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
Leah's POV As I stepped into the wine cellar, the musty scent of oak barrels and the soft glow of flickering candles greeted me. The space was dimly lit, with rows upon rows of bottles lining the walls, each one dusted with a fine layer of sediment. I could feel the weight of the door closing behind me as if I had entered another realm entirely. I felt cold and held my arms. Alpha Kyle immediately took off his coat and covered it on my shoulders. "This way, please, Miss Lewyn." Alpha Kyle patted my back gently, which triggered a wave of disgust in my stomach. As I moved further into the room, my eyes were drawn to a collection of wines that seemed almost otherworldly. There were bottles from every corner of the globe. This old sucker does know wines. I thought to myself. Alpha Kyle must have seen the glint in my eyes. He leaned forward toward me and said, "Do you need me to recommend a bottle of wine for you, Miss Lewyn?" I shook my head and said, "I don't drink when I'm talki
Leah's POV Alpha Kyle was shocked by my sudden wake. He was petrified for a moment, but then, I saw a sadistic look in his eyes. Before I could react, he had already choked my neck with both of his fat hands. "Why are you awake, Leah?! You're not supposed to be awake! Why can't you be obedient as the other bitches and shut the fuck up?!" He barked at me as he was squeezing his hands. I couldn't use Lycan force to bash him into a meat pie, because it would disclose my real identity. So I grabbed a random object from the side and smashed it against Alpha Kyle's bald head. The hands that choked my neck immediately loosened. Alpha Kyle rolled down my body and fell to the ground like a heavy sack of flour. I threw the thing in my hand. It was a giant, horse-sized dildo. I couldn't believe that this old asshole would use something like that to torture women. Alpha Kyle covered his head, rolling on the floor in pain. "You've never seen that coming, right?" I lowered my head and kick
Leah's POVNow, that hunger roared back, fueled by loss and longing. We gave in, tearing at each other, a storm of despair and need. His hands roamed my scarred flesh, rough and reverent, and I arched into him, swaying my hips, dragging it out like a ritual. Pain laced every touch, every thrust - his breath ragged, my moans breaking into sobs. We fucked like we were clawing our way out of graves, desperate to feel something beyond the wreckage of our lives.Inside, my wolf snarled, "This man is dangerous. He's lost everything for you. You're all he has. He shows up when the world burns - destiny or curse? Plus, he killed your child!"I answered her, fierce and silent, as Darren moved inside me, "This man bled for me, broke for me. He's my shield, my fate, my fucking heart. I've crawled through hell, and you never spoke to me. Why now?"My wolf went quiet, retreating, and I surrendered to him - to the ache, the heat, the ruin of us. We collapsed, spent, ta
Leah's POVThe sky shattered above me, a jagged maw of chaos spitting debris like venom. But Darren was there, his arms clamping around me, fierce and unyielding, rolling me across the ground as the hulking ship model plummeted from the heavens. It crashed where we'd been, its splintered bulk clawing the earth, and I felt the tremor in my bones. Dust choked the air, a gritty veil, but all I knew was his body pressed against mine, hard and desperate, his heat searing through the cold dread coiling in my gut.When the world stilled, our eyes locked. His stare cut through the haze, sharp as a blade, stripping me raw. Memories clawed their way up—him looming over me, blood-smeared and feral, shielding me from death's jaws. Tears burned my eyes, spilling hot and relentless, carving tracks down my dust-caked face. I couldn't stop them, couldn't cage the ache ripping through me.But then I caught it - or didn't. The air around him was wrong, empty. No musk of wol
Leah's POVI nodded, keeping my face smooth, blank - a perfect little mirror for the director's pride. Inside, my blood roared. These bastards had turned on Liam's father the second his body was cold, carved up his legacy, and handed it to Al Cosa on a silver platter. Everything Liam should've had—stolen. But I kept my claws sheathed, my fangs hidden. Not yet.Dinner came next, the shift announced by a waiter's clipped voice. I'd spent the earlier hours letting the deputy mayor fleece me at cards, folding my hands with a shy smile while his stack of chips grew. By the time we sat down to eat, he was rosy-cheeked and beaming, drunk on victory and wine. He clapped a meaty hand on my shoulder, his breath sour. "Leah, you've got to come to the seafood charity dinner next weekend. Big fundraiser for the Pier 16 Free Trade Zone. It'll be a hell of a show."I smiled, soft and apologetic. "I'd love to, but I'm flying to California next week. My company's got an ev
Leah's POVHours bled into each other. The party grew loud, sloppy. I slipped away to the pool terrace, heels dangling from my fingers, the night air sticky with salt and regret. The water shimmered like broken glass.Josephine used to fling herself into a pool to play damsel on my wedding night to get Lucas' attention. And that happened like in my my last life. And Darren - my shadow, my sword, the man who'd bled for me in alleys and ballrooms alike. Where was he now? Dead, surely. He'd have torn the slave market apart otherwise.The champagne bubbled bitter on my tongue. A tear fell - weakness - but the night hid it."Mrs. Winters." The deputy police chief staggered over, tie undone. "You're missing the fun.""I was just admiring the view," I lied. "I was just thinking to myself, you must be very good at your job. So young for a deputy chief."His chest puffed. "Beginner's luck.""Luck favors the bold," I said, leaning clos
Finn's POVI let him paw at me, a doll in his grip, his anxious eyes boring into me. It stirred something - anger, maybe, or worse, something soft I couldn't stomach. I shoved him back, sharp and sudden. "I'm fine," I snarled, turning to walk away.The flowers hit the ground behind me, petals scattering like spilled guts."Pick them up," I ordered, my tone cold.He immediately obeyed, bending down to gather the mess, his muscles flexing beneath the suit. I watched him, my mind a battlefield of desire and disgust. He was mine, bought and owned, yet with every touch, every glance, I felt like I was the one being claimed.I stepped on his back. Hard.Kairo scrambled on all fours before me, fingers trembling as they snatched at scattered petals - crimson on stone, like the blood already smearing his split lip. His haste amused me. The way his breath hitched, the way his shoulders tensed when my shadow fell over him.I let him hope for a s
Finn's POVI hated clinics. It stank of antiseptic and rotting blood, a paradox that clung to my tongue like acid eating through rot. Dr. Jafar's shadow pooled beneath the flickering fluorescents as he blocked the hallway - a vulture in a stained lab coat, wings spread to guard carrion."His lungs collapse twice daily now," the doctor said, teeth yellow as old piano keys. "The machines breathe for him. You understand? No more speeches about sensative topics here."I stared at him with a blank face. "Move."The ward beyond was a cathedral of dying. Monitors chirped hymns. Tubes coiled like sacred serpents around my brother's skeletal frame. Lucas' chest rose in mechanical spasms - a marionette jerked by invisible strings. I'd seen livelier corpses in the slave pits.His hand felt paper-thin when I took it, veins mapping failures under cold skin. "Brother," I said, savoring the word's rancid sweetness.Eyelids peeled back like fresh wounds. Re
Finn's POVThe dungeon stank of piss and rot, the air so thick I could taste it - bitter, sour, like the inside of a grave. A slash of crimson moonlight cut through the wall, spilling over the stone like blood from a fresh wound. My scars itched, a map of every bastard who'd torn me open and left me hollow. I needed it tonight, that sharp, searing proof I wasn't just a ghost rattling in this fucked-up shell.He was there, the slave, strung up like some beast, chains gnashing at his wrists and throat. Wolf poison hissed on his skin, blistering it raw, but he didn’t flinch. Those eyes - wild, molten - locked on me, burning with a love so desperate it could choke us both. He lunged as I got close, chains screaming, his voice a ragged snarl. "Alpha!"I saw his skin searing as it touched the chain.I tilted my head to look at the guard standing next to me.He panicked and said, "Sorry, Alpha! He has broken so many chains... We have to dip th
Leah's POVLater, they dragged me to the monitoring room, a sterile cage of flickering screens and stale air. The video looped endlessly - Antonio's fall, a silent plunge into the dark sea, over and over like a sick ritual. I sat there, wrapped in a scratchy blanket, shivering for show, while Al Cosa perched across from me, an old vulture hunched over his prey. His eyes, sharp and unblinking, devoured the footage, and not a flicker of pain crossed that wrinkled mask. Ruthless bastard, I thought, savoring his son's last moments like a fine cigar, no tears, no cracks. Just cold, hard control.Johnny, his slick consigliere, loomed nearby, arms crossed, voice smooth as oil."Mrs. Winters," he said, "I've no intention of detaining you here. But as the sole witness before Tony's fall, you've got an obligation to tell me the truth. What happened?"I shrank into the blanket, letting my hands tremble, my breath hitch."He took me to the balcony," I mumbled,
Leah's POVThe limousine door hissed open, releasing me into a hurricane of camera flashes. Miami's salt-rotten breeze tangled with the stench of money and gardenias as I stepped onto the crimson carpet, Rafael Laflamme's final creation clinging to my thighs like a lover's last breath. The dress was a funeral shroud in reverse - black silk devoured by blood-red crystals, cut low enough to make the paparazzi forget their own names. Four tall, dark male models flanked me, their hollow-cheeked perfection a living barricade. I'd chosen them for their vacant eyes. Men who looked at nothing saw nothing.Whispers followed like gnats. Who is she? I smiled behind the lace mask, its spiderweb patterns itching my scars. Let them wonder. Let them choke on their own curiosity.The ballroom swallowed us whole, chandeliers dripping light onto a thousand masks - feathers, gold leaf, animal snarls. I tasted champagne on the air, acidic and false. The first waltz began i