Eloise's POV
“It should have been you.”
My body trembles uncontrollably, and a sharp pain shoots through my chest. Ainsley turned around, revealing a cold smile. His rigid face looked indifferent and cruel. He hates me because everyone thinks I killed Aura. I staggered to my feet, trembling inside. My legs were numb, so I fell back to the ground. Ainsley's ice-cold voice echoed in my ears once again.
“In the name of the MoonGoddess......" I raised my head, staring at the man in disbelief knowing what he was about to do. He must have hate me so much. “Ainsley! No... You can't reject me. You don't know how much I love you! Please, let me explain... Please...” He paid no heed to my pleas, simply continuing in his low, chilling voice.
“Eloise Anthony, I Ainsley Williams the Alpha of the Litha Night Walker pack, reject you as my mate. From this moment onward I sever the moon goddess fate and bond between us. You are hereby denied the opportunity of being my mate.”
Immediately, a wrenching pain shot through my entire body. My wolf screamed in my head, “We need Ainsley. Go beg him, and put aside your pride. Damn you, Eloise, go beg him for forgiveness!” In my mind, there was a deafening buzzing, sometimes feeling like an impending explosion, other times like drowning. I looked at the man who had rejected me. He remained impassive, as if I were facing unwanted trash.I knew he expected me to accept his rejection, but as the daughter of the Alpha of the Golden moon Pack, I had my pride. “I don’t need his forgiveness, I didn’t do anything wrong,” I told my wolf, ignoring her curses. At that moment, I heard my wolf’s inner howl. The pain was too overwhelming for me. I pressed my heart and spat some blood on the ground. I thought my heart had already broken into a thousand pieces, but somehow I still managed to feel pain.
At that moment, something more powerful and stronger rose from my pain. It was hate. I wiped the blood dripping from my mouth and smiled at Ainsley. “Do you want to cut the connection between us, Alpha Ainsley? I’m afraid that will never happen.” I hissed.
Ainsley looked shocked. He had never thought that I wouldn’t accept his rejection. I looked away from him, closed my eyes, and immersed myself in the pain of rejection until my world was plunged into darkness. By the time I opened my eyes again, I was still lying on the ground in the Forest of Shadows.
Ainsley was nowhere to be seen, only his Beta Alex was nearby. Seeing me awake, he said coldly, “This is the fate you deserve for killing my sister, Eloise Anthony!” He said and then turned around. I stood up shakily, dragging my soaked and exhausted body back to the Golden moon Pack. Two uniformed werewolves were already waiting for me. “Miss Anthony, we suspect that you had something to do with Aura Arnold’s death. You need to come with us now.” I looked at my people, hoping that someone would step forward and help me, but no one did. One of them said, "I'm sorry, Eloise. The Alpha gave an order this morning to banish you from our pack."You are now a scamp and we have nothing to do with you from now on. I was shocked. “I am innocent.” I said to the people in a low voice before walking away with the uniformed man. No one seemed to hear what I had said. Before I was sent to the werewolf prison, I saw Ainsley standing at the entrance of the werewolf council hall, waiting for me. “Do you want to confess right now?” he asked. “I could easily ask the court to change its verdict. You will be released immediately if you admit to killing Aura.”
“For a thousand times. I did not kill Aura,” I said in a determined voice. My eyes were filled with tears of anger and shame. I thought I had already stopped loving the man who sent me to prison, but now I still found him irresistible.
“In that case…” Ainsley slowly walked towards me with the aura of an Alpha. I, now as a scamp, could not stand the pressing intimidation of Ainsley’s aura and lowered my head. Ainsley lifted my chin and continued, “Eloise Anthony, I hope you enjoy your time in jail for killing the woman I love. I’ve heard they hate blondes in prison.” I gathered my strength, looked into his eyes and said, “Alpha Ainsley, so what? I haven’t accepted your rejection. I’m still your mate. I’m still the future Luna of the Litha Night WalkerPack…” “You…” “Time’s up, officers,” I said to the uniformed man waiting to the side. They braced themselves and pulled me away from Ainsley. “No, you can’t take her! I’m not done here yet!” He sounded a little annoyed, trying to pull me back. One of the officers told him, “I’m sorry, Alpha Ainsley, but the law is the law. She has to go now. She has to report to jail by noon.” I smiled wryly at my mate as I walked away with the officers. I expected Ainsley to go crazy. But no. He regained his composure and said in a deep, calm voice, “You will regret not accepting my rejection today, Miss Anthony.
Ainsley walked away after finishing his words. He was taking revenge on Eloise. Eloise looked pale and couldn’t utter a word.
*********
Soon, the werewolf guard took her away and locked her in the underground prison. Life in the prison wasn’t easy. On the first night, Eloise was shaken in her sleep. “What do you want?” she cautiously looked at the werewolves surrounding her with malicious smiles. “Don’t come closer, or I’ll call the guards,” she said in horror.
The werewolves weren’t afraid at all. They looked at each other and laughed. Their leader pointed at Eloise’s face and asked, “What did you say? Call the guards? Did I hear you right? Do you want to call the guards?” As she spoke, she slapped Eloise and roared. “Go ahead and call the guards!” Eloise lost her balance and her ears were ringing. She pressed her hand against the wall and managed to get up. Then, she made a sudden movement: she slapped the leader. For a moment, there was silence in the cell. No one expected Eloise, a fragile werewolf, to have the courage to fight back. The burly werewolf went mad from the slap. Her eyes turned red as she screamed, “Damn it! Bitch! Hit her! I’ll cripple her! Alpha Ainsley said we didn’t need to show her mercy! We can hit her all we want!” Eloise was shocked. She felt a sharp pain running from her heart to her limbs. She roared inside: “Ainsley! Ainsley told them to do
Ainsley asked them to hit me!” Eloise trembled; her heart froze. That was why the guards didn’t come to check after making so much noise. And these werewolves were so reckless. Eloise looked at the werewolves. She stood up and ran to the door, grabbed the iron bars on the door and shouted, “Help! Help! I’ve been beaten!”
Even though she knew that no guards would come, she still begged for help. Her actions were useless. Eloise thought that maybe there was the slightest chance that Ainsley would not let the werewolves bully her.
She still had faith in Ainsley, that he would not be so cruel to her. Suddenly, Eloise screamed. Someone pulled her hair. She stumbled and fell to the ground. She had never been in such a sorry state. Then someone picked Eloise up.
The werewolves kept hitting and kicking her. She moaned on the ground miserably. She wanted to change, but she couldn’t. After being rejected by her partner, Eloise’s wolf was sad and weak and couldn’t help her change.
The guard didn’t come. So she realized that Ainsley had really asked them to beat her. She stopped screaming, giving up on fighting those werewolves. Laughter echoed in her ears. Eloise called for help, not because she was afraid of being beaten, but because she still had faith in Ainsley.
After they got tired of beating her, they went to sleep. Eloise lay on the floor in pain, her tears running down the corners of her eyes.She had never been bullied like this and she had never been so ashamed. She had fallen in love with Ainsley, her mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess. But why did she have to endure Ainsley’s anger and hatred after Aura was killed? After the incident, Eloise told everyone around her: I didn’t hurt Aura. No matter how hard she tried, no one believed her. She told people that she didn’t ask Aura to go to the other side of the Forest of Shadows.
It was Aura who was curious about the place where the Scamp lurked and asked her for an adventure. In the eyes of others, Eloise was the daughter of the Alpha, proud and brave, while Aura was sweet, obedient and shy. So how could Aura have offered to go to such a dangerous place? That day, Eloise’s car broke down just as she was going to meet Aura, so she was late for her date, but no one believed Eloise. Everyone thought she was lying. They believed that she tricked Aura into going to the Forest of Shadows and paid the Scamp to humiliate and rape Aura. Eloise didn’t need to do that because Aura often said, “Eloise, I have no feelings for Ainsley. He’s not my mate.” If Aura was Ainsley’s mate, Eloise would stay away from Ainsley. But she was Ainsley’s mate. The Scamp probably knew they were in deep trouble and ran away without a trace. No one knew where they went. The country is vast, they could be hiding anywhere. Eloise wanted to catch those Scamp more than anyone else.
She cried silently. After the incident, she was sent to the werewolf prison. But she insisted that she was innocent and hadn’t committed a crime. But now, she realized that she deserved to die, as long as Ainsley considered her guilty. What happened today was all part of Ainsley’s plan. Eloise didn’t know that, in her next life in prison, there would be more “Alpha Ainsley’s orders” waiting for her.
The Eloise the world once knew no longer existed.Curled into the corner of the damp prison cell, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees, Eloise stared at nothing. He did it... He really did it. I don’t exist anymore. Her chest tightened. Not from the cold, but from something far worse. Emptiness.Who am I now? she thought. A ghost... a forgotten girl rotting in a cell like trash.The metallic clang of heavy boots echoed in the corridor the next morning. Then, suddenly a harsh shove knocked her over.“Hey! Wake up, rat! Go clean the damn bathroom!” a rough voice barked.A scream followed. “She’s..... she’s dead!”Someone else scurried over, kneeling beside Eloise’s still form.“Shut up!” snapped another voice. “She’s breathing. Look, barely. But she’s alive.”A guard was called. The door slammed open. But nobody comforted her. No one touched her gently. Why would they? She wasn’t Eloise anymore. She was just an inmate. Just a criminal.---Three years later…The streets felt foreign
Eloise did her best to avoid making eye contact but she failed.Her gaze flickered toward him, helplessly, involuntarily. The moment their eyes met, regret surged through her chest like a punch.His golden eyes locked onto hers like a predator snaring prey. He didn’t blink. Didn’t smile. He just stared, too amused, too aware. His lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk. Then, still staring straight at her, he kissed the woman in his arms, deeper this time. Hungrier. Wetter. It wasn’t a kiss; it was a spectacle.It was deliberate.The woman moaned softly against his mouth, her long fingers tangling in his dark hair. She arched into him, loving the attention. Eloise knew her name Amelia Javis. One of the Scarlet Heart's top escorts. Tall, statuesque, with legs that went on forever, and a face so sculpted it looked unreal. She oozed sex and poison in equal measure. Her beauty was the sharp, cold kind, the kind that didn’t warm when she smiled. Because she never smiled. She smirked. She own
Eloise stepped into the dimly lit room, her heartbeat quickening the moment the door clicked shut behind her. The air felt thick, almost suffocating, and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled with unease. She hesitated for just a moment, taking in the scene before her.A handful of guests lounged casually on the sofas, their eyes glazed with boredom, while several escort girls flitted about, their fake smiles barely hiding the tension in the air. But it wasn’t the guests that held her attention, it was Mavis.Mavis stood in the center of the room, her body stiff, her face twisted in quiet desperation. As soon as their eyes met, the younger girl’s lips parted, and she took a shaky step forward.“Eloise, help me!” she cried out, her voice breaking through the thick silence of the room.Eloise’s heart lurched at the sound of Mavis’s plea.The moment Mavis spoke, the entire room seemed to shift. The guests she had learned to fear in silence turned their eyes toward Eloise, scrutinizin
Eloise’s breath hitched in her throat as she slowly raised her head, her gaze locking with the man sitting across from her. The weight of his words lingered in the air like a suffocating fog, thick with venom and malice.“How could I ask her to kiss another man?” Ainsley’s voice was low and deceptively calm, but there was a cruel edge behind every syllable. It sliced through her like a knife. Her heart stuttered painfully as she tried to comprehend the reality of what he had just said.Ainsley. Her fated mate. The man she had once loved more than life itself. The same man who had cast her aside without remorse.Now, after all these years, fate had dragged them back together, not in love’s embrace, but in a brutal power struggle. Love was long gone. What remained was raw pain, betrayal, and the scorched remnants of a bond that had been burned beyond recognition.How could he ask me to do this?Eloise’s stomach twisted, bile rising in her throat. The room seemed to shrink, the air too he
Lucian stood at the entrance of the hotel room, his eyes moving between Ainsley and the woman standing behind him.Both led powerful packs in Metrocity, and as rivals? Yes, but there was an unspoken bond between them as well. They were enemies, and yet, at times, they were also reluctant allies.His gaze shifted to Eloise, standing stiffly behind Ainsley. To his surprise, her ears were bright red, a clear sign of embarrassment.So, it’s her first kiss, Lucian thought with a sly grin. Interesting.“Hey,” Lucian teased, breaking the silence, “was that your first kiss?”Eloise’s face flushed a deeper shade of crimson. She didn’t answer, but her downcast eyes and the way she nervously shifted her feet were enough to confirm his guess.Lucian couldn’t help but smile, feeling a small, satisfied thrill. There was something amusing about catching her in such an awkward moment, but before he could continue his teasing, he turned his attention back to Ainsley.Ainsley’s cold gaze lingered on Luc
For a moment, Eloise thought she was already dead. The world around her was a blur, the air thick with the scent of earth and blood.Her body felt weightless, like it wasn’t her own. And then, the grief hit her a sharp, suffocating wave that made her chest tighten, her throat close. She couldn’t even pinpoint why she felt this way, but it was overwhelming.Maybe it was the loss of her wolf. Maybe it was the years of running, always running. Maybe it was the realization that there was no place in the world for someone like her.She tried to shake it off, but the heaviness lingered.Slowly, Eloise opened her eyes. The ground beneath her felt cool and soft grass.It took a few moments to register where she was. The sharp pain shooting through her body quickly brought her back to reality. Her ankle throbbed, and the blood soaking into her shirt made her stomach turn.You’re alive girl. That’s what matters.She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. Her wolf was gone. But somehow, it
Ainsley’s gaze remained fixed on Eloise, who was struggling weakly against his grip. Her trembling form, once filled with strength and defiance, now appeared fragile, shattered in a way that made his heart twist with something he couldn’t quite name. Satisfaction? Resentment? A mix of both, maybe."That’s right," Ainsley murmured with a cold smile, his voice laced with mockery. "A toy should act like one."He stepped closer, his hand tightening around her wrist as he pulled her toward him, feeling her stiffen beneath his touch. He exhaled a final puff of smoke from his cigarette, flicking it to the ground without sparing a glance. One of his men quickly took the cigarette from his hand, wordlessly.Eloise winced as Ainsley’s other hand moved to her chin, his fingers sharp as they tilted her face upward. She felt a jolt of pain as he moved her head back and forth, studying her expression. The cruel amusement in his eyes made her want to look away, but she forced herself to meet his gaze
Eloise could feel the weight of Ainsley’s words crushing her. "Do you still remember that you're a werewolf?" The cruel question hung in the air, a stark reminder of everything she had lost."You looked so cowardly when you were begging for mercy, which disgusts me." His voice was colder than she remembered, every syllable laced with contempt.She could barely breathe, let alone speak. His words cut deeper than any physical wound ever could. “If the members of the Golden Moon Pack knew that their Alpha’s daughter was so weak and incompetent, what would they think?” The disgust in his voice was palpable, and Eloise felt the sting of it settle deep in her chest.Her body swayed on its own, barely able to hold itself up. Her mind swirled in confusion and shame. She had hoped, in some corner of her heart, that Ainsley might show her some kindness. Some recognition of what they had once shared, but that hope was now shattered.The Golden Moon Pack. She could barely bring herself to think of
Ainsley returned to work after resting for a few more days. When Jacob called him……………Ainsley didn’t hesitate. He glanced at Ellison, who looked back at him curiously.“You don’t mind, do you?” Ainsley asked, already picking up the phone before Ellison could even respond. But Ainsley knew this call wasn’t from Jacob.His chest tightened. His voice remained calm, but every nerve in his body stood on edge, waiting and wanting.Then……..“Let the Anthony Group go,” her voice came, stiff, emotion coiled tightly beneath the surface.Ainsley leaned back in his chair. His grip on the phone tightened. It was her. That damn voice, he hadn’t heard it in days, and yet the second she spoke, his entire world tilted.He smiled slowly and coldly, and said in a voice that burned with longing masked as mockery, “Are you begging me now, Eloise? Or is that just your way of dressing up pride in pretty words?”Ellison's blood ran cold.Eloise! The name slammed into his chest like a fist. He stared at Ains
The conference room turned thick with tension as people were afraid Ainsley would make a comeback. If so, they would suffer.Ainsley sat still, the usual fire in his gaze dulled. No color touched his cheeks; he looked neither angry nor defeated.“Ainsley,” one of the shareholders snapped, almost too quickly. “It’s done. Step down from your position. You’re no longer CEO of the Williams Group.”Another chimed in, his voice tremulous but thrilled, “Yes. You heard the board, get the hell out of the building.”Chairs scraped, papers rustled. Tension rolled like a wave about to crash.But then, a voice rang out, cutting clean through the noise. It was steady, almost too steady.“Who said the final vote had been cast, or have I suddenly been removed from the shareholders? Because the last time I checked I happened to be one of the shareholders.”The room fell into a shocked hush, people’s heads snapped toward the source. Gasps rippled across the boardroom. Faces turned pale.Ellison’s brows
Eloise’s brow twitched slightly. Her calm gaze faltered for a second.Jacob caught it. That tiny flicker of emotion sent a surge of rage through him. He threw the apple aside.“Aren’t you worried? "Don’t you care what could’ve happened to him?” he snapped, his eyes burning into her face.Eloise turned her head away. “I didn’t ask him to.”Jacob stood. His voice was firm, serious. “No, you didn’t. But maybe you should’ve. You could hate him, you could curse his name. But don’t act like you don’t care. Because when you collapse, your body answers what your mouth refuses to say. The only treatment you responded to was his touch.”She clenched her jaw. “He locked me in that place. I don’t care how long he sat by my bed.”Jacob stared at her. “Then tell him that. Not to me. "You keep telling everyone you don’t care, but your hands were shaking when he touched you.”She didn’t answer.“During the years you were gone, Ainsley searched for you like a possessed man,” he added, his voice sharp
The car reeked of blood. It was the only smell Ainsley could register; thick, metallic, and heavy in his nose and mouth. He stirred with a low groan, his body aching as if it had been crushed from the inside out. Pain throbbed behind his bandaged head, spreading like wildfire through his skull and down his spine.He tried to move.“Don’t move,” Jacob snapped from the front seat, spinning around. His voice cut through the air like a blade. “You scared the hell out of me, Ainsley. What the fuck were you thinking?”Ainsley winced. His hand reached for the door handle, but it slipped off weakly. His head dropped back, the world spinning.“I passed out again, didn’t I?” he muttered.Jacob’s hands clenched the steering wheel, so tightly his knuckles turned white. “You did more than that. You nearly fucking died. You collapsed in front of a hundred people like your damn soul left your body.”He turned fully to face him, his eyes blazing like fire. “Do you understand what that looked like? Yo
Suddenly, Ellison stood up and pushed Ainsley hard. He said, “Let her go. You’re so selfish! Didn’t you hear her? Eloise has no intention of going with you!”Ainsley, caught off guard, stumbled backward. His usually fierce and commanding presence, like a true Alpha, was broken at an unexpected moment. He collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.Gasps echoed through the crowd, the people’s eyes widened in shock. Even the air seemed to stand still.Jacob’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and knelt beside Ainsley. “Ainsley, are you okay?” His voice cracked with concern as he reached to cradle his head. But his palm came out wet. Jacob looked down and froze. His fingers were stained red.“What is this?” he whispered, stunned.Blood!A sharp silence followed. Ellison, noticing the shift, stepped forward instinctively, but Hank had already rushed past him, panic flashing in his eyes. “Alpha Ainsley?”Eloise’s eyes widened. Her body stiffened, and for a moment, she see
Ellison stood frozen on the stairs, halfway down, his hands clenched tightly on the railing. He’d come down to stop Ainsley, to intervene, but when he saw the fire in Eloise’s eyes, the way she held herself back from launching another object, he couldn't move. Not yet.Ainsley’s cold voice echoed through the tension-filled room. “What else do you want to throw at me? I’ll get it for you.”Ellison stepped forward, breaking the thick silence. “No need to bother you, Ainsley. I’m free right now, and I’ll help her.”Hank took a step, ready to intervene, but Kelly subtly blocked him with a glance.As Ellison reached the floor, he picked up a broom lying nearby. The scrape of the handle against the tiled floor felt too loud in the quiet. He offered it to her with a calm face, but sarcasm glinted in his eyes.“Ma’am, here you go.”Eloise looked at the broom, then at him, her brows furrowed in confusion. “A broom?”He nodded once, the corner of his lips lifting in a crooked smile.“Ma'am, flu
Lucian, unfazed, threw his jacket to the ground in front of Ainsley. “Fine. Let’s see what happens,” he said before he turned and left.Ainsley stayed where he was, watching Lucian’s departure with steely eyes. The tension still hung in the air, thick and unresolved.“We’re going to Waikiki Beach this afternoon,” Ainsley said after a long pause. “I’m sure she’s there. I need to find her.”Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Eloise paced restlessly in her room, her nerves fraying with each passing moment. Her thoughts spiraled. She had been hiding, but it was all falling apart now. Ainsley was coming for her.No, she told herself. I can’t let him find me. Not again.Then, just as the wind picked up, a familiar warmth brushed against her.Her body stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. She didn’t have to turn to know he was there. The scent of him, so unmistakable, overwhelmed her senses.Ainsley stood behind her, his presence enveloping her. His arms wrapped around her alm
In the car, Ainsley gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white as he sped toward the airport. His mind was spinning. Without thinking, he reached out to Jacob through their mind link. His voice was sharp, his words clipped with urgency.“Do you know Remmy?” Ainsley asked, his tone barely contained as anxiety surged through him.Jacob’s voice crackled through the link, his confusion evident. “Why are you looking for her?” He didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation.Ainsley’s voice hardened, desperation creeping into his words. “She knows where Eloise is.”Jacob didn’t hesitate. “Understood,” he said, his voice steady despite the tense situation. “I’ll handle it. Do you need me to book you a flight?”“No need,” Ainsley replied immediately, his tone resolute. “I’m heading to the airport now.”As Ainsley disconnected the link, he pushed the accelerator harder, the engine roaring as he raced back home to grab his ID. Every second felt like an eternity, the pressure mountin
“Ellison! "I don’t want to bet anymore!” Eloise shouted at the stage, her voice rough and hoarse, like a desperate cry.“It’s too late,” Ellison’s lips moved, his words like ice. He’d made a decision. Instead of leaving, he wanted to win the bet. More than that, he wanted her.Memories flooded Eloise’s mind, sharp and vivid. In her eyes, Ellison at that moment seemed just like her in the past, lost, defiant, and broken.But Ellison didn’t deserve it! Not after everything.She walked toward the center of the stage, her steps deliberate, her heart pounding with emotion. She bent down and picked up the white shirt from the floor. Her fingers brushed against the fabric, and then she reached for Ellison’s hand, which rested on the zipper of his suit pants. Her voice was low but commanding, “Come with me.”Ellison stood frozen, stunned by the sudden seriousness of her expression. His heart skipped a beat.The audience below the stage began to murmur, their annoyance growing louder. “Who are