~ Isabella's POVAfter a few more minutes of chatting and gossiping, Clara and I were called back into the kitchen. The palace's butler had come to the kitchen, looking nervous and agitated. He wanted us to prepare a feast that would make the Alpha relax and less in a bad mood according to his order. So we needed all hands on deck to prepare a huge and sumptuous dinner for Damien.Clara gave me a concerned look that made me look away uncomfortably. I guessed then that she had also heard about how I was being treated by Damien.As the maid that had come to call us left, Clara turned to me."Are you okay?" She asked me a soft, gentle tone in my voice.Despite my affection for Clara, the way she spoke to me and asked me that question irritated me. It sounded as though she pitied me and I hated every bit of it and of that moment. I hated being pitied. I hated that nearly every pack member who lived in the palace now saw me as the Alpha's poor second wife, who was nothing but a punching ba
~ Isabella’s POVI was laid flat-out on my back in my bed as I watched the clock in my room tick. My eyes drifted half closed as my thoughts wandered all over the place. I held my hand out gingerly from my body, still engulfed by guilt over what had happened to Emily. I knew that it wasn't my fault, but I still couldn't help the feelings of guilt that had assailed me the moment she screamed out in pain. I could only hope that she had a strong wolf which would speed up her healing and recovery process. As for me, because I was an omega, I already knew that I was going to heal at a rate closer to that of humans. The physical torture that I had endured at Damien's hands when I had first arrived had taught me the hard way.I wondered if Clara was fine or if she had had to go back to the kitchens to work. Thinking about Clara made me think about our conversation earlier, when she had asked me about my parents. A sudden wave of nostalgia crashed into me and I missed them so very much at tha
~ Nathan’s POVI couldn't believe Damien had asked me to accompany him to the Alpha meeting. It seemed out of character, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. As I walked back to my room, I was lost in thought thinking about what could be running through his mind.Was it possible he had caught wind of my true identity? Does he know about my plans to expose him at the Alpha meeting? Fuck! What exactly do you know, you ruthless bastard?!I mulled over what his intentions could be as I walked into my room, trying to unravel the mystery behind his sudden invitation. Albert must have seen the expression of worry I had on my face, he didn’t even allow me to settle down before asking why Damien called me.“What did you guys talk about?” He asked, staring at me intently.I walked over to my bed to sit and then Albert quickly took his seat across from me asking me again what I and Damien had talked about.“He asked me to accompany him to the Alpha meeting,” I replied t
~ Damien’s POVI was still seated on my bed after ordering the butler to ask the kitchen staff to prepare my food, thinking about what had happened with Amber.What the hell is wrong with me? Why would I call her by Isabella's name?It was not until my eyes began to water that I realized that I had not been blinking. I had just been staring into space.What on earth is wrong with me? I thought to myself as I ran a hand over my face.The issue with Jones and his accusation must have affected me more than I thought.I clenched both my jaws and my fist as I thought to myself, Alpha Nathan, Beta Jones, you will definitely pay for all of this. I'll destroy you and your pack. I'll make you watch as I slaughter every member of your pack before your eyes and burn everything to the ground. I'll allow you to crawl to me and beg me before I end your misery and take your life.Just then, Luke came into my room, informing me that Albert had lost consciousness. My anger subdued a bit when I heard
~Isabella's POVI opened my eyes to see Alpha Damien hovering over me, a rigid look on his face. I hurriedly pushed myself into a sitting position. In the process, I accidentally leaned forward on my bandaged hand, forgetting about the burn I had suffered. I winced and yelped in pain as I took my hand off the bed."Are you okay?"His jaw was clenched and I hurriedly got off the bed, stumbling a little as I stood in front of him with my head bowed. From the corner of my eye, I watched him lunge towards me and immediately stepped back, flinching as I held my hands up in automatic defense.I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the strike that was sure to come my way. It never did.I opened my eyes slowly to see him just staring at me without saying a word. He had a weird expression on his face, it was almost as though he was in pain. I lowered my eyes cautiously and cleared my throat carefully."Are… Are you okay, Alpha?" I asked.He jolted as if he had been lost in his thoughts. His
~Isabella's POVThe room held an uneasy stillness as Damien straightened, his demeanor shifting from the haze of intoxication to a semblance of sobriety. I watched with guarded apprehension, my senses on high alert. The interlude of vulnerability felt like a fragile thread, and I knew the Alpha's return to his usual self loomed.Damien's gaze locked onto mine, the remnants of his confession lingering in the air like a haunting melody. The room seemed to shrink, the boundaries of our individual struggles merging in the silence.The intensity in his eyes wavered, a subtle acknowledgment of the internal turmoil that defined him. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture a manifestation of the complexities entwined within his existence."What the fuck are you doing, Damien," he muttered, seeming frustrated with himself and the situation.I remained silent, allowing him to navigate the intricacies of a sentiment he rarely expressed. The acknowledgment of his own shortcomings held a pecul
~ Nathan’s POVI yelled out the doctor’s name and asked him to come and check up on Albert. The doctor ran to my side to check on him. The doctor spent a few minutes on him as I hovered by his side and when he was done, he told me that Albert would be fine and that he had only lost his consciousness. He assured me that he would wake up once he had had enough rest.I wasn't convinced and I let the doctor know.“Are you sure? Don’t you have to do a thorough check up on him?” I asked him, as I inwardly wondered if there was another doctor from whom I could get a second opinion.“Of course he is fine. You don't have anything to worry about,” the doctor assured me again with an understanding smile. He left me alone as he needed to attend to other patients. I sat beside Albert, feeling overly guilty for what he was going through at that moment.I wiped away his sweats with a towel, checking his vitals every second. Just then, my phone beeped. I checked who sent the message and it was none
~ Nathan’s POVThe guard was shocked and at the same time became mute. He stared at me, moving back as I approached him. I stretched out my hands for a handshake and then requested for his name. He blinked rapidly and then asked if I had truly accepted his proposal.“Sure. If I haven’t then I won’t be standing in front of you,” I said, still stretching out my hands.“Didn’t you said that you are into girls?” He asked, still not accepting my handshake.I retracted my hand and sighed.“I only said that because there were a lot of people in the room that day,” I replied to him.“Really?” He asked, arching an eyebrow.“Are you probably up to something?” He asked.“What?” I asked, a bit surprised because I was sure my acting was superb and that I didn’t show that I was up to no good.“Are you trying to beat me up again?” He asked.I smiled, feeling relieved when I heard him.“Why would I beat you up again? I won’t raise my hands up to beat someone I love. Not after I’m finally sure that I
~Nathan's POV"We found her!" I looked up to see Jones standing in front of me, nearly bursting with excitement. “Where is she?” I asked. Jones explained to me that she was sold as a slave and I needed to hurry up before it got too late. I ran towards the port where she had been spotted and I was glad that I was on time. The people on the ship recognized me and wondered what I was doing and who I was searching for. I finally found Bella but she was already bleeding profusely. Jones and a few of my men were also on the ship, looking for both me and Bella. I lifted Bella who was almost on the verge of losing consciousness and then I was confronted by the men who had bought her, telling me that I had to pay them if at all I was going to take her with me. Just then, Jones saw me and then ran over to meet me. He was glad Bella was safe but then became worried when he saw the state she was in. He ordered one of the guards to get the car ready, led me to the car, and then left for the pala
~ Nathan’s POVThe days were extremely long and the nights were even longer as I and my pack faced off against Damien and his pack in battle. Many of our men had been injured and we also had lost many people in the process. We both finally put a stop to the fight when none of us won. Damien returned back to his pack with his surviving people and I also did the same. The doctors came to attend to me but I insisted that they treated those that needed urgent care and attention. I noticed that I had not set my eyes on Albert during the fights and luckily I found him among the injured men receiving treatment. He was sleeping after getting shot and I was told that he needed to rest. I chastened him for not sticking close to him like I asked. Rather than apologizing, he had retorted that he had held his ground and had been just fine without me."I can clearly see that," I said, raising a sardonic eyebrow and nodding my chin towards his bandaged arm."You may have held your ground, Albert, bu
~ Damien’s POVIt didn't take long before we finally got to the place where Bella was hiding. I didn’t know that Nathan had such a beautiful place hidden in a forest. It was a house by the beach and the whole place was silent and serene. I charged in angrily without admiring the beauty of nature and how beautiful the place was. I searched frantically for her, turning the whole place into a big mess and yelling her name. I finally saw her in the room, sleeping so soundly and the memories of the moments I had shared with her ran through my mind. She woke up grumpily and was so frightened and shocked when she saw me.“What are you doing here, Damien?!” She yelled out.I smiled mischievously when I saw how scared she was. She looked so beautiful and all I thought about was how to make her mine again. I shifted the thoughts away and then moved closer to her.Her voice was tinged with fear and defiance, but it only fueled the fire burning within me. I took pleasure in the sight of her tremb
~ Nathan’s POVBella pouted and whined and complained, but I did not heed her pleas. It hurt me to see her sad and letting her out of my sight to go so far away, especially during a time like this went against my protective instincts."But, Nathan. I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you. Pleaseeee." She begged, looking up at me with those eyes that could bring a man down to his knees.I moved closer to her and palmed her soft cheek with my hand."I don't want you to leave either, Sunshine. But you have to, Damien is doing all of this because he is after you and has a grudge against me for taking you back. You're my weakness, but you are also my strength. I can't lose you, no matter what."She tried to protest again against it, her brows furrowing together in consternation."Please, Bella. Don't argue with me over this. Think instead of our baby, I'm only trying to protect you both."At my words, her eyes softened and she bit her lip, staring up at me through her lashes.Afte
~ Nathan's POVIsabelle whimpered at the soldier’s words. I turned to look at her briefly, noting her pale face and sweaty brows. I turned back to the soldier. "Get me, Jones, immediately!" I barked out.He bowed and hurriedly left.I turned back to Isabella who was beginning to look ill.I sat down and pulled her closer, bending down to look into her face."Hey, look at me," I said softly, trying to calm us both. Her despair was hurting me as well."Are you okay?" I asked her when her eyes came to mine.She whimpered again, her eyes wide as she clutched onto me."I'm sorry, this is all my fault and…" She could not finish her sentence, she slumped and I reached out to catch her, closing my arms around her as my heart stuttered and missed several beats."Isabella? Isabella! Wake up, please!" I begged, helpless to do anything as her eyes closed and her head lolled against my chest.My mind raced as I wondered what could be wrong with her. Just then, Jones came in with a soldier behind
~Nathan’s POVAs soon as Damien proclaimed war, Bella and I were immediately surrounded by his guards and sentinels. Some pointed their guns at us, the others baring their teeth and claws at us. A couple of them even completely shifted into their wolf forms, causing many of the guests to exclaim in horror. I stood in front of Bella, putting an arm out to ensure that nothing would happen to her because I could sense her agitation and fear, while everyone else watched in horror. As I mentally tried to calculate the odds of us escaping and leaving without any harm, I began to regret announcing Bella as my Luna and declaring war against Damien without any preparation. Bella, I thought to myself. She was my first priority. I have to get her out of here, alive and uninjured. At that moment, I did not care about myself or how things could end up for me, I just needed Bella to be safe and healthy. One of the wolves dared to move closer and I snapped my teeth at him, warning him to stay back
~ Nathan’s POVI stared at Bella in confusion, bewildered as to why she was suddenly treating me that way. My eyebrows furrowed as I thought about the previous night and if I had done something to her I was not aware of.I asked her what was wrong, but she just screamed at me to get out.I was initially hurt when Bella asked me to get out of her room. However, I noticed her hands had been trembling as she yelled at me and her cheeks had been flushed, but not with anger. I wondered what had gone wrong. I put my mouth to her door and tried to whisper reassuringly to her."I love you, Bella. No matter what, remember that I love you and will protect you with all of my heart."Thanks to my heightened hearing as an Alpha, I was able to hear the small sob she let out. There was another sound after that, it sounded as though she had slapped her hand over her mouth to prevent any more sounds from escaping, but it was too late. I was by then, certain that her sudden behavior was not due to her
~ Isabella’s POV“I know the whole thing, Bella! I know who Nathan is and your relationship with him too! How dare you!” Damien glowered at me. I was so shocked when I heard him but acted as though I had no clue who he was talking about. Also, to protect me and Nathan, I yelled at him, asking him who Nathan was.“Who the hell is Nathan?!” I screamed out, feeling so scared.He smiled mischievously and then strangled me.“You are still denying that you don’t know him! How dare you try to divorce me just because of him?! I know that he is Nathan Grayson, the Alpha of the blood moon pack!” He glowered again and then released me.I stammered, my mind racing with confusion and fear. How did Damien know about Nathan, and why did he seem so amused by it?Damien continued to laugh, a wicked glint in his eyes. "You thought you could escape from me so easily, Isabella? I know everything about you, every move you make." His voice was cold and calculating.My heart pounded in my chest as the real
~ Isabella’s POVIt was morning and I woke up from my bed feeling grumpy. I could still perceive Nathan’s scent in my room and the memories of the previous nights flooded in my head. I could feel the heat rush into my cheeks as I thought of how careful he had been with me. Thinking of how he had promised to free me from Damien's clutches made tears of joy and relief spring to my eyes. I sat there on my bed, not doing anything else, just smiling and content to rest in the knowledge that soon, I would be free from Damien and back to my old pack. My blissful respite was soon cut short when doubts began to creep in. What if I'm not accepted by the pack? I was once the pack's omega and runt. And now? They are supposed to just accept me as their Alpha's mate? Who would believe and accept that the omega is now their Luna? I shook my head, trying to dislodge the traitorous and painful thoughts, but they kept on coming like persistent shadows in the corners of my mind. I knew that returning