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
Leah's POV On my way to work, Darren remained silent. It was a bit awkward, so I tried to break the ice. "Did I say something that offended you last night when I was drunk?" I asked. "Well, technically speaking, it's not offending," Darren took a glance at Troy, who was driving with a deadpan face, and smirked. "It's kind of flattering." "I'm sorry, but I'm sitting right here." Troy protested. "Please don't let me hear anything that I'm not supposed to hear. I will have to report everything to Jalin, or else he will shout at me again." "Did you and Jalin find the poor man's abducted wife yesterday?" I asked. "Yeah," Troy replied briefly. "And?" I said. "And nothing happened. We couldn't find the man who had abducted her. By the time we found that woman, the abductor had already left," Troy said. I looked out of the window and said, "He killed that poor woman, didn't he?" Troy looked nervous and said, "No, Leah. The woman's fine." "Troy, I'm not stupid. Just tell me the trut
Leah's POV "How's Lucas been doing?" Laura asked. "He doesn't come across as a man who would send girls flowers." "His condition is worsening. I have to let him stay with me, otherwise, he will get weaker and weaker," I said and put those flowers into a vase. "I'm not supposed to say this, but as your best friend, I have the obligation to remind you that you're having a very unhealthy relationship with your ex-mate," Laura frowned and said. "What can I do? I can't just watch him die. He wouldn't move on with his life and I don't know where his second chance is," I said. "Even if I helped him to find his second chance, I don't think he would take it. He was so stubborn to take me back and refuse to sign our divorce papers." "Maybe you should try to talk to him," Laura said. "I tried. I really tried. But it seems whenever I tried to have a conversation with Lucas, it ended up with me getting fucked or he gets injured. It's like a curse," I covered my face. "Poor Leah," Laura came
Lucian's POV“I am here to express our condolences to Your Highness on His Majesty’s passing…"“We are deeply sorry…"Their voices blurred and faded to a distant echo in my mind. I couldn’t focus on anything. The only thing consuming my thoughts was Leah.Where is she now? If Lucas’s plan had succeeded, she would be with Darren, fleeing to the north.The plan involved enhanced Darren killing Mick and secretly sending Leah to the north. Publicly, we’d claim that Leah, grief-stricken by my father’s death, had taken her own life. In this way, I’d eliminate Mick and seize the throne simultaneously.When Lucas first proposed the plan, I thought he was mad. No one had ever schemed like this before. No one had ever dared to deceive the Moon Goddess. Since yesterday, a troubling unease had crept over me. I didn’t like it one bit. It was the same bitter taste I’d fe
Darren's POVJosephine's stern gaze pierced through me. I clenched my fists, feeling the weight of the decision I had to make. The life of Leah's unborn baby was in my hands. If I gave the go-ahead, the baby wouldn't survive, and Leah would never forgive me. But if I didn't, Leah would die.“Continue,” I instructed the doctor, my voice steady.“Are you sure...?” he questioned, hesitant.Josephine covered her mouth to stifle a scream. “Do it. Now,” I repeated firmly."I can't watch this," Josephine said, her voice breaking as she stormed out of the room.I was left alone to face the grim reality. Dr. Jafar bent back over Leah, resuming the delicate operation. After what felt like an eternity, he finally removed the last fragment and collapsed into a chair, utterly spent."Is she going to be okay?" I asked, desperation creeping into my voice."She's in critical condition. I’ve done everything I can. The
Darren's POV"What's happening...? What the hell?!" Josephine gasped, her eyes widening as she saw Leah cradled in my arms."Leah's in danger. We need a doctor," I murmured, laying Leah gently on the sofa."If you need a doctor, you’ll have to go to a clinic! Not to me!" Josephine snapped."I can't take her there. There are soldiers everywhere," I replied urgently. "She's dying, Jo. The blood won't stop."Josephine's face twisted with hysteria. "What do you expect me to do? We can't help her! Didn't you see those soldiers on the street? They're hunting for her! If they find her, we're both dead!"Ignoring her, I tore through the linen closet, grabbing anything that could help staunch Leah's wound. Josephine tried to pull me back."Darren! Are you listening to me?!""I hear you, Jo," I said softly, but firmly. "But I have to save Leah. She took a bullet meant for me. If it weren’t for her, I’d be the one bleeding out."
Leah's POV"What's the hurry?" A voice echoed from the doorway.Mick Toussaint?!What on earth was he doing here?"Ah, we've crossed paths again, Miss Lewyn." Mick's gaze locked onto mine, his eyes narrowing with intent. "Allow me to introduce you to my Luna and wife. I assure you, this reunion will be nothing short of spectacular."Clara's face materialized next to his.It was as though my worst nightmare had clawed its way into reality. They stood together, each an abomination that had finally found its twisted match."Leah, you conniving wench! At last!" Her lips curled into a cold, vindictive smirk as she slammed the door shut. "We're going to have such a delightful time.""Get out of my room!" I shouted, desperation hitching my voice. My legs were numb, unwilling to obey, while I knew exactly what this deranged pair had in mind."You look like one of the Swanson boys." Clara purred, flicking her gaze to Darren. "The Swansons have always been so... delectable. Care to join us?"D
Leah's POVI reached for the phone on my nightstand and dialed Darren's number. It rang for a while before going to voicemail. I paused, formulating my thoughts, then said, "Darren, it's me..."Suddenly, the phone was answered. "Leah?" Darren's voice sounded shaky."Yes, Darren. It's me."He let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Where have you been? I was so worried...""What's going
Leah's POVWhen I woke up, I was enveloped in warmth. Blinking against the light, I realized Lucas was holding me from behind. I cherished moments like this, moments that never happened when we were married. My head still felt foggy, and the tubes in my arms itched, making me impulsively pull them out. The machine beside me erupted in beeps, and a flustered nurse rushed in, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. Lucas sprang off the bed."I'm sorry, Sir. You can't be in here," she insisted, staring at him."I just want to be with my wife," Lucas shrugged,
Leah's POVI lowered my head and saw black blood trickling down my face, dripping onto the floor. I tried to stand, but my limbs felt leaden, and my head was growing heavy."What... what have you done?!" I screamed, struggling to rise, only to collapse back onto the cold ground."It's wolfsbane, Leah..." the old king hacked, black blood spewing from his mouth as he smirked wickedly. "I hid it in my nails...""Father!" Lucian shifted rapidly into his human form, rushing forwa
Leah's POVI didn't answer his question."What have I done to make you hate me so much, Leah?" he murmured. "All I've ever done is follow the Moon Goddess's will and protect you.""You learned from the Moon Goddess that I was the chosen one, destined to bring an end to your reign. But the only person you care about in this world is your son, Lucian! So you encouraged me to marry Lucas to send me away. Every misfortune in my life was orchestrated by you. You sacrificed my Batair for your sick enhancement project. You want to sacrifice me, just like you sacr
Leah's POVMy father’s bedroom was located on the top floor of the castle, offering a commanding view of the entire Court. I had never been summoned to his bedroom before, but I once sneaked in when I was little. To my astonishment, it was relatively small. Mr. Carson found me there. He scooped me up in his arms and gently admonished me for wandering into such a restricted area."Why is Father’s bedroom so small?" I asked curiously.Mr. Carson replied, "A Lycan King never sleeps well in giant rooms."At the time, I didn't understand what he meant, but now, I began to grasp his meaning.My father sat upright in his bed, supported by a pile of pillows. The air in the room was thick with the grim scent of decay, a telltale sign of the cancer that had relentlessly gnawed away at his once-powerful body. It pained me deeply to see my father, a man who had once exuded immense strength and unshakable will, now lying frail against the pillows. His hair had turned a ghostly grey, with thin, wis