Cold.Broken.Tired.These three words perfectly described how I felt, laying on the floor wishing I never jumped on the idea of getting married Damon when I found out he was my mate. My decision to marry Damon had been driven by desperation, by a longing for something better, I was tired of the physical abuse from my father and my stepmother that I eagerly agreed to marry him because I thought I was finally going to have a better life, a life where I don't get to sleep with one eye open, a life where every single thing I say or do won't be misunderstood, a life where my happiness, my health and my opinion actually mattered.But I got something else. Something perfectly similar to what I was running from. My wolf wasn't that strong to withstand the pain and heartbreak if I reject him so the thought actually crossed my mind but Ii never really dwelled on it. The walls were getting colder each passing minute so I knew the it was going to be night soon. This room had no window as it was
Cecil's expression was a mix of disbelief and sadness as she shook her head in frustration. “How could he do this to you?” she muttered, her voice tinged with anger. “All because of a woman.”I waved her concerns away, trying to reassure her. “I'm fine, really,” I insisted, though I could see the tears welling up in her eyes.She scoffed, clearly not convinced. “I can't believe I once had a crush on him,” she muttered bitterly, reaching for my cup of coffee and handing it to me.I accepted the cup with a short smile, taking a long sip to soothe my nerves. “You crush on everyone you see” I teased lightly, trying to lighten the mood.“How are you feeling?” Cecil asked again, for the sixteenth time.I couldn't help but laugh at her persistence. “You asked me that ten seconds ago,” I pointed out with a grin. “I'm fine, Cecil. Honestly. I've healed up, and I'm happy you're here”She suddenly went quiet, her sudden change in demeanor made me confused, and I watched in confusion as she jumpe
I paced back and forth in the store, my heart pounding with frustration as I listened to Victor's angry voice on the other end of the line. He sounded like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.“Calm the fuck down, Victor,” I snapped into the phone, trying to keep my own emotions in check. “Where are you?”There was a tense silence before Victor finally responded, his voice strained with anger. “Back in Gemini.”My stomach churned with dread at his words. “Back in Gemini? Please tell me you didn't go to the mansion,” I pleaded, feeling a surge of panic rising within me. “You know what? I'll be there in thirty.”I hung up the phone and quickly grabbed grab my bag, my mind racing with worry. I knew Victor was hot-headed and impulsive, and the thought of him confronting Damon alone sent a shiver down my spine. I had to get to him before things escalated any further.I hurried over to where Cecil was, my heart still racing.“Hey, I'm really sorry, but I have to go, somethin
It was hard to suppress a smile at Victor's protective stance. “Why?” I inquired.“Because, Damon has no right whatsoever to hit you,” He growled, his expression darkening. “He was lucky I didn't see him.”“You shouldn't fight him. You shouldn't,” I reasoned.“Well, you should,” “I'm trying to be the bigger person, Vee,” I replied, dropping my bag onto the black sofa. When I turned back to face him, he wore a peculiarly blank expression.“You can't, you're only 5'4” he retorted.Ha!“Funny, but I'm not going to bet on a losing fight. Damon is ten times stronger than I can ever be, and you know it.”“And I'm stronger than he can ever be,” Victor declared, rising from his seat and circling the table to approach me. “It would be fun if you sat and watched me tear him limb from limb.”I turned away, gazing out of the window. “Did anyone ever tell you that you have a very disturbingly weird choice of words?”“Uh... No,” He admitted."Well, now I'm telling you. You say disturbing, creepy t
Her words really caught me off guard, they pulled at my heartstrings. “I thought you were happy, that the Alpha is going to change and everything. But now, I'm rooting for someone else, someone who's going to take care of you and love you.”A tear unconsciously escaped my eye.Her unexpected sentiment touched me deeply. “That's so sweet,” I managed to murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.But then, as if to dispel the tender moment, she continued with her usual matter-of-fact tone. “So, Alpha Victor sent his secretary to get clothes for you for the day, and when your schedule is cleared up, the both of you are going on a shopping spree.”Her abrupt shift in tone brought a small smile to my face. Zara rummaged through the closet once more before triumphantly pulling out a sleek black tie shoulder ruched cami dress. From another bag, she retrieved a pair of white stiletto-heeled sandals adorned with charming bow decor. Lastly, she unwrapped a white retro-inspired underarm should
After Cecil left, I decided to grab a smoothie and salad from 'Nature' because I barely ate anything during the meeting earlier. As we headed to Gemini to meet Victor, I enjoyed my salad in the car.When we got to the hotel, Victor was already waiting in his car outside. I told the driver to park in the VIP parking lot as Victor preferred it, wanting to keep a low profile with our customized ‘BWP’ (Berry-woods pack) plate.Victor was dressed in his usual business attire, but he wasn't wearing his suit jacket, just a black vest and suit shirt.“Did you forget your jacket?” I asked as I closed the car door behind me.“No,” He replied, his attention glued to the tablet in his hand. “We had a little Mishap earlier.”“A Mishap?” I questioned, fastening my seatbelt.“Yeah, we're preparing the hotel for the Christmas celebration, and I had a few problems while supervising,” He explained, loosening his tie before returning to his tablet.I helped rolled up his sleeve when I saw It's bothering
It was four pm by the time we drive around the city to eat lunch, we soon came back and after paying for the dresses and a new suit for Victor, who was still in the car, I checked for an accommodative semi-expensive hotel to lodge for the night, I finally found ‘ERA’ after a long drive and we'll, it was a three star hotel and was okay, I think. Victor didn't find fault in it, he only asked if I was comfortable staying there and he was if I was. “I'm sorry I didn't do as I had promised” He finally closed his laptop for the day and rubbed his eyes. I continued drying my hair, still in the hotel's grey robe still on me. “It's okay, no worries. I had fun anyway” “You're not mad at me” He asked, probably surprised that I was nonchalantly drying my hair instead of hurling things at him. I stopped drying my hair for a moment and gave him an are-you-okay look. “I had crabs for lunch so yeah I'm not mad at you” “Are you sure?” He slowly got down from the bed and began unbuttoning his vest.
I stretched a slice of pizza to him to, I don't know, calm him? He just huffed and turned back to drying his hair.“You're not bribing me with a slice of pizza,” he remarked.“I'm just being generous,” I replied, stuffing the pizza into my mouth.After what felt like forever, he finally finished drying his hair and tossed the towel into the laundry basket. Then he hopped on the only clean spot on the bed, the rest was surrounded by snacks of all kinds. There were chips, chocolates, and who knows what else. And they're probably unhealthy too, because I saw one with a million percent calories while bringing them out of the bags. I think it's called Choko. Yes the name is Choko, it's a chocolate, just so you know. You know what's the best dessert for a woman? It's online shopping from a cheap site. Trust me, it's more satisfying than you'd think. I quickly cleaned up the bed, threw the empty packs into the bin, and stored the remaining coke and snacks in the fridge.Victor pulled
Leo’s POVShock couldn’t even describe how I felt when Michael and Greg were in the same room as us. It was hard not to show my displeasure as I watched them sit eagerly, rubbing their palms at the delicacy presented to them. While Michael was just interested in whatever this was, Greg cast furtive glances at me, but I paid him no attention.The least he could have done was to have informed me beforehand that my best friend had offered him an invitation to have dinner at the house. I could have told him to decline. If he had, Michael would have done the same, and I wouldn’t have had to watch Lila so uncomfortable.She squirmed in her seat, not looking up from the table. Her plate was empty, as she had yet to take what she wanted. But she had already been accosted, so I doubted she was interested in whatever was in those dishes.“This is amazing,” Michael gushed like a child who had just been handed his favorite candy. “I’m sitting in the same room as Leo and Armani. I can’t wait to te
Ana stepped into the pharmacy on her way to Victor's, with a sense of urgency. She made her way to the counter, her eyes scanning the shelves until she found what she was looking for. Birth control pills. She grabbed a pack, paid for it quickly, and left the store, her mind already focused on the night ahead. Hoping no one's attention was in her.Once outside, she took a deep breath and fished the packet out of her bag. She popped a pill into her mouth and swallowed it dry, anticipating her arrival at the mansion. She could feel the excitement building, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she imagined what was to come.Arriving at the house, she let herself in with the spare key he had given her. The house was quiet, save for the soft hum of voices coming from the dining room. She walked in and found him sitting at the dining table, engrossed in a live Zoom call. His laptop was open in front of him, and two businessmen were visible on the screen, discussing some important matte
After getting the things he needed at the store, Carlos' uncle, Frances decided not to drive straight home if maybe not. Instead, he took a detour to a dimly lit tea shop. He parked in front and walked on foot to a bar a bit farther away. It might be calculated move on his part, a way to throw off anyone who might be following him.Entering the bar, he found a secluded corner and settled in, ordering a few less alcoholic drinks. He knew he needed to stay awake, and nit get drunk. As he sipped his drink, he kept an eye on the door, waiting for his contact to show up. He was told this bar sold cookies, and despite the unusual setting, he couldn't resist ordering some.An hour passed, and there was still no sign of his contact. He ordered another drink, more out of a need to maintain his cover than a desire for alcohol. The bar was a typical dive, with dim lighting and the smell of stale beer hanging in the air. He tried to stay calm, but the wait was beginning to get to him.After wait
Ana spent the rest of her morning and early afternoon in blissful solitude. She played games on her phone, The hours slipped by unnoticed, and soon she felt the heavy pull of sleep. Without bothering to change, she curled up on her bed and napped.When she woke up, it was late afternoon. The house was quieter now, the bustle of the morning's chaos having subsided. She stretched and took a moment to reorient herself, then decided it was time to freshen up and shake off the remnants of sleep. She wanted to make the most of her remaining free time before the annual packs' meeting.She dressed up in a casual chiffon dress, applied a little makeup, grabbed her bag and left her room, moving quietly through the house. She tried her best to avoid any lingering annoying family members, not wanting to risk another confrontation or forced interaction, or even an insult regarding her choice not to get pregnant. As she stepped outside, the cool afternoon air greeted her. Smelt like summer was just
The girl jumped, her face paling as she stammered an apology and quickly scurried away. Ana watched her go, irritation still simmering. She put in her key, twisted until she heard a click and then shd pushed the door open, entering her sanctuary. She took a moment to breathe, willing herself to calm down. The last thing she needed was to let anyone down there see her rattled.She freshened up quickly, splashing cold water on her face and running a brush through her hair. She changed into something more presentable, even though the effort felt wasted. These breakfasts were always the same—forced smiles and shallow conversations, or just them plainly trying to piss her off Descending the stairs. Damon was seated at the head of the table, with Catherine by the left, there was someone else by the right and he gestured the lady to move when he saw me approaching.Well, let's just not start on the part where he just acted nice and weird, like he's been doing lately.Victor, predictably, wa
The next morning, Ana lounged in the living room, munching on popcorn while Zara massaged her feet. She watched as Catherine, always the attention-seeker, prepared an extravagant breakfast. As usual, Catherine had invited almost the entire Pierce family for a feast without bothering to inform anyone beforehand. It was such a Catherine thing to do—spontaneous, inconsiderate, and utterly exhausting for everyone else involved.The kitchen was a chaotic mess of clattering pots and pans, the smell of cooking food thick in the air. Selene and the other maids bustled around, trying to keep up with her relentless pace. Ana watched them with detached amusement, knowing full well that any call for help from Catherine would be met with thinly veiled disdain.Catherine, in her own world, directed the maids with sharp commands, her voice carrying over the noise. Ana knew better than to engage. She had learned long ago that nothing she did would ever be good enough for Catherine, and she had stoppe
In the dimly lit warehouse, the men lounged around, a sense of nonchalance hanging in the air. The men were taking a break from their gruesome duties, their faces reflecting a mix of boredom and tiredness and maybe a bit sleepines. The smell of sweat, smoke, and faint hints of blood filled the room."Hey, you got another one of those?" one of the men asked, nodding toward a cigarette as he sprawled on a worn-out couch."Sure," another replied, tossing him a pack. "We're gonna need something stronger if we have to go back to work soon.""Tell me about it," the first man muttered, lighting his cigarette and taking a deep drag. He exhaled slowly, the smoke curling up towards the ceiling. "I’m tired of babysitting that old woman. shouldn't we just clear her. I wonder why she's here.""Seriously man, but orders are orders," the second man shrugged, leaning back and closing his eyes. "Besides, we’ve got that other guy to keep things interesting."In the corner of the warehouse, their other
Ana woke up early the next morning, the soft morning light filtering through her bedroom window, she was driven home last night after dinner by Jules under Victor's order since he refused to let her hail a taxi. She stretched, shaking off the remnants of sleep. Today was the day she would prepare for the annual packs' meeting, an event that required her to be both presentable and versatile. The meeting was a significant occasion, filled with formal discussions and various activities, and she needed to look her best, but to beat the gossips and also build her confidence.As she dressed after freshening up, her thoughts turned to her wardrobe. Many of her clothes seemed dull and uninspired, and so was the ones she bought earlier for the meeting. She decided it was time to update her collection. Grabbing her phone, she made a quick list of the essentials she needed: a few new dresses, some casual outfits, and accessories to match. She also noted that she might need a couple of versatile
Lucas stood up, pondering her words. He exchanged a glance with the leader of the men, who gave a slight nod."You did the right thing by telling us, Maria," Lucas said. "We'll make sure your grandchildren are safe. But you need to understand that if I find out you lied, your grandkids wouldn't be safe in my hands either"She nodded vehemently, tears streaming down her face. "I swear, everything I just told you is the truth. Please, just protect them. They’re all I have left."He gave her a small, almost pitying smile, that to a normal eye would look a bit forced. "Very well then. We'll do our best. Remember, Maria, trust is a fragile thing. Don't give us a reason to break it.""I promise, I'm not lying"As they left her alone in the warehouse, her heart sank into a deep pit of despair, her mind racing with thoughts of her grandchildren. Outside, Lucas walked briskly to his car, which was parked just outside the warehouse. He climbed into the driver's seat, leaving the door open for a