Regina’s POVThe words “Shadow Valley” made me sway on my spot.What were people from Shadow Valley doing here? Did Nigel send them? Were they here to capture me back?But they couldn’t. Nigel didn’t know anything about who I really was. Unless…Unless he had found that out?“Regina.”A large hand grabbed my shoulder and helped me regain my balance.Gray looked down at me with a serious look on his face, “Don’t worry. Nobody can force you to do anything. You are home.”I stared back at him in a daze and gradually breathed out.He was right. This was Ever Moon Pack. Gray was the Alpha here. No one could force me to do anything I didn’t like.“You should go back to your room and have some rests,” Gray gently pushed a lock of hair out of my face and smiled. “How about we meet again for dinner?”I clenched my fists plucking up my courage and said, “No. I…I want to come with you.”“To meet the messenger from Shadow Valley?” Gray frowned, “I don’t think you will like what that person have go
Regina’s POVI felt hurt and betrayed more than ever.Was that how Nigel thought of me always—lowly house slave that he and Melany could boss around?Nigel was my first love. I left my family, I gave up the comfortable life I had, I even broke my brother Gray’s heart just to be with him.But was it true that he had never taken me as his wife?I couldn’t let this go. I had to confront him face to face. I needed to know what I was in his heart.Taking in a deep breath, I turned to Gray and said, “Can you summon Nigel here? I want to have a word with him.”Gray seemed furious.“Why do you still want to meet with that bastard?” he snapped, “I won’t allow it! Especially since I know now what he has done to you!”I knew he was concerned.And I tried to talk peacefully with him, “Don’t worry, Gray. I just need to talk to Nigel and ask him what he meant when—”“Why do you still need that?!” Gray grabbed me by my shoulder, his voice getting louder, “I saw them chasing you in the woods. I saw a
Regina’s POV“Regina?!” he asked again just to be sure. And he took a few steps towards me with an astonished look on his face, “Fuck…it’s really you! Where the hell have you been?”I stood on my stop stiffly.I wasn’t ready to see him just yet.I thought I would be surrounded by people I knew—Gray or at least my maid Maya—when Nigel and I met again. That way I would be perfectly safe, and Nigel wouldn’t dare to hurt me.Yet here I was, cornered by him alone at the outside with no one to back me up.“I asked you a question. Didn’t you hear me?”Nigel started to get impatient and reached out to grab me. A chill was sent down my spine when his hand caught my wrist. And at that moment, all my miserable memories from the last one year flashed back to me.“L…Let go…of me…please…”I stuttered and tried to break free from him. But my body betrayed me. Every fiber of my body was shivering in fear. I couldn’t act normally around Nigel.With Nigel, I was no longer the princes of Ever Moon Pack;
Regina’s POV“You—You stupid bitch!” Nigel gasped besides my ear.He seemed horrified when Gray turned his gaze towards us and was now trying to drag me behind his back to stop people from staring.My sculp hurt so much and I couldn’t help but cried out again:“Gray…Help me!”A series of urgent footsteps came behind my back. And a pair of large hands rescued me from Nigel’s iron grip.“Alpha Gray—” I heard Nigel stammered in panic. But Gray lifted a foot before he could finish and kicked harshly on Nigel’s chest!Nigel was sent flying backwards and landed directly on that champagne tower. The tower crushed, glasses broke, and wine spilled, making a series of huge noises that echoed across the room. People screamed and run in horror while turning their heads around to see what had happened.Nigel was rolling around on a floor of broken glasses, holding his bleeding arm and shoulder while screaming like a pig getting slaughtered. Blood streamed down his face. And I felt my legs turned s
Regina’s POV“What on earth are you doing!” Lady Connie cried again and rushed forward to separate us.Gray’s hand dropped from my cheek to his body side. And the next second, I was dragged away from him by Connie.A surge of panic seized my heart.What were we doing? I honestly didn’t know.Was Gray trying to kiss me? Maybe I was wrong, and he simply wanted to kiss me on the forehead like he always did. But was I trying to kiss him back? God, what was I thinking? He was my brother for Christ’s sake!Lady Connie’s eyes traveled back and forth between Gray and I and she asked warily, “Were you two—”“NO!” I quickly denied.Gray glanced at me without saying anything. There was a sullen look on his face when he turned to look at Lady Connie and asked, “What are you doing here? I didn’t remember inviting you here.”Lady Connie seemed offended. She drew herself up and challenged back, “I am Barnie’s wife. I don’t need an invitation to be here. And I have heard everything that happened in t
Regina’s POVI take a quick step back because Nigel’s appearance had really shocked me.His handsome face had swelled to three of its original size. And there were bruises and bleeding scars everywhere on his face. He could hardly open his eyes because they were severely swollen.“N—Nigel!” I gasped, “What happened?”Nigel shook the iron bar abruptly and there was a desperate look on his face, “Regina! Regina, my love! You have to get me out of here! Alpha Gray he is—is crazy! He has 3 solders beat me from day to night! I can’t take it anymore! You have to save me from that monster!”I clenched my fists in silence.I didn’t like Nigel calling Gray a monster.Yes, I was shocked by Nigel’s swollen face and Gray probably shouldn’t have beaten him so hard. But Gray did this for a reason. He was avenging me. If Nigel hadn’t tortured me in the first place, Gray would have never done such thing!“Nigel, do you know why Alpha Gray did that to you?” I asked with a stern voice, “Because you hav
Regina’s POVI gulped nervously.I had never seen Gray like this before—so cold and stern—like I wasn’t his beloved little sister, but a total stranger.“Answer me.”Gray strode forward. His towering figure casted a huge shadow on my body.“Did you sneak into the dungeon behind my back? Yes, or No!”“…Yes!” I blurted out.Seeing the burning rage obscuring his face, I protested, “You can’t stop me from seeing Nigel! He is my husband!”“What husband!” he bellowed, grabbing my wrist forcefully, “That man is a total scumbag! He grabbed your hair and humiliated right in front of me! He should feel lucky that I didn’t rip his chest apart right on the site! It’s over between you and him. I forbid you to see him again!”FORBID?I was a grown person. I was fully capable of making my own decision!“You don’t have the right!” I struggled fiercely against his grip and cried, “And I have made up my mind already! I will return to his home with him!”“…What did you say?” Gray’s jaw tightened.“That’
Regina’s POVI couldn’t believe what I was seeing.Nigel as the servant?! What the hell!And I immediately looked towards Gray, knowing that this must be his idea. He kept his eyes straightforward, deadpan, as though he didn’t notice my furious glare at all.Others around the table had all recognized Nigel as well. They all seemed astonished. No one said a word.Nigel approached us carefully, walking around the table serving us coffee, starting with me. His hand was shaking so severely that a drop of hot coffee dripped on the back of my hand. It burned, but I decided to say nothing about it. Because I didn’t want to cause any more trouble for him.After Nigel was done with me, he moved onto Gray. He trembled even more. I looked at the pot in his hand nervously, afraid that he might still coffee on Gray.“A—Alpha Gray…Coffee?” Nigel stammered, breathing lightly.Gray didn’t say anything, but simply tapped his index finger on his empty cup.Yet Nigel didn’t notice that tap on the cup. A
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?