NARAH'S POVI walked briskly down the hallway, my mind in a tumultuous whirl. The sight of Gina and Van together earlier was etched into my mind, replaying like a cruel, unending loop. The intimacy between them was undeniable, and while I understood their bond, it left me feeling an aching sense of isolation.I tried to shake off the feeling of sadness and focus on my tasks at hand. It rested at the back of my mind that if I didn't get them done on time, I'd get a scolding from Luna Tauriel and Gina.Why did I even care about Alpha Van and Gina? I wondered. My role was to ensure that I served her and her home, even if it meant dealing with my personal sorrows silently.The sight of the broken glass in her room had been an unwelcome reminder of the boundary I had crossed by witnessing Alpha Van going into her room last night. I had been a fool for thinking he felt something for me; for ever thinking that he could ever love…I knew the signs well enough now—Van and Gina’s love was eviden
ALPHA VAN'S POV The room was quiet, except for the gentle rustling of blue curtains as the morning sun poured in. I’d been lost in thought, wondering why Gina was elated and why Narah had that look on her face. Letting the warmth of the light chase away the shadows of my worries, the lingering weight of last night with Gina still pressed upon me–– that's why I had gone to see her this morning. But I’d tried to push that thought aside and focus on my impending meeting with Beta Solomon and Henry about the young witch. As I stood by the window, gazing out into the serene field, the gardener was mowing the field, and Kacy was walking with James. My peaceful silence was abruptly shattered by the sound of the door opening. My heart skipped a beat when I turned to find Narah standing there, her eyes wide with surprise. She seemed momentarily frozen, and I couldn’t blame her; I was quite literally in my most vulnerable state. Her reaction was immediate and involuntary, her gaze lingerin
NARAH'S POVThe day went by slowly, dragging on like a tortoise. My cheeks turned bright red whenever I reminisced about the kiss Alpha Van and I had both shared. But I refused to be pulled into his web of lies and deceit. I refused to let a man use me for his games, even though he made me feel alive.To let a strong man hold me like he did? No! I stopped myself from thinking about it any further and discarded the thoughts. At least, the only good thing that came out of the day was having to see my brother. He and the Alpha went outside for a walk.I had served him a cup of water and exchanged contacts before Alpha Van came downstairs. I kept smiling like I had just won a lottery all through the day.Still, my thoughts lingered on the kiss… and on last night between the man I loved and my sister, who had murdered me. Avoiding Alpha Van like a plague, I finally retired for the day around midnight, after helping Vanessa decorate the house for Luna Tauriel's birthday.Hanadin didn't talk
NARAH'S POV My feet pounded against the marble floor, echoing up to the high ceiling. The faces around me seemed to blur as I ran into the mansion, ignoring the ache that my body was feeling. But nothing compared to the ache I felt in my heart.What hurt the most was that I couldn't hate her. I couldn't hate my own sister. Step-sister, but still, I loved Gina, and seeing her treat me this way hurt like a knife.‘She murdered you, you dare forgive her for that?’ I heard that voice in my head tormenting me at my weakest point.I gave no reply, running as fast as I could while James and Hanadin kept calling and running after me. I went into the kitchen and bolted into the storeroom, locking it instantly as the aroma of different spices and herbs welcomed me.“Narah, open up. Please,” James yelled, banging on the door.I tried to control my ragged breaths as tears rolled down my cheeks. I repeatedly shook my head, unable to believe what I had seen. I just refused to believe it.I wasn't
NARAH'S POVWhy was Alpha Van here to see me? Suddenly, a pang of distress caught me off guard. I hastily wiped my face with the back of my hand, feeling Corolla's eyes on me the entire time. Then she stood up, stretching out her right hand to help me up.I looked at her outstretched hand; she was slimmer than I remembered, and her black long-sleeved shirt was carefully rolled up to her arm. I then looked up at her face. She gave me a small smile, and without thinking any further, I grabbed her hand, and she gently pulled me up from the floor.As I unlocked the door, my mind raced with an intense sense of worry, with instant guilt surrounding it. Hanadin and James must have called Alpha Van here since I had refused to open the door for them.Immediately, as the door swung open, Beta Bernard shot a warning glare at his daughter, who accepted his disciplinary gaze with an unapologetic grin, seemingly unfazed by the reprimand. Alpha Van was at the forefront, his eyes reflecting concern.
NARAH'S POVI took a deep breath, almost bumping into James as I stepped outside the mansion. “Wow! Narah, you look– absolutely gorgeous,” he said, staring in awe at me.I flashed a pleasant smile. “Thank you.”He didn't ask any questions about how I got the dress or what prompted me to come back to the party, especially dressed as I was. He politely offered to walk me to the hall, and I accepted.As we descended the stairs, the sound of laughter and music grew louder with each steady step. The velvet gown and makeup gave me a new identity, and each step I took, the sway of the dress commanded respect and power.I was equally as scared as I was excited. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, I felt strange when all eyes turned to look at me. Their gasps echoed through the hall, disbelief and recognition settling in the eyes of those who had mocked me earlier.I saw Gina and Luna Tauriel making their way to me, their eyes flashing red like a warning as they approached, steaming with
NARAH'S POV(One month later).Indeed, life did get difficult ever since the party, but it wasn't something I couldn't handle. Thankfully, Luna Tauriel had finally left the house, and it was a great cause for celebration among us, except for Gina, who obviously didn't want her mother to leave.Sharon had popped two bottles of champagne to celebrate her departure. Out of everyone, I was the most relieved. My entire life, I'd never been so happy to see someone leave.As the champagne bubbles faded and the celebration died down, a new sense of unease settled over me. It had been a month since the party, and while Luna Tauriel's departure had brought a sense of relief, Gina's increasingly secretive behaviour had me on edge.My workload had doubled, and as a result, I had found myself working harder and getting closer to her personal space. During this time, I discovered the envelope I had seen with her a few weeks ago was filled with money.Someone was extorting her. Yet, the identity of
NARAH’S POV The cold, clammy hand that covered my mouth was surprisingly gentle, but it sent a shiver down my spine. I struggled slightly, my breath muffled against the invading palm as my heart raced with fear. Suddenly, I heard Gina's footsteps retreating.“It's nothing. I guess I was just being paranoid,” she said.The hand withdrew. Slowly, I spun around and the shadows revealed a face I recognized— Chris. His expression was a mixture of urgency and concern. “Shh, Narah. It’s me,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.My initial panic subsided into confusion and a glimmer of relief. “Chris? What are you doing here?” I said in a hushed tone.Once again, Gina's wet moans began. The colliding of her body with the man's began almost immediately.Chris glanced around nervously before answering. “I knew you were investigating Gina. You'll be in danger if you keep doing that.”My mind raced with questions. How did he know I was onto Gina? I gulped down hard on nothing.“But I—”“We nee
NARAH'S POV Without saying a word, the guards led Bryan and me into the Alpha's house. As soon as we stepped inside, memories flooded my mind—how Gina and I used to run around, playing and screaming at the top of our lungs.“Wait here,” one of the guards commanded. “Let me call Luna Tauriel.’As he went upstairs, I couldn’t help but move around the house, my heart swelling. Everything was almost exactly the same. From the thick, yellow curtains to the wall where Gina and I had measured our heights over the years.The guard returned and left with the one who had stayed behind. Then Bryan suddenly asked, “How did you know impersonating the Alpha's long-dead daughter would get us in?”“I wasn’t impersonating,” I replied, scanning the living room.Bryan's face contorted. Just as he was about to speak, Luna Luna Tauriel's sharp voice pierced through the atmosphere as she descended the stairway in a precise fashion, her gaze fixated intently on me.“Look who we have here. The fortunate mai
ALPHA VAN'S POVThe night of my lunar bonding ceremony with Reina was supposed to be one of the most joyous days of my life. I had anticipated the night with her, standing side by side, chanting our vows, and binding our hearts into one. We were fated mates, and I was glad she would come to know it when she saw me, but things took a turn for the worse. A witch enchanted me; I rejected Reina, and she died.I still found it hard to believe she's back. Narah was Reina. From the day I met her in the cafe, I knew she reminded me of Reina, but wouldn't it be sickening if I told someone that Reina, who had died a long time ago, was standing in front of me, alive and well?No wonder my wolf, Curtis, called her “mate.” He could even sense the mate bond between Narah and me more than I did. However, the enchantment we were under suppressed and clouded his mind, just like it did to mine.My father once read a book about reincarnation to me as a kid. He told me about his great grand-father, Mica
LIORA'S POV Memories of my capture in Luna Tauriel's room were hazy. The dog's frantic barking had ceased. It was then wagging and chasing its tail, running in circles. I was battered so quickly, and the next thing I saw was gross darkness. A few minutes after that, I felt my body floating, then I realized I was being carried away by a man. While descending the stairs, my eyes struggled to open. As they slightly parted, trying to observe the environment, I noticed Luna Tauriel and the man from her room standing at the top of the stairs. I didn't know his name or remember it even if I'd heard of it, but I recognized his face. That unmistakable resting bitch face. He had that same expression when he attacked me in the room as soon as he saw me. A guard was now carrying me on his shoulders, taking me to a place I didn't know, and I couldn't resist. I was too weak to do anything or even speak. Gina's wicked mother watched in awe as I struggled in vain. Suddenly, a familiar sce
NARAH'S POV My gaze lingered on Alpha Van as I spoke with Chris across Alpha Van's room.“I have to go to the Moonlight Pack, there's something wrong; I can feel it,” I said, worried.“I know, it's weird for Liora not to have her cellphone all day or contact us. She uses that thing like she breathes,” Chris remarked.I shot him a glance, a smile tugging at the edges of my lips despite the tension brewing inside me. He was right. Liora was addicted to that device.“I can't let anything hurt her, Chris. I don't want anything to harm her.”I meant every word I said. I hoped Liora was safe with Anakiyus and Nas.Chris nodded, his expression resolute. “I'll take care of Van, I promise,” he assured me. “He'll be awake soon. The poison had been in him for so long, I'm surprised he's even still alive. A normal person or any other werewolf wouldn't have been able to break free from that enchantment and would have died instantly from the strong poison.”My eyes drifted back to Alpha Van, my he
GINA'S POV “Reina is back, she's back.” The words stumbled out of my lips, as tears filled my eyes.“This is bad, really, really bad,” Ria cowered.As I lay helplessly on the narrow metal-framed bed, staring blankly at the cold, cream-coloured walls of my prison cell, all I could think of was how I had been such a weakling and a fool.I couldn't even control my own mind and all this time, I thought I had been in control of a situation, whereas I had been a mere puppet. My father and mother had been the ones controlling my life, pulling the strings however they liked. I had my fair share of evil in my blood, but looking back, I wasn't always like this.I admitted that the first mistake I ever made was sabotaging Reina’s relationship with Arthur by setting him up with her cousin, Dahlia.I did it out of pure jealousy. I hated Reina. That was what I thought. The truth was I never hated her. No, I didn't. She was the best part of my life until she wasn't. I had the most fun with her whi
LIORA'S POV Clearly, I was overthinking it. It was a door that led to the kitchen, and maybe the maids had to use it often. Okay, maybe it was a trap. As we entered the hallway, the darkness enveloping us, panic surged through me. The air was thick with the scent of savoury dishes that clung to me like a fish on a hook. At the end of the hallway, a door stood in the center, slightly ajar. Lights flickered above, and sent shadows dancing across the walls. The distant sound of faint voices, talking over one another, escaped from behind the door, filling the creepy hallway like haunted ghosts. As we marched onward, a few feet from the door ahead, we saw another wooden door by the side of the wall, old and rugged. It felt out of place compared to the others. Though wooden, the door we had just walked through and the one ahead were made of strong oak and had fine engravings of different patterns on them. Whereas this particular door was thin and as plain as day. Nas proposed we
LIORA'S POV “So this is the Moonlight territory? Not bad,” I said, impressed. “Hey, keep your eyes on the guards,” Anakiyus ordered. I wrinkled my nose in disapproval and mimicked him in a quiet, disturbing mockery of a voice, which sent Nas chuckling. “What is it?” Anakiyus asked, oblivious to the shenanigans going on behind him as we walked through the bustling street which led to the Alpha's house. “Nothing.” Nas croaked immediately. Anakiyus looked between Nas and me, his expression grim, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. As his gaze landed on me again, my shoulders rose and fell in a lazy shrug, my hands drifting up to accompany the notion, as if to say, “I swear it, I have no idea what's going on.” I flashed an innocent smile to convince him, and he still didn't buy it. He shook his head and slowly turned away, his eyes scanning the street ahead. Nas and I exchanged a quick amused glance. I let out a sigh, thanking the heavens I wasn't caught imitating the humourle
NARAH'S POV The air seemed to vibrate with tension, and I could feel the weight of Gina's gaze on me like a physical touch that made my skin crawl.“Hope you've been well?”“You're the last person I thought I'd see,” she said, her voice soft as wool.“And yet, here I am.”“Isn't it a coincidence?” I've been doing a lot of thinking. Earlier, I was just thinking about you, and guess what? I found something weird.”I cocked a brow. “Really? What did you find?”“You're not just a stinky maid. When we first met, my intuition about you was right,” she breathed slowly, savouring every word. She seemed to find it interesting, basking in her own words, like a puzzle she had just solved. “And what intuition is that?” I asked dryly.She smiled in a knowing manner. “You're wolf-less, like someone I used to know, someone who you remind me of… someone DEAD,” she said. “You see, when I was a cub, about ten years old, there was something I read in a book once that fascinated me. I dreamt about it
NARAH'S POV “The Alpha has fallen into a coma, but there's nothing wrong with him scientifically. There’s absolutely nothing I can determine,” I heard Doctor June confirm. “That's because it's a witch's enchantment,” I said, stepping into Alpha Van's room, my footsteps echoing in the stillness. They all turned back to look at me. Miss Kiara's eyes narrowed. “An enchantment?” she asked. She was sitting beside Alpha Van, her hands clasped around his. Tears had dried on her face, and her eyes had turned red as velvet. She had been away for a long time, so she definitely didn't know anything about her children or the things they were going through. “Yes, an enchantment. Alpha Van had complained about this to Doctor Rowan, and it's not new that he's been having seizures and needed medications to stay well.” The words escaped my lips freely, and I didnt even care to stop there until Kacy interrupted. “Narah's right,” she declared. “Van talks about a woman in his dreams and voices in h