ADESSA.
After I was pulled inside the van, I ended up in a very awkward position. I was seated but lying down on my side and with my hands tied behind me. It was harder to move. I struggled to break free for a while, but it was useless, so I slowed my breathing and did my best to calm down.
I didn’t want to freak out. I didn’t want to give them any reason to hit me and make me unconscious.
And I guess it worked.
The man beside me pulled me up and helped me sit straight before tugging away the cloth around my mouth. “Sign this.” He said.
My eyes roamed around. There were only three males with me, and they didn’t even hide their faces. But it was so dark that I couldn’t see them fully, and I doubted I had met them before. They looked and felt unfamiliar to me.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Don’t ask. Just do it.” The man seated in the passenger seat turned around and pointed a gun at me.
I swallowed and kept my eyes on his finger. I had no idea if I could dodge once I saw him press it, but then what choice do I have? I have to at least try.
I felt my hands being untied, and the moment they were free, I clasped them together and rubbed them over each other so they would stop shaking.
“Sign this.” He shoved a paper and pen in my hand. “Here.” He pointed at the exact location where I needed to sign.
I didn’t even think twice and just did it.
Again, what choice do I have? I gave the paper to the man beside me, and at the same time the lamppost illuminated inside the car. I saw that it was a letter addressed to Kael.
It didn’t matter. I shouldn’t worry. Whatever was in the letter would not change anything.
I closed my eyes as my hands were tied again, but I was glad they kept my mouth free. And then I felt something being pushed inside the pocket of my jeans.
My eyes snapped open and I tilted my head down, but I didn’t see anything except for the man’s hand as he removed it from my pocket. “What was that?”
“Don’t ask questions.”
“Are you going to kill me?”
“We might if you keep talking.”
Did that mean they would not if I remained quiet? I hope so.
I watched as the car drove around the area. In just one year, I had already familiarized myself with this territory, as Kael would take me anywhere he went except for the last few weeks before his accident.
He began to leave me often at home while he did his business or his duties. So, if these men decided to hold me captive, it would be easy for me to find my way out if I could get away.
My eyes narrowed when the car stopped outside Miranda’s home. The lights were on, which was unusual as it was only four in the morning.
The gate of her house opened, and she came out wearing regular clothes, not evening or bedwear. She was clearly expecting us.
I thought I would be taken to her, but only the man in the passenger seat stepped out, taking the letter I signed with him. As soon as he closed the door, the car immediately drove away.
I didn’t need to ask. I already got my confirmation. Whatever happened to me today, it was Miranda’s doing. And whatever I signed in that paper would surely make me evil in Kael’s eyes.
Of course, she was the evil stepmother you would never want in your story. I chuckled at my own thoughts.
I should stop watching soap operas because this was where I got all these wicked plots and thoughts. But then, my thoughts could be right.
“Where are you taking me?” I finally asked after a long silence. I asked in a calm tone.
“Why do you want to know?” The man beside me asked back.
“You’re both not from this pack, right?”
“How did you know?”
“I’m the Luna of this pack. You would never do this to me if you were my people.” That was a lie. I doubt anyone would say no to Miranda if she ordered something like this against me.
“Are you trying to play us? We were asked to pick up a new slave, not a Luna.” The one driving answered.
“Slave? For who?” I swallowed.
Before becoming Kael’s Luna, I had heard of Omegas being traded for favors or money. I asked Kael about it, and he assured me his pack had never joined these underground deals.
“Alpha Draco.” The driver answered.
My eyes widened as my stomach churned. Oh, Goddess, not him.
I knew him. He has been Kael’s enemy since childhood. I met him at one of the banquets for Alphas, and he didn’t hide his interest in me once he found out I was Kael’s Luna. Either he was smitten by me or only because he wanted to irritate Kael.
Miranda was there that night. She witnessed how Kael almost fought with Alpha Draco because the latter couldn’t keep his mouth shut about me.
Did she sell me to him?
“Are you from his pack?” I asked.
“Yes.” The man beside me answered, and it was only then that I was able to look at him closely. He was looking at me with lust in his eyes, and he couldn’t keep himself from licking his lips from time to time.
When he saw me looking at him, his fingers began trailing down my arm.
“Don’t touch me. Alpha Draco will not like that.” I said, trying my best for my voice not to break.
“Markus, enough. You know the instructions. Take her there without any scratch.”
“I’m sure the Alpha won’t know if…”
“Shut up! I would rather take the woman Alpha Draco will give us than risk having my head cut off if you touch that girl.”
“But what’s the difference? He will just share her with his friends and with some of us one of these days. A little taste won’t make a difference.”
I wanted to vomit at the way they were talking until I caught sight of the border.
I hoped I could scream once they opened the window, as the guards usually checked the cars coming out.
I prepared myself to scream, but my heart dropped when the car just drove by, and the man guarding just gave them a salute without even checking us inside. Miranda surely had planned this.
They were still talking. Not about me anymore but about the women that they would get as a reward and the vile things that they would do to them.
I needed to get away before I reached their pack. Or I would be as good as dead, either in Alpha Draco’s hands or theirs.
“I need to pee…” I finally spoke after more than an hour of silence.
“Hold it.”
“I can’t anymore. Please… I don’t want to make a mess here. It would take a day to get to your pack and more hours to reach the city.”
“Definitely not in the city.” The driver said. “We can stop somewhere, but don’t you dare run.”
“I just need to pee,” I repeated.
I kept fidgeting, and soon the car stopped.
“Take her out.” The driver told Markus.
ADESSA. “Take her.” The driver told Markus, the man beside me. They both came out of the car, and I was pulled out. The driver lit a cigarette and rested his back against the car, which I was grateful for. I needed him outside.Markus held my arm and led me behind the bushes. I kept brushing my arm against his body before I smiled at him when I finally faced him. His eyes swirled with lust as he licked his lips. He was good-looking. A boy next door type that you wouldn’t even think he was a pervert. “My hands…” I mumbled.“I can break your neck if you try to run away.” He warned me.I nodded. He untied me, and I rubbed my hands together, my eyes darting to his pockets. “Can you turn around?” “Of course not. I’ll watch you…”I playfully rolled my eyes at him, flashing a seductive smile — the one I would use if I wanted to be playful with Kael. My heart was thundering in my chest because I was playing with fire. But I had no choice. I needed to get out of here alive. I had no idea
KAEL. After the rejection, I didn’t see Adessa the whole day. I heard she was in her office. I didn’t even bother to check what she was doing there. I had no idea what to do with her.I knew she couldn’t stay here, especially since Desiree was planning to move in, but I was also concerned for her safety. Everyone knew she was my Luna and could be the target of any danger or maltreatment. I didn’t want her hurt. My people might love me, but I was sure I didn’t have a good reputation with other packs. I lived in the solitude of my own territory. We thrived well both in industrial and agricultural businesses, so I had no need for other packs. I ruled as I pleased, and if I failed, I learned from it and started all over again. Since I was indifferent to other packs, I was sure if they found out about her, they might take advantage. Of what? I could only imagine what terrible things they could come up with. But then, I was sure Adessa was aware of this. So, surely she would not leave th
KAEL.I went to the shower, and when I came out, my clothes were already in bed, but Desiree was nowhere in sight. So I put my clothes on and went down to the main floor of the house.It was already nine in the morning, so everyone was already up and running except me. My stomach was already complaining, but instead of going to the kitchen, I headed toward the area where the offices were. I wanted a word with Adessa so we could discuss her setup and where she should stay.I chuckled at my own thoughts. I didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was, the idea of seeing her was something I was looking forward to more than the discussion. However, given what happened yesterday and the rejection that came between us, I doubt she would be up for a conversation. But I had to try. I turned to the corner and immediately halted in my spot. Desiree and Miranda were in the middle of the hallway between my and Adessa’s offices, and it looked like they were having an argument based on how crumpled
KAEL. Landon volunteered to pick up the documents from Adessa’s office. As soon as he left and it was just the two of us, Dexter looked at me with raised brows. “Are you okay?”“No. Adessa left.” I grunted in a low voice. “I heard.”“She took the wedding ring with her.”He shrugged his shoulders and eased back into his chair. “I expected that.”My hand resting on the table coiled into a tight fist. “Send someone to check all pawn and jewelry shops around the territory and the nearby cities. I want it back in my hands. I’ll send you the description, including the code engraved inside it.”“I’ll do that.”“Do you know if she’s seeing someone?” I asked after a while.“What do you mean?”“She said our marriage was already on the rocks before I had an accident, and we were already discussing divorce. I wonder if there was any man between us.” Although Adessa claimed it was because of Desiree and me, I wanted to know more. He shrugged his shoulders again before speaking. “I didn’t see an
KAEL.The day went by so slowly. My personal doctor was here and checked all my vitals. According to him, it appeared that I had recovered well, but he still advised me to take things slow and not strain myself by overworking.If he only knew I was not even thinking about work.After lunch, Desiree asked if we could go around the open market as it officially opened today, marking the start of spring. Since I had no intention of working, I agreed.While we were there, she tried to hold my hand, but it felt wrong as I hadn’t officially announced my divorce from Adessa, so I told her to keep her hands off mine for now. She didn’t like it, but she didn’t complain, but I was sure she would scold me later. We went around, and some of my people approached us, but no one seemed to ask about Adessa, but they were ignoring Desiree as well. Until one female approached me and gave me a bouquet of flowers. I thought it was for me, but she wanted me to give it to Adessa. She said she was her bigg
KAEL. “If you press a fucking alarm, you will surely not like what I’m going to do with you.”“This is harassment, sir.”“No. This is frustration, sir! I want my ring back. My wife is missing. She has that ring, and I want to know who sold it here!” I snapped at him.He swallowed. “Do you have a wife?” I asked him. He nodded. “Do you love her?” He nodded again.“I have a wife, too. I want her back, but I don’t know where to start.” I put my hand in my back pocket and pulled out my wallet. I opened it and took out stacks of bills, placing them on the counter in front of him. “Now, I just want to see the CCTV of the person who left this ring. And who bought it. Also the buyer’s information on when he will come to pick it up. I meant no harm. I want to know so I can buy it from him.” I was talking calmly this time. He didn’t talk, but his eyes were on the cash in front of him. “You can buy many things with that money. Buy something for your wife or kids if you have any. I’m not e
ADESSA.My hands were trembling, and I knew I couldn’t drive further. I had been in this car for the last four hours, driving slowly and carefully to make sure I would never hit anyone or anything. Thankfully, no one was following me, or I would easily get caught. I didn’t like driving. But I had no choice. I had to get away before someone found the bodies of the men I killed. I turned off the engine and rested my forehead against the steering wheel. I had no idea where to go.I ended up in Bayson Bay, a human territory. Although humans were very much aware of the existence of shifters like me, we continued to live in harmony. But for their safety, they seldom travel or stay in shifters’ territory, but we were often found in theirs. So, I knew I could thrive well in this place. The problem was, I had to hide my identity, and this place being near Kael and Draco’s pack, I would easily be caught here. I needed to go further. I wasn’t even sure if the men I killed were just ordinary
ADESSA.“Where will you find a couple of thousand to pay it back?” I let out a sigh, and my shoulders slumped. “I’ll think of something.”“We don’t take jewelry here. We have a pawnshop on the other side of the city.”“Do you think you can ask your boss to make an exception? I don’t have enough money to get to the end of the city. Please.”She looked at me, and we stared at each other for a while before she took a deep breath. “I’m the manager here. I can make an exception, but are you sure you’ll return for this? I also have to put an interest on the amount you will loan.”I nodded. “I will come back. I don’t want to lose that either.”“Fine. Let me check this first and label it. Sit there.”I nodded and went to the nearby couch to wait. I had no idea how long I waited. When she came back, she handed me two thousand, two hundred dollars. She informed me that the listed amount was two thousand. Her eyes told me not to question anymore, but I wanted to assume the extra two hundred came
ADESSA.“I’m not complaining. It was a good one year.” I told him, still smiling, and this time I nodded my head to convince him more.He took my hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. “The best is yet to come. I promise…”He lowered our hands but kept holding mine as we continued to drive in silence. Despite losing his memory, Kael was still the same Kael I knew. He was always calculated and never seemed fazed by uncertainties or danger, but something about him changed. He became more expressive.Before his accident, he would always kiss me or hug me, which frequently ended up with us having sex. But lately, he would do the same but never push more. He was content to simply hold my hand or give me a hug. And I liked it.If I were being honest, I had no idea if I should be grateful for all the things happening in my life at the moment because Kael was being extra protective and attentive to me like he had never been before.“We’re here.” His voice snapped back to the p
KAEL. Adessa’s eyes fluttered open. She was looking straight ahead, still lost in her thoughts, and I just let her be. We were already threading a narrow, rough road through the deep part of the forest. The canopies of the trees filtered the sun, casting shadows across the path and making the area darker and gloomy, even if it was already midmorning. The road was barely wide enough for a car, but it only meant I was in the right direction. It had been almost a decade since I’d been here, but it looked and felt the same. “Where are we heading?” she finally asked, breaking the silence between us. “We need a place to stay for at least a day so you can rest, and I can make some adjustments on our way to the north.”“This seems to be too far from civilization already.”“Are you scared of where I would take you?” I teased her. She turned her head to me, and a smile slowly curled on her red lips. “You can tell me we’re on the road to hell, and I will still come with you. Hell with you s
KAEL. Adessa’s screams were drawn by the explosion behind us as we made it to the next exit.I shifted my eyes from the side mirror to the rearview and caught sight of her looking through the back window. I could only see the back of her head, but I could tell she was shaking. I wanted to check on her, but I needed to be far away from here before any of their backup came, or worse, the police officers.I reached the end of the bridge and found myself at a roundabout. I had no idea where the road I chose would lead us, but I kept driving. Anywhere would be fine, as long as we ended far away from the scene. It didn’t take long for the siren’s sound to reverberate through the air, but it quickly faded as my car accelerated away.“Adessa…” I was finally able to utter a word, and it snapped her from looking at the back window. It had already been a long time since the explosion was no longer visible, yet she remained staring. She moved swiftly, crawling back to the front seat just in ti
KAEL.The moment Brooke entered the shop, I knew she was trouble. I had no idea if she was among the ones sent by Draco to find us, but I wasn’t taking chances. She belonged to his pack and was part of his Delta’s Shield—the top security squad of a pack. Brooke also attended the Alpha Academy as she belonged to an affluent family. I was sure Draco had been ignoring her existence until she hooked up with me, and the next thing I knew, he was fucking her too. So, I cut off all ties with her, and he eventually moved on from her as well. It only went to show that Draco had an obsession with taking females from my arms—whether I was serious with them or not. I knew this was the reason he was after Adessa.I discreetly removed my ring, not wanting Brooke to associate me with my wife in case she was sent to track us. Like I believed it would happen, she showed interest in me, whether ordered by Draco or she was simply flirting.I heard the door to the restroom open, and my heart stopped.
ADESSA.“Anyway, would you like to grab a coffee?” The woman asked him.My eyes rolled, and I was about to head to the counter to pay for my chips when I remembered Kael had the credit card we could use. So I put everything in my arms and walked out of the shop without looking back at them.“So, where are you heading?” It was the last thing I heard before the door closed. “So, where are you heading?” I mimicked how she spoke while rolling my eyes again as I walked toward the car. I wanted to scream. The last time I felt jealous like this was when Desiree was sitting on his lap. And while we were married, it was always Desiree but no one else.In the one year we were together, Kael never made me feel invisible around other women.I was almost near the car when it beeped, startling me, only for me to realize it was Kael who opened the door with his key. He surely saw me going out. I sat inside and tried to steady my heavy breathing.I wanted to think rationally. Maybe since the female
ADESSA.“I think we can stop here, but we need to make it fast,” Kael spoke, and I nodded in agreement.After two hours of driving from the Bellouf Theme Park, we finally stopped so he could tank up, and I could go to the toilet. I was about to unbuckle my seatbelt when he stopped me. I turned my head to look at him, and he immediately grabbed my chin before pulling me toward him. He then leaned forward, capturing my lips and began kissing me passionately. “Kael…” I mumbled against his kisses. I wanted to tell him that we needed to leave, but instead, my arms moved on their own, wrapping around his neck, and my lips started kissing him back.He pushed me back onto my seat, his upper body leaning on me as he kissed me harder and deeper, his grip tightening around my chin.He then pulled away from kissing me, leaving inches between our lips. I gasped for air as he spoke. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for many hours now.”“Then stop talking,” I told him before pulling him closer again
KAEL.“He couldn’t walk, so I carried him out. When I was about to go back, I couldn’t anymore. The fire had already consumed the whole cabin.” I continued speaking. “They said a candle caused it, and she might not have sensed the fire until it was too late. It was almost winter, so all the windows were closed. She was trapped in her room.”“I’m sorry…”“They found my mother in the ensuite bathroom. It was probably the only place she was able to escape to. She was naked. She shifted into her wolf but probably couldn’t get out.” My voice broke. Adessa took my hand and cupped it with both her hands, squeezing it gently.“For many years, I struggled to accept the reality that I could have saved her, but I was not able to do so. While Rasmus spent many years trying to save me from everything, proving that he was worth costing my mother’s life.”Silence befell us before I decided to say more. “I don’t know what I felt when I found him with Desiree, but it must have been painful, not only b
KAEL.We’d been driving for almost two hours, and Adessa had fallen asleep. She was tired from all the running and hiding she’d been doing these past few weeks, so I let her sleep while I did my best to keep myself awake. I could take my sleep once we were on our way to the north. For now, I needed to get us as far away from here as possible. I was almost at the Bellouf Theme Park when my phone rang. It startled Adessa. Adessa’s hands flew out in the air as she gasped for breath. My hand went to her thigh, tapping it twice before rubbing it gently.“I’m here…” I mumbled loudly enough for her to hear while the phone continued to ring.She turned her head in my direction, and when she saw me, it was only then that her shoulders relaxed, and she sank back into her seat.I smiled at her before I spoke. “Rasmus is calling. You can go back to sleep.”She shook her head before she leaned her head to the window, crossing her arms across her chest, her eyes focusing on the dark road in fron
KAEL.“You need to leave. Now!” Rasmus said, and I could hear the urgency in his voice. “Shit! It’s fucking midnight!” I brushed my hand over my hair while the other was on my hips.I turned around to look at Adessa. She was sitting, the blanket covering up to her waist. The color had gone out of her face. “You need to go. In approximately forty minutes, they’ll reach the packhouse,” Rasmus said.“Put your clothes on. We’re leaving,” I told Adessa in a much calmer voice. She nodded, and I stepped out of the room and closed the door. “I’ll prepare something that you can take with you on the road,” Aunt Aria said as she walked away from us. I thanked her, but I was not sure if she heard me because she was walking too fast. “How the fuck they ended up here? And at midnight?” I asked, still in disbelief.“I have no answer for that, but it didn’t matter at this point. Here…” He handed me a pouch, and I opened it. “Good thing they gave me this after dinner. Or tomorrow would be too late.