BRIELLE’S POVBrielle had trouble sleeping that night. She tossed and turned, her hands by her sides until she finally stopped moving her body compliantly as she faced the ceiling. The gold light that shone brightly from the bulb fixed up was the only lighting in her tiny little room, and she didn't want to turn it off because she wasn't ready to sleep yet. Brielle was also afraid of the dark, and as she stared, mesmerized by the golden flecks illuminating her tiny room, she knew she was going to sleep with the lights on. Perhaps her fear of the dark was not the only reason she had the lights on. She was only deceiving herself because she had other reasons for not turning off the lights. She refused to close her eyes and succumb to slumber even when it was calling to her because of another chilling reason; because of the memories that constantly flooded and plagued her mind.Memories of the training room, the rigorous coaching she had to endure over the last few days, and the ho
DARIUS POV"What are you doing here at this late hour?" Darius stood stiffly by the large steel door entrance that led to his room of naked paint collections, his hands folded at the side and his brow raised as he watched the small figure in the lit-up room. It was her, his mate, the beautiful and irresistible Brielle Warren.He'd been upstairs, by the corridor rather, sipping a glass of chilled wine when he noticed the figure waddling around the mansion, and then she'd entered this space, which was one of his privates and a part of the mansions he forbade his submissives from entering. Only the maid specially assigned to clean this part of the mansion and the guards who usually stood by every nook and cranny of the environs were allowed down this part. He was more than surprised when he stepped into the corridor that led straight to the room she had entered, and no single guard was by the corner. No guard seemed to be in sight, and cursing, his reflexes on high alert, he had caut
DARIUS POVDarius concentrated on the lavish meal before him, spoon clanging as he ate hurriedly. The maids who were here at his beck and call, as well as the guards who protected him as usual, surrounded him in the large dining room where he feasted alone. On a normal day, he would have eaten slowly, taking his time and enjoying the delicious dishes laid out for him, but today was different. Tonight was different. It was the night he would take the new submissives to his bed tonight. He couldn't wait to have them, no, Brielle, the lady who haunted his dreams, crawling under him and thrashing wildly while he fucked her. His mate... Even to his ears, the word sounded surreal, and now that he thought about it, he knew their time together would be more than magical and exactly what he desired. He was looking forward to his session with her, so he requested that she be the first woman to enter his chambers. He'd exhaust all his energy on her and reserve the rest for the next submis
BRIELLE’S POVBrielle was stunned when she closed her eyes, succumbing to a never-ending slumber, only to open them and see the sun rays streaming through her window in all their shimmers and glory. As quickly as the morning came, so did the night, and then came the moment. It was tonight. Finally, she would be stripped of any remaining decency and dignity, and she had no idea whether it would be for the better or worse. Brielle had slept with dread last night after Lady Delilah had interrupted her dressing session, wondering why Lord Darius had chosen to attend to Madeline first and not her. She suspected Lady Delilah was involved or that it was because she was inexperienced and lacked any expertise, and she didn't want Lord Darius to have to struggle on the first night, which was probably why Lady Delilah had ordered her to be arranged tonight. This unconfirmed knowledge did bother her, but she reminded herself that she didn't know why yet, so she couldn't afford to be plague
DARIUS POV"Please come in..." Darius mumbled slowly, his arms outstretched on the cool, dark couch he was sitting on. The rapt knock on the door had caught his attention, and his body was already anticipating her arrival, so he yelled out something without even asking who it was. But he knew she was the one. Brielle... He'd been waiting for her since the clock beside where he was seated struck ten. The steeled door burst open, revealing her in a blindfold, flanked by two maids. When they saw him, they quickly bowed and waved before leaving her hands and walking away. His gaze swept over her body seductively, and the blue-lit lights in the dim room did justice in highlighting her curves, which were hidden beneath a robe. He had no idea if the robe was red, green, or blue. She was standing at the room's doorway, trembling softly as she had done the night before, her hands pleated on her sides, and he could feel her shivers. His wolf was communicating with hers, and he could alm
DARIUS POVDarius watched as Brielle dropped to her knees upon hearing his command.Arching her back, she placed her hands on the floor exactly as he instructed, and with her eyes open, she stared right at him. She began to crawl towards him without further delay just as he counted the steps. "One... two... three..." As he watched her trembling figure, dressed in lacy lingerie and crawling towards him like a slut, he was more than aroused. Darius was irreversibly satisfied by the blue light from the room illuminating her skin and making her look more alluring. She was so obedient, not making any noise or arguing at all, and he liked it.Delilah appeared to have done well, and now it was his turn to dominate and claim her. He wasn’t the only one excited to be inside her tight virgin pussy wall, as his wolf was equally hungry to devour its mate. Hands flicking his lips, he said slowly, “Crawl faster to me.”His husky dominating voice resonated in the room, a devilish smirk curling
DARIUS POVDarius paced restlessly around the room, his hands on his waist as he waited for Lady Delilah’s arrival.He needed to clear the air, and he needed to know what training Brielle had received that had her underperforming. He didn't care that it was late; the mansion was still buzzing, and he knew Delilah would also be awake. Furthermore, whenever he had sessions with new submissives, Delilah would always stay at the mansion because she would check on them afterward to see if they had done well. But tonight would be different because he was filled with rage that he couldn't even describe. The images of Eve kept flashing through his mind, only to be replaced by Brielle repeatedly, and it disgusted him. Her moans and sobs rang in his ears, and the sight of her trembling naked figure on his bed made him curse aloud. “Fuck!” As he continued to pace his chambers, he twisted his neck and cracked his knuckles. He had put on his trousers after the embarrassing moment, his hard
BRIELLE’S POV Brielle slid to the ground, tears pouring out of her eyes in waves as she began to sob, shutting the door of her room instantly. She buried her face in her thighs, hands folded around her legs, clutching what was left of her tattered robe, not caring that her makeup was already smeared across her hands. She couldn't keep it in any longer, and the thought of Lady Delilah coming to scold her made everything worse. Her entire body ached, her heart had been shattered, and her wolf was extremely disappointed in her. She could hear its howls and her subconscious telling her countless times that she had messed up horribly and that all she had to do now was wait for her nemesis to catch up with her. She knew that tonight's events would spread like wildfire throughout the mansion. She had heard murmurs from the guards and maids as she walked to her room, head bowed in shame and half-stricken. Aside from that, she could feel their gazes bore a hole in her back, and she was
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