I was carefully frosting my anniversary cake.Yes, today was my first anniversary with my husband, Nigel. But it was 8:30 already, way past our normal dinner time, and Nigel still hadn’t come home yet.It was OK. I kept telling myself.Nigel was simply caught up in his work. He must be. He told me the other day that the alpha of this pack was giving him some serious work.He couldn’t have forgotten about our anniversary day.Actually, in my original plan, I wanted this day to be more special. I hoped that we could have dinner at a fancy restaurant and maybe go to see a movie afterward. Because ever since I married him a year ago, I hadn’t dined out since.But when I subtly hinted to him what I wanted for our anniversary, Nigel threw a huge temper tantrum at me:“Do you know how much it costs to eat at a fancy restaurant? It’s MY fucking money you are throwing away! And you don’t even know how to taste a decent wine! It’s a waste to bring you to those upscale places anyway. Just cut th
Regina’s POVI froze on my spot as though a thunder had been struck on my head.What did Nigel mean by “having a night with her”?I was his wife…How could he give me to other men?What was happening here!Letting out an evil laugh, one of the two drunken men took a step towards me, a vicious gleam in his eyes.“Nigel, you should have mentioned you have a pretty wife like this then we wouldn’t have trouble in the first place,” he grinned, flashing his yellow teeth at me. “Now come to me you little beauty.”The other one said, "You have washed her up, right? She is clean?""Perfectly clean. You can have you way with her, however you want." Nigel said. My heart was racing like crazy in my chest. Seeing the man reaching over to grab me, I quickly take a step back, “No—No! What are you doing? You are not welcomed here. Nigel…Nigel—get them out of here please!”The two of them burst into laughter, “Your dear husband Nigel got us here himself! Didn’t he tell you about his debt?”I shook my h
Regina’s POVIs she calling me…a tramp?I stare at her unbelievably while holding tears in my eyes.I’ve never been called this way in my entire life! When I was little, my grandpa used to call me “sweet cupcake” and my parents called me “baby angel.” My brother Gray is the only one who called me by my name. But the way he said my name made me felt so much in love.Yet ever since I married Nigel, I was referred by others as “filthy rat” “trash” “little piece of shit” and now… “tramp.”Why did I have to put up with all these humiliations! Was it simply because I loved Nigel?“You—You take it back!” I gritted out, “I don’t like you calling me that…”Angel suddenly burst into laughter, “Are you telling me what to do now? Nigel, are you going to let your wife disrespect me like that?”“Regina!” Nigel snapped glaring at me, “Apologize to Miss Angel right now! She is our Alpha’s daughter. The noblest lady in this pack!”I looked at Angel in a daze and suddenly realized something.This girl
Regina’s POV“Regina…Is that you? God, just say something please!” he growled.I nodded, crying. Then I realized that he couldn’t see me on the phone. I finally spoke up with a shaky voice:“Yes…Gray…It’s me. I—I’ve missed you.”SO MUCH.Gray let out a harsh and ragged breath and his voice turned hoarse, “I miss you too…Every single day since you left. What happened? Why are you calling me all of a sudden? Is everything OK? Is that bastard treating you alright?”He threw too many questions at me at once. I didn’t know which one to answer first.Just when I was hesitating what I should say to him, I heard a low voice on his side, “Alpha, everyone is expecting you in the meeting room. The messenger from Shadow Valley Pack was about to present the business treaty to you.”Shadow Valley Pack?This was the name of the pack I was currently at! That was Nigel’s pack.But how came I didn’t know Gray was doing business with Shadow Valley?Yet on second thought, I had left home for over a year
Regina’s POVAn escaped slave?I couldn’t believe my ears.I wasn’t a slave. I was Nigel’s wife!And why did Miss Angel issue my search order anyway? Did Nigel tell her that I left? Did he want me captured?But I hadn’t done anything wrong. I did sneak out of my house, but I was meeting my brother. I would come home tomorrow.Why did they over-react like this?I didn’t dare to breath too loudly nor move around my body. I was afraid that they would notice me here.The group of guards finished with their questioning and moved down the road to continue with their search. I waited in the bush for them to go away and finally came out.This whole thing is so confusing. But I was sure that there was some sort of misunderstanding in this.My top priority now is to meet with my brother and to get the money. And after that, I would explain everything to Nigel. Hopefully he would understand.Those guards were everywhere. So I couldn’t take the main road. Now the only way left to go is to travel
Regina’s POV“Gray…” I murmured.Tears blurred my eyes again. I struggled to blink them away just to get a clear sight of him.It was really him.Those deep-set green eyes, that straight nose, that perfect jawline…Everything about him was exactly how I remembered him. He hadn’t changed a bit.Yet he did become more formidable. I could see that Alpha aura in him even more clearly now than when I left home.I knew girls at my age all thought that Nigel was the handsome one. But they were wrong. That was because they hadn’t met my brother.My dear brother, Gray.The current Alpha of Ever Moon Pack.He was the most handsome man I had ever seen in my entire life.“Regina…You are bleeding!”He caught my hand and put it on his cheek. I could feel his whole-body trembling.“I will kill that fucking bastard!” he hissed frantically, “I swear—I will thread him into a million pieces!”I shivered and was intimidated by his burning rage. Just then a soldier ran close and cried, “Alpha! They are run
Regina’s POVI covered my mouth with tears forming in my eyes.He said he was going to protect me no matter what and he kept his promise. I was married already and yet he was still defending me in front of the others.But I couldn’t let him do that by himself. I needed to stand by his side.Taking in a deep breath, I raised my hand and knocked on the door.An elderly voice answered, “Come in.”I pushed the door open and carefully stepped into the room.This inner room was very spacious and glamorous. It was designed for the Alpha to review documents and meet with his cabinet members. There was a huge floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the entire castle. And a large map was hung by the wall. With a quick peek, I saw a red circle marking Shadow Valley on the map.There were four people sitting and Gray was the only one standing in front of them with his hands behind his back.Seeing me walk in, he immediately turned to me and frowned, “What are you doing here, Regina? You need to rest.
Regina’s POVGray and grandpa came into the dining room half an hour later.Grandpa looked preoccupied. Didn’t his talk with Gray go well?I peeked at Gray as he sat down by my side. Contrary to grandpa, my brother seemed at ease.I wanted to know what they talked about. I would feel terrible if grandpa blamed Gray for bringing back.“Hey,” I lowered my voice and whispered with a voice only the two of us could hear. “What did you and grandpa—”“Regina.”Grandma called and interrupted me. Looking up, I found her smiling at me warmly and she pushed a plate of deserts towards me.“This is Chestnut Chocolate Cake, your favorite. Go ahead and have a try,” she encouraged.Grandpa frowned, “she shouldn’t have desert before the main course.”Yet grandma gave him a glare, “Regina can do anything she wants when she is at home.”“Grandma is right.” Gray agreed and handed me a dessert fork.I looked down hiding the stupid grin on my face and took a large bite. It was delicious, even more deliciou
Regina’s POVThe next morning, the dining hall was buzzing with chatter. All the Luna candidates were seated, enjoying an elaborate breakfast spread, but the conversation wasn’t about the food. Everyone was talking about last night’s commotion.I kept my head down, pretending to be enjoying my plate of fruit and pastries. But my ears were tuned in to every word, trying to gauge what people knew or suspected. The girls were all putting on airs, acting casual, but you could tell the curiosity was eating them up.Claire, the candidate Kelly had praised so highly before, was holding court at the center of attention. A few girls surrounded her, hanging on to every word she said, as she dramatically recounted being woken up by the guards. Her voice was full of exaggerated fear.“And then,” Claire said, batting her long lashes, “just before breakfast, I bumped into Alpha Gray in the hallway! He asked if I was alright after all the fuss last night. Can you believe it? He was so sweet, so cons
Regina’s POVThe rooms for us Luna candidates were in the East Wing of the palace, far away from where Gray and my family lived in the East Wing. It was like they wanted to keep us as far away from the royal family as possible.But for me, that distance didn’t matter—I had grown up here. I knew every brick and shadow of this place.The door swung open without a sound and I left my room. My heart pounded, but I reassured myself that nobody would bother guarding a bunch of noble girls. Sure enough, the hallways were empty, lit only by the dim glow of the moonlight filtering through the windows.I moved carefully, making sure that I was quieter than a cat. The familiar turns of the corridors brought back memories, like when I played hide-and-seek with my maids around here...NO. Don't go there. The task at hand first, Regina.Left, then right, down a narrow staircase. Finally, I stopped at a section of the wall that looked unremarkable to anyone else but was etched in my memory.I lifted
Regina’s POVI kept my head down, trying to ignore the stares of the other girls as I settled into my seat. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Maybe sitting far away from Gray was actually a good thing. At least this way, there was less chance he’d catch onto my disguise.It wasn’t long before Gray showed up.The whole energy in the courtyard shifted immediately. I looked up, and there he was, and my heart sank. He looked so good—regal and charming at the same time. I didn’t think anyone else could pull it off like that, just him. He had this natural aura that made every girl here blush just by looking at him.He walked over, greeting everyone with a smile, and it was like he was a totally different person from the one I’d seen in the office. He was gentle, his voice warm as he spoke to the other girls. I could hear them giggling, their faces all red with excitement as they got his attention, one after another. It was so different from how he treated me. The difference made
Regina’s POVStanding at the office door, my heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest.I wasn't ready for this—not even a little bit.The servant said someone would check my files, but why was Gray here? He's the Alpha. He's too above these kinds of things.Of all people, why him?!I couldn't think straight, and before I knew it, the door clicked shut behind me. The noise startled me, and I jumped a little. Gray slowly turned from the window to look at me. His eyes locked on me with a cold, indifferent curiosity, like I was just another piece of paperwork he had to deal with.My heart ached. He used to look at me with so much love and passion. And now it was all gone."You must be Alicia," he said, his voice flat and emotionless. It had been so long since I'd heard his voice. A shiver ran down my spine—suddenly I was reminded of the role I was playing. I wasn't Regina anymore. I was Alicia.I nodded, my heart pounding, trying to keep my face neutral. "Yes, Alpha Gray," I m
Regina’s POVAs I walked into Alicia’s hotel, I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.The luxurious lobby was even more intimidating now that I wasn’t just passing through—I had to blend in, become Alicia for real.I adjusted my posture, squared my shoulders, and headed toward the elevator.As the doors slid shut behind me, I caught my reflection in the mirrored walls.With my pale gold hair and Alicia’s refined clothing, I looked the part. But on the inside, my heart was pounding.When I stepped out of the elevator and approached Alicia’s suite, two guards stationed by the door immediately straightened up, their eyes widening with surprise.…Did they sense something?My stomach twisted into a knot, but I forced a smile and nodded at them, hoping they couldn’t hear the rapid thud of my heart.“Lady Alicia, you’re back!” one of them cried his tone a mix of relief and concern. “You had us worried when you disappeared a couple of days ago.”I swallowed hard, keeping my voice stead
Regina’s POVAlicia’s lips parted, and for a moment, she was at a loss for words.“You… want to go in my place?” she repeated, her voice low with disbelief. “Are you insane? Do you even know what you're getting yourself into?”“Yeah…I know exactly what I’m doing.”Alicia hesitated, staring at me like I’d lost my mind, “You don’t understand. Being Alpha Gray’s Luna isn’t some fairy tale—it’s a cage. People will scrutinize your every move. Most girls entering the contest dream about being with him, but you’ll quickly realize that being his Luna isn’t about love or happiness. It’s about power. He’s not looking for a soulmate; he’s looking for someone strong enough to manage a pack like Ever Moon.”She must have been thinking about these for a while already. And frankly speaking, she wasn’t wrong.I could tell that Alicia wasn’t one of those silly girls. And she was kind enough to warn me about all these.“Is this about money then?” she asked, still looking perplexed. “You want to live a
Regina’s POVI felt a deep ache gnawing at my heart as I stepped out of the memorial center.Gray was moving on, and I was stuck, a fugitive in everyone's eyes.Hover parked the car in a small alley. I wandered to our car, my mind swirling with frustration.“Hey.” he got out of the car the moment he saw me in the rear window, “How’d it go?”“…He’s getting married, Hover,” I muttered.Hover froze, “Who?”“Gray. He’s getting married!” Tears welled up in my eyes at this moment, “And there’s nothing I can do to stop it! And I also can’t even get close enough to figure out what really happened to Grandpa. It’s like…I’m completely powerless!”“Take it easy. We’ll figure out a way eventually—”“But I don’t want to take things slowly! Soon Gray will be engaged to a woman that I don’t even know of and everything will be over then!” I growled, unable to control my strong emotions.Hover narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze became sharp.“Regina, why are you so upset about your brother getting m
Regina’s POV…Gray.The world around me seemed to blur. All I could focus on was him.My eyes became blur as I looked at him, tears welling up.It had been so long since I last saw him, so many days filled with anguish and pain. The day we last met was when Gray got poisoned, the same day I got framed for murdering him.We didn’t even get to speak to each other at that time. I was held down by Torres’s soldiers. And his body was ravaged by the poison coursing through his veins.Seeing him now, standing tall and healthy, a wave of emotion crashed over me.Relief, joy, and sorrow tangled together, making it hard to breathe. My heart ached with the intensity of it.Gray looked just as I remembered, yet different. Stronger, more composed, and his expression was much colder.I wanted nothing more than to run to him, to throw my arms around him and feel the warmth of his embrace. To tell him how much I missed him, how much I loved him.But I couldn’t.I was still a fugitive, still the one t
Regina’s POVThe moment the radio went silent.The full weight of my grandfather’s death crashed down on me.My hands trembled, and so was my soul.The tears I had been holding back spilled over, blurring my vision.I suddenly threw open the door and jumped out. The car was still moving. My feet barely hit the ground before I stumbled and fell, but I didn’t care.The pain in my chest was worse than anything physical.“Fuck…REGINA!!!” Hover shouted.He slammed on the brakes and stopped the car. He jumped out, calling my name, his voice laced with fear.But I didn’t hear him. I was overwhelmed by those emotions.Getting up on my feet, I started running, desperate to escape the reality that had just crashed down on me.Hover caught up to me quickly, grabbing my arm and spun me around.“What the fuck are you doing? You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” he snarled.I jerked away from him, tears streaming down my face as I shouted back, “GOOD! Let me die! What’s the point of living anyway?