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
VALERIE I stepped back, gasping loudly in dismay. My eyes gapped at him in fright and disbelief. "What did you just say?" I blurted out. He tilted his head sideways, ignoring my question as he twitched his lips in disgust. Before I could part my lips to say another word, two young men trudged into the room and gripped my arm, pulling me out of the large room roughly. "Stop it! Stop it!" I screamed, trying to break free from their grip which proved futile in the end. "Tell Margaret to get her ready for tonight!" I heard him snap at the guards before spinning around and heading up the stairs. "No, please, hear me out, please!" I screamed for mercy to no avail. The men got to a door and paused; one of them pushed the door open while the other flung me into the damp, cold room. "Wait!" I bellowed and staggered up to my feet, racing for the door. But it was slammed shut before I could touch it. I crouched down to the ground and buried my face in it, sobbing bitterly.
VALERIEMy breath hitched when we got to the large oak doors, madam Margaret stepped back and jerked her head towards the door. “Go in,” she muttered and my heart shrank. My feet froze as I struggled to move closer and push the door open. “Valerie?” Margaret snapped impatiently. “The Alpha doesn't like to be kept waiting,” she added, but no matter how hard I tried, my paralyzed feet wouldn't budge from the spot. I gasped out, my heart thumping loudly in my chest. “Go in!” Margaret repeated, her voice louder than before. I gulped hard and bit my lips before pushing my feet forward. I reached out to open the door, but it pulled open, and Alpha Jonas's face popped out, to my dismay. Anger flickered across his sharp brown eyes as he ran his eyes around my trembling body. “Why is she late?” He sneered in a voice that made me cringe. “Forgive me, Alpha. She is a naive girl,” I heard Margaret reply behind me. “Naive?” He scoffed with disdain laced in his voice. He snapped his
VALERIEMy racing heart only stilled with Alpha Jonas dropped to the ground, unhurt. “Follow me!” He snapped in a hoarse voice, briskly walking into a dark tunnel. Why does he want me to come with him? Why doesn't he let me go and save himself instead? Does he… does he value me? I shook my head at the absurd thought. Not after what he did to me in his room. “Walk faster!” His snap jolted me out of my thoughts. I increased my pace, running at some point to catch up with his fast strides. The body was lying on the floor, and the shadows stuck to my mind, haunting me. The man's face has a striking resemblance to someone that I've come across, but I can't seem to place where I have seen it or who it was. But one thing is certain, he's dead. We kept walking through the dark tunnel till we stopped in front of a door. I stared in astonishment as he dug out a bunch of keys and slipped an old rusting key into the almost invincible keyhole on the door. The door clicked open and h
VALERIE “Have you heard of the Lycan kings?” His voice came out hoarse yet pleasing to my ears. “Huh?” I stuttered and the beat of my heart accelerated. He glanced over at the other man and twitched his lips, leaning closer till our lips were just a hair's breadth away. My body began heating up slowly and my pulse raced. I wanted to move back but the other man was right behind me, compelling me to remain stuck at that spot. I was trapped between these two devilishly handsome and dangerous-looking men. “Who are you two?” My voice quivered as I spoke with a heart gripped with fear. “We just told you, sweetheart,” the one behind me said in a soft singsong voice which strangely sounded appealing to my hearing. “You are his Luna, aren't you, honey?” He muttered in a sultry tone that made my belly knot. Luna? Whose Luna? Alpha Jonas's Luna? No, they're wrong, I'm not his Luna. I shook my head and parted my lips to spill out the truth but a loud thud behind me made m
VALERIE My lips parted yet no words came forth. I was short of words, I was confused. I wanted to speak up for my defense, but I couldn't; it felt like Alpha Jonas's words had paralyzed me. “So, you are his Luna, after all,” Killian said, a mischievous smirk dancing at the corner of his little plump lips. Lucian remained unmoved as he glared coldly at me. “Why did you say you weren't?” He muttered in the iciest voice that I've ever heard. The hoarseness was somehow gone, its absence added fear instead of relief to my soul. “I… I,…” I stammered and glared at Alpha Jonas, hoping he would have a change of heart and tell them who his real Luna was. But the useless devil did nothing of such, instead he pursed his lips in anger and shook his finger accusingly at me. “You lied to them? You told them you weren't the Luna. How shameless can you be, Valerie?” He snapped, calling me by my name.My eyes batted in shock, I was petrified in wonder that I was dumbstruck.The two men stared
VALERIE I stumbled for the fourth time as I ran far off into the woods. I couldn't tell where I was or how I would get out; only one thing stuck to my mind: this was the perfect escape plan, and I had to stick to it no matter what. As I ran, my mind drifted back to those Lycan kings and I felt my heart skip a beat. They must have noticed my absence by now. The thought of them coming after me made me quicken my pace. The cold air grazed my parched skin, stinging me without mercy as my body shuddered from the cold. I sneezed and clenched my belly as it rumbled yet I couldn't stop to catch a breath. My heart froze when I heard a twig snap behind me. I stopped running and listened cautiously for any rattle of leaves but heard nothing. I wanted to continue running, but my wolf, Jade, urged me to stop and listen longer. My heart thumped loudly and my hands shook as I stood in the dark forest. What if it's a wolf hunter? Or worse, the Lycan kings? ‘Jade, I can't wait anymore, I ha
VALERIE “I am not the Luna."A lump formed in my throat as I tried to sink in her words.“You… you are not the Luna?" I found myself sputtering.She smiled and took a step closer. My heart sank when she fell on her knees and bowed her head to the ground.“Forgive me, Luna; I know you've always hated me because the Alpha claimed me too, but it wasn't my fault. I begged him to have mercy, but he wouldn't listen,” she blabbered, and my eyes widened in shock.I turned around, searching for the person she was talking to.But when I saw no one behind me or close by, it dawned on me that she was referring to me.“What… what are you saying? I am not the Luna!" I snapped.I glanced over at Killian and Lucian. I found their amused eyes staring at me.“I…" I trailed off and glared at her.I understood that she wanted to escape Killian and Lucian's wrath. She wanted to put me in her place and make me suffer in her stead.It finally dawned on me that she didn't love her mate, perhaps, that explai
MICHELLE A smile spread out across my face as I watched her struggle to stay alive inside Valerie's body. "Give it up, Asmodeus, Valerie Garrett has returned," I snarled. Her head jerked up, and she growled in fury, then leaped towards me, knocking out my hand, which gripped her shoulder. Her hand reached for my neck and she pushed me roughly, hitting my back on the wall. My heart skipped but I maintained my stance and sank my nails into her flesh, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip. A dark cloud darted across her eyes and her grip around my neck tightened. "What did you say about my father, bitch?!" She growled in rage. I stiffened in shock and my eyes darkened as the realization hit me Valerie was back. She had subdued Asmodeus, and she wasn't just back to dominate her body and save the Lycan kings; she was back to seek revenge, to destroy. "If you didn't hear what I said then you wouldn't unlock yourself and come out," I wheezed, struggling to breathe as she choked me.
VALERIE (Asmodeus)The hall was silent as all eyes were fixed on Michelle, demanding an explanation for her behavior. My fist clenched under the table as I glared warningly at her. Sweat broke out on my back as I thought of ways to stop her without creating more suspicions around me. "I think we're being attacked," Michelle blurted out. My nails sank into my palm and my throat knotted, my burning gaze fixed on Michelle's face. She turned and stared at me, her lips twitched into a smirk. She turned and faced the Luna again, that sinister smile lurking around her sharp dark eyes. "There is something that I must confess, Luna," she mumbled I figured out that she might have nothing to lose in this as Damion was behind her and would support her against me. I had to do something before it was too late. "Luna…" she paused and looked at me before facing the Luna, fake tears gathering in her eyes. "There is a—" I screamed in agony and gripped my stomach, dropping out of my chair. E
VALERIE (Asmodeus)Damion glanced at me again and looked away, fidgeting slightly in his seat. I smiled ruefully and swerved my head in Michelle's direction. Her eyes locked with mine and she quickly looked away, shivering slightly. My lips twitched in excitement at how I had trapped them in my nest. The only way they could escape was to obey my words and demands. I looked at the woman again, knowing exactly how to use them as my pawns to accomplish what I had in mind. "The Lycan kings aren't here yet?" The Luna Queen asked for the fourth time since everyone arrived and took their seats. "No, my lady," her maidservant replied and she sighed in disappointment, shaking her head. "Luna, are you sure they'll come? I heard that they hardly attend gatherings," the woman muttered. The Luna pouted in anger and sighed again, unable to defend her sons. "I wonder who told you that," a hard voice echoed in the hall and everyone swerved their head in the direction of the voice. My throat
VALERIE (Asmodeus)I hummed as I analyzed the bracelets before me. I smelled of citrus and the suffocating scent of Valerie Garrett. "You should try this on," Bianca said, extending a bracelet towards me. I raised my head in her direction and stared down at the pearl bracelet dangling in her outstretched hand. I forced a smile into my face and took the bracelet then slipped it around my wrist. I stared at the pearl bracelet strapped around my wrist and chuckled in excitement.It was hard to believe that Valerie lived happily in the Nox household while I was locked away underneath the freezing dark waters of the Isle of the Blessed.A cold touch on my shoulder caused me to flinch in fear. I sighed in relief when I saw Bianca's face staring down at me with worry etched against her face. "You seemed to be lost in deep thoughts," Bianca blurted out. I forced a smile into my face and shook my head. "No, no, it's nothing serious," I muttered, adding a low, nervous laughter at the e
VALERIE We swerved our heads in the direction of the scream, and my eyes dimmed when they fell on Michelle. I narrowed my eyes, the worry that sprang up in my heart slowly settling down."Shit!" Garam spat in rage and let go of my neck. Michelle marched towards us, her eyes blazing in anger and her clenched fist swinging beside her. "You bastard!" She growled and grabbed his collar, throwing him off me. His back slammed against the wall and it cracked while he groaned out in pain. "What the fuck did you do to Damion?" She groused and slapped him hard on the face. My brows raised in surprise as I watched her land hit after hit on him. She raised her fist to slam his fist for the umpteenth time but he grabbed her fist, shoving her back. He staggered up and wiped the blood that dripped from the cut on his lower lip. "You are no different from me, bitch!" Garam spat at her. She was taken aback by his outburst, and for a moment, they stood still, fuming in anger and glaring at e
VALERIE I watched her pour the tea in silence, a smile plastered against my face. She straightened up after pouring the tea and sighed loudly, a smile on her face. "Here," she chipped and pushed the teacup closer, grinning widely. I chuckled, grazing my finger over the tip of the cup. "Anything else?" I asked. "Of course not, I just want to make sure that you are alright," she said. I raised my head and forced a smile into my face to please her. "Well… as you can see, I am fine," I replied in a sharp tone that made her brows raise. "Why do you talk that way with me, Valerie?" She asked. The happiness in her voice slowly faded away. I tilted my head to the side and folded my hand over my chest. "You're just a maidservant? How else do you want me to talk to you, huh?" I taunted, adding a mocking laughter at the end. His brows knotted, and I saw shock dart across her flushed face. "I can't believe this," she muttered, scoffing loudly. I felt happiness swell up in me as I st
KILLIAN My breath hitched the moment the cold metal got pressed down on my neck. A pair of pitch-black eyes glared down at me, and a pair of gloved hands gripped tight unto the blade. "You sent you?" I asked between clenched teeth. The face was masked, making it impossible to view the expression on his face. "My lord says your time is up. You shouldn't have dared mess with him," he muttered in a throaty voice that shook at the end. My eyes dimmed and I began to wonder which of the Alphas would dare try to assassinate me. I slowly reached for the gun I had on me and pulled it out. "Well… tell your boss you tried your best to accomplish the task," I mumbled, and before he could slit my throat with the blade, I pulled the trigger into his abdomen. He froze and his eyes widened in horror. Drops of warm liquid fell on my thighs, causing me to groan in disgust. I pushed the rogue off me and snatched the blade out of his slackened grip before reaching for the mask over his face. I
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