“I can’t believe Leila would do such a despicable thing,” Edna snorts, gritting her teeth.Surrounded by friends, Carmela is still with her innocent, harmless smile, lying on a hospital bed when they are all condemning Leila.“Oh, I can believe it, that little shit is the devil,” Tracy replies in a stern tone. “She wants to maim Carmi so she won’t look pleasant in the eyes of the Alpha.”“Then she is a fool because what the Alpha and Carmi share transcends looks and abilities, it is a love formed and made permanent by the bond,” Edna retorts.Carmela blushes subtly at Edna’s words before a sullen look creeps up her face. “I don’t know if she did it on purpose but her grip was so strong that when I tried to free my wrist, she broke it.”Edna rushes over to Carmela, cupping Carmela’s face, her gaze flushed with concern. “When you become Luna, you should make her pay dearly for doing this to you.”“But I told you guys, I don’t-”Tracy steps forward and gently presses her index finger aga
Through heavy eyes and a vision blurred with tears, Leila stuffs yet another dress into her box. Once she gives Tatum the divorce papers and he breaks her wrist, she will return to the house, get her stuff and leave the pack forever.Her life here is over and if she stays, the mockery, humiliation and ridicule that will follow her everywhere will only sink her into depression.She shuts the second full box and sighs deeply, her eyelids falling in exhaustion but she cannot stop. When did her closet become so full? She has no idea. She has never bought a dress for herself since she married Tatum, he does everything for her and he does it to an extreme.How can a man show a woman so much care and yet have no iota of feeling for her in his heart? Another wretched sob escapes Leila and she sniffs, reaching inside the closet, her fingers clamping around the fabric of a shiny red dress but she finds it hard to take it out, she stares at it, tears freely flowing down her eyes, her heart poun
“I’ll come with you, just give me a few minutes,” She replies calmly. Clayton’s eyes scan the room, seeing the packed boxes. ‘She knows her jig is up and is trying to escape, I’ll fucking deal with her.’ “You have five minutes and I’m not letting you out of my sight,” he replies in a curt tone. Leila rushes to stuff the rest of her box and then she goes to her dresser and pulls out a paper folder containing the divorce papers from the bottom shelf. Tiny teardrops soil the folder and Leila sniffs back her tears, clamping her fingers hard around the folder before she takes another very deep breath. She takes one last look around her room, knowing this is the last time she will ever be here. “Take her to the van,” Clayton says to his men as she walks towards them. Leila shakes her head. “Not yet,” she replies, walking like a soulless wraith past Clayton and heads to Tatum’s study but Clayton follows her like her shadow, not letting her out of his sight. Clayton’s eyes catch Tatum
She understands Tatum wanting to punish her for Carmela’s sake but would he really let Clayton give her ten whips? When he gave Clayton his seal to arrest her, did he know this was the evil Clayton had in mind?Tatum may be angry at her and he may not love her but he is a just Alpha, he would not let her suffer an undeserving punishment or would he?“Clayton,” She keeps her voice firm. “I will gladly take the punishment but I must hear it being pronounced by the Alpha.”“You are in no position to make demands! The Alpha asked me to see to it that you are punished for your crimes and punished you will be,” Clayton replies coldly.Leila stretches her arm forward. “Then break my wrist according to the law, whipping me is not the right punishment.”“I decide the right punishment Leila! You hurt Carmi and I will make sure you suffer it ten folds!”The iciness of Clayton’s voice cuts fear straight through Leila’s heart as she realises the truth, the menacing look in his eyes causing dread t
“Are you alright?” Kelvin ignores the pain tearing through his back, his arms gently guiding Leila to her feet, his eyes full of compassion and passionate affection.“I’m fine.”“You’re bleeding,” Kelvin replies, surprised to see her open wound not healing.She’s a werewolf and they heal fast and as Luna, she should heal even faster but now is not the time for speculations. He all but tears his shirt right off his body and ties it around her wound.Leila looks down at him as he tends to her, her gaze full of gratitude and relief, wondering how he found her, she’s not sure she said anything through the mindlink.“You’re obstructing justice Kelvin Costner, this is the Alpha’s order,” Clayton says in a firm tone, a deep frown etched on his face.“Alpha’s order? To whip his Luna like this?” Kelvin turns to Clayton with a cold look in his eyes.“She committed a heinous crime and deserves to be punished, now leave before I have you arrested for obstruction of justice. I’m sure you know how
“Alpha,” Kelvin replies in a composed voice. “The Luna is wounded, she can barely walk, I was taking her to-”“Did I stutter?”Tatum’s voice becomes even colder, his alpha aura spreading through the corridor as he takes slow heavy steps towards them, his icy orbs fixed on the frail woman in Kelvin’s arms.Kelvin doesn’t want to drop Leila, he cares deeply about her but he cannot disobey his Alpha and Tatum’s aura weighing down on him forces him to bare his neck in submission.He tries to hold on to Leila but his wolf is reacting the opposite and when he finally gives in and tries to let Leila go, she tightens her grip around his neck, shaking her head slowly at him, her pitiful eyes saying the word she is too weak to say with her lips.“I don’t think she agrees with you, Alpha,” Kelvin says, looking back at Tatum, knowing he must have seen Leila’s reaction.“What did you do to her?” Tatum asks Kelvin coldly, spotting the blood soaked shirt tied around her arms and seeing how weak and
She has given him her heart a long time ago, laid it down at his feet and he picked it up, giving her hope, hope that he would care for it, nurture it and cherish it but the moment his first love returned, he tossed it to the floor and crushed it under his feet.She turns to Kelvin with a wry look in her eyes. “Can I trust you with a secret? A secret you must take to your grave.”“Of course Leila,” Kelvin replies with a serious expression, her words and tone holding every bit of his attention. “You can trust me with anything.”Leila swallows slowly, hoping she does not regret her decision.“I’m carrying his child Kev,” Leila replies. “I’m pregnant.”—Tatum watches with weary eyes as Kelvin carries Leila in his arms, her arms carefully curled over Kelvin’s neck, her head resting peacefully on Kelvin’s chest and he feels an odd pain in his heart.He knows….he understands that their marriage is not really real but why does he feel like this, what is this feeling of something squeezing
Tatum takes the document from Clayton and his heart clenches when he sees the header, a pang of pain slicing through him. He opens his mouth but cannot find the words, he glances at Clayton and stares back at the document, his hands trembling.“Not a word of this to anyone,” he says to Clayton in an icy tone.As he walks out, his legs feel like lead. Leila wants to divorce him? Leila wants to divorce him……why does it feel like his world will be over if that happens?Did he push her to this? Could it be because he has been showing Carmela so much care? He thought Leila understands that he has no choice. The sound of his phone ringing brings him back to earth and he sighs, taking out his phone, staring blankly at the caller ID until the call drops. Carmela calls again and he picks it up, knowing she won’t stop calling.“Not now Carmela, I’m busy,” Tatum says dryly and drops the call before Carmela can get a word in.
Antonio scoffs, looking at the woman in front of him with utter disgust and contempt in his eyes. What does she think she’s doing?She finally got a glimpse of what it’s like to be the king’s woman? She’s seen the power at Carmela’s disposal since belonging to him and she suddenly remembers that they are mates?There was a time when he wanted her, wanted to taste and ravish her but now he almost finds her repulsive, he sees her for what she really is, nothing but Tatum’s second hand cargo.He smirks at her in a cold manner, a soft yet deadly scoff escaping him and he takes his hand from Carmela and points to Leila.“What in the world makes you think you’re anything compared to this goddess?” His eyes shift with admiration to Carmela who is beaming with a smile, enjoying every bit of his adulation.“Tell me Leila, why would I give up a gift from the goddess herself and pick the trash that nobody wants?” His harsh words cut through the air and murmurs fill the open space from the littl
“What?” Tatum asks, his voice fleeting from shock to what sounds like joy. “That’s right,” Carmela steps out from behind Theo and locks arms beside Antonio with a coy smile on her face, “my king and I are leaving your miserable pack,” her voice is haughty and snobbish. Antonio removes his hands from hers and curls it around her waist, pulling her close to him and he pecks her on the lip with a smile on his face. “How can you call this pack miserable when it gave you to me, my queen?” “You’re right but I’m the only thing not miserable in this pack.” Carmela rolls her eyes at Tatum and the rest of the group who have just stepped out of the car, wondering what the public display of affection is for before she looks back at Antonio. “I can’t argue with that one,” says Antonio, his eyes looking directly at Leila and without breaking eye contact, he rubs his palm across Carmela’s stomach. “You and our child are definitely not miserable.” Leila’s eyes widen in visible shock, unwilli
On the ride back home, Kelvin begins to tell them his findings and the group listens with rapt interest. “Contrary to what we’ve been made to believe, the first Lycan was never created by the goddess, he was an ordinary werewolf, a tyrannical Alpha who seeked more power than one man should have and he ended up getting it but it came at a huge price, a curse. Tatum glances back at him from the steering wheel, “I think I’ve heard this tale before, I just never believed it to be true.” “Wait, what curse? Are you saying Amara is cursed? According to the prophecy, she’s the next Lycan queen,” Leila asks, her voice full of worry. “No. I don’t think so. Every Lycan has been from the bloodline of the first Lycan and she’s not from that bloodline, plus she was born like that. The first Lycan on the other hand was born a werewolf but he stumbled upon an ancient curse, one that would take away his ability to love in exchange for more speed, strength, size and power and he accepted the curse.
Leila and Tatum make their way up the tunnel and then down the basement of the castle as described by Tatiana. The air in the basement is musty, like no one has been there in ages. Sounds of creeping things skittering across the floor irritates Leila and she yelps when she steps on a bug. “Who’s there?” Kelvin’s voice comes faintly from ahead of them. Leila’s heart leaps with joy and she hugs Tatum arms. “Kelvin?!” “Leila?! Leila is that you?” Leila pulls Tatum ahead as they run towards the sound of the voice. “Kev, where are you?” Leila asks, confusion taking over her happy expression. Kelvin's voice sounded like it was just ahead but it’s nothing but walks around them. “I’m right here,” Kelvin replies. This time his voice sounds even closer but they still can’t see him, it’s like his voice coming from the walls. “Damn that Antonio, it’s probably some sorcery again,” Tatum says with a deep frown on his face. “Oh, oh, it’s not sorcery, it’s science, there’s a lever somewhere
“Leila!” Tatum rushes towards then with his heart pounding in sheer fear as the guard aided by some spell of some sort plunges the knife into Leila’s back. The sound of her scream peirces the air as the guard yanks out the knife from her back, about to stab her again when his head gets completely torn off his body by a brutal swipe by Tatum. Leila groans in pain as she slams to the ground. Tatum crouches, taking her in his arms. “No, please, stay with me, you’ll be fine.” He looks down at her wound and she’s not healing. His heart lurches at the realization that the knife was spelled, it was not an ordinary knife. His heart pounds in terror and he rips his shirt off, making it into a ball to apply pressure on the wound and to stop her bleeding. Leila heaves slowly, her body quaking with unimaginable pain and she is not speaking, just taking short rapid hung breaths with pain in her tear filled eyes. “Over here!” The heavy footstep sounds of more guards approaching along wit
“Get in the car,” Antonio orders Carmela hours ago at the Blood oak pack. “Where..where are we going?” Carmela stutters, looking up at Antonio with fear in her eyes. Antonio gives her a full grin, leaning close to her, his voice soft yet sinister. “My dear fiancée, we are going to the hospital to test for our baby.” Carmela’s heart jumps in her chest, dread drenching her. This is Tatum’s fault. If he had given her the fake test results, Antonio would be convinced by now. “Why can’t you just believe me? Do you really think I’d lie to you?” “Get in,” Antonio replies coldly, the grin on his face vanishing as he circles to the other side of the car and gets in with her. Carmela’s heart thuds, her palms becoming sweaty, her legs shaking, her mind discombobulated. If things go south for her, she needs something to put her on Antonio’s good side back. “I think I know where they are going, it’s not for a vacation. They’re going to rescue Kelvin, you have him right? You should go and st
“No, no, you can’t come,” Tatum replies, turning to face her with a worried look on his face, “you stay here as well, I'll handle it.” If the warriors in there are as dangerous as Tatiana says, he doesn’t want her anywhere close to them. If it’s just him, he can fight tooth and nail like a savage if anything goes wrong to get out but if she comes, he’ll have to constantly be watching her back. It’s best if he does this alone. “I’m not saying you can’t handle it, but if the warriors in there are as dangerous as she says, what if you can’t take them on by yourself, you need to let me come with you,” Leila replies in an assertive tone. Tatum sighs and scratches his brows, if there’s one thing he’s learnt about this woman since she returned, it’s that she’s become very stubborn. If anything happens to her, he’ll never forgive himself, he cannot let her come. “Let me go alone, Leila, so if Antonio finds out, it won’t involve you and no trouble will come your way.” “Antonio can go to h
Tatum mutters the words of the riddle to himself, Leila gazes around the forest as if the answer would be written on one of the trees. Tatiana bites down on her finger as the three rack their brains to try and come up with an answer to the riddle. “We each get one try, so three tries to try and get us out of here,” Tatum says as a reminder. “Any ideas?” he glances at Leila and then at Tatiana. “No, I don’t know, the answer could be anything,” Tatiana replies and Leila shakes her head. “It’s definitely something abstract if it can cross time and space but then it can take many forms which can also contradict that theory,” Tatum mutters, scratching his head. “Exists between silence and words, between a glance and a touch, is the answer a thought?” Tatiana speaks. The forest rumbles, “No, daughter of Hecate.” Leila heaves a deep sigh, worthy beginning to fill her and cloud her sense of reasoning, she looks at Tatum who has his head down thinking and then at Tatiana who already looks
Leila quickly gets in her clothes and they both run after Tatiana. Tatiana weaves through the thicket of bushes, her heart pounding harder with every step, undeterred by the branches cutting her skin and the leaves whipping against her. The only thing she can think about is seeing Kelvin again, her anxiety mixed with the fear of what could happen when they do find and rescue him. Tatum overtakes Tatiana with Leila behind them so he can clear the path through the forest and makes it easier for them. “When you said you could sense him, I thought he’d be close by,” Tatum said, looking up to the sky, seeing the sun already being replaced by the crescent moon. Tatiana halts, catching her breath as she speaks, the sadness in her eyes mirroring the one in her voice. “I can sense him, even now, I can and it’s strong, he’s close, we should just keep going.” Leila sighs and crouches, the white clouds that once displayed through the space between the trees have now gone dark. She doesn’