“Is something wrong?” I heard viola ask from behind me. “No dear nothing is wrong” I told her, I didn't want her worrying and I was sure they would settle things soon. “Okay then, i am making some pasta for her to eat when she comes back, her parents said it was her favorite” viola said. It was a surprise because pasta was also my favorite Moments later Dave called to inform me that she had entered the office and was with him. I was relaxed and still not relaxed at the same time. The lycan king was very devious. He would want katherina to trust him even if he had to throw other people under the bus for it to be possible. I didn't want Katherina to feel betrayed hearing the truth about her real mother from him. It wasn't because i intended to keep her in the dark, it was just because these past months had been really hectic for her. First, finding out about the switch at birth then, getting pregnant and then finding out she had a mate, as if that wasnt enough her werewolf side h
KATHERINA'S POV. “Did you follow me?” I asked Roman as he continued staring back at me cockily. I eyed him and turned my eyes away, i was in no mood for this. I turned to the lady besides me, “please dear,will you help take my things to a different room?” I asked her. And she turned to Roman with fear evident in her eyes. Then she turned back to me with pleading eyes, i just put her on the spot. I didnt want anybody to be in trouble because of me. “You know what? I have hands too don't i? I will do it myself.” I said and turned towards the stairs. “Don't go doing anything crazy” i heard Roman say. “I'm not planning on doing so, crazy, is the idea of me sleeping in the same room as you.” I said and turned, heading towards the stairs once again. This time i had gone half way up the spiral stairs when he caught up with me. He held my hands stopping me from going further. “Stop walking so fast, if the idea of staying in the same room with me is not sutting well with you, then i w
ROMAN'S POV. I heard a loud thud on the ground she had dropped her bag. I stopped waiting to see her next move, was she mad because of what i said? I saw her hold her head and she fell to the ground. Quickly I rushed to her side calling out her name. She was in so much pain she could hardly hear anything i was saying? What was happening? I didnt know how to help her because she wasnt saying what was wrong she just remained on the floor homding her head in pain. “Rose, speak to me” i said, shaking her softly. “My head, it is my head…my head” she kept on repeating weakly. “What is wrong with your head? Does it hurt?” I asked panicked. She nodded her head in reply. I quickly pulled out my phone from my pocket and dialed Doctor Emmaline's number. “Hello, hello, she is in pain” i said, immediately the call connected. “Hello, Roman calm down and speak to me” i heard Doctor Emmaline say. How does she expect me to calm down, when Rose is here folding herself in pain and I can't do an
THE ANNUAL BALL. I remained seated still on the bed, feeling the pain go away completely. I wondered to myself if this was going to be a reoccurring thing. “What are you thinking about?” I heard Roman ask as he walked back into the room. “When are you planning to take me to my room?” I answered sarcastically. “Is that how bad you want my hands on you?” He asked grinning mischievously and I rolled my eyes. “I'm being serious,” I said with a straight face. “And I am not? I am being serious too” he said looking back at me as he sat on the edge of the bed. I broke eye contact, turning my head to the wide window by my side. As I looked out the window, I noticed some ladies carrying bouquets of flowers, lots of bouquets, small ones, big ones and large ones. “What are those for?” I asked him. He followed the direction of my gaze and saw the ladies carrying the flowers. “The flowers or the women?” He asked teasingly. “The flowers” I answered almost immediately with a neutral ton
GOING SHOPPING. “Miss, miss” I heard as I fluttered my eyes open slowly. I locked eyes with a young girl probably in her early twenties. “Good morning, miss. I'm sorry to disturb you but your bath is ready, so is your food. Whichever you want to do first” she said. I, on a normal day, would grab the food immediately but for some reason,I wanted to put up a prim and proper image. I smiled at her. “Good morning to you too, i would have my bath first before having breakfast.” I said, still smiling. I looked around the room wondering where Roman was. After he left yesterday he never came back. Did he really not sleep in his room because of me? Was he really angry? What could I have possibly said to make him vexed? I thought. “Is something wrong, Miss?” The serving girl said, pulling me back to reality. I should really kill this habit of making people know I am bothered by my thoughts. I looked up at her and shook my head. “Do you happen to know where Roman is?” I asked her. I h
THE PERFECT DRESS. “Hold that thought,” I said to the staff. I turned towards Bree and Dave, surprisingly Dave too had begun loosening up. “Guys” I called out, getting their attention. They both turned to look at me. This is going to take quite a while so maybe you two could take a walk. “I'm sorry miss but…” i stopped him halfway clearing my throat “I'm sorry, but I can't leave you here all by yourself, “ he said. “I'd be fine, eun along you two, Dave i mean it, no objections.” I said putting my hand in the air as he wanted to open his mouth to protest. I quickly turned back to the girls. “You see my friend over there, can you be able to tell her size without measuring her.” I asked them. “Yes of course, we are the best in the business, trust me.” A staff member said, the confidence was top notch. “What about shoe size?” I asked. “We can handle that.” They chorused, making me laugh. “See you '' I sang as they both walked out. I hope they click, I really do. “This is for
DARK PAST. So with my gown, the sandals and some jewelry, I was good to go. With just a bit of makeup and a proper fix of my hair,I would have a very close to perfect look. I changed back into my normal clothes and they packed up my things for me. “Don't forget this” Karen said, shyly as she stretched out her hands, passing me a bag. “What is in here?” I asked her. “The gown, shoes and jewelry for your friend.” She answered. “Oh that's right” I said, I had totally forgotten about that. Shopping was really stressful, just a dress and accessories to go with it took so much time and effort. I looked at the wristwatch on my wrist, I had spent over six hours here. But on the bright side it was worth it because I had gotten what I wanted and Bree must have spent enough time with Dave. I smiled at the thought of that. “I'm sure you can't wait to get home to your husband” one of the girls said blushing shyly. “What? Ooh, that's not why I am smiling, "I said. Whether they believed me
NEWLY FOUND ABILITY.Bree and Dave walked into the boutique, I knew it was time to go.I turned to the girl and asked for their names. I realized that I had been with them for hours without knowing their names. I couldn’t part with them that way.Dave helped with the boxes and bag and we walked out after all the farewells had been done.“I hope to see you again” I heard Karen say with sad eyes as she waved at me.“Definitely” I said pointing to the bag with the dress and she smiled. I would definitely remain in contact besides i had taken all her number.We got into the car and began heading home. “So how was your day?” I asked, throwing the question to the both of them seated in front.“It was nice” Bree said, while Dave scratched the nape of his neck, not saying a word.“What about yours Dave?” I asked, not letting him avoid answering the question.“It was fine,” he answered, looking straight ahead at the road.“So how was the shopping?” Bree asked me.“It was great, I got just what
Happily Ever AfterHayley's POVThe morning sun shone through the windows as I stared at the garden below, savoring the beautiful view of it. It was like a gentle whisper of hope, soft and tentative, whispering through my ears. My fingers traced the windowsill, exploring the smooth, weathered wood beneath my touch - each groove and grain a tactile memory of our tumultuous journey. Two days. Just two days since Roman had returned from a battle that had threatened to unravel everything we knew, a conflict that had hovered on the razor's edge of total destruction.Memories cascaded through my mind like fragmented scenes from a nightmare. The metallic scent of blood. The paralysis of fear. That horrifying moment when time seemed to stop, and I believed I might lose everything I had come to love.But not today.Today was different.Today was about healing.About redemption.About hope rekindled.Downstairs, the kitchen was a symphony of preparation. We had hired more cooks for the celeb
A Promising Future Roman's POV I opened my eyes to the soft morning light coming through the windows. The pain in my chest was less now, thanks to the healing I got last night. Rose sat next to me on our bed, her hand gentle on my arm. She looked tired but happy."How are you feeling?" she asked softly, her fingers threading through my hair with such tenderness it made my heart ache. Dark circles circled her eyes, evidence of her exhaustion from last night, but her smile held all the warmth of the morning sun.I caught her hand in mine, pressing my lips to her knuckles, breathing in the familiar scent of her skin. "Better. The healing worked better than I expected." Every word was true – the piercing pain that had threatened to tear me apart was now just a memory."That's good." Her smile wavered slightly, worry dancing in the depths of her green eyes like shadows in still water. "The twins are still sleeping now. But they gave me a hard time sleeping last night. It's like they c
A New Dawn Hayley's POV I paced the hospital corridor as we waited for Dad to wake up. The fluorescent lights shone too bright even though it was already night, making the white walls seem even more clinical. I sat down in an uncomfortable plastic chair and shifted numerous times, my muscles protesting after hours of sitting. Next to me, Viola kept checking her phone, her fingers drumming an anxious rhythm on her thigh. Bree had gone home to rest about an hour ago, practically falling asleep on her feet. I'd insisted she get some proper sleep, promising to call if anything changed. The twins were with Dora, and even though I trusted her completely, my thoughts kept drifting to them. It was the longest I'd been away since they were born. "Family of Lucien Merchetti?" A doctor's voice drew my attention to the doorway. She was young, probably in her early thirties, with kind eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled. "You can go in and see him now, but just for a litt
The Final Battle Roman's POVThe private jet touched down in San Francisco just as the sun began its descent behind the horizon. My muscles were tense from the flight, but my mind was sharp, focused on the hunt ahead.Beside me, Caspian checked his phone for the hundredth time, his usual playful demeanor replaced by cold determination."Our tracking team is already working on Scarlett's location," I told him as we climbed into the waiting SUV. "They'll have coordinates for us within minutes." I informed him."Good." Caspian's voice was clipped. "The sooner we end this, the better." He added.As we drove to my wolves' team here in San Francisco, I pulled out my phone to hear from Rose back in New York. My fingers hovered over Rose's number for a moment before I pressed call. She answered on the first ring, her voice tight with worry."Roman? Did you find them?" She asked me.Just hearing her voice made my wolf whine. "We're close. The tracking team is working on it now." I leaned aga
Escape Before DawnRoman's POV We sat at the back of the garden, and the late afternoon shone across the immaculately beautiful lawn. My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin as I watched Scarlett and Stephan exchange their vows, not fooled by the serene facade of this wedding. Everything about them looked fake – the forced smiles, the tension crackling in the air, the way my guards tried to blend into the background while keeping their eyes fixed on Melissa.Rose was beside me, her hand warm in mine, her emerald dress making her skin glow in the fading light. She was trying to keep her composure, but I could feel the slight tremor in her fingers. I found myself thinking about our own future wedding, the one we'd have once all this mess was over. It would be different – filled with joy instead of suspicion, love instead of hatred."You may kiss the bride," the officiant announced, his voice carrying across the hushed garden.I leaned closer to Rose, my lips brushing her ear as I wh
Scarlett's Wedding Hayley's POV I stood before the full-length mirror in our bedroom, pulling down the hem of my emerald green dress for the hundredth time now. I felt nervous.The silk material mused against my skin as I stretched it, but even its luxurious touch couldn't calm my nerves. Today was my sister's wedding—if you could call someone who'd tried to kill you a sister."Stop fidgeting, Rose." Roman's deep voice called from the doorway. I didn't have to turn because I saw his reflection in the mirror before me, and my breath hitched in my throat. He looked devastatingly handsome in his charcoal suit, his dark hair slightly tousled as if he'd been running his fingers through it. His eyes, those piercing amber orbs that never failed to see right through me, held mine in the mirror."I can't help it," I mumbled, smoothing my hands over my stomach. The twins' birth had left its marks, but Bree had chosen this dress perfectly—it hugged in all the right places while still being ap
Three Days of GraceRoman's POVIt was three days before Scarlett's wedding. I was pacing my study in the early morning, thinking. Dawn hadn't yet broken when Caspian arrived and joined me in the study. I had called him earlier. I'd been up for hours now, my wolf restless beneath my skin. The weight of leadership had never felt heavier than in these moments, when every decision could mean life or death for those I loved."Three days," Caspian said, leaning back in his chair. Dark circles under his eyes suggested he'd been up all night too. "Are we really going through with getting Melissa out for the wedding?" He asked me.I paused my pacing to rub my temples, where a headache had been building since midnight. I turned to walk to the window, watching as the sun shone down in the garden looking too peaceful for the turmoil in my mind."I don't know," I admitted, my voice rough from lack of sleep. The thought of letting Melissa out made my wolf snarl with protective rage. "With ever
Betrayal in Plain SightRoman's POVThis morning I woke up with new determination. I rubbed my tired eyes, determined to review more surveillance footage. Yesterday's run with Rose had helped clear my mind, made the bitterness and pain more manageable. I didn't expect to find anything new in the recordings, but I had to try. I had barely started hearing the recordings in my study.Then I heard it.Scarlett's voice came through the speakers, trembling slightly. "I don't know what to do. He's going to banish me from New York. I have nowhere to go." She cried.I leaned forward, turning up the volume. A female voice responded, making my anger spike."Come to San Francisco. We need to stick together now more than ever," the voice said. "It's time we dealt with Roman and Hayley once and for all." She told her. Wait. That voice sounds familiar.My fingers gripped the edge of my desk. That voice... I knew that voice."Are you sure?" Scarlett asked, hope creeping into her tone."Yes. Just co
Comfort in ChaosHayley's POVMy heart ached as I watched Roman storm upstairs to his study, his shoulders rigid with tension. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the foyer, each step heavy with the weight of yesterday's revelations. Viola's eyes followed his retreating form, and concern appeared on her elegant features."Kate, darling," Viola said softly, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. "I've never seen him this tense, even for Roman. What has happened?" She asked me.I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. The morning sunlight streaming through the windows suddenly felt too bright, too cheerful for the heaviness in my chest. "He visited his mother in the dungeon yesterday," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "She told him... she told him Victor might be his real father."The silence that followed was deafening. Bree's coffee cup clattered against its saucer, the sound sharp in the quiet room."Oh my God," Bree breathed, her blue eyes wide. "Are you