Leah's POV "Put your hands off Leah right now, Finn," Troy said in a cold, stern voice. Finn didn't let go of me. His hands were holding my arms so tightly that my skin started to turn red. "Leave Leah alone right now, Finn, or I'll have to cut off your hands," Troy warned in a threatening voice. I placed my hand gently on Finn's hand and said in a tranquilizing voice despite the pain from his grip, "It's OK, Finn. I know what you mean. Why don't we go into the restaurant and find a nice, quiet cubicle, so we can talk about it." Finn let go of my arm and walked out of the car with me. He was following me like a little terrified puppy, which was heart throbbing. I had never met someone that made me feel the same way as I felt when I was with Finn. It was like... Whenever I thought about him, my heart would bleed. He was able to touch the tenderest part of my soul even without doing anything. After we took our seats, the restaurant owner, Tony Soprano, showed up with a giant smile
Leah's POV "Please! Please don't hurt me! I'll tell you everything! Please!" The short man shouted as the soldiers shoved him into the car. "Jalin, don't hurt him..." I walked out of the restaurant with Jalin and said. "Go back and enjoy some pizza with your lover boy, Leah. Don't let this minor incident ruin your lunch date." Jalin said. He was smiling, but there wasn't a slight hint of happiness in his eyes. Our conversation was cut short because of the short man's desperate pleading, "A man gave me 300 bucks to jam your car. I swear to the Moon Goddess! I didn't lie! I have never met that man and I don't know who he is! I'm working at Mechanic World on 10th Street!" "Shut up and get into the car!" A soldier pressed his head into the car and said. "Let him talk," I said. "Leah, this doesn't concern you," Jalin said. "If someone wants to kill me, I would like to know who he is," I said. "Let him talk!" Jalin took a glance at the soldiers and nodded slightly. They immediately
Leah's POV I looked up and saw Lucas walking toward us, looking cross. He was wearing a white silk shirt and a pair of jeans. I had never ever seen him wearing casual clothes before. He was either wearing suits or, well, wearing nothing in bed with me. The shirt hugged his broad shoulders and chest, emphasizing his muscular physique. And the denim of his jeans clung to his long, strong legs, hinting at the power within. As he walked, the faded denim whispered softly against the floor, the sound of a confident man moving with anger. As he walked across the restaurant, heads turned and women whispered to each other in admiration. He was a man who commanded attention without even trying, a natural magnet for all those around him. Yes, my ex-mate and ex-husband-wanna-be seemed at home in the world, and it was impossible not to be drawn to him. Finn instinctively held me behind his back and blocked me from Lucas, which I felt so flattered. Lucas' facial expression quickly changed from
Leah’s POV Tears were streaming down my face, and I stretched out my arms to push Lucas away from me, but he wouldn't let me. "Lucas, that's why I came here to talk to you. The thing is, I've already got a second chance. It's Finn..." I whispered. My voice was barely audible over the sound of my beating heart. "Leah, are you trying to say something like this to hurt me? Is this what you want to do?" Lucas took a deep breath in an attempt to control his emotions. "No, Lucas. I'm telling you the truth. Finn is my second chance. He's my new mate..." Lucas' lips pressed together tightly. He looked visibly crossed, with a tense and rigid posture. I knew he was trying to compose himself before reacting. Despite his efforts, his voice trembled slightly as he spoke, revealing the depth of his hurt and anger - "This is enough, Leah. Stop hanging out with that male whore. Do you know who he is and what he has done in his life?" "As a matter of fact, I don't, and I certainly don't care abo
Leah's POV "Darren, help me! Lucas is dying!" I grabbed his arms like I was grabbing the last straw of hope. Darren took a look at Lucas, who was lying in the backseat and bleeding. Finn was holding him, placing his head on his lap. Darren sighed, got into the car, and closed the door. "Drive, Leah. I'll take care of him," he said. I started the car immediately. "Why are you here?" I asked Darren, glancing at him from the rear mirror. "I woke up this morning and had a craving for pizza," Darren replied and checked on Lucas' wood. "The cut is deep. We need to stop his bleeding right now. He's losing too much blood." Then, he looked around and laid his eyes on Finn. "Take off your clothes," Darren said. Finn looked puzzled and instinctively flinched a bit. "Darren, this isn't funny," I frowned and said. I rolled down the window to get some fresh air. This car was packed with too many hot men. I couldn't breathe. "He's the only one who's wearing a cotton shirt," Darren said.
Leah's POV "You can't be with Finn for a considerably long time, but he won't be your life companion." Dr. Monk said. "You're a werewolf. And a werewolf needs to be mated. The only reason that you're not getting weak like your husband is that you have Lycan blood in your veins. But after a certain amount of time, you will get weaker and weaker. If by that time, you still haven't been mated, you will wither and die, Miss Lewyn." My world crumbled around me as I stood there, rooted to the spot. The words Dr. Monk had just said were like a punch to my gut, leaving me gasping for air. "How... How about Finn? Is he already mated?" I asked. The thought of losing Finn to another woman terrified me. "Yes, he has been mated before. But it seemed that this mating bond has been cut off." Dr. Monk said. "Cut off?! What do you mean?" "He has rejected his mate, or his mate has rejected him. I don't know. I can't get anything useful out of his mouth. He's afraid of people wearing a doctor's coa
Leah's POV "Yeah," Darren replied and took the empty glass away from me. "Fiona is a lovely girl. She's also my favorite cousin." "So you're not mated," I mumbled. "You're still young." "Don't talk like you're a hundred years old, Leah," Darren said. I drew myself closer to him and said, "So, you don't have a mate. Do you have a fuck buddy or something? Is that why you're following me around? To see if you can make me your fuck buddy? I mean, I remember you wanted to take me upstairs and fuck me the first time you saw me." "Yeah," Darren touched his nose awkwardly. "That was on my mind at that time. I had too much wine and I was totally out of the line." "So, is your offer still valid? I've got a lot of rooms upstairs, you know." I looked into his eyes and said, leaning forward. Darren held my arms and pushed me back. He said, "Miss Lewyn, with all due respect, I am overwhelmed and flattered. But I have to tell you that the thought has already been kicked out of my system." "W
Leah's POV When I woke up, I found out that I was lying in a giant bed, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. Where am I? What time is it? What happened? I rubbed my eyes and looked around, only to find out that there was a man sitting in the darkness of the room. As I was about to sit up, I started to feel a shooting pain in my head. My head was about to explode. Finn's handsome face emerged from the darkness at the corner of the room. I saw there was a bruise on the side of his mouth. "Leah, you woke up," he said abruptly and stood up. "I will go fetch Mr. Cleary." "No, Finn. Please don't go away. Stay with me." I stretched out my arm toward him. Finn hesitated and eventually sat on the edge of my bed, holding my hands. "What happened to your face? Did Jalin hit you again?" I frowned. Finn tilted his head away from me and said, "No, Leah. I bumped myself into the door frame. I'm clumsy. I always bump into things." I wrapped my arms around his waist to pull myself closer to him
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