RyleeI passed out at the end of the lovemaking yesterday. I’ve never experienced such intense pleasure before—especially not with bondage. It’s all so new to me. What’s even stranger is that this morning, Alvar agreed to let Cecilia come see me. Now we’re in the parlor, picking out wedding dresses.The words "my wedding dress" make me pause. The idea of my “rival” picking out my dress feels almost surreal.Cecilia holds up one dress after another. When she gets to a black bustier wedding dress, she flashes a big smile and asks Ruth, who’s standing behind us, "This one’s nice, don’t you think?"Ruth nods silently. Ever since Alvar announced that I was the future Luna at the dinner party, she’s been unusually quiet, her face devoid of any extra expression.I glance at myself in the mirror. After these two weeks of recovery, I look like a different person. I’m still thin, but my cheeks are fuller, and my skin has a healthy glow. My eyes seem deeper than before, sparkling with a light th
RyleeThe dungeon is shockingly large, hard to believe it’s hidden beneath the mansion. Ghost memories of Greenvale’s prison flood my mind. That night, Syd came to me. Now, here I am, the roles reversed. The only difference is that the floor isn't covered in straw, there’s no unbearable dampness, and no putrid stench.Syd huddles in the corner of his cell, his body battered and bare, his back a bloody mess. He looks worse than he did yesterday. What happened after we parted? Did he resist again only to be beaten down?At the sound of my steps, Syd sits up, alert. His heavy breathing fills the silence.I call out, “Syd, it’s me.”He looks up, sees me, and jumps to his feet, but quickly lowers his head, staying where he is. “What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice strained. Then, as if remembering something, he says, “Leave. This isn’t the place for you.”His words are strange, confusing. “Are you okay?” I whisper.“Not dead, anyway.” His tone is low, and he avoids my gaze, his bro
RyleeAlvar ignores Syd's desperate shouts as he drags me up the stairs, his grip so tight it feels like my shoulders might snap. I struggle, trying to pull free, but it’s pointless. His hands are like iron cuffs, and I’m forced to stumble along behind him.“Alvar, please! You’re hurting me!” I hiss through clenched teeth.He doesn’t even flinch, like he can’t hear me at all. As we pass Cecilia, she flashes me a smug, triumphant smile. Behind her is the same guard who let us into the dungeon. I glare at her, seething. This bitch set me up again! I thought she was less dangerous than Joanne, but it turns out that they’re both equally vicious.We reach the bedroom, and Alvar shoves me onto the bed with a force that sends a jolt through my body. His eyes are cold, sharp as blades. “Why don’t you ever listen?” he mutters, more to himself than to me. “Of course, because you were so desperate to see him. You even lied to me.”Each word hits me like a lash, and I’m left speechless. There’s n
Rylee“Tomorrow is your wedding. Alvar asked me to come and see you,” Hera says as she walks into the room, placing the tray on the low table in front of the recliner.She glances around, and I blush. I’ve been in such a depressing state the past few days that I’ve let the room fall into chaos—bath towels, clothes, and pillows strewn everywhere.I don’t mind what Ruth might think, but Hera’s gaze is different. “Sorry,” I mumble, scrambling to clean up the mess.Hera smiles softly. “I understand. I was young once too.”“How did Alvar let you visit me?” I ask quickly, shoveling a few mouthfuls of food into my mouth.“He said that, on the eve of the wedding, you might need your family’s company.” Hera sighs, her tone gentle but laced with concern. “I don’t have much time, only half an hour. The next time I see you will be at the wedding. Rylee, have you thought this through? What are you going to choose?”The food in my hand suddenly loses its taste. My appetite vanishes as the weight of
RyleeI ended up choosing another black wedding dress. Not the no I liked with the butterflies on it. But this one is good too. The fabric drapes off my shoulders like liquid silk, and the hem trails slightly along the floor, adorned with black sequins that glimmer like stars in the night sky. The slim waistband accentuates my curves, while the V-neckline is both seductive and solemn.Meg is rambling on about finding the perfect necklace. Her hand hovers between various pieces of jewelry in a big box before settling on a diamond-encrusted one. Strangely, it makes me think of the moon necklace Syd gave me. Among all this elaborate jewelry, it would look almost pitifully simple, but to me, it was more precious than anything else. Syd, I wonder how he is now. Hera said that Alvar had released him yesterday, and asked him to show up today. And Meg said she would take care of him.Today is my wedding day, but the weather seems to be mourning more than celebrating. The sky is a dull gray, e
CarlThis was the fastest wedding prep I’ve ever seen, and by far the most extravagant. Alvar dropped a million dollars refreshing and covering every inch of the Gonzales Mansion with flowers. He invited everyone—our friends and titled figures from the surrounding areas. He even has someone livestream the wedding so that all pack members could see it.I direct two of my guys to place the Moon Goddess statue on the marble platform in the center of the pool. It’s heavy as hell and gives us a good amount of trouble.One of the dudes grumbles, “Damn, this weather sucks. I hate winter. If it rains later, the ceremony’s screwed, and we’ll have hauled this thing for nothing.”I snap at him, “Shut it. If Alpha hears you, your skin’s on the line.”“Got it, got it. I won’t say a word,” he mutters, wiping sweat off his forehead. Then he adds, “Still don’t get what’s so special about that wo…I mean our Luna. Alpha’s bringing out the statue for her and inviting half the world.”I don’t respond, ju
CarlHoly shit! Is this pussy looking for death?I peek at Alvar’s face. His expression has turned completely dark, his breathing getting heavier by the second, but he doesn’t say a word. He ignores the idiot in the pink suit. Instead, he turns to me. “Show Alpha Craig and Mr. Smith Jr. to their seats in the front row.”Smith Jr. strolls over, rolling his eyes with a tone full of disdain. “Look at him, all lovey-dovey. I can’t believe anyone would actually love him. If that poor woman wasn’t his Mate, she’d probably run the hell away.”“Kevin, enough,” Craig glares at his son. “This is a big day for Alvar, so shut your mouth before I beat you.” Then he turns to Alvar, “Don’t mind him, Alvar. You know he’s an idiot. Don’t let him ruin your wedding.”Alvar says that it’s fine in a dark face, which surprises me a lot. It’s rare for him to hold back anger like that. Alvar used to deck Kevin for talking shit before. Maybe it’s because it’s his wedding day? He seems softer, more tolerant th
RyleeI drift in a trance, barely hearing Carl's shouts. Did they find me?Lightning streaks across the sky, and the wind roars as if tearing the world apart. If I lose focus for even a moment, I'll fall. All sounds seem to disappear, leaving only pounding of my heartbeat echoing in my ears.Thump—thump—thump—The rain is getting worse.I never imagined Cecilia could be so ruthless. I knew she wanted me to leave, but I never thought she would want me dead. My fingertips tingle, pain radiates from my wrist to my shoulder. Hanging from the balcony with one hand, I feel my grip weakening. The rain slicks my palm, making it slippery. I watch as Cecilia hurries away, leaving Meg behind, who is desperately trying to pull me up.“Rylee, grab my arm!” Meg’s voice is strained and filled with terror, her fingers trembling. The rain is making everything more difficult, and she’s not strong enough to help me. My grip on the railing is slipping, my fingers barely holding on.Suddenly, the door to m