Ryder I was having a play date with Alim in his room when I felt tension crash through my body. It was from my mind-link to my pack’s warriors. They were agitated. I could feel the tension rising and it made me uneasy. It was a warning sign. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. “/Dean/” I summoned the huge man, stationed outside Alim’s room, through the mind-link. “/Take Alim and Alexis down to the den and keep them there, till you hear from me. No one should leave the den till I say otherwise./” The bear of a man nodded his head in understanding. I knelt down and pulled my son close, my gaze resting on his face. “Alim, you've to be good and follow Dean and your mama downstairs,” I whispered. “You'll remain there till I come to get you. You've to be a man now and keep your mama safe, okay?” His head bobbed up and down like a lizard. “Can I rely on you to keep your mama safe?” I asked gently, holding him still. “Yes, papa.” “And you'll do whatever Dean te

Sarah I felt tired and weak. My eyes slowly opened as the sedatives in my system began to wear off. The cloud in my mind began to give way and recollection of where I was came flooding in. I was lying down. My back felt pressed to something cold. It felt like metal. I tried to lift my head, but I was strapped down and surrounded by machines. “Hey,” I called out weakly, trying to grab Drako’s attention. The beeping from the machine made it hard to hear myself. “The little princess has decided to join us,” he joked as he appeared beside me. “Just a little more time now, little Sarah. It will all be over soon.” “Please, don't do this,” I cried, my throat parched from thirst. I couldn't tell what time it was or how long I'd been out. He raised his hands in false surrender. “It is not my place to stop the work of the goddess. I'm only an instrument. You have to stop fighting it, little one, and accept that is meant to happen.” My sight blurred as I tried to focus on him. Cold

RyderI watched her chest rise and fall with a steady rhythm, curled up on the armchair, which had been moved from the corner of the room and placed closer to the bed.Weak sunlight filtered into the room through the closed curtains, dancing over her face. She had stayed up all night watching me and only drifted off to sleep an hour ago.Last night was a torture. My body revulsed as the venom left my body, depriving me of sleep. Sarah had held my hand all through, fighting the pain with me.My eyes softened as I gazed at her sleeping figure. She was beautiful. Despite the bags beneath her eyes and the faint purplish marks on her skin, she looked peaceful in her sleep.Seeing her in here brought back memories. I sighed deeply, wanting nothing more than to pull her into my arms and cradle her.I could stay like this forever. The door creaked open and a tiny head peeked through, followed by its little body racing towards me.“Shhh, bud,” I cautioned, trying not to wake Sarah up as Alim

SarahI sat at the head of the long, polished table in the council chamber—perks of being the only woman—surrounded by other members of the council. I had gotten familiar with the members. There was Alpha Orin to my right. Aleric, a pureblood, was to my left and the rest of the men distributed around.It's been two weeks since my near-death experience with Drako, yet I still had nightmares of my ordeal.This was my first official council meeting and the atmosphere in the room was tense. The men all wore grim faces as we deliberated on a problem that had arisen in the borders. A recent surge in violent deaths of werewolves across the borders has been causing havoc in the realm, and we were aware of who was responsible for these deaths—they had all died from the same poison that almost killed Ryder.Alpha Orin was the first to speak. "The deaths across the realm are increasing. And it's putting a strain on our resources trying to track Drako down. He is always a step ahead of us. We hav

RyderSomething wasn't right.My wolf broke off, sniffing the air. The air was filled with the scent of blood and smoke as he neared the Stormclaw pack. Sarah trailed behind me.I tried reaching Trevor through the mind link. It proved futile. Sarah’s wolf trodded to me, nuzzling my neck. She had sensed my agitation. I nudged her softly and resumed my journey. My wolf picking up its pace.The site of my city as I ran past it made my heart beat fast. Houses were razed down, furs littered everywhere and the stench of blood grew stronger.It didn't slow me down as I burst into my compound through the woods. I shifted, taking the steps two at a time, with only one destination in mind. I snagged Alim’s door open, my heart racing widely as my eyes scanned the room. He wasn't there. “Alim!” I screamed, pushing every door in a haste.People scurried past me, their faces grim, paying no attention to me as I walked the hallway, pushing every door open.I pushed the door to my room, and Trevor