LOGINANNELISE POV
I slowly sat up on my bed, the realization of what I saw last night kicking in, and the fact that I was next to the monster.
After what I saw last night, the strange glow in his eyes, the heart of a grown human he had ripped out? I expected to be dead by now.
No one would believe me if I even tried to tell them. Hell, I’m still in denial myself.
What is he? Is he even human?
“Sweetness, you have to have your bath, you look a mess, just with a pretty face.” He said and stood from the corner of the bed he was sitting.
“What are you? Are you human or… a vam…”
“Hell no, I’m not a vampire, eww, I do not feed on blood. And, humans are too slow for me to be that.” He muttered, leaving me mute in utter disbelief.
He walked to the door and rested his back on it, his arms crossed together.
“I hate questions, but I get it. You saw something unusual last night, actually same situation that got that dumb man’s heart ripped out. You shouldn’t have seen that, you’re too young for such sight.” He sighed. “Well, I am Alpha Cassius Vale. I’m of the werewolf kind.” He introduced as I subconsciously raised my brows in disbelief.
“A… a werewolf?” I whispered to myself, but somehow he heard me.
“You know enough, now go have your bath, your food will be served before you’re out of the bathroom and new clothes will be sent to you.” His voice suddenly went dark, strict and dismissive, letting me know that the conversation was over and left the room.
I still had a lot to ask, like why he still kept me alive and why he even cared enough to send my mother a doctor, but with the dismissal in his tone, I knew better.
How do werewolves exist in the real world? All my life I believed they were just fictional characters in books, and here I was in the home of one!?
No one would ever believe me if I told them, I wouldn’t even believe myself!
This monster was a perfect looking one, a healthy towering build, he looked like he was in the 6ft5’s. I was literally tiny next to him.
His facial structures were so perfect, I have never seen such perfection before! Jaw line so sharp that I bet it could give me a cut. His eyes were a fiery shade of gold, but somehow so bright and beautiful. Jet black neatly styled undercut hair, and a smooth olive skin tone.
I hate myself for recognizing a monsters beauty, he probably just sees me as his next victim.
I gently stood up, my bare feet meeting the chill black and white marble floor, I slowly looked around the room, taking in the modern vintage aesthetic. The up to down windows with very clean clear glasses, the very clean white painted walls, the beautiful unique paintings on the walls, chandelier falling down the ceiling.
It was a beautiful cage.
I hissed and walked through the door I assumed to be the bathroom.
I stood under the shower, letting the water rush down my skin. I had anxiety, I was scared of what next would happen, what he planned to do with me, he definitely isn’t keeping me here for no reason.
He said he wasn’t going to kill me, but do I want to be alive if it meant staying under a monster’s roof?
I shut off the shower and grabbed the clean pink towel I found, I wrapped the towel around my body and walked back to the room, my brain still a roller coaster of thoughts and anxiety.
My meal was already served, rich looking steaming hot food neatly kept and covered on the table, the aroma so mouthwatering that my stomach churned.
But I had to snap back and remind myself of where I was.
My eyes caught the colorful bags on the floor, they were four branded shopping bags.
“Is he baiting me?” I whispered as I approached them, my hair and skin still dripping wet.
“These look expensive, I can’t even afford to pay back if I had to.” I sighed and sat on the bed, my eyes drifting from the rich looking food to the branded shopping bags filled with clothes.
The clunk of the door caught my attention and on the sight of him, I jumped off the bed, covering my body with both my arms.
“Please, can I have some moments to myself… please?” I politely asked, watching my tone in order not to get on his bad side.
He stood mutely by the door, staring at me like a meal he wanted to devour, he didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was lusting over my body.
He let out a small smile and nodded. “Sure… I will be back though.” He said and walked out.
He was so creepy and unpredictable!
I looked at my skin to see goosebumps rising, that was how he made me feel.
Would he ever let me go?
I turned to the glass partition leading to the balcony, his home looked heavily protected, it wasn’t going to be possible for me to escape this cage.
I strolled to the balcony to see how outside looked, the height of the house blew my mind, I looked up to find out that he kept me in the last floor.
There were security cameras in every corner of the house I could see, indeed there was no escape for me.
I was stuck here until he decided my fate.
I went back inside the room, dried my skin with the towel and reluctantly took a dress out of one of the bags and slipped into it, it was a white sundress. A pretty one.
I sat on the couch staring at the food kept for me, but I suddenly lost my appetite. I was worried, worried about my fate here, worried about my mom. I hadn’t heard from her, and I knew that she would be worried sick.
I couldn’t find my bag anywhere in the room nor could I find my phone.
I must have dropped them on the street, I have to find a way to speak to my mom.
“Why aren’t you eating, Annelise?” His voice sounded, startling me out of my thoughts.
How in God's green earth does he know my name!?
CASSIUS VALE POVThe cold night air kissed my skin as I leaned back on the lounge chair, my body still warm from Annelise.The pool water behind us shimmered under the soft lights, reflecting the stars above like the sky had melted into the earth.Paris was loud in the distance... Music, laughter, fireworks testing the night before midnight.But here, in this part of the house, it was just us.Just me and my girl.Just me and the woman that had somehow turned me into a man that looked forward to peace.Annelise lay on the lounge chair beside mine with a blanket lazily wrapped around her body, her curls messy, her cheeks flushed, and her lips still a little swollen from the things I had done to her by the poolside not long ago.My eyes drifted over her face and my chest tightened in a way I would never admit out loud.“What?” she asked with a small smile once she noticed my eyes on her, her voice still slightly breathless.I smirked. “You look like I ruined your bones.”She rolled her
ANNELISE POVThe next morning made every feeling I had too real.I sat in the passenger seat with both my hands pressed against my belly even though there was nothing to feel yet. Nothing had changed physically, but everything had changed neurologically.I was pregnant.Pregnant.Every time that word crossed my mind, my chest tightened.Cassius drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on my thigh.What if I wasn’t ready?What if I was going to be a terrible mother?What if school became impossible?What if I lost myself?I turned to the window and watched the cold Paris morning blur past. Christmas decorations hung from lamp posts, little wreaths and red ribbons everywhere, and people walked around looking festive and alive.Meanwhile, I felt like I was floating outside my own body.“Sweetness.” Cassius’ voice broke into my thoughts. “Stop thinking too much.”I turned to him. “How do I stop thinking too much when I might be carrying a whole baby inside me?”His
CASSIUS VALE POVThe ride back home was too quiet… heavy.Annelise sat by the passenger seat, staring outside the window while the Christmas lights from the streets reflected on her face.She looked beautiful, soft… fragile and completely somewhere else.I kept stealing glances at her while driving, trying to read her expression, trying to catch what exactly had shifted in her mood since this morning.But she was doing that thing she does when she is overwhelmed.She was shutting down.She wasn’t speaking unless I asked a direct question.She wasn’t smiling the way she usually did when we passed something silly on the road.She wasn’t humming to the Christmas songs playing low in the car.She was just there…And it was starting to piss me off, because I didn’t know what was happening in her head, and I hate not knowing things.I hate not being in control.My hand tightened on the steering wheel.Was she rethinking us?That was the first ugly thought that crossed my mind and once it en
ANNELISE POVA month had passed so quickly now it was December, and Paris looked like Santa had thrown up on every single street in the most expensive way possible.Everywhere was red, green, gold, glitter, lights, fake snow, giant Christmas trees, wreaths, bows, and enough holiday music to make a person lose their mind.The city was beautiful though.Very beautiful.And somehow, I couldn’t enjoy any of it.I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, staring at my phone screen with my period tracker app opened.Late.Five days late.My stomach twisted so hard that I had to grip the edge of the sink.“No…” I whispered to myself, my voice shaky. “No, no, no…”I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply.Maybe it was stress.Maybe my body was just acting up.Maybe I was overthinking.But deep down, I already knew something was wrong.Or maybe not wrong.Just… life changing.I swallowed hard and looked at my reflection again.I looked normal.Completely normal.No one would know that my heart had been
As Anne was led carefully into the Condo by Cassius, her brain couldn’t process what she had heard about Sloan. A few days ago, she saw him in her school and he was perfectly healthy.It didn’t make sense to her how things would abruptly go wrong to the extent of him needing a home.She sat on a couch and Cassius sat across from her, staring into her face and waiting for her to snap out of her thoughts.“But… but, Sloan was young and healthy as far as I know. It…” She whispered loud enough for Cassius to hear as she stood up from the couch. “It doesn’t make sense that he suddenly needs special care?”Cassius sighed loudly and stood up too as he approached Annelise.“Right?” She asked looking into his eyes like she was searching for the truth.“I don’t think you should worry yourself with this, let’s not let another man’s problem ruin our first night together after all the drama.” Cassius said as he gently stroked her curls.“I… I know, but as much as I get that you hate Sloan, he was
ANNELISE POVI stood still in the middle of the art room, my fingers still resting on the edge of the easel as I stared at everything around me. The room was too intentional, too thoughtful, too me. The soft cream walls, the natural light pouring in from the tall windows, the organized shelves waiting to be cluttered with paint and brushes and half-finished ideas. He had thought of me while building this, while keeping this, while waiting for the right time to show me.I turned slowly to look at him.Cassius stood a few steps behind me, his gaze fixed on my face like he was trying to read my reaction and prepare himself for disappointment at the same time. His hands were tucked into his pockets but I could tell by the tightness of his jaw that he was nervous.The thought almost made me smile.“Say something, Sweetness…” he murmured, voice low and careful.I blinked back the tears gathering in my eyes and looked around one more time before my gaze returned to him. “You did all this… fo







