ROSALINE’S POV:Okay, this wasn’t as bad as I thought. I have been watching Jake and Ariana play for the past thirty minutes now. Other kids were playing with them as well; their laughter and playful squeals filled the warm air while their guardians sat together and interacted. It was late in the afternoon, and I sat alone by the bench, not once taking my eyes off them.Ariana looked so happy while playing with Jake; they all did. I had never seen so much happiness in her eyes; there was this unique light in them that made me a bit envious, something I never got to experience as a kid. That was when it all hit me like a nail on the head.Ariana needed this. She needed to be out in the open and have a normal life. By trapping her in that palace surrounded by guards, grownups, and death 24/7, her life was slowly starting to resemble mine.And I would rather die than let that happen.“Mommy, please come push us!” Ariana yelled. I made my way to them without another word and pushed them b
DAMIEN’S POV: Anger. That was all I felt. It was all I could feel. I hated seeing her like this; I hated seeing her speak with so much hurt laced in that sweet voice of hers; I hated seeing tears stain her gorgeous face; and I hated feeling her emotions, only that they were amplified in me.Who the hell did this bastard think he was? Who does he think he is to place all these mind games on my wife? I have had it.“It’s Magnus; it has to be him,” she sighed, shaking her head. I scooped her into my arms and took her up to our room. Once I placed her on the bed, I locked the door and came to sit beside her.“Alpha Magnus?” I asked, and she nodded. “Why would he do all of this? I thought it all pointed down to your father.”“It has to be one of them; they hate me for what I have done to them, for disgracing them by running away with an illegitimate child,” she said, wiping her eyes away, and I nodded.“And which one of them exactly brought up the idea of aborting your pregnancy?"She fr
DAMIEN’S POV:“Now I get it,” I said, staring at Rosaline, who looked at me with confusion. We sat on the bed opposite each other; a few minutes had passed, and neither of us had said a thing.“You get what?” She tilted her head to the side, her eyes searching mine for the answers my mouth was trying to give."You did what you did. You know, with Ariana. Taking her out there even though you knew it was dangerous, even though it was for just a few minutes, at least she had a good time, like a normal kid,” I said, and she smiled softly. Her little hands took my much larger ones, and she placed them on her lap. She traced the lines on my palm while she spoke.“I think you should go talk to her, and you know a bit gentler. She has always wanted to meet you; she always asked me questions about you and why you were not in our lives, and now that you are, you are making it hard for her to have a life.”“But I am just trying to protect her,” I said.“And I understand that, but she does not; s
ROSALINE’S POV:The air was warm. It was too warm. It was hot.Or maybe I was the hot one? Why? No one else seemed to be sweating, despite the sun’s gaze upon us. Or was it just me? Was I sick? No, I felt pretty fine. Okay, that was a lie. I felt like I would throw up any moment from now on. My head hurt, everything was spinning, my skin was crawling, and there was ringing in my ears."Rosaline, what’s wrong?”My eyelids snapped open to see Damien looking at me with eyes filled with worry and curiosity. I forgot he was sitting right next to me on the bench. It was beneath a tree and it gave a good view of the park, especially the playground. I stepped away from him, but he looked at me in a way that signified that I should not make a scene.“You are using your own family for bait,” I stated, and his eyebrows knitted together.“What are you talking about? I would never do that,” he said, and I blinked at him. No, he was lying.“You are lying,” I repeated my thoughts. “You are obviously
ROSALINE’S POV:The window was down, and the warm afternoon wind slapped my skin as Damien stepped on the gas. We have been driving to God knows where for the past three hours. Ariana was fast asleep at the back, and I was so close to joining her. but of course, my PTSD wouldn’t let me. The slightest sharp turn or bump we came across had my eyelids flying apart faster than they ever had.A groan escaped my lips, and my head hit the window. “Are we almost there?” I asked him, not bothering to hide my fatigue and discomfort. Did I forget to mention that we have been driving on an open road, meaning that there have been no people, buildings, or even trees for miles? just plainlands and mountains for miles.which also means we were not protected.I wanted to be scared and scold Damien for not bringing guards with us, but I have learned to trust him; he would not willingly bring us out here in the open if he did not believe that we were safe. And, to be honest, I felt safe.“We should be a
ROSALINE’S POV: "Well, I guess you have already found your room,” Damien said as we stepped into a room with navy blue walls and white furniture. It was a beautiful mix if I do say so myself. This was the first room we had entered, but I got the feeling that this was the smallest room in the house. Ariana scowled.“This is your room, Daddy,” she stated.“Yes, but it’s yours now,” Damien said, and my eyebrows shot to the top of my head.“How did you know this was his room?” I asked Ariana. There was no indication that this room belonged to anyone; there were no portraits, artefacts, or signs of any personal belongings.“I just guessed. I think grandma would have a few pictures in her room; Daddy does not like pictures,” Ariana said, and I was still in shock. It was bewildering how she already knew her father better than me.“Well, now that it is yours, you can have whatever you want in it; we can even redecorate,” Damien said, walking up to her and crouching by her side.“No, I like i
ROSALINE’S POV:The sun’s warm gaze kissed my skin, and the sifting crashing of waves filled my ears, sending a cool and relaxing sensation through my body. I can hear the seagulls from afar and my daughter’s giggles as well. I opened my eyes to find her with Damien; they appeared to be building some sort of sandcastle. The sight brought a smile to my lips. These are things I have always wanted Ariana to experience—the love of a family.After Courtney and William had most definitely attempted to scare us yesterday, we had ordered takeout, or our appetite and zeal to eat outside were no longer within us. Somehow, we still managed to have fun. By the time we had gotten home, the sun had completely set and the full moon was out to play.We had spent the evening in the living room watching an Eddie Murphy comedy. It was by far one of the best nights of my life. I did not care what Courtney and William had said about the New Spirits Festival; none of us did. It was most likely a fairytale
DAMIEN'S POV:No, I was the one in trouble.Fuck, what the hell made me say all that? I wasn't thinking while I was talking. This might sound crazy, but it almost did not feel like I was the one speaking at all. It felt as though someone else had taken control of my body, and it most certainly was not my wolf.This was different.Oh, who am I kidding? I am going crazy. What was I saying? What would I gain by looking for an excuse now? Rosaline will never believe any of this crap in any way, and neither did I. I said what I said, and now I have to deal with the consequences.Hell, she hasn't even looked at me since Ariana reappeared with that kid."Did I make you and Mommy fight again?"I tore my gaze away from the heap of firewood I had been gathering and focused it on Ariana.Damn, I made one hell of a fine baby.She looked up at me with those beady silver eyes of hers, filled with guilt and regret. I dusted my hands and picked her up, pinching her soft, fluffy cheek."Kind of, but i
ROSALINE’S POV:SEVEN MONTHS LATER:I watched Damien and Ariana’s wolf run around the courtyard with a speed my human eyes could barely keep up with. At this point, I was not sure which of them was faster. They have been doing this every morning for the past six months. Damien had made it their morning to train Ariana himself; he wanted her to become the strongest woman in the pack.And I was scared of that.The speed at which she improved was frightening. At this rate, she would be the strongest wolf in the world by the time she was eighteen.“Damn, she is getting better and better,” Peace said, and my gaze shifted to her. She cradled Light in her arms, and the tender baby yawned. The day Light was born was quite an eventful day for all of us. It was early in the morning, and we were all in the kitchen when her water broke. Ariana was the one who raised an alarm by saying, “Aunt Peace peed herself.”Peace, who was embarrassed, defended herself, but we all knew what was going on. We d
ROSALINE’S POV:“I do not need therapy.” I frowned at Damien, who gave me a tired look. He drove me down to my supposed therapist’s office, and I considered jumping out, but I had to remember that I was pregnant. Peace sat in the back seat, and I had no idea when she and Damien could be in the same space without growling at each other.“Yes, you do, Rosaline. You should have seen yourself yesterday; you were about to faint over something that wasn’t even there,” Peace said, and I folded my arms above my chest.“Okay, I admit that what happened yesterday was a bit out of character, but I am fine now. Just because I had one panic attack does not mean I need therapy." I defended myself, but neither of them looked like they would be going back on their decision.“It’s not just one; you have had several in the past."“I am not talking to you,” I snapped at Peace, and she reared her head back with surprise.“Rosaline, calm down. Peace is right, you, and since when did you two become best f
ROSALINE’S POV:“Yeesh, mothers are the worst,” Peace chuckled, and I shook my head with wonder. We were both at a baby store picking up some stuff for the baby. I mean, I know it was still a bit soon, but little by little, Damien and I would be getting some things ready. And we still did not know the gender of the baby, but we were able to get the essentials and some unisex clothes.“Tell me about it; my worst nightmare would be to end up like her sometime in the future,” I said with a huff. I picked up a pair of black baby shoes and inspected them. It was way smaller than my hand, perfect for a newborn baby.“Trust me, you will never be like that. Give yourself some credit; you are one of the best moms I have ever seen. This kid and Ariana are so lucky to have you,” Peace said, and her words warmed my heart. She picked up a pair of pink baby ballet shoes and put them in the cart.“Oh, no, we have to get unisex wear for now; I still do not know the gender of my baby,” I told her, but
ROSALINE’S POV:I am so hungry.I laid on my back on my bed, staring at the ceiling as I wondered how cruel Damien was. How could he just leave me like that to starve?I mean I know I have been eating for the past three hours, but doesn’t he know that it’s for two? He is so mean.Tears began to blur my vision, and my bottom lip trembled. I knew Damien did not love me anymore. It was the only explanation! Maybe because of what happened with Magnus, he is disgusted by me. Yes, that’s it. That’s why he didn’t want to get me the pizza.I really am unbelievable.“Good God, why are you crying now?”My eyes snapped to the door, and I found Damien standing by the doorway with a box that had steam coming out of it. Instantly, my nose picked up the scent, and I sat up quickly.“I thought you weren’t going to get me the pizza,” I said, and he walked over to me, setting the box of pizza in between us. He opened it, and the steam kissed my face. I could not stop the smile from stretching my lips a
ROSALINE’S POV:“Why is the food not ready yet?!” I snapped at Damien, who stirred the pot of pudding as fast as he could. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he whisked, turned, seasoned, diced, and sprinkled as fast as his hands could. Ariana was right by his side, helping in the little way she could, even though she could not quite keep up with his speed. We would have asked one of the maids to prepare it, but for some reason, I really enjoyed foods that were prepared by either Damien or Ariana and Damien was an absolutely horrible cook. So, the taste had nothing to do with my favouritism, just the sentiment. A part of me was grateful that Ariana was helping him out, so at least it would not taste like complete shit. Jake was here as well. But unlike the other two, he was completely lost and only helped with the dishes.“It’s coming; it’s coming. Just a few more minutes,” Damien said in haste.“Hurry up, I am so hungry,” I whined, picking up some pieces of carrot that he
DAMIEN’S POV:FEW HOURS EARLIER:She was still fast asleep. I slipped my arms away from her, careful not to wake her up. Gently, I got off the bed and exhaled. I do not know how long I stood above the bed staring at her, but I did not care. Somehow, the longer I stared at her, the angrier I got. Not because she now carried a child that was not mine, but because I let that bastard put that child in her in the first place.I need some fresh air.I left the room quietly and headed down to our gym. The hallway was still silent; I passed a few guards and even got some sleep. Figured. Everyone was quite tired; now that the enemy was eliminated, everyone was taking that break they had so long deserved.Except Rosaline.It’s like, no matter how hard I try to take her pain away, a new one starts.I took off my shirt and tossed it aside. I started on the punching bag and poured out every ounce of my frustration on it. All my anger, all my sadness, all my guilt, I threw into my punches. After a
ROSALINE’S POV: I could not stop screaming.Somehow, my body, which had been a practical vegetable for the past month, was full of life and rage. I threw and tossed everything in sight while I screamed out my lungs. I could hear people telling me to calm down, but I could not hear them. I could not hear anything; I did not want to.It was all coming back to me. that night. Magnus. His touch. Everything.“NO!” I grabbed a plate and shattered it against the wall. The shards flew across the air, and I think a few pierced me in the process, but I did not care. A pair of arms came up from behind me and swept me off my feet. I immediately recognized them as Damien’s and began to sob. “It’s not fair! No!"“Just calm down, baby. Please, just relax; you are hurting yourself,” he whispered, and I pinched my eyes shut. Tears fell helplessly down my face, and my body began to tremble. Damon held me and lifted me back to the bed.“I thought you would be happier, Luna. I am sure Princess Ariana wi
DAMIEN’S POV:It has been a month since I got Rosaline back and killed the bastards responsible. Well, technically, one of them was a coward and killed himself instead, but it was the same thing to me anyway.For the past month, Rosaline has been bedridden, but unlike me, she is not as fussy and agitated. I mean, at times she preferred to do things by herself, but you cannot compare the two of us when we are bedridden. It irks me down to my very soul that I cannot do so much as do the necessities of life.Anyway, after the first three days, she pretty much accepted her condition and let us help her around. “What other choice do I have? If I continue to struggle, then I might only make things worse for myself,” she had said, and I wonder what would have happened if I had said the same thing all those months ago when I was in her condition.I waited outside the room for Peace to finish dressing her up so I could take her downstairs for breakfast. I would have preferred if she stayed in
ROSALINE’S POV:Anger.That was the only thing in my heart. My heart once held so much fear, but now it is replaced with nothing but rage.Magnus. That demon. That devil.I cannot say that I remember much of what happened during our time in bed, but I did not want to. All I remember was screaming my lungs out until I passed out. But now I am left with one question that I most probably will never get an answer to.What did he do to me?When I managed to pull myself together and stay conscious for just a few seconds, I thought I was flying. My body was high up in the air, and I had no idea where the hell I was. But he was right beside me; that was the only thing I knew. He had his disgusting hands around my throat, and I wanted nothing more than to rip it off. I did not know where that strength came from. I was pretty sure that I could not move at all just a few moments ago. But something overcame me when I saw him. I knew that he was the one holding me and keeping me over the edge, an