Lucifer Zades P.O.V
All of their heads snapped toward me, eyes filled with confusion and questions. My father-in-law furrowed his brow, clearly demanding an explanation for the chaos unfolding.
Why in the world would she want to kill me?
What the hell did I do?
I remained rooted to the spot, a solid statue amidst the brewing storm. Silence hung in the air, thickening with each passing second. Unable to glean any answers from me, my father-in-law subtly signaled to his beta and delta, a clear directive to capture her.
Naked as the day they were born, they yanked her up, showing no regard for their own exposure. Meanwhile, my mind raced with unanswered questions and a rising sense of dread.
Zachary Lawson P.O.V
Descending into the foreboding pack house basement, we led Lilith, the mysterious SheWolf, shackled in silver chains, for a deeper interrogation. Taking a moment to dress, Octavius and I joined the alpha, the air thick with tension.
Lilith's pained hisses echoed as the chains drained her strength, and her wounds healed agonizingly slow. The alpha, a formidable presence, faced her with a stern expression, demanding to know her pack.
"So, which pack do you come from?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow. Lilith remained defiantly silent, focusing solely on the searing pain inflicted by the silver restraints.
"I asked you a question, I demand answers!" he snarled, met with Lilith's intense glare and growls of pure hatred.
Amidst the dark circumstances, I couldn't help but appreciate her tenacity. Lilith's determination held strong as she obstinately refused to reveal anything.
The alpha's nod to Octavius signaled an ominous turn. Chains tightened, forcing Lilith to her knees. A bottle of aconite, its sapphire blue hue giving an eerie beauty to the brutality, poured onto her wounds.
"Stop! Please!" Lilith begged as the aconite burned her already wounded skin.
"Keep pouring until she surrenders," our alpha ordered. Octavius hesitated before obeying his command. In seconds, Lilith screamed out as more of the blue liquid burned her already wounded area.
"Stop! I'll tell you!" she finally surrendered. Octavius halted the torment, revealing an unexpected soft spot for women.
Lilith, weakened and tearful, dropped a bombshell: "I-I came from no p-pack," she stammered, shaking her head, tears filling her eyes.
We exchanged confused glances. No pack? How could someone live without a pack for such a long time? Was a rogue life even possible?
"If you came from no pack, why kill the black wolf you saw in the woods?" the alpha asked, bewildered.
"L-lucifer, h-he h-he," Lilith struggled.
"He's d-death g-gives me f-freedom," she managed to reveal, leaving us utterly perplexed. Before the alpha could ask further questions, the metal door creaked open, revealing my little sister Zoe.
A growl escaped me as I swiftly linked her, instructing her to stay away from this perilous situation. Zoe's fear-laden eyes locked onto Lilith's bruised form, injecting an unexpected dose of tension into the already charged atmosphere.
"A-alpha Nathaniel, Alpha Z-Zades is here," she stammered, her eyes wide with urgency.
What?
This was so not the time for visitors. I groaned inwardly, the situation already a tangled mess.
Unexpected visitors.
Alpha Nathaniel sighed, a heavy weariness etched on his face. "I'll be there in a moment," he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The gravity of the impending meeting hung in the air, disrupting the already charged atmosphere of the basement. We left the girl, ensuring she was tied securely with no chance of escape, as the impending encounter with Alpha Zades added a new layer of complexity to an already tumultuous situation.
Lucifer Zades P.O.V
Back in my room, I found it all cleaned up, an impressive and formidable sight. However, my own room in my clan held an unparalleled charm, and a nostalgic sigh escaped me. I couldn't help but miss those familiar surroundings.
As my thoughts wandered, they inevitably circled back to the events in the woods. The unknown girl lingered in my mind, her inexplicable attempt on my life puzzling me. Why would she want to kill me when she clearly knew who I was? I had never seen her before, and my wolf growled at the missed opportunity to eliminate her. It was a primal world, a kill-or-be-killed reality, and she seemed to have a death wish challenging me.
A knock on the door snapped me from my thoughts, and Zachary's sister, Zoe, appeared. "You're wanted in the hallway," she informed me, and I gave her a curt nod.
Why was I wanted, anyway?
Throwing on a black shirt and jeans, I headed downstairs, catching familiar scents that triggered a sense of déjà vu. Once in the hallway, the source of the scents became clear.
There he was—the man who had once ruined my life, my father, accompanied by his mate and their son, Gabriel. They sat on the couch, engaged in conversation with my father-in-law.
As I made my presence known, all eyes turned towards me. I didn't realize I was a celebrity, but apparently, attention followed me wherever I went. Spectacular, note the sarcasm.
"Ah, Lucifer." My so-called father, Zades, rose from the couch with a million-dollar smile, striding towards me. He matched my height, giving me a manly hug that I reluctantly reciprocated. While I knew I took my height from him, I never aspired to emulate him in any way.
The situation felt awkward. I wasn't one for same-sex hugs.
"I see you've changed," he remarked, eyeing me proudly. I raised an eyebrow, uninterested in engaging in small talk.
"I see you've aged," I retorted, a smirk playing on my lips. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, and the tension in the room thickened with our strained father-son exchange.
"Everyone ages," he replied, motioning for his mate to greet me. As she stood up from the couch and walked toward me, an unsettling feeling settled in. I couldn't shake the notion that she might be the other woman, even though deep down, I knew my real mother had played that role.
Disturbed, I didn't want her near me, greeting me, or engaging in conversation.
"Hi, Lucifer," she said sweetly, offering a warm hug that felt strangely maternal. For a moment, my heart stopped, and a warmth I couldn't describe filled me. I nodded in acknowledgment, mustering a small smile while blinking away the emotions that threatened to surface.
Then, Gabriel approached me. As we locked eyes, a prolonged moment unfolded, laden with memories of the past. I couldn't forgive him for agreeing to marry my mate and making her his own.
I vowed never to allow another man, even if he was my flesh and blood, to take what was rightfully mine.
Zades cleared his throat, breaking our intense eye contact that bordered on a silent confrontation.
"Hi, big brother," Gabriel greeted with a mischievous glint in his blue eyes, remarkably similar to mine. He smirked and extended his right hand for a shake.
I raised an eyebrow, amused by his surprisingly friendly gesture—an act we both knew was just for show. Playing my part, I shook his hand, maintaining eye contact.
"Hi, little brother," I responded with a smirk, taking pleasure in teasing him. Our hands and eyes remained locked, prompting Zades to intervene.
"Okay," he sighed, stepping between us and pushing our hands away. In a monotone that seemed directed more at himself, he muttered, "Happy family reunion," clapping his hands once.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I huffed and leaned against the wall. Suddenly, Gabriel's demeanor shifted, and he caught a scent in the air.
"What's that smell? Where did you get that scent from?" he questioned, his eyes flickering to pitch black.
Confused, I looked at him, wondering what he was talking about. The others stared at him, equally puzzled by his sudden change in behavior.
"Gabriel, stop this," Zades warned, but my half-brother's focus remained fixated on an unknown scent.
A member of the pack rushed toward us, breathless. "Alpha! The rogue has escaped!" he exclaimed, earning a growl of disappointment from Zades.
"Rogue?" Zades questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"No time, gotta catch her," the pack member declared, prompting everyone to shift into wolf form and dash out the door. Gabriel, a pure white wolf, sprinted into the woods to find Lilith.
I hesitated, unsure if following them was a good idea. The unexpected turn of events left the hallway empty, the echo of the pack's departure lingering in the air.
Should I ?
After a moment's contemplation, I decided to follow them, maintaining my human form as I kept a discreet distance. The forest echoed with growls and the rhythmic thudding of paws, and soon, I caught sight of her—a maroon wolf, limping and clearly weakened.
When her eyes locked onto mine, she disregarded her pain and sprinted towards me. Was she attempting a wolf version of a superhero landing? Bracing myself for the impact, I prepared to end her once and for all.
However, in a surprising turn of events, a white wolf intercepted her mid-jump, redirecting her path and causing her to collide with a large tree. I couldn't believe it—Gabriel had just protected me. Though I had the situation under control, I found myself torn between feelings of pride, gratitude, and utter disappointment.
Gabriel snarled viciously, advancing towards the fallen maroon wolf in a predatory manner. But then, something unexpected happened.
First, their eyes met.
Second, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.
Third, they both shifted back, whispering a word I never expected to hear from either of them.
"Mate."
Great. My half brother had a psychopathic Hulk mate who seemed hell-bent on seeing me dead. What could possibly go wrong? The forest seemed to hold its breath as the revelation sank in, and I found myself caught in a tangled mess of family dynamics and newfound complications.
PLZZ VOTE
PLZZ COMMENT
FOLLOW
- Valentine Winters