Mag-log in•• Victoria’s POV •••
Even though I knew of Alpha Damien and his pack’s strength, I was still anxious for him.
I wondered what he would want for me. Would it be something I was able to give? What if he asked for something exorbitant like giving up former my pack?
No, he should know what had happened to me when he reached here, and he wouldn’t ask me something like Elijah.
I would talk about it with him and my end of the deal would be to ask for his help to reclaim it, as well as to escape from here.
I sighed and leaned heavily against the cold wall of the dungeon. I knew I was selfish in asking for his help, since we had only met once, but he was literally the only one who could help me now.
But would it work, though? Would he want to help me as it wouldn’t be an easy task to do.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps again and scrambled to my feet, holding onto the wall due to still being weak from not having eaten or drank anything. If it was Elijah revisiting me, there was no way I would give him the satisfaction of seeing me weak again.
It was already bad enough for him to see and talk to me with shamelessness. His towering above me and looking down at me with disdain would be another level of disgrace for me.
Unfortunately for me, the moment that werewolf’s scent hit my nostrils, I knew it wasn’t Elijah but someone worse for me, at least for this moment, and my heart soured even more.
The soft swishing sound of fabric and the clicking sounds of high heels made me sure it was her, and when she finally rounded the corner of the dungeon’s hallway, I finally saw Evelyn, much to my dismay.
She was wearing a flowy dress and for the first time, I saw her baby bump. It made me feel sick. I guessed I didn’t pay much attention before.
I truly didn’t know why she would be visiting me, but I knew she would probably just want to show off to me and demean me.
Letting go of the wall behind me, I gathered my strength to stand on my weakened legs. Just like I wouldn’t show my weakness to Elijah, I much prefer for her to see that she didn’t really have any effects on me anymore.
I folded my hand across my chest and glared at her with all the pretense of being strong in the face of my enemy.
“What do you want?” I sneered as I looked at her standing on the other side of the bars. “Didn’t your lover tell everyone not to visit me? Can’t believe you actually have the audacity to already go against your Alpha’s words.”
She looked at me and scrunched her nose before taking a tissue and covering her nose with it. “Look at how the so-called Luna has fallen,” she said, not even bothering to reply to my accusations.
“How do you feel after being used by your husband?” Her smug look made me want to tear her limbs apart and a growl escaped my lips.
She laughed again. “Still think you are the Luna of the pack, huh?”
“As long as Elijah hasn’t rejected or divorced me, I’m still his mate, and that means I’m still the Luna of the pack,” I tried to intimidate her with the facts, but instead of feeling threatened, she laughed so hard until tears ran down her cheeks.
“What’s so funny?” I glared at her.
“Oh, Victoria,” she wiped her tears away. “No wonder you are easily manipulated. Do you really think the pack members or even Elijah thinks you are their Luna?”
My fists clenched tightly. “Everyone from other packs, now I am the Luna of the Goldclaw Pride Pack.”
“Not for long,” she smirked.
“What do you mean?” I asked through greeted teeth. “As I said, they know how the Goldclaw Pride Pack became even more powerful and it was because of all the resources I had provided him with. Without me, this pack wouldn’t be as influential as it is now.”
“And that was how foolish you were.” Evelyn chuckled. “You think I’m shameless for being Elijah’s mistress? But what about you? Every pack member was disgusted by what a simp you were to Elijah. You kept chasing after him even though he never wanted you.”
Her words hit my sore spot because they were all true and my body started shaking. If Lya was still with me, I was sure I would have shifted and attacked this shameless mistress.
“So,” she smirked again. “How does it feel when everything you’ve ever worked for to gain his love and the pack members’ respect went down the drain?”
I bit my lip so hard to the point I could taste the coppery taste of blood as I stared dagger at her.
“Nothing to say?” she taunted.
Yeah, I didn’t feel like talking to her anymore. I just wished for her to leave me alone. I knew no matter what I said right now, she would just attack me back. What was the point?
“Well, it’s good that you know your place now,” she said as she looked at her well-manicured nails. I hated how she looked so good while I, the supposedly Luna of the pack, must have looked like a homeless person with how I hadn’t bathed, eaten or drank for many days. This was so degrading.
“But let me tell you something,” her smile turned vicious. “All of your works, everything you’ve done for Elijah and his pack, your perfume empire… Everything will eventually be mine.”
Finally, I couldn’t control myself anymore, and I ran toward the dungeon’s bars, grabbed them, and yelled at her, “How dare you! That’s my family's blood and sweat and something they passed down to me!”
“Awww… Do you finally feel like a clown now?” She then had the audacity to lightly slap my cheek. “It’s too late now, though. Elijah promised it to me.”
•• Victoria’s POV •••Five years later.The ceremony was held in a sun-drenched meadow, a far cry from the usual grandeur expected of Alpha weddings—but Oli wouldn’t have it any other way. It was private. Peaceful. Just her, Liam, and a handful of close friends.Oli looked stunning in her ivory gown—sleeveless, clean-cut, with a high slit that screamed, "I’m still an Alpha, don’t forget it". Her hair was swept into a crown braid, a few strands artfully loose around her face. Her smile, though? That was real. Soft. Steady.Liam stood beside her in his usual black suit, eyes unreadable but unwavering. He looked every bit the quiet protector he’d always been, only now something had shifted. The way he looked at her, it wasn’t just pretend anymore.It never had been.What started as a fake bond, a shield against tradition, had slowly turned into
•• Victoria’s POV •••Three months passed in the blink of an eye.The scent of cedar and musk lingered in the air, wafting through the sleek new lobby of my company headquarters—modern, elegant, and entirely mine. The soft hum of excitement buzzed through the walls as press crews gathered for the launch of our newest fragrance: Forever.Designed as a men’s scent, it was everything Damien embodied—warm, dominant, earthy, and addictive. It was the first time I’d publicly tied a fragrance to something so personal, but I didn’t hesitate. This one wasn’t just about scent. It was about him. About us. About the bond that now pulsed in my neck and burned in my soul.The bottle shimmered in its black-gold finish. Simple. Bold. Like the man it was inspired by.Felix stood beside me as I answered the final round of questions from the press, his Beta aura calm and st
•• Victoria’s POV •••Silence greeted us in the pack house. Not the kind that haunted, but the kind that wrapped around me like a warm cloak after a long storm. I didn’t realize how much tension I had carried until now—until I felt the air shift the moment Damien locked the door behind us and turned to face me.His eyes, dark with restraint and longing, didn’t leave mine. Not even for a second.“Elijah’s mark is gone,” he said, voice low, possessive. “There’s nothing left of him on you now. It'll be my mark from now on. No one else’s.”I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. “Then mark me.”A snarl of hunger slipped past his lips. In the next heartbeat, he was in front of me—pulling me into his arms, kissing me like he needed it to breathe. His mouth crashed into mine, and I melted into him, arching into his touch.
•• Victoria’s POV •••The chamber doors groaned open with the weight of final judgment.I stood beneath the high arch of the werewolf court, shoulders squared, heart steady. The stone floor beneath my boots felt colder than usual. Above us, carved wolves stared down in silence from their thrones of marble. They'd seen centuries of justice handed out. Today would be no different.The first time I came here was to witness Diana's trial. The second time was when the perfume industry was restored. Today, it was about a whole different matter.The room pulsed with authority. A dozen Elders sat at the curved dais, each one cloaked in robes that bore the insignia of ancient bloodlines. Their presence was overwhelming, but I did not bow. I had learned to stand straight under pressure—to meet judgment head-on.Behind me, Damien stood like a wall of silent fire. His presence didn’t oversh
•• Victoria’s POV •••The room was too quiet for a place that had just witnessed a birth—and a death. I stood at the edge of the nursery, my arms crossed over my chest, but not out of defense. I was holding myself together. Barely.“She didn’t even get to hold her,” I whispered.Damien said nothing. His hand hovered behind me, unsure whether to touch or pull away.“She gave birth, then died on the table,” he finally said. “Evelyn’s body will be taken care of. There’s nothing else anyone can do.”“Nothing else anyone can do?” I turned to face him slowly. “There’s a baby, Damien.”His jaw tensed. “I know.”I stared at the crib through the glass—so small, so pink, with that tuft of black hair and tiny fists clenched as if she already knew the world could be cruel. A nurse reached in to adjust her blanket. She made a sound, a little hiccup-like cry that went straight through my ribcage.“She’s innocent.”“She’s Elijah and Evelyn’s child.”“She’s still innocent," I insisted.Damien exhaled
•• Damien’s POV •••The wind howled as I tore through the forest, each step faster than the last, Eros snarling low inside me.Martin’s directions had led us south to the ruins of an old chapel hidden beneath the shadows of gnarled trees. The air was heavy with the scent of iron and ash. Her scent. I felt it like a dagger to my chest.Noah and two of my warriors flanked me, their breaths ragged with exertion. But I didn’t wait for them.I didn’t stop.I vaulted through the shattered doorway of the ruin, heart pounding, claws bared—And I saw her.She lay on the broken stone floor, blood smeared down her arm and soaking the front of her torn dress. Her skin was ghost-pale, and yet—her hand still gripped a jagged shard of tile, red dripping from its edge. Evelyn lay only a few feet away, clutching her abdomen and writhing, clearly wounded.My







