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 POV I raised my head and saw Lucas standing in front of me. "Why are you here?" I wiped my mouth and turned my head away from him. "You're supposed to rest in bed." "My wife is abducted by an old motherfucker in a sex dungeon and I am supposed to be lying in bed and hoping for the best?" Lucas pulled me closer to him and checked me from head to toe. "I'm fine, totally unharmed," I said. "I'm just horrified by what that man has done to other disprivileged girls. I mean, the level of crime is appalling. I mean, all those girls... They were alone at the darkest moments of their lives..." I couldn't finish my words because of the bitterness in my mouth. Lucas held me tightly against his chest and wrapped his arms around my head. "There's a big wild bad world out there, Leah. People were born inherently vice." He said while kissing my hair gently. I knew he was trying to use his body to shield the big bad outside world from me. The next thing I knew was that I was choking on
Leah's POV "No, Lucas, please don't... Don't do it here..." I tried to push him away in vain. "What? You don't like it when your little boyfriend is around? Do you want to ask him to join us? Does that turn you on?" Lucas asked. I was still under the influence of last night's hangover. My head was so painful that I couldn't even concentrate on whatever Lucas was doing. I desperately shook my head and said in a low voice, "No... Make it stop..." "I will stop when I get what I want," Lucas said as he removed my clothes. Our lips met in an intense kiss, which I did my best to avoid. I couldn't believe it. After all these years and what he had done to me, I still couldn't resist his sexual appeal. He explored my mouth, and our bodies pressed together in an intimate embrace. I was sure that I wasn't coerced, yet everything about what we were doing felt so right and wrong at the same time. As Lucas' hands roamed over the curves of my body, I moaned softly in pleasure. That's what I'v
Leah's POV "Can you hear me, Leah?" I heard a voice in oblivion. I felt that my breast was pressed by a giant pair of hands. I wanted to inhale some air, but my mouth was sealed by something soft and tender. Someone was doing CPR on me?! Where am I? I used my effort to push the man away from me. "Leah, you're awake!" I opened my eyes and saw the blurry image of Darren. He was soaking wet. His hair, normally styled with precision, was now wild and tousled as if the winds and waves had taken it upon themselves to reshape it. The man's clothes clung to his body, soaked through with salt water, and he shivered despite the warmth of the morning sun. But I knew it was not the cold that had caused him to tremble - it was the adrenaline that coursed through his veins. "What happened? Where am I? Did you save me again?" I shoot out a string of questions before I coughed out the remaining salty fluid in my lungs. I felt that I was about to cough my entire lungs out. "We've been looki
Leah's POV As the sun rises over the rolling hills, a gentle breeze carries the sweet scent of blooming flowers and salty sea water through the air. The sound of roosters crowing and dogs barking filled the tranquil atmosphere of the small port village on the continental side of the bay, where life seemed to move at a slower pace. Darren parked his bike on the side of the road, and waved at a boy who was staring at us curiously at a distance. "Come here." Darren prompted him. The boy hesitated and shifted back a bit. "You can touch my bike if you want." Darren winked at him and smiled. The boy ran forward and stretched out his tiny hand, stroking the leather surface of the bike. "Can you keep an eye on my bike? I'll go to the island and come back later," Darren said. The boy stared at Darren with a frown. Then, he turned his head toward me, stretching out his arms. "Do you want a hug from me?" I melted. The boy tiptoed to stretch out his arms toward me even higher. I chuckle
Leah's POV "It's the jury's call," I said. "He has murdered more than 300 girls. I don't think they will ever exile him." "So... are they going to sentence him to death?" Uma asked. "There's a possibility," I said. "Do you know where her body is?" Uma asked. I shook my head and said, "Not really. He cremated the bodies. But we can still put him on trial because he kept a catalog of all the girls he had killed." "Catalog? You mean he killed my daughter and he kept her picture, so he can take it out and look at it anytime he likes, so he can kill her again in his fucking twisted mind?!" Uma raised her voice and smashed the teacup on the table. Finally, she let it out. "He's a sick old bastard, Uma. He will rot in hell." I held Uma's hands and said. "I don't know anything about the world after death, Miss Lewyn. The only thing I care about is this life." Uma said. Then, she suddenly grabbed my hand and said, "Miss Lewyn, you must have known someone. Can you pull some strings to
Leah's POV "Chief, he's from the Eagle Tail Pack. They are the most powerful pack in the South. We can't mess up with them. Alph Dire would be mad at us." A soldier pulled the sleeves of the head soldier and said in a quiet voice. The head soldier thought for a while, looking at Darren, and said, "You can keep your car, kid. But do not show up again on Mediland again." "Or what?" Darren tilted his head and asked. The head soldier was about to walk away, but he stopped and turned toward Darren. Just when I thought the head soldier was about to jump at Darren and start a fight, a deep, velvet voice appeared from outside - "Dylan! I haven't seen you for a really long time!" A tall, muscular young man walked into the room. His tanned skin gleamed with sweat and his muscles bulged with a powerful force to be reckoned with. He was wearing a rugged black T-shirt with the logo of a running dog. On the back of his shirt, I saw a line of printed words - "Grey Hound Delivery". "What's u
Lucas' POVThe Green Point bar stank of sweat and spilled whiskey. I watched the girl's throat work as she gulped the beer, amber liquid dripping down her chin like stolen honey. Her knuckles whitened around the glass. Thirsty little thing. Starving in ways I couldn't name."Did you...enjoy the beer?" I asked."It tastes like piss, but I'm thirsty," she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand."And did you enjoy today?" The question tasted rusty. Leah's ghost perched on the barstool between us, her hollow socket accusing me.The girl's shoulders hitched first. Silent sobs shook her frame, tears plinking into her empty glass. My chest tightened - that old reflex, that ancient guilt."What's going on? Did I do something wrong?" I held her hand and asked."It's just..." Her voice cracked like autumn leaves underboot. "Feels like the first real day. Like I've been sleepwalking till now. I've never been out for a proper date like this wi
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