Scarlet is done playing a victim! Spoiler alert: she is going to do something big soon!
I stared at her, my throat dry. “And what if I don’t want to?”She smiled and it was worse than a threat. It was a promise.“You will return to the pack sooner or later. And when you do, you know exactly what awaits you.”Alyssa leaned in, her voice now a slow venomous drip.“Juno—no, Hector—he will punish you in ways you can’t even imagine. He will break you, Scarlet. You will be his wife, his property, his soulmate. Every breath will belong to him. And no one will stop it.”I felt something inside me crumble, just a little.“Kill Dante.” Her words sliced through the air. “Tonight. Or tomorrow, Alpha will accept Dante’s offer and hand you back. You will be dragged back in chains, Scarlet. Your silence will not save you. And your screams—” she smirked, “—they will be just the beginning.”I shivered. Not from the cold, but from the familiar darkness I thought I had escaped.“You think you can run?” Alyssa's voice slithered out like venom. “Even if you escape this pack, even if you fle
When I returned to the room, my breath was shallow and ragged, like I had been running for my life. In some ways, I had.Vespara looked up from the corner of the bed where she sat wrapped in silence, her eyes narrowing as soon as she saw me. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.I smiled.But it wasn’t the kind of smile one gives to reassure. It was the kind born of secrets, of plans stitched together in shadows. I had clarity now. I had a purpose. The destruction of the Moonlord pack wasn’t just revenge anymore, it was freedom. Solace. A beginning.I stepped closer. My voice dropped, quiet but steady. “Do you want to solidify your position as Beta?”She blinked, confused, frowning as if unsure she’d heard me right. “What?”I sat beside her, leaned in just enough for her to listen what I am going to say. If there are stronger wolves around us, they may listen to us. Dammit. I wish I could have a mind link right now. “On the outskirts of the Moonlord territory,” I
Warning: The few chapters contains sensitive content, including references to sexual assault, trauma, and emotional distress. Reader discretion is strongly advised. If you are sensitive to such topics or find them triggering, please proceed with caution or consider skipping this chapter.It seemed Alpha Dante had been helping Vespara with her preparations because he did not return all night. Vespara had already left along with many of the soldiers she came with. The house felt too quiet for its own good. I suddenly miss Dante and Vespara. Although Dante was avoiding me because he thinks I will pounce on him, which I planned to, but is on hold for now, I still miss him. It was just as the first ray of dawn broke across the sky when I heard movement outside the bedroom. My heart lifted for a moment. I thought it was Dante. I hadn’t seen him since the morning, and the idea of seeing him again gave me a fleeting sense of comfort.But when I stepped into the living room, it wasn’t Dante.I
Hector grabbed me by the throat, his grip like a vice while choking the air out of my lungs.“You dared to call that bastard?” he growled, eyes gleaming with fury. “Let me show you who really owns you.”I clawed at his hand, struggling to breathe, my other hand desperately reaching behind me. My fingers brushed against the nightstand, searching for anything—something—to save myself. Then I felt it: a small glass vial. The poison. The one Alyssa had given me. It was the one meant for Dante. She had told me to pour it directly on his heart. It would kill him.But I wasn’t going to use it on Dante.As Hector bit into my skin, sinking his teeth with vicious hunger, I wrapped my fingers tightly around the bottle. My hand shook, but I didn’t hesitate. With one sudden motion, I uncorked it and poured the poison onto his back.He let out a bloodcurdling scream. It was inhuman, raw, guttural pain ripping through him. His skin hissed where the poison touched, like acid on flesh. I had never hear
Scarlet's POVBlood-stained, fury etched into every line of his face as eyes blazing with rage but when he saw me, curled up and naked, covered in wounds and shame, in his closet something in him shattered.His jaw clenched as he turned sharply toward the soldiers behind him.“Everyone. Out. Now,” he commanded, his voice deadly calm.Boots shuffled quickly out of the room. The door shut. Silence.Then he knelt.He reached for me, gently, as though I would break at his touch.But I recoiled, tears blurring my vision. I pushed at him, trembling. “Don’t… don’t touch me. I’m dirty…” My voice cracked. “I’m spoiled… stained. Dante, please… don’t…”“Hush,” he whispered, pulling me into his arms anyway, as if to shield me from the very air around us.I didn’t resist for long.I collapsed into him.And I cried. I cried like a child. He held me through it, against his soul, not letting go. Not once.I don’t know how long I cried. Only that he never stopped holding me.Then he carried me in his
Scarlet’s POVI couldn’t accept it. No… this thought, this looming truth, it couldn’t be real. I didn’t know what would become of me. My life was spiralling out of control, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. I clung to him, desperately, like a drowning soul latching onto driftwood in a stormy sea. I held him as tightly as I could, because if I let go… I would fall.He was the only solid thing left in my world. My anchor. My pillar of strength. Without him, I would shatter.My mind was muddled, scattered, lost in fear, lost in the crushing weight of tomorrow. My trembling fingers reached for him, again and again, needing to feel every inch of him. But it wasn’t enough. No closeness could be enough.I wanted to be closer. So close, I would melt into him. So close, I could seep beneath his skin, flow in his bloodstream, hide within his heartbeat.Because if I had to leave him tomorrow, I didn’t want to exist as a memory. I wanted to become a part of him. A piece he could
When the morning came, I opened my eyes to find him already awake, and his gaze was fixed on me. There was no smirk, no teasing in his expression, just a quiet stillness, like he had been watching over me all night.The memories of last night flooded my mind in a slow crashing wave. The desperation, the closeness, the way he had held me like I was something worth saving. I didn’t know what to feel grateful, fragile, loved, ashamed, maybe all of it tangled into one tight knot in my chest.He didn’t say a word, but as if he could hear every loud, messy thought echoing in my mind, he pulled me gently closer and pressed a kiss into my hair. The warmth of it settled something deep inside me.I should have looked away. I should have said something. But I didn’t.Instead, I leaned forward and kissed him. Slowly. Softly.And he didn’t stop me.He kissed me back, deeper this time. His body was pressed against mine, the heat of his skin radiating through the thin sheet, and the simple proximit
Allyssa entered the room and paused at the doorway, surprised. Alpha Juno sat slouched in his chair, a half-empty bottle of whiskey clutched loosely in his hand. She had never seen Juno drunk so early in the morning. A sinking feeling twisted in her gut. Something had happened.From the look on his face, dark, brooding, and worn, she could tell he was deeply displeased. She had heard the whisper about Dante’s conditions for Scarlet’s return. It didn’t take much to guess that Juno had been forced to agree, and the humiliation was eating at him.If Hector hadn’t been so obsessively fixated on bringing Scarlet back, Juno would have never wasted such a hefty sum to reclaim a woman who, in his eyes, contributed nothing valuable to the pack. Scarlet’s absence had been no real loss, and her return was only a painful reminder of their defeat at the hands of Phantom Moon.But Hector couldn’t tolerate defeat. His pride wouldn’t allow him to let Phantom Moon keep what had once been his. No matter
“Alpha,” Elizabeth said softly, careful not to wake the child. “Let me put her to bed. If she wakes up now and doesn’t see you, she’ll cry, and it’s hard to watch her cry. She doesn’t make a sound, but… it breaks you.”Annette, who had been quiet again, suddenly asked, “Aunt… she doesn’t speak?”Elizabeth nodded, her eyes growing moist. During her birth, there was an accident. It damaged her throat, especially the vocal cords. We’re trying everything we can… but so far, there’s been no sound. Not even a whisper.”She paused, her voice trembling.“I pray to the goddess every night that before I die, I will hear her say something or anything. It hurts. It hurts to see her frustrated, unable to express herself. When she cries, there’s no sound. It’s like watching a scream locked inside a glass box.”A single tear escaped her. “Maybe we have coddled her too much. But tell me, how are we supposed to act normal with her when she’s not? Doesn’t she deserve a little extra love for trying, eve
Dante’s POV“You’re so handsome,” Nora suddenly said, smiling brightly. “Just like my daddy.”I smirked. “Less or more?”She tilted her head, thoughtful, then said with dramatic flair, “Just a little less.”We all burst into laughter at that, Annette, Elizabeth, even me.“She’s so cute,” Annette said, nearly pinching Nora’s cheek. “Are your siblings as adorable as you?”Nora huffed. “Auggie is a meanie, and Amy is a devil.”Before I could even react, a small blur flew at us like a gust of wind. Another toddler, clearly Amy, shoved Nora aside and latched tightly onto my legs.“Amy!” Elizabeth gasped. The little one didn’t respond. Her brows were scrunched, her lips trembling, like she was about to burst into tears.Elizabeth’s voice turned soft. “Sweetheart, come to Grandma. Let Alpha go, okay?”But Amy only clung tighter, her tiny fingers gripping my trousers like I was her anchor in a storm.“It’s okay, Madam,” I said gently. “We have met before. That’s why they know me.”Elizabeth l
Dante’s POVA moment passed before the boy, Auggie, answered from above with a loud, cheeky voice, “Don’t want to!”Elizabeth chuckled, not even surprised. “He is just like his father.”I arched a brow. “Stubborn?”She gave a tired laugh. “Imagine the stubbornness of Killian and Vespara combined.”I winced playfully. “Ah… that’s a lethal combo. Is he lazy like Kill, too?”“Oh, no,” she said with an amused grin. “That would be our Nora, the lazy princess.”Just then, a new voice called out from above, “Did somebody call me?”I looked up and saw a girl peeking over the railing on the second floor. She was familiar somehow, but I couldn’t quite place how and suddenly everything clicked. Her eyes widened the moment she saw me, curious, startled, intrigued.aShe leaned over the railing to get a better look, and before I could process what was happening, she slipped.“No!” Annette gasped in horror.Even Elizabeth’s breath hitched. My body tensed, already ready to lunge forward but before I
Dante’s POVI asked Annette this morning if she would like to accompany me to visit Elizabeth. It had been two days since Vespara left the temple without looking at me, and something in me kept wondering if she had returned by now. She never stayed here for too long.We reached Elizabeth’s home just before lunch, and the moment we stepped inside, I could feel a shift in the atmosphere. It wasn’t the usual serene and quiet space I had come to associate with the house. Instead, it felt alive, busy, scattered, as if the home itself had awakened from slumber. I saw Elizabeth sitting alone on the couch in the living room, watching some cartoon on low volume. She turned the moment she sensed us and smiled. “Alpha… Luna,” she greeted us warmly. “You should have sent a message. I would have arranged a proper lunch.”I smiled back at her while taking in her face, the fine lines, the wisdom in her gaze and the stubborn light that never dimmed. “How are you? We heard you were unwell.”“I’m fin
Scarlet’s POVThe moment I switched on the local news channel, I reached for my phone and dialled Vespara. I had just finished a long, exhausting class on surgical techniques and returned to my office to catch up on the headlines. What I saw made my stomach twist with worry — two rogue groups had entered the capital and launched an attack. A city-wide curfew had been imposed. Streets were shut down, homes locked up, and the atmosphere on the news was pure chaos.I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to leave the institute tonight. Travelling now was far too dangerous. The roads were not just unsafe, they were being hunted.My fingers trembled slightly as I pressed the call button. When Vespara picked up, I didn’t waste a second.“Ves, did you leave?” I asked, panic rising in my voice.“We’re just about to,” she replied gently. “Don’t worry, Amy was an angel today. She didn’t miss you that much.”Her calm voice gave me a small moment of relief, but it wasn’t enough. I had to stop
Dante’s POV“What kind of teachings did your family pass on to their children?” I asked coldly as Rome entered the office.Rome looked caught off guard. He had never seen me this furious.“What happened, Alpha?” he asked, approaching carefully.“That nephew of yours…” I said. “He was bullying kids half his age. In the temple, no less. And all while his mother stood there watching.”Rome’s shoulders sagged. “I apologise… I’ll talk to my brother. Though honestly, it’s my sister-in-law and mother who have spoiled that boy beyond reason. He has never been corrected, never taught humility.” He let out a sigh. “But since the complaint is coming from you, Alpha, our family will take it seriously.”Then he added with a weak smile, “But since when did you start caring about children and their petty squabbles?”Before I could respond, a melodic laugh drifted into the room. A graceful presence followed as Annette, my Luna, entered and gracefully seated herself beside me.“That’s Alpha Dante you
Dante's POVI turned to the boy and said, voice sharp and firm, “Stop. Is this how you behave? Bullying little girls at the temple?”The boy shrank under my gaze, but before he could say anything, his mother arrived, rushed, breathless, and clearly having been nearby all along.“Alpha, please… he is just a child,” she pleaded, trying to shield him.I was angry no, furious. “Look at your child. He is picking on kids much younger than himself. Don’t let him out of the house again until you have disciplined him properly. Otherwise, his elders will answer for it.”The woman paled and quickly dragged her son away without another word.With them gone, I looked at the girls. The older one stood beside me, while the little one remained nestled in my arms, clutching me tightly.“Thank you, kind sir,” the older girl said, flashing a shy smile.She looked familiar, oddly so. I couldn’t place where I had seen her before.“You are very brave,” I said, impressed by how she had stood up for herself
Dante’s POV“About the upgradation project, make sure the preparations are wrapped up sooner,” I said to the construction manager, eyeing the layout spread across the stone table.We were expanding and reinforcing the infrastructure around the Moon Goddess’ temple which was now more of a landmark than it had ever been before. Over the years, it had become a center of pilgrimage and tourism, drawing attention not only from our own pack but from others far across the empire. With the coming full moon, we expected nearly a hundred thousand pilgrims to gather here. That number would only grow with time. If we wanted to maintain order and respect the sanctity of the temple, we had to prepare accordingly.In the last four years, our pack had thrived, territory expanded, borders strengthened, wealth accumulated. Under the favor of the Werewolf King, our lands had become the crown jewel of the empire. The most prosperous, the most stable, and arguably, the most envied.The discussion was done
Scarlet’s POVToday was Killian’s death anniversary.Vespara and the kids were leaving for Phantom Moon, and my heart was lodged firmly in my throat. I shouldn’t have felt this way, my home was here, with my daughter, with Vespara, in the life we had built together. But somehow, a piece of me felt homesick as if watching them leave was like watching them walk away from me and that to to the place that is my home.“Did you pack everything?” I asked softly as I entered the living room.It was still dark outside, the sky tinted with the faintest grey. Vespara was already dressed and moving with her usual quiet efficiency. I knew she hadn’t slept. Not a wink. She never did the night before going back to that place.She glanced up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I did. Why are you up so early?”I shifted Amy on my shoulder. She was still half-asleep, warm and limp in my arms, her curly hair sticking up in all directions. Her eyes fluttered at the sound of Vespara’s voice.“Morn