**************CHAPTER 73~Kaia’s POV~The house was quiet, eerily so. Blaze had left for work early in the morning, telling me to stay behind since his grandmother was still here. I had spent most of the morning in the living room, flipping through magazines and trying to keep my thoughts from drifting to the events of the past few days, especially this morning in the bathroom with him. Just that already brought thoughts of our intense fucking. Umm, well, lovemaking and even though Blaze could act like it was nothing or it didn’t happen. It did for me and might I say, it was the best I ever had.I sighed, my shoulders slouching. No matter how hard I tried, my curiosity kept tugging at me, leading me to one place: the room, Blaze’s secret room.I stood up and walked away. First to the kitchen and then to the swimming pool and then… I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t even realise where I was walking to.It wasn’t intentional, or so I told myself. My feet moved on their own,
**************Chapter 1: DesperationI rushed through the crowded streets, my heels clicking on the wet pavement. Another late night, another shift at the diner. My uncle's debt was suffocating us, and I was running out of options."Ari, you're late again," Martha, my coworker, said as I burst through the diner's door."Sorry, Martha. Traffic," I lied, grabbing my apron.The night blurred together—endless orders, tired smiles, and pocket change tips. As the clock struck midnight, I counted my meagre earnings. Not enough. Never enough.With no choice—there never was a choice, I walked home, the city's neon lights reflected off the rain-soaked streets like a twisted mirror. I quickened my pace, hoping to leave the deserted streets and get home.Not that it was any good, but it was a million times better than being caught in the street at odd hours.I shuddered, thinking of the criminal cases that have been heard of. Still, what choice does a girl have? Uncle Jackson’s words echoed in
**************Chapter 2My feet barely touched the ground as they dragged me out the door, my screams lost in the echoes of the night. They shoved me into the back of the sleek black car, slamming the door shut. Trapped between two men, I knew there wasn’t any escape. Furious tears stung my eyes as the engine roared to life, the car speeding off into the city’s darkened streets.I pressed myself against the front chair, every muscle tense. This couldn’t be happening. This was some kind of nightmare. But the cold leather beneath me and the steady hum of the engine made it real. Too real. I’d been sold—by my own flesh and blood.We pulled up to Arthdal Strike. From the outside, it looked like just another club, the kind you’d pass by with a second glance—big building, neon lights flickering, a line of expensive cars parked out front. But as they hauled me out and led me through the entrance, the truth of the place hit me.The inside was worse than I imagined. Dim red lights bathed the
*************Chapter 3~Ari's POV~The stage lights burned down on me, the leering eyes of the men beneath them making my skin crawl. I could feel their stares, the hunger and thirst for the fresh meat. The music blasted through the speakers, but my limbs refused to move. Who in their right mind would? Every nerve in my body screamed for me to run, but where would I go? I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe. Dance, they had said. But I wasn’t a dancer. My feet stayed rooted in place, and my mind frantically raced for a way out.Just as I managed a shaky step forward, someone grabbed my wrist, yanking me off the stage. My heart slammed against my chest as I stumbled, nearly tripping over my heels. I was face-to-face with an older-looking man with a disgusting look on his wrinkled face. "Go, Luca Tadeo, show that b*tch some manners and make her dance,” one of the patrons called out. Luca? As in Luca Tadeo—a name that carried weight in Thania, one of the most ruthless politic
*************Chapter 4“Everything?” I questioned back. Rather than answer, he circled me like a predator, his eyes fully roaming over me as his six-foot-3'-inches tall body towered over me. "You defied Luca in front of everyone.” I couldn’t read his tone. Was he angry, proud or was he just playing?I swallowed hard, my words catching in my throat. "I—I won’t be treated like some whore."His lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile, more like satisfaction. "You’re brave but also reckless. Luca won’t forget this."I inhaled deeply. “I will deal with Luca’s issue later but for now, I was concerned about what Damon Dark wanted from me. "What happens now? What do you mean by wanting everything from me?"Damon’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze darkening. "I’ll offer you a deal."I blinked. "What kind of deal?"He halted and then came to stand before me. His voice lowered, the words like ice as they slipped from his lips. "I’ll pay off your uncle’s debts. All of them.”“What
*************Chapter 4Scarface led me through the dim corridors of Arthdal Strike, till we made our way out for the club.Every step I took felt heavier than the last with Damon’s words replaying in my mind—You’ll be mine. Exclusively. The reality of what I had agreed to was beginning to sink in, nearly suffocating me.I averted my gaze, desperate to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes till we got into the same black car that brought me.The drive was silent. The car was spacious; now they believed I wouldn't run away. And truth be told, I crossed that thought out of my mind. Maybe in the past, but with Damon exclusively involved now, there was no hope. Not now, at least.My mind raced back to the office in the club and Damon. I held back my breath, feeling his presence loom over me as though he were still there.‘Breath, Ari, breath,’ I mentally chanted till we arrived at the grand estate sprawling across hectares of manicured landscape.I stood in awe immediately I alighted the car at t
**********Chapter 5~Ari~First of all, I learnt Scarface’s name. Secondly, Damon wasn’t kidding when he asked that I be locked up. The door slammed shut behind me, leaving me in complete darkness. My breath hitched, panic clawing at my throat. The cold seeped in almost immediately, biting into my skin through the thin, skimpy outfit I wore, but that wasn’t what made my heart race. That was a fraction. The issue was the dark, locked room—the walls closing in and the suffocating darkness pressing on all sides. I’m claustrophobic. It happened after my parents' death and since then… Oh well. My chest tightened, and my knees buckled beneath me. I couldn’t see a thing, couldn’t even hear my breathing over the sound of my racing heartbeat. I stumbled back, my fingers scraping against the cold stone wall, the only thing tethering me to reality. Within seconds, the memories flooded back—being trapped, helpless, after my parents’ car accident. The crushing weight of the wreckage, the end
**********Chapter 7I yawned, covering my lips with my hand, when Damon stared daggers in my direction. I had learned the hard way that Damon’s words were absolute.Why he had me awake by 6:30 was still a mystery to me as I stood there before a few maidservants, each having their head high, hands behind their back, and clothes neat.“Meet Ari,” Damon’s voice rang with authority as he waved his hand toward me, his eyes narrowing slightly. “She’ll be joining us for breakfast. After that, I’ll be taking her shopping.”Shopping? I blinked, almost certain I hadn’t heard him right. But before I could question it, Damon was already on the move, gesturing for me to follow him to the dining room.Left with little to no choice, I did and soon found myself seated before the best delicious meal I had ever seen in my life. My stomach churned in response, clearly happy with the appetizers staring at me.Breakfast was a quiet affair, mostly because Damon seemed entirely uninterested in making conve
**************CHAPTER 73~Kaia’s POV~The house was quiet, eerily so. Blaze had left for work early in the morning, telling me to stay behind since his grandmother was still here. I had spent most of the morning in the living room, flipping through magazines and trying to keep my thoughts from drifting to the events of the past few days, especially this morning in the bathroom with him. Just that already brought thoughts of our intense fucking. Umm, well, lovemaking and even though Blaze could act like it was nothing or it didn’t happen. It did for me and might I say, it was the best I ever had.I sighed, my shoulders slouching. No matter how hard I tried, my curiosity kept tugging at me, leading me to one place: the room, Blaze’s secret room.I stood up and walked away. First to the kitchen and then to the swimming pool and then… I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t even realise where I was walking to.It wasn’t intentional, or so I told myself. My feet moved on their own,
*****************CHAPTER 63~Arianna’s POV~I did not bother arguing when Damon said we should train. All I wanted was a way to survive two weeks from now. If whatever he had planned for me could do it. Then, so be it. Damon led me down a long hallway, past some offices and through a heavy steel door at the back of the penthouse.The moment we stepped inside, my breath hitched.The room was massive—a full-blown training facility. Dim overhead lights cast long shadows over the walls, filled with rows of weapons. Silver daggers. Guns with silver bullets. Chains, cuffs, throwing stars, and even an entire wall of swords.I swallowed hard. This wasn’t just a training room.This felt like a war zone.Damon strode toward the center without a second glance at the weapons. “Your gear,” he said, tossing something at me.I caught it clumsily, looking down to find a pair of black leather trousers, a bralette, a tank top, and a simple hair tie.I arched a brow. “Seriously?”Damon smirked. “You’l
*****************CHAPTER 63~Arianna’s POV~I did not bother arguing when Damon said we should train. All I wanted was a way to survive two weeks from now. If whatever he had planned for me could do it. Then, so be it. Damon led me down a long hallway, past some offices and through a heavy steel door at the back of the penthouse.The moment we stepped inside, my breath hitched.The room was massive—a full-blown training facility. Dim overhead lights cast long shadows over the walls, filled with rows of weapons. Silver daggers. Guns with silver bullets. Chains, cuffs, throwing stars, and even an entire wall of swords.I swallowed hard. This wasn’t just a training room.This felt like a war zone.Damon strode toward the center without a second glance at the weapons. “Your gear,” he said, tossing something at me.I caught it clumsily, looking down to find a pair of black leather trousers, a bralette, a tank top, and a simple hair tie.I arched a brow. “Seriously?”Damon smirked. “You’l
**************~Sterling’s POV~The dimly lit room reeked of aged wood and power—a private lounge reserved only for the elites of the werewolf world. I leaned back in the leather armchair, swirling a glass of blood-red wine in my hand, my lips curving into a slow smile.“Your little stunt worked perfectly,” I said, glancing at the woman across from me.Trisha Don Mars.She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of confidence and poise. Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, one that dripped with malice and self-satisfaction.“Of course it worked,” she replied, taking a sip of her own drink. “Arianna’s cracking, isn’t she?”I chuckled. “She’s human—what did you expect? Damon’s pushing her to the edge, and even he knows she won’t survive the Luna Trials. It’s just a matter of time before she breaks.”“And when she does,” Trisha said, her voice soft but venomous, “Damon will finally realize what a mistake it was to choose her.”Her finge
*****************~Arianna’s POV~Although Damon explained the Luna Trials to me and all it entailed, the training that followed was something that left me drained. The next few days were pure hell. Damon didn’t hold back.Every morning, before the sun even touched the sky, I was dragged to the training grounds behind his penthouse. No breakfast. No rest. Just pain.“Again,” Damon barked as I gasped for breath.I was on the ground for the umpteenth time—again. My arms trembled as I pushed myself up, sweat dripping down my face. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest.I wanted to relax, to rest and catch my breath but Damon was unrelenting.Damon circled me like a predator, his gaze sharp, unforgiving, ready to pounce at any time.“Your senses are weak,” he said coldly. “Your reaction time is slower than a human’s.” He scoffed. “Pathetic.”My teeth clenched. He was doing this on purpose Again. Breaking me down, inch by inch.Forcing me to awaken whatever was inside me.But no mat
*****************CHAPTER 65~Arianna’s POV~Although Damon explained the Luna Trials to me and all it entailed, the training that followed was something that left me drained. The next few days were pure hell. Damon didn’t hold back.Every morning, before the sun even touched the sky, I was dragged to the training grounds behind his penthouse. No breakfast. No rest. Just pain.“Again,” Damon barked as I gasped for breath.I was on the ground for the umpteenth time—again. My arms trembled as I pushed myself up, sweat dripping down my face. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest.I wanted to relax, to rest and catch my breath but Damon was unrelenting.Damon circled me like a predator, his gaze sharp, unforgiving, ready to pounce at any time.“Your senses are weak,” he said coldly. “Your reaction time is slower than a human’s.” He scoffed. “Pathetic.”My teeth clenched. He was doing this on purpose Again. Breaking me down, inch by inch.Forcing me to awaken whatever was inside me.
*****************CHAPTER 63~Sterling’s POV~The dimly lit room reeked of aged wood and power—a private lounge reserved only for the elites of the werewolf world. I leaned back in the leather armchair, swirling a glass of blood-red wine in my hand, my lips curving into a slow smile.“Your little stunt worked perfectly,” I said, glancing at the woman across from me.Trisha Don Mars.She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of confidence and poise. Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, one that dripped with malice and self-satisfaction.“Of course it worked,” she replied, taking a sip of her own drink. “Arianna’s cracking, isn’t she?”I chuckled. “She’s human—what did you expect? Damon’s pushing her to the edge, and even he knows she won’t survive the Luna Trials. It’s just a matter of time before she breaks.”“And when she does,” Trisha said, her voice soft but venomous, “Damon will finally realize what a mistake it was to choose h
*****************CHAPTER 63~Sterling’s POV~The dimly lit room reeked of aged wood and power—a private lounge reserved only for the elites of the werewolf world. I leaned back in the leather armchair, swirling a glass of blood-red wine in my hand, my lips curving into a slow smile.“Your little stunt worked perfectly,” I said, glancing at the woman across from me.Trisha Don Mars.She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of confidence and poise. Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, one that dripped with malice and self-satisfaction.“Of course it worked,” she replied, taking a sip of her own drink. “Arianna’s cracking, isn’t she?”I chuckled. “She’s human—what did you expect? Damon’s pushing her to the edge, and even he knows she won’t survive the Luna Trials. It’s just a matter of time before she breaks.”“And when she does,” Trisha said, her voice soft but venomous, “Damon will finally realize what a mistake it was to choose h
*****************CHAPTER 63~Sterling’s POV~The dimly lit room reeked of aged wood and power—a private lounge reserved only for the elites of the werewolf world. I leaned back in the leather armchair, swirling a glass of blood-red wine in my hand, my lips curving into a slow smile.“Your little stunt worked perfectly,” I said, glancing at the woman across from me.Trisha Don Mars.She sat on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed, looking every bit the picture of confidence and poise. Her lips curled into that signature smirk of hers, one that dripped with malice and self-satisfaction.“Of course it worked,” she replied, taking a sip of her own drink. “Arianna’s cracking, isn’t she?”I chuckled. “She’s human—what did you expect? Damon’s pushing her to the edge, and even he knows she won’t survive the Luna Trials. It’s just a matter of time before she breaks.”“And when she does,” Trisha said, her voice soft but venomous, “Damon will finally realize what a mistake it was to choose h