Kael’s POVI couldn’t believe someone would resist tempting offers that tilted towards getting justice.How could a person be so comfortable in her problem that she never seeked a way out. “Irene, Irene,” that was all I could think of now because she was giving me a tough time. Irene was being so reluctant. I didn’t know what she was thinking, but it wasn’t anything good.Right now, I felt like I messed up badly and wasn’t doing the right thing. Was there a better approach that I should have used?“Did you just mess with me? You told me you will get back to me on what we discussed but I haven't heard a thing from you,” I spoke aloud and moved to the window with my hands on my waist, struggling to understand how Irene was smart enough to turn me down.“There has to be something that I'm doing wrong,” I said to myself, the words tasting as bitter as vinegar as they left my mouth.I began pacing around the room, unsure of what else to do to make my plan work.Frustration wasn’t even th
Lucien’s POV"You have lost your damn mind! This is the most stupid thing I have heard!” I yelled at Alpha Kael, who stood across the room.Yes, my voice was dangerously calm, but with the way I stared at Kael, he would know that I wasn’t going to tolerate this.Kael tried to laugh, but there was nothing amusing about it. I was more than angry.If I had known that this was what he wanted to say, I wouldn’t have allowed him into my space.Can you imagine? He was proposing a 20% rule for my pack members. If they don't contribute their quota, they would be exiled. Kael's arms were folded across his chest, his stance a little too cocky.Just as I suspected, he was waiting for me to come to my senses and agree with him."The 20% rule makes a lot of sense and I don't know why you can't see it," he continued, stroking his jaw slowly. "A pack only grows strong when its members are forced to contribute. If they can’t give, they don’t belong. It’s survival, Lucien. The weak will only drag us d
IreneThings were not getting better with me, and my health kept declining.The drugs were not working, and I didn’t need anyone's pity.As I kept convincing myself that I didn’t have to tell Lucien how I felt, my stomach twisted painfully.The nausea hadn’t stopped for days, and I didn’t know what to do about it.I pressed my hand against my abdomen, forcing myself to breathe through the discomfort, but it felt like knives were stabbing me from within.I refused to go to the hospital.I didn’t need Lucien’s concern. I didn’t need him to ask me questions, or worse, his sympathy.I didn’t need a nurse poking into my private life.I wasn’t ready to hear the word pregnant again because it was only going to make matters worse.“No. I wouldn’t go to the hospital,” I said, shaking my head.I would handle this like I handled everything else.But even after struggling with all that, it wasn’t the sickness that made my hands tremble now.It was the conversation I had overheard.Lucien and Kael
Irene’s POV"I don’t want to hear it, Kael. Anything you have to tell me, please save it," I said to Alpha Kael, who was trying everything within his power to sweet-talk me.I didn’t bother hiding how irritated I was, and it showed in my voice. I didn’t owe him anything.I already knew what to do about this, and I had made my decision.Kael stood there, looking like he had a lot to say.Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t going to listen to any of it. He was only trying to sway me."Listen, Irene. This is a very critical topic. Saying that you don't want to hear anything I have to say sounds a little damaging," he said, and I sighed, shaking my head."I'm sorry, Kael, but I'm actually not sorry. I am not here trying to make you feel better," I answered, and his lips broke into a dangerous smile.He looked so sure of himself, like the world was beneath his feet. Like he could convince anyone of anything.But not me. He was not going to get to me today. I have done everything possible to sa
Irene’s POV"He’s not as strong as he thinks. Can't you all see? Even your Alpha can't stand up to me!" Kael kept shouting to the people who watched, his voice echoing in public. He flexed his muscles in their faces, his confidence as bold as his voice.He was behaving like a little child and it made me worried. The duel was yet to begin, yet he kept bragging to the onlookers, claiming he was very powerful.I decided not to stay hidden in the shadows, choosing instead to listen as he spoke to a few pack members. He sounded so confident, parading himself before the people like he was already certain of victory.Everything about him annoyed me, and I wasn’t sure I could stand him any longer.“Lucien may be Alpha,” Kael said with his chin lifted high with so much arrogance, “but that title won’t protect him when we meet on the field. Strength isn’t just about force. It’s about influence and power. And I have got both.”A few low chuckles rumbled from his audience, and the sound made my
LucienI couldn't sit still no matter how hard I tried.My legs kept moving and my foot tapped the floor continuously.I ran my hand through my hair, pulling it a little too hard, but it didn't help. Nothing helped at this point.“Shit,” I muttered, low at first. Then again, I said it louder. “Shit!”I stood up and started pacing around. I smacked my hand against the wall, the sound sounded so sharp and angry, but it didn't make me feel better.I was so agitated.And nothing seemed to be working for me. I hated feeling this way.“Damn it!” I crackled, and the words came out sharply and sounded bitter as the burn of liquor slid down my throat.I hated how all these made me feel, making me feel like less of a man and more of a fool.But it was the truth, wasn’t it? Irene didn’t care. She never had.I slammed the empty glass that once contained whisky down, and the sharp clatter rang in my ears.The bottle of whiskey sat half-finished on the table, and with a few more gulps, I would be d
Irene"I can't keep doing this," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if I was saying it to him or to myself.Lucien’s hand paused mid-air, hovering over my cheek. He had just tried to kiss me, and now, that was all I could think of.My breath kept coming out in gasps, and I felt the tension pressing down my neck.My wolf howled inside me, yearning for him, pulling me toward the very thing I knew I shouldn’t want.But I stepped back.His eyes darkened, confusion and pain swirling within them."Irene..." he called and continued. "I…"I cut him off with a shake of my head. I didn’t need that now."Don’t, Lucien. Please, don't say a word. As you can see, I don't need it.”But he wasn’t the kind of man who could be turned away so easily.He tightened his fist and almost left me to drown in the silence. But then, he spoke, and his soft voice reached my ears."I’m sorry for everything. I'm sorry for hurting you," he pleaded. "Please, Irene. Forgive me."Why was he suddenly asking me for forgiv
IreneI had a lot of things to say to Camilla, but none of it was coming out now. We were at the mall, and we had to sort ourselves out as ladies first.“I don’t think I can do this,” I said to her, making sure my voice was loud enough for her to hear.Right now, I was staring at my reflection in the dressing room mirror. I wanted to look good as I stepped out to get a few things.Camilla, on the other hand, was sitting on a nearby couch as if she had all the time in the world. She lifted her eyes to meet mine, and I knew she was about to say a lot when she cleared her throat.“You can and you will,” she said, her voice firm, as though it was law. “You just don’t know it yet. Very soon.”I sighed and turned back to the mirror.The dress I was wearing was one of my favorites, and it clung to my body. It was dark, sleek, and relatively expensive.It hugged my curves like it was made just for me.I wouldn’t deny it. The dress was beautiful and perfect. And yet, I wasn’t sure if I recogni
Irene "She's not even a Luna. So why is everyone acting like she matters? I hate her!”There were so many things I heard when I was coming down the stairs and it made me stop dead in my tracks. I had to look at the direction that voice came from and it hurt me badly to see that a maid was the person saying terrible things about me. It hurt my feelings that I was referred to as someone who wasn't Luna yet and the worst thing was that I was being hated because of my simple existence. “You are right. She keeps acting like someone who is very important when she's not. I have no idea why the Alpha still keeps her here,” another supported what the first maid said and goosebumps appeared all over my body. “He claims he loves her, which I doubt. How the hell did he love someone like that?”The sound of the maid’s voice hit me like a stone to the chest and because of all that I heard, I could barely breathe. I wasn’t even trying to eavesdrop. I just wanted to get some air, to walk past t
LucienI clenched my jaw as I walked into the council chamber, closing the heavy wooden doors creaking behind me. I was here to meet the elders to discuss something important. This was not something I usually do because I mostly summoned them when I wanted to scold them for something stupid that they did. Right now? I didn't know. I was not in the right frame of mind. I barely walked in with my head raised up high and the room was already smelling because of the fire burning beside them. I was a little bit reminded that I was dealing with the elders who thought they had better authorities in front of me. The elders sat in a semicircle, their eyes narrowing the moment I stepped in. I already knew what was coming.I was expecting anything from them. I was expecting them to wail and to wag their tongues in anger. But, I was already not bothered about anything that they had to say to me. "Lucien," Elder Faron spoke first, his tone sounding so disappointed. He was about to say somet
IreneMy stomach was rumbling greatly and I didn't need an angel to tell me to run down the stairs to the dining. I had never anticipated eating in this manner. As I ran down, I could hear the sound of my heavy footsteps echoing through the walls. My stomach twisted in knots. It didn't seem like hunger this time. It was more like the uneasy feeling I felt inside me. I began to think about stupid things that I shouldn't be bothered about. At this point, I didn’t want to face anyone. I didn't want to see Lucien or Silas or even Camille. But I knew I had to eat, and hiding away in my room forever wasn’t an option. As I reached the dining hall, I stopped at the doorway and took a deep breath. Damn! The food was so good that it hit my nostrils before I could enter the dining room. I knew immediately that this scene was coming from roasted meat and fresh bread. I salivated and my mouth watered. I needed to be in that room, digging into my food..I swallowed some saliva down my thr
Kael POVMy sister sent for me and I couldn't decline her request, knowing fully well that she wanted to see me. There was a reason for that and there was a lot to discuss. I flipped my jacket over the chair when I got to the room where my sister was seated. "You wanted to see me. Now, I'm here. I'm really glad you were patient and waited until I came,” I said to her and I signalled a servant to get me some cold water because of how badly I was boiling inside. My sister, Liora, sat across from me with her arms crossed and even though I just commended her for waiting for me, she still had a mild look of impatience on her face."How far along is she?" she asked, without waiting too much time. "Irene, I mean,” she added and I tried hard to hide my smile. “She’s okay. Irene is very much okay but She is still fighting it. Irene is stubborn, as expected but she is this close to giving in. She just needs a little more push, and she will have no choice but to come to me,” I answered and
Irene"Meet me at the back of the pack tonight,” Kael said to me after he decided how and when we were going to meet. I had already had it in mind that the reason I was doing all of these was because I was desperate. But, my wolf won't let me deceive myself to that extent. She kept on bringing countless thoughts and suggestions to me but thankfully, I was able to shut her out. But, it was only for a short while…“You heard me, didn't you?” Kael asked and he sounded almost amused, as if he already knew my answer.“Why? Why should I meet you at the back of the pack house? And at night?” I asked, narrowing my eyes but he only looked at me as though I wasn't serious with what I wanted. To him, if I was serious. I wouldn't ask any question. I would just accept his request immediately. "You want the truth, don’t you?" He asked me and that made the hair on my body stand erect. That was where the problem was. I was being guilt trapped by everything that was happening around me. He knew
Irene“But you know what, Irene? You are the last person I expected to see crawling back to me,” Kael said, bursting my bubbles. The switch in his reaction was crazy. So, everything he said to me earlier was just to deceive me that he actually felt good about helping me. This time, his eyes were burning with fire and his smile appeared wicked. I looked lost in everything and his laughter came rumbling close to my ears. I almost wanted to walk away from him so that I could ignore the way his words made me feel bad. The reason I was here was not because I wanted to waste my time or to settle whatever we had in the past. I had one purpose, and I wouldn’t let his arrogance distract me.“Are you done?” I asked him and my voice flat remained flat and unimpressed.Kael smirked, pushing himself off the wall. “Not even close,” he answered. “I knew you might be wondering why I decided to honour your call. Tell me, princess, why would someone like you want to talk to someone like me? Were
IRENE’S POV"How long have I been this blind?"I wish I could get the answer to that particular question but there was no one here to answer me.I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall, my fingers digging into the fabric of my dress.My heart pounded against my chest and this was not as a result of love or excitement. It was far from that. I just suddenly realised that my entire relationship had been a lie and it was not just a small lie.It was a massive, twisted and ugly deception that I had been entangled in and I had been the fool who believed in it.My throat felt dry and my chest tightened. Everything I knew kept flooding in and it kept on hitting me like a sharp slap to my face. I was totally ruined by everything going on with me. Silas’s cold glances and his empty apologies were not helping and I had ignored it all. He had warned me so many times about making a good decision to forget about whatever relationship k had but I had convinced myself that he was just
Lucien“You really think I did all of this to hurt you?” I asked, frustration clawing at the back of my throat.I should have let her be but guilt and regret were both threatening to swallow me whole. I had to make her understand. I had to explain everything but I was starting to realize that nothing I said would change how she saw me now.Irene stared blankly, but I could see the pain and anger in her eyes. All these emotions were in her eyes and stood there in front of me. While we stood there, I noticed that there was something cold in the air between us now. This was a feeling that had not been there before..She didn’t say anything for a long time. And then, as if the words had been boiling inside her for too long, she opened her mouth.“You did it for power. You can't convince me otherwise that you did it for your own damn selfish reasons.”My eyes bulged out and my lips fell open. I wanted to shout back at her and tell her that she was wrong, that she didn’t understand anyt
Lucien“You make me sick,” Irene said after everything. But I was not surprised she said that to me after all the words we had exchanged She was only triggered by me giving her space.Irene’s voice was cold, and it cut through the air like a sharp blade that aimed straight for my throat.It shouldn’t have affected me. It shouldn’t have sunk under my skin the way it did, but it did.I didn't have any control over that.I held my jaw tight, forcing down the fire that burned the tip of my tongue.I didn't have much patience left. I was already losing all that was in me.I muttered, “Is that so? Now, I suddenly make you sick?” crossing my arms over my chest.She scoffed, shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.“You had all the power in the world to stop this, but you let it happen. You let them kill my father. And now you expect me to just… accept everything? You must be out of your mind!” she yelled at me, and the accusation stung me hard.A bee sting would hav