LIANNA'S POV
"What?" Did I hear him correctly?
"Marry me." He repeated smiling. "Fuck you." I spat at him and started to walk away. "Lianna wait." He said urgently. "I tell you what I've been through and you think it's cool to make a cruel joke like this." "No, it's not that. I would never do that." "Then what the fuck do you mean by that." "I mean it, Lianna. Mate with me." I stared at him blankly. "I mean it. Think about the advantages." "Advantages? What advantages? Do you want to solve my marriage problems with another one? Am I supposed to use one brother to cancel out the other? I'm already being called a gold-digging whore and now you want me to marry the elder brother of my ex-husband who happens to be the rich former Alpha. They would bury me alive." "Only if you let them. Ethan mistreated you, I would never do that I would show them just how valuable and important you are. And even if they still didn't like you no one would dare say a negative word to you, not even Ethan himself. Think of it optimistically." "There is no optimism. I got rejected by my husband and suddenly I'm married to his brother? How did that happen?" "Love?" He shrugged with a half smile. "We'll tell them I've always loved you. It could even be the reason I left the pack. Even when we were children Ethan was always jealous of everything I had. It would be the perfect revenge against Ethan. Seeing you happy with me." That made me pause, the idea of getting revenge on Ethan. But no this was too crazy. I'm better than this. "Can I borrow your car?" I asked him. "What?" "I can’t shift. I need to borrow your car." "Will you think about what I said?" He asked as he gave me the keys. "I cannot do it, Edward." I drove out of the hotel to the house Ethan and I once shared. I was going to get my certificate and I was going to take the bar exam and pass this time. I was ready to continue my life. I parked the car and went inside. I saw them in the living room making out. She had her hand in Ethan's pants and they were moaning. I wasn't prepared for the fresh wave of pain that washed over me. "What are you doing here, bitch? You don't live here anymore." Freya said when she noticed me standing there. "I just need to get my documents and leave," I said hoping they wouldn't get in my way. "This?" Ethan dangled my brown file in his hands. "I knew you'd come for it. The only thing you ever accomplished in your miserable life." "Please just give it to me." If anything happened to it I would have to resort to begging to survive. "I could easily burn it to ashes or. . . You can get on your knees and thank me." "What? But I didn't take your money." I said confused and Freya started laughing maliciously. "You ungrateful little slut. What about all the times he's taken care of you, fed you, put a roof over your head." "I-" "And what did you give him in return? Misery and embarrassment. Get on your knees and thank him." With no other option, I sank to my knees with tears streaming down my face. "Thank you," I said to Ethan. "That wasn't enough. Thankfully I have a speech prepared for you." She squeezed a paper and threw it at me. "Pick it up and read it." I did as she said with shaky hands and fresh tears started to pour as I saw the things she wanted me to say about myself. "Go on, read it." Ethan prodded. "I am sorry that I am so ugly i made you disgusted every time you looked at me. I am sorry I trapped you into marriage because I am a whore and a gold digger just like my mother taught me to be. I am slut and I don't deserve to be happy. Thank you for feeding me and letting me live in your house even though I am worse than trash. I am happy you vomited on me. Thank you-" He flung the papers at me, cutting me short. "I don't want to hear any other thing from your mouth." I sobbed as I got back up to my feet holding my documents. "I didn't say you could stand up bitch. Crawl out." Freya smirked. I refused to listen to her and tried to run out but she caught up with me and shoved me to the floor. "I said crawl!" "Lay a finger on my fiance again and I will ruin you and everyone who knows you." The cold scary voice came from the door. I looked up and saw Edward. His eyes had gone black and his fangs were out ready to shift and attack. "Sebastian, you're back." Ethan looked so shocked. "I apologize for my friend's behaviour. She can't be your fiance, she's my mate. Darling, come here." It took a while to realize he was talking to me, Freya looked confused too. Even though Ethan was the Alpha, he looked scared. This was the first time I ever saw him scared. He was scared of Sebastian. "You're my ex-mate." I managed to say to him and he looked panicked. "I didn't just reject her, she asked for it not me." "She already told me everything you did to her," Sebastian growled as he walked towards Ethan and Ethan flew from his chair. "You're not going to believe her over your brother, are you? You're not going to believe that bitch-" He couldn't complete his sentence as Sebastian rushed to him and grabbed him by the throat. "Don't forget I made you who you are, one more word against her and I'll take everything away from you, including the air you breathe." He released and left him gasping for air. He came to me and carried me out of the place as Freya ran to help Ethan. "It's okay. He'll never hurt you again." He said when we got into the car. "You told him I was your fiance." "I'm sorry too I'll make sure he doesn't tell anyone." "No, it's fine." "What do you mean?" He asked hopefully. "I'll marry you. I'll be your fake mate."Lianna: I had said those words without thinking and now, I wasn't so sure if that's what I wanted. I didn't know how exactly to feel. I glanced at him as he swerved out of the Palace, his jaw clenched and his fingers tightly wrapped around the steering wheel. While I wanted to reach out to him and run my fingers through his hair, I knew it was an absolutely bad idea that wouldn't age well. And I didn't want anything like that. So I remained glued to my seat, replaying memories from minutes ago over and over again. I felt humiliated. Today's encounter was the final straw that broke the horse's back. Seeing Ethan look at me with so much disdain broke my heart further. He didn't even try to come to my rescue when Freya tossed that note for me to read out loud. I had thought he wanted me to stop reading it because he felt guilty for the position I had been in, but it turned out he was probably irritated by my voice and how pathetic I looked. Where did it all go wrong?
Lianna: I finally slept off. My eyes were really tired and droopy by then. I woke up later at night, breathing heavily as I clutched my chest. I had woken up from a nightmare and of course, Ethan was the one in my dreams, reminding me that I was worthless no matter how much I tried to find my worth. Leaning against the bed, I stared out of the window, into the dark night. The fear was crippling. So crippling I could barely breathe. I fought against the thoughts that dominated my mind but it was damn near impossible to get rid of them. I wished there was a way for me to actually just...be. Just fucking be. But I knew I had to sit in this feeling for as long as I could so every day I woke up, it would be less painful than the last. My stomach rumbled and I knew I was hungry. Climbing out of the bed, I padded my feet across the room and made my way out of the room. Not only was I hungry, I was thirsty. Eating a few snacks wasn't going to hurt. The whole suit was dark, s
Edward: As soon as I woke up the next morning, I headed straight for the Palace. My Beta, Harvey, had called the council elders together as there was an important meeting to be held. Lianna was still fast asleep and didn't even move an inch as I walked around that morning. It made me wonder how much she must have given up sleep to cater to my brother. I slowly started to loathe him. Lianna was the gentlest soul I ever knew. She was always smiling t everyone and trying to make everyone feel better. So why the fuck did he do all that to her? And they were mates? It was beyond me how he could do such to her. Fucking beyond me how the little brother I had thought to respect people turned into a monster. Fuck him. I climbed into my car and zoomed off towards the Palace. I arrived in less than ten minutes and handed my keys to one of the guards hanging around. "The elders are waiting," Harvey said as soon as I got to the entrance of the Palace. He fell into step w
Edward: "Brother!" Ethan called after me, the sound of his boots thudding against the grounds. "Wait and listen to me for crying out loud!" "Take care of things," I said to Harvey. "Make sure no one gets hurt." He nodded and stepped out of the Palace. Slowing down, I turned to Ethan who had just stopped running and was breathing heavily. I was almost disgusted at the sight of him. He had grown plump over the years which was a rare occurrence for our kind, as we had an amazing metabolism that made it hard for us to store excess fat. For him to have gotten this big, that meant he was probably engaging in awful and disgusting acts of gluttony. "What is it?" I asked, folding one arm over the other. "Why did you just walk in here to disrupt everything?!" He cried. "Things have been going really well, only for you to come here and poison the mind of my elders!" "Poison the mind of 'your' elders?" I burst into laughter. "Oh, c'mon. Don't even say that. I saw the way you
Ethan: I paced from one end of the room to the other. I was fucking angry. Fucking livid! Just when I thought things were going right, my brother had to return. Fuck him. Fuck him for ruining things for me. I grabbed the decanter of alcohol I had been drinking and crashed it into the wall. Its content spilled to the ground and I leaned back, breathing heavily. "Fuck!" I screamed. "Fuck this!" The door was pushed open and a maid timidly walked in. I immediately glared at her. "What the fuck are you doing here?" "Alpha Ethan, your Luna requests your presence." At this time? What the fuck was wrong with Freya? Did she not realise what was going on or did she just have a fucking time blindness? Fuck her! "Get the hell out of my sight. Right now!" I growled. She nodded immediately and slipped out of the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, I began destroying everything in the room. I pushed the desk and turned it over, scattered all the files around and pushed the
Lianna: When I woke up, the house empty. I stepped out of my room and found a note plastered against the fridge. It was a note from Edward telling me he was going to be out for a few hours and that there was breakfast for me in the microwave. I smiled, my fingers grazing over his beautiful cursive handwriting. I remembered this handwriting from a long time ago. I used to love staring at him write at the time and whenever he caught me doing that, I would unabashedly tell him how much I loved doing it. But now, it felt different. He wrote like someone who had his life organised and I fucking loved it. While I had breakfast, I took my time to look around. Of course, this was a suite, but it looked like it was a living space, tailored to fit someone with a specific taste. The meal was also nice. I had oatmeal and cinnamon flavoured pancakes for breakfast and by the time I was done, I was already sleepy. Somehow, it made sense why I was always getting tired after doing
Lianna: Edward's words lingered in my head for the rest of the day. He sounded so passionate about wanting me to get back and Ethan. And although, I loved it, it made me feel like that was all this marriage was for. Don't get me wrong, I knew Edward and I weren't for each other. Even the tiny sparks I felt whenever he randomly brushed his fingers against my cheek or touched me was only a response borne from years of lack of intimacy and genuine physical contact. So I knew I felt nothing for him. Whenever I stared at him walk around or awed at how much confidence and charisma he had, it was just me yearning for something that I missed over the years. And this evening, his Beta paid a short visit. I'd seen him a few times at the Palace and he had also been there to watch Ethan abuse me one of those days, so it made me really ashamed and uncomfortable. "Hello," He smiled at me as he walked into the kitchen. I forced a nervous smile back and waved at him. "Hi, ther
Lianna: I woke up the next morning to a knock on my door. Rising to my feet more slowly than I usually did, I realised that my stay here was reducing the anxiety I had lived with for years while being married to Ethan. Padding my feet against the plush rug in the middle of the room, I pulled the door open to find a stranger standing by the door. She was a young girl, about my age, with a shock of strawberry blond hair that complemented her brown eyes. She had freckles on her face that had been lifted by her side smile. "Hi!" She waved at me. "Hi?" I greeted back. "Uhm, is there a reason why you're here?" Edward came up behind her and nodded. "Yes. She's here to dress you up and do your makeup. We will be going out in public today." My heart immediately skipped as soon as he made mention of that. "What? Outside? Why?" "Because you're the future Luna. You need to address the people." I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. There was a build-up of sweat
Edward: The days had a peculiar way of stretching and condensing, leaving me caught somewhere between my duties as Alpha King and this strange sense of distraction that Lianna had recently become. It wasn’t intentional—at least, that’s what I told myself. Watching her grow into her role as Luna, seeing her ease into the people’s lives with each passing day, was oddly satisfying. She was finding her footing, though in the most unorthodox ways. It started with horse riding. It seemed like every day now, she was at the stables. I’d hear her laugh echo across the meadow or see her returning with Alistair and Ingrid, her cheeks flushed with exhilaration. I’d watch from my study window, the way her energy seemed infectious. Even the stable hands were more cheerful since her daily visits had become a routine. And she seemed to revel in the attention she was getting. She would show them tricks on the horse, then ride off with pride. Sometimes, she would jump into it with such daun
Lianna: The feeling of freedom and joy coursing through me as I rode the horse today was something I hadn’t felt in ages. It was like I’d reconnected with a part of myself I’d forgotten existed. The wind in my hair, the rhythmic gallop beneath me, and the sheer exhilaration of it all had lifted my spirits in a way nothing else could. Alistair had been unexpectedly good company too, his knowledge of the trails and lighthearted banter making the ride all the more enjoyable. He’d gone out of his way to ensure Ingrid and I were comfortable, and I couldn’t help but notice his attentiveness—his eyes lingering just a second too long, his smile a bit too warm. As we rode back, Ingrid leaned toward me, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. “He likes you, you know.” I shot her a sideways glance, feigning indifference. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She smirked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, come on, Lianna. The man practically lit up every time you looked his way. You must have no
Edward: The elders had left hours ago, and I sat in the grand meeting hall, watching as the firelight cast shadows against the walls. My mind rallied around with everything we had discussed—the war, Ethan's refusal, the impossible choices ahead. Each thought was like a heavy stone pressing against my chest. I leaned back in the chair, running a hand through my hair. Thinking won’t solve anything, I told myself. The answers wouldn’t magically appear no matter how long I sat here and brooded. What I needed was clarity, and perhaps… a distraction. Lianna’s face came to mind almost instantly, the memory of her tears and avoidance from last night made me feel bad. I’d given her space, knowing it was what she needed, but now I wondered if it had been the right thing to do. Decision made, I stood, adjusting my jacket as I strode purposefully out of the hall. The palace corridors were quiet, save for the occasional echo of my boots against the marble floors. When I reached her cha
Lianna: I sat at the small table by the window, nursing a cup of tea as the soft aroma of the leaves filled the air. Ingrid was seated across from me, her lively chatter cutting through the silence. I could feel the remnants of last night's emotions still tugging at my heart. I couldn't shake off how I had acted at the restaurant. I hated that I had lost control. Edward had been nothing but patient and I hadn't even cared. “I feel so guilty, Ingrid,” I said, pushing my tea cup away and resting my chin in my hands. “I shouldn’t have acted that way to Edward. I was out of line. He’s got so much on his plate, and I added it.” Ingrid, ever the practical one, gave a dismissive wave. “Lianna, you’re overthinking. Edward knows what’s going on. He’ll understand when the time is right for you to apologize. Right now, you’ve got to let him deal with his pack matters. He’s been buried in that stuff ever since last night, so you’re better off letting him be.” I let out a long sigh,
Edward: I couldn’t keep the thoughts from swirling in my head as I sat there in my chambers, staring at the fire crackling in the hearth. The weight of it all pressed down on me—Ethan’s refusal to marry the Vampire Princess, the looming war, and the uncertainty that gnawed at my very soul. Ethan had always been stubborn, but this… this was something else entirely. I’d done everything to try and make him see reason. We had no choice, I kept telling myself. There was too much at stake. But Ethan didn’t seem to care. All he cared about was the throne, and that was something I wasn’t willing to relinquish. He may have been the first to take the throne, but I had worked for this. I had earned this place. I was the first born Alpha King, and nothing, not even Ethan’s refusal to honor his responsibilities, would take that from me. But the people… they feared a war. They would not tolerate it. Every day felt like a countdown to something catastrophic. I could feel it in my bones—t
Lianna: The silence in the car was suffocating, but I couldn’t bring myself to break it. My hands were clenched in my lap, fingers trembling as the drunken man’s words replayed in my mind. His voice echoed over and over, each vile accusation slicing through me like a jagged blade. Why would anyone think such? While msrried to Ethan, I barely saw the light of the day. I barely went out. My presence was barely shown outside enough for people to know who I really was. Was it Freya? Or had the maids who hated me even while I was treated awfully spread the news? Because that seemed to be the only reason that made sense to me because the hate was becoming too much for me to bear. Edward’s voice broke through my thoughts, calm and steady. “Lianna, don’t let that fool get to you. He was drunk, and his words meant nothing.” I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. The weight in my chest was too heavy, pressing down until it felt like I couldn’t breathe. I looked down at my lap and fought b
Edward: The atmosphere of the restaurant was welcoming enough, but it did little to soften the icy glares and hushed murmurs that followed us. I noticed the way the people stared at Lianna, disdain etched on their faces, their whispers heavy with judgment. It was infuriating, but I kept my composure. Let them look. Let them murmur. She deserved none of it, and if they couldn’t see her worth, it was their blindness, not hers. Lianna, however, seemed unaffected. She sat across from me, her shoulders straight, her chin lifted just enough to command respect without appearing aloof. When the waiter placed our dishes in front of us, she thanked him with a polite smile. Her poise, her grace—it was undeniable. I leaned forward, resting my arms on the table. “Does it bother you?” I asked softly. She raised an eyebrow, her fork hovering over her plate. “Does what bother me?” I nodded toward the room. “The stares. The whispers.” She shrugged, though there was a flash of somethi
Imogen: The room was suffocating. Ornate drapes danced across the walls as the wind blew, but they couldn't hide the rage being poured out beyond the door. My father's voice boomed, deep and sharp, startling me. "Insult after insult! HOW DARE THEY?" I paced from one end of my chambers to the other, fingers gripping the folds of my velvet gown. Each outburst of his fury made my heart race, not from fear of him, but of what his rage would lead to. The letter from the werewolf Pack was, in his eyes, nothing more than a slap in the face. And truthfully, I understood. But some part of me… some selfish, foolish part of me felt they deserved it. The disrespect they had shown my father couldn't be ignored. Still, my head was filled with other thoughts. Ethan. His name was like a bitter taste on my tongue. He had rejected me. Rejected my hand, rejected the union that could have mended this ever-growing rift between our kind. I stopped pacing and sank into the plush chair by the win
Lianna: Dinner with Edward. The thought alone was unnerving. The man had the uncanny ability to make me feel small and significant at the same time. As I adjusted the loose curls framing my face, I couldn't help but wonder what had prompted this outing. Dinner at the palace was routine, predictable even. But tonight? Tonight was different. Edward waited for me at the bottom of the grand staircase, his posture effortlessly regal. He had a small smile on his face. "You look beautiful," he said as his eyes swept over me, lingering for a moment longer than I was comfortable with. "Thank you," I replied, my voice quieter than I intended. "So, where exactly are we going?" He smirked, the corners of his lips tilting in that maddeningly smug way of his. "A restaurant in the heart of the Pack's village. Thought we could use a change of scenery." I frowned slightly. "Why not just have dinner here in the palace? It's more private, less… complicated." Edward chuckled, the sound