Scarlet's POVI had no choice but to attend the negotiations. And what I discovered there... shattered me. I was to be exchanged. Traded like some political pawn if, and only if, the two Alphas managed to fulfil Alpha Dante’s increasingly outrageous demands.What began as a straightforward agreement quickly spiralled into a convoluted web of power plays. Alpha Dante’s demands grew more absurd with every passing hour. Initially, Alpha Edward had been attempting to mediate, even helping Alpha Juno push back against Dante’s propositions. But it seemed that Alpha Edward found out that it was Juno and his faction who orchestrated the attack on Phantom Moon last night. He was older and had seen such tricks all his life. As if that hadn’t complicated matters enough, Dante’s list of demands now included: a massive swath of territory, financial compensation for “damages,” and—of course—Hector. And just when we thought he was done, he threw in tariff-free trade across borders as if it were som
Scarlet's POV“This can’t be true! This can’t be true!” Vespara’s voice cracked as she stumbled back a step. “I can’t be pregnant!”She was panicking.I reached for her, wrapping my arms around her trembling body. “Calm down. Hey. Hey, it’s okay. It’s fine. I’m right here. You’re going to be okay.”Never in my life did I think I would see someone like Vespara who was always so fierce, so strong fall apart like this. But here she was, completely cracking. She looked terrified, like her entire world had just crumbled. What kind of weight did this pregnancy carry for her? Why was it shaking her so deeply?She clutched the counter for support. “How can I be pregnant?” she whispered again, and then her strength gave way. Her shoulders began to shake as tears streamed down her cheeks. She broke down, sobbing.I hugged her tighter. “Vespara… It’s okay. You don’t have to do this alone. If you’re not ready to be a mom, there are always other options. You can—”“No!” she cried, shaking her head
Scarlet's POVWhen we reached the room, Vespara sat silently on the corner of the bed, her back slightly hunched, her gaze lost somewhere in the space between the wall and the window. I watched her for a while, then finally asked, gently, “Do you want to talk about it?”She let out a breath, not quite a sigh, just air escaping from the cracks in her carefully guarded shell. “I don’t know,” she said. “What will I even say? What decision can I possibly make?” Her fingers tightened around the blanket beneath her.“If I keep the baby, my whole life turns upside down,” she whispered. “I will never become Beta. Rome will use it against me, call me weak, unfit, emotional. I will lose before I ever get the chance to fight. But if I don’t keep it—” her voice broke for a second, “—if I give up the baby for my future… how do I look at myself in the mirror after that? This baby is the only part of him I have left. The last piece of Killian. The last blood of Elizabeth. What do I do, Scarlet?”He
It was dinner time. Vespara didn’t want to go downstairs. Her face was pale and her shoulders curled inwards as if she was trying to disappear into herself. I didn’t ask why because her silence was answer enough. So, I offered to bring food up for both of us.She had confided in me. She had cried in my arms, shaken with fear, rage, and heartbreak. No one had ever trusted me like that before. And even if I didn’t understand everything she was carrying, I wanted to protect her in the only way I could. She became a friend to me in this time. She did not held back anything between us. Since we were already sharing secrets, she turned to me and asked softly, “Can I ask you something?”I had no idea what was coming, but I nodded anyway.Then came her question and for a moment, I forgot to breathe. “Did you come to the Alpha’s Ball?”I looked at her, stunned. There was no reason to lie. What difference would it make now?I nodded.Her eyes widened, and then she broke into a wide grin.
I stared at her, my throat dry. “And what if I don’t want to?”She smiled and it was worse than a threat. It was a promise.“You will return to the pack sooner or later. And when you do, you know exactly what awaits you.”Alyssa leaned in, her voice now a slow venomous drip.“Juno—no, Hector—he will punish you in ways you can’t even imagine. He will break you, Scarlet. You will be his wife, his property, his soulmate. Every breath will belong to him. And no one will stop it.”I felt something inside me crumble, just a little.“Kill Dante.” Her words sliced through the air. “Tonight. Or tomorrow, Alpha will accept Dante’s offer and hand you back. You will be dragged back in chains, Scarlet. Your silence will not save you. And your screams—” she smirked, “—they will be just the beginning.”I shivered. Not from the cold, but from the familiar darkness I thought I had escaped.“You think you can run?” Alyssa's voice slithered out like venom. “Even if you escape this pack, even if you fle
When I returned to the room, my breath was shallow and ragged, like I had been running for my life. In some ways, I had.Vespara looked up from the corner of the bed where she sat wrapped in silence, her eyes narrowing as soon as she saw me. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.I smiled.But it wasn’t the kind of smile one gives to reassure. It was the kind born of secrets, of plans stitched together in shadows. I had clarity now. I had a purpose. The destruction of the Moonlord pack wasn’t just revenge anymore, it was freedom. Solace. A beginning.I stepped closer. My voice dropped, quiet but steady. “Do you want to solidify your position as Beta?”She blinked, confused, frowning as if unsure she’d heard me right. “What?”I sat beside her, leaned in just enough for her to listen what I am going to say. If there are stronger wolves around us, they may listen to us. Dammit. I wish I could have a mind link right now. “On the outskirts of the Moonlord territory,” I
Warning: The few chapters contains sensitive content, including references to sexual assault, trauma, and emotional distress. Reader discretion is strongly advised. If you are sensitive to such topics or find them triggering, please proceed with caution or consider skipping this chapter.It seemed Alpha Dante had been helping Vespara with her preparations because he did not return all night. Vespara had already left along with many of the soldiers she came with. The house felt too quiet for its own good. I suddenly miss Dante and Vespara. Although Dante was avoiding me because he thinks I will pounce on him, which I planned to, but is on hold for now, I still miss him. It was just as the first ray of dawn broke across the sky when I heard movement outside the bedroom. My heart lifted for a moment. I thought it was Dante. I hadn’t seen him since the morning, and the idea of seeing him again gave me a fleeting sense of comfort.But when I stepped into the living room, it wasn’t Dante.
Hector grabbed me by the throat, his grip like a vice while choking the air out of my lungs.“You dared to call that bastard?” he growled, eyes gleaming with fury. “Let me show you who really owns you.”I clawed at his hand, struggling to breathe, my other hand desperately reaching behind me. My fingers brushed against the nightstand, searching for anything—something—to save myself. Then I felt it: a small glass vial. The poison. The one Alyssa had given me. It was the one meant for Dante. She had told me to pour it directly on his heart. It would kill him.But I wasn’t going to use it on Dante.As Hector bit into my skin, sinking his teeth with vicious hunger, I wrapped my fingers tightly around the bottle. My hand shook, but I didn’t hesitate. With one sudden motion, I uncorked it and poured the poison onto his back.He let out a bloodcurdling scream. It was inhuman, raw, guttural pain ripping through him. His skin hissed where the poison touched, like acid on flesh. I had never hea
Scarlet’s POVI couldn’t accept it. No… this thought, this looming truth, it couldn’t be real. I didn’t know what would become of me. My life was spiralling out of control, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. I clung to him, desperately, like a drowning soul latching onto driftwood in a stormy sea. I held him as tightly as I could, because if I let go… I would fall.He was the only solid thing left in my world. My anchor. My pillar of strength. Without him, I would shatter.My mind was muddled, scattered, lost in fear, lost in the crushing weight of tomorrow. My trembling fingers reached for him, again and again, needing to feel every inch of him. But it wasn’t enough. No closeness could be enough.I wanted to be closer. So close, I would melt into him. So close, I could seep beneath his skin, flow in his bloodstream, hide within his heartbeat.Because if I had to leave him tomorrow, I didn’t want to exist as a memory. I wanted to become a part of him. A piece he coul
Scarlet's POVBlood-stained, fury etched into every line of his face as eyes blazing with rage but when he saw me, curled up and naked, covered in wounds and shame, in his closet something in him shattered.His jaw clenched as he turned sharply toward the soldiers behind him.“Everyone. Out. Now,” he commanded, his voice deadly calm.Boots shuffled quickly out of the room. The door shut. Silence.Then he knelt.He reached for me, gently, as though I would break at his touch.But I recoiled, tears blurring my vision. I pushed at him, trembling. “Don’t… don’t touch me. I’m dirty…” My voice cracked. “I’m spoiled… stained. Dante, please… don’t…”“Hush,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms anyway, as if to shield me from the very air around us.I didn’t resist for long.I collapsed into him.And I cried. I cried like a child. He held me through it, against his soul, not letting go. Not once.I don’t know how long I cried. Only that he never stopped holding me.Then he carried me in his
Hector grabbed me by the throat, his grip like a vice while choking the air out of my lungs.“You dared to call that bastard?” he growled, eyes gleaming with fury. “Let me show you who really owns you.”I clawed at his hand, struggling to breathe, my other hand desperately reaching behind me. My fingers brushed against the nightstand, searching for anything—something—to save myself. Then I felt it: a small glass vial. The poison. The one Alyssa had given me. It was the one meant for Dante. She had told me to pour it directly on his heart. It would kill him.But I wasn’t going to use it on Dante.As Hector bit into my skin, sinking his teeth with vicious hunger, I wrapped my fingers tightly around the bottle. My hand shook, but I didn’t hesitate. With one sudden motion, I uncorked it and poured the poison onto his back.He let out a bloodcurdling scream. It was inhuman, raw, guttural pain ripping through him. His skin hissed where the poison touched, like acid on flesh. I had never hea
Warning: The few chapters contains sensitive content, including references to sexual assault, trauma, and emotional distress. Reader discretion is strongly advised. If you are sensitive to such topics or find them triggering, please proceed with caution or consider skipping this chapter.It seemed Alpha Dante had been helping Vespara with her preparations because he did not return all night. Vespara had already left along with many of the soldiers she came with. The house felt too quiet for its own good. I suddenly miss Dante and Vespara. Although Dante was avoiding me because he thinks I will pounce on him, which I planned to, but is on hold for now, I still miss him. It was just as the first ray of dawn broke across the sky when I heard movement outside the bedroom. My heart lifted for a moment. I thought it was Dante. I hadn’t seen him since the morning, and the idea of seeing him again gave me a fleeting sense of comfort.But when I stepped into the living room, it wasn’t Dante.
When I returned to the room, my breath was shallow and ragged, like I had been running for my life. In some ways, I had.Vespara looked up from the corner of the bed where she sat wrapped in silence, her eyes narrowing as soon as she saw me. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.I smiled.But it wasn’t the kind of smile one gives to reassure. It was the kind born of secrets, of plans stitched together in shadows. I had clarity now. I had a purpose. The destruction of the Moonlord pack wasn’t just revenge anymore, it was freedom. Solace. A beginning.I stepped closer. My voice dropped, quiet but steady. “Do you want to solidify your position as Beta?”She blinked, confused, frowning as if unsure she’d heard me right. “What?”I sat beside her, leaned in just enough for her to listen what I am going to say. If there are stronger wolves around us, they may listen to us. Dammit. I wish I could have a mind link right now. “On the outskirts of the Moonlord territory,” I
I stared at her, my throat dry. “And what if I don’t want to?”She smiled and it was worse than a threat. It was a promise.“You will return to the pack sooner or later. And when you do, you know exactly what awaits you.”Alyssa leaned in, her voice now a slow venomous drip.“Juno—no, Hector—he will punish you in ways you can’t even imagine. He will break you, Scarlet. You will be his wife, his property, his soulmate. Every breath will belong to him. And no one will stop it.”I felt something inside me crumble, just a little.“Kill Dante.” Her words sliced through the air. “Tonight. Or tomorrow, Alpha will accept Dante’s offer and hand you back. You will be dragged back in chains, Scarlet. Your silence will not save you. And your screams—” she smirked, “—they will be just the beginning.”I shivered. Not from the cold, but from the familiar darkness I thought I had escaped.“You think you can run?” Alyssa's voice slithered out like venom. “Even if you escape this pack, even if you fle
It was dinner time. Vespara didn’t want to go downstairs. Her face was pale and her shoulders curled inwards as if she was trying to disappear into herself. I didn’t ask why because her silence was answer enough. So, I offered to bring food up for both of us.She had confided in me. She had cried in my arms, shaken with fear, rage, and heartbreak. No one had ever trusted me like that before. And even if I didn’t understand everything she was carrying, I wanted to protect her in the only way I could. She became a friend to me in this time. She did not held back anything between us. Since we were already sharing secrets, she turned to me and asked softly, “Can I ask you something?”I had no idea what was coming, but I nodded anyway.Then came her question and for a moment, I forgot to breathe. “Did you come to the Alpha’s Ball?”I looked at her, stunned. There was no reason to lie. What difference would it make now?I nodded.Her eyes widened, and then she broke into a wide grin.
Scarlet's POVWhen we reached the room, Vespara sat silently on the corner of the bed, her back slightly hunched, her gaze lost somewhere in the space between the wall and the window. I watched her for a while, then finally asked, gently, “Do you want to talk about it?”She let out a breath, not quite a sigh, just air escaping from the cracks in her carefully guarded shell. “I don’t know,” she said. “What will I even say? What decision can I possibly make?” Her fingers tightened around the blanket beneath her.“If I keep the baby, my whole life turns upside down,” she whispered. “I will never become Beta. Rome will use it against me, call me weak, unfit, emotional. I will lose before I ever get the chance to fight. But if I don’t keep it—” her voice broke for a second, “—if I give up the baby for my future… how do I look at myself in the mirror after that? This baby is the only part of him I have left. The last piece of Killian. The last blood of Elizabeth. What do I do, Scarlet?”He
Scarlet's POV“This can’t be true! This can’t be true!” Vespara’s voice cracked as she stumbled back a step. “I can’t be pregnant!”She was panicking.I reached for her, wrapping my arms around her trembling body. “Calm down. Hey. Hey, it’s okay. It’s fine. I’m right here. You’re going to be okay.”Never in my life did I think I would see someone like Vespara who was always so fierce, so strong fall apart like this. But here she was, completely cracking. She looked terrified, like her entire world had just crumbled. What kind of weight did this pregnancy carry for her? Why was it shaking her so deeply?She clutched the counter for support. “How can I be pregnant?” she whispered again, and then her strength gave way. Her shoulders began to shake as tears streamed down her cheeks. She broke down, sobbing.I hugged her tighter. “Vespara… It’s okay. You don’t have to do this alone. If you’re not ready to be a mom, there are always other options. You can—”“No!” she cried, shaking her head