Leah's POVAs Finn stood in front of the mirror, I adjusted his tie and straightened his collar.It was Lucian's suit. Like most of its clothes, he wore it only once and hung it up in his closet, which took up the entire floor of his house. The fabric of this suit was of the highest quality and the suit had been tailored to my brother's exact measurement, enhancing his broad shoulders and sculpted chest.This expensive suit fitted Finn perfectly everywhere except the chest area. I could clearly see his muscular chest bulging up underneath the jacket.
Leah's POV"Well, everything went well at first. I managed to ask her out for a cup of coffee. I took her for a ride and got to this really high-end coffee shop in town. I parked the Ferrari on the meters and took her to the coffee shop. We were chatting and halfway into our conversation, she got a call and she told me that she had to go. I offered to give her a ride, but she refused. Then, I saw some missed calls from Jalin on my mobile and I knew I might have got some work to do tonight. So I got out of the shop, got into the car, and started to drive back. I started the car and everything was normal. As I was trying to stop at a traffic light, I found out that the brake didn't work. I was terrified and tried hitting the brake over and over ag
Leah's POV"He's just a retired businessman. He hires some soldiers to work for us," I said, trying to look away. I didn't feel comfortable concealing the truth in front of my mate. Somehow, I didn't want to tell Finn my real identity.I want him to love me because of who I am, not because of who my Father is. I thought to myself.To my surprise, Finn held me up with his powerful hands and placed me on the tabletop, so I could see him at eye level.He did it without any effort and I kind of liked it w
Lucas' POV"Alpha, His Highness Lucian isn't going to be here tonight," Jorah said while following me into the lounge.So Leah is not going to be here tonight. I thought to myself, feeling disappointed."Remind me why I have to be here tonight?" I asked and took a glass of champagne from the waiter."You have to be here because you will meet up with Alpha Dire of the Rock Growlers Pack. You need his help to expand our business territory to Mediland."
Lucas' POV The light dimmed and the music stopped as I took my seat in the front row among A-list celebrities. I didn't get shit about fashion or art. My original plan was to show up here, surrounded by phony celebrities, paying for the most expensive dress for Leah to win her back. But since Leah didn't show up, I had to change my plan. Anyway, I will buy her those damn expensive dresses anyway. Girls like dresses. And I haven't bought Leah shit in our five years of marriage. No wonder she ran away. I would have run away if I were her.
Leah's POV I looked back and saw Darren Swanson standing behind me. He stood tall, towering over me like a mountain. His broad shoulders were filling out the perfectly tailored uniform he wore. Unlike others, who were wearing designer suits, he was wearing a dark ceremonial uniform that only diplomats wore. Every time I met him, regardless of what he was wearing, be it a leather race jacket or a suit he was wearing at the poolside party, he would always manage to take my breath away. But it was this ceremonial uniform that really made me head over heels fascinated by him. It looked like a set of black armour, framing him up l
Lucas' POV I felt my blood boil as I caught a glimpse of my wife's hand intertwined with another man's. The world seemed to stand still as I watched the scene unfold before me, unable to process what I was seeing. How could Leah do this to me? Lucian wasn't enough for him? And she had to hold the fucking kid's hand and he looked, apparently, at least 5 years younger than her?! I mean, what the fuck is wrong with this woman?! I was about to buy her a bloody ex
Leah's POVStop it. Make it stop! I struggled, trying to push Lucas away. But he was like a mad beast, pushing himself against me.I didn't want to use Lycan force, because I knew it would injure him. But at the same time, I knew I had to do something to stop him from attacking me like this.Just when he was about to enter me, the weight on my body was lifted.I looked up in a panic and saw Finn pressing Lucas against the wall, choking on his neck.
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