Irene“What!!!” I blurted out, clasping my hands over my mouth. I was being dramatic, I knew, but still, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when I stepped down the stairs.What I was seeing right before me felt like something out of a nightmare.“This lady is out of her fucking mind!” I exclaimed, biting back my voice so that it wouldn’t come out loud.Eve was standing in the middle of the people, raising her shoulders arrogantly.She was laughing as she greeted some of the dignitaries. This was disrespectful to me, and it was a slap in my face.As if that wasn’t enough, what struck me the most was how she was dressed.She wore a dress that was undoubtedly more expensive than anything I ever owned.The fabric glimmered under the lights of the room, hugging her in all the right places. Her curves were so pronounced, and her makeup was flawless.She looked drop-dead gorgeous. Even though I hated her, I had to tell the truth.But it wasn’t just the dress for me. It was how she stood th
IreneSilas came to my room, and he was not the person I wanted to see right now.We were not quarreling, but I was only pissed with everything that was happening around me."Don't ask me anything yet. You will know soon."“Why are you here, Silas? Are you here to make me angry or is it that you just can’t help yourself, can you?” I asked him, sounding so blunt and rude at him.I didn’t bother hiding the frustration in my voice as I folded my arms, staring at Silas. I needed him to see every bit of what I was going through.I was that mad.He stood in front of me, his face looking so confused. He decided not to back down so I could see how determined he was.Anyway, I was ready for all he had to give me because I had a lot in stock for him.“Irene, this isn’t about me. I don't know why you are acting so worked up today. Am I the problem?” he asked softly, and I bet that was not going to work on me.It wasn't going to work on me. Not even a bit. I refused to smile at him as he continue
IreneLucien was gone, but I still remembered everything he said to me. He called me a liar straight to my face just because I didn’t want to tell him what my brother and I were talking about.I went back to look for Lucien, who was about to leave his study to go to who knows where.“Why did you accuse me of lying, Lucien? I need to know!” I yelled the moment I barged into his study.Lucien looked confused to see me, but I was already prepared for war if he wanted to bring it up again.“Excuse me? Why are you here, Irene?” he asked.To my surprise, Lucien’s voice was calm, but I could feel the tension buried beneath it.He tried to compose himself as he stared at me, but I was so good at pushing him to the wall.“I hate repeating myself. I'm here for the same reason you entered my room when I was talking with my brother. Is that a better answer now?” I asked, and his eyes glowed slightly as they pierced into mine.Why was he looking at me with so much anger in his eyes? Was he about t
Irene“You shouldn’t be here. I thought you were going to turn it down. But I forgot that I was dealing with Irene,” Kael teased, and it set my nerves on edge.Oh shit! That sounded a little bit disrespectful. What could I say to that? Would I be able to defend myself? I doubted it.But I was here for business, not for a random reason.I tightened my grip on the edge of the table, keeping my face neutral. I didn’t want his words to get to me.“Neither should you. Stop acting like you are different,” I fired back at him.I was not ready to take any chances at this point. I knew why I was here.He smirked, leaning back against the bar, his expression calculated.“I see… you don't always have to be so aggressive, anyway. I was just testing the waters,” he responded, and I pouted.That sounded like a stupid excuse.While he stood in front of me, I remembered what Lucien had said. He had warned me to stay away from Kael, saying he wasn’t what he seemed.But I wasn’t the type to be warned o
IreneI stumbled a little as I returned and tried to regain myself before I lost it again.To my surprise, Kael was outside Lucien's room when I got there. My suspicion about him heightened, knowing fully well that I barely knew him.I didn't know him too well.I froze, fingers tightening around the door handle.I could hear Kael’s smooth and confident voice, but there was something unsettling about the way he said it.As if he knew something I didn’t know.He stared at me like he had already decided the outcome of whatever this conversation was going to be.Slowly, I turned to watch him.Lucien’s room was just behind me, and I could still remember our last conversation.But now, I was standing there in the corridor, face to face with the last person I expected to see at this hour.Kael didn't seem to care about what was happening. He placed his hand in his pocket, staring mischievously at me.I hated his eyes more than anything in the world."What do you want?" I asked, keeping my vo
Lucien"You didn't hear this from me, but... your woman has been in Kael’s bed for weeks."Those words hit my ears hard, and I stopped mid-step.This was serious, and it was a very harsh accusation that needed to be defended.Perhaps I didn’t hear him well. Maybe my mind was playing games with me.Nowadays, I wasn’t able to rest properly, so I was hearing things. Maybe this day was part of those days.Slowly, I turned to face the guard and looked at the mouth where the words left.He stood stiffly like a statue when he saw me, but I saw the glint in his eyes despite him looking blank.He was pretending, and he was trying to deceive me. A glint that said he knew exactly what he was doing."What did you just say?" I asked him, urging him to repeat what he just said, but he refused.He was daring me. I was not going to take it lightly.The guard hesitated, scratching his head, then took a small step back as if realizing he had gone too far. But he didn’t take his words back."I overheard
IreneI heard a sharp crash of something breaking downstairs, making me jerk up from my chair."What the hell is going on down there?” I asked no one in particular as the sound came louder this time.At first, I thought it was just an object smashing into the wall, but that was not the case.The sound was too loud for such an assumption, and it was too early for anything to be happening.My heart pounded as I listened, straining to catch the voices through the thick walls that blocked everywhere.While my ears stood erect and I placed it almost to the door of my room, I heard more shouting, followed by a deep, loud growl that was so familiar."Isn't that Lucien?” I asked, and immediately, my fear heightened.What was happening that would make him shout that way?I didn’t wait to spend another minute in my room. I was already changing into a better cloth, and quickly, I pushed the door open.Looking down from upstairs, the sight of what I saw made my stomach drop.It was Lucien and Kae
Lucien"You are lucky you have a thick skull. Sometimes, I wonder if you feel pain with these wounds on your body," Irene said to me as she began tending to my wounds.Her touch was unbearably soft, and I wished this could go on forever. I enjoyed the way she was taking care of me like I was some little child."This is nothing compared to what I have had before, Irene. I doubt if I feel any pain. Besides, I'm a man. Do you expect me to cry like a child?" I asked her, and she smiled.She dipped the cloth into the bowl of water beside her, wrung it out, and pressed it gently against the cut on my cheek.The sting was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. That ache had nothing to do with bruises or broken bones. It was entirely different."Oh, really? I see. I never expected you to cry out anyway," she said, and I tried to smile."I have had worse. That's just the point," I muttered, and she shot me a look, unimpressed."Stop saying that. It's not something to be proud of," she scold
LUCIEN"Find her. I don’t care how long it takes. Just find her and bring her back to me!” I commanded. The words burned as they left my mouth. They were like hot iron branding my tongue.I stood in the middle of my office, surrounded by my most trusted guards. Their faces were hard, determined and they knew better than to question me.This was a very critical period for all of us and I was not going to take any chances. "I want every inch of this territory searched," I said, voice cold and sharp. "Every border, every river, every cave. No one rests until she’s found. People can't disappear under my watch! It's uncalled for!” They nodded and they raised their fists to their chests."Go," I barked at them and in a flash, they scattered like wolves on the hunt.I was left alone again, and silence began to consume me. I was relieved that I had given out that order. Now, I have to wait for them to bring back good news. I slammed my fist into the desk and the papers scattered to the
LUCIEN"Where the hell is she?" I thundered and my eyeballs moved from one end of the corridor to another. I was so loud that my voice bounced off the walls of the empty corridor. I was angry and scared at the same time because I feared that something evil must have happened. I stood there, holding myself down as I kept breathing hard like I had just run a marathon.Two days!! Two damn days and still, nothing.At first, I thought she was just furious with me. This wouldn't be the first time Irene gave me the silent treatment. This wouldn't be the first time I deserved it either.But this? This silence and this complete disappearance from her was something that threw me off guard. I turned and stormed down the corridor, ignoring the curious glances thrown my way. Let them stare. I didn’t care. I needed someone to sit me down and explain to me. I stormed down angrily and I didn't even realize I was heading straight for Silas until I almost collided into him at the bend of the hal
IRENEAfter minutes of trying to be calm, I got up from where I was sitting. What even came over me? Why was I being so calm about it?"I’m not staying here to rot, Kael,” I ranted out and unfortunately, I couldn't stop myself from saying it. Kael sat by the door with one of his legs stretched out. His arms were also crossed and he could clearly see that I meant all that I said. “You heard me, Kael. I said you can't keep me here. I'm not a fool! I'm finding my way out,” I said again and this time, he just stared at the wall like it held the answers to all his problems.Bastard! I paced the small space and my bare feet slapped against the cold floor. My hands were tightened at my sides and I was already breathing out fire. I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t breathe right. I had to move and do something.But Kael just sat there. Watching. Breathing. Being the wall between me and freedom."Did you hear me?" I snapped, stopping to glare at him. "I said I’m not staying here. Why are yo
IRENE"How was it possible? No way! I couldn't be Kael's mate,” I said, stubbornly disagreeing. I refused to accept the news that Kael broke to me. This is nonsense if I must say. Kael leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, watching me like I was something pathetic. "You think this is about us?" he asked sharply. "You are scared. You don’t know how to handle your feelings. That’s why you’re doing this. You’re acting out of desperation."He laughed, shaking his head. "Feelings?""You love me," I said quickly. "You are just... confused. You are trying to protect me in your own twisted way. I don't think it's going to work.”"You still don't get it, do you?" he said, straightening.I shook my head stubbornly. I still had a lot to say. "You locked me up because you're scared. Not because you want to hurt me."Kael moved before I even saw it coming, he gave me a slap on my face. The slap hit me so hard, my head snapped to the side. A sharp sting exploded acr
IRENE"Where the hell am I?" I whispered, jerking upright.My heart pounded against my ribs as I looked around, wild-eyed.The last thing I could remember was a sudden blanket of darkness. Now, I was in a bright and cozy room. It was nothing like the nightmare I had expected.There was a large bed with fluffy white sheets, a small bookshelf and soft rug. On top of the nightstand was a little lamp with a golden base. I swung my legs off the bed and stood up fast. My head was spinning for a second and I grabbed the bedpost for balance. I was breathing so hard."What is this place?" I muttered under my breath, walking to the door.I tried to push it open yet it was locked.That was strange. I twisted the knob harder and I kicked it forcefully. Yet, Nothing. It didn’t budge. I leaned my forehead against it, closing my eyes for a second."Okay, Irene. Stay calm. Stay calm. Kael wouldn’t hurt you," I whispered, forcing the words out like a prayer. "He’s not like the others. He’s good
IRENE"Are we almost there?" I asked, forcing a small laugh to hide the unease rising inside me.We had been going round different roads but we were yet to arrive at our destination. Kale must have noticed how uncomfortable I was but he didn't seem to mind. I contemplated within me if I should ask him what was going on again but it was clear that he ignored me the first time. I tried to sit up and straighten my back. I let out a loud cough and held my face. “Can you please answer me? This is becoming really creepy and I'm not comfortable,” I said, letting the cat out of the back. Kael just smiled and handed me a cold bottle of water. I hesitated for a second before taking it. Did he just dismiss what I just said? Or did he translate what I meant into being tasty?Kael was being so unpredictable and it was alarming. I stared at the cold bottle of water and it was tempting. My throat was dry anyway and with a shrug, I twisted the cap open and drank greedily."Thanks," I said, wip
IRENE"You deserve to know the truth, Irene," Kael said to me when he decided to have a word with me. I wasn't expecting something from Kael but I had to pay attention to what he had to say since we had been fighting a lot recently. “Is anything the problem, Kael?” I asked, looking around. I also tried to search to get any clue about what he meant by that. But, I got nothing. I wasn’t expecting him to start talking like that. I thought he would throw another insult or maybe brag again. But instead, he stood there, staring at me like he actually cared.It was surprising and at the same time, I was taken aback. "What truth are you talking about?" I asked, folding my arms. "More lies? It what? Let me put it straight to you. I can't be deceived now. I'm wiser. I'm saying this if you ever thought that you were playing with a fool.""No! No lies. I'm done doing all of that. You deserve to know everything that has been going on. "I raised a brow, feeling skeptical. Why did he sound lik
Irene Earlier today, I stormed out of Lucien's presence out of anger. I couldn't believe he was making me feel less than myself. Now, I was fighting with myself and before I could get to where I was headed, I heard some hushed voices. I recognised one of the voices of the person talking as Kael and it was quite surprising how he got here before me. He was such a busy man with a loud mouth, wasn't he?“He’s not going to listen. We will take him, whether he likes it or not,” Kael said and his voice was as sharp as a blade. He couldn't even try to talk a little lower. I froze and came to a stop immediately I heard him speak. My heart pounded so hard that I could barely hear Justin’s reply.“Are you sure about this?” Justin asked, his voice tight. “Lucien will kill us if we act without telling him. This is not something that we should risk.”Kael chuckled darkly and I could tell that he was the mastermind behind this. “Lucien doesn’t need to know. Why would this be his business? If
LucienIrrespective of the fact that I wanted to know what exactly was going on between the both of them. I was very mad that Irene had the guts to talk to someone I regarded as my enemy. I couldn't wrap my head around what was happening. Why didn't I ask her this in the first place instead of trying to know why they were about bringing down the place?"You must be kidding me, Irene! Come to think of it. This is who you choose to talk to? Him? And why the hell are you back after telling everyone that you have nothing to do with me. You literally stressed the hell out of me as I looked for you," I asked and the moment the words flew out of my mouth, I regretted the tone I used in talking to her but I didn’t care. The sight of Irene standing there, exchanging words with Kael of all people boiled my blood in a way I couldn’t explain.She turned slowly, calmly, too calmly, like my rage didn’t matter to her. “Why are you talking to me about choices, Lucien? Haven't you made worse ones?