*LAUREN*When I opened my eyes, it was Alex's handsome face that greeted my vision. I blinked a few times, trying to chase away the fog lingering in my brain. Then the nightmare of losing my grandmother came back to haunt me.I quickly looked at the empty space beside me. "W-where is Granny?" I asked Alex in panic."Cam down, sweetheart. We bought a coffin from the town and then put Granny in it while you were sleeping. I decided to act on my own without asking for your permission because it was the best thing to do under the circumstances. I didn't wake you up because I don't want to disturb your sleep," Alex explained in a gentle tone.I got up from the bed and exited my room, rushing to the living room. And when I arrived there, I saw a golden coffin in the middle of the living room, adorned with beautiful flowers. I ran to the coffin and looked down at my dead grandmother's lifeless face behind the glass. I burst into tears. "Granny, please don't leave me alone here! Please come b
*ALEX*I woke up at 5:00 a.m. in the morning as the sun was rising on the horizon. Another day has just begun.Today, Grandma Ursula's body will be buried in the mansion's cemetery, located 300 meters away from the 5-hectare mansion. The servant informed me last night that he had already dug a six-foot grave below the ground and that it was ready for burial.I got up from the bed, went to the bathroom, and daydreamed of my human mate while I was doing my thing under the shower.I left the bathroom feeling refreshed. A few moments later, I exited my room and went downstairs to check on Lauren.When I descended the stairs, I saw her standing beside the coffin, looking down at Granny Ursula's serene-looking face behind the glass of her golden coffin. I went to her side and said, "Good morning, dear. Have you already eaten your breakfast?"She nodded her head and replied, "Yes.""Ah, okay. I'll have my breakfast first and rejoin you later." I said, walking in the direction of the dining r
*ALEX*She might have her doubts about accepting my offer, but I am confident that she will eventually accept it, whether she likes it or not."Please give me enough time to decide, Sir," Lauren replied, avoiding my eyes and staring at the empty space in front of her."OK. I'll give you enough time to decide." I sighed inwardly. "Let's just focus on Granny's burial for now." I said, rising to my feet and leaving the dining room quietly. I want her to analyze my offer carefully. I'm feeling confident that she will accept my offer since I'm kind to her and I'm offering her a bigger salary.After breakfast, Lauren stayed in the living room, staring intently at Granny's coffin with sadness covering her eyes and face. With each passing minute, she was aware that her time with her precious grandmother was coming to an end.I sat there on the other end of the couch, itching to be near her but at the same time wanting to give her much-needed time to mourn the passing of the person who is both
*LAUREN*Granny's coffin was already buried six feet below the ground, and yet my heart is still bleeding from the loss. I know I could never bring Granny back to life, but staying here for as long as I can in her final resting place will give my grieving heart a few moments of solace.After crying for so long in Alex's arms, I felt shamed because his t-shirt was already soaked with my tears. While I was still drowning in the sea of sorrow brought on by the unexpected passing of my cherished grandmother, one of the men offered me a chair to sit on.Alex offered me a bottle of drinking water to quench my thirst. "Have a drink, dear," he said, standing beside me."Thank you, sir," I replied and accepted the bottle. I consumed the contents in one sitting.The shade of the tree offers us protection from the blistering rays of the sun on such a hot afternoon.Earlier, I thought it was going to rain because of the gloomy atmosphere, but the sun appears again on the horizon and shines even b
*ALEX*We arrived at the basement door, and I grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open. I looked at my nervous-looking companion standing beside me. I can feel the loud beating of her heart. "Don't be afraid, sweetheart," I said softly, wanting her to calm down.Lauren looked down at the pitch darkness below. "It's so dark in there," she said, her voice trembling a bit due to nervousness. I'm itching to hold her hand so that she will feel relaxed, but I went against it."I know. Just wait here a little bit, sweetheart, and I'll light the candle before we go down, and I'll also inform the wolf that he needs to shift into his human form to avoid scaring you," I said, stepping on the staircase, ready to go down."Um, wait, what is the wolf's name?" She asked, and I halted on my step.I looked at her and smirked. "You will know his name later. I'll go down now before you change your mind," I responded, and I descended the stairs, taking my time and trying to remember the state of my room d
*LAUREN*I can't sleep; everything Alex told me in the basement hasn't sunk deep yet in my system. I was in denial.I even forgot to thank him for curing my face.Then his claim that I was his mate and his future Luna shocked me and gutted me to the core.When Granny was still alive, she once informed me that the Moon Goddess chooses the mate for each werewolf, and this mate bond binds them together. And once the wolves find their mates, they are extremely possessive!Oh, no!That must be the reason he kept calling me sweetheart! He already considers me his mate! But I'm a human being! I'm not a werewolf!Is Alex's claim valid?If he thinks so, then I can't escape him unless I leave the mansion now!I'm truly in a difficult situation.I'm not a werewolf; I'm a human being! I should be excluded from their shitty tradition.Right?I don't want to marry a werewolf! I want to marry my own kind!The whole mate bond shenanigans are fucking ridiculous!I looked out the open window of my room
*ALEX* I woke up the following day feeling depressed and dispirited. My bewitching human mate doesn't like me. She doesn't want to have anything to do with me, and it's making me sad and anxious for what lies ahead for us. It bothered me so much that my heart started bleeding the moment she told me that she didn't want to be with someone of my kind. It's a blatant rejection that definitely hurt me and my wolf, but thankfully it's not yet the absolute worst thing that happened because my human mate doesn't yet know how to reject the mate bond properly. As long as she doesn't yet know about the mechanics of rejection, we're both safe. If I can't convince her to give us a try, I have no choice but to force her to submit to me, whether she likes it or not. It's comforting to know that she hasn't properly rejected me yet; I still have enough time to make her fall for me. And I'll do whatever it takes to win her over. After Lauren tried escaping last night, I had my men guard all the en
*LAUREN* I felt relieved as I watched Mr. Wolf leave the garden without saying goodbye to me. He is such an annoying guy! He keeps pestering me, and the only way for him to shut up is to accept his offer. Honestly, he's not really bad when it comes to the look department because he is such a complete package. He is handsome, tall, and has a muscular body. His messy, shoulder-length hair added to his charisma. The only downside to Alex is that he is a werewolf. It would be gross and terrifying to wake up in the middle of the night, cuddling with a wolf in my bed. So yeah, rejecting his romantic intentions as early as possible is the best thing to do for both of us. I don't pity him because he can always find a woman who is willing to have a romantic relationship with him because he has the looks and the money. Gah! Why am I even thinking of him? I continue tending to my plants. After a while, I was getting tired, so I went to the bench for a rest. Looking at the flowers, tears s
*3rd POV*Two days later, Alex and Lauren returned to the city from their short vacation.Alex proceeded to his house while Lauren returned to Magnus' residence.Lauren opened the door, climbed the staircase, and went to her bedroom. The house was still quiet, an indication that the owner hasn't returned yet. His prolonged absence got her worried.What could have happened to him? She hopes he is alright.Lauren put her bag on the floor and saw the envelope on her pillow. Her brows knit together; what is this? She picked up the envelope and found a letter inside. It was written and signed by Magnus.~Dear, Lauren...When you read this letter, I'm already back in my kingdom because there are still a lot of things that need my attention. Peace has been restored in my kingdom. My brother and I are on good terms again. He finally let go of his woman for the sake of peace between the two kingdoms.In line with my current state of mind, I would like to let you go as well. You can go now and
*GRANNY URSULA*A while ago...When I looked out the window, I saw Alex in the car, then Lauren re-entered the house and investigate. I could have shown myself to the couple right at that very moment, saying hello to the two children that I raised like my own.The temptation to show myself to them again is very strong.I wanted to talk to them, have a conversation with them and hug them one last time but I can no longer do it. I can't look into Alex's eyes and pretend that I'm still the same old Granny Ursula that he used to know. I killed his grandparents and if he knows, he will hate me to the bone.I'm guilty of using the couple for revenge but I need to do what I have promised to my beloved queen when she lies dying in my arms in the garden.I can still recall vividly the pain of seeing her on the verge of death."Nanny, I'm dying. Please take care of my younger brothers on my behalf..." Queen Hesperia has a hard time breathing."Who did this to you?" I asked, my eyes filled with
*ALEX*I went home that morning and went straight to bed to sleep after eating a light breakfast.When I wake up in the afternoon, it's already 4:00 p.m. I texted Lauren that I'm going to her place to bring her to a place far from the city so she needs to bring some clothes with her.I haven't told her yet about what happened to my grandparents dead bodies.I need to go to a place that is quiet and relaxing to de-stress.Half an hour later, I'm already out of my house. I get into my car and drive to Lauren's place.After a few minutes of driving, I arrived at my destination and parked the car outside the gate of the vampire's residence.I texted Lauren that I'm already outside, waiting for her to come out of the house. I looked out the window on the second floor of the house and saw a silhouette. Who was that?When I looked closely, the silhouette had already disappear. Or maybe it wasn't there in the first place. Maybe my eyes just caught something that looks like the silhouette of a
*ALEX*When I arrived at the funeral parlor and went to the second floor of the building to join my sister and parents, I was shocked to find an empty room—no coffins or whatever—just flowers and candles on the floor. Instead, what I saw were my family members looking at each other with a shocked expression on their faces.I rushed to their sides. "What's wrong, guys?" I inquired."Son, the coffins were gone! It happened so fast! It's like a blink of an eye. I felt like I was frozen in time and I don't know what happened during those moments. But the moment we were unfrozen, we were surprised to see the two caskets gone!" Mom said it in a rattled tone.My brows snapped together. "What is going on?" I asked in disbelief. "Who would steal a coffin with dead bodies in it?" I said it in bewilderment."Brother, believe us when we say that someone has frozen us and stolen the coffins!" Lyn explained in an agitated tone."We got to find the coffins!" Dad exclaimed anxiously."Alright, calm d
~MAGNUS~"So, is this your good news to me?" I asked the silhouette standing near the window, my eyes blazing with anger. "I'm in the middle of a negotiation with the opposing kingdom to obtain peace and you just whisked me away just to show me this good news?"I feel like my heart is about to explode due to jealousy. "I tell you now that seeing Lauren with Alex is making my blood boil. I don't like it! And the fact that you tolerated them and did nothing to prevent them from seeing each other makes me feel like the person I trusted the most has betrayed me!"I looked at her, feeling upset. "You disappointed me! I left you behind to watch over Lauren on my behalf! Not to tolerate the couple's reunion! You didn't even try to do anything to separate them!"I no longer hide my displeasure. I felt annoyed that my precious woman was now getting back together with her ex."Your highness, this is not the good news that I'm talking about," Granny Ursula responded. "I'm sorry if you didn't lik
*ALEX*I haven't slept yet and the time was already past 2:00 in the morning. Lauren was sleeping soundly beside me on the bed. I've been wide awake the whole night, and I want to make sure that this night will go well without any mysterious occurrences on Lauren's part based on my mother's instruction.I even put a CCTV camera inside our bedroom as evidence that Lauren was with me the whole night, just in case something went wrong.I think the party has already ended by now.When my phone rang at 2:40 in the morning, my heart beat so fast.Damn!They will never call me at this hour unless something happens!I quickly grabbed my phone and read the message. It was from my mother and the contents of her message broke my heart into pieces.'Son, when I wrote this message, I'm still in the hospital. Your sister is fine, but both grandpa and grandma didn't make it. They died in the party venue; the guards found them dead after all the guests had gone home safely. The reason for their death
*ALEX* On the day of the masquerade ball, I was with my family the whole afternoon, chatting with everyone. The atmosphere in the house is fantastic, filled with lively chatter. We are in good spirits, riding the wave of excitement for tonight's event. It will be the first time that our family is complete and we will be attending the masquerade ball together. In the previous ball, it's always been me who is missing and my grandparents, so today is very special because it will be a family affair and everyone will be present on the festive occasion. Everyone is excited. I can see the shimmering excitement on their faces. By 5:00 in the afternoon, I made my exit and informed everyone that I'm going home and that I would see them at the party later. I left our family home, and part of me felt sad that I couldn't attend the party. I got into my car, drove into the heavy traffic and dropped by at the vampire's place. Lauren exited the gate and waved at me. I opened the door and she qu
*LAUREN* One week had passed already. I was waiting for Magnus' return every day, yet there was still no sign of him. What could happen to him? I hope he is alright and his kingdom didn't go to war. I'm worried about his safety. I was pacing back and forth in the living room. I glanced at the clock on the wall. Alex would come anytime soon. I agreed to sleep in his house every night as part of my commitment to our relationship. I already wrote a letter for Magnus and put it in his bed just in case he would arrive at an empty house. I explained in my letter that I'm going to sleep at my friend's house. I'll be back tomorrow morning and all he needs to do is text me and I'll reply right away. My phone rang and Alex sent me a message informing me that his car was already parked outside the gate. I grabbed my shoulder bag and exited the house. After locking the gate, I quickly get into the passenger seat of Alex's car. "Hi, sweetheart." Alex greeted me cheerily. "I hope I didn't make
*ALEX* The following day, me and Lauren woke up late. After having a glorious night, we welcome the morning with fresh perspective and refreshed energy. I kissed Lauren's cheeks. Her eyelids stirred on the verge of waking up. "Good morning, sweetheart!" I greeted her jovially. "Morning!" She replied in a sweet tone, caressing my jaw. I patted her arms lovingly. "I'm going to work today. If you want, you can accompany me in my office," I offered. "No, thanks. I should go home." She refused my offer politely, getting off the bed and going to the bathroom. A few moments later, she emerged from the bathroom, returned to bed, and said, "Can you drop me off at the house on your way to your office?" "Sure! That's what I have planned in my mind already. I will send you home after we have breakfast," I answered. "Thank you," she murmured. "We can also teleport, right?" "Yes, we can do that as well. But I prefer that we use the car so that we can talk along the way," I said, gazing at