Chapter 1: The Ruthless Alpha. Zoey Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of gossip, but when I heard what today’s topic was about, it was quite interesting. The ladies were gathering and talking about our pack’s ruler: Alpha Lyon. He wasn’t originally our pack ruler. There was a battle, and he had won it and taken over our pack. We didn’t see him often except when it was time to take taxes and pay our homages. I remember my first encounter with him so well; he had ordered his guards to make me carry all the homages from my district because, in his words, I was “too slow.” I hated him from then, and I prayed our paths wouldn’t cross again. But today, while I was training my wolf, I stumbled upon gossip about him. “I heard he killed 100 men on one battlefield—all by himself. He is not to be joked with,” one of the girls said. “Hmm… One time, when he came to take taxes from my district, he ordered his guards to cut off a man’s ear because the poor man had nothing to give,” another sai
Chapter 2: Paths Crossed Zoey I was an orphan who grew up with my old grandmother. My parents’ death was never explained to me. One day, I just woke up, and they were gone. The next thing I knew, I was bundled up and sent to my grandmother. So, originally, I was an indigene of Skywood Pack. “Zoey! Come to the yard!” my grandmother yelled. She was a traditional healer, and I was supposed to take over, so I was always expected to be with her. “Grandma, I have an aching pain, so can I just rest in my room?” I lied. I was fine, but I didn’t want to do anything. It’s safe to say I was lazy, but truthfully, I wasn’t built for stress, and my grandma’s line of work required a lot of effort. “When your grandma is a healer? Get me the tonic with the blue cover from my room,” she instructed. I frowned. There was no way I was escaping this one. “The one with the blue cover? I think we’re out of it.” “Then rush to the farm before the park museum and fetch herbs. Be back before the
Chapter 3: His Wife Zoey The next morning, I was helping my grandmother sort herbs in the yard when the sound of engines roared through the air. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. A convoy of black cars was assembling right outside our house. “Zoey,” my grandmother called, her voice trembling. “What did you do this time?” “I didn’t do anything!” I protested, though my mind was racing. My encounter with Alpha Lyon flashed before my eyes. Could it be? No, it couldn’t. I had only ever seen a car once in my life—one, not this many. I was from the poor district. What were all these cars doing here? Men in suits began stepping out of the vehicles, their movements precise and intimidating. Then, the door of the largest car opened, and Alpha Lyon emerged. My grandmother gasped loudly. She immediately fell to her knees and yanked me down with her. “Kneel, Zoey!” I burst into tears, my heart pounding in fear. “Grandma, I—” “What have you done this time?”
Chapter 4 : A Caged Marriage Zoey’s POV Two years. It had been two long, draining years since Alpha Lyon had taken me from my grandmother’s house and declared me his wife. A part of me had hoped that things would get better, that perhaps the cold exterior he wore so effortlessly would melt with time. But it hadn’t. I didn’t know how to describe Lyon’s emotions toward me—or if he even had any. He was impossible to read. Cold and detached one moment, then possessive and almost tender when it suited him. Most of the time, he wouldn’t even look at me unless he had something to say, and even then, it was usually to mock me. “You’re pathetic,” he’d say whenever I failed at my training sessions. “How did someone as weak as you survive this long?” I learned quickly that arguing only made it worse. But then there were the nights. When it was time for him to claim me as his wife, he was a completely different man. His cold demeanor would shift into something primal, something
Chapter5 : A Letter and a Decision Zoey’s POV The letter arrived in the early hours of the morning, slipped under the door by one of the maids. I had barely opened my eyes when I saw it sitting there, the envelope worn and edges slightly smudged, as though it had traveled a long way. My hands shook as I picked it up, recognizing my grandmother’s handwriting immediately. I tore it open, my heart racing, and read the words that would shatter me completely. My dear Zoey, I don’t have much time left. The sickness has spread too far, and I fear I won’t last long. I’ve tried to hold on, waiting for the day I could see you again, but it seems the Moon Goddess has other plans. Please, Zoey, come home. I need to see you, just one last time. I need to know you’re alright before I leave this world. I love you, my little one. With all my heart, Grandma Tears spilled down my cheeks, blurring the ink on the page. I hadn’t seen her in two years. Two whole years of being trapped in t
Zoey’s Pov. i had waited untill the whole palace was asleep before i left , i knew not to take any of the palace cars cause it wa easy to identify an inhabitant of the palace by their cars , So i was walking . All i had with me was two dresses, a scarf, my water bottle, There was no water in it cause i couldn’t go to the kitchen because of the maids there and so that means i couldn’t even leave with food , I was already used to the easy life in the palace and so i was finding it difficult to walk fast , I was not so far from the palace and if the guard started their search, They would find me eventually. “ Serena …We need to run , We cannot afford to go back to that pack” At this point serena was my only confidant, i’ve never had friends , I was a loner even in the palace ,i had only one favorite maid but Lyon had sent her away cause she was wearing a dress i gave her , he found it disrespectful and even though i pleaded that he allow her stay cause she was my only friend , He didn’
Chapter 7I was walking on eggshells, scared that someone would recognize me. I walked into a local boutique, where an elderly woman was sitting. The moment she saw me, she fell to her knees.Damn it! She knew who I was.I ran to her and begged her to stand up, and she did. I looked at her closely—it was the seamstress who made my wedding dress. I remembered the day I got married to Lyon. I woke up in tears. That was my first attempt at running away, but I was immediately caught. The wedding was postponed twice because I locked myself in my room. I finally agreed to marry Lyon after he threatened to slit my grandmother’s throat right in front of me. That was when the seamstress came in with my dress. The only reason I smiled that day was because of the beautiful gown she had made and how she kept telling me how beautiful I was.“Did anyone see you walk in here?” she asked, rushing to bring down the curtains.I shook my head. Today was oddly quiet. It was as though the universe was in
Alpha Lyon’s POVThe palace felt empty—not because all the soldiers and guards had been deployed to search for the Luna, but because she was not here. The sound of her kitten heels clicking down the hallway, her vanilla scent, and her gentle smile were nonexistent now.I grabbed the vase in the corner and smashed it against the wall, my eyes flaming with anger. How dare she run away from me?“Lyon, maybe you should calm down. She might not have run away. What are the odds?” Darian said, trying to soothe his friend, who had been spiraling since the news of his wife’s escape reached him. It was almost nighttime, and she was still nowhere to be found.“What are the odds? Darian! Zoey never leaves the palace. She knows no one around. She went to bed last night, and now she’s nowhere to be found. She has escaped!”“You just said it like she was in prison. Escaped? Have you considered that she might be missing? You have a whole lot of enemies, Lyon. What if she was abducted?”Darian was mak
Chapter — Unwanted Guest Lyon’s POV“Are you seriously dragging me all the way to the city for this?” Darian groaned, slamming the car door harder than necessary.I didn’t reply. I just walked ahead, hands in my coat pocket, sunglasses on, ignoring the way the wind slapped my face. I wasn’t in the mood for his whining today.Darian caught up beside me, his steps loud and dramatic. “I mean it, Lyon. This is a waste of time. She’s not here. It’s just a coincidence. Maybe you saw someone that looked like her.”I stopped walking and gave him a side glance. “I didn’t ask you to come.”He scoffed. “And leave you alone to make stupid decisions? I came so I can say ‘I told you so’ when this blows up in your face.”We walked into the hotel lobby, the cold glass doors closing behind us. The place still looked exactly how I remembered it — clean, modern, a little too fancy, and filled with the kind of people who smiled too much.Darian looked around. “Nice hotel. Still doesn’t mean your missing
Chapter –Evacuation Zoey’s POVI was still brushing my hair when the door flew open.Kael barged into the room, his brows pulled tight, his eyes sharp and full of urgency.“Start packing,” he said, walking straight to my wardrobe like he owned the place.I blinked, frozen in place. “What?”“Pack your things, Zoey. Now.”I stood up slowly. “Why? What’s going on?”He didn’t answer right away. He was already pulling out a few of my clothes and stuffing them into a small suitcase like time was running out.“Kael!” I shouted. “You’re scaring me. What happened?”His assistant, Margo, ran into the room just then. “Alpha Kael, please calm down. She’s a pregnant lady. You can’t be throwing things around like this.”Kael took a deep breath and stepped back. His hands were still shaking. “Sorry,” he muttered. Then he turned to me. “Just trust me, okay? We need to go now.”My heart started racing. I moved toward the bed, confused and nervous. “Kael, please talk to me. What is happening?”He walk
.Chapter – The Hotel owner Lyon’s PovSerena lay in bed beside me, her soft hand brushing against my chest. I knew what she wanted. But I couldn’t. Not tonight. “I just want to hold you,” she whispered.I shifted away. “I’m tired,” I said, voice low and distant.She sat up. “Tired? Or is it something else? You barely looking at me, Lyon. What’s going on?”“Nothing,” I answered, standing up and grabbing my robe. “Go to bed.”Before she could say more, I left the room.The hallway was quiet. My bare feet brushed against the cold floor as I walked slowly. My eyes fell on a room at the end—the room that used to be Zoey’s.I stopped. Something tugged at my chest.I reached for the doorknob and turned it. The room creaked open.But it wasn’t hers anymore.It had been turned into a storage space. Boxes were piled up. Old furniture and paintings leaned against the wall. Everything that once smelled like Zoey was gone. Her scent, her touch, her little things—gone.I closed the door quietly.
Chapter: The Truth Zoey’s PovWhen I opened my eyes, the light stung.Everything was hazy at first—my head ached, and my body felt heavy. I blinked a few more times before the ceiling came into focus. I wasn’t in the wardrobe anymore. I was in bed. Soft covers were pulled up to my chest, and the room was calm.Kael sat in the chair beside me, his brows furrowed, eyes tired.He looked like he hadn’t slept.“You’re awake,” he said quietly.I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn’t move as fast as I wanted.Kael leaned in and gently helped adjust the pillows behind me.“Are you okay?” he asked.I nodded slowly, but he didn’t look convinced. His jaw was tight. His hands rested on his knees, clenched.“I thought something happened to you, Zoey. You locked your doors. Your windows. I had to call the hotel’s security system to unlock your room. I found you unconscious in the wardrobe.” His voice cracked a little. “You scared the hell out of me.”“I’m sorry,” I whispered.His eyes searched min
Chapter - I Saw HerI saw her.I’m not even saying that in a dreamy, maybe-it-was-just-in-my-head kind of way.I saw her.Zoey.Her eyes—those same eyes that used to look at me like I hung the moon, and later like I broke her heart—stared back at me from the top window of that hotel. Only for a second. Maybe even less. But that was all I needed.She was alive.I tried to go up there. I really did.The moment our eyes met, I pushed through the crowd of guests and made my way to the edge of the ballroom, where the hallway opened to the elevators. I told the security I needed to go up. I even told them I left something up there. They didn’t budge.“Sorry, Alpha, but access is only granted for event areas tonight. We can’t allow guests to wander into other hotel wings.”I wanted to break through them. I almost did.But I stopped.Not because I didn’t want to cause a scene, but because Serena had already started one.“Lyon!” she yelled from across the hallway, storming up to me in her heel
Chapter- The Hotel Guest Zoey’s Pov Two months had passed since I moved into Kael’s hotel. The days had become softer, slower. I was getting closer to the time I would give birth—just two months to go. Kael wouldn’t let me lift a finger anymore. He said I needed to rest, that the baby needed calmness. I didn’t argue. Truthfully, I was tired all the time.My world had grown small, but peaceful. I had my own little garden out by the corner of the west wing. Kael gave me the space and even brought flowers from the market so I could plant them. Every morning, I would go out there, barefoot on the grass, breathing in the scent of fresh earth. It reminded me of who I used to be—just a quiet wolf girl who loved green things.Kael and I had gotten closer too. We weren’t formal anymore. There were no stiff greetings or awkward silences. We took long walks, sometimes around the garden, sometimes around the quiet hallways of the hotel when the moon was up and the guests had gone to sleep. He
Chapter: The Mark I FeltZoey’s POVI shot up from the bed with a scream. My chest burned, and I could feel the sweat on my skin like I’d been running for miles. My breath was ragged, like I was choking on something I couldn’t see. My hand pressed against my chest, right where my heart should be steady—but it was pounding.The door burst open.Kael ran in wearing a shirt that looked like he’d just thrown it on halfway down the hall. His eyes were wide with worry.“Zoey! What’s wrong?” he said, rushing to my side.I couldn’t even speak. My throat felt like it was closing up. I just shook my head and held my chest, the pain still there, dull but steady. Almost like something had been taken away from me.“I don’t know—I just—I felt something,” I whispered.Kael sat on the edge of the bed and reached for my hand. “You’re shaking.”“I know.”“Was it a nightmare?”“No,” I said quickly. “It wasn’t a dream. It was real. I felt it.”He looked confused. “Felt what?”My lips trembled. I didn’t w
Chapter: The Vows I Didn’t MeanLyon’s POVThe palace was buzzing with energy, but none of it belonged to me.Flowers draped the marble columns. Gold ribbons lined the chairs. Musicians played soft music in the garden courtyard where the ceremony would take place. Servants ran around, perfecting every detail. My mother made sure everything looked perfect—like a royal wedding should.And yet, I stood in my chambers, staring at my reflection with no excitement in my chest.I looked like a groom. Dressed in an embroidered black robe, trimmed with silver. My hair was neatly tied back, my jaw cleanly shaven. Everything about me was prepared to look like I was happy. But I wasn’t.There was a knock at the door, then Darian strolled in without waiting for permission. Typical.“You look like you’re about to attend a funeral,” he said, walking straight to the window.I didn’t answer.He turned around and smirked. “You know most people smile on their wedding day.”I gave him a dry look. “Do I l
Chapter: Secrets in the WalkZoey’s POVThe cold air in Kael Hotel felt sharper this time. I hadn’t been gone long, but something about walking through those glass doors again made me feel like I was stepping back into something unfinished.I stood near the reception, a little nervous. I hadn’t exactly left on good terms last time. I expected cold stares or awkward silence, but Kael came out from the back hallway with a warm smile on his face.“You came back,” he said.I nodded. “I did.”There was a short pause. I looked down at my shoes.“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “For how I left. I wasn’t trying to cause problems.”Kael tilted his head. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Zoey.”I looked up at him. “But—”He cut me off gently. “Seriously. You were going through something. Anyone could see that.”His voice was calm. Kind. Just like always.Still, I wasn’t myself the last time I was here. I’d messed up a simple order, and the staff’s yelling had pushed me over the edge. I