KALILA POV"I'll take it from here," Ares said, dismissing the others with a wave of his hand. The sound of retreating footsteps faded away, and soon after, another set of footsteps approached the cage. Ares grasped the bars tightly and spoke slowly, his voice low and menacing, "I know you're awake, Dahlia."I lay still, trying not to betray any movement that would confirm his suspicion. But inwardly, I was trembling with fear. Maybe I hadn't thought this through enough. Ares was not only wicked and heartless, but he was also smart, and I was afraid I had underestimated him. I heard the sound of a lock snapping, and the cage door creaked open as Ares stepped inside.He didn't say anything for a moment, and I wondered if he was staring down at me, waiting for me to make a move. I didn't dare open my eyes, not even for a second. Suddenly, his warm fingers brushed my hair aside, and I couldn't help but squirm at his touch.In an instant, I knew I had made a mistake. A huge hand grasped
ARES POV As I tried to take a breather from all the attention, Alpha Lance approached me. "Ares," his deep voice called out."Alpha Lance, you're looking very well," I complimented."And you look even better," he replied."I'm younger," I joked.We both laughed and as it died down, he continued, "There isn't much to say today because it's about you. Congratulations, Alpha Ares." He patted me on the shoulders and walked away.I made my way to the VIP section, where the elders of my pack were seated, waiting to crown me. We exchanged greetings, and I was relieved that I had finally acknowledged everyone."Look at him," a voice said from behind, and I turned sharply."Uncle Lawrence!" I cried, embracing him."I was with your father when you were born," he said."Please don't start, Uncle Lawrence," I interjected, knowing he was about to launch into his favourite story about my birth."It had been a stormy night!" he began.I tuned him out, knowing every detail of the story. He finally e
Kalila’s POV:I heard roars and thunderous applause from above. It was apparent to me that the ceremony had either started or finished. There was a slight chance that Ares was not already rolling on the floor and clutching his stomach, maybe even coughing out blood. That would have been a wonderful sight to behold if my freedom from this world didn't depend on his life."Nova! Help me out; what do I do?" I asked in a panic.Time was running out, and with each passing second, my anxiety and heart rate increased. The previous night, time seemed to have been crawling by, but now, it was racing with the speed of a cheetah."Come to think of it, staying here with me is not so bad after all," Nova replied."Nova!" I exclaimed, frustrated.That was her way of saying that my situation was utterly helpless. I looked around the corners of the cell, not fully aware of what I was looking for. A gap? A hole? A crack in the walls? I honestly didn't know."Nova, when does my... when does Dahlia's wo
KALILA POV A minute later, I rushed into the bedroom and approached the bathroom. It would have been a disgrace if I appeared in the hall with the same stench and dirt that clung to me from the dungeon. I took a quick shower and emerged two minutes later to another thunderous ovation. I hastened my pace, eager to join the festivities. Since the day I had gone shopping, I hadn't seen the clothes I bought, and I had no idea where Ares had kept them. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had thrown or burnt them away. I swung open the wardrobe and found the gowns I had purchased. Without marvelling at Ares's thoughtfulness or the beauty of the dresses, I grabbed a black one and slipped it on. I quickly located my white heels and shoved my feet into them. As I rushed out of the bedroom, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.Shit! I looked terrible. My hair was a mess, and I had no makeup on. I remembered Ares's words about not just being a Luna but also looking like one. Damn him. H
ARES POVShe had saved me! Dahlia had really saved me!At first, I was in shock, but I had to act quickly. I didn't know if I had been quick enough to instruct the guards to seal the exits. The culprit or culprits had probably gotten away while the Omega was tasting the wine. Oh, shit! I had messed up this time. My shock shifted into anger, and I saw the look on Uncle Lawrence's face. His face was completely ashen. It was apparent he had been shaken by the incident."Fucking piece of shit!" I cursed under my breath. "Everything is ruined. Let me get my hands on those bastards, and I'll wring their necks with my bare hands.""Guess who came to rescue?" Leo asked mockingly. But I couldn't silence him this time. He had every right to ridicule me.I looked at the Omega, and her face turned pale blue. That would have been me, lying dead, with a blue face. It would have also been Dahlia if I hadn't stopped her from drinking the wine. But was she actually going to drink it? It was very likel
ARES POV"It's fine. The spy or whoever did this will be caught," I said, sounding more confident than I felt. There was a bigger chance that the search being conducted was all in vain. If someone was smart enough to have poisoned my drink, they must have been smart enough to get out at the slightest sign of danger - which was Dahlia's first shout the moment she entered the hall. However, I still couldn't tell how she knew about the poisoned wine. She had been in the dungeon; it wasn't adding up.Frowning, I turned to Dahlia, her face still contorted with anger, and I doubted that I could get anything out of her in that mood, but I tried anyway.Leaving Wendy, I went over to her and circled her wrist tightly, leading her to a small room that served as an emergency meeting room for me, Jeremy, and James sometimes. She resisted, so I had to drag her almost half the way and tried to be gentle to avoid anyone noticing."Where are you taking me?" she asked, trying to break my grip in a fr
ARES’S POVSlowly, the event started to break up, and guests began to exit the hall, some in pairs and others alone. I scanned the crowd, searching for Jeremy and Uncle Lawrence, but only James caught my eye, and I recalled Uncle Lawrence telling me he had an emergency to attend to, so he had left even before I was about to get poisoned. I motioned for James to come closer."Where's Jeremy?" I asked, my voice tense."He's somewhere outside. It's hard to gauge the guests' mood right now. They seem shocked, perhaps even angry," James replied, his voice filled with uncertainty.I know exactly what mood I was in, I thought to myself, dismissing James. I stood in silence, observing the remaining guests as they departed. Anger coursed through my veins for two distinct reasons. First, the obvious one: an anonymous individual or group had attempted to kill me and, in the process, sabotaged my coronation. Another part of me simmered with frustration over the brief confrontation between Dahlia
ARES POVThe following day, I sat in my study, engrossed in a pile of papers Jeremy had sent me. I had no desire to go to the office or engage with outsiders. Just as I lit my third cigarette, a gentle knock resonated on the wooden door, followed by the entry of a maid."Good morning, Alpha Ares. Mr Lawrence has just arrived. Shall I bring him in now?" she asked."Of course," I replied.She hurriedly exited, leaving the door slightly ajar, and Uncle Lawrence stepped into the room. He appeared as lively as ever, donning a dashing blue suit."Uncle," I said, rising to shake his hand."Ares, my boy," he smiled as he shook my hand, then grimaced after he had sat down. "I heard everything that happened at the coronation. Goodness me! I apologise I couldn't stay long. Something came up, and I had to attend to it urgently.""Oh, stop it, uncle," I dismissed his apology with a wave of my hand. "Why are you apologising? It was a disaster, after all."I rang the bell on my desk, and an instant