*POV Cassandra*"Believe me, girl, it’s better this way," Ursula’s voice echoed through the room as I buried my face in the pillow, trying to hold back the tears that insisted on escaping. My body was exhausted, but my mind was in turmoil, replaying every cruel word I had said to Xavier.The sun was beginning to set; it must have been around six in the evening. The workday had ended earlier, a rare relief, because the alpha king had gone to visit a neighboring city. My hands and feet throbbed with pain. Seven days of incessant work, and this was my first break. I didn’t know how much longer I could endure working twelve-hour days, sleeping only three hours a night. My body felt like it was about to collapse."Take the day to rest, Cassandra. You’re exhausted," Ursula said as she bandaged my knees, always red and swollen from the hours I spent kneeling, scrubbing that damned stone floor.I could barely speak, the words stuck in my throat, mixed with guilt. "The worst part, Ursula..." I
POV CASSANDRA"I... my name is Cassie, the new maid of the palace. I just wanted to know if you need anything else..."** — My words came out in stutters, laden with nervousness, as my heart raced so loudly that I could almost hear it.Luna Katy's eyes narrowed, scanning my body with sharp precision, as if she were uncovering every secret I tried to hide. Her expression remained cold and impenetrable for a few seconds before she slightly furrowed her brow. She picked up the towel beside her and, unhurriedly, began to dry her body, each movement elegant and controlled.With a slow, deliberate gesture, she donned the robe hanging on the hook, adjusting it over her still damp skin. When she turned to face me, a small smile appeared on her lips, but there was something sinister in her gaze, something that sent a chill down my spine."Cassie, right?" Her voice was smooth, almost sweet, but laden with something indecipherable. She raised an eyebrow and looked intrigued as she analyzed me. "
**POV: Cassandra**"Cassie, where is that useless girl?" I heard a deep voice sound behind the door, which was opened abruptly. "Oh my God, Luna Katy, I'm so sorry; I had no idea you were still here..." The head maid smiled awkwardly, glaring at me. "I'm sorry; I didn’t raise this maid well. I told her not to disturb you; all she had to do was serve the tea and leave, but she is so nosy, you know? Poor thing is an orphan, has no pack, abandoned by her family; she still hasn't learned her place in this pack!" The head maid said harshly, grabbing my arm angrily and dragging me toward the door with brutality."Let go of me; you're hurting me!" I retorted, trying to make her release my arm, but she just dug her nails into my skin, making me let out a slight groan of pain."You useless girl, I'm going to teach you a lesson; you'll never disobey me again. Don't worry, Luna Katy, I'm going to teach this ill-mannered maid not to bother you with nonsense ever again!" The head maid growled angr
**Alpha Xavier's POV**Ever since Cassandra left, all I do is drown myself in alcohol. The bottle is my only companion, and any motivation for anything seems to have disappeared along with her. My beta, Josh, keeps insisting that I go after the witch Ursula to find the damn document, but I’ve already sent soldiers, and they all came back empty-handed. Now, every effort seems pointless."Alpha... how are you?"Josh asked as soon as he entered the room, his gaze immediately going to the glass of liquor I was holding and the almost empty bottle beside me.How do you think I am?"I snarled, without taking my eyes off the amber liquid. "When you leave, close the door. I don’t want to hear Jade’s hysterical screams. My head is about to explode..." I pointed toward the door, irritated, while he placed yet another pile of papers on my desk.I looked at that pile as if it were a death sentence. Contracts, documents, agreements... papers that serve the plan that is in progress, but that now seem
POV Alpha XavierJosh took a deep breath, avoiding direct eye contact. He pressed his fingers to his bleeding lip and, with forced calm, replied:“Cassandra isn’t worthy of your love,” he spat the words like venom, his tone firm but full of frustration. “You need to reject her, Xavier. Get her out of your heart and move on. You can’t throw away everything we’ve fought for because of one girl!”He took a step toward the door, grabbing his coat in a quick, brusque movement, but before leaving, he continued:“The people out there, the men who fight for you... they all believe in you. They trust that you can save them from that tyrant. Even your uncle believed in you, your aunt too. But would you rather throw it all away for one girl?” He growled in anger, his gaze fixed on the ground as he tried to control his frustration.His words cut like blades. I knew he was right, but the idea of forgetting Cassandra, of just leaving her behind as if she meant nothing, consumed me from the inside o
**POV Cassandra**I remember waking up this morning, exhausted after spending the last four days by Luna Katy’s side. She was meticulous with the details — and when I made mistakes, her punishment was to lock me in a dark room, leaving me alone for hours, as if I were a child in time-out. But strangely, she never raised her voice at me. Despite the exhaustion and strictness, Katy maintained an air of kindness... Yet, deep down, I sensed something was wrong. She was too curious, always trying to pry into my past, as if she were suspicious or expecting to uncover some hidden truth."Cassie, dear, you’ve never told me about your parents," she said with a sharp sweetness, crossing her legs as I served her a cup of tea. "Tell me more about them... and how you became a rogue wolf."My throat went dry instantly, but I forced myself to smile, my hand steady as I placed the tea on the table. I had to think fast."Well, they died when I was very young," I lied, trying to keep my voice soft. "I
Pov CassandraShe smiled again, that malicious smile that always made me uncomfortable. Slowly, I saw Katy pull something from inside the sleeve of her dress—a small glass vial. My eyes immediately fixated on the clear liquid inside it. It looked harmless, but I knew that, coming from her, nothing was ever that simple.“I want you to put this in the Alpha King’s drink tonight.” Her hand extended, the vial glinting under the soft light of the room. I took it, though my fingers were trembling. My thoughts were racing. What was this? Why me? What would it do to him?"Don’t worry," Katy said, interrupting my thoughts as if she had already sensed the hesitation on my face. "It won’t kill him."I looked at her, trying to steady the tremor in my voice. "What... what is this?"“It’s just a remedy,” she said calmly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “It will help him sleep better. The Alpha King has many nightmares at night, you know? He refuses to take medicine; he’s stubborn.
Cassandra’s POV“I’m just… just a maid that your mother sent to convince you to eat,” I stammered, my voice trembling as I tried to speak. Every word came out shakily, and my entire body seemed to freeze under his gaze. “I have no intention of hurting you!” I quickly added, my throat dry with nervousness.I felt the grip on my neck loosen, but relief was quickly replaced by a deep chill as I looked into his eyes. Red, glowing with rage, the eyes of a wolf on the verge of attacking. His deep growl echoed through the room, and his sharp fangs glistened in the firelight. He wasn’t just angry; he was on the brink of tearing me apart.“Eat!” he ordered, the word reverberating through the air like thunder. His eyes, hard and merciless, didn’t blink as he pointed to the plate in front of me.My hands shook so much that I nearly dropped the spoon. I scooped a large amount of food and, without thinking twice, shoved it into my mouth. I chewed quickly, as if my life depended on it – and maybe i
**POV Cassandra** The months passed so quickly that it felt like I blinked and was already in a new stage of pregnancy. Each day it became harder to hide my growing belly, a constant reminder of the life I was carrying. "Careful, miss!" Jennie warned, holding my arm as she helped me step into the bathtub. Her movements were cautious, as if I were made of glass. After much insistence, I managed to convince Xavier to allow Jennie to return to the pack as my servant. He seemed so consumed by guilt over what happened—or rather, what he *thought* had happened—that he didn’t dare deny me anything I asked for. "Are you sure you don’t want to do any tests to find out the baby’s gender?" Jennie asked, pouring warm water over me as she gently lathered my body. I sighed, leaning my head back, letting the heat of the water relax my muscles. "I don’t care, Jennie. All I want is for this child to be born healthy and far from anything that could harm them." I ran my hand over my belly, c
**POV Alpha Xavier** --- Dr. Afonso left my office so abruptly that, for a moment, I was paralyzed. When I came to my senses, I realized I was alone with Cassandra. The silence in the room was so heavy it seemed to press down on every corner. Outside, my staff kept their distance, likely too afraid to cross my path in this state. She approached me slowly, her steps measured, her face still pale, but a faint smile graced her lips. Her eyes were gentle, though tired. When she raised her hands to caress my face, the touch was so light and delicate that I almost couldn’t hold myself together. A moment later, she rested her head against my chest, pulling me into a tight embrace. For an instant, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted. “I love you, you know?” Her voice was a soft whisper, but it carried immense meaning. She seemed so fragile, so small in my arms. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.” Her words cut deep, striking a part of me I didn’t re
**Alpha Xavier's POV** "You bastard! Incompetent!" My voice thundered down the hallway. "I’m going to kill you!"My hands were firmly wrapped around Dr. Afonsos’s neck as he stared at me with wide eyes full of sheer terror. My wolf roared within me, thirsty for blood, demanding vengeance as the only possible justice for the death of my child."I trusted you..." My voice came out low and dark before rising again like a roar. "You told me the herb was harmless! That it wouldn’t harm the baby! And look what happened!"I pressed his back hard against the wall, tightening my grip on his neck. He struggled to breathe, his face turning a deeper shade of red as his eyes pleaded for mercy—mercy I had no intention of granting."Alpha... please..." he managed to croak, his voice hoarse and faint. "I... I don’t know what happened. The herb... it’s never had abortive effects before... I swear, this has never happened!"His desperate, hesitant tone only fueled my rage further. His excuse was a da
**Cassandra’s POV****Five Days Later**"Yes, perfect. Deliver everything to Dr. Afonsos. He won’t suspect a thing." My voice sounded firmer than I actually felt as I carefully placed the collection containers in Maria’s hands. She looked at me with wide eyes, hesitating to take them."Luna, what we’re doing is very dangerous," Maria murmured, her voice filled with concern. "Without Dr. Afonsos, you won’t have any monitoring during your pregnancy—no exams, no prenatal care. This could harm the baby."She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, as if trying to gather the courage to say what was on her mind."Besides," she continued, her voice breaking, "I think the Alpha has suffered enough. He comes to visit you every day, Luna, and at night the staff hears him crying softly in his office, asking the Moon Goddess why it had to be this way. I’ve never seen a man like him so broken."Tears streamed down Maria’s face. She believed what we were doing was wrong, yet she kept helping me.
**POV Cassandra**I was lying in bed, still pretending the extreme exhaustion that the "miscarriage" should have caused, but my mind was alert. Every sound in the hallway, every distant whisper made me anxious. Suddenly, I heard the soft creak of the bedroom door opening.I opened my eyes slowly, feigning surprise, and saw Maria entering hurriedly. Her expression was filled with nervousness, her trembling hands holding a tray of medical instruments."Maria?" I murmured, my voice deliberately hoarse and weak.She closed the door behind her and looked at me with a mix of fear and concern."Cassandra, we can’t keep this charade going much longer," she said in almost a whisper. "You went overboard with the amount of blood. Dr. Afonsos thinks you’re on the verge of severe anemia or worse. He’s already arranging blood bags to give you a transfusion!"I couldn’t help but laugh, a short and raspy sound that made Maria frown indignantly."I figured that might happen," I said, adjusting my pill
**POV Alpha Xavier** As I entered the room, my heart nearly stopped. Cassandra lay unconscious on the bed, her skin pale as snow, and the sheets were stained with ominous red blotches that screamed danger. "Cassandra!" My roar echoed through the room, but she didn’t move. Dr. Afonsos and the nurses surrounded her, rushing back and forth, trying to stabilize her. My chest burned, and Ragnar, my wolf, growled furiously within me. "Afonsos, do something!" I shouted, moving closer to the bed. "Alpha, with all due respect, we need space. I’ll call for additional doctors to assist, but it’s crucial that you leave now so we can work!" Afonsos replied, attempting to stay calm. "I’m not leaving this room while she’s like this!" My voice was low but laced with menace. He hesitated for a moment before signaling to the nurses. "Escort the Alpha outside, and make sure he stays out of the room." Two guards appeared, hesitant, and ushered me away. I roared in protest, but as much a
**POV Cassandra**As soon as Xavier left the room with that smile on his face, a smile that filled me with guilt, I ran to the bathroom. Despair grew in my chest like an uncontrollable blaze. Without thinking twice, I put my fingers down my throat, forcing myself to vomit. Within seconds, I expelled the moss-green liquid I had ingested, its smell so strong and foul that it made my stomach churn again. I could barely breathe, holding onto the bathroom sink to avoid collapsing. At that moment, I heard the sound of the door opening and Maria entering the room, carrying a basin of water. "Are you all right, Cassandra?" The worry was etched on her face as she noticed my pale complexion and the dark circles under my eyes that betrayed my sleepless night. I forced a weak smile, trying to mask my distress. "I'm fine. Just a little unwell." She didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t press further. Silently, she helped me back to the bed. I sat down, propping a pillow behind me to adju
Alpha Xavier’s POVMy hands trembled as I held the small vial of powder. Even after discussing all the details with Dr. Afonso, a suffocating weight pressed on my chest. Every fiber of my being screamed against what I was about to do, but Alpha Damom had left me no choice. I stared at the powder again and took a deep breath, forcing my mind to calm.“This is to protect them,” I told myself repeatedly, like a prayer.I added a small dose of the powder into the hot tea on the tray, watching it mix slowly until it disappeared completely. I picked up the tray and walked toward Cassandra’s room, each step echoing in the empty hallway. The wooden floors creaked under my weight, and my wolf, Ragnar, restless in my mind, growled in frustration. He knew something was wrong, but I blocked our connection, unwilling to hear his condemnation.When I reached the door, I inhaled deeply, trying to steady myself. I pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside.Cassandra was sitting on the bed, with
POV Cassandra"THINK, CASSANDRA, THINK! HE WOULDN'T DO THIS TO US!" My wolf, Roxy, growled in my mind, indignant that I was doubting our mate."This is ridiculous. You saw it, we saw it," I retorted angrily. "He promised Alpha Damom he would do it. Wondering if he’ll keep his promise to us or to him won’t get us anywhere. We need to think of a way to protect ourselves and our pup!" My inner voice was almost a scream, and Roxy fell silent, resentful, for a few moments.The pain was suffocating, something I had never felt before. My heart was broken, yet there was a small glimmer of hope that Xavier wouldn’t go through with it. However, all the evidence coldly pointed to the death of my baby. I could barely breathe between the tears and the weight of uncertainty."Damn it!" I screamed, throwing one of my personal belongings against the wall, feeling the shattering of porcelain echo my own rage and despair.For a moment, I bitterly regretted venturing into the forest that night to find t