Amelia's POVMy eyes widened as Cassius appeared in front of me. He looked like a prince. Dressed in a black suit with his dark hair gelled to the back and his eyes blazing, he was handsome. It was obvious that all of the women that looked at me as he stretched his hand out to me wanted to be in my place and I didn't blame them. If I was not a first-hand victim of Cassius' brutality, I would probably behave the same way. I would probably be standing amongst those girls that were giving me jealous looks and hoping that Cassius would glance at me too. I would probably be somewhere imagining what it would be like to have and hold his attention. Like them, I would wonder who was the lucky girl that got to call him hers and who would get his love and promises of a happily ever after. But I knew that beneath that devastatingly handsome face was a monster. I knew beneath that earnest smile that he gave me and the way his eyes looked at me like he had not seen someone more beautiful wa
Chapter 45Amelia's POVDamien's Beta was standing right in front of me. In the flesh.I remembered how he had looked at me with scrutiny all of the times that our eyes had met during the course of his short stay at the Mansion before he had left earlier than Damien and Eric. He didn't look at me any differently today like he was studying me to give a report. He looked at me like he was a soldier that had been given the assignment to watch me and get back to the higher-ups. "You were saying something?" Elena asked me but I didn't answer, still stuck on the fact that Nathan was here. And if Nathan was here, did that mean what I thought it meant?Looking around the hall, I tried to see if Damien was truly there. Would he be wearing his hair in a bun or down? Would he be wearing a dark-colored or light-colored suit to match those beautiful blue jade eyes? If he was here, why had he not shown himself yet?And why had I not seen him? Was he trying to be careful not to approach me f
Amelia's POVYou know that one moment when you're sure that things are about to get worse but because you are stuck on something, you don't think it's possible to leave until you get what you're here for? That was how I felt standing in front of Cassius' door as I waited to hear more about the bidding market. The bidding market was something that was never openly spoken about but people who knew about it knew what it was for and who it catered to. To the rich and powerful. Mostly Vampires but sometimes werewolves.The bidding market was a place where people that nobody would care to look for or had any loved ones were sold off to the highest bidder like merchandise. Some of the maids in this mansion had been bought through that avenue and it seemed as though these people were discussing the market because something was about to happen. Were they trying to reopen the bidding market? And why? Why would they want to after all of the trouble that I heard was undergone to shut down
Amelia's POVAs I sat on my bed and looked at the long hand of the clock as it hit six in the morning, I realized that I had been plagued by nightmares. I had gotten up by two in the morning after the last one and I had not slept a wink. I could not get over what Nathan had told me last night in that office. That Damien, the same Damien that I knew was the mastermind behind the reopening of the bidding market. He knew what the bidding market was for, didn't he? Of course, he did. It was a shop for slavers and a hellhole for slaves. So why was he being a part of it?What had been going through his mind when he decided to open it? How was he even able to open it again?My mind flashed back to the promise that he had made to me on the phone when we spoke and I shivered.Because Nathan had more or less implied the actual reason why Damien was going ahead to not stop the bidding market from being officially reopened. 'Just know that I'm coming back for you, Amelia. No matter what' He
Amelia's POV Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. That was the only sound I could hear when I opened my eyes and found that a cloth had been placed on my neck, applying pressure against the puncture points where Cassius had sunk his fangs into me. I must have passed out in his arms from losing too much blood to his lack of self-control. Every day I wondered what was going to happen to me the day Cassius simply did not stop, instead going ahead to take every last blood from my body. My vision cleared up, and I saw him crouched in front of me, giving me a look that was between disappointment and annoyance. "You've grown weaker, Amelia. Before you used to be able to keep standing by the time I was done with you and yet now, it is a hassle to even enjoy a blood meal from you without supporting you with my hands." He complained and if I wasn't so weak, I might have frowned at him, damning the consequences of my actions because why was he still upset about the fact that I was unable to sta
Amelia's POV I was sure that if Damien was looking at me when I asked that question then he would have raised his eyebrows in surprise at my harsh tone. Because that was what Elena was doing right now as she looked at me. Perhaps it was because Damien was not physically here that I had the courage to say those words to him but it didn't matter whether it was courage, annoyance, or deep sorrow at the reality that Damien was choosing that had pushed me to the wall. The truth remained that when I had thought the bidding market was all Cassius's idea, it had been the idea of the one man that I believed could not have been capable of suggesting such, considering how he did not treat slaves like property or abuse them the way Cassius did. What was worse was that the idea had come to his mind because of me. That he believed he was doing this because he had no other choice. That he could see no other way out to save me. It made me complicit in the bidding market plan, whether I like
Damien's POVYou'd never realize how vulnerable you are until you are swept off your feet and feel like your world is crashing down on you. That was how I felt after that phone call. After those words that my mate had thrown at me in the heat of our argument about the bidding market. 'If that is the only way to save me, then I'd gladly fuck Cassius instead.' She had said and pain like I had never felt before, pain that felt like I had been stabbed in the heart hit me when she said those words so calmly like she had thought them through. Like she was indeed ready to go to such lengths to prove to me that I was in the wrong for wanting to save her through the bidding market. The growl that escaped my chest was the furthest thing from humane and I threw my phone at the door, just as Nathan came in and caught the phone as it was heading for his face. Rage. Absolute and vengeful rage was what I was feeling right now. Like a volcano about to erupt. My thoughts were clouded with rage a
Amelia's POVIt had been more than a week since that dreadful call with Damien that had ended abruptly when Elena had probably saved me from more word vomit but we would never even know what Damien's response was now or if he even wanted to still rescue me after what I had told him. But everywhere had seemed quiet after that call and I assumed that the bidding market plans had been stalled since even Cassius had not said anything about it and I knew it because I had been eavesdropping as much as I could, whenever I could. As I stared at my reflection this morning, I realized that I was long overdue for a haircut, my thick black hair already tangling at the tips as the strands stopped at my lower back. My large emerald green eyes still had eye bags but they were not as dark as they usually would look like because I had not been having nightmares for the last couple of days, a small mercy I believed that I cherished because I had no idea when it was going to return with a vengeance.
Dear wonderful readers, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my book! Your support and enthusiasm mean the world to me. Without you, book one could not have been the success that it is. I am grateful to have such amazing, dedicated readers like you. It thrills me to announce that there will be a book two! I am so excited to continue this journey with you and bring you more of the characters you have grown to love (and certainly some new ones too!). I promise to keep you on the edge of your seat with even more twists and turns. Again, thank you for all that you do. I appreciate every kind word, review, and recommendation. You are the reason I write, and I cannot wait to share more of my stories with you. With love and gratitude, H.B Temilorun
EPILOGUE*Six years later Amelia's POVDreams did come true, I thought as I walked into the woods and stood far away from where my mate was playing with our daughter, Kiara, watching them with a wide smile. She was the spitting image of her father, took his hair, his eyes, everything, and even his smile. The only thing that she probably got from me was my creamy skin and I had not one complaint at all. In fact, it made me smile every time I watched the two of them bicker about something which was almost every time these days, quickly reminding them that they could settle it since they looked very much alike. She threw a punch in the air at Damien which he evaded with ease, but not too much ease that made me realize that he was actually letting her off easy. She tried again and this time that I saw that she was so close to landing a punch but he caught her hand and shook his head, squatting as he ruffled her hair. "Listen to me, Kiara, we have been over this time and again. You are
Amelia's POVI did not think that I would be able to pull this off but looking at the table now, I was proud of what I was able to achieve. The dining hall was large enough to take over fifty people and with the chairs that we added, it was large enough to take almost everybody interested in enjoying this banquet.I had learned that Damien's mother as Luna used to organize something like this and I could see how it was going to help to foster togetherness.Damien had been skeptical about allowing me to do it, quickly reminding me that I was pregnant and that I did not need to do any heavy lifting but I had made sure that it didn't matter, not when I knew that it would be something that people would remember me to, with fondness in their hearts.I felt a sense of pride when I saw everyone digging into their breakfast and having looks of approval. I turned to glance at Blair and she was wearing an equally proud smile on her face. We had done this together with the help of some maids of
Amelia’s POV“How about this one?” Elena asked, her eyes bright as she held up a black sleeveless blouse and a skirt that was probably going to stop mid-thigh, her eyes bright with excitement. “Nope,” I answered, my eyes fixed on the television as I chewed away yet another bag of chips. My appetite had returned with a vengeance after the last couple of weeks that had consisted of vomiting spells and zero appetite. Elizabeth had said that it was because I had passed the first trimester of pregnancy and was now in my second. “Okay, this one is perfect. Why don’t you wear this one?” She came to stand in front of me, holding up a short blue dress that was probably as lovely as the rest but I was not interested, the same with all of the other options that she had chosen for me. I already knew what I was going to wear from the beginning, since the moment she entered the room and told me that I was going out with her and that it was going to be in thirty minutes. “Oh come on, Amelia, so w
Damien's POVI knew that Amelia would probably roll her eyes if I said this to her but she was hands down the most beautiful woman that I had laid eyes on. Perhaps it was the mating bond speaking but it didn't matter. I was hopelessly irrevocably in love with her. She sat beside me, the first aid box on her lap, and opened her hand for me to give her my bruised knuckles. I fought the urge to tumble her on the bed and kiss her senselessly because she looked less than pleased at my injuries even though they didn't hurt and would heal on their own. "It was nothing serious," I said again. When I had told her the first time, she had raised her eyebrows at me in a scolding fashion. It would have looked really threatening if I was not a big bad werewolf that was probably two times her size and towered over most people in the pack, including her. I stifled my amusement at how adorable she was because I knew that she would not appreciate that sort of thing. "I heard you the first time, Al
Amelia's POVThe silence in the kitchen was deafening and the entire atmosphere was very tense after my statement. I was well aware that if I did not do so something to diffuse this, things were going to escalate beyond measure but I had had enough of Nikki, from her passive-aggressive behavior to hurting people like they were not human beings and looking at others from beneath her nose like she was higher than every one of them. Her momentary shock at my statement was quick to fade and she pulled her arm away from my grasp and frowned at me. "Oh and what do we have here? So you really think that just because people have accepted you that you can go around calling yourself Luna and expect people to do what you want? I rolled my eyes, almost chuckling to myself.She continued, "It seems that you have forgotten your place, have you not? You are a slave like her, perhaps that is why you feel so strongly that I am teaching her a lesson." "You bitch!" Elena roared and tried to reach he
Amelia's POVIt had been one month since I moved back to the pack. There was a calendar in the bedroom which I marked every day once I woke up and when I did today, the smile on my face widened as I circled the date. One whole month had passed since I returned with Damien. It had been one month since Cassius was finally defeated.It had been a whole month and even though I had had a couple of nightmares between now and then, whenever I woke up, it was with Damien by my side, holding me tight and reminding me that I was no longer stuck back in that mansion. That I was no longer a slave to a vampire lord that was obsessed with me. That I was no longer living in bondage but free. Being Luna was wonderful here. Everyone had been nothing but so pleasant and supportive, allowing me to ease into the role at my own pace, no matter how slow that was. I was still adjusting to being a very important member of the pack and fortunately, my mate was the most patient and wonderful teacher one coul
Amelia's POVAs the girl, whose name I still did not know but whose face I would never forget wrapped her hands around Damien's neck and pulled him in for an intimate hug, all I could think about was the way she had been with me when I first came to the pack. The very first time that I had fled from Cassius and the words that she had said to me when everyone else had been nothing but caring."Oh? You don't want to know what I know about you? You don't want to know that I know how you were Cassius' slave for many years before you were brought here? You don't want to know how I know that you were not just a slave, but one used solely for sex?"We both know that you don't deserve him, sweetheart. So why are you still here, ruining my plans and making life difficult for everybody?" "Why? We both know that you are nothing but trash. And have you heard where the trash gets one ounce of happiness?" Her words still hurt every time I remembered them but now that I was mated to Damien and ha
Amelia's POV Bliss. I didn't know any other words that could adequately describe how I was feeling and bliss seemed to encapsulate all of my emotions being around Damien these past few days. It was nothing but bliss. It made me wonder if I was no longer dreaming and if this was just a really long dream that I was going to wake up from soon. "Am I dreaming?" I asked him as he cut an apple and fed me a piece. We were having a mini picnic in the woods and for the first time since I was forced to move to this new city, I didn't feel wary about being outside. I didn't feel a strange sense of panic thinking that this happiness could be snatched away from me at any time. The bane of my entire existence was dead and every time I remembered that he would no longer be able to trouble us again, I could not contain my joy. Finally, I would have a shot at happiness. Finally, I could begin life anew and start a family just like I had always wanted with the man that I loved wholeheartedly. I