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
JLeah's POV"Leah, five minutes I'm away smoking with Troy and you came back with a surprise on your side. I thought we discussed this when you were six when I particularly warned you not to pick up strays on the side of the road."Jalin took a glance at Finn, who was staying in bed, surrounded by nurses.Finn got nervous when he saw Jalin. I had to hold his hands to make him stop trembling.I didn't think he was afraid of Jalin, who looked perfectly harmless to anyone. I guessed it had something to do with the uniform that Jalin was wearing.I noticed that Finn got nervous whenever he saw people in military uniform."How are you going to explain this to Lucian, may I ask?" Jalin pointed at Finn and asked me."He doesn't have to know," I mumbled."Oh, great." Jalin said, "Let me know if your plan is going to work. And please do call me when he finds out that there's a man living in his beloved sister's bedroom. I want to see the look on his face.""Jalin... please...""OK, stop right
Leah's POV"Good morning, Miss Leah." Mr. Carson, my Father's butler, greeted me with a giant smile. But his smile froze as soon as he saw Finn, who was sleeping next to me."Miss Leah, I hope this wouldn't be so inappropriate and I'm sure that I'll regret asking this question for the rest of my life, but if I may... Why is there a man in your bed?"I bounced off the bed and stretched my arms and legs, feeling energetic."He's my friend Finn. He's living here from now on. He's injured and I was taking care of him last night," I replied."By sleeping with him in the same bed?" Mr. Carson raised an eyebrow."Oh, come on! Mr. Carson! I've got a busy schedule for today. So let's just cut the awes and get started." I smirked at him, taking a glass of orange juice from the tray in his hands, and handing it to Finn.He looked much better than last night after a whole night of rest.The bruises on his face were gone and the wounds on his arms disappeared.The faster a werewolf heals, the stron
Leah's POV "Miss, a naked man is standing next to the swimming pool! Shall we call Beta Jalin?" A maid, who looked terrified and crimson at the same time, ran toward me in confusion. "No. Don't tell anyone. He's my friend. You need to bring me some towels and a long bathrobe. Can you do that for me?" I asked. "Yes, Miss. Towels and a bathrobe! Right away!" The maid disappeared immediately and came back with some towels and my brother's bathrobe. I took them from her and said, "Don't tell anyone about this incident." The maid nodded her head. "Is my brother at home?" I asked. "His Highness left early this morning to the hospital for Miss Parrish. He wanted to bring her some red roses and asked us to cut off some roses from the orchard." "Red roses," I whispered and melted inside. This was so sweet. My knucklehead brother brought flowers to my best friend. And among thousands of flowers in the orchard, he picked red roses, which mean eternal love and passion in any dictionary. Ev
Leah's POVLiam stared. "What the hell are you?"I wiped my hands on his jacket. "Hungry."He laughed then, wild and unhinged. "You're crazy.""Crazy enough to fix your problems. If you obey.""Obey?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's kinky."I stared at him. "You want to save your grandmother? Stop playing gangster. You're a joke."His smile died. "Yeah? And what's your deal? Some kinda runaway mob wife?""Like you can't even imagine." I released him.Silence.He rubbed his neck. "Fine. What's the plan, boss?"I glanced at the photo. The old woman's eyes glared back, unyielding. "First, we get some money.""From where?"-Vinny's nightclub reminded me of Sheridan Club. It was a cacophony of neon lights and pounding bass, the kind of place where secrets were buried under the weight of too much noise and too many bodies.I walked in with Liam trailing behind me, his face still bruised
Leah's POVThe first thing I remembered was the cold. Not winter's bite, but the slick, oily chill of concrete against bare skin. My knees were scraped raw. My breath came in ragged bursts, fogging the air like gun smoke. I pressed my palms flat against the alley wall, felt the grime cling to my fingertips.Naked. The word slithered through my skull, venomous. Not just my body - my pride flayed open, left to rot beside dumpsters reeking of stale beer and regret.What the hell has happened to me? I remembered stabbing Lucas in the chest and walking into the flames.Now here I am. Naked in some sort of back alley.Voices slithered from the street."Lookie here... fresh meat. Yummy..." a man slurred. Three shadows lurched into the alley, their laughter wet and jagged. One held a bottle by its neck; the glass caught the neon buzz of the bar sign above. Red Rabbit Tavern. The letters bled crimson down the brick.Is this... human world?
Lycidas' POVLucian shook his head, his eyes closing as if the effort of speaking was too much.Late afternoon light slashed through barred windows, gilding dust motes that swirled like trapped spirits above Lucian's bed. My brother's once-indomitable frame now sank into feather pillows as if the mattress conspired to swallow him whole. His labored breaths syncopated with the grandfather clock's metronome tick-tock, tick-tockfrom the western wall - a sound that had scored every pivotal moment of our cursed lineage. I counted them as one counts heartbeats before execution: thirty-seven ticks since he'd last spoken. Seventy-three since I'd entered this tomb disguised as a king's quarters.When Lucian finally stirred, his eyelids lifted like rusted portcullises. Sunlight caught the silver threads in his black beard - premature aging, or the Moon Goddess' fingerprints? "Lycidas," he exhaled, the name disintegrating into a wet cough. I watched his thro
Lucian's POVJalin seized my chin, wrenching my face back to the mirror. "Are you waiting for me to dress you, Your Majesty?" His hands slid down, slow and possessive, unbuttoning my shirt with deliberate malice. The fabric parted, exposing my sunken chest, and his gloved fingers lingered, tracing the jut of my ribs. I grabbed his wrists, my frail grip trembling. "I'm tired," I whispered, voice a broken thread. "I don't want to see anyone today."Jalin sneered and tore the shirt from my shoulders, seams splitting like skin. He shoved me from the wheelchair, and I crashed to the floor, legs limp, a puppet with slashed strings. "Your brother's coming," he hissed, looming over me. "If you greet him like this - pathetic, lifeless - he'll think I've neglected my duties." His eyes burned with that familiar madness, a sadistic gleam that promised torment.I shrank back, breath shallow, rasping, "Jalin, please don't…" But he didn't pause. His hand fisted my hair,
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