ROSALINE’S POV:Today is Gwen’s funeral. The ceremony would be held in the pack cemetery, which was distinguished solely for the great wolves of our pack, mainly soldiers. And Gwen was just that—a soldier loyal to the end.There is a pang in my chest before I feel something squirm in my arms. My eyelids parted a bit to see Ariana curled up in my arms. Her head rested on my shoulder and her little limbs wrapped around me so tight that I was surprised I had not woken up due to suffocation. Her face was facing me, and her lips were slightly ajar. The sight was so precious that it brought a smile to my lips. My grip on her tightened a bit, and she hummed sweetly as she nuzzled her head deeper into my shoulder until I could feel her breath on my neck.I missed this.But I missed something else as well. I missed someone else. At that moment, my eyes were suddenly drawn to the chair situated beside the bed. Damien was sitting with his head down and his two legs spread apart. His hand held
DAMIEN’S POV:I hated this.I hated seeing her cry. I hated everything that she said, including myself.I have never felt so helpless before in my life. Standing just a few feet away from her and watching her cry her soul out drained mine. I knew how much she was trying to be strong because there were a lot of people watching, including Ariana, but I was not sure she could handle it anymore.She was on her knees before the gravestone with her head bowed, her hands covering her face, and her shoulders shaking tremendously. The sound that left her lips was like needles sent straight to my heart; the more she cried, the more it hurt like hell. but I had only one job right now, and that was to be with my daughter.Right now, Rosaline needed to grieve in peace.We all stood a few feet away from Rosaline and Gwen’s grave with our hats down and our heads bowed. About fifteen guards were surrounding us, and double that amount was provided by the gate and fences of the cemetery. We all wore
DAMIEN’S POV:“Can mommy come with us?” My daughter, who I am growing quite fond of, said as she looked up with me beady eyes. She batted her little eyelashes and made a face. I am sure she used to cajole her mother into doing her bidding. And damn, did it work.It was morning, and all three of us had slept on the same bed again. Although I had ordered that a room be prepared solely for Ariana, I knew it would take a very long time before she would actually agree to sleep in it. or Rosaline, for that matter. I had woken up first, and while brushing my teeth in the bathroom, I felt something tug at my pants.There she was.I never thought that anything could compare to Rosaline’s eyes, but oh, how terribly mistaken I was. I fell in love with mine through those of others.Ariana joined me in the sink, and I taught her how to use the toothbrush. That was when I noticed the clothes she was wearing and scowled. I recognized it as one of Rosaline’s shirts.“We need to go shopping; you are a
ROSALINE’S POV:I never thought I would find myself smiling again so soon. Ever since Gwen’s funeral, it felt as though my entire world had gone dark like there was no colour or warmth. Just a cold, empty void with faces I did not recognize. But then there were those two. I could not take my eyes off them because if I did, I was scared I would return to that world of frost.They were the perfect duo; their smiles were unique but identical. They were filled with so much love that it was contagious.I have never seen Ariana so happy or Damien so at peace before. Watching Damien push his daughter on the swing with a smile that appeared to be filled with fulfilment did something to my chest. It made me feel something I had never felt before.That was when I began to wonder: what would have happened if I had just told Damien the truth immediately and he had regained his memories? What would have happened if I had not stalled?Would we still be in the same place we are now? Would Damien
DAMIEN’S POV: She was adorable. I could not take my eyes off. It was like I had to take care of two babies at once.Rosaline sat on the veranda with her arms folded above her chest and a hard scowl on her face. She was glaring at nothing but thin air, and I almost felt sorry for it. I could not hide my grin as I approached her with my hands behind my back. My little gift for her was completely out of her sight.Yesterday we spent the entire day shopping for Ariana. I would occasionally catch a few of Rosaline’s envious glances, but whenever our eyes would meet, she would scoff and turn away. Do not get me wrong, I did want to get something for her, but whenever I asked her, she would tell me she did not want anything and we should hurry up and leave.But how could I miss the way she was staring at that Louis Vuitton bag and Versace golden heels?When we left the mall, I could have sworn she was on the verge of tears. She was so moody; perhaps her heat was approaching. When we got
ROSALINE’S POV:I could feel his eyes on me, but I did not meet his eyes as I dressed his wound. I found it hard to even control my facial expression as I tightened the bandage around his arm with much more force than intended.“Jeez! Just cut the damn arm off!” Damien snapped, and a sigh left my lips.“Sorry,” I muttered, and I applied a lot less force. The silence between us was not only deafening but maddening. I could feel his eyes on me throughout, and I had to say that I was quite relieved when he broke it again.“What is the matter now? Why are you giving me the silent treatment?” he finally asked, and I met his eyes; he had a disapproving look in them.“I just..” I trailed off, putting the final touches on the wrapping. “I just cannot believe how careless you are with Ariana; what if she had gotten hurt?”“I never would have let that happen,” he defended."Yeah, but you almost did. For goodness sake, Damien, she is only four years old; she should not even be in the kitchen!” I
ROSALINE’S POV:“Who is that boy with my daughter?” “They are kids, Damien.” “But why is he holding her hand like that?” “They are four, Damien.” “But why are they looking at each other like that?” “Damien!” I snapped, and he groaned with a scowl. We sat on the veranda, watching the two children play in the courtyard below us. Ariana was teaching Jake how to ride a bike, and I was surprised by how much of a good teacher she was.She was really patient with him, despite how slow he was at learning. I could not be any prouder.His mother had left a few minutes ago to get things from the market, so I was basically the one in charge of both of them. And honestly, I loved it. I loved watching the two of them play together. I hardly ever got to see Ariana associate with her peers, and damn did she look so happy.It made my mind travel back to my childhood; I hardly ever got to associate with other children, and it was quite depressing. I found myself wanting siblings, but I knew that was
ROSALINE’S POV:The night was cold. Very cold.The air blew through my exposed skin, sending shivers through my body. Guards patrolled the courtyard, and all of them paused to greet me when we crossed paths. I wanted to look at them politely, but every time we crossed paths, I prayed that they would be the last.I needed to be alone. I needed fresh air.I had no idea where I was going, but my feet kept moving. I find myself at the fountain I nearly drowned in all those weeks ago. Ah, what a time that was.I thought Kiara and Jennifer were my greatest problems at that time, but how wrong I was. Now neither of them is alive, and I am still far from having my peace of mind.I sat by the edge of the fountain and stared at my reflection in the water. I have to hand it to myself; if I were any other person, I would never come near the place where I nearly lost my life. But somehow, I found solace here. Something about the way the water trickled down the statue and the calmness of the pool
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