ROSANNEStanding before my round mirror became a daily habit.I'd stare at it and mock myself for being ridiculous, for aiming too high and daring to dream. I did the same today, but there was something different: the will to fight for my dream. ‘Pick up the broken shards and begin again. This isn't the end.’ Emerald's voice was loud and clear, but can I really do this? Alone? ‘You have me.’ Her reply warmed up my heart, but I was still conflicted, confused, bothered. Staring down at my flat tummy, I caressed it and felt the smooth skin beneath my palm. Sometimes, I wondered if Mikahli should be aware of my pregnancy. He married me to become his breeder, not a Luna. If he finds out about my pregnancy, I'd be nothing but a machine for kids. He'd fuck me into a mess until the whole pack house Is filled with pups. He doesn't have to find out about this. He wouldn't find out about it. A soft knock on my door pulled me from my reverie. I covered up my tummy with my blue pajamas and tu
MIKHAILMy breeder was quite full of surprises. It took me several nights to figure I didn't want her out of my sight just yet. She was mine to devour, mine to fuck, mine to enslave. Divorcing her meant signing an approval of her freedom—which was unlike me. Luna or not, she belonged to me. She was my property, my tool for pleasure. What made her different from other women was still a complicated puzzle I couldn't understand, but each time she moaned, my wolf—Lex—went berserk. She'd barged into my office in her blue wash jeans and white T-shirt. Determination swirled in her amber eyes like she was damn sure I'd sign those papers, but reality was a game I loved to role with. It hits you hard with a brutal blow. “Why did you shred the papers?” Her voice trembled as her eyes lingered on the papers on my desk. “You asked me to sign them. You asked for a divorce. You brought it up.” Her voice kept rising to a higher octave like she was gradually losing it. Losing her patience. “You….y
ROSANNEImmediately I got back to my room, I slammed the door hard and made a beeline for my bathroom. My stomach turned and twisted. My knees could barely hold my legs. I had no idea if it was due to the scent of the Quiche Lorraine which still assaulted my nostrils, or Mikhail's creepy threats. Either reason it was, my face was buried in the sink, the sound of me puking my guts out filling the air. I felt sick, cheated and used. Splashing some water on my face, I stared at the mirror and tried not to cry. I had clung unto the invisible wings of hope when I took those divorce papers to Mikhail's office. I had thought I'd finally get my freedom and my life back. The mere thought of being away from this suffocating pack made me giddy and excited, but Mikhail shattered that hope. He made my life miserable with every chance he got. I figured he was enjoying this. He made me soar high only for him to crumble my wings and burn them to ashes. Perhaps he never wanted to have a divorce,
MIKHAILThe last time I cried was twenty years ago. I lost my mother at a tender age. During her funeral, she was offered one of the prettiest spaces to be laid to rest, but I didn't want her out of my sight. She loved flowers. Butterflies. Gardens. To make sure she was happy in the underworld, I made a garden myself, filled it with her favorite flowers and asked her to be buried there. Over the years, I only allowed a particular maid to make sure the flowers were watered. I didn't want anyone else in there. But my breeder walked in there. I had seen her touching the flowers like she owned it. Ross smiled with her eyes closed and basked in the warmth of the sunlight. Unlike the rage I felt each time someone trespassed, I was amused, sucked in like a moth to a flame. Strangely, she reminded me of my mother. But I still had to punish her.I'd always have a reason to punish her. Irene kept staring at me, but I had more important things to do: teaching my prey the exact reason pe
ROSANNE His voice still haunted me. The way he touched me, oh God. It still made my nerve endings tingle and stir. Mikhail literally tortured me, made me beg to be fucked, and I hated how my body responded to his burning touch. ‘He’s a monster.’ I tried to remind myself. I shouldn't feel this way with someone so cunning and manipulative, but my body craved his warmth. Merely thinking about it made me feel shudders of pleasure. Days passed by in a blur with me spending most of my time in my room. The walls were starting to suffocate me, but it was better than stepping outside only for the beast to devour me. As much as I tried not to recall the memories of that brutal afternoon, it kept replaying in my head. And it made me hate him even more that he could control my body this way. Breakfast went smoothly today. At least, I was able to eat a few spoons without puking my guts out. I munched down on some hamburger and cheese as I watched the pack warriors fight. I had always love
MIKHAIL“Don't tell me you're actually going to send her on a hunt with Irene.” Landon’s voice echoed behind me. He walked right after me as we headed into the woods. Hadn't seen Ross in days, but her scent still lingered, even now like she was here. “It's a pack festival, what could go wrong.” I turned to stare at my brother, who was unusually worried about my breeder. Each time he was intensely worried, he'd furrow his brows and unconsciously clench his right fist. I stared downwards, tracing past his pants and fixed my gaze on his balled fist. “She has to hunt.” I glanced at my other brother, Xavier. He was so busy with his phone, I badly felt like punching him hard to reset his brain or something. “Xavier.” I hardened my voice and he paused, raising his calm eyes to stare at me. “Is something the matter?” “Put the fucking phone down.” Landon and I snapped at the same time, drawing a slight chuckle from my lips. Xavier slipped his phone into his pants and raised his hands in the
ROSANNE“I can't believe it.” I exhaled loudly, walking through the dense woods in my tank top and thick, skinny jeans. Tall trees rose out of the earth to brush the skies and sun dappled leaves created flickering shadows on the ground. I'd been walking for almost half an hour now, but I kept walking around in circles, bumping into the same mark I made on a tree several minutes ago. A small groan escaped my lips as I ran my fingers through my hair, messing it up. Mikhail wasn't just despicable and excessively naughty, he was such a pain in the ass. I heard the news of the hunt quite late, and when I figured he'd chosen me as well, I almost went berserk. I wasn't going to give in to him so easily. Caressing the rough bark of a tall tree, I inhaled sharply and willed myself to continue this journey. I had to find a rouge. I had to kill a rouge. “looking for something?” A familiar voice made a shudder run down my spine. I turned swiftly, meeting pale green eyes and fiery red hair—wh
MIKHAIL“There's a situation, Alpha Mikhail. It's been eight hours. Four men returned to the pack with a rogue each, six of them came empty handed, but we've not seen Irene and your breeder.” Since the pack warrior walked into my office, it was the first time I raised my head to stare at him. “What do you mean? Didn't you have CCTV camera’s stationed at some corners to ensure they were safe?” “All we heard was a loud growl before everything went dark. We lost the signal to the video as well.” Shit. I closed up the file I'd been staring at for a while and pushed my weight off the black leather chair. The pack warrior and I rushed outside my office, taking long strides towards the training field. If I had to find Irene and Ross, I'd need a few of my strongest men to get the job done.Almost immediately, as soon as I got there, a familiar red head collapsed on the ground with a dead rouge a few meters away from her. She got up again, dragged the rouge, but she had so many cuts and wo
ROSANNE “I'm glad you're much stronger now.” Reaching for Anita's hands, I gave it a light squeeze. Her lips bloomed into a small smile. Anita's face was still a little pale. She looked frail, unhealthy, but she'd stepped down from the stairs alone. She'd eaten breakfast and lunch without puking her guts out. “I heard you saved my life.” “I just got the herbs you needed.” “You risked your life and your baby's.”“That's what friends do for each other, isn't it?” “Sisters.” Anita's smile widened. “Friends might not go to that extent, but sisters would do it a thousand times for each other.” No argument, she was right. It'd just been a few days since I last stepped out of this abandoned, shaky house. Axel had told me the patrols became even more strict, and people were more eager to find me. Soon, they'd be knocking on that damned door to get me out. Yvonne stepped out of the kitchen, wiping a sheen of sweat from her forehead. Wearing a brown apron we'd found in this house, s
MIKHAILThe hall was filled with Alpha after Alpha. Some stood with arms crossed, waiting to hear what I had to say. Others shifted uncomfortably, their eyes flickering with fear. None of them dared speak first.I stood before them, hands clenched at my sides, rage boiling just beneath the surface."She is a traitor," I said, my voice sharp like broken glass. "Rosanne. My mate. My wife."Murmurs stirred among them."She ran from me," I continued. "She took my child with her. And any of you who dare to shelter her will suffer the wrath of the crown."I threw the bounty file down on the long table, the signature of me, the Lycan King pressed scrambled boldly. "Find her, bring her back. Alive."The words tasted like poison.Somewhere inside, I hoped she would be dragged in, bloodied and breathing, just so I could see her again. I wanted to shake her. I wanted to hold her. I wanted to demand why she left me—and maybe, if she cried enough, I'd even forgive her.But none of that mattered he
ROSANNEBy dawn, Anita suddenly started burning up. Axel had barged into our room to get our attention.While Yvonne and I checked her out, we realized her breathing was shallow, and her pulse? It felt weak. “She has a fever.” Yvonne whispered slowly, her palm resting on Anita's temple. “She just needs to rest, it's nothing serious.” “What if it's the wolfsbane?” Axel asked, his lips pressed together in a tight line. “What if the wolfsbane in her system did this to her?” “Then—”“She needs some herbs.” Axel’s voice rang out. He was leaning on the slightly cracked wall, his brows furrowed with worry. “Tyland herbs, right?”Axel nodded. “I'll go get it, it shouldn't be far off.” Yvonne looked up, her expression tired but. “They’re checking out women now. The patrols are getting smarter, they’re sniffing out pregnant females, checking faces. If you step out of here, you might risk more than your own life. You might risk hers too.” She nodded toward the bed, where Anita shifted sli
CHAPTER 72 MIKHAILThe silence in the hall was maddening.It wasn’t peaceful, it wasn't calming. It was slowly killing me, slowly driving me insane—more like the walls were closing in on me, the silence creeping into my bones. It felt like I could hear her voice in it, like her laugh was somewhere in the still air and I could almost taste her. But she wasn’t here.Rosanne.“You’re losing yourself,” Hudson muttered from the other end of the room.I turned, slowly. “Have they returned?”“No.”Of course they hadn’t.Only one of the scouts I sent to the borders had returned, but I'd heard nothing from the three spies I sent to the nearby rogue territories. From a source, I figured out that Anita and the girl she escaped with were rouges. It was why I kept checking through rouge territories, and if those scouts didn’t return soon, I’d burn those fucking forests to the ground myself.Rosanne was out there, somewhere, with that damn pack warrior and his mate. “Bring him in,” I said col
Chapter 71ROSANNEThe scent of roasted meat and firewood lingered in the air, soft rays of morning light seeping through the lacy curtains we'd washed last night. It wasn’t much, but it felt… peaceful. Too peaceful, almost. The kind of peace that makes your stomach tighten because you know it won’t last long.I sat on one side of the small wooden table with Yvonne beside me. Anita hadn’t joined us yet, probably still curled under a blanket she found comfortable. Axel sat across from me, half-smiling like he always did when things were calm. A loaf of bread sat between us, torn into uneven pieces, and the meat tasted like heaven compared to the crap we’d been eating in the woods.“I can’t believe you actually went to the market,” Yvonne said, chewing thoughtfully. “That’s got to be the fastest trip in history.”Axel smirked, licking a bit of grease from his thumb. “Didn’t go to the market.”We both paused.“What?” I asked, brows furrowed.“It was still dark, the pack market wasn’t
ROSANNESince there were two rooms in the abandoned house, Yvonne and I shared a room, while Axel and Anita took the other. Last night, we'd spent the whole time cleaning up the whole place—the underground layer, the basement and the rooms. Strangely, I found out about a small library just a few meters away from the basement. Who placed a library next to a basement? I'd been awake for the last hour, but I just sat there, on the bed, watching the large trees keeping the house a bit hidden. It was still quite early, still dawn, it was why Yvonne slept quietly next to me, but I couldn't bring myself to lay back on that bed. Not when Mikhail appeared in my dreams. Not when he threatened to bring me back no matter what. It felt so real, like he was carefully watching me, waiting for the time I'd slip and expose myself. It was a nightmare, the most terrifying I'd ever had. My mind travelled to the day I had the wedding, our wedding, how perfect he looked with the heart of a demon. M
ROSANNEI didn’t move, none of us did. The air was thick with the weight of Leonard’s confession.“You are the reason I’m living like this!” he spat again, his voice shaky but loud, almost like he needed us to hear it—needed to hurt Axel with those words.Axel stood still, eyes fixed on Leonard. I saw his jaw clench, his hand curl into a fist. But he said nothing.It was too much.My heart ached for him, but I couldn't say anything either.Yvonne's hand still held the dagger near Leonard’s face, but now her expression had changed. The anger was still there, but something else slipped in—confusion maybe. “You’re blaming him,” she said slowly, lowering the blade just a little, “for something he had no control over?”Leonard looked away.There was silence again. Then a soft voice broke through the tension. It was weak, barely above a whisper. “…Rosanne?”I turned sharply, my breath caught in my throat. Anita.She was standing at the top of the stairs, one hand gripping the wooden rail
ROSANNE Last night, after much persuasion, the old man—Leonard—eventually gave us the wolfsbane for Anita's treatment. Axel had stayed with her throughout the night to make sure she was okay, since the wolfsbane could be quite harmful as well. I hadn't seen Leonard today, but I was sure he'd be carefully thinking of other ways to drag me back to the Bloodmoon pack. “Axel, are you there?“ I knocked on a wooden door, patiently waiting outside with a small bowl of warm soup. Yvonne and I woke up quite early to prepare this delicacy for Anita, just so she'd feel a little strengthened. It took a few minutes before Axel opened up the door, looking in a brighter mood. “Hey,” he smiled. My lips curled up, “she's awake?“ His eyes trailed over the small bowl of soup I held. He reached and collected it. “Thanks Rosanne.“ He sighed, holding it carefully. “She's not awake, but her wounds are healed. She should be awake soon.“ “Okay.“ I wrapped my warm hands around myself, taking a step back
MIKHAIL“I don't think putting a bounty on her head is the right idea, Lycan King Mikhail.” My Beta, Hudson, walked after me, his heavy footsteps pounding in my ears. As days passed by in a blur, I'd thought of several ways to get Rosanne back, and that seemed like the perfect way to drag her back here. Alive. “It's the right idea.” I said quietly, taking a turn towards the courtroom for the daily meetings. Last night, I spent a few hours in Rosanne's room—just inhaling her scent. With each day that passed by, it was getting harder to live without her. Sometimes, I'd close my eyes and see her staring at me. Other times, her voice would echo like she was here, but she wasn't. It was more like being haunted by a ghost, a really pretty one. Placing a bounty on her head wasn't really the best idea, but it was all I had. Wherever she was, she'd be dragged here just because of the enormous price. Soon enough. “She'll hate you, King Mikhail.” Hudson's voice dropped to a quiet whisper, li