Leah's POV"I've been everywhere in the world. Foreign boarding schools. Military dispatch..." Darren's voice sounded a bit playful."You don't come across like a soldier to me, but you do come across like a naughty boy at school.""I was trained to be a commanding officer, but I did have a troubled childhood." He squinted and scratched his head. I realized that was his way of being shy.He's so adorable. How can someone be so adorable? I have to stop drinking before this whole thing goes really, really wrong. Lucas is right. He didn't sign the divorce papers, so I'm still legally married to him. But at the same time, the magical encounter with Darren feels so right. I would really want to see where it's going. "A bad boy suits up and becomes a commanding officer. You need to tell me more about it," I tittered under the influence of alcohol. Damn. He must look so hot in an army uniform."I will tell you everything about me, Miss Lewyn. I'm an open book." He replied with a genuine smil
Leah's POV"Are you still buying it?" I looked at Lucas and asked."Whenever you meet, she's the one who gets injured. I don't understand," Lucas said. Even in his drenched state, he exuded an air of confidence and authority.My heart sank."So, you're still buying it. I can't even. Anyway, forget about it. I don't want to have anything to do with you two." I turned and wanted to walk away.A pair of strong hands reached out and pulled me.Looking up, I saw my very angry and offended ex-husband."Don't you think you should explain what happened to me?" Lucas' blue eyes glared at me with fiery intensity. His veins bulged on his forehead as he struggled to control his seething anger."What do you want me to explain?" I asked in a calm voice. His hand was gripping hard on my arm so tightly that it turned red.Lucas was incensed by my nonchalance and raised his voice, "If you were wronged in the past, why didn't you ever explain anything to me? Explain it to me.""So, I don't want to expla
Leah's POVStood on the balcony, I leaned forward to the handrail, looking at the crowd in the yard.I saw Darren, who was accompanied by an attractive young woman in an elegant satin dress, sipping champagne while talking to Alpha Kyle, the Chairman of the Derby Committee.I didn't blame him for not bringing me that glass of champagne after witnessing what happened just now.He was still young. He didn't need to be involved in a divorced woman's family farce. I understood. Plus, the woman leaning against him looked much younger and happier than me. She looked like the younger version of me, when my heart hadn't been broken by my ex-mate.When I was still unrejected.I stretched out my arm to fetch the wine glass behind me, but the glass turned out to be empty.I lifted up my head and sighed, staring out into the night sky.The stars twinkled above me, but my mind was clouded with a deep sense of melancholy.I couldn't shake off the fact that I had just come face to face with my ex-hu
Lucas' POV"Did you lie to me?" I put down my mobile and asked Josephine in the car.On the screen of my phone, there was a video clip reeling. I saw it clearly. Josephine jumped into the swimming pool by herself. Leah didn't push her.This piece of video was posted on Twitter by a man named Darren_S. Apparently, this Darren guy witnessed the whole process of the farce and videotaped it before posting the entire uncutted version online.Josephine sat next to me in my car. Her once-beautiful features twisted with despair when she took a glance at the video clip online.People swarmed at this video and cursed Josephine in all kinds of languages.Being a low profiled person, I hated exposure like this."Are you accusing me of lying?" She played innocent again. But I no longer believed her."Did you?" I asked. My voice was stern and unforgiving.Josephine was speechless, turning her head away from me to avoid eye contact."How could you do this?" I asked. My voice was dripping with anger.
Leah's POVA few days later, I went to my brother's company UniHealer. His Beta Jalin had prepared a room on the top floor to be my new office.After stepping out of the private elevator, I saw the entire landscape of our city in front of me through the giant top-to-floor window."Welcome back, Leah," Beta Jalin, who had been waiting for me next to the elevator door, said with a big smile on his face."Jalin! I miss you so much!" I wrapped my arms around his neck and said.He was three years older than Lucian and he used to babysit me all the time when I was a child. Later, he became my mentor and best friend."So, do you like it?" He showed me around my office.I ran around in the spacious office like a little lark and said, "This is beautiful! When Lucian told me that you'd prepared me a room, I thought it was a cubicle. I hadn't expected an entire floor!""Great!" Jalin caught me like he was catching a rabbit and put me in the chair. "Now stop bouncing around and get to business. I'
Leah's POVLucian stared at Clara with a cold stare and said, "Mind your words, Miss Farrow. There's a surveillance camera in this room. I know you're drunk, but you're threatening my guest in front of my face. The Royal Court will prosecute you for being disrespectful to the Lycans."Clara immediately flinched and mumbled, "Sorry, Your Highness... It's just that I know this woman. She's an Omega and she's a liar! She posted my video online to get attention! She's a shameless bit..."She couldn't continue her speech, because the look on my brother's face was frightening.I slapped her hand away from my face and said, "If I had wanted to get people's attention, I would have posted another video clip online. The part shows a policeman dragging you on the floor. You weren't wearing any pants. I only posted your gambling video online because I wanted to prove my innocence. I didn't steal your mother's jewelry. You did. Anyway, I'm done talking to you. Now it's the time for you to leave."
Leah's POV"Lucian, please, it's hard enough for Mr. Farrow to admit his sister's challenging mental condition in front of us. I guess it's wise to pardon her this time. And I'm sure there won't be another incident like this happening in the future," I said.I was, even though I hate to admit it, born and raised to be benevolent and kind. I noticed that Clara was mentally challenged when I met her for the first time. She bashed a hot burning kettle at me. I didn't really take it personally at that time.When I called Lucian affectionately by his name, referring to him and me as "us", Lucas' face turned even darker.Now that he had more confirmation that there was something going on between Lucian and me.He clenched his fists and stared at me.I knew there were thousands of words he wanted to say to me, but he just didn't have a chance."Alpha Lucas, may I ask why are you staring at Miss Lewyn like that?" Lucian asked. He obviously didn't like his sister being stared at by anyone."I'
Leah's POVWhen he spread my legs and wrapped my legs around his waist, I suddenly realized that he was literally going to take me into this dark, narrow back alley of the restaurant.The shadow of buildings consumed both of us and so did our desperation.No, this isn't happening. It's not fair. I can't be taken by my ex-husband like this. No matter how badly he wants and how hot he is.My last stray of dignity was evoked and I started to struggle against him, trying to push him away."Lucas, stop..." I begged. My voice was trembling with fear and uncertainty.He ignored my plea and leaned in, capturing my lips with his in a hot, passionate kiss. It seemed that he wanted to soothe me. I could feel his longing for me, but I couldn't give in.My heart was pounding in my chest as I tried to resist the overwhelming desire to kiss him back. I wanted him, needed him, but I also knew that it was wrong."Lucas, don't..." I tried to push him again as his hands roamed over my body, tracing the
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
Finn's POVThe air thickened. Lucas' name hung between us like a corpse on a noose.I let my shoulders shudder first - a convincing tremor. Covered my face as if stifling sobs. Gean moved to embrace me, his idiot heart thundering through his charred coat.He said, "You already have Mediland. You have hurt those who once persecuted you. It's time to reconcile with your past self. If you don't stop now, you will eventually die from your own hatred."I looked up at this moment, and Gean was horrified to find that I wasn't crying, but laughing."You..."Chrome claws slid through his ribcage like butter. He gasped, warm blood pattering the floor in Rorschach blooms."Shhh," I breathed into his ear as he sagged. "Jafar’s scrubbing Leo's memories as we speak. He will help me to rebuild the lab. Your body will be used Leo's next experiment. He may cry when he sees your body, but he will not remember why he cried, just like... you've nev
Finn's POV"As the ruler of Mediland," I said, my voice smooth, "I meet with the king every now and then to report on recent affairs. Is there any problem with this?" "If you only want to meet," he said, his words clipped, "you should make an appointment with the Foreign Affairs Bureau and wait in line like everybody else."I gave a cruel smile, though he couldn't see it. "If you tell Lucian about my request for an audience, I think he'll agree to see me immediately.""Blind confidence is no different from stupidity," he shot back. I ignored the jab. "You haven't answered my question, Mr. Cleary. Do you know who started the fire?"He hesitated, and I could almost hear the tension in his voice. "I didn't ask anyone to burn down your lab. Have you talked to Leo after the fire? He's set enough labs on fire before, hasn't he?" "It was Leah who set the fire," I said, my voice steady. The silence that foll
Finn's POVCole hesitated, his eyes darting to the room behind me before he spoke. "The lab called. There's… a situation. Gean didn't explain much over the phone, but it sounds bad."My stomach dropped at the mention of the lab. "What happened?"Cole lowered his voice, as if afraid someone might overhear. "The lab's on fire. The girl who was with Lucas—she attacked him. Injured him pretty badly, then ran into the fire. They're searching for her body now."I held up a hand, silencing him, and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind me. Lycidas didn't need to hear this. Not yet. I motioned for Cole to follow me to the garage, where we could speak without prying ears.Once we were in the car, I turned to him, my expression hard. "What happened?"Cole took a deep breath, his hands gripping the steering wheel like a lifeline. "Gean said Lucas is with Dr. Jafar. The girl… she forced him to accept her refusal, then
Lucas' POVI was paralyzed, my mind reeling in shock. What have I done?The fire roared, its flames licking hungrily at the night sky. Leah's figure began to blur, fading into the chaos. Fear coiled around my neck like a vice, tightening with every passing second. She is Leah. My Leah.I had pushed my mate, my wife, into the inferno. And now, she was burning alive. What have I done?! How could I have been so blind, so heartless? What cruel twist of fate had the Moon Goddess cast upon me?Why?! Why did She demand I destroy my own mate, my Leah?My thoughts shattered into fragments of despair. Without hesitation, I leaped forward, charging headlong into the flames. I would rather die with Leah than live as this hollow, heartless shell. I shouldhave died long ago. But as the searing heat kissed my skin and singed