ALICIA'S POV "What?! I can't believe my eyes!" He cried in surprise. "When? How come?"I stifled a laugh and shook my head."I told you, Leo, but you doubted me. Crystal and I are now very good friends." I beamed.His brows pinched together in utter confusion as he tried to put the pieces together."How did you two become friends?" He quizzed.I chuckled. "C'mon Leo, is my character so bad that I can't even make friends?""Not friends with people you consider lowlife in your words." He squinted at me suspiciously.I bit my bottom lip. He was right. I wouldn't hold hands with a low life, talk less of being friends with them. And this is Crystal Thorne we were talking about! My ex-boyfriend's mate and a former slave and omega who I despised so much. So why the hell would I suddenly want to be friends with her?Nevertheless, I couldn't afford the truth getting out this soon, especially not to the hearing of Leo Fernández. He would nine out of ten jeopardise my plans for sure. Judgi
ALICIA'S POV As much as I wanted this, I just can't right now. I have far more important things to worry about. Damn it! Why was my heart beating so fast and the mound of flesh between my legs throbbing so badly? I should be furious with Leo for heaven's sake not getting aroused as fuck! Shit! I hate my body for doing this to me!I struggled violently in his arms as I attempted to break free, but his powerful hands held me prisoner."Put me down, Leo!" I cried, punching his chest with my small weak hands that were probably doing little to stop him.He chuckled as he strolled towards his chambers."Oh bloody fuck! Not your chambers, Leo. I told you I'm not ready to go back! Put me down for heaven's sake!" "Shhhhh," he cooed, "you're making a fuss, sweetheart. I know you want it so stop fighting it."I glared at him."You're just horny as fuck and now you wanna use me as a tool to fulfil your sexual urges and probably fantasies about Crystal while you're at it."A sly smile tweak
CRYSTAL'S POVIt's been quite a while since we had a major royal breakfast altogether. The last one didn't end so well. After the embarrassing moments Luna Rachael and Alicia put me through, I never wanted the same thing to happen to me again. But this time, it's a little different because Alicia wasn't an enemy, but she's my friend. And friends treat each other with respect and not with disdain. But I couldn't say the same for Luna Rachael. I'm sure that she still despised me as much. Nothing had changed. Not even Alicia, my new friend, could do anything to change her mind."Did I forget to mention that you look absolutely stunning this morning?" Xavier's slik voice seeped through the recess of my mind, pulling me back to the present.I gaped as I blinked in surprise to see that his hands were already grabbing my shoulders as he raked his hungry eyes all over my body as if he could take off my clothes with his eyes.I gulped, my cheeks blazing like hellfire as I tried to calm the th
CRYSTAL'S POV Hearing Xavier say those words made my insides flutter, and my heart danced with joy. He was my hero, and he didn't hesitate to swoop in and save the day.I know I should be feeling bad for Alicia, now my friend, but then again, Xavier was right. I was his mate and I should come first. And besides, there was no place I'd rather be than with the man whom I love and cherish. I shot her a rueful look as Xavier pulled me away from her.We made our way to the dining room on our own.When we arrived, we were greeted by the cold stare of disgust from none other than Luna Rachael herself.She had already started eating her breakfast by the time we arrived, and when we appeared, Xavier was holding my hands, her brows were scrunched up in utter disgust and she spat her food back into the plate.She reached for the tablecloth and dabbed the corner of her mouth."Oh, great! Now my breakfast is ruined. I was already happy that you two were not going to show up." She rolled her eye
CRYSTAL'S POV A personal bodyguard? I never thought of that! I have actually never seen the use of one before. I was a slave and I wasn't even regarded as a person, so why the hell should I need a guard? They even wanted me dead. No one cared if I was gone. Just do your damn job, that was all. Even if I eventually passed away, I would be swiftly replaced and everyone and go about their daily lives like nothing ever happened.That was my plight back in the day. But this time, it's different. I was living in a different era. Alpha Xavier Fernández, cared for me. Of course, he wouldn't let me die just like that. I was his mate!That was why he had sent protection; he ordered the guards to go with me. However, that didn't even offer me the solid protection and security I thought I would be getting. My life was put at risk, and I was suddenly faced with a near-death experience that I almost wouldn't have survived if not for the prompt intervention of Alicia Evans.She was now my friend
ALICIA'S POV Damn it! Damn it all! What with him?! Why was it so hard for him to trust me? I thought as I watched them leave.Well, it didn't matter anyway. Judging from Crystal's reaction, she will most likely try to convince him to get her a guard. He had to anyway. He had no choice. She needed a bodyguard, and I have just the right person for that.This was the perfect opportunity for me to strike. If they bloody think that I gave a rat ass about Crystal's safety, then they were in for a rude awakening. I couldn't care about her safety. In fact, the person they should be mindful of was me. I was the threat within the four walls of this royal palace, and I would not give up until I saw Crystal utterly defeated, grovelling at my feet, begging for her lifeNow that I have dropped that valuable piece of advice as a good friend would and Crystal would have done her own part as a good friend by convincing her mate that she really needed a bodyguard, then it was the right time to act.I
ALICIA'S POV "C'mon, Alicia! Tell me more," he urged with excitement stamped all over his face, “I’m dying to know already!"I chuckled. I didn't have the luxury to dilly-dally around, so I indulged his curiosity. I took a deep breath and heaved it out, and then I cleared my throat.He arched his brows, goading me to spill the beans. But was he up to the task? Well, it was something that I'm sure he was capable of doing, giving his calibre and smartness. I mean, he's been a spy all his life; surely the task of wooing a young lady shouldn't prove so difficult for him to do."It's a very simple yet delicate task." I started.His brows pinched together at the last word."Delicate?" He quizzed. "What's delicate about the mission?" I cleared my throat again. How do I put it? I know he's not new to sleeping with women to siphon information from them, but this time, it wasn't exactly something he was used to. This time, there wouldn't be any information to retrieve or steal. He would i
ALICIA'S POV He cleared his throat, startling me.So was he going to do this or not? A lot depended on his response. Hopefully, he accepted and saved me a lot of trouble.He fell silent again.I arched my brows at him curiously."So? Are you in or not?" As much as I was concerned about what his response was going to be, it was best I got this over and done with quickly.He bit his bottom lip, rubbing his chin as he gave it some thought. He cleared his throat again and shot me a half smile."Okay! Truth be told, I'm interested in who this lady is, so yeah, I'm taking the job. And besides, " he paused, a sly smile crept over his lips, "it wouldn't be so bad to explore the royal palace."I rolled my eyes and chuckled. Thank goodness he accepted this mission!"Remember, don't get carried away. This mission is very important. You can't afford to mess this up, but I'm trusting you on this." I said firmly. He really couldn't! This mission was far too important for any screw-ups.He chu
LEO'S POVOh shit! This wasn't good! Crystal was going to be kidnapped. What if I was already too late. I didn't exactly hear everything that they said. But I knew something was off, and I was already too late by the time I got to Xavier's chambers. I came just in time to see two men clad in black clothes and a mask covering their faces, carrying Crystal after drugging her. They put her in a horse-drawn carriage.I tried to follow the carriage as discreetly as I could until they stopped at a cavern beneath a high mountain.Damn it, but even if I wanted to rescue her , I was outnumbered.There was no way I could make it at this rare. I would just end up getting myself killed.Then what do I do at this rate? This was a matter of life and death. Crystal was in dire danger. My mother and crazy girlfriend had completely gone bonkers! I needed to get Crystal out of there as fast as possible before things got out of hand.I had no idea what exactly the two women wanted to do to Crystal. H
CRYSTAL'S POV It's has been a lonely evening....a lonely day, in fact. Xavier was hardly around. He had been very busy with having ceaseless meetings with his uncle, and tonight, he had mentioned earlier that he won't be available until later in the night or early in the morning so I shouldn't wait up for him.I puffed out a deep sigh. He had been very busy these past few weeks. I heard the coronation was drawing to a close. No wonder the discreet meetings with his uncle have risen. He had been working so hard with little time to rest. I hoped he was doing okay? I had insisted earlier that he took today's off, but he wouldn't listen.I slid out of bed and headed to the balcony for the view and to get some fresh air. Maybe that would help me relax and sleep better. Lately, I've been finding it somewhat hard to fall asleep easier.I also wonder if Martin was doing alright ever since he went exiled. At any rate, it was way better than remaining here. Alicia would have made life a livi
ALICIA'S POV Shit! Shit! Shit! As if things couldn't get any worse than it already was!Three days had passed, and I didn't hear a single word from Martin anymore. I had instructed Lucas to check on him in his quarters, but he was nowhere to be found. He didn't even report to work the following morning. So I had Lucas go to his bakcksmith shop discreetly to find out if he was there. But he wasn't....infact, until now we had no idea where he would have run off to.It's been a week and not a single word. What could have happened? If he had exposed my plans to Crystal or Xavier, I would have known by now. But something was strange. What did Martin do? He probably ran off somewhere. He was a spy, after all. It was easier for him to adapt.But damn it! I didn't expect my plans to be ruined. I invested so much into this, and yet I have nothing to show for it! What the hell was happening?! Did Crystal do or say to him? What really went down? I wouldn't be able to know when she tells me
CRYSTAL'S POVI was such a fool! How come I didn't realise that Alicia had been playing a trick on me all these while?! Xavier and Emily, my best friend, warned me, and yet I didn't listen because I wanted to give Alicia the benefit of the doubt for once. I had hoped that something good was going to come out of our friendship after she supposedly rescued me that day. Rescued? But come to think of it though...now that Martin had exposed the truth, what if Emily had been right that the whole idea about Alicia randomly showing up that day and most especially in the nick of time to save me, sounded so thought out and planned. What if Alicia also had a hand in that as well? She had insisted that Xavier get me a new bodyguard because she had been plotting to bring one here herself, which was Martin. How come I didn't see that coming?! I was so blinded to the fact that Alicia was turning a new leaf and wanted the best for me. What a fool I had been! Now, thanks to the moon goddess for swa
MARTIN'S POV A video?! Why does this sound so familiar. "What?! What did Leo do to you if you don't mind my asking? Did he-""No!" She blurted out before I could finish. I didn't want to complete that statement in the first place, silently hoping it wasn't true ."No, he didn't! I'm glad he didn't." She said shakily, and I couldn't help but feel the pain seared through my chest, watching how hurt she looked.She must have been through a lot. I wondered what really went down that day...Thankfully, Leo didn't rape her as I thought. She paused and sucked in several deep breaths before she continued:"He tried to have sex with me but I'm glad it didn't go through....so a video was made and I was threatened that the video would go public if I didn't do as I was told. I had no choice. Before I could gather my thoughts together, I ran out. I was mortified, broken, and scared to death. "She paused as she bit her bottom lip frantically before she continued again."I wanted to run away an
MARTIN'S POV I resumed work the following day as usual, but this time, it was different. The emotions writhing inside of me were relentless. What do I do? I was restless, and I couldn't even concentrate on my job.I think the moment of truth was finally here, and for the first time, I was going to follow my heart to hell with the consequences. I would rather voice out the truth that will set me free than bottling up all these lies and guilt nibbling at me steadily.As usual, we met for her morning run, and when we slowed down for a break, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to tell her the truth. At this rate, what was even the point of hiding the truth?! It was utterly useless because I quit! I wouldn't stand by, fold my hands, and watch as an innocent, young lady's life was torn apart, and I had a hand in her destruction. No! I wouldn't be able to live with myself after that. I would blame myself for as long as i lived! So instead, why didn't I try to make things right?G
MARTIN'S POV I sucked in a deep breath as I swallowed.She arched her brows diametrically at me as she peered up at me, eyeing me closely.I cleared my throat."What brings you to this crappy side of the royal palace. It was rare seeing you here at this hour. This place doesn't suit your fancy, my lady." I said, with a sly smile curling up at the corner of my lips with an intent to taut her.She rolled her eyes as she moaned in exasperation."Oh for fuck's sake, Xavier drop the stupid formalities and step aside!" My eyes widened slightly as curiosity creased my brows.Don't tell me she was planning to step inside my shithole of a room!"Um...what on earth are you planning to do, Alicia?" I dipped lower as I whispered fiercely, looking both ways to ensure that no one was within earshot and in sight.She waved me off and pushed past me as she entered my tiny room. But the good part was that she didn't have to duck her head like me.I puffed out a deep sigh of resignation. There was
MARTIN'S POV Days passed by like a blur and then weeks and before I realised what was happening, two months had gone by. And in all of those times, a day didn't pass without my mind being preoccupied by the thoughts of Crystal Thorne, the lady whom I served under. The lady I had sworn to protect with my life. And you know what? I would gladly lay down my life for her. No one deserved that, but Crystal Thorne! Where on earth has she been all these while?! If only I had been a little earlier, we could have ended up together. Hopefully..... Well, at least, she wouldn't have had the opportunity of even crossing paths with Alpha Xavier Fernández. If only I had come into her life earlier. Maybe she didn't have to suffer. We could have run off somewhere and started a new life as a couple who shared a somewhat similar past. But was it too late?Maybe it wasn't too late after all.... how else could the both of us have met anyway?! Crystal Thorne had been locked up within the four walls of t
MARTIN'S POV"I'm sorry once again, Crystal," I said again when we were outside alone and after we had jogged around the open fields of the royal palace.She shook her head frantically."It alright, Martin. It is fine. I understand that you're still trying to find your feet," she paused as she shot me a rueful smile."You know, I used to be like you when I first started my job. I was confused and scared. I wasn't sure about what to do. I was so clueless like a fawn parted from its mother."I smiled warmly at her as I listened to her.I couldn't help but admire her beauty. She was indeed breathtaking. On top of that, she was a strong young lady who had survived a lot. I owe her some respect for that!"Thank you for understanding, Crystal," I said gently, shooting her a wide grin.She was not only empathetic to my plight, she was gentle and nice towards me.I wish to know more about her, and it had been eating deep at me. The curiosity to know what lies in the deepest recess of her he