Erica:As I pulled up to my house, I was puzzled to see Lorenzo's car parked out front. What is he doing here? We hadn't made any plans to meet. I took a deep breath and headed inside, preparing myself for whatever awaits.When I opened the door, Lorenzo was standing in the entryway. "Erica! There you are," he said, rushing over to me and wrapping me in a tight hug. I hugged him back, but it felt more like a formality than a genuine embrace. Something felt off.I glanced around the living room and noticed the kids weren't bouncing around excitedly like they normally do. They were seated quietly on the couch, barely acknowledging our presence. That was strange "Is everything okay?" I asked looking between Lorenzo and the kids."Everything's fine," Lorenzo assured me, but there was an edge to his voice that made me doubt his words. "I just wanted to see you. I was disturbed about how you sounded on the phone some days back. Is that a problem?""No, of course not," I said quickly, not wa
Lorenzo: I watched as Erica practically flew out of the house, wondering what on earth was so important that she had to grow wings and fly out of the house.Shrugging it off, I went to the living room to find Elsa and Elma playing with some building blocks.I approached the kids, hoping to play with them. The realization that they would soon be my adopted kids after I married Erica prompted me to try to get along with them."Elsa, Elma, what are the both of you building?"They both gave me a look that said they didn't want me there.I pursed my lips when neither of them gave me an answer, wondering what on earth I'd ever done to them to make them hate me so much."Okay…" I trailed off.Maybe I was overreacting, asking them what they were building when it was a doll house wasn't the right question."Um, can I play with you guys? You know back in my day I was known to be the building block champion of my time.""The building blocks are only enough for two people and that's Elsa and I,”
Erica:After lunch with the kids, I went ahead to help Lorenzo pack his things. He had an early morning flight tomorrow and although I do not want him leaving, there's also a part of me that needs him to leave so I don't feel this pain I feel. I am a bad person, cheating on the man I am engaged to with the man I was mated to.Coming to think of it, my meeting with Dante was not needed today. I folded the last cloth and put it into his little suitcase.“Is this all of your clothes?” I asked with my eyes wide open.“Yes, is anything wrong ?” Lorenzo tried to close the bag but I stopped him.“I mean you brought only three clothes?” I asked.“ If I was the one I would bring A whole bag filled with clothes.”“Yes. It was just for two days.” He chuckled muttering “Women” at the end of what he said.I watched him chuckle as I realized that I had not spent the least one hour with him since he came.“Thank you for coming to check on me, Lorenzo. You don’t know what this means to me.” I let go
Erica:You should come over tonight. I have something I'd like to discuss…"He said in a knowing voice then walked past me but not before grabbing my ass discreetly.I looked at him in shock. How dare he? He walked away and turned around with a smirk on his face and continued to walk. I felt my cheeks turn angry red. I was fuming. I was going to knock that smug smile off his face. I stormed further into the airport after him with nothing on my mind except letting him know that he could not touch me in such a way. "Mummy.” I heard Elma cry out. I stopped dead in my tracks and I gasped.“Elma.”I stopped moving and watched Dante walk away and my opportunity to knock him upside the head disappeared as he turned the corner.I sighed in anger and turned back around. I hated that Dante grabbed my ass but my revenge was not worth him finding out about my kids. I wanted to keep my life away from him.I went back to where I left the kids and saw Elsa trying her best to comfort her crying sis
Erica:I woke up with my head on the desk and a splitting headache. I groaned and held my head in my hands. My vision was blurry and as I stood up, my feet crunched something beneath me.I stepped back in fright and saw my ceramic coffee mug in pieces. Fuck! I must have pushed it off my desk while I slept.I carefully picked up the pieces and put them in a handkerchief. A shard slipped and sliced my finger."Oww!"My crimson blood oozed from the wound and I immediately put my finger in my mouth and sucked on it. The stinging died down and the bleeding stopped.I took a deep breath and was able to check the time. 9 am! What happened?! How long had I slept?! How late was I up?!My phone buzzed and I growled. Who on earth was calling..?The name on my phone screen made my heart skip a beat. It was Lorenzo. I tried to act as naturally as I could. I took a deep breath and tried to act calm.I took his call and tried to act cool despite my croaky morning voice."Hey, baby. Good morning."Hi
Erica: Evening came and I found myself standing in front of the mirror.My eyes were sad and my fingers were trembling. I couldn't believe I was still going to the party. I had spent the whole day thinking about it and every thought had ended in disaster. I saw my life crumbling right in front of me. I saw myself losing Lorenzo's trust and my family would be ashamed of me.I held the tears back and stared at myself in the mirror again."It's just a formal gala. It's just a formal gala."It had been my mantra for the entire day. I didn't know if it was going to work, but tonight, I was going to find out.I grabbed Lorenzo's coat and draped it over myself. I didn't want my kids to know where I was going and I reasoned that Lorenzo's scent on me would help me keep my senses sharp, despite how weird he had been these few days. I had still not gotten another call from him.I gave myself one final look and grabbed my handbag. Lorenzo's coat made me look like a sleuth. If only I had a hat t
Lorenzo:I was in a hotel and I had a bottle of wine on my table. My hair was a mess and my eyes were spinning.I tried to sleep but rest evaded me. I wasn't back at the pack. I never left. I had waited for Erica to drive out of the airport before I took a cab to a hotel and hid.I couldn't stop thinking about my kiss with Clarissa. I thought I was going crazy. I could still taste her lips and see the innocence in her eyes as she was lost in my touch.It was a feeling that I had never felt before. I loved Erica but I never felt that way with her."Fuck it! I can't fall for a maid! I have a maid as my mate!"I gripped my hair angrily and took another glass of wine to calm my nerves.I couldn't get out of my relationship with Erica. I loved her and I also needed her money. I was a billionaire but my business wasn't doing so well at the moment. Being engaged with her gave me some benefits that helped me continue to run my business despite the present difficulties.I took another drink; I
Dante;I held my face in shock. How dare she slap me?!I glared at her angrily but she glared back at me with equal intensity. I grabbed her again but she put up a little struggle."Don't you dare touch me, Dante! Leave me alone!"I grabbed her arms again and slammed her into the wall. She groaned in pain but it didn't stop her from putting up another fight.She tried to kick at me but I trapped her legs between my thighs and pressed myself closer to her."You are a lot feistier than before."A smile curled my lips but she was unimpressed."This is your last warning. Let. Me. Go. I came here to have fun. I said I wasn't going to frolic with you. We can't keep doing this."I chuckled and leaned closer to her. Her scent was amazing and her breath fanned my face gently. Her lips were a soft pink, succulent, and was begging me to kiss her."We both know why you are here. You came because you wanted to see me. You know Lorenzo can't treat you the way I can...""Fuck you! You threatened me
Laura’s POVI watched as Lisa and her father breezed through the crowd. It wasn’t difficult to tell that she was thoroughly bored. I couldn’t blame her. Her father looked like a stuffy stuck-up man.I turned my head and caught sight of Rusev watching me like a hawk. I grumbled. I hated him. Why did my mate think it a good idea to leave me stuck with him?I shadowed Mr. Hans as he dragged his daughter along, greeting dignitaries and other stuck-up people like himself.A waiter passed me and I grabbed another glass of champagne. How was I going to get Lisa away from her old man?My mind kicked into overdrive, and soon, an idea hit me. I sighed and winced in disgust as it continued to take shape in my head. It wasn’t pleasant but I had to do it. I guess that was one other purpose of the dress I wore.I took another sip of my champagne and strutted sexily towards Mr. Hans. He caught a glimpse of me through the corner of his eye and was soon fully facing my direction.A dirt smirk crept on
Erica’s POVThe guards stopped him before he could come any closer.“What are you doing here?!” My mother yelled as the guards blocked Dante’s path towards me.“I need to see Erica. This is important.”My mother’s eyes bore down on him. I turned away; I could barely look at him. Did he come here to ruin my fathers funeral as well? Wasn’t he tired of ruining my life?“Guards! Take him away!”They stormed up to him and Dante began to back away.“Erica! I need to talk to you! Tell them to stop!”His voice calling my name was driving me insane. It was because of him that my life was ruined. Couldn’t he just stop meddling in my life.“Erica!”The guards grabbed him and began to drag him away. I watched him as he struggled and yelled at me. The guests all watched in awe. I already had more than enough gossip circling around me. I didn’t want anymore.“Erica!”There was a gasp and the guards were on the floor. Dante had broken free and was dashing towards me. My knees began to shake. I wante
Laura’s POV“Room service!”I put on my bathrobe and walked to the door. I didn’t order room service. I clutched my robe tighter to my body and opened the door just a crack.A lady stood there with a box in her hands. Was that a delivery for me?“Are you Miss Laura?”“Yes.”I felt a little emboldened and opened the door a little wider. The lady was dressed in formal wear, a little too formal for her to be in the room service business.“I have a package for you.”She handed it to me, and I looked at the tag attached to it. I couldn't help but smile.“I may not be with you, but I want all eyes to be on you and for every man to drool at the sight of you and wish you were theirs. But they can’t have you. You are MINE. Mate.”I smiled and felt a warm fuzzy feeling bubble inside of me. He wasn’t here, but he knew how to make me feel like he was.“Thank you.”I hurried back into my room, trying my best not to squeal like an excited seven-year-old. I hadn’t expected a dress for the party. I
Erica’s POVMy fingers were trembling as I did Ethan's bow tie. I had tried not to cry. It had been hard to keep my emotions in check while we planned the funeral. Everyone was still scared of me but the condolences they gave brought tears to my eyes every time I heard them.Today would be the first time in weeks that I would lay eyes on my father’s body and would never see it again.“Don’t be sad, Mom.”Ethan pulled me into a hug as soon as I lifted my fingers from his bowtie. He was such a sweet boy.“I am fine, love.-”I stroked his hair and kissed it.“-Go and find your sisters while I get ready.”He hurried away and I was left alone in my room. I looked at the mirror one more time and noticed the tears in my eyes starting to fall. My mascara was slightly smudged and I hurriedly wiped my face and did a fresh application.My thoughts were weighed down by thoughts of my father. It was draining. I couldn't imagine how disappointed he was in me. Mom kept telling me that it wasn’t true
Clarissa's POV“Lorenzo, please wake up."I sat beside him as he lay on the living room couch with his head on my lap. His forehead was covered in sweat and his eyes were blank and white.My heart was racing. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to give him CPR, but I didn't know if what he had was infectious.I couldn't count the number of times I had placed my head on his chest to make sure that his heart was still beating. His breath was faint, and his skin was clammy and cold.I couldn't take this anymore. I should have called for help sooner and damned the fact that the entire pack probably hated us.My fingers shook as I grabbed my phone and began to dial the numbers.Suddenly, Lorenzo gasped and his eyes cleared up slowly. My fingers shook even more as I watched him silently take in the room.“Lorenzo," I whispered, terrified to the core.His eyes finally fell and focused on me. I held my breath.“Rissa?"He tried to sit up but I slowly eased his head back into my lap.“Don't try
Erica's POVThe meeting finally came to an end and I was grateful. I remained seated with my mother and we watched the counselors leave.Counselor Rufus gave me a death stare before he left the room. I turned to look at my mother and her face was impassive until we could no longer see his fake hair through the open door.“Good riddance!" she exclaimed, and her face relaxed, and she smiled at me.I returned with a nervous grin though my fingers were knotting frantically on my lap.“It's going to be alright, Erica. I will not let the counselors treat you like trash. They are just a bunch of old fools that are stuck in the past. I believe that you will make a good Luna."Her words made my nervous smile fade.“You know that I won't be a good, Luna. You saw how they looked at me. Everyone is afraid of me. I can't even get through the hallway without a maid or guard seeing me and flinching.”I lowered my head and heard my mother sigh. Her fingers intertwined with mine, stopping my frantical
Clarissa's POVMy eyes watered as I chopped up the onions. I set the knife down and paced around the counter as the broth bubbled in the pot.As I stared at the boiling pot, a flash of Erica came into my mind. Her monstrous form and the death of her father. The purple hue on his skin was exactly the same as that on Lorenzo's arm.It just didn't make sense. I asked my assassin to kill Erica. Why didn't he do it? Was he a fraud?I had tried to contact him severally, but his phone rang, and there was no answer. Had I been duped?I gritted my teeth at the thought and turned my attention to the bubbling broth. It was time to put the vegetables.The onion went in first, and then the carrots and peppers.This was my first time in Lorenzo's home back at our pack. It was beautiful. Luxurious, nothing like my home back at the pack Erica was sent to.My watery eyes scanned the room and I exhaled. There had been so much drama in just a few days.A shiver ran down my spine. I didn't expect to see
Erica's POVI walked to the meeting hall and felt my breath being hitched in my throat. The maids, as they walked past me, gave me terrified greetings and hurried off in the other direction.It did nothing for my nerves. I could only imagine what the council was going to say.I soon reached the door that led to the hall and stood outside of it for a while. My heart was racing, and I was clutching it with my left hand as if it would do something to make it calm down.“Easy, Erica. Easy. This is just a meeting. Nothing more."I pushed the glossy black wooden door open and finally walked into the room. As soon as I was guided across the carpet to My spot beside my mother, I could feel all eyes on me.It was so hard to fight the urge to look over the room. A few of the counselors were whispering as I walked in, and above three were staring at me, their faces white with fear.I sat down next to my mother and the seven counselors stood in greeting. The man who sat at my left-hand side was f
Erica's POVI lay in bed quietly. The silence in the house was thick, but I could hear the whispers of the maids as they passed my room door.They were all scared and I couldn't blame them.I had asked my mother to watch the kids for me while I got some time to rest. This all felt extremely overwhelming for me.I felt strange being here. My father was gone, and it was like a big chunk of the pack house had been ripped off.I buried myself deeper into my covers, the comforter soaking up my silent tears as they rolled down my cheeks.“I miss you, Dad. I am so sorry that I failed you. I… I was just so weak and I didn't know what to do…”The tears choked my words and soon burst out but were muffled by the comforter.If only he was alive, he would probably know what to do. I wasn't even sure about how to get the Living Gem. Worst of all, I didn't even know what to do with it once I got it.A cold draft of wind blew through the window, chilled my fingers, and dried up my tears, leaving stre