DARIUS POVThe alcohol Darius was gulping down his throat did nothing to alleviate the questions and thoughts racing through his mind.Grumbling angrily as he took another swallow, the rough taste of the whiskey slammed down his throat, and it caused him to cough slightly.Rocky stood alongside him, talking about the aftermath of the fight they had yesterday, and while he appeared to be listening, Darius knew his mind was elsewhere."What about the guard who was injured?" Darius suddenly blurted out, his first words since Rocky started his reporting.His brows wrinkled as he remembered Brielle's request earlier.The guard had been kind to her, and he’d even been against whatever her captor had done to her.He had even released her when the mansion was under assault, and according to Brielle, she owed him her life. ‘How ridiculous.’ Darius scoffed as his thoughts continued spiraling.Also, he didn't tell Brielle that he'd shot the fucker down because Darius knew she'd be upset at him
MADELINE’S POVMadeline couldn't sleep for reasons best known to her.It was already late at night, midnight per se, yet she was boiling with rage as she replayed in her mind the arrival of Lord Darius and Brielle.They'd arrived the day before, and Madeline, who had been standing outside doing nothing, had seen the vehicle entourage come into the compound.Suddenly the cars stopped, and Lord Darius stepped out of his already open jeep with Brielle in his arms.Running like a maniac, he’d belted out orders, giving directives to guards and requesting the presence of a doctor to check on Brielle.He’d ignored the greetings of the maids passing by, as well as her own, and she’d been more than irritated, but there was nothing she could do about it.Not only did he not respond to her greeting, but he did not even look her in the eyes or stop to acknowledge her at all.Instead, he’d hurried inside the castle with an unconscious Brielle in tow, and Madeline’s already fragile heart shattered
BRIELLE’S POVBrielle blinked as the bright rays flowing through the enormous window reflected squarely on her face, irritating her smooth skin.Tossing and moving a little, her hands on her head, she tried to block out the light even though her eyes were closed, but it appeared to be all over her, and she couldn't seem to get away from it.After much struggle, she opened her eyes, the lids shooting open. At the same time, she heard a husky voice by her bedside ask, "Hey, hey, is anything the matter?"“Ahhhh…” She shouted in terror, leaping from the bed, when she noticed Lord Darius by her side.He was seated by her side now, his massive frame shielding the sun's rays, and while this was meant to provide some relaxation for Brielle, she wasn't sure why she felt the opposite."What's the fright about, Brielle? Don't tell me you forgot about yesterday and that you're already at home." Lord Darius rasped out in haste, and her brows furrowed in uncertainty.She distinctly remembered last
DARIUS POVBrielle's jaw dropped open as Darius disclosed that obligatory piece of information. He had expected this kind of reaction, and he wasn’t surprised that she was staring at him in surprise."Wait, what did you just say?" She blurted out, her hands rapidly wiping at her face, intent on getting rid of the tear streaks adorning her cheeks.If he was angry at the late mistress before, seeing Brielle in tears because of her enraged him even more.It didn't help that she was no longer alive, and again just like every other time, he began to wonder why he had killed her so abruptly.His rage had driven him, and he had taken the irreversible decision, cracking her neck in half without thinking. He’d have kept her alive for a long while so that he could torture her. Every day, he’d make her regret crossing him and disobeying his rules.He'd deliver the much-needed anguish she deserved, and jaw clenching slightly, Darius regretted his abrupt solo decision to kill her that day.Thoug
SOME DAYS LATER BRIELLE’S POV Brielle stood on the balcony of Lord Darius's room, orange juice in hand, and looked down at the activities in the mansion.She was feeling active this evening after so many days of merely laying in bed as Lord Darius had ordered, and a smile curled up her lips as she remembered how protective and kind he had been to her these past few days.She couldn't believe he'd changed overnight, and she was suddenly relieved that the events of the previous few days, no matter how gruesome it was, had occurred.Their relationship was more vital than ever, and Brielle now knew without a doubt that Lord Darius would never let her go.To think she had imagined that he’d abandon her in the hands of those people, not realizing she had been wrong all along.Still staring out the window, Brielle sniffed back happy tears as she reflected on the last few days in the mansion.Her entire day was spent indoors, in his room, as per his instructions, with attendants ministering
MADELINE’S POVHow could he? How dare he? Madeline sulked, repeatedly asking herself the same questions.Lord Darius had flared out at her because she had inquired about the well-being of his submissives and how he was denying them their rights.The way he had yelled, glaring at her with dark hooded eyes, communicated the depth of his anger, and the thought of him hating her that way chilled her."But how could he?" She asked herself again, this time speaking the words aloud.She was more than perplexed.He still had no feelings for her despite everything she'd done, including helping him get back that bitch and even cleaning him up on days when he was a shambles.All the things she’d done, and yet he still treated her like trash. What the heck!Madeline's chest clenched as she realized that this was not the first time he was treating her harshly.She remembered how, on their way back from the slave handler's house, he had been aloof, thinking about whatever and worried too. She had a
BRIELLE’S POVBrielle could hear the sturdy footsteps of Lord Darius as he moved down the passage, coming to his room, of course, but she didn't move at all.She lay stiff on the bed, not making a sound and faking a sleep that didn’t want to come.Her mind racing in circles, she reflected on what she had just witnessed a few minutes before.Lord Darius and Madeline... Her heart was constricting again as she recalled Lord Darius smiling at the traitor, and she bit back the hiss threatening to burst out from her lips.What had they talked about? She was more than intrigued, wanting to know if Lord Darius was having affairs with the cunning lady and other submissives.Repressing the stinging tears that burned at the back of her eyelids, Brielle knew that crying over a man who had complete freedom to do whatever he wanted would be ridiculous.He was not loyal to her, and he had never promised to be, so why was she overthinking this? Why was she even bothered? He’d been this way even befor
BRIELLE’S POVBrielle reached for the large book at her nightstand, which she had been reading for a few days to keep herself occupied in this deserted mansion.Smiling as she flipped over to where she had left off, Brielle plopped up on the bed, eager to get lost in the fictional romantic narrative.She had just taken her bath and dressed in one of the garments Lord Darius had explicitly chosen for her, and she had planned to keep herself occupied until he returned from wherever he had gone earlier today.She did this daily—Eat, bathe, sleep, and read books. The schedule was the same every time.She was considerably feeling much better now, but Lord Darius still treated her as if she were some frail being, and he kept her at arm's length, refusing to have intercourse with her even when she had shyly requested it some days back.Recalling that fateful day, a blush crept up her cheeks, but she wasn’t ashamed. If anything, she was glad she’d spoken up. At least he’d know that she still
BRIELLE'S POVHer heart fluttered like a flower picked from a peaceful garden. Brielle searched for words to convey how she felt as Darius hoisted her up the floor. Euphoria. Joy. Thrill. Delight. Excitement. Surprise. Yes. These words clearly defined the situation, but there was more going on. Something deeper. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps she didn't know what word to use, but it wasn't happiness. It was more than that. "My love. Mine, all mine..." Darius repeated in her ears as he twirled her around. After a few minutes, he dropped her back onto her feet.Brielle remained still for a moment, attempting to regain her breath. Her mind buzzed with so many different thoughts, and she felt dizzy and possibly lightheaded from all the dancing, but that didn't stop her from stretching her toes and kissing Darius on the cheek."How are you feeling?" Darius asked, and she replied. “I feel on top of the world. Or maybe I'm already flying through it; I have no idea
A MONTH LATERDARIUS' POVThe banquet went better than Darius had anticipated.He had hoped for a low-key and personal ceremony in which he could deliver the glad news to his people and seal the everlasting union with his partner, but the event planners had other ideas. They'd gone over and aboard, and he surprisingly approved. Every area of the castle was artistically ornamented with gold and scarlet decorations. Everything was stunning, from the beautiful wall tapestries to the intricate floral arrangements, and the crystal chandelier glowed like a light in the hall's center. It was ethereal. Just like the woman for whom this entire charade was intended. Darius smiled as he continued to glance around. His gaze swept through the guests in the room, mingling, drinking, and speaking in groups. He also watched the servants rushing around carrying platters, refilling drinks, and doing almost anything to keep the party going. Finally, his wandering attention was interrupted by the mo
BRIELLE’S POVThere wasn’t a force more powerful in the universe than love. At least, that was what Brielle was thinking as she watched Darius dress in front of the mirror.Her lips watered as he flexed his muscles to remove the white shirt that hugged his body's curves.They had both healed, and all that remained were the scars. Though as memories converged in her head, she nearly let out a whimper. She’d gone through a lot, and damn! Anytime she remembered the whippings, electric shocks, cold water dousing, and even days she went without food, tears streamed down her cheeks. It wasn't easy to forget what had happened, but with Darius, it was becoming easier than she had expected. He was at her side throughout the recovery process, and she couldn't have asked for anything more. "Like what you see?" Darius smirked, interrupting Brielle's thoughts.He was looking at her through the mirror, and when their eyes met, her cheeks flushed. She looked away."Umm." She murmured and said n
DARIUS POV Darius walked carefully down the corridor with his guards in tow. He’d woke up a few hours earlier, and all he could think about was seeing Brielle. The dream from the day before continued to torment him, keeping him half-awake all night. Now, all he wanted was to see and hug her tightly. Then he’d apologize for how he had neglected her—the anguish he'd caused her by not being present when she needed him most. And maybe she'd forgive him. But would she? The inexplicable torture she went through in Draken Havix's hands, as well as his irresponsible choice to send her out into the wild, was nothing short of horrific. It was unforgivable, and Brielle deserved much better. She deserved more than to be with a man like that. He was a coward and an idiot who couldn’t even admit that she had transformed him from who he used to be to a better person. But then, he was also a selfish fool, so he wouldn’t let her go. Not in this lifetime or the next. Regardless of these thought
SOME DAYS LATERBRIELLE'S POV Her eyelids fluttered slowly, and Brielle groaned softly as a dull pain throbbed through her temples. It took a few more attempts before she could open them properly, and eventually, they slid wide enough for her to see where she was.Brielle had to squint a little until her eyes adjusted to the light, which was in stark contrast to what she was used to - dim lighting, quiet, and empty space. 'Where was she?' She frowned and pondered, 'How did she get here?'.She tried to push herself up into a sitting position but froze when a sharp pain shot through her skull again."Damn it." She muttered quietly, lifting a hand to her forehead, only to discover that it was attached to something, and she could not move it. "Fuck! Where am I?" She cursed aloud and, with her eyes roaming, began taking inventory of the room. And that's when she noticed it. The familiar curtains dangling from the windows. The dark red couches facing one another, and gold-plated side ta
BRIELLE'S POVBrielle's eyes opened and shut as she slipped into and out of consciousness.Her entire body hurt; her head ached, and her chest was on fire. Her eyes were open, but she couldn't see anything, and her eyesight was fuzzy.She could only hear noises, low whispering voices that appeared to come from all directions simultaneously. She could also feel soft wisps of cool breeze on her skin, confirming that she was outside.She wasn't in that terrible cell anymore, being tortured by those evil men.But if she wasn't present, where was she? She remembered sprinting through the palace hallways, looking for a way out, but then...She slowly began to recollect what happened after that. Her memories were returning slowly. Brielle had planned to flee once the guards left, with the cell door open and the key having fallen out of their pocket by accident. She remembered scanning left and right to ensure she didn't knock into anyone. It seemed strange how empty the hallways were.She
DARIUS POVDarius fought with all of his strength. He hit and punched, channeling his inner strength until Draken was a bloody mess.Earlier, when Draken had transformed into a wolf and leaped at him, Darius had been prepared for it. His fangs and claws had sharpened, and he’d transformed into his lycanthrope wolf form. He rarely shifted, but when he did, he wasted no time. As a Lycan, he would always be faster than his opponent and better equipped to catch his prey. So when the man attacked, Darius didn't even think about what he could do. His beast form had switched to autopilot, and its instincts took over. He'd scarcely noticed anything when he attacked. He only felt the pain of the punches and strikes, which weren't too severe because he wasn't on the receiving end of them. Draken, on the other hand, was severely beaten. His hairy face was matted with blood, and there were several large gashes all over his body. At this point, he wasn't even fighting back, just squirming and
BRIELLE'S POV"What is happening?" Brielle overheard the question, as many guards entered the cell with troubled expressions."There is a very big problem." One of them spoke, and despite her weakness, Brielle managed to stretch her ears enough to hear what they were saying. "Which is? Can someone fucking talk to me?" Another guard inquired, and the whip in his hand tumbled to the floor. It fell with a resounding thud, and the sound echoed off the cell walls.The air seemed to cool even more. The room was silent for a long time until one of the guards spoke up again. "Master Draken and Lord Darius are…"Brielle's heart sank when she heard Darius's name."Goodness gracious please, let nothing happen to him…" The words came out of her mouth unexpectedly, almost in prayer, and a stray tear streamed down her left cheek. The guards resumed discussing, but this time in quiet tones, as if frightened Brielle would hear them. It irritated her, and she wanted to yell. She wanted to question t
BRIELLE'S POV "Please…" Brielle begged and screamed at the top of her lungs, but the guards did not stop. The more she pleaded, the more the torture increased, and they continued to whip her body with their batons.But she understood why this was happening. Darius was here again. He'd arrived yesterday, and while she hadn't seen him, the rate at which her torture had risen was clear evidence of this. Her agonizing yells were intended to convey a message to Darius. Draken was using it as a tactic to demonstrate that he still had the upper hand and leverage. Brielle's heart wrenched painfully as she thought of the wicked older man who held her captive. A shiver ran down Brielle's spine as she remembered their talk from last night.He'd informed her that Darius still loved her, and despite her misery, she couldn't deny that his words had given her hope. Even when he made insulting jokes about her and Darius's deaths, a small part of her brain ignored the unpleasant words and focused