Vanya's POV"He'll be fine," the healer assured us after what felt like hours of anxious waiting. "The poison is not lethal, but it's already beginning to clear from his system. He just needs rest and time to recover." My relief was so overwhelming that I nearly collapsed. The tears I had been holding back spilled over as I clung to Emily, her body shaking with the force of my sobs. The healer's words had brought some measure of comfort, but the emotional toll of the night was too much to bear. Emily held me, stroking my hair as she whispered soothing words, but I couldn't stop crying. The weight of everything-the fear, the guilt, the helplessness-crashed down on me like a tidal wave and I was powerless to stop it. That night, the house was shrouded in an oppressive silence, the atmosphere heavy with the aftershocks of the evening's events. I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Cian's face, heard his voice, felt the terror that had gripped me so tightly. I l
Vanya POV I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my phone as the glow of the screen illuminated my worried expression. The comment I had posted under Cian's taunting message was still racking up likes and responses, a flood of reactions pouring in from all corners of the internet. People were taking sides, speculating, laughing, jeering-it was all one big, twisted circus. But the thrill of throwing Cian's arrogance back in his face had worn off. Now, doubt gnawed at me. Have I done the right thing? I couldn't tell if my response had been an act of defiance or a rash mistake. I had wanted to hurt him, to put him in his place, but the fear of retaliation lingered like a dark cloud. Cian was not the type to take public humiliation lightly, and I knew this spat was far from over. Lost in my thoughts, I nearly jumped when I heard a soft knock at the door. Marco stepped in, looking pale but determined. He was moving slowly, still recovering from the ordeal of that night, but
Vanya's POVLater that evening, Emilia prepared dinner with all of my favorite dishes, trying to lift my spirit after the past days events. The meal was delicious, but I could barely taste it. The tension and anxiety from everything that had happened were still weighing heavily on me, and i found it hard to enjoy anything. As we sat around the table, trying to make small talk, my phone buzzed on the table. I glanced at it and saw the endless notifications pouring in comments, messages, tags. The internet drama was still raging, and now it seemed to have taken on a life of its own. My heart sank as I opened my direct messages, only to be bombarded with questions from strangers--mostly women, asking me how my night with Cian had been, whether the rumors about him being a monster in bed were true. Some messages were crude, others curious, but all were intrusive, a reminder that my life was now fodder for public consumption. I scrolled through the messages, my stomach churning
Cian POV I walked into the room where David was slumped against the wall, blood dripping from the gash across his face. The sight was unexpected, to say the least. David had always been one of my more reliable men---sharp, quick on his feet, and not prone to getting caught off guard. But now, here he was, looking thoroughly defeated, a crumpled figure nursing his wounds. My lips curled into a cruel smirk as I crossed the room, my footsteps echoing ominously in the silence. "Well, well, what do we have here?" I drawled, crouching down in front of David. "You really did let a weak, wolfless girl beat you up? Damn, David, you're getting rusty." David winced, both from the pain and the mockery in my tone. He looked up at me, his expression a mix of shame and frustration. "She had a silver dagger," David muttered defensively. "What did you want me to do? She was aiming to kill." I arched an eyebrow, leaning in closer. "And you're telling me that you, one of my best men, cou
Cian's POV Josephine didn't notice the shift in my focus. She was too lost in the moment, too eager to believe that my twisted game was all for her. And when our bodies finally came together, she was certain that we were united in our purpose, in our desire to make Vanya suffer. But my thoughts were far from revenge. All I could think about was Vanya---the way she resisted me, the way she fought back. I knew I would have her, no matter what it took. And the more she defied me, the more determined I became to break her. Later, as I lay beside Josephine, my phone buzzed with an urgent message. Reluctantly, I pulled away from her and checked the screen, my expression darkening as I read the alert. An emergency meeting had been called in the pack's war room---a spy had been caught, and my presence was required. "I have to go," I said, getting out of bed and quickly dressing. "What...what?" She asked in utter confusion. I kept mute. Josephine watched me, her expression one of bo
Vanya's POV:I walked quietly into Marco's room, my footsteps light on the hardwood floor. I grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open. The room was dim, the soft glow of the lamp casting long shadows across the bed where Marco lay sleeping. I walked over to his bedside, His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, the once-pale color of his skin slowly returning to a healthier shade. It was a relief to see him like this, to know that he was getting better after the horrific ordeal with Cian. I reached down to adjust his blanket, tucking it carefully around him. As I did, something hard and angular brushed against my fingers under the pillow. I hesitated, my heart skipping a beat as I pulled out a small, worn leather-bound journal. I knew instantly that this was one of my father's journals. But what was it doing here, under Marco's pillow? Glancing back at Marco to ensure he was still asleep, I slipped the journal under my shirt. I left the room quietly, a sense of unease
Vanya's POVLater that day, I tried to push the journal and my father's warnings to the back of my mind, but they lingered like a dark cloud over my thoughts. Every time I looked at Marco, I saw the fear in my father's writing reflected in his eyes. And every time I tried to ignore it, the memory of my father's voice echoed in my mind, urging me to be careful. As the day wore on, I knew I couldn't just let it go. Whatever secrets Marco was keeping, I had to find out. If it was just a mere fight or not, I will find out. ******** I stepped out of my car and took a deep breath, trying to shake off the unease that had settled in the pit of my stomach since that morning. The journal weighed heavily in my bag, a constant reminder of the secrets it held and the tension that now colored my interactions with Marco. I had spent the entire weekend wrestling with what I had read. But now it was Monday, and I needed to focus. The familiar sights and sounds of my workplace offered
Cian POV I leaned back in my leather chair, my eyes narrowing as I considered my next move. The plan was starting to take shape, each piece falling into place like a well-crafted puzzle. My fingers drummed rhythmically on the polished wood of my desk as I gazed out of the large window of my office, the view of the sprawling city below doing little to quell the dark thoughts brewing in my mind.David had been a disappointment --- getting himself beaten up by Vanya, of all people, had been nothing short of embarrassing. But now, he was going to be given a chance to redeem himself. And I was nothing if not strategic; I knew how to use people, how to bend them into doing exactly what I needed. That was my gift, my power. It is why I'm the alpha, why I rule with an iron fist."David," I said, my voice low and calculated as I looked across the room at my subordinate. David was still nursing the bruises from his last encounter with Vanya, his face a mess of healing cuts and fading discolora
Vanya's POV "You look even better." "Don't think of blasphemy Tristan. The goddess is the best of all bests. Another headline just popped up. It says... " I paused. "A new world order, a new religion, the Blackwoods." "Indeed. A new religion. " He chuckled before he paused. "I'll get the kids from school today. You'll just have to get off from work and go home." "The last time you got the children back from school Tristan, all of you wrecked the house!" "And we apologized and promised we'd never do it again." "Whatever. Thank you for getting them in... Advance " I said to him. "At your service my queen." I smiled, grinning from ear to ear. "I love you." I said to him. "I love you more." He replied. "We'll talk later, gotta go." He mused, before blowing a kiss into the phone's speaker and then hanging up. I sat down on my seat, thinking back in all that had happened in my life. All that had happened to bring me to this day. To this moment of true happiness. I had never kn
FOUR YEARS LATER. Vanya's POV "Is this what you really want to do? Still be a chef?" My love asked. "CEO of a good company honey. And yes. That's what I want to do. What I still want to do. " I opened the door to leave, turned, and pulled him towards me with his tie, kissing him full on the lips. He edged forward, closing the door and winding the glass up. His hand trailed to my waist, pulling me closer to him, before they made to unbutton my blouse. "What are you doing?" I giggled, throwing my head back. "I told you " He grumbled. "That the next time you do this on a work day, we might end up having sex in the car. " "And I said?" "Mm... You said nothing." I opened the car door. "And silence in court means...." But I had jumped out of the car, blowing him a kiss as I shut the door. He looked like a pouting child that would soon begin to bawl. "Just go." I mouthed, shooting him away with a wave of my hand. "You're in for tonight." He mouthed back before blowing me a kiss
Vanya's POV "Wait..." Tristan paused them. "You knew he came after Vanya." He questioned his father. Which he nodded to. "Does that mean you've been in London all this while?" He nodded again. Tristan stared at him in disbelief while I listened to their story. Waiting earnestly for them to finish so I could throw everything I wanted at them. "When we heard he came after you..." My father had become serious. "I told Marco and Vladimir that it was finally time for me to come out of hiding." They both nodded. "And worst of all, when Marco told me about your outburst." They nodded again. But he continued. "They weren't really buying the idea, and Vladimir promised to take care of you and Marco but I had been hiding long enough." "So we finally decided to come out of hiding," Vladimir said. "And deal with Magnus." Marco added. The sitting room now went quiet as I weighed everything they had said. I had missed my father since I was thirteen, thinking he was dead, but he had been aliv
Vanya's POV "Is this some kind of joke to appease me?" I turned to Marco. "Joke? No. No it's... Not." "I'm not buying this shit. None of it." "And where did you learn how do speak like that little crow?" "Don't you dare call me that!" I spat at the man. "And where did you even hear that from?" "I didn't hear it from anywhere. We made it up, together. At the spring fall close to your school when you wouldn't stop crying about how boring school was and how you wanted to be a doctor but not go to school for it..." I bit my lower lip. This couldn't be happening. I was dreaming. It's all a dream. "And what did I say?" I asked him for confirmation. "If I can make it as a doctor without books, I want the world in return..." "No..." I exhaled, forcing myself to stay calm and tearless. "And I said to you..." I remembered clearly what he said to me that day. Even if you want heaven... "Even if you want heaven..." Daddy wouldn't hesitate a second... "Daddy wouldn't hesitate a
Vanya's POV I walked out of Tristan's office, and when I was out of earshot, I ran to our room, shutting the door behind me as I wailed my eyes out. I shook as the sobs took over me, fully in control. How could he? How could Marco? He was my father's best friend. He was supposed to stand by my father, was supposed to protect him. Was supposed to be a true friend. I hate him! I hate him!! I sniffled, still sitting down on the floor. How long I sat there, I couldn't recall but I knew it was well past afternoon. Tristan had come to knock on the door during lunch, asking me to eat. I had told him I wanted to be alone and wasn't in the mood to eat. "In case you change your mind." He said as I heard a rattle of plates in front of the door. "I'll leave your lunch here." Then he had left. After some time, he had come to the door again, knocking to check up on me. "I'm fine," I replied. "Vanya..." He started. "I know it's tough. I wish I could help... Or... Or do something." He sig
Tristan's POV I was in my study with Vanya that morning when Adam and some of my men brought Magnus into my office. Hands bound as he knelt him down before us. I was sitting on the arm of the seat while Vanya sat on it. From where he knelt, Magnus glared at us. His face filled with venom. Like the fuck I cared. He had gone after Vanya for whatever crooked reason it was. Had killed her father, my father's very good friend. He had ruined her chance of having a father and a mother too, potentially making her an orphan. The reason my Luna had no parents as shoulders to lean on, was because of this man. And heaven knew, I wanted to rip out his throat. There was a tremble on his venomous face even though he tried to hide it. He only glared as a defense mechanism. "Such a flimsy defense you have there Magnus." No need putting the Alpha's honorific anyway. He didn't deserve that respect. He blinked that I called him by his name but covered the shock on his face by glaring harder. "Oh!"
Tristan's POV "I'm fine talking while standing." Her voice came out wobbling. And she folded her arms, warily watching us. I nodded, going straight to the point. "What did you say to Vanya that made her stomp off?" Her eyes softened. "She didn't tell you. So why should I?" Angel snorted behind me. I rubbed my temples, realizing I too was standing. "So much drama in a day." She whispered behind me. The woman shot her a glare which Angel returned with a bare of her wolf canines. "You claim to be her mother..." "I am her mother." She cut me off, her voice almost a screech. Two of my men moved to get a hold of her as she strolled towards me, but I motioned them to remain put. "I carried her for nine months and almost died giving birth to her." "So why disappear all these years and appear now to try and talk to her?" She squinted angrily at me. "Yeah." I continued before she could speak. "Vanya has never mentioned you to me before. Never." "Who knows, that may be because you are
Tristan's POV "You should have found out!" I yelled a her. "What?! You expected me to eavesdrop on their conversation?!" Before I could reply, she added. "What is wrong with you?! You've barely been married a month and you're already acting like a big bad dog!" I took some steps towards her. "You don't get to speak to me like that! And after all that happened, she shouldn't be out there alone!" "When has she never been able to handle herself?" She threw at me, contempt in her voice. "When you weren't officially mated, it was eight bodyguards, now the whole world knows, you might actually keep tabs on her every movement. In case you don't know brother, it's spying and a sign that your suffocating, over protective nature that cost our mother her life, is resurfacing again! " The room stilled, I stilled and so did she when she realized what she has just said. I took steps backwards, watching her as I shook my head in utter disbelief. "Wow Angel. Just wow!" "Tristan I'm sorry." "N
Tristan's POV I killed the ignition of my car, sitting there and thinking about nothing in particular but everything at once. Vanya had only met Selena once and they had not gotten along. Not as if any one could ever get along with Selena. But why would Magnus go after Vanya? What did he want from her? ***Flashback*** Vanya was speaking to the strange woman who claimed to be her mother, so I decided to go back to my house which was now Angel's house to wait for Adam after I had sent him to figure out who the rogues were and why they wanted Vanya when Angel came to me. "There was one thing I noticed about the rogues. I didn't want to let you know about it because Vanya was there." I sat back down, placing my coat on the seat I had been seating on. "What was it?" "All the men had a wolf tattoo on their right shoulders." "Werewolves have tattoos all the time Angel." "I know." She countered. "But it was split in half." She looked at me, going still for a moment before that still