DianaMy limbs trembled as I struggled to get to my feet, but every movement seemed clumsy and unsteady. My chest ached from the way my heartbeat had raced so wildly moments ago.I didn’t know how much longer I could bear this burden of guilt. It was beginning to seep into every part of me, eating away at my thoughts and emotions. The fact that Asher hadn’t figured it out yet felt like a miracle, but it also felt like I’d committed some unforgivable crime—well, logically, I had—but it was more than that. I felt like I was slowly destroying myself from the inside out.Everything seemed bigger in my mind, every thought spiraled into something I couldn’t control. I hated myself for the lies I couldn’t untangle.More than anything, I wanted to confess. I wanted to unburden myself, to share the truth with him, to let it all out and stop pretending that I was okay. But the thought of seeing disappointment—or worse, hatred—in his eyes stopped me every time.I always told myself I was doing t
DianaAfter the call with Marcus, my mind spiraled, consumed by thoughts I couldn’t escape. A heavy foreboding settled over me.Marcus was right—I had been dragging this out for too long, and it was beginning to unravel me. The longer I delayed, the harder it seemed.My thoughts shifted into planning mode and my fingers pinched the skin between my thumb and forefinger in an attempt to focus. What I had against Eddie was damning enough to destroy him—if Asher would believe me. That was the catch. A tingling sensation spread through my chest. It was a combination of anxiety and fear.A darker thought crept in, chilling me to the bone. The shock of my lies would devastate him. If he knew I wasn’t Lila, he might never have touched me. He might even search for Lila’s body, wherever it was, just to give her the proper rites as custom demanded.I knew he wouldn’t take my confession lightly. Asher was a king who ruled by principles, and I’d broken them all. He would punish me—of that, I had
Diana"I'm afraid the boys will have to sleep over tonight," Dr. Thomas explained. "Even though we've removed the poison from their system, we need to keep them under supervision for a while to make sure they are fully recovered.""Oh, of course. Whatever is best for them. Do whatever it takes to make sure they are okay," Asher said while I stood by the door.Asher's eyes met mine and held. I looked away. His anger had subsided, and I knew he was remorseful for yelling at me earlier—I could see it in the way he looked at me.I was even angrier with myself for reacting to his scolding in that manner. If I could feel so bad that he scolded me for something I could take the blame for—after all, I was the one who made dinner—how much worse would it be when the big truth comes to light?I was acting overly spoiled and entitled to an apology I didn’t deserve."Mom! Dad!" Josh called out. I rushed toward him immediately, going over to hug him."Hey, strong champ. How do you feel now?""I fee
Diana I leaned into Asher, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest as he toyed with my hair. His genand the way his fingers traced through the strands, made me feel so loved and cherished. That ws whyrt so much that he got mad at me. The contrast between his anger and his tenderness was jarring, and I struggled to reconcile it.“There’s not reI atey much to say, other than the fact that I grew up in a dysfunctional home. My mom was always cheating, and my dad…well, he just pretended not to notice. Whenever they weren’t around, which was most of the time, they left me with the nanny. She didn’t even have time for me.momentarilya kid, and I was left to figure things out on my own.”He paused, his fingers slowing in my hair as though caught in the mem ory. “I almost died when I was eight. Ate something I wasn’t supposed to eat—no one was watching me.”My heart clenched as he spoke. Compassion washed over me, off-timingenly understood his reaction.“I’m so sorry,” I said softly.H
DianaMy knuckles were raw and bloodied from the assault. I was consumed by intense anger, feeling like it was burning out of control inside me. I couldn’t stop myself as I unleashed my fury on Lisa.A small part of me feared that she might somehow overpower me, but that fear was drowned out by my deadly rage.How could anyone in their right mind do this to children? Innocent children who had done nothing wrong. It was unforgivable.Curled up on the floor, she tried to shield herself from more harm. My breath came in ragged gasps, and I glared at her with nothing but raw hatred.Blood trickled from a cut above her brow, staining her cheek and pooling at the corner of her swollen lips. Her bruised eye fluttered weakly, struggling to open and focus on me.“You’re going to kill me,” she whispered hoarsely,
"I'm not going to pretend anymore, Diana. I stopped loving you the moment I laid eyes on my mate. I want a divorce."Marcus’s words cut through me like a knife. I had just stepped out of the kitchen, exhausted from hours of preparing a special dinner to celebrate our anniversary. At first, I thought he was joking, as he often did. I let out a laugh and wiped the sweat from my forehead, trying to shake off the strange feeling creeping into my gut.“Nice try, but that’s impossible. Everyone knows you can’t function without me,” I teased, expecting his usual grin.But Marcus didn’t smile. He stood there, stone-faced, and I felt a chill run through me.“You can’t be serious, Marc. It’s our fifth wedding anniversary. I’ve been cooking all day, and I even bought new lingerie for later tonight. Please tell me this is a joke.”My voice cracked as I spoke, and my heart pounded in my chest. The truth hit me minutes later when Marcus explained everything to me. Not only did he have a mate, but h
If there was one word that could describe the Lycan King’s estate, it was "perfect."Marcus had done well for himself, owning factories that manufactured building materials. But standing here, taking in the beauty of the place made Marcus’s success seem like a joke.The guards drove me into the capital district, and the air felt thick with power and money. Every corner held evidence of extreme wealth—luxurious villas and large, endless estates. I questioned my sanity for being here, wondering what kind of mess I had stumbled into, yet I couldn't ignore the beauty of the pack grounds.The van pulled to a stop in front of the estate’s centerpiece: an alpha’s mansion—no, a castle, gleaming under the sunlight with its white marble walls. It looked like a beautiful painting come to life. My legs felt like they weren’t mine as I stepped down, guided by the guards.We approached the grand entrance, and the doorman’s face brightened the moment he spotted me. "Your majesty! Thank the heavens y
The food sat untouched on my plate as I kept my hands folded in my lap. The king and his sons devoured their food with all the enthusiasm in the world, while I could barely look at mine. Every hunger pang I’d felt over the past four days vanished and left me numb.What the hell had I gotten myself into? Sitting here, pretending to be a woman I had never even met, while the stranger across from me—who happened to be my mate—believed I was his wife. The gods had one twisted sense of humor.And it didn’t help that his mere presence made my blood burn with a heat I couldn’t ignore. His gaze lingered on me with such intensity that made me squirm.Each look felt like an invisible hand, grazing along my skin and digging deep into places that hadn’t felt desire in ages. I’d barely survived my divorce, and here I was, feeling an attraction so intense that it hurt.How did I, a newly divorced and publicly humiliated woman, end up tangled in feelings for another man this fast?The longer I s
DianaMy knuckles were raw and bloodied from the assault. I was consumed by intense anger, feeling like it was burning out of control inside me. I couldn’t stop myself as I unleashed my fury on Lisa.A small part of me feared that she might somehow overpower me, but that fear was drowned out by my deadly rage.How could anyone in their right mind do this to children? Innocent children who had done nothing wrong. It was unforgivable.Curled up on the floor, she tried to shield herself from more harm. My breath came in ragged gasps, and I glared at her with nothing but raw hatred.Blood trickled from a cut above her brow, staining her cheek and pooling at the corner of her swollen lips. Her bruised eye fluttered weakly, struggling to open and focus on me.“You’re going to kill me,” she whispered hoarsely,
Diana I leaned into Asher, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest as he toyed with my hair. His genand the way his fingers traced through the strands, made me feel so loved and cherished. That ws whyrt so much that he got mad at me. The contrast between his anger and his tenderness was jarring, and I struggled to reconcile it.“There’s not reI atey much to say, other than the fact that I grew up in a dysfunctional home. My mom was always cheating, and my dad…well, he just pretended not to notice. Whenever they weren’t around, which was most of the time, they left me with the nanny. She didn’t even have time for me.momentarilya kid, and I was left to figure things out on my own.”He paused, his fingers slowing in my hair as though caught in the mem ory. “I almost died when I was eight. Ate something I wasn’t supposed to eat—no one was watching me.”My heart clenched as he spoke. Compassion washed over me, off-timingenly understood his reaction.“I’m so sorry,” I said softly.H
Diana"I'm afraid the boys will have to sleep over tonight," Dr. Thomas explained. "Even though we've removed the poison from their system, we need to keep them under supervision for a while to make sure they are fully recovered.""Oh, of course. Whatever is best for them. Do whatever it takes to make sure they are okay," Asher said while I stood by the door.Asher's eyes met mine and held. I looked away. His anger had subsided, and I knew he was remorseful for yelling at me earlier—I could see it in the way he looked at me.I was even angrier with myself for reacting to his scolding in that manner. If I could feel so bad that he scolded me for something I could take the blame for—after all, I was the one who made dinner—how much worse would it be when the big truth comes to light?I was acting overly spoiled and entitled to an apology I didn’t deserve."Mom! Dad!" Josh called out. I rushed toward him immediately, going over to hug him."Hey, strong champ. How do you feel now?""I fee
DianaAfter the call with Marcus, my mind spiraled, consumed by thoughts I couldn’t escape. A heavy foreboding settled over me.Marcus was right—I had been dragging this out for too long, and it was beginning to unravel me. The longer I delayed, the harder it seemed.My thoughts shifted into planning mode and my fingers pinched the skin between my thumb and forefinger in an attempt to focus. What I had against Eddie was damning enough to destroy him—if Asher would believe me. That was the catch. A tingling sensation spread through my chest. It was a combination of anxiety and fear.A darker thought crept in, chilling me to the bone. The shock of my lies would devastate him. If he knew I wasn’t Lila, he might never have touched me. He might even search for Lila’s body, wherever it was, just to give her the proper rites as custom demanded.I knew he wouldn’t take my confession lightly. Asher was a king who ruled by principles, and I’d broken them all. He would punish me—of that, I had
DianaMy limbs trembled as I struggled to get to my feet, but every movement seemed clumsy and unsteady. My chest ached from the way my heartbeat had raced so wildly moments ago.I didn’t know how much longer I could bear this burden of guilt. It was beginning to seep into every part of me, eating away at my thoughts and emotions. The fact that Asher hadn’t figured it out yet felt like a miracle, but it also felt like I’d committed some unforgivable crime—well, logically, I had—but it was more than that. I felt like I was slowly destroying myself from the inside out.Everything seemed bigger in my mind, every thought spiraled into something I couldn’t control. I hated myself for the lies I couldn’t untangle.More than anything, I wanted to confess. I wanted to unburden myself, to share the truth with him, to let it all out and stop pretending that I was okay. But the thought of seeing disappointment—or worse, hatred—in his eyes stopped me every time.I always told myself I was doing t
Asher The violent anger surged through me and was impossible to control or ignore. My blood roared in my ears listening to Eddie give flimsy excuses for beating up a woman. My knuckles cracked audibly as I clenched my fists and leaned forward from my throne. His smug face made my fists itch, and I welcomed the idea of teaching him a lesson he wouldn’t forget."By the gods, Eddie, have you gone crazy?" I said instead, trying to suppress my anger. "It's not what you think. She's been very trying. She wouldn’t listen to me, and she keeps questioning my authority.""Is that enough reason to beat her? Have you ever seen me lift a hand against the queen, no matter how much she provokes me? You keep making cowardly excuses instead of dealing with whatever is eating you up instead of throwing tantrums when things don’t go his way. Are you sure you're even worthy of being my Beta?""It hasn't gotten to that," he mumbled."Oh, yes, it has. Don't question my judgment,” I snapped. “I will not
Diana "I was stupid," Marcus admitted, sounding regretful. "Extremely stupid to let you go. I didn’t even realize you were the life force behind my success as an Alpha. You left, and everything turned against me. Karma slapped me in the face. Tessa and I don’t even see eye to eye, and she lost the baby. I was fooled by the bond."My mouth widened in surprise. For a moment, I wasn’t sure how to respond. A part of me wanted to laugh because, honestly, they deserved every ounce of misfortune coming their way. Marcus, Tessa, and even his pack—none of them had stood by me when I was banished, reduced from Luna to a discarded wife.But there was another part of me, a more tempered side, that held back. While I felt no sympathy for Marcus or Tessa, the loss of an innocent life wasn’t something to celebrate. It was a tragedy, regardless of who it happened to."Sorry for your loss," I said, my tone cold and detached.Marcus nodded solemnly, taking the hit without protest. "In my next life, I
Diana After talking to Marcus, I decided to give myself some rest. There wasn’t much I could do other than wait. He had assured me he would be at the hotel. In the afternoon, I decided to call the boys to distract myself from my wandering thoughts. They were staying with Vera, and because seeing their faces always brought me comfort, I FaceTimed them, hoping for a bit of lightheartedness.“Mom, look!” Jaden exclaimed excitedly, holding up a box of homemade pizza. “It’s so good! I can’t get enough of it. I’m sure I’m going to turn into pizza and smell like it all day!”I couldn’t help but laugh. “You better eat in moderation, young man! Save the rest for later—and don’t forget to save some for Mommy too!”Jaden grinned mischievously, then handed the phone to Josh, who was sitting beside Diana. To my surprise, Diana was playing with him. Josh’s face lit up, and it was clear how much he enjoyed her attention.“Oh, Vera, I can’t thank you enough,” I said, my heart feeling lighter. “At l
DianaI couldn’t stop pacing around the room. My mind raced nerves and anxiety that refused to let me sit still. The end was coming; I could feel it in every fiber of my being.Asher was starting to piece things together, and his suspicions grew by the day. I needed to act quickly, to gather more forces to my side before it was too late. Eddie was relentless, determined to see this through, and I knew he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.This wasn’t just some petty feud against me anymore; it had spiraled into something far bigger. He wanted to take the kingdom from Asher, and his ambition was a fire that burned brighter with every passing moment. This power play could destroy everything.What terrified me the most was the possibility that Eddie might have figured out about Marcus. The mere thought sent chills down my spine. How did he find out? Who told him?Maybe Marcus had seen the pictures of Lila scattered throughout the castle. Perhaps those images had stirred somet