EMMELINEI woke up before dawn, staring at the ceiling like I had all the time in the world. My body felt weighed down, and my thoughts were all over the place, but my mind was made up. Killing Darius wasn’t an option anymore. It just wasn't going to happen. Fine. But that didn’t mean I had to stay here and let him mess with me. If I was going to die, at least it’d be on my terms, not his.I slipped out of bed, very quietly. No bags, no extra clothes—nothing to slow me down. Just me and my ridiculous determination.Cara, my wolf, turned lazily in my mind. “You really think this is going to work?”“I don’t need your doubt right now,” I hissed under my breath, pulling the door open just wide enough to slip through.The halls were strangely quiet, the estate still wrapped in darkness. I stuck close to the walls, staying out of sight from the few guards strolling around like they had all the time in the world to stop me.“Why don’t you just fight them?” Cara grumbled. “You’re a Lycan, Emm
DARIUS“Alpha, she is not in her room,” the guard said, his voice shaking as if he knew how much trouble this news would bring him.I set my glass of whiskey down, my fingers tightening around it until I thought it might shatter. “What do you mean, she's not in her room?” I growled.“No one has seen her, Alpha,” he stammered. “We’ve checked the immediate quarters. She’s… gone.”For a moment, I just stared at him, my mind working overtime to process what he’d just said. Gone? How the hell had she managed to pull that off?“Get the rest of the guards,” I ordered, my voice cold and clipped. “Search the estate. Every hallway, every damn corner. Don’t come back to me unless you’ve found her.”He nodded quickly and practically sprinted out of the room like his life depends on it—which, honestly, it might. I was left alone with my thoughts.Fifteen minutes later, the same guard came back with a group of others. Their faces were pale, and they looked like they’d rather be anywhere but here.
EMMELINEI woke up to the softest thing I’d ever felt beneath me. It wasn’t the hard, scratchy mattress in my room. No, this was something entirely different—softer, warmer.My eyes snapped open, and I sat up, gasping.The room around me was massive, decorated in dark tones with sleek furniture and thick curtains. It carried a faint scent of cedar mixed with something… something undeniably masculine.Oh no.I was in Darius’ room.I started to panic, and it got even worse when I noticed something strange—my clothes had been changed. The ripped dress I had been wearing was gone. Instead, I was in a loose, clean shirt and soft pants. My heart raced as I tried to figure out who could have done it and when.What the hell?Did he…?Before my thoughts could completely spiral out of control, the door creaked open.And there he was.Darius.He walked in with a calmness that sent a chill down my spine—it was the kind of calm that made you feel like he was ten steps ahead. Behind him, two maids
DARIUSDawson kept talking about trade deals, alliances, and some shipment plans, but I wasn’t paying attention. I sat in my chair, staring at the papers on my desk without really seeing them. Every now and then, I’d nod like I was following along, but honestly, I wasn’t. My head was somewhere else entirely.It was on her.Molly.The girl who had tried to kill me twice. The girl who somehow survived things most people wouldn’t. And now, she was here—alive, bold as ever, and still looking at me like she wanted me dead."Alpha?" Dawson’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts."What?" I blinked, realizing I had no idea what he’d just said.He frowned. "I was asking if you wanted to approve the shipment for the southern border.""Yeah, sure. Do whatever you think is best," I muttered, waving him off.He raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong? You seem... distracted."I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "I’m deliberating on something. I think it's best if you come back later."Dawson paused
EMMELINEI stood outside the grand door of the new overly spacious room Darius had just shown me. His excitement was almost like that of a child, like he expected me to leap for joy or shower him with gratitude. I wasn’t about to do either.I couldn’t help but wonder what on earth was wrong with him.First, he saved me.Then, he had the audacity to try and kiss me.Oh, the kiss.How had I not stepped back? How had I stood there, frozen, letting the moment linger far longer than it should have?I’d sworn to myself that I would never let it happen again. Never.And yet, if we hadn’t been interrupted yesterday, I might have kissed him back.My heart clenched at the thought, and I frowned.Maybe it wasn’t him.Maybe I was the problem.“This is your new room,” he said, smiling like he’d done something extraordinary. His hands were tucked in his pockets, and his tone was so smug it made my skin crawl. “Take a look. I’m sure you’ll love it.”Love it? That word didn’t exist in my vocabulary w
EMMELINEI wiped my face with the back of my hand. My eyes were puffy, my throat sore from crying. Hours had passed since the mess in the garden, but the tightness in my chest hadn’t let up. I hated this place. I hated Darius. And I hated myself for being here.But damn, I was starving.I should go check the kitchen for some snacks. It was almost midnight.Grumbling, I slipped out of my room. The Estate was dead quiet, the kind of silence that would make your footsteps sound like thunder. I crept toward the kitchen, hugging the walls like some thief in the night.When I got to the door, I heard voices.“Have you noticed how strange the Alpha’s been acting lately?” one voice whispered.“Oh, absolutely. That girl must’ve done something to him,” another replied. “She’s not just some regular slave. She’s probably a witch and must have charmed him.”My blood boiled instantly. A witch? Really?“Think about it,” the first woman said, her voice dripping with disdain. “Why else would he give h
EMMELINEThe clinking of forks and knives against plates was the only sound in the room. I sat across from Darius at the long dining table, picking at the eggs on my plate. The silence was suffocating, the kind that wrapped around your throat and squeezed the air out of you.Darius sat with perfect posture, his piercing gaze locked on his food. He hadn’t said a word since I walked in. It was like we were strangers, but after everything that had happened last night, I couldn’t just ignore him.I stabbed a piece of sausage, chewed, and swallowed. Then, finally, I dared to look at him.He was already staring at me.My breath hitched, and I quickly looked away, focusing on the plate like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.I couldn’t take it anymore. “Why did you give me a special room?”His eyes narrowed slightly. He leaned back in his chair, his fork resting on the edge of his plate. “Because you asked for it.”“That’s not my real question,” I blurted out, my voice sharper t
EMMELINEMy legs felt heavy as I made my way to Darius’ meeting room. His guards had told me he wanted to see me, and the whole time I walked there, I couldn’t stop wondering why.Was it to apologize for what happened last night? An apology? Did I even need one?My head had been a mess all day. I kept replaying everything in my mind, trying to figure out what went wrong. Was it because I touched that strange mark on his chest? What was that mark, anyway?I let out a frustrated sigh. If he wanted to apologize, why wait until nighttime to call me? Why not come to me in the morning, like any normal person would? It didn’t make sense, and the more I thought about it, the more irritated I felt.When I reached the door, it was open just enough for me to see him inside. Darius stood near a massive wooden table, leaning forward with his hands braced on the surface, his head slightly bowed. He looked… distracted.I walked in quietly, and the moment Darius noticed me, he straightened up. His ey
EmmelineDinner was surprisingly… normal.Well, as normal as it could get when you were sitting across from a man who might have murdered your family.Darius and I ate without saying a word, the only sound coming from our silverware scraping against the plates. He looked completely at ease, focused on his meal, while my thoughts were all over the place. By now, I should have been used to sitting across from him, but something about tonight felt… off.Something didn’t sit right with me. It was like the air around us was heavy and charged with something unseen, as if something was about to happen but hadn’t yet. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe I was just overthinking. Maybe I was being paranoid. Or maybe—A knock at the door made me jump.Darius, however, didn’t even flinch. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, taking his damn time before speaking. “Come in.”The door opened, and a guard stepped inside, bowing his head slightly. “Alpha, you have visitors. Alpha Crock, Alpha Matthias, and Alpha
EmmelineI’d been trying to keep my mind blank as I watered the flowers, but it wasn’t working. It never worked. My thoughts always wandered back to him, no matter how much I didn’t want them to.I was crouched over a cluster of daisies, the watering can dangling loosely in my hand, when I heard the sound of hurried footsteps. Two maids rushed past me, their chatter breaking the stillness of the garden.“Alpha Darius is back,” one of them said, her voice laced with both relief and excitement.I froze, the watering can slipping from my fingers and splashing water onto the soil. I picked it up almost immediately. He was back? My pulse quickened, but I couldn’t tell if it was from anger, nerves, or something else entirely.I stood there for a moment, staring at the flowers as if they could give me answers. Why the hell did I care that he was back? I set the can down, my heart pounding for reasons I didn’t want to examine. I told myself I was only curious—no, annoyed. That’s all. But bef
EMMELINEI wandered aimlessly around the estate, my bare feet brushing against the cool marble floor. The place was silent, except for the occasional chirp of birds outside or the distant sound of footsteps from the guards.I didn’t know where Darius had gone. After last night, I expected him to have me locked in, maybe post guards at every damn door, but… nothing.What the hell was his game?I shook my head, trying to make sense of him, but it was useless. One minute he was growling orders at me, the next he was acting like he… cared. Did he?And then there was me.Why wasn’t I running?I paused by the large windows overlooking the garden, staring at the trees swaying in the breeze. Freedom was just out there. All I had to do was walk—no, run—and I’d be gone.But I didn’t move. My legs stayed rooted to the ground, like they belonged here.“Pathetic,” I muttered to myself, turning away and heading back upstairs.I found myself in Darius’s room again. His scent lingered in the air—wood
DARIUS“I can see them,” Dawson muttered, crouching next to me behind the thick cluster of trees. His eyes were locked on the dimly lit windows of the run-down motel in Red Cave Pack’s territory.I followed his gaze, catching the faint shadows of two figures moving around inside one of the rooms. “They’re getting sloppy,” I said, smirking. “Tracking Molly must have exhausted them.”Dawson snorted softly. “We should wait until they’re settled. Less mess that way. Plus the element of surprise.”I nodded. He was right. The longer we waited, the less chance they’d have to put up a fight. “Stay alert. They might be dumb, but they’re still wolves.”Dawson glanced at me, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Are you sure this won’t raise suspicions if their bodies are found?”I paused, considering his question. Would killing them stir up more trouble? Probably. But leaving them alive wasn’t an option. If they found Molly, everything would unravel.Before I could answer, one of the men inside the
EMMELINE"Put that on."I froze for a moment before turning my head to look at Darius. He stood by the door, casually tossing a silky nightdress onto the bed like it was no big deal. His voice had that sharp, commanding edge, like he was barking orders at one of his guards.I stared at the flimsy piece of fabric, my eyebrows shooting up. It wasn’t just thin—it was practically see-through. The thought of wearing that in front of him made my skin crawl.“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, my arms crossing over my chest. “There’s no way I’m putting that on.”Darius let out a long sigh, his eyes narrowing at me like I was a stubborn child testing his patience. "Don’t make this harder than it needs to be," he said, his tone flat but firm.I didn’t budge. “I’m not wearing it,” I said again, this time with more bite. “You can say it a hundred times, but it’s not happening.”He pinched the bridge of his nose like I was some kind of child testing his patience. “Don’t be stubborn, Molly. Jus
EMMELINEI couldn’t breathe.Did he just say that?The day my parents died?My head spun, and my entire body froze.No, no, no. He couldn’t know.I stared at him, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, trembling. Rage clawed its way up my throat, hot and furious. It made my chest ache in that familiar, horrible way that came every time I thought about that night.“I need to leave,” I muttered to myself, more to my legs than to him, willing them to move.“You’re not going anywhere,” Darius said, his voice calm. I took a shaky step back. “You have nothing to explain to me,” I snapped, though my voice was more shaky than confident.“I do.” He stepped forward. “Because I know who you are, Molly.”My heart stuttered. My breath hitched. No. He didn’t. He couldn’t.I laughed bitterly, though it sounded more like a strangled cry. “What the hell does that mean?” I demanded, my voice cracking. “You don’t know shit about me.”“Oh, but I do,” he said, steppi
DariusThey found out so easily.The thought wouldn’t leave my head. How the hell did they find out so fast? How could the news have traveled this quickly, and why was it so damn easy for them to trace her? I paced back and forth, my mind racing with possibilities, each one worse than the last. I felt like I was suffocating.One of the Alphas, Crock—the same one who had always been the most eager for blood—spoke up. “What do you plan to do now, Darius? It’s important that the girl dies. We can’t have this turning into a mess.”I didn’t have the patience for this. I clenched my fists. “Once she’s caught, I’ll kill her myself,” I said, trying to sound calm, like I had control of the situation. But inside, my blood was boiling. They couldn’t know about her. They couldn’t.Crock nodded, the smallest hint of approval in his eyes. “Good. We’ll handle the trackers. They’re already on her trail. Three of our best are on the job as we speak.”I ran a hand through my hair, trying to keep my com
EMMELINEMy legs felt heavy as I made my way to Darius’ meeting room. His guards had told me he wanted to see me, and the whole time I walked there, I couldn’t stop wondering why.Was it to apologize for what happened last night? An apology? Did I even need one?My head had been a mess all day. I kept replaying everything in my mind, trying to figure out what went wrong. Was it because I touched that strange mark on his chest? What was that mark, anyway?I let out a frustrated sigh. If he wanted to apologize, why wait until nighttime to call me? Why not come to me in the morning, like any normal person would? It didn’t make sense, and the more I thought about it, the more irritated I felt.When I reached the door, it was open just enough for me to see him inside. Darius stood near a massive wooden table, leaning forward with his hands braced on the surface, his head slightly bowed. He looked… distracted.I walked in quietly, and the moment Darius noticed me, he straightened up. His ey
EMMELINEThe clinking of forks and knives against plates was the only sound in the room. I sat across from Darius at the long dining table, picking at the eggs on my plate. The silence was suffocating, the kind that wrapped around your throat and squeezed the air out of you.Darius sat with perfect posture, his piercing gaze locked on his food. He hadn’t said a word since I walked in. It was like we were strangers, but after everything that had happened last night, I couldn’t just ignore him.I stabbed a piece of sausage, chewed, and swallowed. Then, finally, I dared to look at him.He was already staring at me.My breath hitched, and I quickly looked away, focusing on the plate like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.I couldn’t take it anymore. “Why did you give me a special room?”His eyes narrowed slightly. He leaned back in his chair, his fork resting on the edge of his plate. “Because you asked for it.”“That’s not my real question,” I blurted out, my voice sharper t