Leah’s POVLaura’s announcement set the whole club on fire. All the werewolves started to howl at the Moon and the music started to get deafening. Champagne corks popped up everywhere like gunshots. The whole dance floor became a pool with young, hot, muscular male models floating on it, cheering and splashing water at each other.It was a crazy scene. Aesthetically sickening. Sexually arousing.But at the same time, it felt so wrong that it started to feel right.I knew Laura specialized in throwing a heck of parties, but this party was losing control.Then, the DJ started to do a remix version of Clair de Lune, which was used in my third brother Lycidas' debut movie Moonlight Howler.The crowd immediately recognized it and started to go wild."Come on, Leah, dance with me!" Laura grabbed my hands and pulled me to the dance floor.Everyone was clapping and cheering for us, so I had no other option but danced with her.Our feet splashed water, dampening our dress, face, and hair. But s
Leah's POV"Hey, what are you doing?! Stay away from her!" Laura rushed forward and pushed the male stripper away from me.The music suddenly seized. The whole clubhouse went silent. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat and... Well, the heartbeat and panting sound from the half-naked man standing in front of me.He looked as if he was furious for not being able to stay closer to me. I could tell the wild beast underneath his human form was exasperating."You can't kiss her!" Laura shouted at the man.The tension in the air was so thick that it made me suffocate.Just at that moment, a giant man rushed forward, bowed, and apologized, "I'm so sorry, Miss Parrish and Miss Lewyn. My name is Sak Doyle and I'm the manager of this nightclub. This is totally my fault. I should have trained my dancers to behave in a more professional way. This particular dancer is a bit backward if you know what I mean, but he has never done something so outrageous as this. There must b
Leah's POVThen, he lowered his voice and whispered in my ear, "Finn is a very good boy. He's a bit slow, but he's very obedient. He'll do absolutely everything for you, Miss Lewyn. He's good."The fact he emphasized the word "everything" abhorred me.This is sick. I thought to myself.I couldn't even imagine what the hell he had forced Finn to do in the past. I knew the world I was living in wasn't made of marshmallows and cotton candies. I knew a lot of desperate rogues would come to the city and look for jobs in the hospitality industry. It was a legal business in this Kingdom as long as you attain a license, but the annual payment for keeping this license was very expensive. That's why a lot of clubs hold this kind of service in secret. I had never imagined my favorite clubhouse was one of them.Finn didn't say a word and stood still behind Sak.Sak got annoyed again, pushed him toward me, and said, "Go and apologize to Miss Lewyn. What are you waiting for?!""Sorry, Miss Lewyn," F
Leah's POV"What happened?" I pushed the door open and asked.Sak was standing outside, accompanied by several security guards.They all looked at me with fear.And then, I saw a pool of blood on the floor.I felt like I was struck by a giant bat in my face."What's going on?!" I grabbed Sak and asked. "Why is there a pool of blood on the floor?!""We can't find Miss Parrish, Miss Lewyn," Sak said in a low voice. "According to the waiter who was standing outside the lounge, someone bashed his head and he passed out. He couldn't remember anything that happened next. When he regained consciousness, he was lying in a pool of blood and Miss Parrish was gone.""Gone?! What do you mean she's gone?! Did someone snatch her? Did she run away?! Did she get hurt?! Have you checked the surveillance video?!" I panicked.Sak looked terrified and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Lewyn. But we don't have any surveillance cameras for this area of the club due to concerns about our customers' privacy...""So wher
Clara's POV"Oh, fuck! Are you sure? Take a good look at her!" Mick pointed at the girl in the trunk."I don't need to take a good look at her! She's not Leah!" I yelled at him.Mick looked around and stared at the girl, then, he looked at me and said hopelessly, "Can't we just... Fuck her instead? I mean, she's got nice boobs.""Ahhhhh! Mick! I'm fucking done with you! You're fucking useless!" I shouted at Mick.Mick looked indignant and said, "Hey! I made a lot of effort to get her out of the club! And I did it for you! I made a mistake. So what?! Shit happens! We just have to go with the flow.""I don't fucking go with the flow! Only fucking losers go with the flow! I want that bitch Leah and she's not here! You deal with the shit because I've had it enough! If you can't fucking get that bitch Leah, I'll get her myself!" I pushed Mick away and walked off.Before I got out of the warehouse, I heard the sound of helicopters and cars. I looked out and saw an army waiting outside.Soldi
Leah's POVAt that time, Troy walked into the warehouse with Clara in his custody. She looked like a lifeless doll with her head and arms lowering and dangling.Jalin followed them in, talking on his mobile.As soon as he met my brother's eyes, he cut off the phone and said to him, "Some human beings were involved and injured. We are trying to figure out what exactly happened."My brother stared at Jalin and said in a cold voice, "You deal with them now, and I will deal with you later, including you." He took a glance at Troy, who immediately straightened up a bit when he met my brother's eyes."Yes, Your Highness." Both Jalin and Troy replied."Leah, let's go," Lucian said to me.I looked at Jalin and Troy, who looked absolutely miserable. I took a deep breath and said to Lucian in a steady, calm voice, "Actually, I want to stay. I've been running away from them all the time, but now I guess I'll have to take some measures to deal with this situation."My brother nodded slightly and w
Leah's POV"We can't choose in which family we were born, but that's not an excuse for hurting other people! Every family is unhappy in its way, so we have to live our lives despite it! If you really loved Clara and wanted to protect her, you should at least stop her when she was trying to hurt other people as well as herself! But you didn't! Instead, you let her pull you into her swirl of despair and madness! And that's why you should be punished!""We didn't hurt Laura! We didn't touch her!" Mick argued."And that's the only reason that you're still breathing now!" I said in a harsh voice. "Lucian was this close to ending your lives just now and if he had done it, everyone in this Kingdom would understand, including the Farrows. Do you know why? Because everyone knows how pathetic Clara is and everyone thinks death is the ultimate relief for her miserable life! Mick, you're the only one on earth who chose to side with your cousin. So you have to use your better judgment from now on.
Leah’s POVI clenched my fists. I couldn't believe someone would threaten me in such a shameless way.Gloated, Sak continued, "Plus, if I turn Finn in, I will also have to turn in his client list. There are a lot of big shots on that list and I'm sure when you wake up the next morning, your world will be turned upside down just like mine. Come on, Miss Lewyn, we don't know each other, but I've done nothing else except for trying to make you a happy customer. I've got families. I've got three sons at home. Maybe one day you can meet them and you will become their favorite auntie. Do you really want to make three innocent boys fatherless for the rest of their lives?"I couldn't hold my anger anymore and said, "I can't believe that you're using your son as an excuse to try to get away with this! Finn is someone's son. Have you ever thought of that? What if someone like you did what you've done to Finn to one of your sons? What if it was your son?!"For a brief moment, Sak looked as if he
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
Lucas' POV"No," I replied, feeling confused. "Why?""She's a rogue," Dr. Jafar stated flatly. "Found by soldiers in the garbage dump. No name, no memory. Just… nothing. Alpha Finn wanted me to restore her memory, but it's so damaged that it's beyond repair. And to be honest, for girls like her, sometimes it's just better off being broken than mended."I closed my eyes briefly. Of course. Another lost soul in this forsaken place."Why does he abuse her?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.Jafar shrugged, his expression distant. "In Mediland, kindness requires a reason. Cruelty doesn't. He abuses her simply because he feels like doing it."His words hung in the air like a curse. I thought of all the times I'd been beaten and degraded by Jalin in the prison. And now the girl was enduring the same fate."She's just a child," I whispered.Jafar's gaze softened slightly, though it was fleeting. "We all have our ordeal
Lucas' POV"I'm just cleaning," she replied, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.Finn's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Cleaning? Is that right?" He stepped closer, took off his watch and put it on the table. "So why this fucking place is still a mess?"As his voice died, he slapped the girl across her cheek. The slap echoed through the room, reverberating in my ears even though I was hidden in the closet. The girl crumpled to the floor, her cheek reddened by Finn's blow. But she didn't cry out, didn't beg for mercy. She simply sat there, her eyes fixed on the ground, as if accepting her fate.Finn circled around her like a predator stalking its prey. "You're lucky I'm not in the mood of fucking you right now," he sneered. "Think of something to lighten my mood?" His voice dropped to a whisper, filled with sadistic glee.The girl bit her lips, crawling all the way to the wall and took off a whip hanging on the wall.My stomach ch