Finn's POV
Lycidas flung the car door open, tossed me into the back seat, and slammed it shut, locking it with a click. He climbed in, pressing himself over me, his voice a low growl. "I'm gonna tie you with a chain to me like you're a fucking dog. Torture you bit by bit, make you wish you were dead."
Just as he moved to take me, I felt a jolt - sudden lightness. I twisted around and saw the slave, that dumb bastard, yanking Lycidas by the shoulder. He ripped him out of the car, hurling him to the ground, and the whole damn door came off in his hands. I blinked, shocked - he hadn't left.
A slave had actually attacked the fucking Lycan Prince. Just when I thought I'd seen everything.
The slave stood over Lycidas, chest heaving. "Stay away from my master."
Lycidas didn't wait until he finished his speech. He roared, his body shifting in a blur of fur and claws, transforming into a massive wolf. He lunged, pinning the slave to the dirt, jaws snapping
Leah's POVThe fluorescent buzz of the internet cafe felt like a swarm of gnats in my skull. I'd chosen this place for its stench of burnt coffee and desperation - the kind of hole where men hunched over screens, their dreams pickled in porn and energy drinks. The clerk at the counter was all greasy hair and nicotine fingers, his eyes widening when I leaned over, my shadow swallowing the glow of his monitor."Where's your boss?" I asked, letting my voice fray at the edges, a threadbare thing.He blinked, throat working. "Who're you? What d'you want with him?"I smiled, all teeth. "Tell him I’m pregnant with his child."The lie tasted like rust. The clerk's face went slack, a fish gasping on a dock. He bolted, chair screeching, toward a door marked STAFF ONLY. I followed, silent as a blade, my boots sinking into carpet sticky with spilled soda. The basement door swung open ahead, and a man's roar clawed up the stairs -
Leah's POVThe realtor's office smelled like desperation and vanilla-scented bleach. Floor-to-ceiling windows glared with Miami's midday sun, bouncing off marble floors so polished I could see the exact moment the man behind the desk decided we weren't worth his time. His name tag read Bradley Kensington III, which explained the smugness oozing from his salmon-colored tie.Seth shuffled in behind me, wearing a T-shirt that said "I Paused My Game To Be Here" and cargo shorts with more pockets than sense. I wore Liam's shirt and pants that were obviously oversized. We looked like two raccoons who'd fought a lawnmower and lost.Bradley didn't stand. Just swiveled his chair, lips curling like he'd caught a whiff of dumpster juice. "Walk-ins before noon require an appointment," he drawled, examining his manicure. "But I suppose I can pencil you in for a studio apartment tour next Tuesday. Cash-only, of course."Seth snorted. "Dude, we're here to buy a
Leah's POV"You can't do anything right. How many times have I told you that you should fold these napkins diagonally? Is that really that hard or are you just trying to intentionally piss me off?"My mother-in-law, Rosalie, with her arms crossed, stood in front of me, looking like a queen.She leered at me, her omega daughter-in-law, who was sitting on the floor, trying to cover my bruised cheek with trembling hands."Sorry, Ma'am. But I folded them diagonally. I really did.." My voice was lower than a whisper."Are you kidding me?! Do you think I'm stupid?! You imbecile omega! Do you think that getting married to my son gives you the right to challenge and diminish me?!" Rosalie threw the napkin case at me.I didn't dare to dodge, so the iron case hit me on the side of my forehead. Blood started falling down, blurring my sight.I tried to wipe the blood off my face and said, "Sorry, Ma'am. I wouldn't dare to do things like that. I remember that I folded those napkins yesterday accord
Leah's POVI felt the butterfly in my stomach, the lump in my throat, and the burning sensation in every inch of my skin. My heart was pounding so fast that I wouldn't be surprised if it suddenly stopped functioning.Lucas stroked my hair behind my ear. As his fingers flicked across my ear, my whole body started shivering.Then, he drew himself closer to me. For a brief moment, I thought he was about to kiss me.I bit my lips so that I didn't make any awkward moaning sound.I looked into his eyes. He was so close, yet so far away from me.Then, I realized that he was just checking out the scar on my forehead.He looked a bit surprised because the scar was almost healed.He cleared his voice and said, "Your blood is precious to Josephine. Your blood is the only cure to stabilize her condition. You need to be more careful."The moment he let go of me, I felt that someone was peeling off my skin.The excruciating pain made me curl up in a ball of fear.Josephine wrapped her hands around L
Lucas' POVDid this woman just... reject me? Is she trying to get my attention by angering me? Apparently sometimes women do that. But Leah doesn't come across as needy as Josephine. She has never ever bothered me up till now. So, what's that all about? I was bewildered. To be honest, I had never really paid attention to this woman in the past five years of our marriage. Our marriage was nothing but a simple piece of contract, on which everything was arranged -As my mate, Leah will basically do whatever I ask her to do, including giving blood donations to Josephine on a regular basis. The thing is, Jo was diagnosed with an unknown blood disease five years ago and she needs a specific type of blood to sustain her life. Fortunately, Leah's blood is the right match.In return for donating her blood to Jo, Leah will get my gratitude and thanks, which is realized by a substantial amount of allowance every month. At the same time, since the Luna position has to be filled by my mate, we
Leah's POVThere was a reason that werewolves didn't want to reject their mates -It was too painful. Every single part of my body was in excruciating pain. I had been branded before, but this was yet the most painful thing that had ever happened to me. As much as I was tortured, there was a teeny tiny bit of me secretly wishing that he wouldn't accept my rejection. I wished he would smirk at me and call me an idiot, telling me that there was no way for him to let go of me. I wished that he would press me on the floor, taking me roughly, forcing me to say his name and beg him to give it to him...I knew it was wrong to still have impossible faith in this train-wrecked relationship between us, but I knew with a simple apology, or a slight nod from him, I would go back to his arms. What can I say? Werewolves are very complicated creatures. We would do everything to stay with our mates.But Lucas didn't show me any signals. He just stood there, frozen in shock. I couldn't tell what wa
Leah's POV"Leah, what do you think you're doing?" Lucas stared at me as if he was gripped by anger and shock. I wasn't surprised that he took Leah's side. But it didn't mean that my heart wasn't hurt. "I'm just taking back what belongs to me," I replied.Josephine's face was distorted in pain. She looked up at Lucas and said, "Luke, I really didn't send her any pictures. I don't know what she's talking about. I don't know why you rejected her, but if it had something to do with me and the blood transfer, I could apologize to both you and her. Anyway, you've been taking good care of me since Basil passed away. It's all my fault. I'm too soft and hopeless. I really can't cope without an elder brother figure in my life." "You don't have to apologize for anything, Jo. I know you haven't done anything." Lucas leaned in close to Josephine. His eyes fixed on hers with a deep, unwavering gaze. His voice was a gentle murmur, low and soothing, yet charged with emotion. Every word he spoke wa
Lucas' POV"Does Josephine need blood transfer?" I stared at Josephine's private physician and asked. Doctor Eliant Jafar was in his mid-50s. He used to be my father's physician, and I trusted his expertise wholeheartedly. Doctor Jafar replied patiently, "Alpha, you have to understand. The diagnosis of a certain disease is a long, hard process. In Miss Solis' case, it's like a relationship.""What are you insinuating, doctor?" I frowned. I don't like it when someone refuses to give me a straightforward answer. Especially when this person is a doctor. Doctor Jafar adjusted himself in the chair, but he still looked very uncomfortable. "A relationship isn't a contract, Alpha. It's more like a negotiation. You need to make a lot of compromises. So is Miss Solis' diagnosis." I started to get more puzzled. "Are you trying to teach me something, doctor? Can I have a simple answer? Is Josephine sick or not?" "The simple answer is no. She isn't sick.""She doesn't need any blood transf
Leah's POVThe realtor's office smelled like desperation and vanilla-scented bleach. Floor-to-ceiling windows glared with Miami's midday sun, bouncing off marble floors so polished I could see the exact moment the man behind the desk decided we weren't worth his time. His name tag read Bradley Kensington III, which explained the smugness oozing from his salmon-colored tie.Seth shuffled in behind me, wearing a T-shirt that said "I Paused My Game To Be Here" and cargo shorts with more pockets than sense. I wore Liam's shirt and pants that were obviously oversized. We looked like two raccoons who'd fought a lawnmower and lost.Bradley didn't stand. Just swiveled his chair, lips curling like he'd caught a whiff of dumpster juice. "Walk-ins before noon require an appointment," he drawled, examining his manicure. "But I suppose I can pencil you in for a studio apartment tour next Tuesday. Cash-only, of course."Seth snorted. "Dude, we're here to buy a
Leah's POVThe fluorescent buzz of the internet cafe felt like a swarm of gnats in my skull. I'd chosen this place for its stench of burnt coffee and desperation - the kind of hole where men hunched over screens, their dreams pickled in porn and energy drinks. The clerk at the counter was all greasy hair and nicotine fingers, his eyes widening when I leaned over, my shadow swallowing the glow of his monitor."Where's your boss?" I asked, letting my voice fray at the edges, a threadbare thing.He blinked, throat working. "Who're you? What d'you want with him?"I smiled, all teeth. "Tell him I’m pregnant with his child."The lie tasted like rust. The clerk's face went slack, a fish gasping on a dock. He bolted, chair screeching, toward a door marked STAFF ONLY. I followed, silent as a blade, my boots sinking into carpet sticky with spilled soda. The basement door swung open ahead, and a man's roar clawed up the stairs -
Finn's POVLycidas flung the car door open, tossed me into the back seat, and slammed it shut, locking it with a click. He climbed in, pressing himself over me, his voice a low growl. "I'm gonna tie you with a chain to me like you're a fucking dog. Torture you bit by bit, make you wish you were dead."Just as he moved to take me, I felt a jolt - sudden lightness. I twisted around and saw the slave, that dumb bastard, yanking Lycidas by the shoulder. He ripped him out of the car, hurling him to the ground, and the whole damn door came off in his hands. I blinked, shocked - he hadn't left.A slave had actually attacked the fucking Lycan Prince. Just when I thought I'd seen everything.The slave stood over Lycidas, chest heaving. "Stay away from my master."Lycidas didn't wait until he finished his speech. He roared, his body shifting in a blur of fur and claws, transforming into a massive wolf. He lunged, pinning the slave to the dirt, jaws snapping
Finn's POVThe moon hung heavy outside, its bloody glare slicing through the dark, painting the room in shades of red and shadow. I gasped as the slave pressed into me again and again, his hands rough and greedy, clawing at my scarred skin like he owned it. My body rocked under him, sweat slicking my flesh, the air thick with heat and the stench of lust. He was a nobody, some grunt I'd plucked from the shadows, but fuck, he moved like he knew me - hard and relentless, pinning me to the mattress with every thrust. My breath hitched, ragged and loud, but my mind wasn't on him. No, I'd calculated this shit down to the second.Lycidas was coming. I could feel it in my bones, that prickling certainty crawling up my spine."Take me to the window," I rasped, my voice raw, edged with something dark. "Fuck me at the window."The slave didn't blink, didn't question it. He grunted, scooped me up like I weighed nothing, and hauled me across the room. My face slammed
Finn's POVThe car growled low as it carved through the night, the city's edge bleeding into a haze of filth and neon. I slouched in the back seat, one arm slung over the leather, staring out the window as the slave market loomed closer. Its lights pulsed like a fevered heartbeat, red and sickly, casting shadows that writhed over the cracked pavement.We rolled up to the fighting ring, a piss-poor setup of ropes and stakes stabbed into the dirt, spotlights glaring down on the carnage. Two werewolves tore into each other, fur matted with gore, claws slashing through flesh like it was nothing. One - a scrawny bastard with desperation in his eyes - took a hit that split his muzzle wide open, blood spraying the crowd. They roared, a mix of wolves and humans drunk on violence, fists pumping the air, bets flying like spit. The taller one, a hulking brute with shoulders like a fucking ox, smashed his fist into the weaker wolf's skull. Bone crunched, loud enough I heard it ove
Leah's POVThe sterile stench of antiseptic clawed at my throat as I stood beside Liam’s Nonna. Her arm lay bloated on the mattress, purple veins snaking beneath skin stretched thin as rot-stained parchment."A carrot," Liam had choked out earlier between sobs, "it’s swollen like a goddamn carrot."Talia hovered at the foot of the bed, her knuckles bone-white where they gripped the metal rail. Humans always held onto things when their world frayed — rails, hands, lies.Liam's crying cut deeper than any wolf's snarl. Not the proud, wounded howls of my kind, but wet, shattered noises that made my gums ache. When the doctor came, he collapsed on his knees, fingers twisted in the man's lab coat, begging in a broken voice -"Do something. Anything. Please."The doctor's eyes slid to mine once, quick and guilty, before he murmured platitudes about pain management. I tasted the lie before he spoke it."Weakness." My wolf br
Lycidas' POVDarren looked away. "I have no interest in learning that." I leaned against the car door, trying to seem casual. "Would you like to go out for a drink? My treat." He turned his head, his voice firm. "I don't drink at 10 AM." "Well, we sure can do something else without drinking alcohol."He glared at me angrily. I quickly backtracked and raised my arms. "I mean, we can chat without drinking." He lowered his head again, not saying a word. "I insist. Don't make me force you," I said, moving closer and whispering in his ear. "I can be really persuasive."I saw his fists clench, his body tensing. I casually put my arm around his shoulder and started walking him towards my Bentley.As we walked, I could feel the heat from his body, the tension in his muscles. I wondered what had happened to him, what had turned this once-confident man into something like this.Once we rea
Lycidas' POV"Get up," I said, jerking my head toward the headboard. Finn scrambled to his feet, awkward and unsteady, and I watched him climb onto the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, and I followed, letting the chain drag behind me like a hound on a leash. I grabbed his wrist, hard enough to bruise, and looped the cold metal around it. The clank of it locking into place sent a shiver through him, and I felt it under my fingers. Good. Let him shake."You think you're sorry?" I asked, leaning close so my breath grazed his ear. "You think that little apology downstairs means anything?" I yanked the chain tight, pinning his arm above his head, and he gasped, his lips parting in a way that made my blood hum. "You don't get to decide when you're forgiven, you fucking slut.""Yes, Sir," he whispered, his voice small, broken. His eyes stayed on me, pleading, but I didn't care for pleas. I cared for power, and he gave it to me every time he bent.I sat
Lycidas' POVThe sunset hung heavy outside my window, its crimson glow bleeding through the curtains, casting jagged shadows across the room. I'd dragged the man back to my lair, his wrists still bound tight with the coarse rope. The stairs creaked under my boots as I hauled him up, his useless squirming only stoking the fire in my gut. I flung him onto the bed, the frame groaning under his weight, and watched him thrash like a trapped animal, his voice grating against my ears."Let me go!" he barked, his words sharp and desperate, clawing at the air. "I must go see my pro officer today! Otherwise..."I loomed over him, my shadow swallowing his form, and let a smirk curl my lips. "Otherwise, will they throw you in jail again?" My voice rumbled low, a predator's taunt, and I savored the way his eyes flickered with panic, even as he tried to hide it."Let me go!" he snapped, his tone brittle, cracking under the strain. He twisted against the ropes, his scar