VALERIE Bianca scoffed and narrowed her eyes, glaring haughtily at her. I sighed, aware of what she was talking about. Michelle smirked and didn't wait for my reply before striding fully into the room. I stood up, my heart clenched in fear. Even though I needed to know the cause of my father's death, I knew deep down that I wasn't ready to bear the heartbreak that would come with the truth. "I don't think I want to talk about it yet," I muttered, glancing at everything in the room aside from Bianca and Michelle's faces. "Why?" Michelle's voice bore shock and disappointment. "I have a lot to deal with at the moment. I'm not ready to hear it," I muttered. She huffed and stepped back. I finally looked at her, forcing a smile into my face. She huffed, fuming in anger as she glared at me. "Are you scared of the truth?" She asked, her lips turning up in a mocking smirk. I sighed and tilted my head to the side, staring confidently into her eyes. "Yes, I am scared of the truth."
VALERIE My trembling hands slowly slipped away from the edges of the stone, fear bubbling in me. His cold hand was still wrapped around my wrist as he waited for me to get up and explain the act I was caught in. I couldn't dare imagine the disgusted look that would be on Lucian's face, worse, Killian's. I gulped hard and slowly turned, but the fear tightening in my chest eased up as my terrified eyes fell on the person clenching my wrist. "Damion!" I sighed in relief. His lips turned up in suspicion and his eyes darted to the fake flagstone on the ground before he released my wrist."What are you doing here?" He asked, nodding towards the spot he found me squatting down. "Uhm…" I trailed, fixing my eyes on the flagstones on the ground with the true intention of avoiding his prying eyes. "Are you scared of saying the truth to me?" He questioned. I remained silent, my eyes still fixed on the ground. I shivered slightly as he wrapped his hand around my chin, turning my head to
VALERIE My heart tightened and I gasped in surprise. "What?" I snapped. Bianca nodded and moved closer to me as if I was attempting to do something stupid to myself."Yes, she was killed by rogues while trying to protect master Damion. Even up to today, no one has dared talk about her death for Damion's sake," she muttered Rachel's laughing face flashed before my eyes and a sickening feeling filled the pit of my belly. I staggered back and lost my balance. Bianca caught my wrist before I could touch the ground and pulled me up to my feet, wrapping her hand around me."Calm down, just calm down," she whispered, patting my hair slowly.I broke into tears, sobbing loudly.I couldn't believe that she died that terrible way despite her kindness and good heart."She never deserved that kind of death, Bianca!" I blurted out, unable to subdue the pain within me anymore."I know, but what can one do? It's all in the hands of fate and destiny—""Fuck fate and destiny!" I screamed, pushing
KILLIAN The sound of the lighter clicking on and off filled the dark room, dividing my attention from the courtyard below. "You said you would meet little Val tonight, right?" Lucian muttered, causing me to turn away from the window. I trudged towards the couch he was lying on and slumped down into it, picking up an open pack of cigarettes. "Yes, do you want to join me?" I asked with a smirk laced against my face. He took a long drag at the cigarette and chuckled, puffing out smoke. "I have something important to attend to in town. I'll be leaving in an hour," he muttered. My eyes darkened and my fist clenched as I stared at him. "Doing business without me, huh?" I groused. He sat up and playfully smacked my back, grinning sinisterly. "Get some rest, Killian, get some rest," he replied before taking a drag at the cigarette again. I sighed and grabbed the lighter, but the question from Lucian stopped me from lighting the cigarette trapped between my lips. I looked at Lucian
KILLIAN I paced around the room with my hand in my disheveled hair, pausing briefly to glance at her pale face. "What happened to her, my lord?" The Pack's doctor asked for the umpteenth time while she examined her. "Are you going to treat her or not?" Lucian growled in indignation. She flinched, her lips trembled as she darted her eyes from Lucian's face to Valerie's pale face. "I would do my best to find out what the cause of her unconsciousness is," she mumbled even though the chance of her finding out the cause was impossible. Lucian sighed and ran his hand through his hair, ignoring the constant calls from his phone. "It doesn't seem to be something ordinary, my lord," the Pack's doctor said as she opened her eyes with her fingers and gazed at the lifeless eyes. I sighed, knowing that it was true. She turned and stared at us suspiciously when our silence lingered in the room. "Is there something I must know, alpha?" She asked. I and Lucian exchanged glances and kept mu
KILLIAN I called her name multiple times with a trembling voice but got no response. "Shit!" I cursed loudly and reached for my phone. I fidgeted as I scrolled through the list of my contacts, trying to put my distorted mind in order and call someone who would help.My mind clicked Michelle's name when her words echoed in my mind. I dialed her number, and her voice boomed out the second ring with mocking laughter. "Need help now?" She mumbled. My eyes dimmed in suspicion and I clenched my fist, fuming in fury. "What did you do to her?" I snapped. "You didn't even let me get close to her," she chuckled. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed in despair. "If I walk into your room, I'll have your head on a stake," I stated and ended the call, throwing the phone onto the couch. I grabbed her cold hand and rubbed it against mine to warm it up while I waited for Michelle. The door opened and my jaw clenched. "What the hell took you…" I paused when I saw the Pack's doctor stan
KILLIAN I gripped her shoulders and forced her to look into my eyes. "What did you just say?" I asked in an alarmed tone. Her lips stretched into a wide smile, an unknown glee floating in her eyes. "Should I say it out loud? Should I say what I saw in there?" She muttered, her head tilting to the side. My heart clenched and confusion and disbelief settled down within me. Was she truly possessed? "Should I?" She whispered in a chilling voice that sounded more like someone else's voice. "See—" I raised my hand, cutting Michelle off, my eyes still fixed on Valerie's grinning face. "Leave us, every one of you," I muttered, daring not to take my eyes off her. I waited till everyone had shuffled out of the room before gripping her shoulders again and glaring into her eyes. "Tell me the truth, what did you see in the secret room," I asked. She threw her head and laughed loudly, sinking her nails into my arm. I didn't care about her nails that sank into my skin, all I cared about
VALERIE “Walk faster!” I glanced back at my mother’s pale face as my stepfather dragged me roughly to the car parked in the driveway. I wanted to part my parched lips and inquire from him where we were going with my bags but the fear that tightened my heart didn’t let me speak a word. Instead, I followed him sheepishly like a sheep being led to the slaughterhouse. Ever since my father died and my mother remarried, my life has turned upside-down. I turned into a servant overnight at his arrival, and my helpless mother did nothing but watch me do his bidding. Every day, I wished and hoped that I would finally get out of the house and find a life for myself, the life that I was destined for. And sometimes, when I understand how helpless my mother is, I refrain from the thought of running away. But what can one do? I am confused, helpless, and stuck with a monster my mother brought into our lives. My stepfather shoved me into the passenger's seat and slammed the door
KILLIAN I gripped her shoulders and forced her to look into my eyes. "What did you just say?" I asked in an alarmed tone. Her lips stretched into a wide smile, an unknown glee floating in her eyes. "Should I say it out loud? Should I say what I saw in there?" She muttered, her head tilting to the side. My heart clenched and confusion and disbelief settled down within me. Was she truly possessed? "Should I?" She whispered in a chilling voice that sounded more like someone else's voice. "See—" I raised my hand, cutting Michelle off, my eyes still fixed on Valerie's grinning face. "Leave us, every one of you," I muttered, daring not to take my eyes off her. I waited till everyone had shuffled out of the room before gripping her shoulders again and glaring into her eyes. "Tell me the truth, what did you see in the secret room," I asked. She threw her head and laughed loudly, sinking her nails into my arm. I didn't care about her nails that sank into my skin, all I cared about
KILLIAN I called her name multiple times with a trembling voice but got no response. "Shit!" I cursed loudly and reached for my phone. I fidgeted as I scrolled through the list of my contacts, trying to put my distorted mind in order and call someone who would help.My mind clicked Michelle's name when her words echoed in my mind. I dialed her number, and her voice boomed out the second ring with mocking laughter. "Need help now?" She mumbled. My eyes dimmed in suspicion and I clenched my fist, fuming in fury. "What did you do to her?" I snapped. "You didn't even let me get close to her," she chuckled. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed in despair. "If I walk into your room, I'll have your head on a stake," I stated and ended the call, throwing the phone onto the couch. I grabbed her cold hand and rubbed it against mine to warm it up while I waited for Michelle. The door opened and my jaw clenched. "What the hell took you…" I paused when I saw the Pack's doctor stan
KILLIAN I paced around the room with my hand in my disheveled hair, pausing briefly to glance at her pale face. "What happened to her, my lord?" The Pack's doctor asked for the umpteenth time while she examined her. "Are you going to treat her or not?" Lucian growled in indignation. She flinched, her lips trembled as she darted her eyes from Lucian's face to Valerie's pale face. "I would do my best to find out what the cause of her unconsciousness is," she mumbled even though the chance of her finding out the cause was impossible. Lucian sighed and ran his hand through his hair, ignoring the constant calls from his phone. "It doesn't seem to be something ordinary, my lord," the Pack's doctor said as she opened her eyes with her fingers and gazed at the lifeless eyes. I sighed, knowing that it was true. She turned and stared at us suspiciously when our silence lingered in the room. "Is there something I must know, alpha?" She asked. I and Lucian exchanged glances and kept mu
KILLIAN The sound of the lighter clicking on and off filled the dark room, dividing my attention from the courtyard below. "You said you would meet little Val tonight, right?" Lucian muttered, causing me to turn away from the window. I trudged towards the couch he was lying on and slumped down into it, picking up an open pack of cigarettes. "Yes, do you want to join me?" I asked with a smirk laced against my face. He took a long drag at the cigarette and chuckled, puffing out smoke. "I have something important to attend to in town. I'll be leaving in an hour," he muttered. My eyes darkened and my fist clenched as I stared at him. "Doing business without me, huh?" I groused. He sat up and playfully smacked my back, grinning sinisterly. "Get some rest, Killian, get some rest," he replied before taking a drag at the cigarette again. I sighed and grabbed the lighter, but the question from Lucian stopped me from lighting the cigarette trapped between my lips. I looked at Lucian
VALERIE My heart tightened and I gasped in surprise. "What?" I snapped. Bianca nodded and moved closer to me as if I was attempting to do something stupid to myself."Yes, she was killed by rogues while trying to protect master Damion. Even up to today, no one has dared talk about her death for Damion's sake," she muttered Rachel's laughing face flashed before my eyes and a sickening feeling filled the pit of my belly. I staggered back and lost my balance. Bianca caught my wrist before I could touch the ground and pulled me up to my feet, wrapping her hand around me."Calm down, just calm down," she whispered, patting my hair slowly.I broke into tears, sobbing loudly.I couldn't believe that she died that terrible way despite her kindness and good heart."She never deserved that kind of death, Bianca!" I blurted out, unable to subdue the pain within me anymore."I know, but what can one do? It's all in the hands of fate and destiny—""Fuck fate and destiny!" I screamed, pushing
VALERIE My trembling hands slowly slipped away from the edges of the stone, fear bubbling in me. His cold hand was still wrapped around my wrist as he waited for me to get up and explain the act I was caught in. I couldn't dare imagine the disgusted look that would be on Lucian's face, worse, Killian's. I gulped hard and slowly turned, but the fear tightening in my chest eased up as my terrified eyes fell on the person clenching my wrist. "Damion!" I sighed in relief. His lips turned up in suspicion and his eyes darted to the fake flagstone on the ground before he released my wrist."What are you doing here?" He asked, nodding towards the spot he found me squatting down. "Uhm…" I trailed, fixing my eyes on the flagstones on the ground with the true intention of avoiding his prying eyes. "Are you scared of saying the truth to me?" He questioned. I remained silent, my eyes still fixed on the ground. I shivered slightly as he wrapped his hand around my chin, turning my head to
VALERIE Bianca scoffed and narrowed her eyes, glaring haughtily at her. I sighed, aware of what she was talking about. Michelle smirked and didn't wait for my reply before striding fully into the room. I stood up, my heart clenched in fear. Even though I needed to know the cause of my father's death, I knew deep down that I wasn't ready to bear the heartbreak that would come with the truth. "I don't think I want to talk about it yet," I muttered, glancing at everything in the room aside from Bianca and Michelle's faces. "Why?" Michelle's voice bore shock and disappointment. "I have a lot to deal with at the moment. I'm not ready to hear it," I muttered. She huffed and stepped back. I finally looked at her, forcing a smile into my face. She huffed, fuming in anger as she glared at me. "Are you scared of the truth?" She asked, her lips turning up in a mocking smirk. I sighed and tilted my head to the side, staring confidently into her eyes. "Yes, I am scared of the truth."
VALERIE My jaws were still dropped in shock as I stood rooted at the spot. "Valerie? Are you okay?" Bianca's words shot into my mind, causing me to raise my head. Her head tilted to the side as she watched me, confusion scribbled across her face. "Why were you acting that way when I mentioned the name of Luna Queen's sister?" She questioned, her eyes filled with suspicion. I released a false laugh and shook my head. "It's nothing. I… I thought I had heard the name somewhere." She narrowed her eyes in disbelief but said nothing concerning my attitude. "Well… mother said that she died some months before her wedding to an alpha prince," she said. My fist clenched and I bit my lips at the discovery. "Was she getting married to Lycan prince Alexander?" I bobbed my head and asked. She threw her head back and narrowed her eyes, letting the silence haunt my curiosityI hoped silently that I was wrong with my guess. "No, it was rumored that the Lycan king Alexander never had any lo
VALERIE "I am disappointed in you, Valerie!" He groused with a glare before turning to help his mother up from the seat. I gulped hard and slowly stood up, dropping my head. "Forgive me—" "Don't say a word!" I shifted back at the harsh tone of Lucian's voice. "Hey, don't yell at her!" The Luna Queen snapped, hitting him on the chest. Lucian sighed in disappointment and threw me a glare before leading his mother to the bed. The maidservant turned and stared at me coldly then moved closer to where I stood. "You should have stopped her, my lady," she muttered. My heart clenched and I gripped the edge of the table, getting overwhelmed with guilt. "I'm sorry. I never meant to let her drink so much," I whispered, avoiding her accusing eyes. She huffed in annoyance and trudged off to attend to the Luna Queen. I sighed in disappointment, muttering curses under my breath. If Lucian hadn't intervened, she would have told me how she killed Renee. I needed to fix the dot