Diane's POVMy heart was ramming so fast in my chest that I thought I was going to die as Lucius took steps toward me. There was nowhere for me to run.Tears streamed down my face as I recalled once again how foolish I was for putting myself in this situation.I should have never accepted to marry him. It was crazy to even imagine. But it was also too late to regret now.As Lucius got closer, I closed my eyes and anticipated one of those sharp claws I had seen those men produce from their hands slicing through me.But it never happened. I felt nothing but his hot breath on my skin.I pulled one eye open and I met him staring softly into my eyes."Diane, this is what I am. We are creatures different from your kind but we are not monsters —well, some of us aren't..." He trailed.I opened the second eye and looked up at him and all I wanted to do was scream for help but something else seemed to have taken over my subconscious.Once again, I was drawn into his persistent eyes. I could sud
Diane's POVSophie let the band of people back into the room and they quickly ushered me to a seat. One started working on my hair while another worked on my face. Another two divided themselves with my fingernails and toenails.I should have felt pampered but somehow, I felt uncomfortable as I had no idea why they were doing all of these things to me.Sophie mentioned that it was for a mating ceremony. Lucius had said it too but I had no idea what it was."This is more like a preparation process," the one working on my hair began. "Usually, it takes about a month for things like this but since the beta said this was a special case we had no choice but to pull up the entire team at once. I hope you don't mind?" he asked like I had another choice.I rolled my eyes and decided to ask him something else entirely. "Can I ask you something..."His fingers paused in my hair and he looked at my face through the mirror. "Sure, anything at all. Ask away," he beamed at me and continued massagin
Lucius POV"So why did you call for us barely a few days after the last meeting?" Kasper asked, his pride rising above his head.Rather than give him a straight reply, I got up from my chair and moved toward him. The room felt silent as everyone looked at me wondering what I was going to do. Even Kasper himself didn't look so confident anymore. He blinked his eyes multiple times and he didn't know if he should smile or cry as he watched me approach him.If he had the choice, he would have run out of the room but he didn't want his followers to laugh at him. I had realized that he was the top of the pack for them and all I had to do to keep the others under check was to get him under control and the rest would be too scared to retaliate.I didn't rush, I took my time, walking toward him with excruciatingly slow steps that only increased the pressure he was starting to feel.Another one who couldn't even look me in the face was the old gamma. I had called for him as well. I wanted him
Diane's POV I managed to convince Jolynn to mark out a map for me and quickly, I marched out of the dungeon with the paper securely tucked in my pockets.I avoided the guards, keeping my head low as I returned to my chambers. The team supposed to work on my face and hair was still there waiting for me.As much as I wanted to start executing my plans right that second, I knew that asking them to leave would only make my motives suspicious, so for the first time, I followed Sophie's advice."I am sorry the conversation with Lucas took a while. You may continue," I offered with a fake apologetic smile."No problem," their leader beamed and they happily welcomed me back into their work chair. They continued their work and I sat impatiently counting the seconds till they could go so I would get to speak to Sophie.I decided I wasn't going to tell them that I got the map to the back doors from Jolynn, they would not believe her considering she had kidnapped me. I knew I shouldn't be trusti
Diane's POV My heart was heavy from my grandfather's choices but I knew I had no other choice than to protect the others who were more willing to leave this hell hole —and that was Sophie and Owen. They didn't deserve to be here. This was my mess. They were completely innocent and my grandfather had the right to make his own choices.I walked out of the room and joined Sophie who was standing over a guard sprawled on the floor right in the middle of the corridor looking like a superhero.My eyes widened in shock and I looked between Sophie and the man. As I was about to speak, my eyes caught even more bodies in the corridor behind her.At first, I had thought she got lucky and probably hit the guard on the head with something but seeing more than ten guards and a woman knocked out, she couldn't have fought with them."What did you do to them?" I squeaked, the bodies behind her wearily. My eyes caught one with his head in an awkward angle and my throat went dry."You didn't kill them
Lucius POVMy eyes fell on the stylists I had contracted for her. They were sprawled on the floor in strange positions and the guards outside were also in the same situation.As I saw this, my heart squeezed as I feared the worst might have happened. Did someone attack them? Did Jolynn and Kasper try something stupid?My wolf was tearing through my brain wanting to be let out so he could punish anyone who had dared to do this. I was growing with anger as the seconds passed.But I had to be calm if I was going to find her. My eyes focused deeply on the stylist in front of me and I could pick up his heartbeat.If Diane had been attacked by my enemies, they would have killed the men with her and the guards but they didn't look dead. It only meant that something else had happened. I had to be certain they were truly fine, so I looked in my brother's direction, "Lucas check if they are breathing?"Lucas moved past me and bent over the first man. He placed two of his fingers to his nose an
Diane's POV "Diane, you need to understand that this is beyond what you are seeing. Lucius isn't the beast you are making him out to be. He is your soulmate and all he wants is to take care of you!" My grandfather cried out.My heart broke into smaller pieces as his words reached my brain. I could not believe the words coming out of him."Grandfather, how can you say that? Did he do something to you?! Did he put you into this? Did he threaten you?" I asked, trying desperately to understand what would make him betray his family like this.But he could not speak anymore. His eyes dropped to the ground, unable to look at me."Please tell me if he threatened you... It will stop this pain I am feeling in my heart."Sophie moved closer to where I stood and she placed her hands on my shoulder. "Let it go, Diane, there is no point now. We should think of how to get out of here and forget Fred," she said but I shook my head and pushed her hand away."No, Sophie, look around you!" I yelled poi
Diane's POVAs we rode back to the castle, everything just happened in a blur. Sophie insisted to come with us and at least witness the ceremony before she would leave to return to her work —and also find a better way to get us out of me from the other side. But of course, Lucius and his men didn't have to know that little detail.As we got to the castle, Lucius led me to his chambers where the unhappy stylists started brushing through my hair while another used a wet cloth to take out the sweat and stains I got from the Forest. There was no time for me to get a bath because according to the guards that had ushered us in, the ceremony was about to start.He and his team worked as fast as robots, when they finished, I was in a white dress that left nothing to the imagination.It was beautiful, but I couldn't help but feel naked in it. As if he had read my thoughts, the head stylist spoke up."It is usually our tradition, for the future Luna to stand naked amongst her people," he said a