Lyra's POVI leaned my forehead against the cool metal of the burglary door, the rhythmic sound of my heart echoing in my ears. The weight of the revelation from earlier pressed down on me like a thousand-pound stone. My client—this terrifying, enigmatic figure who’d hired me to investigate his pack’s secrets—was my mate. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I didn’t even want to stop thinking about it. My heart raced as I considered what this meant for me. For us. I didn’t know if I was ready for what lay ahead. The pack, the responsibilities, the power, the dangers.The harsh, cold air of the cell made my breath fog. I closed my eyes and leaned back, trying to silence the thoughts swarming in my head. Maybe if I closed my eyes long enough, I could escape them. I could escape him.A sudden tap on my shoulder broke my reverie. I froze, eyes snapping open."Lyra?"I turned sharply, expecting one of the pack guards. Instead, I found one of them—the youngest by the looks of it, a nervous t
Lyra povMarcello’s voice broke through the haze of panic. “Don’t be foolish,” he said, his tone now less menacing, but just as commanding. “I’ll take care of you, Lyra. Just come with me.”“Why?” I blurted out, trying to force some kind of control over the situation. I wasn’t just some pawn in his game. “What do you want from me?”Marcello stared at me for a long, silent moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was more serious, more grounded. “I want you to understand what it means to be mine.”And then, for a brief second, I saw something flicker in his eyes—something that wasn’t entirely cold. Something that was almost... vulnerable. But it was gone before I could grasp it.Before I could react, he turned toward the door. “Come,” he ordered, his voice final. “We have work to do.”I stood frozen, torn between running and following him.But in the end, I did neither. I simply stood there, my fear and curiosity warring inside me, waiting for the next move.I stood there, trembling
Lyra’s POV“Lyra!” A familiar voice sent a cold shiver down my spine. Pushing my blanket off my body, I dashed towards the door, opened up quickly and ran down the stairs in my pajamas. “Dad, I told you Lyra has been lazing around, always wasting my time because she's got no responsibilities.” No responsibilities? I was literally the nanny in this luxurious mansion. Standing at the foot of the stairs, I watched as a redhead paced around the lounge, glancing at her wrist watch with each second that passed by. When she finally raised her head to stare at me, my heart skipped a beat, “Meera, I—” “I'm late for school because of you, bitch!” She snapped, charging towards me with flames dancing in her eyes. I swallowed hard, urging my feet to move out the way, but I knew better than running. I'd get punished over and over again, a never ending torture. Closing my eyes slowly, I anticipated the sharp pain on my cheeks, but it never came. Instead, a searing pain shot through my body as Me
Lyra’s POVUncle Luciano wasn't just an old friend of my uncle, he was old enough to be my own father. I'd never marry someone like that. Not now, not ever. For the first time in forever, I raised my head and took my stand, knowing that this single decision might ruin my whole life, “Getting married? Uncle Luciano is old enough to give birth to me.” My uncle snapped his neck towards me, his eyes glaring daggers at me. His eyes sized me up, amusement swirling in them,“I didn't just ask for your opinion, I'm stating a fact. You're going to get married to Luciano..” he paused for a while and cleared his throat, “To pay my debts. It's no big deal.” “No big deal?” I threw my hands in the air, my voice dripping with sarcasm, “then let Meera get married to him, let her pay for your debts instead.” My voice trembled as the words flowed from my insides, and I knew deep down I was going to regret it, but I just couldn't stop. I knew Uncle Zorah hated me, I just hadn't expected him to despis
Lyra’s POVIf sending letters was a thing of the past, my best friend—Tracy—and I were starting to bring it back. For the last few days, Uncle Zorah had shut me from the outside world—not that I was given free will in the first place. He seized my phone, my only company, and locked me up in my room. He was terrified I'd make an escape and ruin the marriage, but I wasn't just going to sit here and allow him send me off to some fucking old man with salt and peppered hair. I love Tracy with all my heart. She figured something was wrong when I obviously couldn't reply to her texts. She came knocking on my window days after and it became a habit to send letters down to communicate with her. Laying down on my bed, I read the last letter I received from her, grinning from ear to ear when she finally agreed to help me with my escape. She had climbed up a tall ladder to reach my window earlier, how hard could it be to do the same? I sighed out loud, folded up the paper and tore it in pieces
Lyra’s POVPerhaps I shouldn't have been born. Perhaps my birth was only a mistake. I had indirectly caused my parent's death by an obsession for amusement parks, I had begged them to take me there without knowing it was the last time I'd see them. The same happened with Tracy. If I had known Uncle Zorah was cruel enough to end a teenager's life, I wouldn't have involved her. She died in a cruel way, way too cruel way. I'd been locked up in a different room, somewhere smelly, dark and rusty. I hadn't tasted water in a long while, but all I could think of was Tracy. I still saw her wide eyes each time I closed mine to sleep. Her laughter still echoed in my ears each time I was close to losing it.I ran my hands through my hair and screamed out loud, pulling my hair like a maniac, a maniac Uncle Zorah had formed. Meera had indeed given me a choice, I should have killed myself when I had the chance. I cried out loud and kept punching the wall until my knuckles got bloody, ignoring th
Lyra’s POV“Hell's pit?” I whispered, leaning hard against the wall. For some reason, the guard’s last words echoed in my ears like he was right here to whisper them in my ears. ‘You're the one who's going to hell for your crimes’. Was this it? Hell?I closed my eyes and swallowed hard, “What do you mean by hell's pit?” Each breath was agonizingly painful, and with each second that passed by, I kept regretting my actions of not claiming my life when I had the chance. From the little one's words, I needed no soothsayer to tell me I had been sold to this HELL'S PIT by Zorah. I kept my gaze on the girl with the whip, slightly stunned by her revealing dress. Only her nipples were covered with the transparent top she was putting on, and through the lacy shorts, I could see the traces of her curved ass staring back at me. I tore my gaze away, staring at the dried up blood on my knuckles, “Why am I here?” The whip lady took slow strides towards me, stroking the whip seductively like it
Lyra's POVWhat?!The words echoed in my mind like a drumbeat. What was she talking about? I could barely grasp the meaning before Miss Caroline, she yanked my arm so forcefully that the world blurred before me. Pain shot up my shoulder like lightning, but my lips stayed sealed.I wanted to scream, to lash out, but something in her ice-cold gaze made my chest tighten, and my tongue felt heavy. I managed to swallow the burning lump in my throat, forcing my breath into something resembling composure, even though the whole situation reeked of injustice."Lyra," she snapped, as if the name was a foul taste on her tongue. "Or whatever your name is, I don't have time for your questions. Get inside, now."The venom in her voice made my stomach twist.My body felt numb as she dragged me, the cold stone floor beneath my feet scraping against my skin. I could feel the sting of her fingers around my wrist, digging in like she was trying to claim ownership over me. I stumbled, but she didn’t seem
Lyra povMarcello’s voice broke through the haze of panic. “Don’t be foolish,” he said, his tone now less menacing, but just as commanding. “I’ll take care of you, Lyra. Just come with me.”“Why?” I blurted out, trying to force some kind of control over the situation. I wasn’t just some pawn in his game. “What do you want from me?”Marcello stared at me for a long, silent moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was more serious, more grounded. “I want you to understand what it means to be mine.”And then, for a brief second, I saw something flicker in his eyes—something that wasn’t entirely cold. Something that was almost... vulnerable. But it was gone before I could grasp it.Before I could react, he turned toward the door. “Come,” he ordered, his voice final. “We have work to do.”I stood frozen, torn between running and following him.But in the end, I did neither. I simply stood there, my fear and curiosity warring inside me, waiting for the next move.I stood there, trembling
Lyra's POVI leaned my forehead against the cool metal of the burglary door, the rhythmic sound of my heart echoing in my ears. The weight of the revelation from earlier pressed down on me like a thousand-pound stone. My client—this terrifying, enigmatic figure who’d hired me to investigate his pack’s secrets—was my mate. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I didn’t even want to stop thinking about it. My heart raced as I considered what this meant for me. For us. I didn’t know if I was ready for what lay ahead. The pack, the responsibilities, the power, the dangers.The harsh, cold air of the cell made my breath fog. I closed my eyes and leaned back, trying to silence the thoughts swarming in my head. Maybe if I closed my eyes long enough, I could escape them. I could escape him.A sudden tap on my shoulder broke my reverie. I froze, eyes snapping open."Lyra?"I turned sharply, expecting one of the pack guards. Instead, I found one of them—the youngest by the looks of it, a nervous t
Marcello stood before the vast, dark windows of his chambers, gazing out over the hellish expanse that stretched out below. The Hell Pit was a place of power, a fortress built on fear and bloodshed, and he had made it his kingdom. The stench of sulfur, blood, and iron hung in the air like an oppressive fog, but to Marcello, it was home. It was his dominion, a realm of suffering and control.His fingers drummed lazily on the stone windowsill as he waited. He had been expecting this. Vincenzo would come. Of course he would. The fool had always been driven by emotion, and now, that emotion was his undoing. He had no idea what he was walking into, how deep the darkness ran here. How deep it would swallow him.A knock at the door broke his thoughts."Enter," Marcello called, his voice smooth, cold, and casual. He didn’t need to turn to see who it was. He knew. The heavy footsteps, the unmistakable pulse of anger and determination—it could only be Vincenzo. He felt it like a storm on the h
Vincenzo's POVThe air was thick with heat as I stood before the massive gates of the Hell Pit, the stench of sulfur mixing with the stale humidity of the dark, cavernous expanse within. It was a place no one in their right mind would willingly venture, yet here I was, driven by a singular, relentless purpose—her.I needed to get inside. Marcello was down there, and my mate was in his clutches. The idea of her trapped in this hellish domain twisted something inside me—something primal, something raw.I took a deep breath, pushing the thoughts of her terrified eyes from my mind for just a moment. I couldn’t afford to lose focus now.The guards, two hulking figures dressed in black armor, glared at me as I approached, my boots pounding the earth with each deliberate step. Their gazes were cold, like marble statues come to life. I didn’t care.“I want to see Marcello,” I demanded, my voice sharp like a blade drawn across stone.One of the guards shifted, folding his arms across his chest
Vincenzo’s POVThe moment I told her the truth, her eyes glazed over with disbelief, as if I had just shattered everything she thought she knew about herself. She shook her head, lips parted in protest. For a brief second, I wondered if she was going to argue with me or run away. But instead, she rose from the mattress, the duvet slipping from her body like she was in a frenzy, desperate to disprove the words I had just spoken.“You’re lying,” she whispered at first, but there was panic in her voice now, a growing desperation that she couldn’t quite hide. “This—this can’t be real.”She came at me, her body trembling with a mix of anger and fear, and for a moment, I let her approach. I didn’t want to push her, not yet. I wanted to see her face, wanted to see the way she tried to fight it, tried to claw her way out of what was happening between us. But as she reached for me, as her hand came out to touch my arm—to convince me I was wrong—I couldn’t let her.I grabbed her wrist with a fo
Lyra’s POVI sat on the edge of the mattress, the rough fabric of the blanket pressed against my skin, as if it might offer me some kind of protection. My hands were shaking, clutching the fabric with a desperation I didn’t fully understand. My body still felt bruised, raw from what had just transpired. I couldn’t stop replaying the events in my head, the way he had pressed me against the wall, his lips frantic, hands gripping me with an intensity that felt like it could break me. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t kind. It was forceful, wild, and I felt like I had been consumed by it.His touch had been suffocating, but it wasn’t just the physical strain that left me trembling. No, it was the fact that he had taken something from me. My virginity, my first time, something I thought I would give to someone who cared. Instead, it had been stolen from me in the heat of his hunger, and I was left feeling hollow. The tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wouldn’t cry in fron
Meera’s POVI couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or if this was just another one of his manipulative tactics, but for a moment, I let myself believe in his words. For a moment, I wanted to believe that maybe he wasn’t just another obstacle, another player in this cutthroat game.I shook my head, a dry laugh escaping my lips. "You think it’s that simple?""It can be," he said softly. "But only if you stop pretending you have to do everything on your own."His gaze held mine, unflinching, waiting for me to say something. But what could I say? What could I possibly offer in a situation where I had already lost so much?"I can’t fix this," I said, barely more than a whisper, the weight of those words heavier than I could bear.Gabriel didn’t release my wrist, but his expression softened, his thumb still tracing gentle circles. "No one expects you to. But you don’t have to fight it alone anymore."For a second, just a split second, I allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, I w
Meera’s POVThe boardroom felt suffocating, the air thick with tension. The usual hum of polite conversation had morphed into an endless squabble, each person fighting for their own agenda. The voices grew louder, overlapping, one accusation after another. Every word felt like a dagger to my chest, but none of them seemed to care. I stood frozen at the head of the table, my hands gripping the edges so hard my knuckles turned white."I told you this wouldn't work!" Raymond’s voice boomed across the room, his face flushed red. "We're not signing anything until we have a better guarantee.""I’m not going to keep going in circles with you!" Claire shot back, her arms folded across her chest, eyes narrowed. "Your numbers are a joke, Raymond. They were wrong from the start!"They didn't even notice me anymore, just locked in their own battle of egos and stubbornness. This was supposed to be the deal that would save my company, that would turn everything around. But instead, it felt like it
Vincenzo’s POVShe twisted in my grip, trying to break free. “I’ll never bend to you,” she snapped, her voice steady but filled with venom.I threw her onto the bed with force, this time ensuring that she stayed there. Her body bounced against the mattress, and I heard the chain rattle as it caught on the frame. She scrambled to sit up, but I was already towering over her, my shadow swallowing her whole.“Stay,” I ordered.Her lip curled, and she gave me a look that was almost too arrogant for my liking. “You’re wasting your time.”I reached down and grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to look me in the eye. “It’s not about wasting time, Lyra,” I said softly, my voice dark. “It’s about making sure you understand your place. You don’t get to run from this. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”She pushed my hand away, but there was a hesitation in her movement. A slight tremor in her fingers. She was trying not to show it, but I could see it in the way she flinched when I touched her.