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Chapter 10
Bab terkait
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 11
Following my visit to Cole's holding cell, I swung by to see his friends, who were in much worse shape. Under my orders, they were castrated and corporally punished. And now, the wretched trio were shackled to the corner of their dungeon cell, barely hanging on for dear life.Seeing them in such terrible shape filled me with satisfaction.My recent investigations revealed that Greyson, Lucas, and Theodore had not only been politicking behind the Alpha King's back but also abusing their positions of power. Over the years, they had been involved in corruption, slavery, countless murders, and had degraded many women.When Fenryr learned all that Cole's friends had done, he flew into a rage. He'd known about the corruption going on among the nobility. However, it had been less than two years since he became the Alpha King, and many of the Elders refused to listen to him because of his young age at the time of his ascension."If I'd known about these scumbags, I would have killed them e
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 12
Cole and his friends would be executed today.With the evidence Sebastian had gathered for us, it didn't take long for Cole's and the other nobles' retrials to proceed. To make an example of them, it was decided that Cole's execution would be made public to Lunholm and held in the square outside the royal palace.Fenryr and I watched from the balcony, noting the fearful expressions of those on death row.Cole was searching the audience for something, and his gaze trailed up the wall until it landed on me. His eyes lit up, and he parted his lips as if to say something.However, before the words could leave his mouth, the warrior behind him fired an arrow through his chest. Cole coughed up blood, and even as the fight left him, he did not take his eyes off me. His lips moved like he was trying to tell me something, not that I cared.At that moment, Camilla suddenly burst through the crowd and laughed maniacally at the corpses on the execution stage. "Good riddance! Good riddance to
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 1
"What are you doing here, Leah? Did you honestly believe that I, a member of the royal family, would marry a woman who's been in prison? I only told you what you wanted to hear so you'd go to jail for me. I can't believe you fell for it!" Cole sneered at me as he walked past me, already dressed up for his wedding.I would never have agreed to take the fall for him if he'd sneered at me like this three years ago.At the time, Cole got down on his knees and begged me to go to jail for him.He told me my father's former victory had earned me eternal protection from the royal family, and because of this, he wanted me to take his place in prison. He even promised to marry me when I got out. I gave in to him after that.But now, I hated myself for trading my father's former victory for a peaceful life for Cole.When Cole's huddle of shit-eating friends came over and saw me, they started mocking me as well. "Isn't she the orphan of the Alastair family? I heard she tore three werewolves t
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 2
Unable to put up with Cole and his friends' crass commentary any longer, the Elder of Ceremonies beside me spoke up in my defense. "Sir, Ms. Leah does indeed have a wedding here today. Didn't you hear that the Alpha King will marry her today?"A deathly silence fell upon the room. The next second, Cole kicked the Elder of Ceremonies and sent the latter flying into the corner of the wall. He growled, "How dare you, a mere Elder of Ceremonies, make up such filthy lies about my uncle?"My uncle told the public that he will be marrying a daughter of nobility today, one who was sired by a hero of Lunholm, no less! Leah isn't worthy of such an honor! One more lie from you, and I'll rip your tongue out!"I argued, "My father, Alastair, died protecting Lunholm, which makes me a hero's daughter. Furthermore, I come from a long line of nobility. How does that make me undeserving of the honor of marrying the Alpha King?""Stop flattering yourself, Leah. Your father stopped being a hero of Lun
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 3
Cole tugged on my wedding dress so roughly that he nearly pulled it off me. I gritted my teeth and held my dress up, snapping, "Get this into your head, Cole—your uncle and I are getting married today, and he had this dress tailor-made for me."If you get in the way one more time, I won't mind telling everyone at your wedding who was the real murderer three years ago!""What bravado!" Cole hissed in my ear. "You think they'll believe someone who did time for murder?""Cole!" A female voice rang out from down the hall just as Cole closed in on me.The next second, Camilla showed up in her wedding dress and put herself between me and Cole. She regarded me with contempt and a challenge in her eyes. "Leah, are you here to attend our wedding? I don't know who invited you, but please leave right away. I don't want to see my father's murderer on my special day."I raised a brow and looked past her at Cole. Sure enough, there was panic on his face. So, Camilla had no idea that the man she
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 4
An icy gleam flashed in Cole's eyes, and his face darkened as he stalked toward me. He gave me a merciless shove. While struggling to regain my footing, I accidentally pulled off my necklace, which was adorned with a wolf fang pendant inlaid with sapphire.I hurriedly picked up the necklace and dusted it off, then gingerly cradled it in my palms. My mother once told me it was my father's greatest wish to witness my marriage. The wolf fang was the only part of his remains that had not been damaged or destroyed when he died on the battlefield.I couldn't believe Cole nearly crushed the wolf fang before my wedding started. I was still fuming when I heard Camilla point out dejectedly, "Leah, I know you don't want Cole to marry me, but how could you bring your father's remains here? Are you trying to curse us?"Why else would you have done this if not to bring bad luck on my and Cole's baby? You'll only make Cole hate you more. Get that filthy thing out of my sight right now! It's bad en
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 5
Just as I lunged for Cole, he pulled out the silver dagger concealed at his waist and stabbed it through the open wound on my palm.I went still as the intense, blinding pain shot through me, and Cole seized his chance to attack. He leaped forward and wrapped his tail around my midsection, then threw me to the ground."The skank knocked my tooth out!" Greyson growled with a hand clamped over his mouth, blood trickling through the gaps between his fingers."She dislocated my arm!" Theodore yelled. "Someone pop it back in for me! Ow, ow, ow! That hurts!"Cole's friends closed in on me. My cumbersome wedding dress was my greatest disadvantage, for it took them no effort to pin me to the ground. Greyson snarled menacingly, "Cole, this woman knows too much. We can't let her live.""Not today," Cole bit out. "It's my big day with Camilla. I won't have bloodshed.""Tomorrow, then." Lucas licked his incisor. "We'll take her someplace remote and kill her there."There was a tense silence
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 6
Cole was suffocating. He choked out his reply, "It's…Leah… The stupid woman who's been hounding me… Don't get worked up over someone like her…"Fenryr was so outraged to hear this that he threw Cole against the door, breaking it open with Cole's sheer weight.I was helpless inside the room, pinned to the ground by Cole's friends. Upon seeing this, Fenryr immediately roared and charged toward the men holding me down, tearing them off me and flinging them away.His eyes were wide with fury and disbelief as he scooped me up from the floor. Frantic, he assessed my wounds and asked, "Leah… Are you all right? I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you."Resentment and hurt overwhelmed me as I buried myself in his embrace. "Fenryr, they destroyed my necklace, the one with my father's only remains, then tried to force themselves on me!"The Elder of Ceremonies hurried to my side with a first-aid kit and began cleaning my wounds. She'd woken up when Cole's friends tried to force themselves on
Bab terbaru
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 12
Cole and his friends would be executed today.With the evidence Sebastian had gathered for us, it didn't take long for Cole's and the other nobles' retrials to proceed. To make an example of them, it was decided that Cole's execution would be made public to Lunholm and held in the square outside the royal palace.Fenryr and I watched from the balcony, noting the fearful expressions of those on death row.Cole was searching the audience for something, and his gaze trailed up the wall until it landed on me. His eyes lit up, and he parted his lips as if to say something.However, before the words could leave his mouth, the warrior behind him fired an arrow through his chest. Cole coughed up blood, and even as the fight left him, he did not take his eyes off me. His lips moved like he was trying to tell me something, not that I cared.At that moment, Camilla suddenly burst through the crowd and laughed maniacally at the corpses on the execution stage. "Good riddance! Good riddance to
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 11
Following my visit to Cole's holding cell, I swung by to see his friends, who were in much worse shape. Under my orders, they were castrated and corporally punished. And now, the wretched trio were shackled to the corner of their dungeon cell, barely hanging on for dear life.Seeing them in such terrible shape filled me with satisfaction.My recent investigations revealed that Greyson, Lucas, and Theodore had not only been politicking behind the Alpha King's back but also abusing their positions of power. Over the years, they had been involved in corruption, slavery, countless murders, and had degraded many women.When Fenryr learned all that Cole's friends had done, he flew into a rage. He'd known about the corruption going on among the nobility. However, it had been less than two years since he became the Alpha King, and many of the Elders refused to listen to him because of his young age at the time of his ascension."If I'd known about these scumbags, I would have killed them e
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 10
The sound of dripping water cut through the deathly silence like a blunt knife, deafening and aggravating one's nerves between intervals.The guards on duty opened the prison door for me, and only then did I see Cole on the electric chair.The silver chain that had shackled me was now bound around his neck, and it gleamed menacingly under the dim lights. I could see the wounds mapping his body; it seemed he was doing far worse than I had while I was serving my sentence.When Cole saw me, his eyes lit up with hope. "Leah, have you come to save me? I knew you were the only woman who loved me! Camilla lost her mind and aborted our child on top of accusing me of murdering her father!"I've been locked up here and tortured since. I'm going mad as it is. You're the only one who's come to see me. Get me out of here, and I promise I'll make you my wife!"I eyed him contemptuously and sneered. "Who do you think helped Camilla identify her father's killer?"It was me. After hearing what Ca
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 9
I awoke the next morning in Fenryr's strong and warm embrace. I could feel his powerful and steady heartbeat, and my face heated as images from last night played through my head. Seeing that Fenryr was still asleep, I carefully eased myself out of his arms, only for him to tug me closer to him.He kissed the top of my head and asked in a low, gravelly voice, "Why are you up so early? Don't you want to sleep in?"I snaked my arms around him and murmured, "I want to wash up. I'm supposed to meet with the Elders this morning."After the wedding ceremony last night, the Elders acceded to my request for the murder of Cain, the case that landed me in prison three years ago, to be retried.I knew I was innocent and who the real murderer was, but I had confessed to the crime three years ago. There was no telling if I could clear my name after so long. Regret and sorrow filled me as the thought crossed my mind.I met Fenryr's gaze and said, "I'm sorry you have to be dragged into my mess be
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 8
The prayer bell chimed thrice, and under the guidance of the Elder of Ceremonies, I slowly walked toward the mate at the altar with whom I'd be spending the rest of my life.I wore the wedding dress Fenryr designed, and as he stared at me, I could feel his loving, intent gaze on me even behind the veil."In the name of the Moon Goddess," Fenryr began, his voice a low and somber rumble. "I, Fenryr Greyhouse, the Alpha King of Lunholm, am bound to Leah Blackwell as mates today."I reached a hand toward him and let Fenryr slip the Sacred Ring he'd retrieved not too long ago onto my finger. Then, I recited my vows. "In the name of the Moon Goddess, I, Lweah Blackwell, am bound to Fenryr Greyhouse as mates."Under the beckoning of the priests and priestesses, the Moon Goddess graced us with her presence. The sapphire on the Sacred Ring suddenly flared with a bright beam, intersecting with the light from the blood moonstone on the altar.My heart careened from beat to beat. I'd been so
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 7
"No! No!" Cole's friends straightened up to run when they heard this, their faces pale with fear.Fenryr raised a hand, and a dozen warriors appeared at the door to cut off Cole's friends' escape. Surrounded and with nowhere to run, Cole's friends turned to him for help. "Cole, what are you doing? Speak up for us and appeal to your uncle! We only crossed Ms. Leah because of you!"Cole was frozen as he stared at me incredulously. He didn't appear to have heard his friends at all. He watched as Fenryr draped a cloak over me, yet when he spoke, it was with disbelief and anger. "Are you seriously marrying somebody else, Leah?"I sputtered at his shamelessness. "Why wouldn't I be serious about it?"He sounded like he was stating the obvious as he pointed out, "Because you loved me the most. You even went to jail for me!"I was about to retort when Fenryr shielded me behind him and growled, "How dare you question my wife, Cole? Leah had been true to you, yet you did not appreciate her.
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 6
Cole was suffocating. He choked out his reply, "It's…Leah… The stupid woman who's been hounding me… Don't get worked up over someone like her…"Fenryr was so outraged to hear this that he threw Cole against the door, breaking it open with Cole's sheer weight.I was helpless inside the room, pinned to the ground by Cole's friends. Upon seeing this, Fenryr immediately roared and charged toward the men holding me down, tearing them off me and flinging them away.His eyes were wide with fury and disbelief as he scooped me up from the floor. Frantic, he assessed my wounds and asked, "Leah… Are you all right? I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you."Resentment and hurt overwhelmed me as I buried myself in his embrace. "Fenryr, they destroyed my necklace, the one with my father's only remains, then tried to force themselves on me!"The Elder of Ceremonies hurried to my side with a first-aid kit and began cleaning my wounds. She'd woken up when Cole's friends tried to force themselves on
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 5
Just as I lunged for Cole, he pulled out the silver dagger concealed at his waist and stabbed it through the open wound on my palm.I went still as the intense, blinding pain shot through me, and Cole seized his chance to attack. He leaped forward and wrapped his tail around my midsection, then threw me to the ground."The skank knocked my tooth out!" Greyson growled with a hand clamped over his mouth, blood trickling through the gaps between his fingers."She dislocated my arm!" Theodore yelled. "Someone pop it back in for me! Ow, ow, ow! That hurts!"Cole's friends closed in on me. My cumbersome wedding dress was my greatest disadvantage, for it took them no effort to pin me to the ground. Greyson snarled menacingly, "Cole, this woman knows too much. We can't let her live.""Not today," Cole bit out. "It's my big day with Camilla. I won't have bloodshed.""Tomorrow, then." Lucas licked his incisor. "We'll take her someplace remote and kill her there."There was a tense silence
Why Go for Second Best? Chapter 4
An icy gleam flashed in Cole's eyes, and his face darkened as he stalked toward me. He gave me a merciless shove. While struggling to regain my footing, I accidentally pulled off my necklace, which was adorned with a wolf fang pendant inlaid with sapphire.I hurriedly picked up the necklace and dusted it off, then gingerly cradled it in my palms. My mother once told me it was my father's greatest wish to witness my marriage. The wolf fang was the only part of his remains that had not been damaged or destroyed when he died on the battlefield.I couldn't believe Cole nearly crushed the wolf fang before my wedding started. I was still fuming when I heard Camilla point out dejectedly, "Leah, I know you don't want Cole to marry me, but how could you bring your father's remains here? Are you trying to curse us?"Why else would you have done this if not to bring bad luck on my and Cole's baby? You'll only make Cole hate you more. Get that filthy thing out of my sight right now! It's bad en
