Leah's POV As I walked into the headquarters, I saw Laura arguing with Ava in the lobby. "Are you deaf? I've already told you, you can't see Miss Lewyn today!" Laura said in a cold voice. "I need to see her right now!" Ava stomped her feet and said. "What's the situation here?" I approached them and asked. "Aha, great. You're here!" Ava leered at me and shoved a folder into my face. "Here, take this. This is the contract of the old Trafold Hippodrome project. Alpha Kyle is arrested and there's chaos in Moonhowlers Pack. You need to take this opportunity to seal the deal. All you have to do is to sign this contract." I ignored her and walked into the elevator. Ava followed me into the elevator and said eagerly, "Come on, Leah. Don't be so stupid. You can sleep with Lucian and get what you want. But do you think that you can depend on him forever? You need to prove yourself worthy in business. That's the only way for an aspiring girl to stand in this line of work." "Aspiring? Inte
Leah's POV My heart was pounding like crazy. I had a bad feeling about this. Troy wasn't around and Laura was in her office. If someone sneaked into this SPA room and tried to assault me, nobody would find out. I stood up from the Jacuzzi and tried to grab my clothes, but I got lightheaded because I stood up too fast. Just when I was about to faint, a pair of hands grabbed my waist and caught me. I heard a familiar voice with a French accent- "Désolé, Mademoiselle Lewyn... I'm so sorry for the interruption..." "Gaspard?" I asked. Gaspard Laflamme. The tailor. Why is he here? I thought to myself. "Oui! Miss Lewyn. I'm..." The glowing light from the window illuminated the chiseled feature of the handsome young tailor. He looked awkward and embarrassed because I was completely naked. He pulled a towel and wrapped me up. "I'm sorry, Miss Lewyn... I came here to bring you the dress for tonight's Grand Ball. I got lost again. Everything here is big and you're like a princess who's
Leah's POV"Oh, in that case, I must have remembered it incorrectly," I lowered my head and stared at him in his eyes. "Memory is a very interesting thing. Do you have the feeling that when you meet someone for the first time, you feel like you've known this person for your entire life?""I'm just a humble tailor, Miss Lewyn. I know nothing about memory and life," Gaspard replied, gently stroking the hem up above my knees and pinning it on the belt beneath my waistline. I suddenly felt a wave of warmth spreading from my loins all over my body. It was like my whole body was ignited.
Leah's POVJust when I thought that my entire life would end on that day, I heard a loud voice -"Leave Leah alone!"Darren?! It's Darren's voice!I lifted my eyes and saw my reflection in the mirror. I saw the image of Darren jumping at Gaspard and gripping his neck.The hands that supported me immediately loosed, because Gaspard shifted backward.
Leah's POVOne of the 50 bedrooms in the lake house was changed into a treatment room, where Dr. Monk kept all of his expensive medical equipment.The door had been shut for the past 2 hours.I put down the third cup of coffee on the table and asked the maid to bring me the fourth one. She looked hesitant."Miss Lewyn, can I bring you some lemonade instead?" she whispered.I stared at her. My brain wasn't functioning af
Leah's POV"Are you sure about it, Leah?" Jalin asked."Yeah..." I nodded my head, feeling exhausted.Jalin said quietly next to me. His gaze fixed on the wall, contemplating, as if he had just stumbled upon a secret that had eluded him for a long time. I could tell his mind was racing with the implications of what I just told him."Jalin... What's going on?" I lifted my head to look at him.His chiseled jawline blocked
Leah's POVI turned around to face him, and I could see the pain in his eyes.I couldn't take it anymore."Finn, don't do this to me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I don't know who you are. I don't know what has happened to you. I don't know who has sent you to me. But one thing I do know is that I will never ever hurt you.""I know, Leah," Finn said in a quiet voice."But I can't trust you if you don't tell
Leah's POVAs I woke up, I couldn't find Finn anywhere around me.I rubbed my eyes, put on some clothes, and walked out of the warehouse.As the sun began its slow descent behind the distant mountains, the shimmering waters of the lake seemed to come alive with a brilliant golden light.The ripples on the surface danced in a gentle, rhythmic motion, reflecting the vibrant hues of the surrounding flora.The air was fille
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