LOGINADELINE “What am I supposed to do now?” I asked Tara. It was nightfall and I had just returned to Dominic’s chambers, but I was still standing right outside the door, hesitating to go inside. After my interaction with Giselle I’d spent the whole day in isolation, trying to soak up all my emotions and just let it hurt. I felt all sorts of things; pain, sadness, and anger that was only now beginning to brew. Why did it always have to be me? Why couldn’t I just have something good for once? I was so tired of being made a fool of, being bullied, being deceived and taken advantage. I just wanted to live freely for once in my life without fear that everything I had would disappear sooner than I expected.I wanted something real and kind and easy. Didn’t I deserve that? Thinking of it now fueled an ache in my chest and I quickly brushed it off. I had already promised myself that I would make an effort to stop thinking about it so much. I was tired of crying and feeling sorry for myself.
ADELINE “Get out of my way,” Vivian hissed, stepping over my clothes and wiping her shoes on them as she motioned the maids forward. “Make sure you wipe the shelves down thoroughly before putting any of my things in here. I don’t want to be contaminated by traitor spawn.”I was going to defend myself against her bullying, but the moment she mentioned me being a traitor, the words died in my throat. It was such a painful reminder of the sort of taunts I had been subjected to at Redpool pack. ‘You can’t let this bitch talk to you like this. Do something.’I did not have the energy for a confrontation so I ignored Tara’s words. Instead, I picked up the clothes she had shoved to the ground and carried them to the laundry basket in the corner of the room to be washed later. She had soiled them with the dirt under her shoes, deliberately of course. I couldn’t even remotely imagine how torturous it would be to exist in the same space as her, not to mention the same room. How long would I
ADELINE ‘Move in?’ Tara scoffed in my head, bursting into laughter. ‘Yeah, she has to be joking.’ I was shocked as well and lost on how to react. Dominic’s explanation was still not very clear to me. He mentioned that there were events coming up that needed the Luna’s presence, but he didn’t go into detail. Knowing him, I already assumed I wouldn’t be getting any more than that. But that aside, my suspicion was right. I was moving back into his chambers. But now Vivian wanted to move in as well? How would that even work?‘It won’t. I don’t want to know what she’s suggesting or how she intends it, but we will not be sharing our mate with anyone else, let alone this bitch. That’s not happening.’I silently reminded Tara that we had no claim over Dominic and that it was only a matter of time before the mate bond was gone. ‘That’s not what’s important. It hasn’t happened yet. And look, you’re moving back into his chambers. It’s like things are returning to normal. I’m sure he’ll com
DOMINIC I stood in the shadowed hallway, my hand resting on the heavy door handle, but I didn't push it open just yet. I had heard the shouting from down the corridor, and I knew exactly who was behind it. I’d wanted to barge in and end whatever this was, but something stopped me. I hesitated and kept my hand on the knob.Through the crack in the door, I watched the scene unfold. I saw the way Vivian’s face twisted with anger, and I saw the young maid trembling against the wall. But mostly, I saw Adeline. Even with her arm in a cast and her hair a mess, she stood there like a shield. When she reached out and grabbed Vivian’s wrist, my heart did a strange, painful somersault.I was impressed. Again.There was a fire in Adeline that never seemed to go out, no matter how much the world tried to douse it. It was that same fire that had drawn me to her in the beginning. It was the reason I had fallen so hard, thinking I’d found a woman who was as strong as she was beautiful.Thinking abo
ADELINE “What the hell are you doing in here?” Vivian repeated, her voice trembling with rage.I tried to keep my breathing steady despite the way my heart hammered against my ribs. I was still nursing my injured arm, and the last thing I wanted was another confrontation.“Alpha Dominic summoned me,” I said, my voice coming out stronger than I expected. “He told me to return to these chambers immediately.”Vivian let out a mocking laugh. “That’s a bloody lie! The King would never let you back in here. This is my room. I was supposed to move in here.”I looked around the room again, checking for any signs. But again, there was not a single thing that signaled that someone was preparing to move in. A small spark of curiosity flickered in my mind.“When?” I asked.She looked thrown off guard by my question. “Very soon!” she snapped, but her face instantly reddened. “Who are you to ask me questions?”She looked away for a split second, and in that moment, I realized the truth. She hadn'
ADELINE I cursed silently as pain shot up my arm. I'd completely forgotten that I was injured and needed to be more careful with the way I had jumped off the bed.But Dominic was standing right outside the door and I looked like a complete mess. I hadn't seen him in days and I didn't want to face him like this. My eyes were puffy, my nose was runny, and my hair looked like a bird's nest. Maybe it didn't matter because he hated me now, but the thought of looking unattractive to him was enough to make me squirm.Quick as lightning, I rushed to the mirror and grabbed a comb to brush my hair back. It was too thick to behave so I had to smoothen it out with my fingers and let it flow behind me. I only had one good hand at the moment so I couldn't even tie it up.There wasn't much I could do for my puffy eyes, so I just wiped off the tearstreaks and applied a clear balm to my lips. The knock came again. “Adeline.”The sound of my name coming from his mouth made my heart skip a beat. Alt
ADELINE “Hello,” I greeted, my voice sounding small and weak compared to hers.I let go quickly. As I looked at her, I felt the ugly, cold comparison start in my mind. Her clothes were perfect. Her hair was perfect. She was so gorgeous. Everything about her screamed wealth and status. Meanwhile, I
ADELINEI shielded my eyes with my hand as we stepped off the private jet, instantly feeling the difference in the atmosphere. When I discovered earlier today that Alpha Dominic owned one of these, I'd been dumbstruck, and even more so when I realized we were boarding it to head to the retreat. I
DOMINIC I was trying to focus on what Marcus was saying but that was proving difficult. The air was thick with tension and humidity, and even though she was a good distance away from me, I could feel her. When she'd first arrived at the pool, I struggled to keep my eyes away, getting a hold on my
ADELINEI took a deep breath and finally opened the suite door. After taking a few moments to breathe and relax, I felt calmer. I was wearing a long robe over my bikini because I felt too exposed and awkward to show that much skin. I would have sworn I packed more conservative swimwear, but then I







