Darren's POV
As I walked into the dark alley behind an abandoned factory, I smelt it.
The smell of a mixture of cheap perfume, vomit, dead mouse, sperm, and cigarettes.
This place was known as Dark Market in Mediland, where rogues, outlaws, and drunkards dwelled like cockroaches at every corner of the alley.
My brother used to tell me that people should live with a purpose. If a person loses their purpose in life, they usually end up staying in places like this.
The disgusting drench of low lives. The rock bottom in this world by any standard.
"Hey, handsome biker. Do you want to come inside? I'll show you a good time and let you ride me." A woman with messy make-up and hair slurred at me. Several of her teeth were gone and there was a big scar on her face.
"I'm looking for a woman," I said to her.
"I'm a woman," she said. Then, she bent over and lifted her short skirt. She wasn't wearing anything underneath, so she was basical
Darren's POVI looked around. This place looked like a shit hole.The bar was dimly-lit with the pungent odor of stale beer and unwashed bodies. The smell plainly hit me like a freight train.The patrons were a motley crew of disheveled characters, their faces twisted in various stages of drunkenness and rage. The cheap, disgusting alcohol flowed freely, fueling the chaos that swirled around me. The air was thick with cigarette smoke, and the walls were coated in a layer of grime that seemed to have accumulated over many years. The tables and chairs were mismatched and worn, some missing legs or arms, others so rickety that they threatened to collapse at any moment.I couldn't help but notice the poor souls slumped over their drinks, their eyes glazed and unfocused. A group of men in the corner were arguing loudly, their voices slurred and angry."Fuck you, Billy!" a man shouted. "You're possessed by that fucking brunette at Damian's fu
Leah's POVAs I walked into the Green Point Inn, everyone's head was turning at me.I ignored the whistles and lewd talks, walking directly to the bar."I need Green Rabbit Old Ale," I told the bar attender."You don't belong here, young lady. Go back to where you belong." The bar attendant said without lifting his head. "We've got enough trouble for tonight.""I'm not looking for trouble," I said. "I'm Uma and Damian's friend. I was at their funeral earlier this morning."The bar attendant raised his eyebrows to look at me.He was in his sixties. His face was etched with deep wrinkles that spoke of years of experience and wisdom. Despite his age, his eyes still sparkled with a keen intelligence that hinted at a life well-lived. His crisp white shirt was neatly tucked into a pair of dark slacks, and his polished leather shoes gleamed in the dim light."They died because of me. I have to do something," I held the edge of t
Leah's POVJust as the headless zombie was about to knock us down, I heard another gunshot.Almost at the same time, the zombie dropped to the floor like a defalted doll.Darren stepped forward and kicked it away. It rolled on the floor for a few seconds until it was stopped by a man's boot.I looked up and saw a tall, tanned man standing right in front of me.He was tilting his head, checking on the dead corpse, holding a shotgun in his hands.As I looked at his dark tanned skin, I couldn't help but be drawn to his rugged, masculine features. His chiseled jawline was accented by a hint of stubble, and his piercing eyes are a deep shade of brown that seem to hold a hint of mystery. His muscular physique was nothing short of impressive - each bulging muscle seemed to ripple under his skin as he moved. His broad shoulders tapered down to a lean waist, highlighting his powerful chest and abs. His arms, thick with sinew and veins, lo
Leah's POVOK, great. As I expected, Darren abandoned me for another woman. And now he risked his life for this woman again without even considering my safety."Does this woman have a name?" I folded my arms and asked."Leah, please..." Darren whispered to me. "This doesn't concern you. It's my own business. I shouldn't have got you involved.""Darren, you've heard me. What is this woman's name?" I said."Her name is Josephine Solis," Diego replied.I opened my mouth and closed it again.I was completely shocked.Josephine?! The Josephine who had abused me in the past five years?! The love of Lucas' life and the apple of his eye?!Josephine?!Didn't Lucas banish her?!Why would she come back and haunt me like a ghost in my life?And why Darren was trying to save her instead of me?!I felt so confused and shocked at the same time that I couldn't even say a word.At that time,
Leah's POVJust as my mind was racing fast, I heard Josephine's quirky voice -"Leah Lewyn, did someone send you here to pry on what we're doing?"I stared into her eyes and said, "I've got no idea what you're talking about. I'm here to ask for your assistance in protecting innocent people's lives. I didn't expect that you guys wanted to create chaos, which would result in thousands of people in Mediland losing their lives."Then, I turned to Darren and asked, "Are you in this as well?"Darren looked shocked and hurt at the same time."Leah, after all this time, I can't believe that you would have such a low opinion of me." He said in a low voice. "I just wanted to come and take Josephine away. She's completely consumed by her anger.""And then, what?" I asked.Darren clenched his fists and lowered his head, "I'm planning to hide her away from the public for a while.""Hiding...?! Are you kidding me, Darren?!
Leah's POVJust as I was about to ask more questions, a man rushed in and said desperately, "Diego! Cole and his soldiers are coming!"Frank Skakel heard this and immediately said to me, "Miss Lewyn, go to the back of this bar. There's a tunnel underneath the end of the corridor, which leads to the port. Hurry up before you miss the last ferry."I stretched out my arms toward Darren and said, "Darren, let's go!"Darren looked at me and then took a glance at Josephine. I could tell that he was hesitant."It's OK, Darren. Go ahead with her. Diego will take good care of me. He's like a brother to me." Josephine said.Despite saying this, her hand was still holding Darren's arm tightly.Darren lowered his head. Josephine stared at me with an evil smirk as if she knew Darren would choose to stay with her instead of running away with me."Come on, Miss Lewyn, this way! When the soldiers see you, they'll hurt you!" Frank said anxiousl
Leah's POV"They called it off for technical reasons?! Do you mean that if they had solved the technical reasons, they would have carried on with that project?"Darren sighed and said, "Miss Lewyn, I really don't think we should start a debate about this...""It's unethical! We can't just play god like this and treat our own people like rats in the lab!" I said."They are not our own people, Miss Lewyn. They're rogues and outlaws...""They have family and friends! They settled down in Mediland and they chose to live a peaceful life. Only human beings are stupid enough to believe that one race is superior to the other I don't know wolves can be this stupid!" I said.Darren remained silent. His indifference over this issue angered me.I kept on going, "Think about Frank. He's a rogue. He's got five children and he used to be a gardener. Can you imagine subjecting him to some mad scientists' crazy thoughts and plans? How about Uma and Da
"Shut up, Josephine!" I urged, grabbing her shoulders."Oh, no! Leah's going to kill me! Help me, Darren! Please..." Josephine didn't finish her sentence, because I bumped her head against the floor and knocked her off."What have you done?!" Darren rushed forward and held Josephine in his arms. "You almost killed her! Her head is bleeding!""She was too noisy and I'd wanted to do that for a really long time." I shrugged.Darren was holding Josephine tightly, wiping the blood off her face with his sle
Liam's POVSeth caught it and sighed, theatrical as ever. "Look, we're pros here. Employers aren't people - they're NPCs in a game. Whenever I approach her, I get a new task alert. I walk up, get a quest, finish it, cash out. Done. Sure, late nights, when I'm beat, I might jerk off while looking at her before crashing - but it's all business. Nothing more, Liam."I blinked, thrown. "Wait, you jerk off over the survaillance video?"He shrugged, casual as if we were discussing the weather. "Who wouldn't? Look at her! She's a goddamn knockout. Any guy with a pulse would twitch. Doesn't mean I'd act on it."He scratched his head, squinting at the screen. "Come to think of it, I barely see her sleep. She's always on, like she doesn't need rest."That hit me like a spark. "That's exactly what I wanted to ask about," I said, leaning in, my voice low. "She's not normal, Seth. She took down two thugs with one hand - barely blinked. She's too confident, too
Leah's POVNow, that hunger roared back, fueled by loss and longing. We gave in, tearing at each other, a storm of despair and need. His hands roamed my scarred flesh, rough and reverent, and I arched into him, swaying my hips, dragging it out like a ritual. Pain laced every touch, every thrust - his breath ragged, my moans breaking into sobs. We fucked like we were clawing our way out of graves, desperate to feel something beyond the wreckage of our lives.Inside, my wolf snarled, "This man is dangerous. He's lost everything for you. You're all he has. He shows up when the world burns - destiny or curse? Plus, he killed your child!"I answered her, fierce and silent, as Darren moved inside me, "This man bled for me, broke for me. He's my shield, my fate, my fucking heart. I've crawled through hell, and you never spoke to me. Why now?"My wolf went quiet, retreating, and I surrendered to him - to the ache, the heat, the ruin of us. We collapsed, spent, ta
Leah's POVThe sky shattered above me, a jagged maw of chaos spitting debris like venom. But Darren was there, his arms clamping around me, fierce and unyielding, rolling me across the ground as the hulking ship model plummeted from the heavens. It crashed where we'd been, its splintered bulk clawing the earth, and I felt the tremor in my bones. Dust choked the air, a gritty veil, but all I knew was his body pressed against mine, hard and desperate, his heat searing through the cold dread coiling in my gut.When the world stilled, our eyes locked. His stare cut through the haze, sharp as a blade, stripping me raw. Memories clawed their way up—him looming over me, blood-smeared and feral, shielding me from death's jaws. Tears burned my eyes, spilling hot and relentless, carving tracks down my dust-caked face. I couldn't stop them, couldn't cage the ache ripping through me.But then I caught it - or didn't. The air around him was wrong, empty. No musk of wol
Leah's POVI nodded, keeping my face smooth, blank - a perfect little mirror for the director's pride. Inside, my blood roared. These bastards had turned on Liam's father the second his body was cold, carved up his legacy, and handed it to Al Cosa on a silver platter. Everything Liam should've had—stolen. But I kept my claws sheathed, my fangs hidden. Not yet.Dinner came next, the shift announced by a waiter's clipped voice. I'd spent the earlier hours letting the deputy mayor fleece me at cards, folding my hands with a shy smile while his stack of chips grew. By the time we sat down to eat, he was rosy-cheeked and beaming, drunk on victory and wine. He clapped a meaty hand on my shoulder, his breath sour. "Leah, you've got to come to the seafood charity dinner next weekend. Big fundraiser for the Pier 16 Free Trade Zone. It'll be a hell of a show."I smiled, soft and apologetic. "I'd love to, but I'm flying to California next week. My company's got an ev
Leah's POVHours bled into each other. The party grew loud, sloppy. I slipped away to the pool terrace, heels dangling from my fingers, the night air sticky with salt and regret. The water shimmered like broken glass.Josephine used to fling herself into a pool to play damsel on my wedding night to get Lucas' attention. And that happened like in my my last life. And Darren - my shadow, my sword, the man who'd bled for me in alleys and ballrooms alike. Where was he now? Dead, surely. He'd have torn the slave market apart otherwise.The champagne bubbled bitter on my tongue. A tear fell - weakness - but the night hid it."Mrs. Winters." The deputy police chief staggered over, tie undone. "You're missing the fun.""I was just admiring the view," I lied. "I was just thinking to myself, you must be very good at your job. So young for a deputy chief."His chest puffed. "Beginner's luck.""Luck favors the bold," I said, leaning clos
Finn's POVI let him paw at me, a doll in his grip, his anxious eyes boring into me. It stirred something - anger, maybe, or worse, something soft I couldn't stomach. I shoved him back, sharp and sudden. "I'm fine," I snarled, turning to walk away.The flowers hit the ground behind me, petals scattering like spilled guts."Pick them up," I ordered, my tone cold.He immediately obeyed, bending down to gather the mess, his muscles flexing beneath the suit. I watched him, my mind a battlefield of desire and disgust. He was mine, bought and owned, yet with every touch, every glance, I felt like I was the one being claimed.I stepped on his back. Hard.Kairo scrambled on all fours before me, fingers trembling as they snatched at scattered petals - crimson on stone, like the blood already smearing his split lip. His haste amused me. The way his breath hitched, the way his shoulders tensed when my shadow fell over him.I let him hope for a s
Finn's POVI hated clinics. It stank of antiseptic and rotting blood, a paradox that clung to my tongue like acid eating through rot. Dr. Jafar's shadow pooled beneath the flickering fluorescents as he blocked the hallway - a vulture in a stained lab coat, wings spread to guard carrion."His lungs collapse twice daily now," the doctor said, teeth yellow as old piano keys. "The machines breathe for him. You understand? No more speeches about sensative topics here."I stared at him with a blank face. "Move."The ward beyond was a cathedral of dying. Monitors chirped hymns. Tubes coiled like sacred serpents around my brother's skeletal frame. Lucas' chest rose in mechanical spasms - a marionette jerked by invisible strings. I'd seen livelier corpses in the slave pits.His hand felt paper-thin when I took it, veins mapping failures under cold skin. "Brother," I said, savoring the word's rancid sweetness.Eyelids peeled back like fresh wounds. Re
Finn's POVThe dungeon stank of piss and rot, the air so thick I could taste it - bitter, sour, like the inside of a grave. A slash of crimson moonlight cut through the wall, spilling over the stone like blood from a fresh wound. My scars itched, a map of every bastard who'd torn me open and left me hollow. I needed it tonight, that sharp, searing proof I wasn't just a ghost rattling in this fucked-up shell.He was there, the slave, strung up like some beast, chains gnashing at his wrists and throat. Wolf poison hissed on his skin, blistering it raw, but he didn’t flinch. Those eyes - wild, molten - locked on me, burning with a love so desperate it could choke us both. He lunged as I got close, chains screaming, his voice a ragged snarl. "Alpha!"I saw his skin searing as it touched the chain.I tilted my head to look at the guard standing next to me.He panicked and said, "Sorry, Alpha! He has broken so many chains... We have to dip th
Leah's POVLater, they dragged me to the monitoring room, a sterile cage of flickering screens and stale air. The video looped endlessly - Antonio's fall, a silent plunge into the dark sea, over and over like a sick ritual. I sat there, wrapped in a scratchy blanket, shivering for show, while Al Cosa perched across from me, an old vulture hunched over his prey. His eyes, sharp and unblinking, devoured the footage, and not a flicker of pain crossed that wrinkled mask. Ruthless bastard, I thought, savoring his son's last moments like a fine cigar, no tears, no cracks. Just cold, hard control.Johnny, his slick consigliere, loomed nearby, arms crossed, voice smooth as oil."Mrs. Winters," he said, "I've no intention of detaining you here. But as the sole witness before Tony's fall, you've got an obligation to tell me the truth. What happened?"I shrank into the blanket, letting my hands tremble, my breath hitch."He took me to the balcony," I mumbled,