The wind was surprisingly calming, and my nerves were a lot more stable. I watched from the balcony, as some couples snuck into the garden and stole kisses. Giggling like children as they looked around if anyone had seen them.They couldn't see me, but I could see them so clearly from up here. Suddenly, I missed Iris. I wished she were here. I wished I could hold her like the couples down dare and not give a damn. It seemed like the moon goddess had heard my secret pleas and answered my prayers, because I could suddenly smell her. Or maybe it was all in my head. I was probably hallucinating. Then, the door behind me creaked open."Leigh!" She called out my name and I turned around to face her. My heart beating loudly in my chest. The moon goddess really did answer my prayers. Her smell was so aromatic and inviting that I wanted to hold her, but I contained myself. She probably wouldn't like that. I have been too hot headed with her, and she probably despised me. So I stayed put and di
I trudged through the hallway, my feet heavy with heartache. I felt like I had been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. Iris, the one person I thought understood me, and would pull me out of this despair, had willingly walked away with Chad. I thought our kiss had meant something. I wasn't going to let her go, but she let go of my hands instead and chose his.The pain of betrayal stung, leaving me feeling alone and vulnerable.As I turned a corner, I collided with Eleanor, who was standing in the hallway, a sly smile etched on her face."Hey, Leigh. I see you have been busy." She hummed as she spoke.I tried to brush past her because I was not in the mood for her shenanigans, but Eleanor caught my arm. "Talk to me, Leigh. Don't ignore me." She sneered and I could see her fangs.My phone chimed and I received a text from Nicolas.-We might get something tonight. I'll call you if we need you-I heaved a breath of relief as I read the text. At least something was going right
I groggily opened my eyes, only to be met with a piercing warn light that seeped through the curtains like a relentless intruder. I winced, covering my eyes with my palms."Ugh!" My head was throbbing uncontrollably, a relentless drumbeat that echoed through my skull and it was killing me. I tried to recall the events of the previous night, but my mind was a complete blank slate. What was I even doing yesterday? I couldn't recall a thing.As I shifted slightly, I noticed a figure on the bed beside me. My heart skipped a beat as I turned to face the stranger, only to be met with a familiar yet unexpected face. Eleanor's.We were both naked, our bodies entwined in a way that spoke of an intimacy I couldn't remember.Panic set in as my mind raced to fill in the gaps. How did we end up like this? What happened last night? I scrambled to piece together the fragmented memories, but they remained elusive. I just couldn't recall. Nothing would ever make me want to end up in this position with
"I cannot believe that you of all people could be so irresponsible." He sneered angrily at me.I blinked confused. Why the hell was he yelling at me?"What are you on about? I don't follow." I said confused."Seriously Leigh?" He glared at me. "Where the hell were you yesterday? I ringed you multiple times but you didn't pick up," he was obviously frustrated. "We needed your help but you weren't there. So please explain to me where the fuck you were?" He thundered and my memories came flooding back."Did you catch the culprit?" I asked immediately and he shot daggers at me with his eyes."No Leigh, we didn't. Because you bailed on us and now everything is a total mess." He half yelled when his eyes suddenly darted into the room. Eleanor had made a noise that caught his attention. He looked at her in utmost shock and he looked back at me. His eyes grew colder and I could see obvious disappointment in his eyes."Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your serious discussion." She chuckled."
I walked out with an unclear plan in my mind. Luckily, Nicolas came with me but he still wasn't speaking to me. I needed to see the crime scene to get a feel of what had transpired. I still cannot believe that something like that happened right in our household. A lot of powerful Pack masters were present, including Luka Lane. So what kind of strength did this criminals have? Who were they anyway and what the hell did they want?"Did you get to see their faces?" I asked Nicolas and he snubbed me. I stopped in my steps but he kept walking ahead as if I was invincible right now."Nicolas, are you really going to ignore me?" I said pained. He stopped and turned back to look at me."You did a really shitty thing Leigh. And with Eleanor too. What about Iris? Did you forget about her?" He seemed more pissed now than he was before."This thing with Eleanor was a big mistake. You know I would never.....""But you did anyway. I'm so disappointed. He scorned. He sighed as he ran his fingers acr
I placed a call to Dr Eli immediately. He was the only one I could talk to at the moment."Hello!" He said as he picked up."Dr Eli, I'm sure you must have heard the news already." I said immediately I heard his voice. "Can you tell me your opinion about this."He went quiet for a while. He seemed like he too was at a loss of words."Honestly," he began. "I have never imagined that they could be other S ranked Alphas who managed to skip the secondary gender evaluation. I'm not saying it's impossible to do that, but how could a whole army of them have skipped the evaluation and for what reason? I'm actually quite confused." He said with stress obvious in his voice.I had watched the CCTV footage from last night, and just like Nicolas had confirmed, they did have the fighting prowess of an S ranked Alpha, and to make it all worse, they had drugged the guests, meaning that there was an insider too. Gosh, all these was so frustrating to think about."So what you are saying now is that the
Chapter 81~ Iris POV ~After my encounter with the deranged Travis Rider in the corridor, I decided to head back to my room to rest up. Miss Eleanor had already excused me because she claimed that she had something important to do which I didn't ask about anyway. I was tired and exhausted. I needed time to think and clear my head. I felt bad too. Like really bad. Thinking about the kiss I shared with Leigh, honestly I liked it. No. I loved it, but I shouldn't. I shouldn't desire things that I know I cannot obtain because it would only lead to heart break and disappointment later on.As I walked down the dimly lit hallway leading to the servants quarters, suddenly, a firm grip grasped my arms, pulling me sideways into the shadows. I gasped, caught off guard, as my back was pressed against the cold wall. My heart skipped a beat as I found myself face to face with the man who had pulled me into the secluded corner."Archie?" I said surprised as I looked up at him properly. "What the hel
No. I couldn't just stay here like a coward. I needed to go and see for myself. So I stubbornly ran after him.As I ran after him, my curiosity and fear driving me forward, I saw the servants fleeing in panic, their faces etched with terror. And then, I saw them, the terrorists, clad in black, their movements swift and deadly as they took down our security personnel with ease as if they were cutting down grass.I saw Gina among the group of servants running towards my direction. She grabbed my arm, her grip tight as she pulled me along. "Run, Iris!" she yelled, and my feet started moving behind her, but we were quickly blocked by three more terrorists, their eyes gleaming with a hunger for violence.Gina positioned herself in front of me, her legs trembling despite her brave stance. "Stay behind me," she whispered, as the terrorists closed in."Grab these ones." One of the men ordered. My heart was beating fast and I could see Gina's legs shaking even as she stood in front of me.They
~ Leigh’s POV ~The world was a muffled, distorted echo. There was this constant rhythmic thumping hammering within the confines of my skull, like a relentless drumbeat that threatened to shatter the fragile remnants of my little consciousness. It was a dark and suffocating, a place where sound and sensation were twisted from reality. I was lost in unconsciousness and couldn’t seem to fight my way out of it as I kept floating without having any sensation except for pain that spread through my bones.I tried to grasp at the edges of my consciousness, to pull myself back from the abyss, but my efforts were futile. My eyelids were heavy as lead, refused to obey my commands. All I could see was an overwhelming darkness, a void that stretched endlessly before me. The thumping intensified in my brain, a relentless hammer against the inside of my skull, and I felt myself slipping further down and sinking deeper into the dark.A series of sounds began to penetrate the darkness. I heard muff
The servants led me to my chambers as they closed the heavy oak doors behind me, the soft click echoing the finality of my confinement. I sank onto the bed as I sighed. I was losing my mind at this point and I really wonder how long I can continue to suffer confinement like this. The room, though luxurious, felt like a cage, each ornate detail a reminder of my isolation. Luka Lane was keeping me prisoner and he says I’m to be his bride. What sort of bride am I even?I gazed around the room, my eyes tracing the intricate patterns of the wallpaper, the delicate porcelain figurines on the side of the room, the shimmering golden silk drapes that framed the tall windows. It was a beautiful prison indeed, a place of comfort and opulence, but a cell room nonetheless and I wanted to get out.My thoughts drifted to the upcoming mating ceremony, it seemed scary to me, an event that filled me with a sense of dread. Luka Lane, the pack master, my supposed betrothed. The very idea of marrying hi
I was feeling so frustrated and I didn’t even want to be here or do any of these. There was actually no use having me here since the head servant practically picked out everything herself. From the dress to shoes to the jewellery. I just sat there like a pile of nothing as my thoughts kept wandering around like someone lost. Well, I was lost. My memory was. After the hassle, we were finally done and the servants escorted me back to my room. It was like procession, as the servants walked in front of and behind me, as if shielding me from something dangerous. I felt suffocated and trapped here. "Could I… could I take a short walk?" I asked the head servant, my voice barely audible. I knew I wouldn’t be allowed, but I just wanted to try. "Just a brief look around the grounds? And we’ll be back.” I said innocently.But she shook her head. "I am afraid that would not be possible, Mistress Amore. Master Luka would not approve and he gave strict instructions to not let you wander."“But...
The air in the grand dressing room was thick, not with dust, but with the nerve wrenching sweetness of a hundred different floral perfumes, all battling for dominance to get to my nostrils. I was perched on a soft royal blue cushion, and I could feel the weight and pressure on my shoulders, though my mind was currently miles away, lost in the swirling, fragmented images of my dream. It was still a puzzle that I couldn’t quite piece together, so it bothered me so much. Much more than having to pick out the perfect dress for my mating ceremony.Around me, a flurry of activity unfolded, a meticulously choreographed dance of silks and laces as designers, with faces etched with practiced professional smiles and a hint of desperation, paraded their creations before me, sampling them as the best of the best for the occasion. Each gown was a masterpiece of its own, having intricate beadings and embroidery, meant to enhance my beauty for the upcoming mating ceremony. But to me, they were just…
"Betrothed?" I repeated extremely surprised, it possibly can’t be true. Isn’t he too..too old? "But aren't you… aren't you old enough to be my father?" I asked him.His eyes narrowed at me as the grey turned to ice. "You had no problems with it before. Besides, you have been betrothed to me since your birth." He sounded a bit annoyed as he spoke."But…" I tried to counter, but the words got caught in my throat as he cut me off, his voice sharper and firmer this time.“I won't blame you for the misunderstanding this time Amore. You got into an accident and lost your memory. It happens. Anyway, our mating ceremony is in a few days. I do not wish to postpone it. You better get yourself ready." He turned away and dismissed me with a wave of his hand. I stood there, completely frozen, unable to process his words. Betrothed to him? To a man who could easily be my father? He was handsome, undeniably so, with his sharp features and piercing grey eyes, but the thought of marrying him… it was
The morning light filtering through large windows didn’t make me feel as excited much. It was just like any other day, just like the rest I had spent here. Days and nights has passed by like a continuous endless cycle. A cycle of sleep, bland meals delivered by silent servants, and endless waiting. They all called me ‘Mistress,’ yet I had no recollection of who I was, what this place was, or why I was even here. All I knew was that the servants, though unfailingly polite, were also all awfully tight lipped that it grated on my nerves so much that I felt like pulling my hair some times.“The Master will see you soon and tell you everything you need to know Mistress." They would say, as their eyes evaded mine.Frustration clawed at my chest and I yearned for answers, for a glimpse of the outside world too. The door was always locked when they left, as if they wanted to mock my imprisonment. Why was I even imprisoned here? These questions I couldn’t answer. I scrambled to my feet as my
~ Iris POV ~The first thing that I was aware of was the sound around me. A low unfamiliar hum, like a distant buzzing in my ear. Then voices, muffled and indistinct, like words spoken under water. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt heavy, glued shut with heavy weights. It took a lot of effort, a desperate struggle against the thick pressure that seemed to surround me to finally peer them open.Finally, a sliver of light pierced the darkness, and I blinked, the sudden assault of bright light in my eyes making me to wince and recoil, shutting my eyelids once again. I heard a gasp, a soft, feminine voice, and then a flurry of movement. “She’s awake.” The soft voice said."Get the master quick!" another voice, sharper and more urgent commanded and I could hear clattering around as people moved about. I struggled to open my eyes again to see the people making the sounds, but the light intensified, blinding me again. I squeezed my eyes shut, groaning softly from the sudden sting
So he was dead? Everything he selfishly desired were gone just like that. I moved closer to him as I transformed to my human form. I held his lifeless body as I sobbed. I just couldn’t control the tears as they streamed down. No matter what, and no matter how I claimed to hate him, Chad was still my brother. The one I wished so badly to be close to as a child that I never doubted him. Even as I grew up, I still secretly wished to be accepted by him and father. I was bitter, and full of hatred, but I had never imagined that I would end up killing him with my own hands. I sobbed even harder, holding his lifeless body closer to me.“I hope in your next life you can have a better heart and stop thinking so negatively that you feel you would have to deceive and use others.” I said with a broken heart as I shut his eyes with my hands. I could hear the ringing of my phone at the corner, probably fell there when my clothes ripped as I transformed. I laid him carefully on the ground as I
The air crackled with an unseen energy as Chad transformed. His veins bulged beneath his skin, each muscle rippling with raw power. This was not the frail wolf he used to be, but a monster advanced by cursed medicine and as he would call it, ‘science’.The wolf let out a guttural roar, a sound that seemed to shake the very ground beneath our feet, and he charged at me with a deadly strike.I rolled, dodging the initial attack, I retaliated, a flurry of punches and kicks aimed at the beast he had become, but it was like hitting a wall of granite. He sidestepped, his movements fluid and graceful despite its size, and retaliated with a swipe of its massive claw. His body seemed to be adapting to all my attacks and countering them as he grew stronger with every strike.I barely managed to deflect the blow, the air whistling past my ear as his claws raked across my arm. A sharp pain exploded through me. I gritted my teeth, adrenaline surging through my veins.My men were also being ove