Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 625: Father Is Back

Duskmoon Hollow

Layla stepped into the room to see her twin, Lauren, playing with their sister Enya while Ziva paced anxiously up and down. It wasn’t a surprising sight. Their sister Ziva had the worst temper and often showed it in her violent outbursts.

In such a mood, Ziva was highly volatile and could transfer her anger to anyone in sight. Layla wisely kept her mouth shut, scared of drawing Ziva’s attention. Instead she slipped into the mental link she shared with Lauren.

Coming to sit beside her twin, she asked mentally, "What’s going on with her?"

Lauren answered without moving her eyes from Enya. "She can’t reach Hannah."

"Hannah?" Layla’s curiosity sparked.

For a while now, Hannah had been missing. The one time Layla raised the issue, Ziva told her to let it be. Of course, Layla knew something was off, but since Ziva seemed unconcerned, she had chosen not to dig deeper.

Not that it affected her much. With Hannah gone, Lillian — lowest in the family hierarchy — now handled the dirty work like feeding Bree. Still, Layla had been curious about Hannah’s absence, and it seemed she might finally get some answers.

"Why? What happened to Hannah?" she pressed.

Lauren sighed audibly through the link. "Apparently, our dear sister sent her to spy on Violet."

"Spy on Violet?" Layla’s mental voice rose. "But didn’t Father warn her...." She stopped short as realization hit. Ziva had gone behind their father’s back again. No wonder she didn’t want anyone prying into Hannah’s disappearance.

Good thing their father, Angus, barely acknowledged Hannah, considering she was the weakest of them. Otherwise, Ziva would have a lot of explaining to do. But if Hannah stayed missing much longer, even he would notice.

did

idea," Lauren said."She’s not responding to Ziva’s

I ever get my hands on you, you’ll wish you were never born! I’ll peel your skin and roast you like

exchanged a look but said nothing.

the blunt

the rage melted from her face instantly, replaced by a gentle,

she cooed,

to her, proudly holding out a small glass bottle

filled with lifeless bugs which Ziva had gathered and tasked the girl to bring

bottle and watched, eyes narrowing with pleasure as the creatures buzzed inside it — some crawling along the glass while others fluttered in eerie synchronization, their tiny wings stirring the air. A faint smoky glow surrounded them, pulsing with traces of dark

across Ziva’s lips. "Good girl," she murmured, lowering herself to Enya’s height and stroking her silky black hair. "Go find Lillian. Tell her

widened with joy. "Yes!" She dashed out of

Her smile turned to stone, her gaze dark and menacing once more. Layla and Lauren shivered, not because the

sister was quite

came to stand before Lauren and Layla, who waited anxiously

flatly, then moved to her worktable where a map was spread out, a single drop of blood

to track her either. Her last location says the North Pack, but that’s all..." Her eyes narrowed. "It’s as

glance before Lauren

"Yeah, it is, if she’s

"Are you trying to

be in the Fae realm," Ziva finished for