A smirk playing on his lips.Aster cleared his throat, prompting Darren to release my hand."Forgive my manners, Valeria," Darren said smoothly. "It's in our blood to misbehave when we meet a woman as beautiful and captivating as you."Despite myself, I smiled. Darren found me attractive. That was a bonus.Casper cleared his throat, casting a pointed look at his son."Don't you agree, Father?" Darren challenged. "Who would've thought Aster would choose someone like her? Classy, elegant, and beautiful—just the way we like our women.""He is my son, after all," Casper mused. "Why wouldn't he? Look at your mother, look at Thalia. Don't they both look amazing? And now Valeria. We know how to choose the right women."They laughed."Yeah, we sure do," Darren added.Aster squeezed my hand, his face glowing with the silent message: I told you they would love you."Shameless," Abigail scolded. "Stop embarrassing the poor girl." Then she turned to me. "Don't mind them. That’s just how my boys
“You couldn't help what?” I asked.Before he could answer, a voice called his name.“Darren, is that you?”He turned—and there stood Thaila. Once beautiful and perfect, she now looked pale and disheveled.“Thia, what are you doing downstairs?” Darren asked, pulling her into his arms.“I wanted some fresh air and thought I could step outside.” She turned to me briefly before shifting her gaze back to her husband.“Who is she?” she asked.“Oh, that’s Valeria—Aster’s fiancée,” Darren replied. Then, turning to me, he added, “Meet my wife, Thaila. She’s been having a hard time because of our baby.”“Nice to meet you, Thaila. And congratulations,” I said.&nb
ASTERWhen Freya said those words, I thought to myself—she never really knew my family. She called them great; I called them greedy monsters who would do anything for money, with no exceptions for anyone—except me.I don't want to raise my children under such influence. But I also don’t want to hurt Freya or condemn my family in front of her. She seemed to love them, and they loved her too. Let things stay that way until after the coronation—then I’ll find a reason to move her into the Alpha quarters with me."But I still want us to have our privacy," I said and she frowned."Don't worry it won't be now"“When?” she asked.“We won’t move out right away, maybe after the mating ceremony and coronation.”“But I don’t want to move out. I want to live with your family,” Freya insisted.There was something in the way she said it, that made me st
I took the last brownie out of the oven and placed it on the kitchen counter. Then, I dished out the vegetable salad I had made for myself along with fried chicken. On another plate, I served the white rice and sauce I had prepared for Ryder. Carefully balancing the tray, I carried the food to the table.Ryder had already finished setting up by the time I walked in. He helped place the plates down before heading back to the kitchen to grab two bottles of water.By the time he returned, I had already started eating."Can’t you wait for me?" he asked."Why would I? I’m starving, and you were taking too long.""I told you, starving yourself doesn’t suit you," Ryder said, shoveling a heap of rice into his mouth. "I mean, look at what you're eating—just to be something you’re not."I envied him. It wasn’t that I wasn’t allowed to eat rice, but I had consumed far too many calories in the past few days with Aster
FREYA"I'm done," Ryder said, picking up his plate and heading to the kitchen. I finished my meal and followed him after clearing the table. Once we were done washing the dishes, I followed Ryder to my office, where he kept his laptop.As soon as the device came to life, Ryder punched a few buttons, and what appeared on the screen left me in shock and amazement.On the screen was Linnet Shadow-Moon with Cornello—both naked on the bed, having sex. The video was explicit. Every moan was crystal clear, and Cornello’s filthy hands roamed over her smooth skin. I could hear Ryder moaning along with the old fool in the video. I smacked him hard on the back, and he chuckled."What? Aren't you enjoying the show?" he asked.I shot him a glare.He ignored me and continued, "No wonder the old fool couldn't get enough of her. That woman is incredible in bed. A
LINNETMy phone chimed, and I froze, afraid that Eric had heard it. I quickly grabbed it and hid it.Ever since Cornello started making his ridiculous demands, I had learned to keep my phone on silent, fearing he would call while I was with Eric.I thought killing Evelyn would make Eric love me—but it never did. I was the one who found him first, the one who fell in love with him first, but he chose my best friend over me.I met Eric in college. He was in his final year, while I had just enrolled. He was the most ruthless and feared Alpha in school. It was a prestigious institution meant for Alphas and the children of the wealthy elite.As a cheerleader, I had the opportunity to participate in various school activities, including sports competitions. That was how I first met Eric.He was the most popular guy on campus, the star of the school's cha
So, I invited Evelyn to a girls' night out. We partied until dawn. She thought it was a send-off celebration before her wedding. I had arranged everything—the venue, the guests, even the drinks.She never suspected a thing.I drugged her drink. When the effects kicked in, I lured her out of the house to my father’s hotel, far outside our pack’s territory.Once she was settled in one of the VIP rooms—rooms rarely used due to their cost—the men I had arranged entered. I handed them a bottle of poison and left them to do the rest.What I didn’t know was that Cornello had seen us entering the hotel that night.I had taken the back door of my house, parked my car in the backyard, and used a secret entrance at the hotel. I had planned every detail carefully to keep it a secret.But Cornello, that chronic womanizer, had been in on
LINNETThe next time you mention Evelyn with that filthy mouth of yours, I will rip out your tongue. I don't care what any of you think, but I made a promise to her. I must find her killer, and I will never spare them."As soon as Eric let go of me, I collapsed to the ground, coughing hard."Get ready. We're going to your pack this evening. Make sure you take everything you'll need," he said before shutting the door.Despite the pain in my neck and the ache in my heart, my mind was forced back to reality. Friday was only two days away—the day of my brother's coronation and the day I was supposed to hand over a hundred million dollars to an unknown person. My heart sank.Dragging myself up from the floor, I started packing. I couldn't afford to provoke Eric’s wrath again. I pulled down my large suitcase and shoved in my valuables. I needed to sell some of my things and pretend I didn't need them anymore. Thaila would help me find buyers.
The next morning, news of what happened to Cornello spread like wildfire. While some supported the Alpha’s actions, others saw it as karma finally catching up with the old fool. However, there were a few who believed Cornello had been wrongly treated—but they could only murmur their thoughts, too afraid to say them out loud.Despite the rumors, I made my way to the pack hospital with Ryder, my assistant, Phinaline, my special advisor, and two of Ryder’s men who also served as my bodyguards.When we arrived, Cornello was alone. His wife had just left the hospital to fetch a few items he would need during his stay.I entered with Phinaline and Ryder. The moment Cornello saw me, he became terrified, begging for mercy.“Please, my Luna, don’t hurt me! I won’t anger you again—just show me mercy!”I chuckled.“Mercy? That’s a word I’ve long forgotten. You dared to slap your Luna. You should be grateful all you lost was your hand. Next time, it won’t end there.”Cornello was speechless. When
Cornello was dumbstruck. When had he slapped me? How?“Please believe me, my Alpha. I didn’t do anything to her! I swear I didn’t slap her!”I cried harder. “Look at my face. Who else could have hit me just now?”Aster’s eyes darkened. He had heard the sound of a slap and I was alone with Cornello. When he looked at my face, he saw the imprint of five fingers on my cheek. His expression turned red with fury.In an instant, Aster grabbed Cornello by the shirt and struck him hard across the face. Cornello staggered backward, but before he could fall, Aster seized him again and landed another punch—this time knocking out two of his teeth.The other council members rushed in and restrained Aster.“You dare lay your filthy hands on my queen?” he roared, his chest heaving with rage. Oscar and Bernard flinched at the sound.Aster tried to wipe my tears, but when he touched my
“And I want my own office. As the Luna of this pack, I have my own special agenda, and I can't wait to start working.”This time, there was no smile on Aster's face. He was neither angry nor happy—just shocked and surprised.ASTERI had never noticed the allure Valeria carried until now. She looked beautiful yet cold, her eyes bottomless—like an immortal fairy who had come to live among mortals. Her light golden hair gleamed, highlighting her ocean-blue orbs. She curled her bright red lips, and my heart twitched."Damn, I'm so lucky to be her husband," I thought to myself.“My Luna will have whatever she wants. She will serve side by side with me. I trust everyone understands this?” I said.The council members nodded in agreement. Lanzo, Bernard, and Oscar—the three council members from the weaker packs—did not object. Not that their opinions mattered much; the real power lay with Cornello, Zanto, and Francis, the three council members from the wealthy and dominant packs.Before I cou
For a split second, the room remained silent before murmurs began to spread."Do you have any problems with that?" Aster asked, his voice chilling. His eyes darkened as he stared at Cornello with such intensity that the man was forced to look away."Hmm, not that I have an issue with your decision," Zanto, one of the council members I had asked Ryder to investigate, said. "But Darius can no longer hold any office in this pack because of what happened in the past."Zanto was the one who had laughed the hardest when Cornello called me a lunatic after I reported the atrocities the Shadow Moons committed against my pack to the council. He had sneered, claiming lunacy ran in my bloodline. Watching him speak now, I was reminded of that laughter, and I couldn't wait to return the favor when his downfall came.Before Zanto could finish, his companion Francis stood up."We can't allow this! Darius' family has no right to hold such a position of power in thi
The other lady, who seemed interested in the gossip, was uncomfortable to listen due to the environment they were in. She turned to Eunice and pointed at the items she had chosen, and booked appointments for her makeup. After paying, she hurried out of the store before her companion could say anything more terrible.I smiled. Linnet was behaving strangely and it got the people talking. It's only a matter of time before I sent her to the psychiatrist.I returned home late in the evening, and Aster was waiting for me. As soon as I walked in, he pulled me into his arms."You look tired," he said."I'm exhausted," I replied.After the pack women left, a flood of customers arrived, all needing their hair and makeup done. Then, I had to attend a business meeting with a representative from Great Stars Entertainment for a contract signing. They wanted me to be the costume designer for their upcoming movie. It was one of the largest and most successful entertainment companies in the country
"This is amazing! How did you get this?" I asked my face filled with smiles."I prepared these documents with your lawyer a few days ago. I knew Cornello would try something stupid during the coronation, so I watched him. I followed him to Shadow-Moon’s backyard, where he tried to force Linnet into an affair. I stepped in just in time, stopped them, and made them sign away their shares.""This is very impressive, Ryder. I will reward you handsomely."Ryder’s face darkened. "I don’t need any rewards from you. I have plenty of money. All I want is to see the Shadow-Moons crushed to the ground and their lives in misery. I’m doing this for my parents. Once this job is done, I’m going back to Texas."I was left speechless, so I did the only thing I could think of—I hugged him and whispered, "Thank you."My phone rang, making me pull away from Ryder. I picked up the device and saw Aster’s name flash
VALERIAAs I stepped out of my room the next morning, I met Linnet, dressed impeccably as always. Her beautiful face looked pale, and she seemed weak—far too innocent and humble, something that had never been in her nature before."Linnet, how are you doing today?" I asked as I approached her.She smiled weakly. "Better than last night. Thanks for helping me.""It's nothing. I'm glad I could help.""It seems you're going somewhere?" she asked."I'm going to my studio. I have some work to do."Linnet looked at me in surprise. "Aren't you supposed to be on your honeymoon?"I chuckled. "Those things aren't for me. Besides, Aster is okay with it. If you don't mind, I have to get going.""Hmm, please, can I come along with you? I feel bored and need some fresh air."I looked at Linnet, wishing I could squeeze her little neck. How could she even think of coming close to me? I didn't know what this woman was up to, but I wouldn't let her get any closer."I'm sorry, Linnet, maybe some other t
VALERIAI watched as Linnet fell back asleep, I smiled at myself. She had no idea what I have been feeding her with and it has started taking impact and soon, she will be ruined forever.I glanced at Aster, who seemed surprised by how quickly her fever had dropped.“Thank you for helping Linnet” he said. Aster still finds it difficult to call her sister.“It’s nothing. Beside she’s my sister-in-law now,” I replied.Aster took my hand, and we quietly left the room. Unfortunately, apart from our private living room and gym , Linnet’s room was the only other room on the same floor with ours and we are the only ones who came for her rescue."What about her husband?" I asked Aster as we headed towards our apartment."The bastard wasn't even here to take care of his wife, that's why I hate being an Alpha" he said, and frowned."Hope you won't abandon me like that in the future?" Aster stopped and stared at me seriously then squeezing my hands he said."I will never abandon you Val. You wil
LINNETAfter I watched the masked man stride away the same way he had come, my whole body burned up, as though I had been thrown into a fire. My legs weakened beneath me, barely able to hold me up. Gradually, the night darkened, and a chilling wind began to blow, carrying with it a strange and frightening noise that sent shivers down my spine. Then, suddenly, I heard a terrifying, whispery sound accompanied by a gentle breeze.“Linnet,” someone called my name from behind. I jolted in fear and turned around, only to see a woman clothed in white long gown, which flowed down her feet, covering every inch of her toes. Her disheveled hair framed her face, and blood dripping from her eyes like tears. I have never seen anything like that since I was born.I froze in terror. My breath hitched, and my heart pounded wildly as I recognized her—Evelyn. Even though I was a wolf, I had never believed in ghosts. But there she was, Evelyn’s ghost, standing before me in the darkness, staring at me