*Threat to Us*Third Person's POV:Harden pivoted in the room, the cool air doing little to calm the storm raging inside him. He had to find a way to meet with Arthur and probably convince him to drop Elara's father's case. Surely, Arthur wouldn't want to stain his reputation for a man like Gerald. If he heard about the things Gerald was involved in, he'd likely drop the case.The door creaked open, and Caitlin stepped in, staring at the pacing Harden with lazy eyes. He probably landed himself in some huge trouble, which was why he needed her, she thought. Caitlin made her way to the couch in the room, crashed on it, and flung her bag to the side."I told you I had so much to do and plan for the wedding. Why did you call me here?" she asked in a cold tone, which made Harden feel guilty and ashamed of himself. He was so stupid that he found it hard to handle the slightest problem. Harden knew that Caitlin loved him, and she was so innocent that he didn't need to involve her in his mess
* We'll Figure Everything Out*Third Person's POV:The drive back was suffocatingly silent. Arthur felt a heavy weight on his shoulders and chest as he stared out the window. He couldn't stop blaming himself for what had happened to Elara's father. His mind went back to the time when he had picked up an unconscious Elara from the roadside and taken her home. He recalled how she had pleaded with him to help her father, but he hadn't listened.Arthur barely cared about others. To him, there were two types of people in the world: his people and the other people. Back then, Elara had belonged to the category of the other people, and there was no way he would have chosen to fight against Harden's pack for her sake. His sister had been betrothed to Harden, but now, he didn’t care about his relationship with Harden.If he had listened to Elara back then, perhaps her father would have been free. But now, Harden's father and others were involved.Elara's father was entangled in something far m
Third Person's Pov:*We'll Figure Everything Out - 2*Once Arthur returned from the bathroom, the fresh, clean scent of his body wash and shampoo filled the room. His blonde hair was still damp, beads of water clinging to his skin as he dried his hair with a towel. The light from the bedside lamp cast a soft glow on his skin, highlighting the strong lines of his arms and shoulders. As he moved, the muscles in his back flexed slightly.Elara, seated on the edge of the bed, clutching the clothes she had chosen for him, couldn’t help but stare, her eyes tracing the contours of his frame without realizing it. Her mind wandered, captivated by the simple yet intimate moment. She admired the way he moved so effortlessly, the way he carried himself with a pride and dominance that seemed to radiate from him. The warmth of the room mixed with the coolness of his presence, and she felt her cheeks flush at the thoughts running through her mind. She still couldn't believe this fine man, who looked
Every Man's Got to Have an IdentityArthur's POV:After I left the house, I drove my car to my office, going straight to the meeting room.Elias and Tony were already there when I entered. Elias leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and his sharp eyes focused on me, while Tony sat nearby, scribbling something in his notebook. The man always looked calm and serious with work, as if nothing in the world could shake him. It made sense—he was the pack’s gamma and a highly respected lawyer in town. He dealt with dangerous legal matters every day.“Alpha,” Elias greeted, his voice low and steady as he moved to the table, drawing out a chair for me before taking a seat in the third chair. “I got the information you asked for.”I nodded and gestured for him to continue, taking the seat at the head of the table. Tony looked up from his notes, waiting silently.Elias pulled out a piece of paper from his jacket, placing it on the table. “It wasn’t easy gathering these names. People these
*A Struggle for Survival*Just when Arthur thought he would black out, his eyes snapped open, and his body trembled in agony. It felt like the Moon Goddess was giving him a second chance, urging him to do all he could to stay alive. He fought desperately to stay conscious.The pain from the open wound surged through him like waves, threatening to drown him. His vision blurred, the world around him spinning wildly as he struggled to keep himself awake.Black, abnormal blood seeped from the wound, and though he was vaguely aware of Tony’s desperate movements nearby, all he could focus on was the fire consuming his body from within.*Stay awake. For Elara. For the pack, and Family.* His mind repeated it over and over, a mantra to keep him grounded. Each breath was a battle, shallow and ragged, as if even the air resisted him. Arthur clenched his fists, a groan escaping him as he tried to force the pain down to his stomach.“This can’t be it,” he muttered under his breath. “I can't... Thi
*Witches Help*It wasn’t long before Arthur’s parents arrived, their expressions grim and heavy with worry. His father, the previous Alpha, stood tall, his face a mask of control, but the tension in his body betrayed his fear. His mother, the former Luna, clutched her husband’s arm, her eyes wide with concern as she gazed at Arthur lying unconscious on the healer’s table.Mira turned to them, her face pale. “I need your permission to reach out to a witch coven. The bullet that struck Arthur… it’s filled with dark magic. I can’t treat it here. They might have the antidote.”The room fell into a heavy silence.His father’s eyes narrowed. “A witch coven?” His voice was low, filled with disdain. “After everything we’ve been through with witches, you think we should trust them now?” There was anger evident in his tone.Mira hesitated but held her ground. “I understand your history, but the Alpha’s life is at stake. This magic is old, older than anything I’ve seen. If we don’t do something,
*Fading***Arthur's POV:**Everything hurts.There’s no other way to describe it. Every breath feels like fire, every movement sends shockwaves of agony through my body. The wound in my chest throbs, pulsing in rhythm with my slowing heartbeat. I can feel the blood leaving me, feel the life draining from my body with every passing second. I try to focus, to stay conscious, but the world around me keeps blurring and spinning.I can't lose this fight—not now, not after everything.But my body isn’t listening to me anymore. My limbs are heavy, too heavy to move, and I feel myself sinking deeper into the cold. My vision fades in and out, darkness creeping into the edges of my mind. I struggle to hold on, to keep myself tethered to reality, but it’s slipping away. Fast.“Arthur, stay with us.”The voice is distant, muffled, like it’s coming from far away. It’s Tony—I recognize his voice even in the haze. He sounds desperate, but I can barely make sense of his words. I want to answer him, t
*Not in the Bargain*Caitlin’s heart pounded in her chest as she paced around her room. Her mother had just delivered the news—Arthur had been shot with a strange bullet, and his condition was grave. Her mind raced with confusion, anger, and something she didn’t want to admit to herself: guilt.It wasn’t supposed to go this far. She never wanted to see Arthur in this state. All her plans, all her careful manipulation—none of it had involved this. She had wanted to hurt Elara, make her suffer, but Arthur? Her stepbrother? This wasn’t part of the plan.Her mother’s voice echoed in her ears, warning her that the situation was dire. Dark magic was involved, and the pack was panicking. They had no idea how to save him, and if something wasn’t done soon, Arthur wouldn’t make it through the night.There was only one person who might have answers, Caitlin thought. After more moments of deliberation, Caitlin was clear in her decision.She grabbed her coat, keys, and stormed out of the house. T
*A Future Worth Fighting For*The night was eerily silent when Arthur returned.Elara had spent the past few hours pacing the room, her nerves frayed, exhaustion clawing at her limbs. She had tried to distract herself—tidying the already spotless room, lighting candles to chase away the shadows, pressing her fingers against the cool glass of the window as she scanned the moonlit horizon for any sign of him.But no matter what she did, her heart pounded relentlessly, her mind tormented by the possibility that something had gone wrong. That he was lying somewhere, bleeding, alone. That she had let him walk into danger, and this time, he wouldn’t come back.Then the door burst open.Arthur stumbled inside, his towering frame a shadow against the dim light. Blood soaked his clothes, dark stains spreading across his torn shirt, his shoulders hunched as if the weight of the world pressed against his back. The strong Alpha who had left with fire in his eyes now looked like a man barely holdi
*The Choice We Make*The mansion loomed ahead, its grand façade a deceptive mask for the rot festering inside. Arthur barely registered the architectural splendor—his focus was singular. The heavy double doors creaked under his touch as he pushed them open, stepping inside the grand hall like room.The scent of aged whiskey and cigar smoke hung in the air, mingling with something far more insidious—the stench of deceit.Harden was waiting.Seated in a lavish parlor, he lounged on a high-backed leather chair, swirling a glass of amber liquid in his hand. He didn’t even look up as Arthur entered, though his sharp gaze flicked over the bloodstains marring Arthur’s torn shirt and the deep claw marks across his shoulder.“Ah, you're here," Harden said lazily, lifting his glass in greeting. “Want a shot?" His voice was casual, but his eyes held a glint of something else—calculated amusement.He already knew. An hour earlier, his men had informed him of the massacre outside the estate. He ha
*A Ruthless Choice*The moon hung low in the sky, a pale silver eye watching over the night. Arthur stood at the edge of his territory, his hands clenched into fists, his mind made up. Beside him was a group of powerful werewolves armed with weapons—blades and axes. Their faces were unreadable, their loyalty unwavering.They had questioned him at first, hesitated when he announced his plan to go with them. No Alpha should put himself at such risk for something that barely concerned them. But they had no idea that the pack harbored a traitor among them. Caitlin had made a deal with the devil, a deal that would soon cost them their territory if the continued to play dumb.Elara.She was the reason for everything. The reason his soul burned with fury. The reason he had abandoned the careful, restrained leader he once was and was now ready to spill blood.He remembered the last conversation he had with Elara before leaving. After trying everything she could to convince him not to go, she
*Blackmail*Arthur remained unfazed, his silence unwavering.Harden’s smirk faded.Nothing.No panic. No slip-up. No sign of fear.His fingers curled into fists at his sides, temper flaring. Arthur was too calm.of they continued playing cat and mouse, Arthur would only remain stoic.“You already know, don’t you?” Harden’s voice dropped to a near whisper, laced with accusation. “You know exactly what happened.”Arthur finally turned his head, meeting Harden’s gaze with a chilling stare.Harden inhaled sharply. A flicker of unease crawled up his spine. But he pushed it aside, forcing a slow grin to stretch across his face. He was already here, the least he could do is to not mess it up.“Fine,” he said. “If you want to keep your mouth shut, that’s your choice.” He stepped closer, voice dripping with venom. “But let me remind you of something, Arthur.” He paused, savoring the moment. “If another person finds out—if either of our families gets even a whisper of what happened tonight—Elara
*The Weight of Silence*Tension coiled in the air like an unspoken scream, pressing down on everyone waiting outside the emergency room.Arthur stood by the large glass window, staring into the distance. His broad shoulders were rigid, his hands buried deep in his pockets. The city stretched before him, a maze of glowing lights and moving cars—oblivious to the war waging inside this sterile, suffocating space. His reflection stared back at him, carved from stone, unmoved, unreadable. But the tight clench of his jaw, the way his fingers curled into fists inside his pockets, betrayed the storm raging in his soul.Harden slouched in one of the stiff plastic chairs, elbows propped on his knees, fingers interlocked. His wedding suit was wrinkled, his bowtie undone, his hair disheveled from the restless race of his fingers through it. His face was void of expression, but his dark eyes remained active, watchful and calculating.On the other side of the room, Caitlin’s mother stood near the n
*Hollow Eyes*Elara's POV:The faint music from the reception below drifted through the mansion’s grand halls, muffled but persistent, a reminder of the celebration happening downstairs. The glow of chandelier lights bathed the walls in a warm, golden hue, but the air on the upper floors felt cold, tense, and quiet.I stood by the tall window of one of the guest rooms, my arms crossed tightly against my chest, my gaze fixed on the stars outside. From up here, the distant laughter and clinking of glasses sounded almost mocking. I didn’t belong here. I wasn’t part of this world of false smiles and gilded promises—not anymore.Downstairs, Caitlin danced with her guests, radiant in her wedding dress, the picture of a perfect bride. Harden’s bride.A bitter laugh escaped me. It was hard to believe how far we’d come, how much had changed. Harden, who once promised me the world, was now bound to a woman like Caitlin. And Caitlin, as manipulative and cunning as she was, had won everything she
*Elara, Run Away With Me*Harden's POV:The ceremony had begun, yet I felt nothing but a heavy weight in my chest. The vows Caitlin and I exchanged were hollow—words that felt more like chains binding me to a fate I didn’t agree to. Back then, I didn't think it would be this hard to love any woman, but now, the mere admiration I had for Caitlin was all gone, and only one person filled my mind.My gaze kept drifting toward the crowd, toward her. Elara.She stood amidst the sea of faces, arms crossed, her posture a wall of indifference. Arthur loomed beside her, overprotective, his expression unreadable. But it wasn’t Arthur who held my attention; it was Elara. Her eyes didn’t flicker with anger, sadness, or even contempt. There was... nothing. It was as if I didn’t exist to her anymore.That emptiness in her gaze pierced deeper than any blade could. My heart clenched as I repeated the vows, my voice steady but devoid of any real conviction. Caitlin’s hand in mine felt cold, foreign. Th
*Working with the Devil*When Arthur arrived at his parents’ mansion, he didn’t bother exchanging pleasantries with anyone. He just barged up the stairs and made his way to Caitlin’s room.The door slammed open before Caitlin could even finish fastening her earrings. She spun to face Arthur, her eyes wide with both shock and indignation.“Arthur?” she snapped. “What—”He didn’t answer immediately, his icy gaze pinning her in place as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.“Going out?” he asked, his eyes scanning everything and every corner of the room.“Cait, what have you been spending your time on?” he asked, his tone sharp, cutting straight to the point.At first, Caitlin didn’t respond. She was trying to reason what must have brought him here.“I’m talking to you, and I expect a response.” His voice sounded more like a warning.“What?” Caitlin scoffed, arms crossed as she got up. “You barge into my room and interrogate me? Are you serious right now?”“Answer me,” Arthur g
I Won't Leave YouThe meeting room buzzed with tension as Tony passed a load of documents, files, and pictures. Arthur stood at the head, his eyes narrowing at the pictures before him, turning them one after the other.“Alberto Grayson,” Tony began, flipping open the folder and showing the pages to Arthur. “I've confirmed he’s hiding in Scorpio territory under the guise of an investor. These photos are from his meetings in the past few days. I got them from someone who's on his tail too. We had to trade a lot for this, Alpha," Tony informed.When it came to Tony and Elias, Arthur didn't ask too many questions because they were reliable men who had always stood by his side and would only do things in his and the pack's interest.He spread a series of pictures across the table—from Alberto standing outside his mansion to meeting with different people, down to his meetings at diners. The faces were mostly unfamiliar, and Arthur wondered why these strange men were migrating with interest