DEL MORINO The morning sunlight pushed through the tall curtains, castinga soft glow over my luxuriousroom.The cool morning air brushed in, making me welcome it all. I stretched lazily, a smirktugging at my lips. Last night hadbeen... entertaining. Tammy hadbeen eager to please, but thatwas to be expected. Women likeher always tried too hard, hopingto stay longer than l allowed.But right now, I'd no use for her ,just as I had no uses for other women I had met and slept with.I rolled over, expecting her to stillbe in bed. But my hand landed onan empty, cold sheet. Damn.I just hoped this was not an thief , not after dealing the other one who I'd banished.My eyes snapped open. Where had shegone? The twerp.I sat up and scanned theroom. There she was, by thedresser, standing in front of themirror like she owned the place.Anger surged through me. The audacity.She hummed to herself, herhands busy styling her hair intosome elaborate bun. The sightwas enough to a
LAYLA The guards were relentless, their hands like iron as they dragged me and the maid away from the room. My feet scraped against the cold stone floor, my heart pounding with fear and anger. I glanced over at the maid, her face pale and stricken with terror. She stumbled as they pulled her, her small frame no match for their strength.Behind us, the Lycan King stood tall,his presence commanding the room.He said nothing, not a single word,as they took us away. I looked back at him, my chest tight with desperation, but his expression was cold and unreadable."My King!" the maid cried out, her voice trembling with raw emotion.She twisted in the guards' grip, her eyes pleading. "Please! Have mercy! She didn't mean any harm! She-she didn't even know! Punish me, nother!" I said pleading on her behalf.The maid kept begging too, her voice cracked, the sound of her despair echoing in the corridor. I felta lump rise in my throat, but I refused to let tears fall.Del Morino's eyes fli
DEL MORINO I stood before the gilded mirror in my chamber, adjusting the tailored midnight-blue suit that hugged my broad frame with practiced precision.The silver embroidery on the cuffs shimmered under the light, catching the glint of my one visible eye. My left was still hidden beneath the mask-sleek, black, and unyielding,as much a part of me now as my very skin.The mask made others uneasy. That suited me fine. Fear was a tool, and I wielded it as deftly as any weapon.With a snap of my fingers, my valet scurried forward, his hands trembling as he presented my onyx cufflinks.He fastened them silently, his head bowed as if afraid to meet my gaze."Enough," I growled. He stumbled back with a muttered apology, and I turned sharply, my polished shoes clicking against the marble floor.The banquet awaited. The same banquet I had conveniently told Layla was postponed.I laughed silently to myself when I remembered the shock on her face, I guess even Lord Thomas will be surprised tha
LAYLAI ran my legs going faster than I thought , the wind brushing through my face.The shrubs and thorns brushed through my legs, bringing out blood but I didn't stop, the sky was without a moon but I didn't stop either.I kept running my lungs were burning but this was my only chance, my only chance of freedom, to escape from Del Morino.I had overheard one of the guards saying something about the woods leading to another pack that was the northern border .if I ran very fast or if a kind of miracle happened and I was able to shift at least, I would be at the pack by midnight.But shifting was impossible.According to what I heard too, the northern pack was the safest anyone could run to, and it also shared border with the human world. My throat tightened ,my heart was pounding and I could literally hear it and my legs felt like jelly but the fear of being caught again fuelled my courage and pushed me deeper into the woods.I wondered what the human world would be like, would the
LAYLAMy heart hammered as my eyes danced in my head.I looked at Del Morino and at that very moment I just wished to die.There was a hint of surprise in his eyes and as his eyes roamed over me , taking the torn dress, my disheveled hair and wild eyes, a smirk crept up his lips."Well, well, well." He drawled." Pocahontas is running away. Again.""Stay away from me." I said, my voice trembling and my knees felt like jelly and I hoped the little strength I had would keep me standing." Of course I'll. I don't want to ruin my suit." He sneered. " This is the second or third time you are running away and our path kept crossing. " He took another step towards me. " Do you know how to get away from me next time ? Turn to a cockroach and vanish."I thought he was done with what he was saying when a stinging slap came in both my cheeks in such short moment that I saw my soul leaving my body."You're coming with me Pocahontas." He said and made to grab me when I felt someone come up behind m
At first I wanted to laugh . Was this some kind of joke ? But I felt like I had been hit by a rock and I blinked severally trying to understand what he was saying.With so many questions swirling in my head. Adrian's words felt like I had been slapped and hearing this was so unbelievable.Hilda and Gilbert Montez killer his mother. The words pierced my heart like pieces of broken glass.Those names didn't sound strange to me and those people weren't strangers either, they were my Ma and Pa. They were the most caring and kind hearted people I had ever known . Tears after their death and so many people in the pack still spoke highly of them He just can't stand there and accused my parents just because they weren't here to speak for themselves."Liar ." I spat and jumped out of the bed despite the pain I felt.But Adrian remained composed, his intense stare never faltering. The weight of his silence hung heavily in the air between us. "You can't just tell me something like that an
LAYLA Adrian's words kept replaying in my mind, filling me with uncertainty and fear too His calm and deliberate voice made me doubt everything I believed about my parents. But no matter how hard I try to doubt , I felt a part of me believing and wondering what part of my life was a lie or a mess too.The trust about Del Morino, about me. But not really. I couldn't accept it. It was so unbelievable. No matter what Adrian believed he knew or what he thought, my parents couldn't have caused Del Morino's mother's death or whatever he said, at least not in the way Adrian said. My parents were the Guidaians Of The Moon. They have killed rogues wolves . But murderers were far from it. It just wasn't pissed.I sat staring out of the window and my head began to pound. Maybe from thinking about all this too much or maybe from the slap Del Morino had given me last night. I didn't know, so I just shut my eyes and rested my head on the headboard I should have asked Adrian where he was goin
LAYLA It was the singing of the stupid birds outside that woke me up. The sunlight dancing into the room and settled on my face.My eyes snapped open and what happened last night stuck me like a bad movie that had refused to go away.I remembered. I had gone to apologize to Del Morino. A brief sorry, a swift retreat and perhaps some freedom from my guilt were all that was expected of me. However no. What I got was the sight of him laughing carelessly while standing with another woman. His hand had been on her arm for too long and she had laughed too loudly. I shook my head and hissed under my breath as though that would help me forget the memory.. " Ridiculous. I dont care about him or how her feels. " I muttered .But even I found that lie hard to believe. I padded to the bathroom to take a quick shower after getting out of bed. Though the nagging irritation of remembering him and the woman persisted but the warm water helped calm my nerves. I hastily came out of the bathroom
LAYLA'S POVDel Morino was supposed to be my mate, the one I loved, the one that should have been mine. Thats what everybody says anyway, that's what I knew, right ?But my heart was aching and no matter how hard I tried, that nagging sensation couldn't just leave . It was there . As we strolled through the bustling night street, the aroma of street food danced into my nose. He moved next to me, his hands holding mine lovingly and I knew I should be listening to what he had to say and how he spoke. But I couldn't , I had other things on my mind. My thoughts were faraway and I tried pushing them out.Del had knocked on my door and I hastily slipped the letter Adrian had given me into the pocket of my jacket. Its weight against my side served as a reminder of something I couldn't forget and that I didn't want Del to know about it, or it could cause trouble for me or Adrian, well, I don't even know."I'm taking you out." He said laughing." Not the normal dates." His eyes locked on min
LAYLA I was having trouble breathing. My chest felt tight as if I were being choked by invisible hands The words echoed around me and immediately I felt like passing out.The words were swimming before my eyes as the parchment shook in my hands but I was unable to understand them. I didn't want to. Aunt Charlotte. Uncle Benjamin. Gone. Just like that?I couldn't tell how long I stood there speechless and unable to think, my mind too consumed by the awful thought of their deaths. It was just so unbelievable, I felt something wet on my cheeks and it was when I touched my cheeks that I realized that I was crying.All I could feel was the emptiness that radiated through my body, the tightness in my throat and the raw sting in my chest. They were the ones who were there for me after my parents death. I had grown up with them. I could not recall anyone else loving me or caring for me in the same way that they did. And they had vanished. In that exact same way my parents had left.Not a
LAYLA My fingers curled around the parchment Adrian had given me and when I set the mug down the tea was just lukewarm. As I tried to read the exquisite script, the ink continued to smudge beneath my fingers. It was definitely from Drake, the man I had once believed would be my mate but who had turned me down. I was baffled as to why he sent me this. How did Adrian get it anyway? I turned to face Adrian who had somehow gotten closer to me while I was absorbed in my thoughts. His eyes were unreadable and calculated as he stared at me. His normally composed manner felt more abrasive and menacing just like that of a predator circling its victim. A darker, more eerie quality had taken the place of the warmth that had once surrounded our friendship. "How do you know about this?" My voice shook a little as I waved the letter at him.How did you even get this from Drake?."Too controlled and too practiced Adrians lips curled into a tiny knowing smile. "Drake and I go way back." he said
LAYLA.The weight of Del Morino's words began to press down on my chest in the late afternoon. Del had gotten me a new chamber and I had pease here.I tried to distract myself by arranging books on the couch in different places and running my fingers along their spines But nothing was able to divert me from our earlier discussion. Little shivers of confusion ran through my mind as his voice continued to echo. I believed I understood the strain of living in his world and I felt really sorry for how unstable his life had been from the onset. I shifted uneasily on the couch and flipped through a book, hardly reading the words. My gaze was constantly drawn to the window. I exhaled and tried reading when I heard a knock. I quickly rushed there hoping it was Del but when I opened the door, I was kind of surprised "Adrian." I said surprise lacing my tone""Hey,Layla." He said quietly. "It's been a long time." I said, moving aside to give him access. I knew Adrian well enough to fee
LAYLA Sitting across from Del, I tried to quiet the raging mental storm but it couldn't go away. Carleton Antoine Morino. That name, I have heard it before but where? The name sounded awfully familiar.Del was staring at me when I looked up. He was waiting and I sensed it. He was waiting for me to ask, for me to say something that would cause a chain reaction. I was unsure of what to say. His name *that name* weighed a lot on my chest. Even though I thought I had heard it before, the memories were so distant and out of my grasp. Why did my heart race each time I thought about it and why did it seem so important? At last,t when I couldn't hold my questions any longer, I spoke barely raising my voice above a whisper. "Del I've heard that name before, especially the name Antoine. I am certain that I have. But I don't know where or why does it seem so familiar?"He shrugged and reached for a glass of water, took a sip and continued staring at me but there was something in his eyes.S
DEL MORINO I was staring out the window when I felt Layla's eyes pressing down on me. The room was flooded with moonlight, which created shadows on the walls that appeared to get bigger by the moment. I couldn't bring myself to speak, not just yet, so our silence dragged on longer than it should have. Sharing was never my style as a man. Not with anyone. Not her at all. But tonight something was different. I was now staring out of the window as I sipped from a glass of Martini. There was something about the way she was staring at me that suggested she genuinely wanted to know and understand me. It made the words flow out of me in a surprising way. For a moment I believed I could ignore it—pretend like nothing was wrong—because the air between us was heavy with unsaid words. Act as though I didn't have the urge to tell her the secrets I’d long kept hidden. But I always pretended not to care. Isn't that the thing about me? As if I was independent. The silence was broken by Layla'
DRAKEIt felt like ages since dinner. The sound of cutlery clinking on dishes,Sophia's chuckles and her kind smile. The storm raging inside of me was cruelly contrasted with everything else. Tonight was supposed to be normal for me. I had shamefully returned from Corbin's pack into the waiting arms of Sophia, as I stared at her from across the table I remembered that my role was to pretend to be the man she believed me to be. But I couldn't maintain the persona for very long. It felt like an insurmountable burden was pressing down on my chest every minute I spent with her smiling and acting as though nothing was wrong. She talked about the delicious food but I could hardly hear her because I was seated across from her at the dinner table and my mind was elsewhere. Her tone was gentle, almost reassuring. I should have felt better after that. Rather it merely served to remind me of what I had just done. I told her a lie. I explained to her that I had been going about some business a
DEL MORINO I rushed into my chambers feeling the weight of the world pressing down on me. I couldn't release the rage and sadness that were boiling inside of me. Even clenching my hands into fists didn't help. Terese was gone, just like my mother, the one person who had been by my side since I was a young child. When my father had pushed me off like trash, like I wasn't his son, when my mother was too sick to look after me, Terese was there.I slammed the door so hard that it shook violently. I ran my fingers through my hair as pain exploded in my chest.Piece by piece I could feel my heart breaking. I had the feeling that I was choking and was unable to breathe. She was more than just a nanny. How could she be gone? How could I have lost the one person who had always supported me? She served as a protector, a steady presence in my life during a time of instability. And she is gone now. Only the moon goddess knows what she had wanted to tell me I slammed my fist into the wooden d
DRAKEAs I arrived at Corbin pack gates, I felt the burden of the journey pressing down on me. The pulse of my rage echoed through my veins, and the roaring beats of my heart were too loud for me to ignore. They had taken Terese, my only hope of finding the Seal.I know Corbin more than anybody, and I was sure that the idiot was going to lie that he didn't take her away, but he didn't know that I had gotten first-hand information that she had been abducted by his men and held captive for reasons I didn't know, and I didn't care to know.I wasn't here to socialize or have a peaceful discussion. No matter the cost my only objective was to bring her back and get the damn Seal. I slammed the car door with a loud bang that reverberated through the silent forestWithout exchanging words, my guards silently followed me while their eyes scanned the area. Each of us was aware of our purpose. “Remain vigilant,” I yelled, my tone steady but tense. “Corbin won't make things simple.”Before we