LIONEL
Frankenstein clearly couldn’t say the words either. “I’m sorry if I blamed you for that. I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just…” Frankenstein was saying. “It’s alright.” It just wasn’t your business; I finished in my head. Frankenstein dropped some final congratulations and carried on. I was already exhausted and ready to retire to my room, but for some of the other guests at the party that I simply needed to finish up with. When I had the slightest opportunity, I slid out of the midst of the guests and went into the kitchen to fetch myself a glass of wine. I sipped on the wine. I needed something that had more blood on it—the hunger was there. Tonight had been the night of the blood moon. I wished it was one where I was free to roam the forests and munch at something naturally fun. I paused now and took another glance at my arm, where the wound had healed and left its scar behind. I was married. I waREGINA“The Mountain Monks.” I tried the name on my tongue again. If I were to meet these monks, I would be travelling so far away. How would I be able to embark on this journey without drawing attention from his grandpa or my father as to where I was going?“What are these monks to help me with when I get there? What do I do when I get there?”The priest sighed. “I won’t lie to you, Miss Regina. Werewolf history is in-depth. There’s so much to it. Modernization and all have taken the place of our history and past, but there are still some people that have not left the old practice. The Mountain Monks are some of such people, and that’s why they live secluded from every other human. I don’t even know how to tell you to access them. When I did go there, it was such a long time ago, and you would never find them within the mountains, unless they wanted to be found.”It sounded ancient. It sounded scary.But I knew I was going to try.
REGINAIf anything was even going to prompt a connection between me and Lionel, I was going to cut it off. I had other plans and one of them was to wait for the right time for the entire dust to settle and I would break away from the devil I got married to and live the life that waited for me out there. “Really?” I asked. “Then I shouldn’t joke with such a bond. Don’t worry, I’d see to it that I and Lionel put whatever feud we’ve had for each other aside for this one night.” I replied, putting on my best action costume.Sir Leonard seemed impressed as he gave me a tap and continued through the house, mildly giving orders to keep everything else in place. As I made my way now to the room, climbing up the flight of stairs that led to the top floor of the mansion, I spotted Ryker looking through the door of the study right at me. He had a blank expression on his face as he only stared for a while and looked away.He seemed angry or disappointed. I could tell he was frustrated, though. L
LIONELI tried to imagine it. I, in the same room with Regina Donovan, on the same bed, doing what? I couldn’t even picture it. It was not realistic.“You see…” Grandpa was saying. “When two wolves just get married, the first wedding night spent together is a sacred night. It’s one that completely seals your marriage. I strongly believe that after this first night, it would spark up the intimacy between the both of you. You would see that after tonight, it would all begin to change—the way you feel towards her.”How could I explain to Grandpa that the case of Regina Donovan was not a matter of just not liking her? I hated her from the very roots of her family. That wasn’t something that just one night of forced sex was going to change.“So as it is, Regina would be in my room tonight?” I knew the answer to that. I was just trying to believe it wasn’t going to be real.Grandpa nodded quietly. “She’s your wife, son. Treat her as one.”I swallowed speechlessly.“I’ve arranged with some o
REGINA“Isn’t that what we both want? We both want to pretend like neither of us exist. I mean, you didn’t want this marriage and I didn’t want it either so how about we talk about how we can make it easier for the both of us?”It wasn’t easy to have to stand right before him—the alpha Lionel—and lay my terms for a marriage. However, I could tell where my source of strength had come from, and no, it wasn’t from Ruby.This was rage.The sheer rage from the gross nature of him having to be so relaxed in the room while I undressed. Who the hell did he think he was?Thinking about Ruby, the thought came to my head. Why hadn’t you told me he was in the room, Ruby? I thought within myself.Ruby had received enough bullets for one night to be too weak to give comments about everything that was happening. I could sense him out; Ruby replied weakly. I may be powerful with intuition, but that is only when I’ve even got energy to pull from,
LIONEL“What?”I couldn’t understand what she was saying. First, she had pushed me to the wall and I couldn’t exactly tell she was doing it on purpose. All I knew at the moment was that I had to put her in her place this very night. She had to understand that she was not in the position to decide how it played out in this marriage. She had pushed me to act on my wolf instinct—to do what Lucius would do because Lucius would devour his luna without thinking twice and just as she wished, I had given it to her. Losing my cool, I had pinned her down and made my point once and for good.She was mine!It was not the other way around, and there was no other way around it. I owned her and she was to act as property for whatever I wished to do with her, whenever I did wish to act.It was when I had made my point that it dawned on me that I was clearly choking her. She had gagged for air, hitting at my arm. Her struggles were nothing compa
REGINAI told you, Ruby. I was not going to back down without a fight.Ruby was weak; I knew it, but I had my own strength, and on this very first night, the rules of the game of this marriage had to be laid out this very night… even if it meant threatening Lionel to save our heads. That was when the idea popped into my head.The most infuriating part of it all was him denying everything that had clearly taken place. I had him red-handed and he just didn’t have the courage to own up to what he had done? Did he really think the smartest way out of this was to lie that he never kidnapped me? Richie had confessed it before he died—Lionel Williams had sent him. There was no deceiving me.The part I actually hadn’t expected was that I could threaten him with what he had done. It was not my calculated move. I found myself naturally doing it, and clearly, it was beginning to look like that was what he deserved.“You will tell Grandpa n
LIONELI couldn’t sleep and it was no understatement.I couldn’t tell if she was awake or not, but as for me—one who had gotten so used to being alone in the comfort of my room and sleeping all alone—the idea that someone was in the room even if not right beside me was totally discomforting.Not to talk of having to remember it was Regina Donovan. This was a curse.Still, I had it all planned out in my mind. The previous night had been a long one and it had definitely ended with Regina pulling up a move that I couldn’t have seen coming. How could she even think up the guts to threaten me? She was playing around with fire but my plan was kind of different for her this time. I wasn’t going to burn—not at once. I was going to give myself some time for the furnace to get hotter. And then I will consume her when she least expected it.For some reason, Regina was so convinced that I was the one who kidnapped her. I had previously thought it was
REGINAI woke up with a start. It felt like I had not even slept at all. But I did sleep, and I knew what I was feeling was a result of sleeping with one eye open. I could not trust the next move that Lionel was going to make. For some reason, I could feel he was still awake, even when he lay still on the other side with the bed between us. For that same reason, I wanted to stay cautious and watchful. I remained awake for as long as I could, hoping to see the daylight in no time to get the hell out of the room. That was when I had fallen asleep. Still, even in my dream, the thoughts of him being around plagued me and I couldn’t help it. By the time I arose, the room was empty. Sunlight was coming in and I could see him nowhere around. Had he gone out already? Of course, I could tell he had but I couldn’t tell what he could be doing outside. I rose now and decided to freshen up before I stepped out. I had a whole long day ahe
REGINA I made my way to Marcy’s room shortly after seeing Lionel. She looked so small lying there, her face pale but serene. Her hands rested on her swollen belly protectively, even in her sleep. My heart clenched at the sight of her. The sister I had thought I’d lost forever was here again, and despite everything we had endured, there was hope. Then I thought of the tragedy that had befallen her—of Silas and everything else. Victor had indeed taken more than we could imagine. “Marcy,” I whispered as I approached her bed. Her eyes fluttered open, groggy but quickly filling with recognition. “Regina?” she murmured, her voice hoarse. I nodded, tears already welling up. “It’s me.” She eased into a smile. “I just knew you could do it. I just knew you could. You’ve always been just too strong.” I laughed as I planted a kiss on her forehead. “How’s the b
LIONEL The first thing I noticed was the sterile smell of antiseptic. My body felt heavy, but the softness of the hospital bed was comforting. Slowly, I blinked my eyes open. Regina’s face came into focus. Her hair was slightly disheveled, dark circles shadowed her eyes, but she was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. Her hand rested on mine, her touch grounding me. “Lionel,” she whispered, her voice filled with relief and tenderness. Tears welled up in her eyes as she leaned closer. “You’re awake.” I managed a weak smile. “Hey…” Before I could say more, Grandpa appeared by her side, his face a mixture of concern and relief. Ryker and Gwen were there too, their expressions lighter than I’d seen in days. “You gave us quite the scare, kid,” Grandpa said, his gruff tone unable to mask the emotion in his voice. “Victor?” I rasped, the memories of the fight f
REGINA “No,” I whispered, cradling Lionel closer. His breathing was shallow, his usually vibrant eyes clouded with pain. Victor stood a few paces away, lowering his weapon with a chilling casualness. “You should've just cooperated with the plan, Regina.” He chuckled disdainfully. “You and that pathetic excuse of an alpha.” “Don’t you dare!” Marcy’s voice cut through the tension, and I turned just in time to see her charging at Victor. “Marcy, no!” I screamed, but it was too late. Victor swatted her away like she was nothing, sending her flying into the side of the truck. She hit the metal with a sickening thud, collapsing in a heap. My mouth dropped open, my scream coming uncontrollably. “Stay down, girl,” Victor sneered, turning his attention back to me. I froze, my arms tightening protectively around Lionel. Every instinct screamed at me to fight, but my b
REGINA I and Marcy had been together in the room, waiting, when we heard the sounds of the war going on outside the building. Lionel was here. At first, a feeling of joy and assurance rushed to me, but almost immediately, a certain panic rushed through me when we had waited for quite long enough and Lionel was yet to show up. “Are you sure he’s still okay?” Marcy asked, the fear in her voice evident. “He is okay.” I replied with all certainty. “Nothing could happen to Lionel!” Then the men suddenly stormed in, barking orders. Marcy and I rose hastily and followed the men down the corridors, all the way to the back of the warehouse. Soon, we were out in the dark and there was nothing but the dim lights of the moon to guide us through. I could still hear the faint buzz of war on the other far end of the building. Axel led the group of Victor’s men, his expression unreadable, but
LIONEL His taunting words drove me mad, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me fall apart. I clenched my jaw, focusing on my breathing as I adjusted my stance, preparing for the next round. But Victor wasn’t done. He was playing with me, like a predator toying with its prey. He danced just out of reach, circling me, his every movement calculated, precise. “You know, Lionel,” he began. “I’ve always admired your strength. But strength doesn’t mean anything when it’s built on lies. Your so-called ‘perfect love’ with Regina? It’s a joke. You’re both weak, just like your parents were. Too sentimental. Too tied down by your pathetic little bond.” His words struck harder than any blow he could throw, reminding me of all the mistakes I’d made, of all the things I’d failed to protect. The past kept clawing at me, refusing to let go. I roared in fury, charging toward him once more, but this time, I cou
LIONEL All I needed was a location and just that, Arturo had provided. Another site, another holding of Victor’s. Even if it meant going to a hundred locations this same night, as long as I was not dead, I was going to set my eyes on Regina and there was nothing that could be done to change that. As we drew closer to the warehouse where Regina was supposedly held, we knew better than to just storm our way in. We needed to maintain a low profile. The warehouse loomed ahead, its corrugated metal walls dull and rusted under the dim glow of the moonlight. A faint chill ran down my spine as I scanned the perimeter. This was the place. I could feel it in my gut. Regina was inside, and I wasn’t leaving without her. Ryker crouched beside me, his face set in grim determination. Arturo and his men from the Eric Circle pack fanned out behind us, their movements silent and purposeful. Each of them carried
REGINA “You already know how it started,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I refused to marry Lionel. I couldn’t. Not when my heart belonged to Silas.” I nodded, memories of that time flashing through my mind. Marcy had always been the rebellious one, the sister who defied tradition and sought her own path. “When I ran away with Silas, we thought we’d left everything behind,” she continued, her voice growing steadier. “We crossed borders, traveling from pack to pack, always looking over our shoulders. But eventually, we found a place where we could be safe, a small pack in a distant country. It was nothing like home, but it was ours. We built a life there, Regina. A happy life.” Her lips quivered, and I could see the love she still held for Silas shining in her eyes, even through her grief. “We planned to come back one day,” she said, her voice cracking. “To face
REGINA I awoke slowly. “Regina?” The voice echoed in my head, but the familiarity could not be mistaken. I knew I was captured again; alone, with no one to protect me, my heart aching in ways I couldn't even put into words. This time, not just for my own mistakes, but for my sister’s life as well. “Marcy…” I cried quietly. How? I lay on the cold, unforgiving floor of the dimly lit room, the rough stone scraping against my skin. The chains around my wrists felt heavier than ever, and my heart felt heavier still. It wasn’t just the physical pain that gnawed at me—it was the emotional torment of seeing my sister’s frightened eyes, the same eyes I remembered from our childhood, filled with so much terror. "Regina?" Marcy’s voice broke through the silence. Her voice was hoarse, trembling, as though she too couldn’t find the words to express th
REGINA I could feel the cold metal of the handcuffs biting into my skin as the car jolted over uneven terrain. Victor’s grip on my life—on everything I cared about—was suffocating, his constant presence a reminder of just how trapped I truly was. Axel was beside me, silent, but I could feel his gaze flicking over me like a hawk, calculating and waiting for any sign of weakness. But I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break. Victor had been playing a game with Lionel. Each move designed to frustrate, each location a new dead end. I could tell it was wearing on him. His anger had become more pronounced, his impatience clearer. But it wasn’t just about the hunt anymore—it was about power, and I was the key to it all. The car slowed as we turned onto a dirt road, the thud of the tires against the gravel echoing in the small space. The lights outside flickered and then dimmed. I didn’t know where we were going this time,