a bit.I sucked in a sharp breath and whispered, 'Oh Zane…"It all made much more sense now.For some reason, his eyes gleamed with amusement. "Freya?" He started to speak."No. No. Wait," I raised a finger to stop him. I needed to think.I paced about as I came at an utter loss while struggling to piece all the information together.My head felt full but my stomach, unfortunately, wasn't."So you're telling me that there's – ugh - I'm hungry. Isn't it time for breakfast yet?"My stomach rumbled at the sound of breakfast."Your highness?" A voice called out gently from the other side of the ornately carved double doors, unmistakably Odella's."Breakfast is ready, your highness. Shall I ask for it to be served at the table or shall you have it in your chambers?""We will have our breakfast in bed," I announced loud enough for her to hear me. Maybe a little too loud

Freya's POV"How does it feel?" I found it quite funny that I was actually curious.To see me.To be you right now.To be the one being beaten and bruised like a common slave.To see me seeing you like this.To be broken on the inside.To long for death desperately.I wasn't sure which strange mix of emotions mingled in my chest as I looked at the battered face of the man the Beta that the Moon Mother made the horrible mistake of giving me as a father.Satisfaction, tiredness, sadness, pity, fear?Maybe.Whatever it was, peace was definitely not a part of these feelings. I realized this with a frustration I didn't think I had the strength to feel. It was almost comical.But most of all, I felt a dull, pulsing rage spreading sharp shards of ice through my veins.Jaws clenched, I let my eyes roam the black, bare walls of this dungeon I didn't know till today that it existed.My feet itched to run away from here but I sat on the chair in front of him instead."Fancy seeing you here, Beta

Freya's POV"I'm not fucking perfect, Maria! Stop this madness this instant.""You are so dead, Jasper." A female snarled like a wounded beast.There was a cacophony of noises in the room. Plates clanged and crashed along with furniture while some baby's cry assaulted my ears from somewhere in the background.Little pups buzzed around like flies with paper kites in their hands.This place was nothing short of a madhouse."What the fuck is –" I ducked just in time as a broken chair leg soared through the air like a missile, inches from my face. I stared at it in wide-eyed shock as it whizzed past my head and crashed into the wall behind me."What the actual fuck is going on here?" I screamed uselessly into the air as my voice was drowned out by the ear splitting noise coming from…from everywhere."Freya--ahem. I mean, my queen!" The kindly old healer bowed her already bent back deeply upon seeing me."No no. Stand up. That's my first command to you as your queen. You'll hurt your waist