“What?”“What if I'm weak because of the emotions Aithan invoked in me? I can't always be strong, can I?” I drew some steps towards his desk. “You might not believe in love now, but you once loved my mom, didn't you?”He paused, glaring at me like I had made the greatest mistake of involving my mother in the conversation. “Don't you dare talk about her with that same mouth you kissed that fucking slut with!”“He's not a fucking slut!” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Aithan is a pure man. You are just blinded by your hatred for him, and the intense desire to get rid of him, just for your so-called revenge.”"Shut the fuck up!" Marcus's face turned beet red with rage, and he slammed his fists on the desk. “How dare you defend him! You're my son, and you'll do as I say. You'll stay away from that…that…abomination!” He fumed, his eyes turning to a deep golden to show his fury. “Ever since he came into your life, you have been acting like a fucking moron!”“Because I love him. Love makes every
AITHAN Pink drove me back to the estate. He didn't ask me what I was doing at the train station when I begged him to pick me up after a supposed holiday with Michelle. I knew he wanted to ask about it, but couldn't bring himself to do that.“What do you want to ask about?” I asked when he packed the car into the only space in our outdoor garage. "You can ask me anything you wish to know instead of looking at me like that." “I…” He gulped, staring hard at his steering wheel before he focused on me. “Where were you? Viktor said you went on a trip with Miss Michelle, but I saw her three days ago, shopping.”All the blood drained from my face when I heard his words. Gulping, I pinched the bridge of my nose before I asked in a tiny voice, “Did you tell Viktor about it?”“Never.” He shook his head. “I called to confirm with you, but your phone wasn't reachable, so I decided to wait for you to return so I can ask about it.”“Oh.” I exhaled in relief. Knowing Viktor wasn't notified was the
“Well… That's the right thing to do.” Pink smiled at me. “Rest assured, I will keep your secret. I will take it to my grave.”“Thanks, man.” I nodded at him before I removed the seatbelt and got out of the car. Pink followed me shortly and headed up to the main house with me. “Do you need my aid with anything?” He asked before I could open the door and step in. I paused and turned to him. “Huh?”“Do you have any task for me to do today? Alpha Viktor gave me an off today. He said I deserved to rest after working for a week in your absence, so I —”“No, I don't need your help with anything.” I waved him off. “Since he asked you to take a day off, do that. You deserve it.” I smiled at him. “Have a nice day. Do whatever you want, you can even visit the bar if you like,” I added with a wink, knowing he could tell what I meant by that. “I will.”“You better. Just go lose some steam.” I turned and headed into the house, gently closing the door behind me. “I'm baackkkkkkkkk!” I yelled in
I gulped, still thinking of a way to salvage the issue. “It's… I…”“Why him? You have always claimed you hate him. Was that all a lie? Why will you even do that?" He looked confused. "I always felt something like this only happens in movies. Who would have guessed a son of mine would do that?!”Viktor was beyond pissed at me. He didn't even try to control his anger. He just let it out, so I would know how he felt. “I only sought him out for his help,” I explained, looking straight into his eyes. “You have to believe me. It wasn't intentional. I —”“Did he force you?” Viktor got up from the loveseat, with his eyes blazing in fury. “Did he make you do it against your will? Did he kidnap you?” I so badly wanted to nod, to lay all the blame on Alex, to claim he seduced me and held me against my will, then videoed it all just so he could blackmail me. Viktor would believe that. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened to me. He would think I was the victim. His hatred fo
Alex called me the minute I got to my room. It was as if he were keeping watch on me to know when I would be alone. Letting out a frustrated sigh at the flash of his name on my screen, I answered the call.“Hello?” I yawned, stretching my muscles. The conversation with Viktor drained me more than I thought it would.“Aithan, where are you?” He sounded urgent, a tone that I would never associate with him. Alex had always kept his cool with me unless he was confessing his love for me.“At home. Where else?” I plopped down on my bed, the soft mattress enveloping me in its comfort. “What's wrong? Why did you call? Don't tell me you missed me?” I lifted a brow, a hint of amusement dancing in my voice.“I do, but it's not that. I have something to tell you. Can you meet me at my casino in a few?”“Coincidentally, I also have something to tell you.” I got up from the bed. “Your call couldn't have come at a more perfect time.”“Okay. See you then.”He disconnected. I pocketed my phone before
“Let's do what??” Alex's eyes widened in shock, and he took a step back as if I had physically punched him. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice shaking slightly as he tried to hold my gaze, but I averted it. “Why are you saying this?” This time his tone was low. “It's just…” I drew a deep breath, trying to steel myself for the conversation. "I mean it, Alex. We can't be together anymore. My father…he knows about us. He saw a picture of us together."“A picture?” He repeated as his face fell, and he looked as if I dumped the worst news on him. “How did he…? Never mind. What did he say to you?”“It doesn't matter what he said. What matters is that he knows, and he will not let us be together. We have to end this, Alex. For our good.” I forced a smile. “You can have my mark removed if that's what's bothering you. We don't belong to each other. We are only together to —”“No!” He growled. Alex's eyes flashed with anger, and he took a step closer to me. “I won't let you do this. We ca
ALEX“Fuck!” I slammed my fist on the desk, making the wood reverberate with the force of my anger. Yet, it didn't sate me. “Fuck!” I cried out, my voice echoing off the walls of my office. I felt like my heart had been ripped out forcefully and trampled under people's feet. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Aithan's words lingered in my mind, cutting deep into my soul. The thought sent a wave of rage coursing through my veins as I tried to regulate my breathing, but it wasn't easy. I couldn't think of a life without him. These past few days with him made me rely fully on his warmth, and on my mate, who knew nothing about our bond. I felt so fucking dead. He hadn't been gone for up to a minute, but it felt like he had been gone forever, leaving a void too big to be filled behind.“No!” I screamed, placing both hands on my head, to stop it from splitting from the pain.With a sudden burst of fury, I swept my arms across the desk, sending papers and pens flying. I kicked ove
AITHANIt hurts. So damned much. I couldn't tell how many hours I drove around the city, trying to clear my mind from the guilt and pain I got from the breakup before I decided to return home. I didn't know it would hurt like this. If I did, I wouldn't have broken up with him. No. Separating was the right choice. I shook my head, trying to dispel it from the thoughts that wanted to take over. I knew staying with Alex wasn't an excellent decision, or else I wouldn't have been affected by this just like I was. All it took was breaking up with him for me to feel like a considerable chunk of my heart had been removed from my body. The nearer I got home, the more convinced I became I made the right decision. However, I couldn't bring myself to call him, not after the hurtful words I said to him. Not only that, but I ignored his calls. “Aithan, what's wrong with you?” I whispered to myself as I stared ahead. It had now gotten dark, showing how long I had driven around to clear my mind.
I never imagined that such a day would come, and faster at that. I wouldn't have believed that I would tie the knot with the person of my choice someday. I had always resolved I would get married to a girl Viktor picked, but Alex showed up and changed my mind. “You look handsome,” Pink said, standing behind me. “You are the most beautiful groom in the entire world.”“Oh, spare me that.” I rolled my eyes. I had gotten enough compliments from Viktor and Sophia, who thought I needed to hear how good I looked, for my ego. I smoothed my suit even though it wasn't necessary, staring into the mirror as a small smile crept up. They were right. I had never looked as good as I did today. It being my wedding made it the best. The black suit fitted me more than I thought it would even though it was custom-made.I paired my black jacket with a crisp white shirt and a black tie, a gift I got from Viktor. He didn't want me to match with the tie that came with my suit. He wanted something of his on
But I wanted more. I wanted him. I tugged him up, kissing him fiercely, then rolled us so I could straddle him.“My turn.” I licked down his chest, tasting salt and heat, then lingering on his nipples until he groaned my name.“Ly, you’re driving me crazy.”I went lower, sucking him slowly and deeply, savouring every shudder he gave me.I moved lower some more and gagged, and Alex’s hand pushed my head back down when I tried to escape, his fingers tangling gently in my hair.“Easy, Ly,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble, his eyes locking onto mine, soft but insistent. I groaned around him, the stretch of my lips around his thick cock sending a shiver through me. I held his gaze, determined to please him, to make him see how beautiful this was.The moonlight spilt over us, catching the gold in his hair, and I felt my chest tighten with how damn beautiful he looked, all raw and open for me.“Fuck, Aithan, you’re so good at this.” He kept brushing my cheek, guiding me as I took him dee
AITHANIt has been a month since the encounter with that bastard rapist, and things had gotten back on track. Ryder like I had suspected wasn't as bad as they made him out to be. Marcus was the one who pulled the string, controlling him with his position as the head of the family. With Ryder gone, the rest of the family united. We got rid of the mafia families that tried to challenge us. After a long day of work, Alex suggested we take a walk in the spring close to his cabin.The spring glittered under the full moon. The surface was a mirror of silver light that stretched across the clearing.I sat beside Alex, my bare feet brushing the cool grass, my eyes fixed on the sky.His golden hair caught the moonlight, shimmering like a halo, and I couldn’t help but steal a glance at him. His eyes were soft yet intense as he stared upward too.He could feel it as much as I could do, the beauty of this moment.The air was crisp, laced with the scent of pine and damp earth, and the night felt
ALEXMy heart left my body when I heard Sophia's words. I leapt from my chair and reached for her, ripping the phone off her hand. My blood grew cold as I read the text. “Did they say what they want?” Ryder asked behind me, reaching my side in a few strides. “Yes, they —”I passed the phone back to Sophia before she could complete her words and headed out, almost ripping the door off its hinges from the force I tore through it with. I heard echoing footsteps behind me as I headed for my car, but before I could open the door, Ryder placed his hand on the doorknob, stopping me. “Get your hands off!” I growled. “This isn't the fucking time to play!”“Do I look like I'm playing?” He glared, matching my tone. “You can't drive in your state. Let me do that. I promise I will take you there in time.”“Fuck off! This doesn't concern you.” I ripped his hand off, but he was persistent, holding me before I could open the door. “It concerns me, Alex. Now that I have decided to forgo the past
AITHANI know I was such a fool when I left the house without telling Alex the truth of where I was heading. I lied to him that I was going over to my bar when I wasn't. Today made it 2 days and close to 48 hours since I received the letter, and I was on my way to meet whoever sent it. On the back of the letter, they had written how to meet them. One of the specific requirements was for me to come alone else they would send the video to Alex. To keep my lover from discovering my past from them, I had to do something stupid.I know I can fight should it get to that, but there was no way of knowing what I would be up against. What if they had a gun? What if they had other people with them? I couldn't risk it. I had to play it safe, no matter how much it pained me to do so.I didn't take my car with me, as that would make it difficult for me to keep Alex in the dark. He has a tracker in my car and would know wherever I am. To be on the safer side, I had to leave my car at home and take
ALEX“Can I have a chat with you?” Ryder said when he walked into my study. He knocked before he stepped in, though. What I didn't like was how he looked like it was his right to speak to me, even if I didn't want that. “What do you want to talk about?” I closed the laptop to face him. He lifted a brow. “Won't you offer me a seat?”I gritted my teeth, keeping my anger in check. So he wouldn't gloat that he had won. I gestured to the seat across from mine. “Have a seat.”“Now that's more like.” Grinning, he sat on the chair and crossed his legs, watching me. He didn't say a word for a long time. He just watched me. “What is it you wish to discuss? Don't tell me you came in here to stare at me?” I broke the silence between us, irritated. “What if I did?” I narrowed my eyes. “I don't have all the time in the world for your shenanigans, Ryder. Why are you here?”“Where is Aithan? Your lover?”“Why? What's with you asking about him?” If I was suspicious about him from the time he step
AITHAN Ryder was lucky I was in the sitting room with Alex when he arrived, else his blood would have decorated the floor. Alex would have had his head for just looking at me, but I stopped him. My lover just doesn't seem to know his stepbrother was baiting him. Ryder, despite knowing what would have gone down if I didn't stop Alex, smiled, winked at me, turned on his steps and walked towards the stairs with his small bag. We watched him leave, humming under his breath and with a slight swag to his steps. It wasn't until he was out of earshot that I heard Sophia exhale. “Thank fuck," she whispered, looking at me with a sad smile. He didn't even look at her. What a brother he was. I bet he only wanted Sophia to return with him to the city, so she wouldn't be near Alex. “I hate him,” Alex muttered under his breath. “He's not —” I swallowed down the word I wanted to say. Letting it out would infuriate my lover, who looked like he was losing it. Ryder wasn't bad, though. I didn't
ALEX I would be a damned liar if I said I didn't feel there was something Aithan was keeping from me. I knew he didn't tell me everything, but there was no way to confirm that. He hid that letter, and I couldn't find it in the room when I searched for it. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right, but Aithan kept on insisting that he was okay and that the letter was just from someone who might have seen him killing those men. I asked if it was the same man he thought he saw at the restaurant. He hesitated before he denied it. I didn't believe that, but who was I to argue with him?I couldn't just afford to be given cold shoulders, as that was something Aithan was excellent at. Any minor argument, he will keep a long face, and make me grovel on my feet just to get back with him. Not like I was complaining or anything. “Good morning,” he whispered, rubbing his eyes. I had been long awake, staring at the ceiling, while he slept. I didn't just want to disturb him
“Open the letter and check. You might get an inkling of who sent it,” Alex said, his voice breaking the silence.I hesitated for a moment, my heart racing with anxiety. What if it was something bad? What if it were someone from my past, come to haunt me? I didn't want to open it. I wanted to throw the letter as far away from me as I could, but Alex's encouraging gaze gave me the courage to open the envelope. I slid my finger under the flap and pulled out the letter inside.As I unfolded the paper, my eyes scanned the page, my heart sinking with every word. It was a letter, all right. But it wasn't from a friend or a bill collector. It was from someone who knew my darkest secrets, someone who threatened to expose me to the world.My hands shook as I read it, my mind reeling with fear. How did they know? Who told them? And what did they want from me?Blinking, I reread the letter. "Aithan,I know what happened that night. I know what those men did to you. And I know what you did to the