Cecilia POVMy instincts immediately sharpened as I wondered, 'Could it be Shadows again?'"Jordan!" I called out, grabbing two guns from the drawer and dashing toward the kitchen, where Pearly and Alisha were likely busy cooking."What's up?" Jordan appeared, an apron still tied around his neck."There's something in the woods. Didn't you hear it?" I asked urgently."All I heard was the beef stew calling me from the pot." He looked genuinely confused, scratching his head."Come with me to the woods," I instructed, handing him a gun.I quickly mind-linked with Alfie and Yael, the guards at the manor's entrance, to keep an eye on Pearly and Alisha in the kitchen.Although he couldn't outmatch me in a fight, Jordan took the lead, protectively positioning himself in front of me. We hadn't gone far into the woods when he suddenly halted."Someone might be hiding here," he murmured, pulling a piece of white cloth from a tree.As he was about to sniff it, my cheeks flared with emba
Cecilia POVJosh devoured a chicken leg, stuffing it into his mouth before continuing, "Last week, I wanted to attend your family's funeral, but the orphanage manager wouldn't let me leave the pack. Instead, she forced us to attend Freeda's Luna crowning ceremony."I refused and even scolded Freeda, urging the other orphans to skip it too. I didn't realize that wicked woman would report me to Freeda. So, Freeda locked me up for three days with no food or water, and had soldiers whip me daily.""Freeda, the Alpha Female celebrated for her military honors? I used to admire her, but bullying a child is despicable!" Jordan slammed his fist on the table."How did you manage to escape?" Pearly interjected, holding Josh's hand."After three days, Freeda released me, but she took all my savings. Broke, I sneaked out of the Thorn Pack and wandered for days. I hitchhiked here, hoping to find you. A guard mistook me for a Rogue and locked me up again," Josh explained, his voice tinged with e
Julian POVOn my first day in Ashfall, I set out to unravel the tensions among the soldiers. Whispers were maligning Norman, accusing him of drawing misfortune through his own misdeeds. I dismissed the two Betas who were fanning these rumors.The following day, I tasked my Beta, Mario Gomez, to investigate the eleven rogue prisoners. Having been stationed in Ashfall for a month, Mario was well-acquainted with the border area. Now, three days had passed, and I hadn't received a single message from Cecilia.After reorganizing Norman's troops, I sat alone in the military office while sipping coffee. I was waiting for Mario's investigation report and also hoping for a call from Cecilia.Since parting with her three days ago, my heart felt as if it had been cleaved in two—one half floating weightlessly in the air, the other sinking deeply into a mire.On the morning I left, she didn't come to see me off, clearly showing through her actions that she did not wish to accept my love.
Cecilia POVJulian's voice, deep and husky, echoed from the phone.Even though I was in a bright mood, I still hid my emotions. He had no idea how many times I had practiced calming my breath before I dialed his number.After a brief conversation, I hung up the phone, afraid that he would notice my feelings if we talked any longer.I lay on my bed while hugging my pillow, unable to suppress the smile on my lips.Sleep eluded me. Tossing and turning, my thoughts fixated on Julian, and it made me unbelievably turned on. It felt unhealthy, how fervently I thought of him, and my body started heating up as I ached for his touch."You have got to be kidding me!" I groaned and pushed the covers away because it was too hot.After that, I reached down between my legs, knowing there was no other way I would be able to sleep unless I relieved myself. I didn't take it slow since I was already wet just from thinking about him. When I touched my clit, I let out a small moan and kept rub
Cecilia POV'How does Ariel know? Does Julian know about what she mentioned in the email? Is he in danger?'These questions raced through my mind as I scrolled through my phone, only to realize I didn't have Ariel's number saved. I responded to her email, pressing for details on how she came across such critical information.Every half hour, I would check my inbox to see if there was any reply back from her. However, I still hadn't received a response from her after waiting the entire afternoon. I called Julian to inform him of the situation. He hadn't heard anything related but promised to dispatch scouts to verify the claims.After everything I did, I was still feeling uneasy. Hence, I called Hogan directly.At my family's funeral a week ago, he told me that I could reach out to him if I needed help with anything."A human hacker relayed this to you?" Hogan's skepticism was palpable through the phone. "Why would a human be entangled in werewolf politics?""But Ariel has
Cecilia POV"What? The flight is canceled?""Yes. Ashfall's airport was bombed two months ago and hasn't been repaired yet," the airport staff explained politely.It was my oversight to rush out without checking the flight schedules. Now, I was left with no option but to drive to the train station.The station, aged and worn, had a train that wouldn't depart until 5.00PM, meaning I wouldn't reach Ashfall until the following evening at 7.00PM.'You should get a pilot's license. At this rate, the battle will be over by the time we reach there,' Nana quipped.There was actually a helicopter back at the manor. Mark had once promised to teach me to fly, but I never got the chance to wait for that day to arrive."Fine. I promise I'll get my license this year," I said. Settling into the train's sleeping car, I flipped the blanket, only to recoil at the sight of yellow stains. With a grimace, I tossed it aside.The air inside the carriage was stifling, a pungent mix of sweat, feet, che
Cecilia POVI finally saw what had happened.A purple-haired vampire was drinking the boss' blood.Even though vampires could teleport instantly, the speed displayed by this vampire was extraordinary."Ugh! Your blood stinks!" the vampire lifted her head and grumbled.At that moment, recognition dawned on me. It was exactly who I thought."Zara?""Cecilia!"We both shouted each other's names in surprise.Zara Patel was a schoolmate of mine from Cumber School.A few years ago, she was turned into a vampire by an ancient noble vampire family and became one of them. Since then, her age was forever frozen at 18. When we first met, I was 16 while she was 18. Now, I was already 19, yet she was still 18.Our first encounter wasn't exactly a pleasant memory.When I first had my shift at 16, I couldn't control Nana and accidentally smashed all of Zara's makeup. Although I apologized afterward, Zara insisted on teaching me a lesson since she had her family to support her.Back then,
Cecilia POV"Gunnar Nunez." He straightened his back, clearly refusing to back down, not showing an ounce of fear.I locked eyes with him, feeling an odd sense of familiarity in his features. "This isn't your first time, is it? How many of you are there?"He stayed silent, arrogance written all over his face.I delivered a sharp slap across his cheek. "Stop the tough act. You're nothing but a coward, preying on helpless women!""We only wanted the money. No one was supposed to get hurt. We didn't expect vampires and shifters like you to be riding on some run-down train. "Even the cops won't care. They'll lock us up for a while, and that's it. How about you just let us go?" pleaded another robber, now cowering on the ground."What about the mother and daughter who begged for their lives? What did you do?" I crushed the robber's hand under my boot with a satisfying crack."They're just ordinary, worthless humans. Why are you protecting them?" Gunnar finally spoke."You're part
Cecilia POV"She's no longer a prostitute, so she has moved out of the military brothel."Thus, I told Zara what happened that day."It's good that you want to help others. But Amy, she definitely is no angel!""I'm just helping her find a new job and giving her a chance." I calmed Zara down. "Just move to the room next to mine if you don't want to see her.""No way! I'm not interested in third-wheeling you and Julian!" Zara curled her lip.Zara also heard Amy and Ellie insult me at the bar a few nights ago. For that reason, she had been regarding Amy with disfavor. I could fathom Zara's hostility toward Amy. Still, since she had been helping the refugees these past few days and hadn't witnessed Ellie's tragic death, she didn't understand my desire to help Amy.If truth be told, I wasn't that noble. I simply wanted to do something within my power to make myself feel at ease.The days that followed were busy yet peaceful. Most importantly, I saw hope resurfacing on the faces o
Cecilia POV"Oh, thank you." Julian casually slid the cufflink into his pocket.I swiftly pulled a long face. In my mind, I pondered how Julian's cufflink ended up in Rhea's possession. Although a cufflink wasn't a particularly personal item, she couldn't get it without physical intimacy. In fact, I could smell her scent on the cufflink through the pocket."Have you and Rhea known each other for a long time?" I mind-linked Julian after walking out of the military prostitutes' barracks."Yeah, but don't get me wrong. Nothing is going on between me and her," Julian quickly explained."Like I care!" I quickened my place huffily and left him behind. Based on their conversation earlier, it sure sounded like something did happen between him and Rhea."Mario, take the three of them to a new barrack." Julian sent the others away. Then, he caught up to me and grabbed my arm. "Cecilia, are you angry?""No, I'm not." I pretended to respond calmly. In reality, a surge of rage came over me.
Cecilia POVEllie's body was quickly sent for cremation after Alex was executed.I saw Layla and Ellie get tortured in my dream for two nights in a row. They were staring at me with wide eyes. It was as if they were begging for a helping hand that I couldn't give. In the end, the scene in my dream changed, and I became the one getting chained and whipped.I woke up with a start, and my body was drenched in sweat. For a moment, the torture I felt in my nightmare seemed to be real.Nonetheless, I couldn't shake off the feeling that this nightmare wasn't just my brain playing tricks on me. Instead, it served as a warning and a reminder."Julian, how many military prostitutes are there in the camp?" I rushed to Julian's office after getting up."I'm not sure. Why do you suddenly ask about this?" Julian put down the document in his hand, walked to me, kissed my forehead, and calmed my emotions."18," replied Mario, who stood on the side. "Oh, wait. It's 17 now.""I think we should a
Julian POVAmy was so frightened that she hid behind me and held my arm tightly, refusing to let go. For her safety, I decided not to push her away.Then, I gave Vahn a look, signaling him to cuff Alex.Cecilia stood beside me. She had a cold expression on her face as she looked down at Alex with her arms crossed.As for Alex, he showed no sign of fear. His fierce and flickering eyes shifted back and forth between us. It was as if he was already aware of his fate, considering he didn't even try to defend himself."Did you kill Ellie?""So what if I did? What are you going to do about it?""You think you can just walk off after taking someone's life?" I growled."She's just a prostitute!" he retorted and spat on the ground."Alex, you truly are beyond redemption. There was no point in me thinking so highly of you before!" Even Vahn couldn't help but chastise Alex."For your information, you seem never good at judging one's character." Cecilia rolled her eyes at Vahn before ask
Julian POV"Alex? Is he Freeda's subordinate?" I frowned. "He hasn't returned since last night?""That's right." Mario nodded. "We haven't been able to reach him. Do you want me to bring Freeda over for questioning?""Her again? How much trouble will she and her subordinates cause?" I slammed the table in anger. "Who are the other two? Investigate them as well.""One is under Alpha Cecilia's command, and the other is Alpha Ethan's subordinate," Mario explained while glancing at me and Ethan."Let me see which brat it is! I'll teach him a lesson!" Ethan rolled up his sleeves and was furious. Then, he assured me, "Don't worry, Prince Julian. I won't show any favoritism. If it turns out that one of my men is guilty, it's because I failed to discipline him. I'll take responsibility and accept the punishment."On the other hand, Cecilia didn't seem concerned about the other two. Instead, she walked over to Amy, who was sitting in the corner, and asked, "Amy, do you know Alex?""Yes
Julian POV"Doctor, can you estimate the time of death?" I asked."Judging by the body temperature and its condition, she must be dead for about 5 to 6 hours. Since it's now 9.30am., she likely died between 3am and 4am." Then, the doctor pressed on the body and showed us the livor mortis."See? The marks disappear quickly, which means the body is still fresh.""If that's the case, Cecilia definitely has nothing to do with it. I finished work with Mario around 1 A.M. last night and returned to rest." I cleared my throat and looked at Cecilia. "I was with her last night. She couldn't be involved in this."Cecilia looked at me in shock. Then, she mind-linked me and said, "Why did you lie? We weren't together last night. This has nothing to do with me. Yet, you're making it look like you're covering for a suspect. If this lie is exposed, it'll only make me look more suspicious."Before I could respond, Amy quietly questioned, "But she could've snuck out while you were asleep...""We
Julian POVAs Amy took me to the location of the body, I mind-linked Mario to tell him to bring the camp's doctor along.The body was in an abandoned warehouse next to the camp. It was less than 30 meters from the camp gate. When I arrived at the scene, I realized it was far more horrifying than I had imagined."She was injected with a large amount of wolfsbane and hallucinogens. The fatal injury might have been the tearing of her lower body, internal organ damage, and excessive bleeding," the doctor said with a sigh. Then, he continued, "This is just pure sadistic murder. However, there's no sign of semen in her body, nor any fingerprints on her. The killer is a professional one."Shortly after, a scout was assigned to investigate the case. Alas, he also found no clues after examining the body for a while."What were you and Ellie doing last night? Who did Ellie meet before she was killed?" I asked Amy."Ellie and I went to the bar together. I returned to the camp early becaus
Julian POVIn just three short days, Cecilia managed to gather a total of 300 million, and the amount kept growing."She's really helped us out once again. If she hadn't organized the fundraiser, we'd be facing some serious financial difficulties." Hogan's voice sounded cheerful over the phone."Yes, she's an impressive Alpha. Brave, intelligent, and responsible—""Enough about that. When are you coming back to Black Stone? Your mother misses you dearly." Hogan cut me off before I could finish listing Cecilia's strengths."I need to stay here to coordinate the rebuilding efforts in Ashfall. I can't leave just yet.""I'll send the experts myself if that's all it takes. There's no reason for you to—" Hogan's tone turned stern. "I know you're staying for her. She's doing well, but don't think that means she'll become the Luna of Valdora. I'm giving you one month to wrap things up and return!""All right."After ending the call, I let out a breath of relief. It wouldn't be easy to
Cecilia POVI stared at him, a hint of disbelief flashing in my eyes. "You mean to say you can't help at all? If it weren't for Freeda, your dear wife, these people wouldn't even be refugees in the first place! Don't you think you owe them some compensation?"Freeda interrupted sharply, "This isn't about refugees. This is about you playing the hero and trying to make yourself look good. Just because you have money and influence now doesn't mean others can throw money around recklessly."I blinked, taken aback by the malice in her tone. "This isn't about showing off. It's about saving lives, about helping people who have lost everything in the war. This isn't some competition."She stood, crossing her arms, her eyes narrowing as she faced me. "Oh, isn't it? You're here, putting on this grand fundraiser, expecting everyone to line up and donate. It's nothing more than emotional blackmail."My heart pounded, and a surge of anger rose within me. "It's not blackmail. No one is being fo