Alisha's POVI was well aware that my first meeting with Taria went completely awry. It was unexpected that Orathe agreed me to marry Louie, but Taria opposed our marriage.I understand Taria's dislike for me, but I absolutely cannot let her take Louie away. Otherwise, his wounds...Even though I know that if I speak out against Taria now, she will despise me even more, I still gathered the courage to try to stop her. However, it seems Louie sensed my intention. He gently shook his head at me, then turned to Taria, "Sorry, Mom, I won't leave Alisha. If you can't accept us temporarily, then I can't force you. But please, don’t force me too.""Louie... Louie, what do you mean?" Taria asked, wide-eyed, seemingly in disbelief."Mom, I have decided to spend my life with Alisha. No matter what happens, I won't run away from her. If you truly can't accept her, refuse to bless us... then I can't change your mind. But don't try to change or stop mine. I want to be with Alisha; that is my only
Alisha's POVI turned back, looking at Taria, and asked, "Is there anything else?"She took a deep breath, seemingly struggling with something. Then she looked sharply at me. "Do you know about the prophecy concerning Louie?"I shrugged and calmly replied, "If you are referring to the one that he was unable to find his mate, then my answer is yes. He has spoken to me about it. So, there is no need to use that reason to prevent us from being together. Honestly, I don't think whether we are destined as mates matters much now."Archie and I were mates, and although we discovered it too late, our marriage still ended in failure. It proved that being mates wasn't a panacea for a happy marriage. "If there is nothing else, I should go. In case Louie wakes up, I need to be there for him." I opened to door and prepare to leave.Taria continued to gaze at me and said, "Didn't you ask me why I dislike you? I can tell you the answer, but you have to promise me that our conversation will never be
Alisha's POVWhen I heard the word "fiancée," my face instantly reddened.Taria bypassed me and quickly went to Louie, hurriedly pulling him to sit on the couch, then said to Louie, "Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? I have been worried about you. I didn't expect you would step in for her...""Mom, Alisha is my fiancée. No matter what happens, I will protect her," Louie interjected."Louie! You!" Taria exclaimed."Mom, I just heard what you said outside. I know you meant to protect me, but I want to choose my own path. If it's Alisha, then no matter the risks ahead, I am willing to face them with her. Protecting her has become my instinct," Louie explained softly."No, you can't!" Taria hugged Louie tightly, shaking her head desperately.Louie gently held her back, then whispered to her, "Forgive me for this stubbornness. I truly love Alisha, and I want to be with her no matter what. Please, agree with me this time, mom.""Louie, how can you say such words? Are you going to make
Alisha's POVUpon hearing Louie's words, I felt frozen in place. I stared at him dumbfounded, hardly believing that it was him who confidently lied in front of his mother, Taria.I was so shocked that I couldn't even gather myself to refute his absurd claims. Taria was equally surprised and coughed even more vigorously.Louie, the perpetrator of all this chaos, remained unusually calm. He calmly retrieved tissues from the table, then gently helped Taria dry her wet clothes caused by the water spray. He even gently patted her back to ease her breathing. While patting, Louie continued to embellish the lie, "I didn't plan to tell you this, Mom, because Alisha is terribly shy and didn't want me to disclose it..."Taria heard this and coughed even more violently. Meanwhile, I widened my eyes, watching Louie incredulously. I couldn't believe he dare continue lying. Not only did he fail to correct the previous mistake, but he intensified the rumors. I finally reacted and started to deny, "Th
Alisha's POV"Nova, what are you talking about!" I complained, blushing."Hey, sexual life is also an important factor for marital happiness! In case Louie is..." Nova didn’t finish her words, but raised an eyebrow, looking at me with a suggestive smile.I got her meaning immediately, and then grabbed a pillow from the sofa and covered Nova's face. "Stop talking about it!""Alright, alright! No more of that topic." Nova raised her hands in surrender, then asked me, "So, can you tell me how you decided to be with Louie? You were too brief on the phone. I want to hear the whole story.""Are you sure you want to hear it now? You just arrived at Blood Dawn, maybe you wouldd want to rest a bit. After all, the wedding is the day after tomorrow, and you might be busy without time to rest later.""Absolutely sure, tell me quickly!" Nova urged, her eyes filled with curiosity and eagerness.I sighed, "Okay, let me think where to start." So, for the entire afternoon, I slowly recounted my experi
Alisha's POVI can never forget the look Louie gave me at that moment, full of boundless love. It seemed like he knew that, by using his body to shield me from that ominous black flame, it meant a permanent farewell between us.In that brief moment, grief overwhelmed my heart. Before I could say anything, Gray swiftly arrived at our side. With a firm grip, he pulled me away from Louie, separating us completely.I understood that Gray was acting in my best interest, trying to save me from being entangled in the black flame's curse. But as I watched the black flames swiftly engulfing Louie, I couldn't help but scream in despair.His body was almost entirely covered by the flames, yet he continued to smile at me, devoid of any signs of pain or resentment, just like the first time I met him, so gentle.I immediately wanted to throw myself onto him, to extinguish the dreadful flames that could take away his life. Gray, with both arms, held me back, refusing to let me go no matter how much
Orathe's POVGray and I stood in a depression deep within the Dark Forest, gazing at the scattered white bones exposed at the bottom of the pit. In the dim night, they emitted a chilling aura. Gray remained silent, while I offered a nearly imperceptible smile at the sight of the skull."Mom, he..." Gray finally spoke, his voice a whisper."Yeah, Gray, just as I told you before you came here with me. Samuel has long turned into a pile of bones. When I found out he was the mastermind behind Alisha's kidnapping, I was so furious. I almost wanted to peel off his skin or cut him into pieces! No matter how I pressed him, he refused to tell me where he had taken Alisha, but he... he..."Recalling the pain from before, I involuntarily paused my narration, composing myself before continuing, "He even told me he had killed Alisha... it almost made me completely break down... so later..." Gray walked up to me and gently embraced me.Looking at the now tall and strong Gray, I felt a bit of relief
Archie's POVWhen I arrived at Blood Dawn, I dared not reflect on how I had spent this period. Every minute, every second, for me, was torture.Since I learned from Shuanda that Alisha was going to marry Louie, I have been in constant pain and agony. I even decided to break into Blood Dawn directly, snatch Alisha back to my side, and keep her with me forever. Other than that, I didn't know what else I could do. The pain of losing a mate filled every cell in my body.But Shuanda stopped me. She completely disagreed with my plan. "Archie, you have made mistakes in the past. You can't continue on this wrong path!""I don't care about any mistakes. As long as I can have Alisha back, no mistake matters!""No! Using force will only push Alisha further away from you! Make her more distant! Is that what you expect?"Under Shuanda's stern questioning, I couldn't find any words to say.Yes, I had hurt her before, pushed Alisha away, and she left me with hatred. Did I want to hurt her more?In a
Alisha's POVI saw under the night sky, my pack was covered in flames everywhere, and the air was filled with the constant cries of pain. My warriors were being attacked by rogues, their blood staining the ground, but they remained fearless, bravely picking up their weapons to continue the fight.However, the rogues seemed to possess an undead-like ability. They were shrouded in an ominous black mist, making them seemingly impervious to attacks. Even when bleeding, they felt no pain or avoidance. These rogues had become pure fighting machines.Gray and Orathe activated the Dyess fam
Alisha's POVThe intense pain left my body numb, but for some reason, my consciousness remained clear. The next moment, a black wolf broke through the window, biting into half of Louie's body, causing him to collapse to the ground.I even heard the sound of bones being crushed. Louie's hand was pulled out of my body, and blood spurted out, staining the entire carpet red.My wolf immediately transitioned from the Bay to reality and began healing me. I heard the sound of blood flowing out of my chest, the angry growls of the black wolf, and people downstairs rushing up upon hearing th
Archie's POVAfter I woke up, I saw Shaunda's concerned expression. "How do you feel, Archie?""I'm okay. Where am I?" I tried to lift my hand to rub my forehead but felt a sharp pain in my arm. The memories of what happened earlier flooded back, and my expression darkened."Don't move. Your wounds are deep; you need rest," Shaunda quickly stopped my actions. "We were planning to go back to Golden Crest, but your injuries were too severe. We had to find a place to treat your wounds temporarily. You had a high fever and were talking nonsense all night. It scared me. If your condition
Archie's POVI was carried away from Blood Dawn by my wolf, blood oozing from my wounds. Yet, the physical pain couldn't compare to the agony in my heart. My heart was dead; how could my body still feel?Alisha's determined face as she stabbed me haunted me. The piercing coldness seeped through every pore when I recalled that moment. She was willing to kill me for another man—her husband, as she emphasized. Husband, a title I once scoffed at, now tore me apart.My wolf seemed distraught too, incessantly muttering and complaining in my mind. "What have you done this time?" "I a
Alisha's POVAfter the wedding ceremony, considering Louie's health, I chose not to attend the evening party. With Nova's assistance, I changed out of my wedding gown and took Louie back to the room to rest.Tonight was the first night of our marriage, and as we entered the room, I felt a hint of nervousness. On the night I married Archie, he didn't sleep with me; instead, he slept in a guest room. Now, looking at our bridal chamber, I felt a bit lost.Louie seemed to sense my nervousness. He comfortingly smiled at me and said, "Sorry, because of me, you can't join the evening gathe
Archie's POVI had fantasized countless times about what my mate had described as her wolf. I wondered what it would look like. Now I knew. It was the most wonderful creature in the world, a gift from Moon Goodness to this world. Moonlight fell on its pure white fur, making it shimmer as if it had walked out of a fairy tale.I opened my mouth, staring motionlessly at the white wolf not far ahead. Its eyes, as clear and beautiful as jewels, met mine, and a breeze carried a delightful scent from its fur. It was the light in this dark world.With just one glance, I knew it must be Alis
Alisha's POVI never thought Archie would appear at my wedding. Why is he here? My palms were instantly soaked with cold sweat.Louie kept staring at me, noticing my tension and unease. He took my hand, holding it firmly as if trying to warm me. In a soft whisper, he reassured me, "I'm here. Don't worry."I tried to ignore the piercing glances behind me, following Gray's guidance with a stiff body, step by step, until I stood opposite him.Before me was Louie's face, but in my mind, Archie's face flas
Archie's POVI looked at the person in disbelief, and it turned out to be Louie! He was dressed in a suit, and although he looked a bit pale, he seemed lively, radiating joy. Yes, today he was going to marry Alisha, how could he not be happy?What were my feelings when I was going to marry Alisha before? I seemed to have forgotten, and back then, Alisha was just a command from Shaunda to me. I didn't care at that time, and I don't even have memories of our wedding.Thinking about it now, it fills me with profound bitterness. If there were a time machine, I would definitely go back and tell my indifferent self: you will fall in love with your bride; please treat her well from now on.Unfortunately, time doesn't rewind. Now, I could only, in regret, watch Louie in a groom's suit approach me step by step. I felt like a defeated person, trying to maintain pride and dignity in front of the winner.Upon hearing Louie's words, Gray frowned and said to Louie, "Why are you here? Go back and pr
Archie's POVHowever, as I was about to enter Blood Dawn, a shout suddenly came, "Stop!"I followed the voice and found Gray. I frowned and then calmly explained, "I'm here to attend... to attend the wedding." It was really hard for me to speak out this answer.Gray hurried over, shook his head at me, and said, "Today is an important day for Alisha. I don't want to fight with you at this moment. So be sensible and leave on your own."His voice was cold and full of hostility. I knew about his relationship with Alisha, so from his perspective, he had a reason not to like me. But regardless, today I must see Alisha, and no one, not even her brother, can stop me."I mean no harm. I know my actions hurt Alisha, and I just want to see her and apologize.""Put away that disgusting face of yours. Alisha is about to start her new life, and she doesn't need your apology or to see you again. Leave immediately!"Though I was prepared, hearing this response was