***************CHAPTER 52~Damon’s POV~The next morning, I found myself standing outside Arianna’s door. Knocking softly, I waited as the muffled sound of movement inside reached my ears. When the door opened, she stood there, dressed in a bit of corporate wear. A lemon gown that hugged her frame and made her look so breathtakingly sexy. Her expression was neutral, though I could see the hints of curiosity in her eyes.“We’re going out,” I said simply.Her brows furrowed. “To work?”“Not today,” I replied. “Get ready. I’ll explain on the way.”“Damon,” she began, but I cut her off with a small smirk.“Trust me. You’ll want to see this.”She hesitated for a moment before sighing and retreating into her room. Fifteen minutes later, she emerged, dressed casually in jeans and a loose sweater, her hair pulled into a messy bun.I loved the previous outfit, though. Had I known she’d be changing, I wouldn’t have let her go back in. Too bad we were already late as it was and we needed to mo
***************CHAPTER 53~Arianna’s POV~Iris led us to her house, a quaint, ivy-covered building tucked away on the outskirts of the city. It had an air of mystery, with its creaking wooden door and the faint scent of herbs and magic lingering in the air.As we stepped inside, the interior was just as enigmatic as the exterior—shelves lined with jars of strange powders and liquids, books stacked haphazardly, and crystals glowing faintly in the dim light.“Sit,” Iris instructed, motioning to a round table in the center of the room. Damon and I exchanged a glance before obeying.Iris busied herself, gathering items from the shelves as if she already knew what she’d need. Finally, she turned to me, her piercing gaze locking onto mine.“Do you remember anything about where you come from? Your past?” she asked.I frowned, shaking my head. “No. I mean, I remember my childhood, but... nothing that stands out as unusual. Just... normal.”I glanced at Damon, who was sitting silently beside
***************CHAPTER 54~Arianna’s POV~The ride back to the penthouse was steeped in silence, the kind that felt loud and unbearable. My thoughts were a whirl of questions, fears, and anger. Damon didn’t say a word, his grip firm on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tightly.As soon as the car pulled to a stop, I threw the door open and marched toward the elevator, barely waiting for him to catch up. The ride to the top floor was a blur, and the moment the doors slid open, I stormed straight to my room.“Arianna,” Damon called, his voice sharp as he followed me.I ignored him, my hand already on the door handle when he grabbed my arm and turned me to face him.“What?” I snapped, yanking my arm free.“You can’t just storm off like this,” he said, his tone calm but laced with frustration.“Why not?” I shot back, the anger bubbling over. “Everything I thought I knew about my life—about who I am—has been turned upside down in the span of a single day!”Damon took a step closer, h
***************CHAPTER 55~Damon’s POV~The shooting range echoed with the sharp, rhythmic cracks of gunfire. I adjusted my stance, raised the handgun, and fired again, the recoil snapping against my grip. Another direct hit to the center of the target.But I didn’t feel any satisfaction.The truth was, my mind wasn’t on the target. It was on Arianna.No matter how many bullets I unloaded, I couldn’t shake the image of her—her fiery eyes, the way she glared at me, and the way her lips had trembled after our kiss. She was chaos wrapped in beauty, a storm I couldn’t control but couldn’t walk away from either.Mars growled in my mind, his voice gruff and impatient. “She’s ours. Stop playing around and claim her already.”“She doesn’t want to be claimed,” I muttered under my breath, ignoring the exasperation radiating from my wolf.“She doesn’t know what she wants,” Mars countered. “But she will.”I lowered the gun, rubbing the back of my neck. My thoughts swirled like a maelstrom, and I
***************CHAPTER 56~Arianna’s POV~The knock on my door was sharp and insistent, jolting me out of my thoughts. I didn’t bother responding. I was in no mood for more confrontations, especially if it was Damon.But, of course, it was Damon.He didn’t wait for an invitation. The door swung open, and there he was, filling the doorway with his presence, his stormy gaze locking onto me.“Do you ever knock and wait for an answer?” I snapped, standing up from the edge of my bed where I’d been sitting.His eyes narrowed, and he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. “We need to talk.”“Do we?” I folded my arms across my chest, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened at his tone. “Because I’ve had enough revelations for one day, Damon. Unless you have another bombshell to drop, I’d really like to be left alone.”He didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he crossed the room in a few long strides, stopping just short of me. My heart skipped a beat, I must say. His gaze was intens
***************CHAPTER 57~Trisha’s POV~Seated in the luxurious study of my father’s estate, I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, my eyes fixed on the documents spread across the mahogany desk. They were detailed profiles, each page carefully outlining Arianna’s background—or at least what little there was to know.I leaned back in the velvet chair, a slow smirk curling across my lips. Damon Dark’s pet project wasn’t as untouchable as she thought. Adopted. A mystery even to herself. A wolf that barely stirred. Arianna was as vulnerable as a deer in a den of wolves, and the thought sent a thrill of satisfaction through me.The sound of the door creaking open broke my concentration. My brother, Matteo, sauntered in in his impeccable. He raised an eyebrow at the mess of papers before settling into the chair opposite me.“You’re still obsessing over her,” he drawled, reaching for the decanter of whiskey on the table. “This Arianna girl.”I took a sip of my drink, the liquid burning
****************CHAPTER 58~Arianna’s POV~The morning of the dinner came far too quickly.I barely had time to process everything from the past few days—learning I was adopted, Iris’s cryptic warning, Damon’s frustrating ability to kiss me speechless—before I was thrown into yet another event in his world.A world I still wasn’t sure I belonged to.Damon had been distant since last night. Not cold, but restrained, like he was holding something back. And for some reason, that annoyed me more than his usual arrogance.I was still angry at him. But even as I tried to hold onto that anger, it was slipping through my fingers.Damn him.I stood in my room, staring at the expensive gown laid out on my bed. It was a deep, shimmering navy blue with delicate lace sleeves—undeniably beautiful, undeniably expensive, and undoubtedly handpicked by Damon.A soft knock at my door snapped me from my thoughts.“Come in,” I called reluctantly.The door opened, and there he was. Why was I not surprised
***************CHAPTER 59~Damon’s POV~That voice always seemed to haunt me at times when I wanted to avoid trouble. I turned my head slowly, my eyes locking onto Trisha.“No one asked for your input,” I informed her, keeping my voice cold and clipped.Trisha smiled, the type of smile that was meant to cut. She twirled the champagne in her glass lazily, her gaze locked onto Arianna like a predator savouring a wounded prey.“But Lord Sterling did,” she said sweetly, tilting her head. “And I was simply helping.”My jaw clenched.Lord Sterling’s sharp gaze shifted to Arianna, assessing, calculating. “I see. Lady Arianna, you are from which pack?”Arianna hesitated. I felt it—the way her breath caught slightly, the way her fingers twitched at her side.What Arianna does not know is that Lord Sterling is no ordinary noble—he is a representative of The High Council of Elders, the ruling body overseeing supernatural factions, including werewolves, vampires, and warlocks. His appearance si
*****************CHAPTER 61~Arianna’s POV~I barely registered the murmurs and laughter behind me as I stormed out of the event hall. My vision was blurred with frustration, my heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the music and chatter.Damon.I was going to kill him.How could he just stand there and declare to an entire room of wolves that I would shift in two weeks? Two freaking weeks?! I hadn’t even felt my wolf, let alone communicated with her properly. She was only out in times of extreme danger and… I shoved open the doors to the ballroom and stepped out into the cool night air. My heels clicked angrily against the pavement as I stalked toward the black car waiting for us.I needed to get out of here.“Arianna.”I ignored him.His footsteps were fast and before I could reach for the car door, a strong hand gripped my wrist and yanked me back.“Let me go, Damon,” I snapped, twisting my arm but to no avail; Damon would not let go. Fuck this!“No,” he said simply, turning m
*****************CHAPTER 60~Damon’s POV~”Then let her shift,” Sterling ordered. Arianna was frozen.Her breathing had turned shallow, her hands clenching at the fabric of her dress. I could feel the confusion radiating off her, the silent ‘What the hell did you just say?‘ burning behind those wide eyes.But there was no time to explain.The moment the words left my mouth, the room had shifted. Tension filled the air. Sharp expectant hunger filled eyes were all fixated on Arianna, waiting, anticipating.I knew these wolves. They smelled blood in the water. And everyone was ready to pounce. Everyone was ready to take my throne as ruling Alpha of Thania, from me.Sterling took a slow sip of his champagne, his amusement evident at our predicament. “Well, Lady Arianna?” he said smoothly. “You heard them. If you’re truly one of us, there should be no problem shifting.”Arianna swallowed hard. I saw the faint tremble in her fingers as she whispered under her breath, “Damon… what are you d
***************CHAPTER 59~Damon’s POV~That voice always seemed to haunt me at times when I wanted to avoid trouble. I turned my head slowly, my eyes locking onto Trisha.“No one asked for your input,” I informed her, keeping my voice cold and clipped.Trisha smiled, the type of smile that was meant to cut. She twirled the champagne in her glass lazily, her gaze locked onto Arianna like a predator savouring a wounded prey.“But Lord Sterling did,” she said sweetly, tilting her head. “And I was simply helping.”My jaw clenched.Lord Sterling’s sharp gaze shifted to Arianna, assessing, calculating. “I see. Lady Arianna, you are from which pack?”Arianna hesitated. I felt it—the way her breath caught slightly, the way her fingers twitched at her side.What Arianna does not know is that Lord Sterling is no ordinary noble—he is a representative of The High Council of Elders, the ruling body overseeing supernatural factions, including werewolves, vampires, and warlocks. His appearance si
****************CHAPTER 58~Arianna’s POV~The morning of the dinner came far too quickly.I barely had time to process everything from the past few days—learning I was adopted, Iris’s cryptic warning, Damon’s frustrating ability to kiss me speechless—before I was thrown into yet another event in his world.A world I still wasn’t sure I belonged to.Damon had been distant since last night. Not cold, but restrained, like he was holding something back. And for some reason, that annoyed me more than his usual arrogance.I was still angry at him. But even as I tried to hold onto that anger, it was slipping through my fingers.Damn him.I stood in my room, staring at the expensive gown laid out on my bed. It was a deep, shimmering navy blue with delicate lace sleeves—undeniably beautiful, undeniably expensive, and undoubtedly handpicked by Damon.A soft knock at my door snapped me from my thoughts.“Come in,” I called reluctantly.The door opened, and there he was. Why was I not surprised
***************CHAPTER 57~Trisha’s POV~Seated in the luxurious study of my father’s estate, I swirled the amber liquid in my glass, my eyes fixed on the documents spread across the mahogany desk. They were detailed profiles, each page carefully outlining Arianna’s background—or at least what little there was to know.I leaned back in the velvet chair, a slow smirk curling across my lips. Damon Dark’s pet project wasn’t as untouchable as she thought. Adopted. A mystery even to herself. A wolf that barely stirred. Arianna was as vulnerable as a deer in a den of wolves, and the thought sent a thrill of satisfaction through me.The sound of the door creaking open broke my concentration. My brother, Matteo, sauntered in in his impeccable. He raised an eyebrow at the mess of papers before settling into the chair opposite me.“You’re still obsessing over her,” he drawled, reaching for the decanter of whiskey on the table. “This Arianna girl.”I took a sip of my drink, the liquid burning
***************CHAPTER 56~Arianna’s POV~The knock on my door was sharp and insistent, jolting me out of my thoughts. I didn’t bother responding. I was in no mood for more confrontations, especially if it was Damon.But, of course, it was Damon.He didn’t wait for an invitation. The door swung open, and there he was, filling the doorway with his presence, his stormy gaze locking onto me.“Do you ever knock and wait for an answer?” I snapped, standing up from the edge of my bed where I’d been sitting.His eyes narrowed, and he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. “We need to talk.”“Do we?” I folded my arms across my chest, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened at his tone. “Because I’ve had enough revelations for one day, Damon. Unless you have another bombshell to drop, I’d really like to be left alone.”He didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he crossed the room in a few long strides, stopping just short of me. My heart skipped a beat, I must say. His gaze was intens
***************CHAPTER 55~Damon’s POV~The shooting range echoed with the sharp, rhythmic cracks of gunfire. I adjusted my stance, raised the handgun, and fired again, the recoil snapping against my grip. Another direct hit to the center of the target.But I didn’t feel any satisfaction.The truth was, my mind wasn’t on the target. It was on Arianna.No matter how many bullets I unloaded, I couldn’t shake the image of her—her fiery eyes, the way she glared at me, and the way her lips had trembled after our kiss. She was chaos wrapped in beauty, a storm I couldn’t control but couldn’t walk away from either.Mars growled in my mind, his voice gruff and impatient. “She’s ours. Stop playing around and claim her already.”“She doesn’t want to be claimed,” I muttered under my breath, ignoring the exasperation radiating from my wolf.“She doesn’t know what she wants,” Mars countered. “But she will.”I lowered the gun, rubbing the back of my neck. My thoughts swirled like a maelstrom, and I
***************CHAPTER 54~Arianna’s POV~The ride back to the penthouse was steeped in silence, the kind that felt loud and unbearable. My thoughts were a whirl of questions, fears, and anger. Damon didn’t say a word, his grip firm on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tightly.As soon as the car pulled to a stop, I threw the door open and marched toward the elevator, barely waiting for him to catch up. The ride to the top floor was a blur, and the moment the doors slid open, I stormed straight to my room.“Arianna,” Damon called, his voice sharp as he followed me.I ignored him, my hand already on the door handle when he grabbed my arm and turned me to face him.“What?” I snapped, yanking my arm free.“You can’t just storm off like this,” he said, his tone calm but laced with frustration.“Why not?” I shot back, the anger bubbling over. “Everything I thought I knew about my life—about who I am—has been turned upside down in the span of a single day!”Damon took a step closer, h
***************CHAPTER 53~Arianna’s POV~Iris led us to her house, a quaint, ivy-covered building tucked away on the outskirts of the city. It had an air of mystery, with its creaking wooden door and the faint scent of herbs and magic lingering in the air.As we stepped inside, the interior was just as enigmatic as the exterior—shelves lined with jars of strange powders and liquids, books stacked haphazardly, and crystals glowing faintly in the dim light.“Sit,” Iris instructed, motioning to a round table in the center of the room. Damon and I exchanged a glance before obeying.Iris busied herself, gathering items from the shelves as if she already knew what she’d need. Finally, she turned to me, her piercing gaze locking onto mine.“Do you remember anything about where you come from? Your past?” she asked.I frowned, shaking my head. “No. I mean, I remember my childhood, but... nothing that stands out as unusual. Just... normal.”I glanced at Damon, who was sitting silently beside