Tiger sat alone in the hospital’s technical office, his eyes fixed on the flickering CCTV footage displayed on the monitor before him. The small room felt cramped, packed with humming computers and cables that spilled across the desk. He’d been at it for hours, watching an endless stream of doctors and nurses passing through the hospital’s hallways on the big screen. A yawn escaped his lips as boredom settled in. Most of the faces were unfamiliar but expected—medical staff going about their routines. The only exception was Damon, who had stormed through earlier. Other than that, nothing seemed out of place.Still, Tiger wasn’t convinced. Anna’s death gnawed at him, and he needed answers. Pushing back from the desk, he stood and crossed the room to the door. He opened it and leaned out into the hallway. “Doctor,” he called.Moments later, the doctor who had first brought him into the technical office appeared, his white coat slightly wrinkled. “Yes?” he asked, stepping closer.Ti
Under a full moon, the forest stretched cold and silent, save for the distant howls of wolves and faint, eerie laughter that drifted through the trees. Damon pressed forward along a narrow path, Anna’s limp body slung across his shoulders. His red Lycan eyes glowed fierce in the dark, cutting through the shadows like a blade. Tall trees towered above, their thick branches choking out the moonlight, leaving only slivers to speckle the ground.Wild animals lurked nearby, drawn by the scent of Anna’s death. A wolf pack edged closer, their eyes glinting with hunger, until Damon let out a deep, rumbling growl. They bolted, tails low, and even the bolder creatures—bears, foxes—slunk back into the undergrowth. But as he reached a small clearing, Damon slowed. Ahead stood a threat no growl would scatter.Three werewolves blocked his way, their blue eyes glowing bright and unyielding. Guardians of the territory, they bristled with tension, claws flexing. Damon didn’t hesitate. He strode to
Seven old women sat in a circle on the damp forest ground, their frail bodies bent like crooked branches. These were the elder witches, and they looked as worn as the earth beneath them. Their black gowns hung loose, the fabric torn at the hems and patched with mud. Wrinkles carved deep lines into their faces, and their gray hair stuck out in wild, matted clumps. Some had gaps where teeth once were; others had cloudy eyes that barely saw. Yet, their hands, though shaky, gripped small, rusty knives with purpose. Damon’s mother was one of them, her thin fingers clutching her blade tightly, her face pale under a tangle of silver hair.The meeting kicked off with a strange ceremony. The witches pushed themselves up, their old bones cracking like dry twigs, and raised their knives high. In their tattered gowns, they started chanting words no one else understood—harsh, foreign sounds that rolled off their tongues. Damon sat off to the side, legs crossed, watching them. Too much drama
Anna's POVI woke up to the softest sheets I’d ever felt in a very long time, the kind that makes you feel like you're floating in a cold swimming pool under a hot sun.But as my eyes fluttered open, confusion crashing over me with the speed of light. The last thing I remembered was the hospital—the sterile smell, the cold bed, the seizure that had ripped through me, leaving pain blooming in my stomach. Now, I was here, in a place so exquisite it didn’t make sense.The room was breathtaking. A massive bed decked in silky blue linens stretched beneath me, and the walls glowed a soft cream under the warm light of a crystal chandelier. A plush armchair sat in one corner, a sleek glass desk in another, and floor-to-ceiling windows framed a sprawling city skyline I couldn’t place. It was a hotel, maybe, but one so luxurious it felt unreal. How had I gone from a hospital bed to this?I sat up slowly, my breath catching as I pressed a hand to my stomach. I’d expec
Anna's POV But his face was stone-serious, his eyes digging into mine, waiting for an answer I didn’t have.“I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I managed, my voice a shaky whisper. My heart hammered, each thud ringing in my ears. What did he mean I smelled like an alpha? And a pack? The questions piled up, suffocating me with no answers in sight.He tilted his head, his brow creasing like my confusion threw him off. “You don’t know?” he asked, his tone softening, almost curious. “But you carry the scent. It’s unmistakable.”I backed up, my shoulders hitting the elevator wall. The cold metal steadied me, but my thoughts were chaos. That voice earlier, my eyes flashing red in the mirror, the sudden craving for meat despite years as a vegetarian—it was all unraveling, and this man’s words were tugging at threads I didn’t want to pull.“I’m not… I’m not part of any pack,” I said, my voice trembling. “I don’t even know what that means.”He stared at me,
Anna's POVHis smile faded, and his grip on my hand tightened just a fraction. “It’s a short story,” he said softly. “You died, and then came back to life. That was what happened.”I pulled my hand back, shaking my head. “No, it’s not enough. I want the full story, Damon. I remember the hospital, the pain, all of it. And now I’m in Mexico, alive, with no explanation. What happened to me?”He leaned back, his expression clouding with something unreadable. “How am I suppose to know? Anna. I'm not the doctors, and they don't even have the answers.”“How did I die in Las Vegas and then wake up in Mexico?” I demanded, my voice rising. “And why can’t I remember anything after the hospital?”He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. “Perhaps you were in heaven, I guess. There are many things we do not understand about life and death. It's best we just focus on the dinner," he said, "We can talk about death later."“Then when?” I snapped, my patience fraying. “Bec
Anna's POVThe car we entered was different this time—a sleek, black sedan with tinted windows that swallowed the outside world whole. The driver sat up front, a silent shadow behind a partition, unable to see us. That small demarcation wrapped around me like a blanket, warm and secretive, shielding Damon and me from prying eyes. The air inside buzzed with something electric, something that made my skin tingle and my chest tighten. I could still feel the echo of Damon’s hands on me from earlier—the way he’d held me on the dance floor, his breath hot against my ear, promising things I wasn’t sure I was ready for. But now, in this private little world, that promise hung heavy between us, waiting to be claimed.Damon shifted beside me, his thigh pressing against mine through the fabric of my gown. The contact sent a spark racing up my spine, and I turned to look at him. His eyes were dark pools in the dim light, glinting with something wild, something
Anna's POVI came back to consciousness with a jolt, Damon’s voice cutting through the haze in my mind. “Anna?” he called, his tone sharp and insistent. “You good?”The world felt wrong—tilted, broken. I blinked hard, trying to make sense of it. The car was upside down, its roof now the floor beneath me. Glass crunched under my hands as I shifted, my head pounding like a drum. “I think I hurt my head,” I stuttered, my fingers brushing my temple where a sticky warmth seeped into my hair.Damon’s face appeared in front of me, his eyes flicking over me in a quick, assessing sweep. “You’re fine, Anna. We need to get out of here,” he said, his voice calm but laced with something urgent that made my chest tighten. He shoved at the door beside him, muscles straining, and it popped open with a groan of metal.I tried to move, tugging at my seatbelt, but it wouldn’t budge. “I think I’m stuck,” I said, my voice rising as panic clawed at me.“Don’t worry. I’ll come
Damon's POV I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under the fact that I'd almost cheated on Anna, what is left is just to penetrate Rose, but I couldn't do it.I was still battling my lust for Rose and love for Anna when Rose’s voice cuts through the haze of my thoughts. "I want you to fuck me, Damon," she says, her tone bold and unapologetic. Her hands were on me before I can process it, trailing down my chest, fingers brushing the waistband of my pants with a purpose that sends a jolt through me. "I want to feel your dick right inside me."A groan rumbles out of me, because damn it, she’s not wrong—I’m tempted, she's hot. The heat of her touch sears through the fabric, and for a split second, I can picture it: giving in, letting her pull me under, drowning out the mess in my head with something deep. But that’s the problem—it’s too real, too messy, and I’ve spent years building walls to keep messes like this out. "I can’t, Rose," I say, my voice rougher tha
Rose took steps toward him, the she stopped just short of touching him, close enough that he could feel the warmth of her breath, smell that spicy perfume that always seemed to linger around her. “I want you, Damon,” she said, her gaze locking onto his, unflinching. “I want you all to myself. No one’s ever shown me what it means to be cared for like you have.”Damon’s chest tightened, her words hitting him like a punch. He’d pulled her out of a dark place years ago, given her a new life, but this—this was something else. His mind flickered with memories of her gratitude, her loyalty, but now it twisted into something deeper, something he wasn’t sure he could handle. He chuckled, the sound rough and tinged with disbelief. “You’re serious?”Her eyes flared, a spark of frustration cutting through the longing. “I killed the Manzoni Queen for you, Damon,” she said, her voice steady despite the weight of her confession. “I took out Scarlett, climbed to the top of this clan, and all I’m a
Damon rolled up to the Manzoni mansion alone, his sleek black car humming to a stop in front of the iron gates. He stepped out, smoothing his black jacket—his favorite color, always had been—and took a deep breath. No backup, no crew, just him. He didn’t want this new Donna, whoever she was, thinking he was scared or uneasy. Showing up solo was a power move, a way to say he wasn’t rattled, even if his gut told him this could go sideways fast. Scarlett Manzoni’s death had hit him like a curveball—he hadn’t seen that coming, and now he couldn’t stop wondering how she’d gone down.The security guys at the gate gave him the side-eye, a mix of suspicion and nerves flickering in their stares. They’d heard the stories—Damon Lockwood, the ruthless Don of the Lockwood Clan, a name that carried weight and a shiver down the spine. But seeing him in the flesh? That was new. He caught a couple of them whispering, their hands twitching near their guns, like they weren’t sure if they should bow
Rose POV I sat alone, my fingers tracing the edge of a crystal glass, the amber liquid inside untouched. My reflection stared back at me from the polished surface of the desk—a woman with sharp green eyes and red hair spilling over her shoulders, a far cry from the broken girl I’d once been. I’d come a long way from the orphanage, from the life that had tried to crush me. But even now, with all this power at my fingertips, there was an emptiness gnawing at me, a void I couldn’t fill.I didn’t know where I came from. No mother, no father—just a crib in a gray-walled room, surrounded by other forgotten kids. The nuns at St. Patrick’s Home for Lost Souls had been kind enough, but they couldn’t give me answers. My earliest memories were of cold floors and whispered prayers, of wondering why no one came for me. As I got older, I begged for clues—anything to tell me who I was. I’d had my DNA tested more times than I could count, scraping together every pen
Anna's POVThen instinct kicked in, and I jerked back, stumbling a step away. “Bonnie, what the hell?” I gasped, my voice shaking, my lips still tingling from her touch.She didn’t answer, just stared at me with those deep, unreadable eyes, her chest rising and falling fast. Then, without a word, she turned and walked out, the door clicking shut behind her. I stood there, my heart hammering against my ribs, my thoughts a tangled mess. What had just happened? Why would she—?And then it hit me, a slow, shattering clarity. The way she’d held me, the protectiveness in her voice, the way her eyes lingered on me too long—it wasn’t just friendship. Bonnie was in love with me. She’d been in love with me this whole time, and I’d been too blind to see it. Now she was leaving, walking out of my life without explanation, leaving me with the weight of her kiss and the chaos of my own feelings.My legs gave out, and I sank onto the edge of my bed, my hands trembli
Anna's POVThe framed picture of Ghost stared back at me from Damon’s desk, I could see the striking resemblance between them, especially the piercing eyes. I’d come looking for him, but he wasn’t here. The room felt hollow without him. I lingered anyway, unable to leave, drawn in by the faint scent of him that clung to everything. My fingers brushed the edge of Ghost’s frame, a restless energy humming through me as I wandered deeper into the space.This wasn’t how I’d pictured things since we got back from Mexico. I’d imagined us wrapped up in each other, a blur of tangled sheets and breathless nights, orgasm after orgasm until the world outside didn’t matter. Instead, there was this gap between us, a distance I couldn’t bridge no matter how much I wanted to. I sank into the chair at his desk, the leather creaking under my weight, and let out a shaky breath. My body felt alive in a way it never had before, a constant drum of sexual need pulsing through
Damon's POVThe rooftop of the mansion was my last refuge, a place where the chaos of the world below couldn’t quite reach me. The night was cold, the air sharp with the scent of distant rain. I stood near the edge, hands gripping the iron railing, staring into the void. My room had felt too small tonight, its walls closing in with every unanswered question, every festering doubt. Up here, at least, I could breathe—even if every breath tasted like fear.I’d never been in this position before. Me, Damon, the guy who always had a plan, always knew the next move. Now? I was teetering on the edge of something I couldn’t name, and for the first time, I wasn’t sure I’d make it out alive. The Manzoni Clan lingered in my thoughts like a shadow I couldn’t shake. They had to be behind this—the deaths, the chaos, the unraveling of everything I’d built. But who was their mole? Someone close, someone I’d let into my circle. The betrayal gnawed at me, a dull ache tha
Anna's POVThe mansion stood tall ahead of us as the car slowed to a stop, the tires crunched against the gravel driveway, a sound that grated against my already disturbed nerves. Damon’s hand was warm in mine, his fingers laced tightly with my own, but there was something off—something I couldn’t ignore. Even though we were touching, he felt distant, detached, like a wall had sprung up between us. His jaw was clenched, his gaze fixed straight ahead, avoiding mine. I squeezed his hand, hoping for some reassurance, but he didn’t respond. He was here with me, physically, but his mind was somewhere else entirely.We stepped out of the car, and the cool evening air hit me like a slap, sharpening my senses. The mansion’s heavy wooden doors swung open as we approached, revealing a group of Damon’s men waiting inside. Their faces were etched with determination, and the tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. I clung to Damon’s hand a little tighter,
Anna's POVMy hand pressed harder against my mouth, muffling the gasp that tore out of me. The room tilted, the edges blurring as my knees wobbled beneath me. Damon’s men stood there, their pale faces carved from stone, waiting for me to say something, do something. But I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Ghost—Damon’s sister, the one he’d spoken of with that quiet reverence—was gone. Murdered. And Damon… where the hell was he?“Where did he go?” My voice came out sharp, cracking at the edges as I lowered my hand. My fingers trembled, and I clenched them into fists to hide it.The taller man—the one with the buzz cut—shifted his weight, his jaw tight. “We don’t know. He got the message, went silent, then grabbed his keys and left. Told us to get you to the mansion before he drove off.”“When?” I demanded, stepping closer. “When did this happen?”“About an hour ago,” he said, his eyes flicking away from mine, like he couldn’t stand the weight of my stare.An ho