Lusia Four days had passed since that night in the bath, and in those four days, I had ceased to exist. Or at least, the version of me that once held onto fleeting hopes and the warmth of stolen moments.King Dane had ensured it.From the moment I opened my eyes each morning, my body was forced through relentless training. The soreness in my muscles never had a chance to fade before I was being pushed again—faster, harder, longer. My body ached constantly, but I never complained. I had learned quickly that complaints meant nothing to him. He gave no mercy, no soft words, no acknowledgment of my pain.But it wasn’t just the training.Everywhere he went, I was expected to follow. He never left me behind, never let me out of his sight. Even when he traveled beyond the pack’s borders, I was brought along—only to be confined within a room, waiting in silence until he was finished with his business. There were no stolen glances, no shared moments of quiet understanding. Just his orders. An
LusiaI stepped further into the room, my bare feet brushing against the smooth tile, every movement slow, hesitant. The air was thick with something unspoken, an unnamed tension crackling between us like the air before a storm. King Dane stood just ahead of me, his broad shoulders stiff, his presence magnetic.Then, she appeared.Kiara stepped out of the walk-in closet, a chocolate cake delicately balanced in her hands, her brown eyes alight with something unreadable. She was wearing nothing but sheer black lingerie, the lace barely concealing the curves of her body, as if she had been waiting—planning—for this exact moment.A sharp sting lanced through my chest, and my breath caught in my throat. I felt like an intruder, an unwelcome guest in a moment that was never meant for me. Was it foolish of me to think Dane and I shared something real? Had he even found the time to reconcile with his fiancée?I was confused by the drama that unfolded before me. What was Kiara doing there? She
KiaraIt was amusing to see Lusia in the room. The setting had been for just Dane and me, but seeing her walk through the door after him had been a great addition. I was pleased that she had come. The look on her face when she saw the flowers had been priceless. She looked jealous and confused. There was no way that she was going to beat me to Dane’s heart. What did she have over me that would entice Dane? Nothing. Her body wasn’t even up to par. She was skinny, and her little perky breasts poked the fabrics of the dress she wore. She wasn't curvy like I was. Her skin was pale and filled with bruises. There was no way that Dane would have stayed with her. But he did, and it irked me. I was surprised that he would choose someone like her over me. She didn’t have anything over me. She was just a mere werewolf. I couldn’t understand why Dane couldn’t see that. He was angry at me. He had always been. Ever since that night. The first night we had met had been a rollercoaster of emotions.
LusiaKing Dane pulled away from me, his breath still heavy, his body glistening with sweat. My skin ached, my body sore from the roughness of our entanglement. But it wasn’t just the intensity of what we had just done that left me shaking—it was the look in his eyes. Dark, dangerous, and utterly unwavering.It was amazing. I was surprised that he had made the first move this time after what seemed like an eternity. He was proud of me for standing up to Kiara and shoving the chocolate cake in her face. I felt relieved when I did that and would do it again. But Kiara had retaliated as I had expected. I was saved by King Dane again. That was becoming a recurring theme which I didn’t fancy. It made his words more real. He wanted to train me to protect myself. I had to learn too. I couldn't always have him saving my back. What if he wasn’t there anymore? Or did he arrive too late? What would happen to me? I didn’t want to think about it. All I wanted was to be able to protect myself in c
LusiaKiara’s twisted smile didn’t waver as she inched closer, her eyes alight with condescension and amusement. The flickering lights cast eerie shadows across her face, making her look even more deranged than usual.Seeing her in the room was one thing and her making advances towards me was another. Just a few moments ago, I had asked myself what I would do when King Dane wasn’t here to protect me. And I didn’t know. From the look in Kiara’s eyes, I was well aware of her intentions to hurt me. What was I going to do? King Dane had left the room a while ago and it didn’t look like he was going to return for a long time. It looked like I was stuck with her, and that was the worst thing that could happen to me. “So tell me, Luisa,” she cooed, tilting her head, “why are you still here? A mere wolf among Lycans. It’s almost laughable.”The words hit me like a slap, but I refused to let her see it. I had endured enough. King Dane’s threats, Kiara’s torment, and my sense of helplessness
DaneThe scent of sex and sweat still lingered in the air, mixing with the rich aroma of whiskey as I leaned back in my chair, savoring the burn of my last sip. But no amount of alcohol could quench the heat still coursing through my veins—not when my eyes were locked on the laptop screen before me.Lusia.She stood beneath the cascading water, steam curling around her delicate frame like a lover’s embrace. Her skin glistened, covered in a soapy lather that slid down the curves of her body, tracing the scars that marred her flesh. Those scars—each one a testament to the suffering she had endured—should have repulsed me. But instead, they fascinated me. They were proof of her resilience, of the fire that burned within her despite everything she had been through.There were also scars she had gotten from me. Scars that indicated how cruelly I had handled her. I was mad at myself and I couldn’t understand why. I enjoyed every moment of it then. But they seemed to irk me now. There was no
LusiaThe air in the room was thick with tension, the scent of gunpowder still hanging in the air. My chest rose and fell in sharp, uneven breaths, my fingers stiff and sweaty around the gun’s grip. My ears rang with the echo of the gunshot, but it wasn’t the sound that made my heart pound violently in my chest. It was the look in his eyes.Kiara stood frozen before me, her brown eyes wide with shock, her body trembling. Her lips were parted, but for once, no words came out. The laugh that had once spilled from her mouth so easily had died, leaving nothing but silence between us.I was still pointing the gun at her. We were at a standstill and I was waiting to see what her next move would be. The silence was deafening but it was comfortable to me. I wanted to say something—something sharp, something cruel, something to make her understand that I was no longer the weak little wolf she could toy with. But my actions had already demonstrated that to her. I wasn’t going to keep up with
LusiaCold. That was the first thing I felt when my consciousness began to return. A biting chill seeped into my skin, pricking at my nerves like tiny needles. My body ached, my limbs stiff as if I had been lying in one position for too long. A dull, throbbing pain pulsed at the back of my skull, making it hard to focus.I forced my eyes open.The sky stretched endlessly above me, a canvas of deep gray tinged with fading streaks of orange. It was twilight. The air smelled of damp earth and grass, fresh yet foreign. The ground beneath me was hard and uneven, the cold dirt pressing into my palms as I slowly pushed myself up.Something was wrong.My heartbeat quickened as I glanced around, my vision still hazy from whatever had knocked me unconscious. I was in the middle of a vast, open field—tall, unkempt grass swaying in the wind, stretching far into the horizon. No walls. No buildings. No familiar landmarks.Panic coiled in my chest like a living thing.Where was I?My mind scrambled
DaneThe room was quiet now that the woman left. I was staring down at Lusia who looked so pale. She was breathing which was okay to me. She was alive. That was what mattered most. But I was worried. Not only by that but by the words that the healer had told me just before she left the room. Lusia had a wolf. Her wolf was buried deep inside her. It was locked up. I never thought that someone like her would have a wolf. She looked so weak and fragile. But that wasn’t her fault. Somehow, her wolf spirit had been sealed which prevented her from the many perks of being a wolf. She couldn't heal fast, and she couldn’t shapeshift. She was almost human but for the werewolf blood flowing in her veins. I felt a knot tie in my stomach. It was sad for her. She had been through so much. I wondered if she knew about this. Of course, she did. Why wouldn’t she? I wanted to be close to her. I wanted to hold her and make her feel that she wasn’t alone. But I couldn't. I couldn’t show her how much I
DaneThe scream tore through the dungeon, sharp and desperate, bouncing off the cold, stone walls like a wounded animal’s cry. I hadn’t expected it. No, not from him. Keon had been a proud man when I first came into his cell. He was someone who thought of himself as strong. Now, he was nothing but a shaking mess of fear, his back pressed against the wall as if he could disappear into the cold, stony wall. For a moment, I simply stared, surprised. Then a slow, amused chuckle slipped past my lips.He was trembling so hard I could see the shudders racking his body. His hands clutched the rusted chains at his sides, fingers digging into the metal as if they could anchor him. His chest rose and fell in quick, uneven breaths, his eyes darting between me and the cell door as if expecting me to charge in and finish what I had started.I took a step closer, dragging my fingers along the iron bars, letting the sound scrape through the silence. His breathing hitched. I stopped in front of the d
DaneI was heading towards the last cell which was Finn’s. He was the last person I wanted to see. Finn Slater had come into my castle without my permission and threatened his sister, Lusia. Harming her in the process as well. If there was any of them who deserved the worst punishment it would be him. I was angry that he had still returned no matter how many times I had forgiven his behavior towards Lusia and me. The only reason he was still standing here was because of her. He was alive because Lusia wanted it. No matter how much she hated him, she didn’t want him dead. And I couldn't understand why. Someone like him didn’t deserve to be alive. His audacity and bravery were just a facade. Deep down, I know that he was terrified of me. And I could see that as I stood before his cell now. Finn stood inside, his back pressed so hard against the far wall that it seemed he was trying to melt into it. His royal robes, which looked amazing when he first arrived here, were torn and filthy,
DaneI crouched to Kiara’s level, watching her shudder as my presence towered over her. The cell was dimly lit, the torchlight casting shadows that danced against her pale, trembling face. Her breath hitched, and for the first time since she had been thrown in here, she truly looked at me. Not just with defiance, not just with hatred—but with fear.Good.Then she screamed.“I will let everyone know!” Her voice cracked, raw from her previous outbursts. “They’ll know the truth! That you—” she gasped, chest heaving, “—killed Luisa’s parents! That you kept her locked away in your castle, refusing to let her leave despite being told by the council!”Her words echoed through the cold, damp space. And then I laughed.A deep, unhinged sound that filled every inch of the dungeon. It rumbled through the stone walls, making the torches flicker as if even the flames feared me.Kiara flinched.“You think,” I chuckled darkly, shaking my head, “that I care?” I leaned in closer, lowering my voice to
DaneIt was my fault. I was late. I had been held up. That was why I couldn't be there in time. I would have stopped that fool from touching her. I would have made him pay for laying his hand on her skin. He still would. They were all locked up. Lusia was barely breathing.Her body was a ruin of blood and torn flesh, her skin marred with fresh welts and deep bruises that made my vision blur with rage. She was too light in my arms, too still. Every shallow breath she took felt like a battle she was losing, and I refused—refused—to let her lose it.Her blood still coated my hands. I could see it every time I flexed my fingers, feeling the warmth of it seared into my skin like a brand. No matter how much I wanted to stay by her side, to watch over her as she fought to recover, I had unfinished business.I stormed through the hallways of the castle, my grip firm but careful, her head cradled against my chest. My coat swallowed her fragile frame, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing was enough.
Lusia Koen’s fingers ghosted over my skin, slow and possessive, as if he had all the time in the world. My body was betraying me, writhing against the cold floor, my muscles locked in a feverish heat I couldn’t control. I wanted to claw at my skin, to rid myself of this cursed reaction, but I was trapped—trapped inside my own body, trapped with him.I tried to move away from him, but I couldn't. I was still bound. I was helpless as I lay on the wooden floor. I was irritated with the way he touched me, but my body accepted his touch because it was familiar. And also because it wanted to be satisfied. The feeling of disgust and lust drowned me. I was lost on what to do. There was no escape for me. I was trapped. “I’ve missed this,” he murmured, his voice low and satisfied.A shudder wracked through me, bile rising in my throat. I waited for him to take over me. I had no other choice. King Dane wasn’t coming. I had waited for too long. I had bought him all the time in the world, but it
LusiaMy entire body locked up the moment Finn stretched his arms lazily, his expression one of boredom. He was losing interest. That should have been a good thing. But I knew better.“Well,” he said, rolling his shoulders, his voice thick with amusement, “I think that’s enough for me.”Enough for him. What the hell did he mean by that? Was this some kind of game to him? It seemed so. My stomach turned violently. He was using me for his amusement. As always. That wasn’t a surprise. He still hadn’t changed a bit. I hated him Finn never left unfinished business unless he had someone else willing to finish it for him. Dread pooled in my gut, thick and suffocating, as Kiara exchanged a look with him, silent understanding passing between them.They were leaving. And they were leaving me here. With him.That was the last thing I wanted. It was the one thing I dreaded most. Leaving me here with Koen. He was going to come at me. I was certain that he wanted me. I turned my head slightly, jus
LusiaThe moment Kiara brought me down on my knees to the wooden floor, I barely had time to catch my breath before Finn made his move. I watched him tentatively, waiting to see what his next move was going to be. Was he going to torture me the same way Kiara did? I didn’t think so. Maybe he had something else special in his mind. He rose from King Dane’s armchair, his movements slow and calculated, the kind of arrogance that made my stomach twist with anger. His boots clicked against the floor as he approached, each step echoing like a countdown to something terrible.I tried not to flinch, tried not to show how much my cheek burned from Kiara’s slap, but my body betrayed me. My breath came fast, my ribs expanding and contracting in shallow, uneven bursts. I was still kneeling from where Kiara had dragged me, my body aching from the force of it.Finn stood over me now, looking down as if I were some insignificant thing. His lips curled in disgust.“Stupid girl,” he muttered before p
LusiaI could hear the sounds of laughter and muffled conversations as I struggled to get a hold of reality. I was slowly coming back to consciousness but it was taking longer than I expected. I could feel my head pounding hard as I slowly opened my eyes. The light in the room almost blinded me and I was forced to shut them up immediately. I groaned as I tried to move my body but I couldn’t. “Look who’s finally awake,” I heard a familiar voice say. It was Kiara’s. There was no doubt about it. I opened my eyes slowly again, adapting to the light in the room. When I did, I looked around my surroundings. Before me sat my brother, Finn, in King Dane’s chair. I was surprised at the audacity he had. Coming in here and acting like he owned the place on multiple occasions was embarrassing. I never thought that defending my brother up to this point would make him disgrace himself like this. If King Dane caught him, he would be dead. There was no doubt about that. Standing by the chair was