Leah's POV "No, Damian, please listen to me..." I whispered. Damian didn't say anything. He pushed Lucas away and walked out of the restaurant with everyone staring at him. Feeling desperate, I gave Lucas a dark look and chased Damian out of the restaurant. "Damian, please stop and listen to me!" I tried to pull Damian's arm and stop him, but he threw my hand away. "Don't touch me, Leah! I know a rich girl like you would never be the right match for a poor boy like me. Go back to your husband, Leah. And do me a favor. Do not say yes to a man next time they ask you out for dinner if you're married! It makes me look ridiculous! Shame on you!" Damian barked at me. Feeling heartbroken, I lowered my head. Tears of shame dropped from my eyes. People passing by stopped to look at us. I had never been openly accused like this. How am I going to explain to Damian that I got rejected by an asshole who ignored me for five years and now he came back to me, trying to drag me down and spoil e
Leah's POV "I wear nothing when I sweep the floor, Mr. Mayor," I replied, struggling to hold back the disgust. "I always bend down on the floor and wipe the floor on my knees. You know, nothing can do things better than this pair of hands." The mayor dropped his cigar in his hand while staring at me with his mouth slightly open. He swallowed the lump in his throat and said in a dry voice, "Miss Lewyn, I would give you everything you want if you clean the floor in my office right now. Just take off your clothes and get on your knees, clean this filthy floor of mine..." "Really? Just cleaning the floor? Don't you want something extra?" I asked. The mayor looked overwhelmed. He grabbed a feather duster in his hand and moved toward me. "Miss Lewyn, show me some mercy. If you could use this duster to dust my carpet, I would really appreciate it. My carpet is so dirty. And you can use the handle to spank the cushions of mine. Spank it hard, will you?" the mayor said with saliva drippin
Leah's POV "And now... The best bit of tonight! The children from Skagen City Orphanage want to express their gratitude by performing a dance for all of our distinguished guests tonight!" the host announced on the stage. Several children, dressed up like little angels, walked on the stage. The light dimmed, and they started to sing and dance to the music. They were so adorable. My eyes welled up. "Do you like children, Miss Lewyn?" Gean leaned toward me and asked. "Yeah." I nodded, wiping the tears off the corner of my eyes. "These kids... They're so innocent. But when they grow up, they have to put up with bullshits like Alpha Kyle and the mayor. I don't think they will stand a chance." "With our support, they'll turn out to be fine, Miss Lewyn," Gean said. "I grew up being an orphan. I'm pretty capable of dealing with bullshits." I burst into laughter. "It's nice to have you for company tonight, Gean," I said. "The pleasure is always mine, Miss Lewyn," Gean said in a tender
Leah's POV Damian? I couldn't believe what I had heard. I failed him last time, and I couldn't explain it to him, but I couldn't believe that he would do something like this. "Where is Damian right now? Let me see him!" I said to Mick. My voice was almost threatening. Mick gloated, "That's not going to happen, Miss Lewyn. You won't see Damian unless you tell me the truth. Did you kill my father?" "Alpha Mick, could you please take your hands off Miss Lewyn?" Gean stepped forward and pleaded. "We're surrounded by people." "Who the fuck are you, you filthy gigolo? Who gives you the right to fucking talk to me like this?" Mick stared at Gean and asked. "Is there a problem?" A human security guard came forward and asked me. "Is any of these two men harassing you, lady?" "No, don't worry. We're just joking around," I answered. The last thing I wanted was to get human beings involved. They always managed to make things even worse. "Really?" the security guard frowned. "I don't see
Leah's POVMick's mansion was located at Pine Creek.It looked grotesquely tacky and unnecessarily extravagant.The moment I stepped into the mansion, I knew I was in for an experience unlike any other.The first thing that caught my eye was the gaudy chandelier hanging from the high ceiling in the grand foyer. It was so large that it seemed to overpower the entire room, and its crystal droplets glinted garishly in the sunlight that streamed through the stained-glass windows.
Lucas' POVThe hall of the Pine Creek mansion was a spectacle of light, music, and color.Elegant couples swirled around the room, their fancy clothes and jewelry sparkling in the glow of the chandeliers.I was impeccably dressed in a black tuxedo, drawing admiring glances from the ladies as always.But as he made his way through the crowd, my eyes only locked on a stunning woman in jeans.She looked so hopeless and vul
Leah's POV "Where is Finn, Lucas? If you dared to hurt him..." I said as I was walking upstairs along with Lucas and Mick. "Leah, Finn isn't your possession. He's a grown-up man and he's got his own free will. Has it ever occurred to you that he might not like you? He doesn't want to be with you at all?" Lucas' voice sounded detached. I frowned and argued, "That's not possible! Finn's my best friend..." "So what's the last name of your best friend? What happened to him in the past? Why has he got genetically modified? Why does he have a phobia of soldiers? Is Sak Doyle really his brother? Have you ever thought of these questions?" Lucas asked in a stern voice. "That's for me to figure out! I can't figure it out if I can't be with him! You've taken him away from me. You've made your point. Now Jorah is back. It's time for you to return Finn to me!" Lucas couldn't conceal his disgust when he heard Finn's name over and over again. "You just don't understand, do you? Finn doesn't lov
Leah's POV Just when I was about to scream, the door behind me was pushed open by a cleaning lady. She panicked when she saw me. "I'm sorry, Lady. I thought this lavatory was empty..." she mumbled and tried to walk back. I grabbed her arms and said, "Wait, did you see something in this room just now?" "No... But the air conditioning must be malfunctioned. This lavatory is freezing. I need to call for maintenance," the lady stroked her arms and said. Coldness. Yes. Bone-chilling coldness. It was just like the time I was in the SPA room. All the lights went off and the air suddenly became cold. "Did you lock the door of this lavatory?" I asked the cleaning lady. She looked confused. "I'm so sorry, Lady. But I didn't lock this door. This door was open. That's why I thought this lavatory was empty," she replied. I bit my lips. I had enough of this kind of supernatural bullshit. My life wasn't supposed to be like those poor heroines in a ghost story. I refused to be tortured by
Leah's POVLiam stared. "What the hell are you?"I wiped my hands on his jacket. "Hungry."He laughed then, wild and unhinged. "You're crazy.""Crazy enough to fix your problems. If you obey.""Obey?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's kinky."I stared at him. "You want to save your grandmother? Stop playing gangster. You're a joke."His smile died. "Yeah? And what's your deal? Some kinda runaway mob wife?""Like you can't even imagine." I released him.Silence.He rubbed his neck. "Fine. What's the plan, boss?"I glanced at the photo. The old woman's eyes glared back, unyielding. "First, we get some money.""From where?"-Vinny's nightclub reminded me of Sheridan Club. It was a cacophony of neon lights and pounding bass, the kind of place where secrets were buried under the weight of too much noise and too many bodies.I walked in with Liam trailing behind me, his face still bruised
Leah's POVThe first thing I remembered was the cold. Not winter's bite, but the slick, oily chill of concrete against bare skin. My knees were scraped raw. My breath came in ragged bursts, fogging the air like gun smoke. I pressed my palms flat against the alley wall, felt the grime cling to my fingertips.Naked. The word slithered through my skull, venomous. Not just my body - my pride flayed open, left to rot beside dumpsters reeking of stale beer and regret.What the hell has happened to me? I remembered stabbing Lucas in the chest and walking into the flames.Now here I am. Naked in some sort of back alley.Voices slithered from the street."Lookie here... fresh meat. Yummy..." a man slurred. Three shadows lurched into the alley, their laughter wet and jagged. One held a bottle by its neck; the glass caught the neon buzz of the bar sign above. Red Rabbit Tavern. The letters bled crimson down the brick.Is this... human world?
Lycidas' POVLucian shook his head, his eyes closing as if the effort of speaking was too much.Late afternoon light slashed through barred windows, gilding dust motes that swirled like trapped spirits above Lucian's bed. My brother's once-indomitable frame now sank into feather pillows as if the mattress conspired to swallow him whole. His labored breaths syncopated with the grandfather clock's metronome tick-tock, tick-tockfrom the western wall - a sound that had scored every pivotal moment of our cursed lineage. I counted them as one counts heartbeats before execution: thirty-seven ticks since he'd last spoken. Seventy-three since I'd entered this tomb disguised as a king's quarters.When Lucian finally stirred, his eyelids lifted like rusted portcullises. Sunlight caught the silver threads in his black beard - premature aging, or the Moon Goddess' fingerprints? "Lycidas," he exhaled, the name disintegrating into a wet cough. I watched his thro
Lucian's POVJalin seized my chin, wrenching my face back to the mirror. "Are you waiting for me to dress you, Your Majesty?" His hands slid down, slow and possessive, unbuttoning my shirt with deliberate malice. The fabric parted, exposing my sunken chest, and his gloved fingers lingered, tracing the jut of my ribs. I grabbed his wrists, my frail grip trembling. "I'm tired," I whispered, voice a broken thread. "I don't want to see anyone today."Jalin sneered and tore the shirt from my shoulders, seams splitting like skin. He shoved me from the wheelchair, and I crashed to the floor, legs limp, a puppet with slashed strings. "Your brother's coming," he hissed, looming over me. "If you greet him like this - pathetic, lifeless - he'll think I've neglected my duties." His eyes burned with that familiar madness, a sadistic gleam that promised torment.I shrank back, breath shallow, rasping, "Jalin, please don't…" But he didn't pause. His hand fisted my hair,
Lycidas' POVI looked down at him, my jaw tight. "If you want the thing between us to work," I said, my voice low and dangerous, "you need to know some ground rules. The first and most important one is that you stay the fuckout of my family business. Do you understand?"He met my gaze, his eyes calm, unflinching. "Yes, Your Highness, I understand. But the thing is, since you entered the Kingdom, all your actions have been under the control of the Court. They reported your arrival to His Majesty, who summoned me last night..." I grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against the mirror. The glass cracked under the force, shards raining down around us. His face was scratched, blood trickling down his cheek, but he didn't struggle."Did you go and see my brother last night?! Did he fuck you?!" I roared.He whispered, "Your Highness, Lucian is sick now. He didn't...""If you mention my brother's name again," I snarled, "I'
Lycidas' POVI woke to the sting of sunlight slicing through the heavy drapes, the kind of light that felt like a mockery after the night I’d had. My head throbbed, a dull ache that seemed to echo the chaos of my thoughts. I rubbed my eyes, squinting at the room around me. It was obscenely luxurious, every surface polished to a blinding sheen, every piece of furniture carved with ornate, gaudy details. I sat up, the silk sheets slipping off my bare skin, and let out a bitter laugh. Finn's bedroom?The place reeked of excess, of a desperate attempt to mask something hollow. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my feet sinking into the plush carpet. The air smelled faintly of cedar and something metallic—blood, maybe, or the ghost of it. I stood, stretching the stiffness from my limbs, and made my way to the bathroom. The shower was scalding, the water slamming into my skin like punishment. I leaned against the tiled wall, let
Finn's POVLycidas didn't buy it. His clawed hand seized my hair, wrenching my head back so hard my neck screamed, and I gasped, the pretense slipping as pain flared."Fucking slut, is that all they'd taught you?!" he spat, raking his claws down my spine, tearing skin, spilling blood. I whimpered - half act, half truth—and he sneered, pressing his heat against me, his cock a brutal threat between my thighs. "You're a fucking disgrace. A whimpering slut who'd spread for any cock that paid."I clenched my jaw, nodding like I hated it, but the words sank into me, heavy and hot. "Yes, Your Highness. But now, I am yours..." I choked out, still clinging to the lie of reluctance, but then he slammed me face-first into the hardwood floor, his hands pinning my neck, and the air left me. He thrust in, no warning, no mercy, and the pain - fuck, the familiar, thrilling pain - was a jagged blade splitting me open. I screamed, the sound raw and real, my mask shattering
Finn's POVThe air in Mediland was thick with the stench of desperation and decay, a familiar reek that clung to the walls of the slave market like a second skin. I stepped through the rusted gates, my boots crunching over gravel and broken glass. The place was still a cesspool of misery, still a monument to the cruelty of the worst of the worst. But this time, I didn't feel the usual weight of despair pressing down on my chest. No, this time, I felt… light. My plan was going on smoothly.Lycidas, the fucking Lycan Prince, was here. In my territory. In my office. The thought almost made me smile. He'd spent years parading around the human world, basking in the adoration of his fans, untouchable. But now, he was mine. The fire in Los Angeles had been a stroke of luck - or perhaps fate. The paparazzi had scattered, and for the first time in years, Lycidas was vulnerable. Cole met me at the entrance, his face grim. "His Highness Lycidas
Lucas' POV"Alpha Lucas!" Dr. Jafar exclaimed, rushing to my bedside. "I saw the changes in your vitals on the screen and came as soon as I could. This is a miracle! You woke up!" I dismissed Jorah with a nod, and he left reluctantly, his eyes lingering on me as if afraid I'd vanish. "Dr. Jafar," I said, my voice low and urgent. "Did you perform the disguise surgery on Leah?"He hesitated, then nodded. "Yes. It was Finn's order, but it was my work. We had to change her appearance - everyone was hunting her...""What exactly did you do to her?" I asked.The doctor looked hesitant, but eventually he said, "We had to apply bionic skin, but her body rejected it at first. We had to keep injecting her with suppressants. And we… we reduced her height with bone surgery. It was painful, but necessary. Alpha Lucas, I felt so guilty about what I had done. That was why I was trying to remind you of her presence. I tried so hard to p