Jaselyn's POV
Shortly after Zane and Isla's departure, one of Isla’s maids showed up to take me to my new room. She had a disgusted sneer on her face and it was obvious that she hated my presence.
Well that makes the two of us because if I had my way, I'd rather be anywhere else.
I dragged my feet as I followed her but I had to pause when we reached a creaky set of stairs that led upwards towards what seemed like an attic. I thought she was taking me to my room, why are we going up there?
The maid led me up the crooked steps, before she callously flung open the door to reveal a very nasty, rundown attic, filled with cobwebs and scattered rubbish littering every available space.
The maid then turned to face me with a cruel smile on her face.
"Congratulations, wench. This is your new room.” She announced, her voice dripping with cold indifference.
“I have a name, it's Jaselyn.” I retorted and she snorted.
“Whatever.”
I scanned the dusty, pathetic space and was horrified to see two huge rats skitter across the room's dusty floor.
“You’re surely joking.” I muttered to the maid with widened eyes. Even a dog wouldn’t live in such a place.
The maid's face twisted into a nasty sneer as she eyed me with obvious disdain.
"How dare you complain? You should be thankful that you have a roof over your head. Luna Isla could have made you sleep in the cold! This is the palace, you should be grateful you're even allowed to live here.” With that, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door in my face.
I took a deep breath through my nose to steady my breathing and dispel the anger that was beginning to bubble within me. There was no use losing my temper over the maid's nasty attitude. I had bigger problems to deal with.
“Maybe it’s not so bad, if we clean it up a little, it could become comfortable.” Nila said in an attempt to comfort me.
I turned around to survey the room once again, only to be horrified when a dozen cockroaches scattered for cover under the bed. I had a vision of those disgusting pests crawling all over me as I slept and the image sent a shiver down my spine.
“Heck no! We are getting out of here!” I said back to Nila.
My gaze swiftly scanned around the room for exit points until they finally landed on the windows of the attic.
They were also coated with grime and cobwebs but they sparkled with a glimmer of hope for my escape.
Without wasting any more time, I rushed towards them and tried to push them open only to be met with disappointment – they were nailed shut! Sealing my fate to spend the night in this vermin-infested prison.
Refusing to lose hope, I turned my attention to the attic door, but before I could even take another step forward, my ears caught the sound of distant movements within the palace. I couldn’t leave just yet, if I tried to, they would just find me and drag me back.
No, I had to make my escape in the cover of night, hopefully when everyone was asleep.
I grabbed a broom and sweeped the floor, clearing out as much garbage as I could, unable to stay in this filth a moment longer.
I dusted the bed and took a seat, biding my time and waiting for nightfall.
I wasn’t sure if it was because of the physical exhaustion of the day, or the emotional abuse I had endured — but I ended up somehow falling asleep. I wasn’t even aware I had been asleep until something wet and icy cold splashed on my face, causing me to jolt awake in a panic.
I didn't have time to wonder where I was before Isla's mocking laughter cut through my confusion.
"Get up, you stupid wench! Do you think you're a princess or something? As long as you live here, you must earn your keep." she yelled at me and I blinked in confusion.
It was then it suddenly dawned on me. I was still a prisoner here, I wasn’t able to escape last night like I had planned.
I felt my throat tighten painfully as hot regret flooded my thoughts for letting myself fall asleep. How did I let myself do that?!
I dragged myself out of bed and followed Isla. She led me to a room that turned out to be the pack’s laundry room.
"Now listen, wench. I want you to hand wash all these clothes till they sparkle like glass.”
My eyes scanned the mountains of clothes before looking back at her in horror. Was she freaking serious?
“First of all, don't call me that. You already know my name. Secondly, there's a washing machine sitting right there, at the corner of this room so why would I hand wash your clothes?” I asked and the glare that Isla gave me could have disintegrated me right there and then.
“I’ll call you whatever I wish. And why would I waste such valuable equipment when your hands are fully functional?”
I glared at her while she smirked, reveling in my humiliation.
“This is low even for you, you should know it'll take at least four people to finish this!”
Isla’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “ Exactly, that's exactly why I've instructed you to do it alone. It seems you've forgotten already so let me remind you. You're nothing but a slave, Jaselyn dear. You're my husband's little cocksleeve and a living incubator for my children. As long as you stay in this palace, you will follow my rules and do whatever the fuck I say like an obedient little dog because you belong at my feet.
Now begin if you wish to keep that pretty little face intact, accidents do happen.” She mocked and I bit back a retort.
Arguing with her is pointless, this is all Zane's fault. He brought me here and it's because of him that I'm having to go through all of this. I should murder him in his sleep when I get the chance.
I reluctantly began washing the clothes while Isla placed that haughty maid of hers from earlier to supervise. The girl was a real menace, she nearly talked my ears off as I washed the clothes, instructing me on the dos and don'ts as if I had never washed clothes before. I eventually had to zone out on whatever she was saying.
Isla sashayed back into the room sometime later, it's already been hours and I'd just finished washing the last piece of clothing.
She took a look at the clothes and confirmed with the maid that I had indeed washed all of them.
“It's good to know that you're not completely useless. Your skills will surely come in handy in this palace, I have a task that's specially for you. Now come with me.” She suddenly directed at me and I didn't have a chance to protest before she roughly grabbed my arm and dragged me all the way to the east wing of the palace.
“The task is simple, I want you to paint the walls. All the walls in this part of the palace should be retouched and the end result should be fabulous or else I'll have you do it all over again, after a little punishment to boost your creativity.” She spoke casually like a teacher giving her students some homework.
“Are you crazy? The palace is huge, there's no way I could paint all the walls in this wing. I don't even know how to, it's something I've never done before.” A backhanded slap had me jolting backwards and seeing stars. I haven't had a single thing to eat and I've exhausted the last of my strength. Any more of this and I'm sure to pass out. Maybe it'll be a good thing. Isla won't be able to drag my unconscious body around and force it to do meaningless work.
“I've told you to stop arguing with me. Are you insane or are you unable to understand something so simple? I don't care how you do it, I want it done as soon as possible.” She raved at me before turning to the maid. “Osha, get her the paint.”
“Yes, Luna.” The maid was gone and returned in a minute with two buckets of paint.
“You can go fetch the ladder in the basement, now get to work. I want this done in two hours, if you're even a minute late, there will be consequences. You have been warned.” Isla ordered and left with her snotty little maid who kept throwing me mocking glances.
What even is that girl's problem with me?
I was already too exhausted to overthink so I made my way to the basement and found the ladder covered in cobwebs. After a little dusting, I somehow hoisted the thing over to the first wall I would be painting.
My vision blurred uncontrollably and my stomach twisted with hunger, I stopped to catch my breath and tried to blink away the daze.
I climbed the ladder and began painting the first wall while humming my mother's favorite song which she had taught me as a child. It somehow always made life a little easier and before I realized it, I was done with the first wall.
I couldn't stop to admire my work as my stomach rumbled uncontrollably again, threatening to digest itself. I took a few minutes to catch my breath again before moving the stupidly heavy ladder over to the opposite wall. I climbed it and began painting again but I had barely managed a few strokes before my vision suddenly turned black.
I lost all sense of direction and it felt like I was being sucked into nothingness. Blinking back the darkness, I was met with a horrifying discovery.
In my disoriented state, I'd let go of the ladder and I was falling to the ground fast!
Jaselyn's POVI assured myself that only a few bones would be broken but I'd live yet it couldn't dispel the petrifying fear that seized my being. I closed my eyes shut tight, bracing for impact but instead I felt strong arms wrap around me and bring me into a warm embrace that strangely felt safe.I didn't know if I was imagining things so I kept my eyes closed, holding onto the person’s shirt tightly. A familiar scent tickled my senses but with my adrenaline addled brain, I couldn't remember who it belonged to.“It's OK, you're safe with me.” A soft voice cooed and my eyes flew open to meet the kindest emerald eyes I'd ever seen. It was Rion, the Beta who had been nice to me when I had been forcefully brought here. My cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment when I realized he'd caught me and basically saved me from falling but he still held me securely in his arms and my hands gripped his shirt tightly.“Um…..” I tried to speak and he seemed to understand as he dropped me to my feet c
Jaselyn's POV I stood there, staring at his large body sitting on my small bed. He had a devilish smile on his face as his lustful eyes roamed my body until I couldn't help but feel bare.I hugged myself, somehow managing not to cringe at his scrutinizing gaze but I could still see his eyes hungrily searching my body for any patch of exposed skin.My lips formed into a scowl as I glared at him.“What are you doing in my room?” I snapped irritatedly.I watched as his eyes narrowed at my tone.“Jaselyn dear, do you like it when I'm mean to you? Do I really have to remind you that you cannot speak to me like that? I might have brought you here but I’m still your Alpha!” He spoke calmly, the last bit sounding like a warning but I just rolled my eyes at him which made him growl at me.“My apologies, what are you doing in my room Alpha?” The sarcasm in my voice was clear and I relished in the look of annoyance that flickered across his face.It was obvious that he was losing his patience w
Jaselyn's POVI woke up with a jolt, rising up so fast from the bed that the aches returned with a vengeance. My head was aching as well and I nursed my temple, trying to clear my vision.I had just woken up from a nightmare, one in which Zane had kissed me and then dug a knife right into my back. He backed away with a malicious grin, telling me how much of a fool I was to trust him. In the next minute, before I could even react to the pain of having a knife lunged deep into my back, Isla pushed me off the cliff. As I fell down with a scream, slowly dropping down into the abyss, I saw Zane holding Isla closely while she carried what seemed to be a newborn sleeping peacefully.As I rubbed my forehead gently, everything began to come back to me vividly like a scene playing right before my eyes. I shake my head as if to make it go away.“I promise we won't let it happen. We'll survive this, we'll become stronger and we'll get out of here. We'll go make all our dreams come true, I promis
Jaselyn's POV Finding Isla’s room was very easy, with the direction of one of the maids, I easily spotted the biggest, most beautifully decorated room in the palace.But nothing prepared me for the sheer luxury I would find when I opened the room.The room was so large that it looked like a five star luxury suite. Everything was beautifully decorated and probably cost a fortune. Every inch of its space spoke of a type of wealth and privilege beyond anything I had ever known and would ever hope to know.Even the bed and lavish furniture looked so darn soft and fluffy that I had to physically hold myself back from falling into it. If this room were mine, I would probably go to sleep every night with the biggest smile on my face.And at that point I couldn’t help but wonder. How could someone with a bed this big and soft be so cruel and heartless? How could a woman with so much privilege take joy in oppressing others? I guess it goes to show that money truly isn't everything.I walked
Jaselyn's POV My eyes widened at the shocking accusation. Moi? Stole a diamond necklace? When did I even have the time to steal anything when she kept me working all day? But she must have already known that.“Isla.” I tried to begin calmly, fighting back the anger building up within me. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I never stole anything, I never even saw a diamond necklace anywhere.” There must have been some kind of misunderstanding or she had probably just misplaced it but I didn't get the chance to say that because she was still yelling at me.“I’m talking about the diamond necklace my husband gifted me on our wedding night. He gave it to me to signify our love and commitment to each other. I always wear it to important gatherings so everyone in the pack knows about it, you're obviously feigning innocence. I know you stole it out of jealousy. Now tell me where it is?!” She yelled even louder than before.“I’m not lying!” I bit back in frustration. “I didn’t ev
Jaselyn's POV “I was in the middle of a very important meeting which I had to dismiss suddenly after being informed that my attention was needed for something very urgent. So Isla, do tell me what was so important that it couldn't wait.” Zane demanded, the strain in his voice indicating that he was far from pleased.This was the first time I had seen Zane even remotely displeased with his precious wife, and I was truly surprised by it. I thought she could never do anything wrong in his eyes.I guess that it goes to show that you can never ever trust him to always be on your side. Zane was the kind of man who would treat you however he liked, whenever it suited him. Just like how he dumped me right after taking my virginity.Isla immediately rushed over to his side with a feigned look of innocence on her face as she clung to his arm.“Darling, I didn't mean to trouble you so. You know I wouldn't intrude in your work hours if it wasn't urgent but this is a matter that has cut too deepl
Jaselyn's POV Ocha's eyes were bulging down at the diamond necklace that had just fallen out of her pocket to our feet. For the first time ever, I saw her shiver as she darted backwards in horror.“How….I didn't— I…..It's not—When—” She stuttered out nonsensically.“Ocha? But how is that possible?” Isla muttered in disbelief. It sounded like she couldn't believe that Ocha had betrayed her in such a manner, but in reality, only the three of us knew that she was in shock at how her plan could have possibly backfired so badly.Ocha looked up at the Alpha and the Luna with stunned eyes and quivering lips.“Alpha— I—This isn't— I didn't do this, I swear. I don't know how—” It seemed like she couldn't stop stammering, so I just shook my head at her with a disappointed look on my face.“There's no use lying to us now, Ocha. You've been caught red-handed. Just admit to your crime and take your punishment with dignity,” I advised with as much sympathy in my voice as possible.Ocha's gaze snap
Jaselyn's POV True to his words, Zane ensured that Ocha was viciously whipped with 30 lashes in view of the whole pack. I watched as people sneered, spat and gossiped about her. I shivered to think that it would have been me in that same position if I hadn’t been quick enough to outsmart Ocha and her evil twisted psychopath of a mistress. Speaking of psychopathic mistresses, I hadn’t seen Isla since her chilling threat. It made me feel a little nervous to wonder what she must be up to at the moment.Nila snickered at that. “She’s probably somewhere in her evil lair, silently plotting how to make our life a living hell.” Nila predicted and I felt a shiver run down my spine when I realized that my wolf was most probably right.But I had no idea how right she was until I arrived back at the palace from watching Ocha’s punishment when I suddenly saw Isla walking up to me with a sadistic smile on her face.She looked too happy to be normal. She looked more happy than any woman should be
Celio's POV The wooden floor creaked under my knees as I scrubbed away at the dirt, pushing the rag back and forth with all the strength my small, 8 year old body could muster. The chill of the mountain wind seeped through the cracks in the old walls, biting at my skin. My hands were raw and red, the rough texture of the rag scraping against my knuckles. I didn’t mind. I didn’t mind the pain, the hunger gnawing at my stomach, or the loneliness that pressed on me like an iron weight. I was used to it.I glanced out the cracked window at the gray sky that mirrored my feelings. The little shack we lived in sat at the base of the mountain, far away from any Pack. Isla had always told me that it was better this way—away from the people who would look at me and know that I wasn’t wanted, that I was abandoned by the very woman who should have loved me most.“Your mother didn’t want you, Celio,” Isla would say, her voice sharp and filled with disdain. “She threw you away like you were nothing
Luka's POV The day started out like any other. Mika, Sawyer, and I were playing in the woods behind the palace, chasing each other through the trees, our laughter echoing in the air. At seven years old, we were pretending to be fierce wolves on a hunt, leaping over fallen logs and dodging branches. It was perfect, like it always was when we were together.But then everything changed in an instant.I heard the thud first—a sound so sharp and heavy that it made my heart skip a beat. I stopped and turned around, the world seeming to move in slow motion as I saw Mika crumple to the ground, his face twisted in pain.“Mika!” I shouted, racing back to him. The sight that met me made my stomach lurch. His leg was twisted at an odd angle, and there was blood—so much blood—pouring out of a long, deep gash along his shin. It covered the grass, bright and red, and kept coming. I couldn’t breathe.Sawyer came running up, her eyes huge and frightened as she saw the blood. “Luka, what happened?” sh
Jaselyn's POV I took his hand, and he pulled me close, holding me from behind as we swayed gently to the music. His lips brushed my ear as he whispered, “You’re beautiful, you know that? Even after everything, you’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And I’m the luckiest man alive to have you.”Tears pricked my eyes, but they weren’t tears of sadness this time. They were tears of happiness, of gratitude. “Rion… you don’t know how much that means to me.”He kissed my neck softly. “You mean everything to me, Jas.”Suddenly, the music stopped, and a projector flickered on. I turned to see a slideshow of pictures—our memories together. Photos of us when we first arrived at the Pack, a few of the whole family, some from the day of our mating ceremony, which also doubled with the coronation, pictures of us as Alpha and Luna at a few events, including one of us at the Peace Ball. Pictures of me with the twins when they were born and finally, pictures of us with Luka and Mika. I
Jaselyn’s POVExhausted didn’t even begin to cover how I felt. I was beyond it. No, it was more like EXHAUSTED in capital letters, underlined and bold. It had been a few days since Luka and Mika were born, and though I’d prepared myself for the sleepless nights and constant feeding, nothing could have readied me for the complete overwhelm of being a new mother to two newborns at the same time. Rion helped as much as he could. He was always there, doing everything in his power to make things easier for me. But there was only so much even he could do. There were things I had to handle myself—breastfeeding, comforting them when they both decided to cry at the same time, managing the constant pain in my body that hadn’t fully recovered from the trauma of childbirth.Luka was a good feeder. He latched on almost immediately, eager to nurse, but Mika wasn’t doing as well. He struggled with breastfeeding, and that meant more time spent trying to get him to eat, more time stressing about whet
Jaselyn's POVFive years have passed since the birth of our twin boys.And in those years, Luka and Mika had grown into mischievous, spirited children who constantly kept me on my toes. They were inseparable, their bond unbreakable, and they moved through life with a shared sense of curiosity and adventure.Completely identical, they inherited the dominant Solstice genes with their ebony black hair, deep green eyes, and strikingly beautiful features. They were so similar in appearance that even their grandmother couldn’t tell them apart.Only Rion and I could tell which was Luka and which was Mika, and the boys often used this to their advantage, tricking everyone around them. But when they weren’t up to mischief, they were the sweetest children imaginable—kind, considerate, and always eager to bring a smile to my face.They were the best of friends, always looking out for each other. If one fell ill,
Rion's POV“That’s it, Luna,” the midwife encouraged. “The hardest part is over. Just one more push, and we’ll have him out.”Jaselyn nodded weakly, her face pale and slick with sweat. She gritted her teeth, her whole body trembling as she summoned the last of her strength. With a final, desperate scream, she pushed again, her body arching off the bed as she bore down with everything she had left.The baby slipped free with a gush of fluid and blood, his tiny body wriggling and slick in the midwife’s hands. “It’s a boy!” she announced, holding him up for us to see, his loud, piercing cries filling the room.My heart swelled with emotion as I gazed at our son, his tiny face scrunched up in a wail, his fists clenched and shaking. Tears blurred my vision as I looked at Jaselyn. “He’s beautiful,” I choked out, my voice thick with emotion. “Jas, you did it. You gave us a
Rion's POVI slammed my fist against the desk, sending papers flying. The frustration had been building for months, and now it was boiling over. "Dammit!" I cursed, pacing the room in a futile attempt to calm myself. We had conquered the Rain Forest Pack with ease, but it had been a hollow victory. Hadrian, that fool, had chosen to die rather than betray his cousin, Isla. He'd poisoned himself before we could get any information out of him. Another dead end.The Fishers were a twisted bunch. Part of me relished the thought of wiping them out for good, to rid the world of their poison. Isla had slipped through our fingers, and I was beginning to fear we’d never find her. If I could only get my hands on her, I would make her pay for taking Celio. She would wish she had never been born.Blade had been another disappointment, another dead end in our search for Celio. We had pushed him to his absolute limits, hoping that the pain and pressure would force
Jaselyn's POV“Maybe we could…shower together?” I suggested hesitantly. “It might help me relax.”Rion smiled softly, his eyes filled with understanding. “That sounds like a great idea. Come on, let’s get cleaned up.”We both undressed completely, and I followed him into the bathroom. He turned on the shower, adjusting the water temperature until it was just right, then we stepped under the warm spray together.The water cascaded over us, washing away the tension and the grime from the day. Rion wrapped his arms around me from behind, holding me close as the water streamed down our bodies. I leaned back against him, feeling the steady beat of his heart against my back. His touch was gentle, his hands moving over my skin with care, never lingering too long in one place.He washed my hair, his fingers massaging my scalp in slow, soothing circles. I closed my eyes, letting myself relax under
Jaselyn's POVI agreed to see Nae, but only because I needed to know if she could give me any information about where Isla might have taken Celio. It was my only lead, and I wasn’t about to let it slip through my fingers, no matter how much I despised Nae.Before heading to see her, I turned to Rion. His clothes were torn and stained with dirt and blood from the battle. He looked tired, and I could see the weariness in his eyes despite his usual confident stance. He needed rest, and he needed to be taken care of. After everything he had done for me, it was the least I could do for him.“Come with me,” I said softly, taking his hand. I led him back to our bedroom, feeling a mixture of nerves and determination. “Rion, I want our lives to go back to normal,” I began, my voice wavering slightly. “I want to feel close to you again.”He looked at me with a mix of surprise and concern. “Jas, you don’t h