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 POV"Breakfast's ready, Miss Leah." Mr. Carson stared at me while I was going through a pile of paperwork."Is Finn awake?" I asked. "I want to have breakfast with him before taking him to the company.""Beta took him to the Lake House this morning. Apparently, Doctor Monk wants to run some more tests on him. They left early without having breakfast." Mr. Carson said while arranging the paperwork on the table for me. It seemed that it was very important for him to make sure all the paperwork was placed horizontally and vertically aligned.
Leah's POV "I love this office! The view is amazing!" Laura smiled. "Your office is just next to mine. We share the same view, and you're welcome to my office any time you like." I stood next to Laura, leaning on her shoulder while looking out of the window. "I'm ready to work now! Where shall we start?" Laura tied up her hair and rolled up her sleeves as if she was about to start a fight. "Gean has prepared some documents for our tender process," I replied. "It's for the Huffner Bridge. We would like to get the contract work, so we'll be able to take control of the trades around the Huffner River Region. That's our first step for our entire Mediland Campaign, so we need to make sure that everything happens according to our plan." "Aha," Laura said with a frown. "That's Alpha Dire's territory. I don't like that old man. My mother said he's as canny as an old fox and he just doesn't die." "He's making money for his business partners. If we work with him, he will make money for us.
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
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