Damianâs POVI sat still in my study, the silence in the room pressing getting more suffocating every second. Ethan was dead. The words kept replaying in my mind, mocking me with every echo.He was dead. Dead just like that. Dead without any explanation. Dead like a chicken. Ethan was a still a young boy for fuck sake.I ran my hand over my face, trying to chase away his reflection from my imagination. Ethan was more than a warrior. He was one of the few people I trustedâtrained, molded, and handpicked to serve me and watch Elara when I thought she couldnât be trusted. And now, he is gone.Something dark coiled up in my chest. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he must have died because of this whole issues. If I hadn't ordered him to watch over Elara, would he still be alive?I hadn't expected it to hit me this hard. I hadnât expected the loss to feel so painful and so⊠personal. But it did. It hit me so hard that I was traumatised and I remembered my family's death. The pa
Damian's POVI stared at him. Stared at my friend, and for a moment, memories of our time in the Rogue kingdom resurfaces. The times we used to hunt together, the times we used to train together and those times where we got into the same academy. Everything was going well until I remembered how manipulative he and his father had handled the relics situation.That single act traumatized me for years. For years I felt like I was cursed, felt like I would bring destruction to the people around me. It was only with the help of Lyra that I was able to regain my self confidence.And since then, I have grown careful of him and his father. Till date, they didn't know I knew the truth about the relics and they often wonder how I changed so much, not knowing that they changed me.âThatâs what Iâm trying to find out. Because the investigation on Ethan's corpse showed that he was hit with a silver bullet and his wound was infected because it wasn't treated. You can see that it sounds like you ha
Damianâs POVThe grand hall was as quiet as a grave yard. Too quiet. Too tense. The silence was sharp enough to cut through steel. King Alaric stood like a monument of war and ruthlessness. Not a flicker of emotion appeared on his face. He wasnât here as a father. He was here as a king. And the venom in his gaze told me he had expected to walk out of here with his son.Too bad I wasnât going to make it that easy. I'd rather die than do that. Especially not when I had someone to impress. Not when I have someone who desperately seeks justice than anyone else. Elara. She would never forgive me if I let him go. If I do, it would destroy whatever hope that was left for us. So..... I won't succumb to this. Never.âSo,â he said finally, his voice low and dangerous, âyouâve chained Kael like a criminal. Beaten him like a dog. Was this your plan all along, Damian? To treat my son like a common criminal?" Then he screamed out loud like I had forgotten Kael's real identity. "Don't forget he's
Damian's POVâI did what I had to do,â he said with zero remorse. âTo protect the kingdom. To keep the power from falling into the wrong hands. If I had told them that it was Kael who destroyed it, do you know what would have gone wrong? The kingdom would have fallen apart."âNo,â I said through clenched teeth. âYou did it to manipulate me. To make sure I was always in your debt. Always loyal. Always scared.âIt was silent. He knew I was right. He has done it to have me wrapped under his fingers. To make sure to always stay in control of me.He folded his arms. âAnd yet you turned out exactly the way I needed you to.âThe audacity of his words hit me like a slap. He didn't regret it. He didn't care about me at all and I wondered why I hadn't seen that all these years even before I found out about his manipulation."You don't care about me, Alaric," I said, my voice low and filled with disappointment. "Then why? ...... Why do you save me? Why did you take me in? Why did you have to go
Elara's POV I sat quietly in the doctor's office, the pungent smell of antiseptic filling my nostrils as I cradled my trembling hands in my lap. The world felt unsteady beneath me. My mind replayed the doctor's grim word on a loop: "If you carry the baby to term, you won't survive and if you terminate the pregnancy there is a chance we can treat cancer."A chance. Not even a guarantee.I wanted to scream, cry â anything to expel the confusion and despair suffocating me. How could I choose between the fragile life growing inside me and my own survival? How could I? Just last week, my husband, Damian and I had hoped that the test results would come out positive. We have laughed, dreamed and planned a whole lot ahead for our future and that of the baby. But this? I have never imagined it would come to this.My trembling hands hovered around my phone as I debated calling Damian . When the call connected, I froze. How could I tell him that the baby we've hoped for, waited for âor myself
Elara's POV Damian's smirk widened as he relished every bit of my outrage. "Are you trying to make me suffer?" Damian sneered. "Wrong choice. Youâre just as stupid as your father.âMy heart tightened as his words hung in the air. "How dare you insult my family," I hissed. "They accepted you, believed in you and gave you the chance to run a company. You ungrateful little rat, hiding your true identity like a coward. Who are you, really?âI met Damian at a high-profile gala four years ago. He was a Rogue. No pack. No family. While I was the Alpha's daughter. I was drawn to his charm, wit, and resilienceâqualities that set him apart from the privileged men in my social circle. We started as friends, but our bond soon grew into something deeper. Despite my familyâs initial objections, they eventually accepted him. My father, impressed by Damianâs knack for identifying business opportunities and negotiating deals, offered him a partnership in our family businessBut here he was, biting
Elara's POV The tension in the hospital room was palpable as Damian's cold gaze landed on my father's pale, unconscious figure. His cruel and mocking voice sent a chill down my spine."Did you ever think about what would happen the day you killed my family? He asked, his tone devoid of any emotion.My heart stops. "What are you talking about? My father would do no such thing."Damian's lips twisted into a cruel smirk. "You really don't know, do you? The Alpha you admire so much is no saint. He crushed so many lives to build his empire. My family was collateral damage."Before I could respond, mother lunged, throwing a kick towards Damian , her face contorted with rage. "You are lying," she screamed, but Damian's bodyguard restrained her with practiced ease."Save you theractics," Damian sneered. "If you want your precious husband to survive, you'll do exactly as I say."He turned to me and threw a stack of paper onto the bedside table. "This is your only chance, Elara. Read it carefu
Elara's POVThe mansion was eerily quiet, save for the occasional distant footsteps of guards patrolling the halls. I sat on the massive bed, staring at the ornate ceiling. Despite its grandeur, the place felt suffocating, like a beautifully crafted cage. My hand instinctively wrapped around my stomach, a small comfort against the storm brewing inside me.But when I remembered the doctor's words, my heart sank. My health is failing. I could feel it in the constant headache throbbing my head. And soon, Damain would soon find out that I was pregnant. I don't know how he was going to accept the news yet, but I'm determined to protect my baby from that bastard.The reality of my situation hit me harder than ever âI was alone. My mother's tear-streaked face haunted my thoughts, and I wondered if my father was even awake yet. Was he in pain? Was he fighting for his life? Did he even know that my life had gotten harder, just because I loved and married the wrong man.I squeezed my eyes shut,
Damian's POVâI did what I had to do,â he said with zero remorse. âTo protect the kingdom. To keep the power from falling into the wrong hands. If I had told them that it was Kael who destroyed it, do you know what would have gone wrong? The kingdom would have fallen apart."âNo,â I said through clenched teeth. âYou did it to manipulate me. To make sure I was always in your debt. Always loyal. Always scared.âIt was silent. He knew I was right. He has done it to have me wrapped under his fingers. To make sure to always stay in control of me.He folded his arms. âAnd yet you turned out exactly the way I needed you to.âThe audacity of his words hit me like a slap. He didn't regret it. He didn't care about me at all and I wondered why I hadn't seen that all these years even before I found out about his manipulation."You don't care about me, Alaric," I said, my voice low and filled with disappointment. "Then why? ...... Why do you save me? Why did you take me in? Why did you have to go
Damianâs POVThe grand hall was as quiet as a grave yard. Too quiet. Too tense. The silence was sharp enough to cut through steel. King Alaric stood like a monument of war and ruthlessness. Not a flicker of emotion appeared on his face. He wasnât here as a father. He was here as a king. And the venom in his gaze told me he had expected to walk out of here with his son.Too bad I wasnât going to make it that easy. I'd rather die than do that. Especially not when I had someone to impress. Not when I have someone who desperately seeks justice than anyone else. Elara. She would never forgive me if I let him go. If I do, it would destroy whatever hope that was left for us. So..... I won't succumb to this. Never.âSo,â he said finally, his voice low and dangerous, âyouâve chained Kael like a criminal. Beaten him like a dog. Was this your plan all along, Damian? To treat my son like a common criminal?" Then he screamed out loud like I had forgotten Kael's real identity. "Don't forget he's
Damian's POVI stared at him. Stared at my friend, and for a moment, memories of our time in the Rogue kingdom resurfaces. The times we used to hunt together, the times we used to train together and those times where we got into the same academy. Everything was going well until I remembered how manipulative he and his father had handled the relics situation.That single act traumatized me for years. For years I felt like I was cursed, felt like I would bring destruction to the people around me. It was only with the help of Lyra that I was able to regain my self confidence.And since then, I have grown careful of him and his father. Till date, they didn't know I knew the truth about the relics and they often wonder how I changed so much, not knowing that they changed me.âThatâs what Iâm trying to find out. Because the investigation on Ethan's corpse showed that he was hit with a silver bullet and his wound was infected because it wasn't treated. You can see that it sounds like you ha
Damianâs POVI sat still in my study, the silence in the room pressing getting more suffocating every second. Ethan was dead. The words kept replaying in my mind, mocking me with every echo.He was dead. Dead just like that. Dead without any explanation. Dead like a chicken. Ethan was a still a young boy for fuck sake.I ran my hand over my face, trying to chase away his reflection from my imagination. Ethan was more than a warrior. He was one of the few people I trustedâtrained, molded, and handpicked to serve me and watch Elara when I thought she couldnât be trusted. And now, he is gone.Something dark coiled up in my chest. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he must have died because of this whole issues. If I hadn't ordered him to watch over Elara, would he still be alive?I hadn't expected it to hit me this hard. I hadnât expected the loss to feel so painful and so⊠personal. But it did. It hit me so hard that I was traumatised and I remembered my family's death. The pa
Elara's POVThe guards at the dungeon entrance stiffened the moment they saw me approach. Fear etched on their faces as they exchanged glances. But I was unbothered.âI need to see him,â I said. âNow.âOne of them who seemed to be courageous enough stepped forward, blocking my way. âLuna, we have orders from Alpha Damian. No one goes in without clearance.ââMove,â I growled, voice deadly low.They didnât. My hand tightened around the dagger. I took a step forward, chest heaving.âI said. Move.âStill, they didnât budge. They didn't care if I lunged at them or not. They were willing to die. Damian must have issued them a strict warning never to let me in at all costs.Then, behind me, a deep familiar voice broke the tension. âElara. Stop.âDamian. I turned slowly, not bothering to hide the fury on my face. âHeâs dead,â I spat. âEthan is dead and I know Kael had something to do with it. And youâre protecting him?ââIâm not protecting anyone,â Damian said quietly, approaching me. âIâm tr
Elaraâs POVMaybe I fell to the ground or not, I don't remember. I only realised my knees scraping against the cold hospital floor, my mouth parted in a scream but no sound came out. The hospital walls felt like they were closing in, ripping off the air out of my lungs.âHeâs notâŠâ My voice cracked as I sob loudly. âHe canât be gone. He promised....he promised to protect me...."I couldn't finish the statement. His face flashed before my eyes and it seemed like he was just right in front of me. I remember the last time we saw each other in the prison. The way he cupped my face with so much concern on his handsome features and made a vow. "I won't let you die. I'll find a way to save you and the baby. I swear it."Yes, he made me a promise. He promised to save us. He should be here fulfilling his promises and...... not dead. Gomez bent down beside me, uncertain, hesitant, before wrapping his arms around my shoulders. âIâm so sorry, Luna,â he murmured. âI shouldnât have told you like
Elaraâs POVToday, I felt warmer, stronger. I didnât feel the usual cold or weakness like it had the past few days. I could practically feel the renewed energy surging through me. It was exhilarating, my wolf was awakened and I could feel my abilities returning.Maybe it was the potion. Yes...it should be the potion. Or maybe⊠just maybe I was healing. I might have found favor at the sight of the Moon Goddess.âYour vitals are stronger than ever,â the doctor said with a gentle smile, handing me the printed report. âItâs unbelievable. The pregnancy is stable, and we might not even go through the procedure to deliver the baby. Your body is recovering at a miraculous rate. Whatever remedy youâve been usingâitâs working, Luna. If it continues at this rate, then maybe the cancerous cells too might reduce," he added, his voice alight with hope. "This is nothing short of a miracle."I stared at the paper in disbelief. For so long, I thought I was losing everything. But now⊠there was hope.
Lyraâs POVI couldnât sleep. Couldnât eat. Couldn't keep calm. My whole body kept trembling as I paced the length of my room like an accursed soul. Elaraâs voice was the curse that echoed in my ears. âI will find out everything⊠and if I find you guiltyâŠâ Her words had rooted in my skull like a damn thorn.I had been so caught up with dealing with Kael that I had totally forgotten about Ethan. Fuck! KAEL. Even when he isn't here, he is still trying to make my life a living hell. If he hadn't kidnapped Ethan then I wouldn't be in this situation now. Now, Elara suspects me and even our relationship.She wasnât supposed to come back. But she has. And I wasn't expecting her to become stronger, colder, and more determined than ever. But she is too.âShit,â I hissed, gripping the edge of the table until my knuckles turned white. I had to do something, anything before that witch found indisputable proof, before she connected the dots together and discovered my involvement in everything. Ka
Elara's POVâI didnât think you had it in you to come back,â Lyra continued, her lips curling into a smirk. "After all the humiliation and embarrassment. You have developed a thick skin, haven't you?"I looked her up and down, unaffected by her words. âIâm not back. If I were, you wouldnât be able to stand the heat, Lyra darling. The moment I come back here, get ready to burn."Burn? Lyraâs expression darkened, her heart racing with fear at my words. And from the way she sounded, she knew I wasn't bluffing.I didn't give her the time to recover or react. Instead, I took a step closer, my tone sharper now. âTell me, Lyra⊠did you know about Ethan?âThe fear in Lyra increased and she quickly raised an eyebrow, her expression looked like she was just hearing about Ethan's disappearance for the first time. âWhat about him?ââHeâs missing,â I replied coldly. âAnd I have a feeling youâre involved. You and Kael, I wonder what's happening between you both.A faint flicker crossed Lyraâs face,