ELIJAHI face the angry mob with calm composure. Their shouts stopped the moment I made it clear with one sharp gaze that I won’t tolerate them raising their voices against their Alpha. The name ‘Cold-blooded Tyrant’ wasn’t given to me for nothing. I like to rule with an iron fist and make sure everyone obeys me, no matter what. That’s the only way I have learned to survive.But right at this moment, I can’t tolerate these pigs who once used to hurl insults at Rena. She created rules that would benefit everyone, yet they just wanted to berate her for being an orphan.My thoughts are interrupted when I notice their gazes shift behind me, distracted by someone else. I look over my shoulder and find Nixie standing in the portico, hiding herself behind Derek.“Die, you witch!” The voices of the parents rise again in the damp air as the reason for their children’s state stands before them.“She should be hanged!” “Banish her!” Nixie rushes to my side and grabs my arm, pleading, “Baby, pl
ELIJAHMy eyes fall on her clothing, and my brows shoot up. She’s wearing a purple dress with long sleeves. That’s Rena’s dress. Why didn’t I notice this before?"Why are you wearing Rena’s dress?" I ask, frustration bristling in my voice. "I told you that I want Rena to keep them," I add, a little more firmly than intended, and she flinches. They were my gifts to Rena when she was my wife, and I wanted her to keep them.My preference in females was for those who wore light, pastel colors. They looked feminine to me. But only Rena’s body could rock a dark or muted colored dress, and I was drawn to the way she carried them. So I bought her this dark purple dress that, at first glance, looked basic. But when it clung to her curves, she looked like a goddess.Nixie pouts again and says, “She did not take them, so I decided, why let them go to waste? That’s why I wore them,” she smiles, but then frowns subtly, “Though it's a little tight.”I close my eyes briefly to calm the tide of frust
ELIJAH“Do you want me to continue or you’ll speak?” I ask in a dangerously low voice as I sit on a chair inside the dark cell room. A man whose face is smeared with blood is chained to the gray stone wall. A week has passed, and I was reported of a bomb blast that took place outside the borders. The attack was directed towards the pack military camp who protect the borders, but because of our prior preparations, no one was harmed. One member of Irene’s squad caught hold of the man who was a part of the attacking group, and we took him hostage. The rest are in hiding, so I am currently beating the shit out of this man to get him to give me the hiding spot of the rest of the members. But the man does not open his mouth, and stays silent. My jaw tightens at his ridiculous resolve. I crack my knuckles to give him another round of beating before we can introduce him to third-degree torture when my phone vibrates in my pockets. An unknown number flashes on the caller ID. Who could it be
ELIJAHAn hour later, I am at the hospital where Nixie is admitted, waiting for the doctor. Dr. Smith walks out of the ward where Nixie is kept and approaches me with a serious face.“How is she?” I ask.“She’s conscious now. We found small amounts of poisonous Liomine herb in her blood. Usually, when ingested in such a small quantity, it does not harm the body of a shifter. But since Luna's body is recovering from the effects of wolfsbane, the herb’s effect was strong. If you had been an hour later, her situation would have turned critical,” Dr. Smith says, and I sigh in relief.I thank the doctor and get his permission to see her. Stepping inside the ward she is in, I find her in a blue hospital gown lying on the bed. Her arm is attached to an IV drip, with a clear tube snaking from a bag suspended above the bed to a needle inserted into her vein.She softly opens her eyes as I walk up to her and give her hand a light squeeze. She smiles at me weakly and whispers, “Looks like I’ll b
VERENA"Verena, try this one!" Ruth says in excitement as she holds a scarlet evening gown in her hand. We are at a little boutique in the Moonlight Pack, shopping for a dress for me to wear to the exhibition.It has been two weeks since Carlisle and I both revealed our secrets, and I agreed to attend the exhibition with him. But I didn't expect him to travel to the Moonlight Pack one week before the exhibition."The Moonlight Pack has beautiful places to visit, so I want to show you around," that’s what Carlisle had said, gleaming with excitement. Honestly, he didn’t look that excited when he gave me a tour of the Mountain Cross Pack. But I understand why.My eyes shift to the floor-to-ceiling glass that spans one wall of the store, and I stare at the trees lining the street, the soft lavender-colored leaves swaying under the mild breeze. The sky is a blend of soft hues of pale turquoise and rose pink, the sun's rays casting a gentle glow on the street lined with small shops.The lan
VERENAMy body trembles as I slowly turn around to face him: Elijah.His dark eyes fixate on me, tracing every inch of my form as if he's mapping my body in his mind. His inky hair is sexily combed back, and the gray suit drapes elegantly over his muscular frame."Rena," he whispers my name gently, causing my heart to skip a beat. As he moves closer, the fabric molds to his body like a second skin, emphasizing the powerful lines of his broad shoulders and chiseled chest."No!" I say firmly as I back away from him, my back hitting the cold glass. This man rejected me, banished me, and yet my heart dances in excitement when I see him. I hate this mate bond.Elijah pulls out a green dress and holds it in front of me. "This will look good on you," he says, watching me with a gaze that sends goosebumps down my skin.I clench my fist and look straight at him. "Why are you here?" I ask. In the distance, I can hear Ruth engaged in a discussion with the manager, unaware of what's happening her
ELIJAH“Baby, which dress will look good on me?” Nixie asks for the tenth time, pointing at the dresses laid out on the hotel bed. I sigh in frustration and place a hand inside my pocket while scanning the different colored dresses. Somehow, I can’t picture which dress will look good on Nixie.My wolf, Rolf, howls inside my mind, reminding me that it took me only a few seconds to figure out what dress would look good on Rena when I was at the store. I knew her body like the back of my hand. Every inch of her body, every dip, every curve has been explored by me.“Elijah?” Nixie calls out to me, and I shift my attention towards her.“Where did you get lost?” she asks, pouting. But then she smirks as if thinking of something mischievous. “Or is it your way of saying that I’ll look good in any dress I wear?”I nod, letting her live in that delusion. She giggles. “Aw, then you could have just said so. It makes me feel good when you appreciate my beauty, you know?” She flutters her lashes a
ELIJAH Her betrayal leaves a bitter feeling in my chest, slowly morphing into anger. My jaw clenches. Who is that fucker who dared to touch Rena? Once I get my hands on him, he’ll wish that he were dead sooner. I need to ask her, and I need to know who it was. But all that anger died when I confronted her at the store. I don’t know what came over me, but I just stepped in to show her the dress I picked for her. What was she thinking while picking those ridiculous dresses? Not every dress can showcase the beauty she has. I hope she’d go with my choice. I remember the look in her eyes, the way her heart thumped in her chest when she saw me. A part of me likes to think it's because she still has feelings for me, but I can’t deny what I clearly saw in her eyes—hatred. My phone vibrates, bringing me back to the present, and I answer the call. Joshua speaks from the other side, “Everything has been going according to plan,” he reports in a serious voice, and asks, “Did Nixie suspect anyt