Faris POV The mound of paperwork on my desk seems to be never-ending now that I am doing the work of both the Alpha and the Beta. I knew I shouldn't have let Chad go on the mission to kill Willow, but he was so intent on being the one who ended her life that there was no stopping him. She had embarrassed him one too many times on the training field. Now, questions about his whereabouts are being raised. But it isn't just his death I am having to cover up. The idiot took Lauren with him. Even though she wasn't well-liked, people are still wondering where she has been. Eventually, I will have to come up with some excuse as to why they are gone. I know Chad's mate had to feel his death through the mate bond, but if she cares he is gone, she hasn't let me know. I pull the top paper off of the stack and look at it. It is another Lycan City company asking for a bailout. Ever since my father died, companies have been going under left and right. I can't produce Chow fast enou

Willow POV My anger bubbles to the surface again as Osiris shakes his head 'no.' "Celeste wouldn't do that," he says in disbelief. "She has been a loyal friend." I push Osiris away from me and try not to lose my temper again. "I have told you what I have seen," I snap at him. "She has been giving Faris readings as well. She has been letting him run Chow through her business. She is playing both sides." "I trust her," Osiris yells at me. "She must have her reasons for helping Faris." My fingers flicker with flames as Osiris talks. It feels like he is choosing her over me. Jealousy courses through my veins, making my anger even worse. 'You don't want to hurt your mate,' the voice inside my head tells me. 'You need to calm your emotions.' "Shut up!" I scream aloud at the voice in my mind. I place my hands over my ears and drop to the ground in a panic. Osiris is talking to me, the voice inside my mind is talking, and there is no reprieve from the noise. Osiris plac

Osiris POV It has been a long afternoon. Hunting down all of the parents of the children who saw Willow's meltdown was a chore. Many of the children were still crying as I spoke with their parents, and they are claiming to be scared of their Luna. There is one family left to visit, and that is of the little girl who has looked up to Willow from the moment she stepped into this pack. I knock on their door, and a frail older woman opens it. I had forgotten that Liz was adopted. Her parents were killed in one of the raids by the Lycan King. They had fought and died bravely by my side, leaving Liz on her own at just two years old. An older couple who had not been able to have children of their own took Liz in immediately and treated her as their own. But now, as I look at the woman standing in front of me, I worry that Liz will be left to fend for herself again. "Alpha," the older woman says. "What do I owe the pleasure?" "Hello, Gretchen," I say softly. "I need to discus

Unknown POV The sound of arguing brings me to my senses. I don't know how long I have been in the void between this world of the living and the realm of the dead, but it feels like an eternity. I stretch my arms lazily to my sides and yawn loudly. The dark tendrils of the void lap at my skin. They are like slimy tentacles determined to suck what is left of my mortality from my fading body. They tease me with their hushed voices. "Do you think we should tell her?" The tendrils laugh. "Tell me what," I groan. I am growing tired of the constant bickering of the tendrils. "There is an opening," a tendril hisses. "An opening between this realm and the living." My eyes fly open, and I sit up. I pace the cabin floor that mirrors one in the earthly domain. I try to understand what the tendrils mean. Reaching out with my magic, I look for any holes that might lead me back to the world, but after spending decades in the void, my magic is not what it used to be. I lower my

Ella POV Standing outside the Wolf's Den, it is like I have been transported back in time. I cannot believe this building is still standing after all these years. It looks just as sketchy as it did several decades ago. The same crudely painted wolf howling at the moon is hung above the doorway, only it seems like it has been touched up a little over the years. The neon letters of the sign have been replaced, and they all burn brightly. Instead of different colored siding covering the sides of the building, it has all been painted black. As we walk through the doorway, the smell of stale cigarettes and marijuana hits my senses. I wrinkle my nose in disgust. Osiris looks over at me and begins to laugh. "This place even smells the same," I say as I pretend to gag. "What do you know about the Wolf's Den?" Osiris raises an eyebrow at me curiously. "I used to work here," I laugh. "Back when I was nothing more than a rogue werewolf hiding from my life." Osiris's eyes widen as