Cecilia POV"What?" Pearly gasped in shock. Realizing she had spoken too loudly, she quickly covered her mouth, as though afraid she would blurt out all the curse words flowing through her mind. I had never heard anything so absurd in my life."You would agree to let your lover father a cub with me?" I asked Freeda, who wore an awkward expression."You are still legally his mate. I can't strip you of the right to have cubs," she replied, turning her face away in clear anger."If you don't like it, Cecilia and I could arrange it through IVF. I promise I won't lay a hand on her," Vahn hastened to assure Freeda."I trust you. I'm not petty, either. You're still her mate, and even if you two were to be intimate, I have no right to stop you.""Wait! I never agreed to have kids with you." I rolled my eyes. Ever since I had seen Vahn and Freeda together, I felt nothing but revulsion whenever I looked at him. While mates are naturally drawn to each other, I had lost all interest in his
Cecilia POVVahn was seething, his anger stoked further by Pearly's taunts. Despite this, he maintained his composure and walked away with Freeda, unwilling to let his temper get the better of him again.As Pearly and I cleaned up the wreckage from the smashed chair, she grumbled, "At least the bed wasn't destroyed, or you'd have to squeeze in with me tonight. What's with you Alphas and your constant brawling?"'Even if they both ganged up on me, I wouldn't be scared,' Nana chimed in, her tone smug."Let me check your face," I said, leaning closer to Pearly and seeing her cheek swelling up. Vahn had clearly shown her no mercy.I grabbed some ice from the freezer, wrapped it in a cloth, and gently applied it to her cheek to help reduce the swelling."I can handle it," Pearly said with a reassuring smile. "It's not like I'll be scarred for life. After a good night's sleep, I'll be as good as new.""You really shouldn't stick your neck out for me," I said."It's all my fault for
Cecilia POVI handed the ledger back to Mindy and turned to leave."I didn't realize Mindy was coming to ask for your help with Vahn's wedding," Pearly said, catching up with me. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have brought her here.""It's fine. Mindy's in a tough spot, too," I replied.As soon as Pearly and I returned to my room, Rosie appeared with Mindy. It was clear they were here to ask for money to fund the wedding.I had no intention of inviting them in, but Rosie breezed past me, settling comfortably on the balcony. She poured herself a cup of tea and took a seat across from me."Cecilia, I heard you visited the palace a few days ago. Did you meet with the Alpha King?" she asked. When I didn't respond, she continued, "I also heard the Alpha King refused to cancel the wedding. Honestly, why go through all this trouble? The wedding between Vahn and Freeda is already set in stone. As they say, 'Don't air your dirty laundry in public.' If you're upset, you can talk to me. I still
Vahn POV"What? Borrow money from her and write an IOU? Not a chance!" I couldn't believe my ears when Rosie suggested I ask Cecilia for money to fund the wedding. "How much is this wedding going to cost? Let me see."Mindy handed me the account book.The figures were indeed extravagant, but considering Freeda is the only Alpha Female in the country, I figured she probably deserved such a wedding. "It's only 20 million. We'll cover it ourselves," I said, tossing the book onto the desk."Where are we supposed to find that kind of money?" Mindy complained. "I reviewed this year's profits, and we don't even have 2 million.""Isn't Cecilia managing the family farm? How can there be so little money? Has she been squandering it all?" I asked, astonished."She hasn't spent a dime of our money. You went off to battle as soon as you became Alpha, so you don't know our actual financial situation. In fact, we had no savings even before Cecilia moved in," Rosie defended Cecilia."So where d
Cecilia POVPearly and I were having dinner when Rosie's screams shattered the evening's calm. Her cries pierced the quiet, relentless and echoing through the manor."Don't feel sorry for her!" Pearly said, cutting into her grilled fish with determination. "She deserves it! They've all taken your hard work for granted this past year. Now, let's see how they manage without you."Since my return from the palace, I had stopped overseeing the meals at the manor. Pearly had hired a chef for us, and we enjoyed our dinners on the balcony of my room.But as night deepened, Rosie's unending screams made sleep impossible. Frustrated, I got out of bed, retrieved the handgun my father had left me, fitted it with a silencer, and slipped out the window.In the small woods outside the manor, I found a secluded spot to practice my shooting.Regular bullets wouldn't harm werewolves; even a shot to the heart would heal almost instantly. But a wolfsbane bullet was a different story—those wounds too
Vahn POVAfter leaving Cecilia's room, Rosie directed us to the study for a discussion."Vahn, do you know how much wealth Cecilia possesses?" Rosie asked me."How would I know? I wasn't with her for her money," I replied with disdain. As a man and an Alpha, the idea of claiming Cecilia's—or any woman's—wealth never crossed my mind."She owns a hospital in our pack, over 20 hotels, and more than a hundred chain restaurants worldwide. These are just the assets we know of. As for her hidden wealth, I've already had someone investigate. We should have the report by tomorrow.""We just need her to bring Dr. Pearce to us. Why do we need to look into her assets?" I questioned, finding Rosie's actions somewhat excessive."I had her investigated the moment you and Freeda returned. After all, no woman would tolerate her husband being with someone else," Rosie said, glancing at Freeda before adding, "Freeda, I'm not blaming you. I genuinely like you."Freeda nodded. "I understand. I don't
Cecilia POVAfter Vahn, Rosie, and Freeda left my room, I immediately locked the door. I opened my laptop and began reviewing the assets my father had left me. Beyond the 20 hotels and over a hundred restaurants, Rosie and her family likely didn't know the full extent of my father's wealth. In fact, he had also invested in several pharmaceutical and tech companies.When my father and brothers passed away, my mother, Aria, quickly stepped down from her position as Luna. My father's brother, Norman Shore, took over as Alpha of the Lotus Pack. When my father was still alive, my mother loved dressing up and wore a different dress every day. But after the deaths of my father and brothers, she adopted a simpler lifestyle. Every morning and evening, she would pray for their souls. She never touched a single cent from my father's inheritance, giving everything to me.Sometimes, I wondered if my mother might have taken her own life to be with my father if it weren't for me being alive."C
Cecilia POVI walked into the reception room with Pearly trailing behind.Vahn, Freeda, and Rosie were seated around an oval conference table, and next to Rosie was a middle-aged man in a suit."Just say what you need to say," I said, glancing at them before taking a seat across from them, with Pearly by my side."This is Mr. Logan Pierre," Vahn said. "After I reject you, Logan will handle the asset division."Logan adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and nodded, giving me a professional but insincere smile.At first, I thought Vahn's threats were just a tactic to intimidate me. I didn't expect him to have already secured a lawyer. From Rosie's demeanor, it was clear she was orchestrating this. After all, Vahn was a warrior, not accustomed to such scheming."I am the Luna of the Thorn Pack. Even if you reject me, you must first inform the pack leaders and hold a formal rejection ceremony in front of all the pack members," I said, holding my head high."There's no need for that," Ro