Guys! I hope you enjoy this book! Thank you so much for your support!
Mackenzie’s POV: Weaves of strong emotions wreathe up and down my bones as the white veil is being pinned on my hair. Excitement. Happiness. Nervousness. It’s hard to determine which of them is the most intense. All I know is they all overwhelm me, forcing tears to fill the corners of my gorgeously painted eyes. Those emotions magnify more when the veil falls perfectly on my exposed shoulders and back. I blink my tears away to avoid ruining the makeup mama has put on me for hours. I cannot believe that after all the doubts and judgements I’ve received from my packmates, none of them has managed to stop me from marrying the man of my dreams, Alpha Allen Javier. Love really does conquer everything! In a few moments, I’ll be known as Luna Mackenzie Cortez of the Golden Crest Pack and I can’t wait! I giggle at the title 'Luna' before my name and, of course, at the thought of being forever loved by our pack's future Main Alpha. My reaction causes mama to give me a teasing stare through h
I expect all eyes would be on us, but not for this reason. I want everyone to look at me with respect and pride as the future Main Alpha’s bride. Instead, everyone stares at me with either mockery or pity as the future Main Alpha’s rejected mate. As the term ‘rejected mate’ roars in my head, a rage of anger continues to boil in my chest. It’s so strong that I’m unable to stop it from exploding. “What’s wrong with you?!” My voice rumbles off the entire garden. It silences all except the dangerously irregular beats of my heart. Humiliation, amplified by anger, suffocates me. I gasp, trying my best to mitigate the undesirable heat in my body. Thankfully, the more I glare at Alpha Allen, the more I realize one thing that I didn’t earlier - lingering behind his brown eyes is regret. My glare loosens up and so do my clenched fists. I can’t be wrong about that. But,... what is he regretting about? For making me believe that he loves me? Or for waiting today just to reject me in front
I shift my weight as fear flails through me. Die? What does he mean? Is he gonna kill me if I fail or is the mission so dangerous that I could just die if I fail? Which is it? My confusion probably fidgets all over my tight face that turning it into words is needless. “Mind sitting with me coz the details of your mission are quite long,” Alpha Primo says, jerking his head towards the front bench beside us. I hesitate, considering that my life is on the line for whatever this mission is, and I’m not ready to die. I’m too young. I have so much more to do and to experience. I wanna tell him that he doesn’t need to make an effort explaining everything to me coz I won’t accept his ultimatum. However, when he takes a seat, an unknown force pushes me to also sit at a few inches beside him. A small voice inside me says to give his ultimatum a chance. So, with sagged shoulders and eyelids, I listen. “About two months ago, there were humans who managed to get a hold of some pieces o
My clothes and other needed things are packed and ready. I swing my bag to my back, sidle my way through the hallway, then stop at my parents’ bedroom door. I wanna see their faces before I go, but my hand twitches before it can even nudge the doorknob. If I enter their room, they will question why I’m wearing a coat and a pair of boots with a bag on my back in the middle of the night. And if they’re asleep, I may wake them up. I don’t have the heart to tell them what Alpha Allen and I are planning to do. It’ll hurt them and I don’t wanna witness that pain. I’m sure they’ll understand why. And I’m sure they’ll forgive me. They’ll support me, like they always do. My desire to see my parents for probably the last time surrenders against my wimpiness. I move away from their shut bedroom door and head down the stairs. Then, I tread out of our house with both the guilt of not saying goodbye to my parents and the determination to start a better life with Alpha Allen hovering all over me.
Sleepless hours pass and I’m still wearing the same coat, the same boots and the same bag. Though my eyes don't depart from the sky through my bedroom’s window, they fail to quickly notice the transition of the sinking moon to the rising sun. I’m only able to realize it when the roaring silence is soon grazed off by knocks on my bedroom door. Can I do it? Can I survive this deadly mission? I lift myself out of the chair without coming up with a clear answer. As soon as I thrust my legs forward, the heaviness I feel inside hampers me from moving any faster. Not only that, when I’m already standing next to the door, I stare at it while mustering all of my courage to take another move. It takes several seconds, a minute or two maybe, before my hand reluctantly reaches and twists the doorknob. Mama, whose eyes are probably more swollen than mine, forces a fake smile. I try to do the same, but fail. Her voice quavers as she whispers, “They’re here.” The majority of my strength ha
My brow knits as confusion pelts me. Entertainer? What kind of entertainment does this guy want? For a few seconds, he’s quiet. He's only giving me nothing but his widening cocky smirk. “We’re not on the same boat here. I don’t have any talent to entertain you. I’m here to apply as Mr. Alessandro Ocampo’s maid.” “Dad isn’t here. I am. He wouldn’t mind if I’ll hire you in his stead.” My knitted brow deepens and I don’t make any effort to conceal my bafflement. It works. This time, he doesn’t give silence a chance to unfurl. He says, “You look great. You’re my type.” My eyes widen and my chest thuds when bafflement is shoved aside by panic. Now I get it. An ‘entertainer’ to him is a s.ex slave. “Mr. Davide,” I say, trying my best to lull my growing undesirable emotion. “I don’t want the job you’re offering me. If your father isn’t available to speak with, I’ll come back some other day.” “I don’t think you understand our family culture here,” he says. “We can turn our employe
DAVIDE’S POV: The taste of Mackenzie’s skin dries my throat, provoking me to quaff her more. Her soft moans fill my senses, urging me to bang her right here, right now. I lay the upper half of her body down on my desk while dangle her lower half on my hips. Then, I start unbuttoning her coat. She doesn’t protest - exactly how every woman reacts under my touch. Once her coat is tossed to the carpet, I take off her tight-fit shirt, almost ripping it off her body. And when she has nothing, but her u.derwear, my c.ock throbs in excitement. I smirk at her astonishingly provocative sight. My triumphant eyes wander around her well-carved figure, then at her beautiful face. I really am great at choosing my entertainer. This new one will surely satisfy me. My fingers start working on her bra. In just a second, her rosy, swollen n.ipples got exposed, making my c.ock grow even harder. My skillful hands savagely massage her b.reasts, earning pleasure-filled moans from her. I tease her n.ipples
MACKENZIE’S POV: The hairs on my arms and on the nape of my neck erect while cold, pearls of sweat smear my skin. I could feel my body tensing up as agitation squirms through me. The dangerous reality of my mission starts now. It penetrates through and scrapes all the tiny bravery I’ve struggled collecting before coming here. I swallow when one of the men in a suit walks forward and stands in front of the screen projector. “Let me introduce myself to our visitor, Ms. Mackenzie. My name is Errol Martinez and I’m the family adviser.” It’s funny how they all concealed the word ‘gang’ with the word ‘family’. According to the papers given to me by Bato and Conrad, Errol Martinez isn’t a relative to Mr. Alessandro, but he’s one of his most trusted men. He’s The Manila Mafia’s consiglieres - The Boss’ advisor who resolves disputes within the gang. If I find the word ‘family’ funny, I find the word ‘visitor’ eerie. Why do I have the feeling that they’re expecting my arrival? Why
MACKENZIE’S POV: Three years later… The joyful guffawing and the running footsteps of Davide and Cedric fill our low-fenced front yard as they toss a soft, plastic ball to one another. Cedric looks so much like his daddy, physically. His dark, curly hair drifts against the breeze while his gray eyes moisten and his chubby cheeks redden due to almost non-stop laughing. Both of them have sweat and soil smearing on their faces and clothes, but none of them wanna dare to even take a break to wipe themselves clean. This has been their morning routine ever since Cedric learned how to walk on his own, and Davide is enjoying every minute of it. I, too, enjoy the scene, though I’m not allowed to join them yet. I place a pitcher of freshly squeezed apple juice and two empty glasses on a tray. Then I carry that tray towards the front porch and lay it on the white-painted wooden table. “Boys,” I say to call their attention. Though Davide makes an effort to glance at me, Cedric doesn’t.
MACKENZIE’S POV: One of the greatest relief of my life is when Davide returns to the apartment safe and sound and unscathed. We spent the entire night in the living area with a mug of coffee each, talking about the surprising things he discussed with his brother, Gabrielle. I’m not sure if Gabrielle naturally has a good side in him that he never showed before or he’s just gotten scared to interact with any of the lycans again. Whatever it is that gave him a change of heart, I’m very glad about that. Davide is also very happy, more than happy than I am. How I wish I was able to hear how they talked to each other earlier, coz every time I saw them near each other before, disastrous things followed next. Two weeks have passed and we’ve finally gotten our passports and visas. Our last day in the Philippines gives me mixed emotions - sadness and excitement. I’m sad because I have to live thousands of miles away from my parents again. But I’m also excited coz leaving the country and goi
I roam my eyes around as I cautiously enter the coffee shop where Gabrielle asked me to meet him. The shop is not entirely small, but not entirely big either. There are only a few customers so it’s easier to verify if Gabrielle is among them,... and he’s not. I glance at the wall clock near the counter and it says quarter to four o’clock in the afternoon, which means I’m a little late. Is he also late? Or did he get impatient waiting for me and just leave? I walk towards the left part of the shop that’s hidden from the fixed, glass window that overlooks the parking space. “What can I have for you, sir?” a waitress asks the moment I take a seat. I’ve never been in this shop before, so I’m not really sure what kind of coffee or other menu they serve. “I’m still waiting for someone. You can give me your menu though,” I answer. The waitress nods, then pulls a piece of parchment-like paper from the board she’s clutching on her arm. She slides the paper in front of me and s
DAVIDE’S POV: Mackenzie and I head to the nearest branch of the Department of Foreign Affairs to get our new passports. I have no idea how to do all the processes on my own. Before, I always had one of my men do this stuff for me either in legal or illegal ways. But now, I’m experiencing what ordinary people do: to ride on un-air-conditioned jeepneys, which makes me sweaty and uncomfortable, to show up to obtain several documents from different agencies, follow a very long line and wait for an hour or so to be entertained by the agency’s employees. For all the illegal things I’ve done, I’m glad that none has ever been recorded to the National Bureau of Investigation. Otherwise, I won’t be able to apply for a passport or worse, I’ll be tossed to jail immediately before I can even get the chance to get out of the NBI office. Frankly, it’s quite fulfilling to be able to do the things I wasn't able to do before, especially doing it with my wife. The employee who assists us says that
Vivienne gives Davide and I another special gift aside from everything she already has given us. She pays for a luxury hotel a few kilometers from the Sunrise Inn, where we’re staying. That luxury hotel is where Davide and I will spend our honeymoon. I’m giggling whenever the word ‘honeymoon’ is being mentioned or is crossing my mind, as if Davide and I never made love before. Well, this is the first night that we’ll make love as husband and wife, so this night is gonna be more special than the ones prior. I step into the hotel’s black and gold bathroom, which has floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall fixed glass that overlooks the breathtaking beauty of Iligan City’s skyline. It’s hard to stop appreciating the jagged silhouette of the towering buildings, the popping lights from different angles, the tiny moving cars feets below me and of course, the dark sky that doesn't shy away from flaunting its twinkling stars and silver, arched moon. “So pretty,” I murmur. Standing up here makes
.Alexa is kind enough to put light makeup on my face without putting additional charges on our bills. She also rolls my dark hair into a bun and adorned it with a jeweled barrette across to one side, letting some of my bangs messily, yet beautifully fall. Lastly, she dangles a veil on my head. The very second the veil touches my bare shoulders, a tingling sensation crisscrosses all over me. Oh, this is a deja vu! But this feeling is much better than the previous one I had. To complete the look, Alexa hands me a fake bouquet of assorted, white bridal flowers. “Done!” she says, giggling. Her giggleness transfers to me the moment I turn around and finally see myself in the mirror. My heart jumps in joy while my tears threaten to stream. I take a deep breath, flap my fingers near my eyes, while murmuring, “I can’t cry. I don’t wanna ruin my makeup.” Both Alexa and I chortle afterwards. That actually makes my tears retreat from my eyes. If I assume the prices of my wedding dress
I’m told that, while I was gone and fighting for justice, Vivienne helped Davide book our wedding in a church called San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish Church, which is located a few kilometers away from where we’re staying. They’ve also effortlessly booked a high-end restaurant for the wedding’s reception, even though there’s only five of us who’ll attend the ceremony. Now, our only problem left is to find my wedding dress, Davide’s three-piece, white suit and others’ formal clothes. It’s six in the morning when we start our travel, using the limousines that Vivienne rented, to find boutiques nearby that sell wedding attires and accessories. We’ve combed through the entire Iligan City and been to several high-end boutiques, but all of them can’t entertain us since they require a scheduled appointment first, which we don’t have the luxury of time to do so. Davide and Vivienne even offer to pay the prices of their clothes and dresses in three folds, but still, they get refused. Hours have alre
MACKENZIE’S POV: Alpha Allen turns blue. He can't breathe, let alone move. What he’s feeling is the exact sensation I felt when he rejected me. However, I don’t feel that pain anymore. In fact, right after I accepted his rejection, I feel so much lighter and freer. I feel like heavy manacles that have been wrapping me for so long shatter. Into pieces I assist Alpha Allen onto the sofa. Then I rush towards the kitchen to get a glass from the cabinet and a pitcher of water from the refrigerator. When I rush back to the living area, his natural skin color is finally returning. His breathing is also calming. “Here,” I say while pouring some water into the glass. He takes the glass and empties it with one, swift gulp. “Do you want more?” I ask. “No, thank you,” he says, then he lays the glass on the table in front of him. There’s silence afterwards, a surprisingly ear-splitting silence between us. I wanna break free from it, but I don’t know how. When I attempt to say someth
ALLEN’S POV: While everyone is celebrating and going home after the trial, I stay in the courtroom alone to clear my headspace. The ‘guilty’ verdict of my father’s trial is both a relief and a pain to me. Relief coz Mackenzie and our race get the justice they all deserve, and pain coz he’s my father. And seeing him in jail while awaiting his death sentence isn’t easy to take in. Be that as it may, as the next Main Alpha of the Golden Crest Pack, I have to accept his disastrous fate that he created himself.I consider visiting my father in jail, but since the tension between us is still really high, I postpone that plan and will just do it some other day or when the time is right. Instead of going home, like what others did, I head towards Mackenzie’s house to do something that I should've done before - to apologize to her regarding what I’ve done the other day, no actually, I wanna apologize for everything I’ve done.Frank and Ellaine welcome me to their house and direct me to thei