Lucas' POV
"Alpha, we’ve found a woman lurking around. She demands to see you. She claims she has something you really need to know," a soldier reported to me, his voice tight with urgency.
"Bring her in." I set the phone down and exhaled deeply. I had exhausted all my resources. Leah was nowhere to be found, and she wouldn’t respond to my mindlink. Time was slipping away with only ten hours left.
I hadn’t slept in three days, and without Leah by my side, my focus was shattered.
"Alpha Lucas," a woman entered my office, cloaked in a voluminous medieval hood.
"Who are you, and why are you here?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes as I tried to pierce the shadows concealing her face. Despite the obscurity, she felt oddly familiar.
"Every werewolf knows my name. I have come to answer your call," she intoned, bowing slightly before throwing back her hood, revealing silver-white hair that glittered like stardust. Her skin shimmered l
Lucas' POVAs I trudged into the Court, the first thing I heard was the sorrowful voice of Lucian."With a heart burdened by profound sorrow and overwhelming conflict, I write the obituary of my father, the Lycan King. As his son, I, Lycan Prince Lucian, have been torn apart by his passing. Yet, in the name of truth and honor, I must recount his life in all its reverence and complexity..."What is he doing? Is he about to reveal the truth of the Lycan King's deeds at his own father's funeral?! Has he lost his mind?!Upon entering the ceremonial chamber, I saw Jalin Cleary standing beside Lucian.Why is that bastard still alive and why is he next to Lucian?!The moment he spotted me, Jalin's eyes narrowed.I recognized the smug grin on his face. It was the look he wore when he was up to something deceitful.My mind raced.Leah. He must have Leah. He must be using her to threaten Lucian.The instant Leah crossed my
Darren's POV"What the hell are you doing? Get the cart over here!" a soldier barked at me.I complied, but one of them still kicked me in the back."Stupid rogue," he hissed.I could tell they were Moon Growlers.One came forward, lifted the sheet, and frowned. "What the heck is this? I need a second opinion."Another stepped up and exclaimed, "What the fuck happened to her face? And where are the rest of her legs?""I found her like this. Must’ve been some predators," I said."Shit! We’re screwed!" The one who kicked me looked genuinely terrified. "I told Jalin we had the girl. Now we have this… this mangled corpse. That psycho is going to tear me apart!""Stop panicking," another soldier tried to reassure him. "Look at her belly. She’s pregnant. About the same size as Her Highness Leah. This must be her.""Alright then, you tell him that and see how he reacts!""Well, sorry to in
Jalin's POVBlood trickled down his cheeks, but he didn't even bother wiping it away.He seemed more conscious now, yet he remained silent, sitting there quietly on the bed, his face devoid of emotion.His silence only fueled my rage.I yanked his hair and dragged him off the bed, slamming him against the floor.Shards of glass embedded into his flesh.He didn't seem to notice the pain at all.I despised the way he absorbed the pain as if it were nothing.He looked exactly like his father.That old bastard would torture me, then sit in a chair with the same expression, looking at me as if I were nothing.All those memories flooded back, and I unleashed my fury on him.He endured it without a sound, just as I had when the old king beat the life out of me.Whatever horrors that old fuck put me through, I would exact tenfold on his precious son.I poured myself a drink, then settled into a chair,
Finn's POVI hadn't seen Swanson in some time. "Swanson," I called out. "If I were you, I wouldn't reach for that gun."Darren's eyes locked onto mine, a statue in the dim light as my people crept from the shadows, encircling his car."What is this?" he demanded."It’s exactly what it looks like," I replied. "These are the slaves and rogues I freed from the market. They work for me now.""You?" Darren's face twisted with disdain. I could hear the hostility in his voice. "I'm not here for this nonsense. Leah isn't safe. Jalin’s people are hunting her. I need to take her to the North.""She’s safer with me," I said firmly. "You don’t have to worry. Step out of the car and walk away. Your job here is over.""You’ll have to fight me for her," Darren hissed."I'm not in the mood to fight a mortal werewolf," I scoffed."Mortal? You’ve got a lot to catch up on, stripper," he spat, before morp
Lucas' POVMy heart lurched at his words. "What? How do you know?""Because my cousin Cole saw her," Rory explained. "She was unconscious, but she was still alive.""Who was with her?!" I asked. "She was escorted by a man from the Swanson family."Darren. Darren was with her!"Where is she now?!" I asked."Cole asked the man to go look for Finn," Rory continued. "Finn, who's now the Alpha of the Rogues in Mediland. He's the only one who can take Leah out of this kingdom."Shock rippled through me. Finn? The same Finn I had misgivings about? My voice trembled as I spoke. "Finn? Are you sure?"Rory nodded grimly.Fear knotted in my stomach. I didn't trust Finn, not with Leah's life. If there was one thing I was sure about my half-brother, it's that he hated Lycans more than anything.Panic surged through me, but so did determination. "You need to find out where she is, Rory. Please."Rory nodded
Leah's POVAfter that day, a doctor came three times daily to run all kinds of tests and scans on me. Every time he left, he would inject sedatives into my veins, forcing me into a deep sleep. I dreaded these forced slumbers. They were filled with terrifying nightmares, yet as soon as I woke up, the memories of those dreams slipped away like sand through my fingers.One day, while I was in a light doze, a sudden bang on the door jolted me awake. The door was flung open, and several soldiers marched into the cell. I stared at them, paralyzed with fear.“What… What are you going to do?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.None of them answered. One soldier stepped forward and unchained me. I collapsed to the ground, my legs and arms numb. Two men grabbed me, hoisting me up by the shoulders and dragging me out of the cell.“What are you doing?! Where are you taking me?!” I mustered all my strength to scream.
Leah's POVI couldn't answer. I didn’t know how to respond. My body betrayed me, growing wet under his touch.Suddenly, he grew angry. He grasped my neck, squeezing hard. "I'm talking to you, you fucking slut.""Sir... Please don’t do this to me..."A sadistic glint ignited in his eyes. He rubbed my loins harder, lifting my waist and arching my back. Blood surged through my legs, and I realized, Did I just... feel my legs?Just before I could climax, he abruptly stopped. He stood up straight, leaving me on the bed. For a brief moment, he did nothing but stare into my eyes.I felt ashamed of my body's reaction and didn't dare move. Then, he walked away and returned with a sizzling hot iron bar.Panic surged through me, and I screamed as he mounted on top of me. His weight pressed down, nearly breaking my ribs."What? Did you think I was going to fuck you?" His eyes gleamed with cruelty and disgust, matching the glowi
Leah's POVAlpha Finn injected the entire syringe into my vein. Almost immediately, I felt control over my limbs slip away. My body went limp, collapsing onto the sofa like a rag doll. Though my physical struggles ceased, my mind was still very much awake, and fear clung to me like a second skin.Tossing the used syringe into the trash, he lifted himself off me. Then, he sat beside me on the sofa, his fingers weaving into my hair."Whether you like it or not, that's the new face I gave you," he murmured while gently combing through my hair. Suddenly, he yanked it viciously, his voice turning deadly. "If you dare tell anyone about this, I will peel off your skin while you're conscious. Do you understand?""Yes... Sir..." I whispered, knowing he wasn’t bluffing.His hands traced a path from my nape down to my chest. As his long, slender fingers brushed the tips of my nipples, I flinched involuntarily. He peeled my buttoned blouse open, his gaze
Lucas' POVThe Green Point bar stank of sweat and spilled whiskey. I watched the girl's throat work as she gulped the beer, amber liquid dripping down her chin like stolen honey. Her knuckles whitened around the glass. Thirsty little thing. Starving in ways I couldn't name."Did you...enjoy the beer?" I asked."It tastes like piss, but I'm thirsty," she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand."And did you enjoy today?" The question tasted rusty. Leah's ghost perched on the barstool between us, her hollow socket accusing me.The girl's shoulders hitched first. Silent sobs shook her frame, tears plinking into her empty glass. My chest tightened - that old reflex, that ancient guilt."What's going on? Did I do something wrong?" I held her hand and asked."It's just..." Her voice cracked like autumn leaves underboot. "Feels like the first real day. Like I've been sleepwalking till now. I've never been out for a proper date like this wi
Finn's POVThe studio gates loomed like iron teeth. I stepped through, the scent of fake blood and sweat slapping me harder than the California heat. Outside, the Hills smoldered, ash staining the sky. Inside, they’d built a pantomime of apocalypse - extras in matted fur howling at a green screen, their plastic fangs glinting under klieg lights.A director barked into a headset. "Action!"A truck flipped, screeching on cables. A blonde actress spilled out, naked and screaming. From the rafters, a man in denim descended, Gatling gun roaring blanks. Extras dropped, melodramatic, as he scooped her up. Their kiss was all teeth, a parody of passion."Cut!" The director rubbed his temples.Complaints about the heat erupted - especially from the actress, who snatched a robe and cursed the air conditioner's death."Lycidas, could you try to use your tounge this time?" the director shouted.The cowboy - Lycidas - flashed a grin, all wolf
Lucas' POVThe girl looked nervous as I hauled her into the Mediland's golden throat. The mall's fluorescence carved the girl into something spectral. She hovered between racks of silk and chiffon, fingers brushing fabric like she expected it to bite. The salesgirls' laughter hung sharp in the air - hyenas circling a limping doe.To my surprise, my hearing was back. I could clearly hear what they were mumbling behind the racks. "Look at her. Poor little rat. How could someone like her end up with Alpha Lucas?" a girl whispered."Gold digger. Social climber. Boot licker...""And cock sucker!"They giggled.I silently sighed and ignored them.I looked at the girl. She looked overwhelmed. I knew she must have heard what they'd said. She lowered her head and stood there, looking lost.I walked to her."Pick something," I said."I don't need anything..." the girl looked horrified at the price tags. "Could
Lucas' POVThe girl's boots dragged against the restaurant's marble steps, scuffing gloss into dust. Her coat hung loose, threadbare at the elbows—a thrift-store relic in a kingdom of gold trim and crystal. I didn't blame the hostess for curling her lip.This is the human quarter of Mediland. A high-end steakhouse in the human world is supposed to be stunk of judgment."No reservations?"The hostess flicked her gaze over the girl's messy cropped hair, the grease and blood clots crusted on her hem. Her voice was polished ice. "We're full. Try the soup kitchen down the block."The girl didn't flinch. Just stared at the chandelier, jaw working like she was chewing the light itself. I leaned against the podium, leather gloves creaking. "Tell Danny I'm here.""The manager?" A laugh, sharp as broken stemware. "I'm sorry, Sir. You look like a decent gentleman, but he doesn't entertain strays."Then the doors swung open, and the scent hit me -
Leah's POVThe moment I crossed Alpha Finn’s threshold, his pets slithered in behind me. Annet and Donna - branded vipers with just enough leash to sink fangs into weaker girls.The door clicked like a trapspring. I kept scrubbing, gouging filth from floorboards until my knuckles split. Soapwater turned pink. They circled, lacquered claws glinting. Donna’s stiletto cracked across my hand."Lookit this guttermouse playing vixen," Annet crooned. "Sneaking into Alpha Lucas' chambers all night - think we're blind?" "Maybe she's graduated to bootlicker," Donna trilled. Her heel ground deeper. "C'mon, whore. Demonstrate your special talents." Blood bloomed beneath her stiletto. I bit through my lip - iron tang kept the scream caged. "Cat got your tongue?" Annet's slap snapped my head sideways. "You yowled plenty for Lucas. Think Finn’ll enjoy hearing how you serviced his brother?" "Alpha Lucas wasn't—" "Liar!" The backhand left my ears ringing. I spat crimson, kept scouring wo
Lucas' POVThe girl's hands danced. Apron strings became a lover's knot at her waist. Eggs cracked one-handed, yolks bobbing like liquid suns. I watched, transfected, as she transformed slaughter into sacrament—French toast glazed in maple, coffee dark as a sinner's heart."How did you do it?" I gestured at the golden crust.She flipped a pancake. "Alpha Finn liked his girls versatile."The first bite dissolved on my tongue—cinnamon, nutmeg, vengeance."Why do you rub your neck like that?" the girl asked."I don't know. I slept on the couch and woke up like this..."Before I finished, she circled behind me, palms hovering above my neck."May I?""Well..." I mumbled.Her touch was wildfire. Knuckles pressed the base of my skull, thumbs working knots from muscle. I groaned."Quiet," she chided, but her fingers lingered. "You're worse than dogs."I lifted up my head and howled to the ceiling
Lucas' POVDim light bled through the cracks in the door, striping the girl's face as she scrambled backward, her boots kicking over jars of pickled things that rolled like severed heads. Her eyes were wild - a rabbit's stare, all whites and panic."Don't," I hissed, slamming the door shut behind us. The lock clicked, too loud.She lunged for a rusted shovel leaning against the wall. "Stay back!" The blade trembled in her grip, but her voice didn't. "Alpha Finn's already got me cleaning piss-pots. You think I'll let his whore add to the list?"The word stung, though it shouldn't have. I'd been called worse."I'm not here to hurt you," I said, edging closer. The room was a cage, shelves cluttered with burlap sacks and broken tools. A single bulb swung above, casting jagged shadows."Right. You dragged me in here to chat?" Her gaze dropped to my chest. "Take off your shirt. I want to see your branding."I froze. I didn't have any brandi
Lucas' POVThe following day brought no respite from the chaos swirling in my mind.More slaves were sent back by Finn. No one really knew what kind of shithole he pulled them out from and no one bothered to ask. The slaves were screaming and crying in at least 20 different languages. Soldiers were mad and barking at everything. Some knuckleheads got into a fight after drinking. No one tried to stop them, but everyone was naturally betting on who the winner was. Things went south and everyone lost, which led to more rows, more fist fights, and more bets. Besides, the Huffner Bridge was, again, paralyzed because some kids set it on fire by last night's fireworks. The Commisioner of Transportation and Domestic Affairs of the Court called in one after another and pressed me if I was intentionally sabotaging the connection between the Kingdom and Mediland, which was still "hanging on a thread". Then, more slaves came in, followed by more screaming, crying, and barking.
Lucas' POVLeo's work had been meticulous, his notes filled with promises of strength and clarity. If I could find him, if I could convince him to perform the procedure, maybe—just maybe—I could reclaim what I'd lost... The connection between me and my precious Leah.But how? Finn had control over everyone, including Leo. The thought of reaching out to him felt impossible, a bridge too far.Yet, the Moon Goddess' words echoed in my mind. What you already have. What did I have? Nothing, it seemed. Except for this gnawing determination to save Leah, to protect her no matter the cost.The next morning, I found myself drawn to the Grove, the section of Mediland where Finn's maids lived. It was an unusual impulse, one that surprised even me. As I approached the small house nestled among the trees, memories flickered at the edges of my consciousness—fragments of a life I couldn't quite grasp.Through the window, I spotted the girl I met