Vahn POVI had Evan, my Beta, rally 500 soldiers from both the Thorn Pack and the Blade Pack. They were instructed to march through the night, heading directly for Ashfall.Freeda and I departed from Black Stone immediately. Any delay could mean the slip of 20 million through our fingers."Don't worry. We'll make it there in less than 24 hours," Freeda reassured me."Are you kidding me? The Ashfall airport is still out of commission?" I exclaimed in frustration after checking the flight schedules. "Looks like we'll have to land in the nearest city and drive the rest of the way.""It's no big deal. Once we prove ourselves in this battle, we can ask Hogan for a helicopter as part of our reward.""You're right!" I squeezed her hand, feeling the rush of confidence that always came before a fight.The past few months had been a whirlwind of drama. Between the divorce, remarriage, and our floundering hotel venture, Freeda and I were constantly at odds.Her jealousy flared unpredictab
Cecilia POVAfter more than a month apart, seeing Vahn again stirred little emotion in me.With everything that had happened, whatever tangled feelings we once had were now nothing but distant memories. Besides, there was hardly anything worth remembering between us; our connection had been superficial at best.During our divorce, all I sought was respect and fairness—qualities Vahn failed to offer. I had to fight for them myself, and now, we were settled, even.But Freeda was a different story. Her actions were indefensible—abusing Josh, torturing prisoners of war, and possibly playing a role in my family's death. Such atrocities couldn't remain unpunished.After everyone left the conference room, Julian pulled me aside, trying to calm me down. "I know you hate Vahn and Freeda, but we only have that video. It's not enough. Freeda could easily argue it was Norman who ordered the abuses.""I don't hate Vahn. The divorce is old news. I just despise Freeda's cruelty. "Before I
Cecilia POVAfter Julian assigned the tasks, we headed to the camp to lead our respective units in drills.As we exited the room, Freeda's eyes bore into me with a venomous glare.Julian and Alonzo walked beside me. Once we reached the training grounds, Julian announced to my uncle's former troops, "Starting today, Cecilia is your commander. You will follow her orders on the battlefield! Any disobedience will be met with military discipline!""Roger!" the soldiers roared, their voices echoing throughout the camp.The morning sun bathed Julian's face in a warm golden glow, reminiscent of a mythical god of war.Aware of my inexperience, I practiced even harder than the average soldier. By evening, I enlisted Alonzo's help to familiarize myself with Ashfall's terrain and the battle strategies previously employed by my uncle."Cecilia, it's almost midnight. Can I please head back to rest?" He yawned as he spoke."Sorry, I lost track of time." I glanced at my watch."I'm getting
Cecilia POV"Don't take her words to heart," Julian comforted me as he walked me back to my room."I understand," I replied, managing a faint smile.Noticing he seemed reluctant to leave, I gently nudged him toward the door. "I've trained all day, and I'm exhausted. It's time for bed.""No goodnight kiss? I did stand up for you, you know," Julian said, pointing to his lips with a playful pout.I gave him a quick peck on his left cheek."The captured Rogue woke up tonight, but he's too weak. We barely got a few words out of him before he passed out again. If he's better tomorrow, we can interrogate him," he said, his tone shifting to a more serious note."Got it. Goodnight!" I replied, giving him another peck on the right cheek before closing the door.The next evening, after finishing my training, I headed to the mess hall for dinner. Just as I reached the entrance, the sounds of a commotion caught my attention.Rather than breaking it up, the soldiers had formed a circle, eag
Cecilia POVThe air in the mess hall was thick with tension. The warriors' eyes darted back and forth between Freeda and me. Her lips curled into a smug smile, and there was a cold gleam in her eyes. "Was Alex wrong?" Freeda spat on the ground. "What makes you think you can lead these warriors? You had never fought for anything in your life. Everyone knows full well how you got this position."I narrowed my eyes and remained calm. "Do you think you know me well?" I countered."I know enough!" Freeda roared, clenching her fists. "I've bled, sweated, and clawed my way up in this army. Rank by rank, I earned my place. "But you? You're just some pampered rich kid from a powerful pack, and now you think you can stomp on everything we've built. Today, I'll use my fists to show you just how wrong you are!""Freeda's right! You don't deserve this at all!" Alex chimed in, quick to agree. The room, which had been silent, filled with murmurs as warriors began whispering among themselv
Cecilia POV"Hmph! You hid your real strength on purpose. That duel doesn't count. Let's do it again," Freeda said, her fists clenched and cheeks flushed."Even if we go again, the result will be the same." I glanced at the crowd of warriors who hadn't dispersed yet. "I'm afraid your defeat will only be worse next time.""Apologize now!" a voice jeered from the crowd.My eyes followed the voice, and I looked at the speaker. Under the dim yellow lights of the camp, I could faintly see the crest shining on his uniform. He belonged to my uncle's old battalion and was one of the warriors I would be leading now. "Apologize now!""Apologize now!"A few more warriors started echoing his call. When Alex and I were arguing, these warriors never stood up for me. I couldn't blame them, though. They were being led by an Alpha Female with less combat experience. They followed me not because they respected me but because of Julian's orders and Alonzo's pressure.Lamar was right—this
Cecilia POVJulian's reprimand rendered Freeda speechless. "This is your final warning. Defy orders again, and you're out of Ashfall!" Julian snapped.Freeda glared at me, her voice filled with venom. "Don't get too smug, Cecilia. You only won by luck. "On the battlefield, it's strategy and experience that matter. You better pray you survive Ashfall!" She kept cursing as Vahn dragged her away, but I paid no attention.Then, at the worst possible moment, my stomach growled loudly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten dinner yet."Did the fight make you hungry?" Julian chuckled. "Come on, let's get you something to eat."As we began to walk, Julian turned back and raised an eyebrow at Lamar and Zara, who were following us. "Why are you two tagging along?"He then pointed to the shirt I was wearing and asked Lamar, who was naked from the waist up, "Is this your shirt?""Let's go. Give the couple some privacy." Before Lamar could respond, Zara ran off with him in tow. Once they le
Julian POVAfter leaving the field hospital with Cecilia, I asked her to return to her room while I went to speak with Mario alone.Cecilia's initiative to fight on the frontline during the ambush a few days ago won her some of Mario's respect. However, that was not enough to make Mario change his stance about her.He continued to oppose my relationship with Cecilia."Send the video of Freeda torturing the Rogue prisoners to the two captives who have returned to their families after retirement."Mario looked puzzled. "Why would you do that?""The two rogues who were tortured will share the video with the leader of the enemy forces camped outside Ashfall," I explained, filling him in on the information we had gathered from the injured Rogue earlier that evening."You want to tell the enemy that their target should actually be Freeda and her subordinates, don't you?" Mario's eyes widened as he caught on."Yes.""I'll get someone on it right away."After Mario walked away, I hea
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