Luca's POV The air was heavy as I waited at the secluded spot I had chosen for the meeting. The dim glow of the streetlamp above barely illuminated the area, making it the perfect place for a private confrontation. My fingers drummed against my thigh as I replayed the plan in my mind. Russell wasn’t stupid—he’d be on guard.I heard the faint hum of an approaching car and looked up, spotting Russell’s black vehicle as it rolled to a stop a few feet away. He didn’t step out immediately. I knew he’d call first, testing the waters. My phone vibrated, and I answered it on the first ring.“Are you alone?” Russell’s voice was clipped, suspicious.“Yes,” I replied evenly, keeping my tone calm.“What do you want?”“To negotiate. About Rose. Nothing else.”There was a pause before I heard his car door open. I slid my phone back into my pocket, watching as he approached. His steps were measured and deliberate. Russell always carried himself like a predator, confident and ready to strike.“You h
Rose’s POV Being a single mother has never been a simple job but try being a wolfless single mother. Your life would become hell, especially if you lived in Attic City where the majority were werewolves and little witches who risk their lives every day to be amid wolves. Unfortunately for me, I was neither a wolf nor a witch, or maybe I had a wolf but it was a silent one, almost useless. I don’t know how the witches found me or why they kept me, but one thing I know is this: I owe the witches a favor one day, and I must put on this bracket made of coral to protect myself and make them think I am human. I am currently sitting on the stool staring directly at my beautiful reflection as I dry my hair. After so much rejection, I have been able to get a job at a restaurant on the outskirts of Attics, where I currently live. I dedicate the weekdays to work and the weekends to my son. A knock interrupts my beauty section as Merlin, my son, walks inside carrying a sad face. “Do you have
Rose POVI hate working in restaurants. Male wolves hungry to defile anyone weak usually filled it. My case was worse. I had no wolf. It meant I could not even fight them whenever they tried to take advantage of me. Thanks to Lexie and Adrian, they were always there to protect me. When Lexie and I arrived, we found the restaurant already filled with customers. We passed through the back door to avoid questions from our boss. “You are late,” Adrian whispered, standing between the both of us as we dished out orders. “We know but we are here now, so can you go back to your work while we mind our work?” Lexie asked with a stern voice. She hated Adrian. To her, he was just another wolf waiting for the right time to have his way with me and she had to protect me since I had a soft heart. What she did not know was that Adrian had a crush on her, but he kept it to himself, afraid of her rejection. “That was harsh,” I whispered to her immediately after he left. She heaved a sigh. “It wa
Russell POVI sat on the chair opposite Lorenzo, playing chess. It has been my favorite game since childhood; I loved the tension that hung around trying to keep your king alive.Lorenzo stared at the board with split eyes and a furrowed brow. “I won’t be home tonight,” he says as he moves his knight towards my side.Ordinarily, I would have called him a twat. That one action had made him lose his game.“Why? We are meant to plan against the crescent pack. They attacked our workers last time if you can remember,” I say and move my pawn to the middle side.He nods his head as he moves his knight forward. “I remember, Russell, but my mate needs me. I haven’t been able to spend quality time with her and she is not happy about it,” he explained, his eyes still on the board.I roll my eyes in anger. Ever since Lorenzo found his mate, it has always been “my mate this,” “Izzie said,” “ wants this or that,” and it was getting tiring. He found it hard to say no to her. Something I was not com
Rose POV“Make sure you wear your bracelet, Rose; don’t take it out for any reason. It's going to protect you,” Benedicta's voice echoed in my head. I watched as the houses flew past me in the cab.Lexie had already fallen asleep in the car. We lived on the outskirts of Attics. It would take a long while to get to the place where the mating ceremony was going to be held.I was going there for just one reason; to get food for myself and some sweet delicacies for my son since I no longer had a job. Thanks to Dimitri and his friends.Benedicta did not even know I was going to the mating ceremony. If she knew, she would have held me back or maybe cast a spell that would prevent me from passing the door.I could still hear Merlin's tears as I told him I was not going to spend the entire weekend with him. However, after promising him that I would spend Monday and Tuesday with him, he started to smile again.The cab stopped us at the front of the building and I woke Lexie up as we made our w
Rose POV“Why don't you have a scent?” he asked, his voice filled with contempt and disgust.I remained silent; I knew I had never been lucky, but why on earth would the moon goddess mate me with an Alpha?Alpha's brides are meant to be innocent, clean, and untouched. I was the opposite of the expectations for Luna. I have been touched and I had a child for a man who I did not know. Although he seemed to be bearing a similar tattoo to the father of my child it did not change anything.I gasped as he grabbed me by my jaw “Answer me!” He shouts and I feel everyone around me flinching. His eyes sparkled with anger.“I don't have a wolf?” I replied. He let go of my jaw with force. I glue my eyes to the ground to avoid everybody's eyes, particularly Lexie's own. I don't even know what her reaction will be.He scoffed, “Can the moon goddess be more cruel?” He asks no one in particular to walk around me.“Russell! She is your mate,” he shouted from his seat, his voice sounding croaked becau
Luca povIf you ask me what is more exciting than the smell of blood for a wolf, It is the fear in the eyes of the prey.The same excitement rushed through me when I saw the look on Merlin and Rose's faces. To them, they have done nothing, but the mere connection they have with Russell is enough.I have promised myself that I would burn any connection that would make Russell happy.After soaking in the satisfaction that came from looking at Rose's blue eyes, I made my way back to Sabrina's house.My hideout for the past years. I knock on the door for a while before she opens. She is dressed in her natural attire of a long flowing gown with a long coral bead necklace that touches below her breast.She glared at me, while I returned her glare with a smile. Seriously, she needs to get used to the fact that I am not going to hide anymore. I killed a royal member, so what? One of them also killed my mate. I just decided to make it even.She steps aside for me to enter inside and bangs the
Luca POVImmediately after I left my uncle's room, I went to the place where the servants stayed to pick up some maid who would help me lift my boxes to my room. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I thought of how eventful my stay here would be. Not the fun aspect but the dark aspect, such as killing Russell and Lorenzo, who was my best friend. His betrayal cut me deep.Sophia and some of the maids carried my luggage to my room and started arranging it when Russell and his weakling of a beta came inside.“What are you doing here?” I asked.“I came to warn you,” Russell said, trying to sound cold but ending up sounding stupid.I burst into laughter, earning a glare from them. What the hell was their problem? How can someone be this foolish and annoying? I am trying to be good, but they keep on pushing me.I asked all the maids to leave and turned to them, shooting them a razor-blade glare.“Came to warn me about what?” I asked and folded my arms against my chest.“About your stay in
Luca's POV The air was heavy as I waited at the secluded spot I had chosen for the meeting. The dim glow of the streetlamp above barely illuminated the area, making it the perfect place for a private confrontation. My fingers drummed against my thigh as I replayed the plan in my mind. Russell wasn’t stupid—he’d be on guard.I heard the faint hum of an approaching car and looked up, spotting Russell’s black vehicle as it rolled to a stop a few feet away. He didn’t step out immediately. I knew he’d call first, testing the waters. My phone vibrated, and I answered it on the first ring.“Are you alone?” Russell’s voice was clipped, suspicious.“Yes,” I replied evenly, keeping my tone calm.“What do you want?”“To negotiate. About Rose. Nothing else.”There was a pause before I heard his car door open. I slid my phone back into my pocket, watching as he approached. His steps were measured and deliberate. Russell always carried himself like a predator, confident and ready to strike.“You h
Luca’s POVHearing Rose’s voice had done something to me. It was as if the weight of the entire world had lifted, even if just for a moment. She was alive. She was strong, though I could tell she was barely holding on. That was all I needed to ignite the fire in me. I wouldn’t stop until she was out of that dungeon and safe in my arms again.I sat at my desk, Bianca and Jenny’s videos and pictures of the dungeon laid out before me. The images showed every detail the cold, damp walls, the heavy iron bars, the chains. Each photo made my blood boil, but I forced myself to stay calm. This wasn’t the time for emotions. It was time for action.I transferred the files to multiple systems, uploading them to encrypted drives and saving them on several flash drives. Losing this evidence wasn’t an option. Russell would stop at nothing to keep his secrets buried, and I wasn’t going to let him.“Benedicta,” I called out, and moments later, she entered the room, her brow furrowed in concern.“What
Russell's POVI leaned against the cold windowpane of my room, Alina’s words echoing in my mind. “The truth will come out eventually.” She had said it so casually, but the way her eyes pierced mine told me she suspected something. Alina wasn’t stupid, if anything; she was the most cunning person I’d ever met.But I couldn’t let her unravel this. Not now, not ever.Pacing the room, I pulled out my phone and dialed one of my guards. “I need eyes on Bianca and Jenny,” I ordered, my voice cold and sharp. “From now on, I want them followed whenever they leave the house. I want to know where they go, who they meet, and what they’re planning. Understood?”“Yes, sir,” the voice on the other end replied.I ended the call and tossed the phone onto the bed, rubbing a hand over my face. Bianca and Jenny were up to something, and it was only a matter of time before they made their move. But I wouldn’t give them the chance to ruin everything I’d worked for.Pulling on my jacket, I left my room and
Bianca's POVJenny and I stepped out of the car, exhausted but feeling a small sense of accomplishment after managing to give Russell the slip earlier. It had been a long day, and all I wanted was to get inside, grab something to eat, and collapse on my bed. But as soon as we walked toward the front door, I saw him. Russell. Leaning casually against the porch railing, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk playing on his lips.“What’s this?” Jenny muttered under her breath, her expression immediately hardening.I glanced at her, then back at Russell. “Trouble,” I replied quietly.“Ladies,” Russell greeted us, his tone laced with mock politeness. “Long day?”I rolled my eyes and walked past him toward the door, but he stepped in front of me, blocking my way. “Not so fast,” he said. “Where have you two been?”“Out,” Jenny replied nonchalantly, folding her arms across her chest. “What’s it to you?”Russell’s smirk deepened as his eyes narrowed. “Out where? Because last I checked, Al
Rose's POVThe cold stone floor beneath me was a cruel reminder of my reality, my back pressed against the damp wall of the cellar. My body ached with exhaustion and pain; each bruise was a testament to the torment I had endured at the hands of Russell and Alina. The cell was stifling, suffocating in its silence, and I could feel my breath becoming shallow as panic bubbled just beneath the surface. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been here, but the isolation and darkness were wearing me down.The faint creak of the cellar door jolted me to attention. Footsteps echoed down the stairs, slow and deliberate. I already knew who it was, even before she stepped into view.Alina.Her presence filled the room as she approached, her polished, composed demeanor standing in stark contrast to the grim surroundings. She held something in her hand something that glinted in the dim light. A dress. A ridiculous gesture of control. She tossed it onto the floor in front of me like I was nothing more than an
Luca's POVThe weight of the past few days bore down on me like a suffocating blanket. I couldn’t shake the gnawing worry about Rose. She was out there somewhere alive, I hoped but every passing second without answers felt like a dagger twisting in my chest.My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. Jenny's voice came through the line, calm but urgent.“We’re here,” she said.I grabbed my jacket and stepped out of my car, spotting Jenny and Bianca standing near the café’s entrance. They looked anxious, their gazes darting around as if someone might overhear them.“Let’s make this quick,” I said, gesturing for them to follow me to a quieter corner of the park nearby. “What’s this about?”Jenny glanced at Bianca before speaking. “It’s about Rose... and Russell.”The mention of his name made my fists clench. “What about him?”Bianca took a deep breath, her expression conflicted. “We know where Rose is being kept.”My heart skipped a beat. “Where?”“At the pack house,” she said, her v
Jenny’s POVBianca and I exchanged a knowing glance as we drove down the main road, the morning sun casting long shadows over the car’s dashboard. Russell’s little stunt in the parking lot was laughable. The way he tried to play the enforcer, pretending to be the innocent one, was almost amusing if it weren’t so infuriating.“Can you believe him?” Bianca scoffed, leaning back in her seat with crossed arms. “Acting like we’re suspects when we already know what he’s capable of.”I smirked, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “He’s so transparent, it’s pathetic. But let him think he’s in control. The more he underestimates us, the easier it’ll be to take him down.”Bianca nodded, her expression hardening. “He thinks we’re clueless, but we’ve got him pegged. And Alina, too. They won’t see us coming.”Before I could reply, my phone buzzed on the console. Luca’s name flashed on the screen, and I quickly answered.“Where are you?” Luca’s voice was tense and low like he was barely holding hi
Luca’s POVSitting on the worn leather couch in Benedicta's living room, I stared at my phone, replaying Jenny’s words in my head. She had called earlier, her voice trembling as she insisted we meet. She claimed to have information about Rose, information that could turn everything around. My chest tightened at the thought of her name.“I don’t know if I can trust her,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair.Benedicta leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, her expression filled with concern. “What exactly did she say?”“She was vague, but she mentioned Rose and said it was urgent. She sounded scared.”Benedicta tilted her head, a thoughtful frown on her face. “Luca, you know this could be a trap. Russell has his claws in everything right now. Jenny could be working for him.”“I know,” I said, my voice sharp with frustration. “But what if she’s telling the truth? What if she knows where Rose is or what happened to her?”Benedicta sat down across from me, her dark eyes steady. “
Bianca's POVThe room was unusually quiet as I paced back and forth, my mind clouded with regret and unease. Jenny sat on the bed, her hands fiddling with her phone as if she were looking for the courage to speak. Finally, she sighed and broke the silence.“Bianca, we’ve made some terrible mistakes,” she said softly, her eyes meeting mine.I stopped pacing and turned to her, nodding slowly. “I know. What we did to Rose... it wasn’t right. I was so caught up in the moment, in everything Alina and Russell fed us, that I didn’t stop to think for myself.”Jenny gave me a small, sad smile. “Me too. But it’s not too late. We can still do something to help her.”Her words lit a spark of hope in me. “You’re right. But how? Russell and Alina have her locked up somewhere, and we both know they’ll go to any length to make sure she suffers. If we make a wrong move, they’ll know we’re on to them.”Jenny bit her lip, thinking hard. Then she grabbed her phone and opened the video she’d recorded of R