I lifted the long gown and ran as fast as I could, but Dante was quicker than I imagined. He rolled on his back and grabbed my leg, all to force my leg out of his grip proved abortive, and he dragged me to the ground with one heavy pull. The moment I hit the ground, Dante snaked his hand around my neck, pinning me to the ground. An unexpected surge of defiance coursed through me, giving me the temerity to claw at Dante's face and throw punches at him. But it all faltered into dust when he suddenly raised his hand and landed a slap across my face. My eyes exploded into my head instantly, a dizzy wave of malaise coursing through me. Invisible stars suddenly appeared around my eyes, dancing as the pain paralyzed me. “What the hell is your problem!” Dante screamed into my face. "How dare you!" Before I could respond, he grabbed the fruit knife and placed it to my neck. "I am going to kill you again, you will die and suffer." He raised the knife high above his head, but when he broug
Aurelia's POV When my buttocks started feeling numb, I adjusted my sitting position and placed the book in between my laps, flipping through the pages of the book to see if the writer had written more stuff between the pages. But unfortunately, there was none, the novel contained only the diary page. Quickly, I placed the book aside and started rummaging through the remaining pile of books beside me, scattering them and putting them aside in spite of the dust it caused.I opened every book, peering deep at the pages as I flipped through them. But there was nothing more. Oh no. What should I do now? The short notes seemed to be the only thing that can enlighten me as to who Dante was, and the motive behind his erratic behaviors. What has happened to the lady? She claimed to be the love of Dante's life and Dante had addressed me by her nickname. Maybe these few notes were what she was able to write, maybe she didn't write more. I drew in a deep breath then, straightening up and wipi
The crazy maid stayed in the room with me that night. She put a chair at the entrance of the room and leaned on the door, arms folded across her chest. The impact of the needle stitch became so immense that I had to remain on the bed and hang the hand aside, limply. Many thoughts swarmed across my mind, weakening me the more. When she first made the statement, she'd placed her hand akimbo, spread her legs apart, and scrunched her face menacingly. She had clearly been hoping that I would argue with her, or refuse to accept what she had said, so that she could throw another tantrum, so that she could call me names again. I merely acted as though I hadn't heard her words, closing my eyes and clenching my teeth as the stitching needle pierced deeper into my skin. I felt the heat of the maids' cantankerous gaze on my body, but I kept my eyes shut, ignoring. When I opened my eyes, I found her at the back of my reading table, peering at the mountain of scattered books. “Is there a reaso
I had intended to rummage through the pile of dirt and pick the important things I might find and then return to my seat before Dante would arrive, but my plans didn't work. The figure I beheld on the image took the breath out of my lungs, my legs suddenly feeling heavier than rocks. It was a picture of a girl, she was seated on a long stool, her legs flashed across her face. She held a bouquet of flowers in her hands: A warm smile was plastered across her face. Now, I wasn't alarmed by the lady in the photograph, I saw something I never could have expected. The hairstyles on the lady's head was a side parted bob, the same hair that Dante had forced me to barb. But that was not all. The gown the lady was wearing was the same gown I was putting on. The golden yellow gown which had clung so affectionately to the lady in the picture, was the same one I was putting on, the gown which Dante had forced me to wear! My hands started trembling, my chest constricting as a thousand numerous
Djurek's POV I paced restlessly near the grand window of my castle, my reflection a blur in the polished glass. The weight of recent discoveries pressed down on me, making each step feel like I was trudging through mud. Dante's behavior had taken a turn for the worse, evolving from merely eccentric to downright alarming."What game are you playing, old friend?" I muttered, my breath fogging the windowpane.The pieces of the puzzle had finally fallen into place, revealing a picture that chilled me to my core. Dante, once a trusted ally, now harbored ambitions that threatened the very fabric of our society. He aimed to conquer the minor packs, to crown himself king of our lands. The audacity of it all made my blood boil.But that wasn't the worst of it. No, what truly set my teeth on edge was his new found alliance with the rogue clans. Those lawless packs, barely more than bandits, now stood poised to become Dante's personal army. The thought of it made my stomach churn."And Aurelia.
Aurelia's POV I woke up to the sound of a revving machine in a dark and eerie room. I opened my eyes wide and took a minute to register the noise and what could be making it but I couldn't get anything. The last thing I remembered was Nicolas at the moon fortress, then he was trying to pull me through the door. I stifled a groan as I raised my head off the floor and hurled myself to a sitting position. There were numerous scratches on my body and there was a chain around my ankle. I couldn't move around. I wiped the blurriness from my eyes and looked around, the acrid smell was thickening, gnawing at the depths of my stomach.As I was trying to straighten my back, I remembered Jaxon Jr and as a subtle realization that I had been separated from him hit my mind, I realized where I was immediately. The strange smell became familiar, the numerous chemicals lined on the shelf... I was in Dante's laboratory! I gasped, raising my body totally off the floor, and just as I thought, the rea
AURORA'S POVIt was cold. Very, very cold. The air seemed made of ice and every breath I took in was torture. The hard floor on which I sat was also cold and the coldness seeped through my flimsy clothing and into my skin but I could not move nor stand from my position and even if I could, there was no space to shift to. The cell that I had been thrown in was filled to the brim with young girls that were no more than my age. The only difference between me and them was that I had stopped crying ages ago. Tears hadn't stopped them from throwing me out of the only place I had ever known.When my rejection and banishment had just taken place, I had cried and cried, thinking that perhaps my tears would move my former pack members and mate, but it had been for nothing. They had thrown me out and turned their backs on me.I turned into a wanderer, a rogue with no roots. Days and nights had passed with me crying at the edge of our pack borders, hoping and praying they would take me back. Hopi
Mate,” growled Nicolas as soon as our eyes met each other's and my heart began to thud as a ray of hope spread slowly over it.Maybe something could go right for me afterall. Maybe there was hope for me and I wasn't to live the rest of my life alone. I would have a partner, a companion. The mating ceremony party between Brie and Gabriel was now well underway and everyone except me was having the time of their lives.I had stepped out from the hall to take a break from the gyrating bodies and loud music and had immiediately being slammed with the smell of rain and lemon. I had thought that perhaps it was my nose playing tricks on me. It hadn't rained in a while around here and we had no lemon trees either. It was not until I caught sight of Nicolas and the smell grew stronger that I knew he was the source of the smell.My wolf began jumping inside of me, as if threatening to tear its way out of me, excitement and joy holding me tight in his grip.Mate, mate, it began to scream.Nic