Leah's POV"His Majesty has already left," the soldier informed me.I wanted to speak with my father, but it was clear he didn’t want to engage. In my silence, the soldier continued, "His Majesty mentioned something to Alpha Lucas about a guy named Lester Swanson."Darren's brother? Why would my father mention him?"What did he say?" I asked, dreading the answer."He said Leo did something to him, so he would have to kill his brother Darren Swanson," the soldier replied, looking confused.What?!"Where’s Lucas now?" I demanded."Alpha has already gone to the airport to stop Lester Swanson. He didn’t want you to know. He wants you to go back to the lake house and wait for him.""Go fetch me a car right now," I commanded."Where are you going, Miss Lewyn?" the soldier asked, perplexed."I need to get to the airport before everyone gets killed," I said, urgency in my voice.As I arrived at the airport, a barricade manned by soldiers greeted me."What’s going on?" I asked one of them, my
Leah's POVLucas wrestled the gun from Lester’s hand, aiming it at him."No!" Darren shoved Lucas’s arm, causing the bullet to hit a nearby chair instead."What the fuck are you doing, Swanson?! That freak’s going to kill us!" Lucas yelled."That freak is my brother!" Darren cried, a raw anguish in his voice.Lucas lowered the gun, letting it clatter to the floor. Despite Lester's desperate struggles, my wolf refused to relent. Darren, with tears streaming down his face, approached me."Leah, let go of him," Darren pleaded.My wolf, still in fight mode, snarled, but Darren wasn’t deterred. He met my gaze with a calm, steady stare. "Let go of my brother, Leah," he whispered, tears choking his voice.Finally, my wolf released Lester. Blood gushed from his neck as he choked, drowning in his own fluids."I'm sorry, brother. It should have been me," Darren whispered, collapsing beside him.Lester tried to speak, his mouth forming silent words. Darren leaned close, listening. Whatever was s
Lucas' POV"This is Gean Lee. He's Leah's assistant," Jorah introduced him.I sized Gean up, feeling an unexpected wave of discomfort. It unsettled me that Leah worked so closely with someone who looked this good."Alpha Lucas, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Gean said, bowing slightly."I need you to talk to a deranged telepathic prince," I explained. "He’s imprisoned, yet he’s still controlling other werewolves. I need you to get him to stop without hurting him, since the King plans to deal with his mind later.""Is that all, Alpha Lucas?" Gean asked, his voice soothing. I began to see why Leah liked having him around. There was something calming about him."No, there's one more thing. I want you to resign from UniHeal and come work for me."Gean remained unflustered. "One thing at a time, Alpha Lucas," he said with another bow before walking away.Jorah's annoyance was evident once Gean had left. "You can't just take everyone away from Miss Lewyn and make them work for you."
Lucas' POVI was stunned. Completely paralyzed.When my deceased Beta, Basil, was alive, I had promised to look after his sister. If he were here now, he might be able to forgive me for the way I'd treated her.I rose, facing Josephine. "You're free to go now. Jorah will be in touch. Don't ever set foot in my pack again."Josephine lifted her head, defiant. "There won't be a next time, Alpha Lucas."After she left, I felt a gnawing unease settle deep within me. Why did Josephine's visit bother me so much? Perhaps it was because she was pregnant.I needed to be with Leah. The doctor's orders be damned—I had to go to her now.Just as I was about to leave, Gean Lee walked back in, casually wiping his hands with a handkerchief, as calm as ever."So?" I demanded."His Highness Leonard is asleep now," he said, placing a small, switch-like device on the table."And what's that?" I asked, frowning."It's a microchip. He had it implanted under his skin to communicate with his prototype soldier
Leah's POV"Take off your clothes," he commanded, his voice low, yet imbued with undeniable authority.Never in my life had I been forced to do anything, making his commanding tone both foreign and strangely tantalizing."You heard me, Leah," Finn repeated, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. "I want you. Right here, right now.""Finn, we need to talk," I said, my voice wavering.Finn roared, his hands gripping my shoulders with a fierce, almost desperate strength. "I don't want to talk," he snarled. "I want you to take off your clothes right now. Don’t make me do it for you. You're not the Lycan King's daughter to me. You're my woman. And I want my woman to obey..."I didn't wait for him to finish. With a deliberate, almost defiant motion, I tilted my head and slowly unbuttoned my blouse.Finn’s gaze fixated on my plump breasts and the swelling curve of my belly, his expression shifting to one of disbelief."I'm pregnant, Finn," I said, my vo
Leah's POVMy father? This was the second time someone had mentioned his involvement in the enhancement project. Yet, that still didn't validate Leo's outrageous claims."The lab was destroyed later," Sak continued."What happened?" I asked, my curiosity piqued."It was located at the far end of the old Huffner Bridge. When Mick set fire to the bridge, the lab caught fire and burned down."Mick Toussaint. He was just a teenager back then. He set the bridge ablaze and was later sent to rehab by his father, the late Alpha Dire. The past was a jumble of fragmented events, impossible to piece together fully."The next time I saw Finn was at the slave market," Sak went on. "I recognized him immediately because of the scars on his chest. I bought him and took him home, giving him food and shelter. I didn't want him working in the club, but the Blazebite Prowlers kept causing trouble. When you came to my club, I had to push Finn out to keep them away. With your influence, they wouldn't dare
Leah's POV"You're still in love with him. Love clouds your judgment. He's going to strangle you and your cub to death, but you still want to flee with him. I can't let this madness continue. It's time to put an end to it," my wolf said, her voice calm in my mind."If you let him out, I will hate you for the rest of my life!" I screamed."I don't care," her voice was unwavering. "You'll hate me for a while. But eventually, you'll make peace with it. Men come and go, but you're stuck with me.""You're impossible! He's the father of my baby!" I shouted. "You will make my baby fatherless!"At that moment, Finn shifted into human form. He picked up the clothes from the ground and put them on piece by piece.As he dressed, he said, "Leah, I know you're there. I know you can hear me. You deserve the truth, and now I'm telling you. My entire life, I've been used and exploited. My blood was altered, my muscles torn and reassembled. Sak forced me to stay with you, Jalin used Sak to make me ple
Gean's POVMy life is nothing short of tragic. I think that’s a fair assessment. Loving men is apparently a capital offense in our pack. They shunned me like I was a plague-ridden rat, disregarding every talent I had to offer.But I’m a problem solver. I work with diverse clients, providing them expert solutions. To truly excel, you need a personal touch and influential connections. And what could be more influential than a prodigal son from a Lycan family?I met Leo during his time in medical school. He was as queer as a three-dollar bill back then and convinced he had some mysterious ailment. He’d lock himself away in the lab for weeks, only to emerge with a new potion, claiming he’d discovered the cure. He’d down it and promptly pass out, only to wake up queerer than ever.It took a lot of persuading to convince him that there was nothing wrong with us. I can be very persuasive, if you catch my drift. One morning, he woke up in my arms and said, “Gean, I think I’ve found my solutio
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,
Leah's POVThe limousine door hissed open, releasing me into a hurricane of camera flashes. Miami's salt-rotten breeze tangled with the stench of money and gardenias as I stepped onto the crimson carpet, Rafael Laflamme's final creation clinging to my thighs like a lover's last breath. The dress was a funeral shroud in reverse - black silk devoured by blood-red crystals, cut low enough to make the paparazzi forget their own names. Four tall, dark male models flanked me, their hollow-cheeked perfection a living barricade. I'd chosen them for their vacant eyes. Men who looked at nothing saw nothing.Whispers followed like gnats. Who is she? I smiled behind the lace mask, its spiderweb patterns itching my scars. Let them wonder. Let them choke on their own curiosity.The ballroom swallowed us whole, chandeliers dripping light onto a thousand masks - feathers, gold leaf, animal snarls. I tasted champagne on the air, acidic and false. The first waltz began i