Romans de Naniwrites.

Evan Wilson POV“How are you feeling, Amanda?”I sliced the apple with deliberate care, keeping my eyes on the cutting board. It had been a few days since I found her on that road. A rogue, broken and alone. I’d talked to my father—explained everything. He’d agreed to let her stay.Because she’s my mate.She hadn’t said what happened. No reason for the state I found her in. Just silence. Wounds. Shadows.She spent days in the hospital. Now she’s here. Safe.I wish I could say she feels safe. But she barely speaks unless I ask her something. Never demands anything. Just stays in the room I gave her, quiet and still. If I go to her—or send something—only then will she respond.Otherwise, it’s silence.Still, I’m grateful she’s here. “I am feeling fine, Alpha,” she said softly from behind me.Just like that, I folded.A few words and I’d leap through fire if she asked.“Don’t call me Alpha,” I muttered, setting the blade down too hard. “It’s Evan. How many times do I need to repeat that

Ava Wilson POVHis scent. His warmth. Rubbing against me in all the wrong ways. The way he asks questions I can’t answer.And no matter how many lies he’s already caught.“I don't need to know you, Ava. You are my mate. That means the Moon Goddess blessed me with you—and I can get to know you slowly.”Rough words. But they tingle more than they should.I can’t tell him the truth—that I was reborn. That Austin ruined everything last time.“Chester, you do know you’re a vampire, right?” I need to change the subject.He doesn't move back. Still standing too close. “Yes. That too, a king. What kind of question is this, Amore?”“I’m a werewolf. I know that doesn’t matter to you—that I haven’t gotten my wolf yet. But I’m the Alpha’s daughter. My father won’t accept me having a vampire mate. Even if my wolf does identify you.”No lie in that. Our pack’s relationship with vampires is strained at best.Even with the peace treaty at this school—even sitting here in the canteen, side by side—t

Chester POVAva stared at me, wide-eyed, as if she might faint any second. She really was something.Hadn’t she just been talking about me a moment ago? Being a vampire had its perks. Our hearing was sharper than any other being’s—and I was a vampire king. Mine was sharper than most.Mark grunted in surprise as I dragged a chair over and slid it beside Ava’s. She stiffened, her hands clenching the sides of her seat.“Embo’s outside,” I said, flicking a glance at Mark. Always tailing Embo like a shadow. I needed him gone—needed time alone with Ava. There were things we had to discuss. Things about that motherfucker Austin. Who he really was—and why he’d been so hell-bent that day.Mark hesitated, glancing between us.“How did you hear us?” asked the girl next to Ava. Amelia, if I remembered right.I leaned back lazily, smirking. “From my ears. You both can leave. I need to talk with my mate.”“She doesn't have a wolf,” Mark snapped. “You can’t just claim her.”His words barely register

Ava Wilson POVMy body shivered, no matter how hard I tried to stay calm. But how could I?Chester’s face haunted me all week—the way he kissed me, the way he made me come. I couldn’t shut it off.My mind kept replaying it again and again.Heat crept up the back of my neck. “Can you shut up? We’re in the middle of the hall, and this is what you’re talking about?” I kept my voice low.“You’re the Alpha’s daughter—why are you so scared?” He grinned, like it was some kind of joke.I shook my head and sighed. “Don’t you have classes?”“I do. Actually, we all have the same class—but it’s cancelled. Teacher’s on leave.”Amelia and I exchanged a look. We’d come all the way here, and the first class wasn’t even happening.“Why the sour mood? We can hang in the canteen—it’s not the end of the world. You usually hated classes anyway. Always skipped them,” Mark said.I didn’t know if he was right or not. Having no memories after being reborn wasn’t exactly easy. But at least I got another chance

Ava Wilson POV "It's been a week you've been resting. How about starting school today?" Mom brushed her hand through my hair, smiling gently. "I already talked to the administration about your memory loss. They’re fine with it. I think you should catch up with everything." I smiled. I was truly enjoying my life. Everything finally felt in place—days passing peacefully, my world steady and whole. Austin... my past... everything I'd lost before—I was making up for it, piece by piece. Having my parents beside me, not missing a single moment, made life so much better. Now, as Mom suggested school, I couldn't help but hesitate. Because it meant seeing Austin’s face again. "Amelia’s missing school because of you," Mom added, her voice light but teasing. "Tomorrow’s her birthday." How could I forget? Amelia would never complain. She always acted more like a maid than a sister, no matter how hard I tried to treat her like family. But it was her eighteenth birthday.

Ava Wilson POV I turned and met Mark’s eyes. He stood there with his arms crossed, suspicion carved into his expression. That look was becoming all too familiar, and I wasn’t sure if I was annoyed or just exhausted by it. Mark always had a way of getting under my skin. We hadn’t known each other long, but somehow, he’d mastered the art of testing my patience. “Why do you look so shocked?” His tone sounded casual, but the intensity in his gaze sent a knot twisting in my stomach. I folded my arms, exhaling slowly. “It’s not shock, Mark. It’s irritation. You’re just… inconvenient.” His lips twitched, forming a smirk that managed to look both amused and calculating. “Inconvenient? That’s one way to put it. Especially for someone mated to the vampire king.” His voice dropped, laden with meaning. I froze, keeping my expression carefully neutral, though his words scraped against my composure. *What does he know?* “Rumors don’t mean anything,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes. “Unl

Lucian Ashford POV“You found anything, James?”“No, sir. The washrooms don’t have cameras, so it’s hard to identify those three women.”My fist clenched as I stared at him. Heat flushed through my chest. It wasn’t his fault—I knew that.But it didn’t matter.Three women who had the audacity to talk shit about Janet.I was going to make an example out of them—so thorough that the entire office would think twice before even whispering her name.“The manager said Miss Janet’s doing well on-site. Things are going smoothly,” James added, like he was trying to cool the fire simmering in my gut.He would try.James had known me for years—knew my triggers, my habits, my tells. He was the only one who had a full picture of my life, every jagged piece of it.Of course he’d try to defuse me.And it worked—Just a little.The thought of Janet’s swollen eyes, the way she trembled this morning... it hadn’t left me. I’d sent her there to toughen her up, to show her that she could stand on her own

Janet Winget POVA man’s voice cut in while I was still focused on the calculations.I looked up slowly. He didn’t resemble anyone from the team. No badge. No helmet. Not even the right shoes. Just rough denim, a half-buttoned shirt, and a face that hadn’t seen a razor in days.“Everything is fine,” I answered anyway, keeping my voice steady. It was my first day here—I had no idea who was who, and it wasn’t my place to start judging.He stepped closer, invading the space beside me. My shoulders stiffened on instinct. His presence felt wrong. Not loud or overt—but unsettling, like a shift in the wind before a storm.“You’re Janet, aren’t you?” he asked, studying me too closely.“Yes, I am,” I replied, careful to maintain eye contact, careful not to flinch.Something about him felt... off. Maybe it was the way he hovered. Or the way his eyes lingered just a second too long. Or maybe it was simply the fact that he was the first stranger to walk up to me all day—and I’d already had more t

Janet Winget POV“More what?” I asked, not quite sure what the manager was implying.“The information, Miss. Doesn’t look like it’ll be easy for you to handle—since you’re new.”The smile he wore didn’t reach his eyes. Polite on the surface, but his tone carried a clear message: he didn’t trust me.I couldn’t blame him—not entirely. I was new. And, truthfully, I didn’t know everything yet. But the way he looked at me… it wasn’t just doubt.He knew. They all knew.The gossip. The scandal. The slap. The engagement that collapsed in front of the entire country.Of course they’d seen it. Anyone with a television or a phone had. Thanks to Lucian. Thanks to Dalton. Thanks to the almighty Winget family.And thanks to her.Lia.That one slap aired on repeat—my humiliation dissected and discussed like I wasn’t a person, just another headline.And I didn’t even know if Lucian had done anything to shut it down, as he promised.So yes—I was the villain. The joke. The ‘Criminal’ who got dumped, sl

Janet Winget POV“Okay.” That was all I could manage. Fear clogged my throat, and even that single word felt too big.He sighed, stepped closer, and gently guided me into the chair. Then he knelt, one hand wrapping around mine.“I’m the boss, Janet, but that doesn’t mean I had it easy. Maybe no one dares say anything to my face—but that doesn’t mean I haven’t heard it. I built Ashford on my own. No favors. No shortcuts.”The weight behind his words felt real—too real. He wasn’t just saying it. I could feel the truth in every syllable.“That’s the same reason you’re here. You’re my assistant. If anyone gossips, stares, or talks shit—shut them down. Don’t second-guess it. I’ve got your back.”He wiped my tears like it wasn’t the first time. I sucked in a breath. It didn’t fix everything, but something inside eased.He looked calmer now—softer than the storm he’d been moments ago. That calm threaded into me, quieting the tremble in my limbs.He rubbed my wrist, slow, grounding. His gaze

Janet Winget POVI took a breath—shallow, trembling. The tears kept falling, no matter how hard I wiped them away. My cheeks burned, my hands raw from trying.Fuck everything.“You need to calm down, Janet. If you’re not going into detail, how am I supposed to handle things?” Lucian stood a hand’s distance away, his voice clipped, arms taut at his sides.I looked up at him, defeated. “During break… I was in the washroom. I heard three women talking shit—about me. About the pregnancy. The lies you told. Everything that’s spreading in the news… it’s turning into gossip now.” My voice cracked. “I didn’t see their faces, but one thing was clear—they don’t want to be anywhere near me in that break room.”Lucian slammed his palm on the table.I flinched.The sound tore through the room like a gunshot.I’d never seen him angry before. Maybe a little dark at times—but never this.But this—this fury—looked like it could peel flesh from bone.He looked like he might kill someone just for breath

Janet Winget POV“On-site,” I repeated slowly—it came out more like a question than an echo.No, it was a question. Whatever just happened a few minutes ago still had my brain scrambled, and now he wanted me to go somewhere? Why does he always drop things like bombs?“Yes, you didn’t hear me the first time? Where are you lost?”That tone. Was this the same man who’d spoken to me so sweetly this morning, or was it just that everything sounded sharper now, after... whatever that was?“I heard you. Clearly,” I said, a little too stiff. “But you didn’t explain—for what, or where, or why. I’m your assistant. Since when does that include on-site work?”The edge in my voice surprised even me. Harsher than I meant.And still—he just keeps digging under my skin.“Darling, I’m your boss here. Is that how you plan to talk to me?”He raised a brow, eyes locking on mine.That look froze me in place. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”None of this would get to me so much if it weren’t for what those wom