Masuk~ DAMON ~I’m still yet to recover from Caden’s words when I feel a sudden disconnection. Fucking no.Maddox’s voice roars inside my head, and I know instantly that something has gone wrong. Two days ago, after she was kidnapped, it took eight hours before I felt her pack bond with mine break. That alone nearly drove me insane.However, this is worse.Something is wrong. So fucking wrong, and I can feel it down to my bones.My chest tightens as I try to make sense of it, but Caden’s words are still ringing in my head, refusing to let me think straight.“Show me,” I say. “I need to fucking see it for myself, and Goddess help you… if the evidence isn’t enough, then maybe you’ll find yourself hating Maddox more.”I take a step closer, my gaze hardening.“Because you’ll be in a hospital bed, battling with Dr. Bastien.”Caden nods, giving me a look that clearly says I should brace myself for whatever is coming next. I try not to pace as he fumbles with the hard drive, trying to insert it i
~ LAIA ~The mark stings, the hotness, the redness... it's like something hot is being engraved into my neck... I feel distantly removed from whatever pull exists between Damon and me.Fury burns through me... I feel my wolf build up, my claws are pushing out, ready to launch an attack.It happens in a blink, he’s already closing the distance, grabbing me and slamming me down hard onto the dusty ground. I yelp, the impact knocking the air out of me.He presses over me, his strong thighs caging mine, his hands pinning my wrists to the ground.“Fucking let go of me, you bloody scoundrel!” I bellow, struggling against his hold, trying to pull my hands free, but it’s useless. His grip doesn’t even budge.“I fucking will, Laia… but first, you need to understand your situation. You’re mine… already carrying my mark. And I can do with you as I please. Even if you try to resist, the bond is there. My wolf recognizes yours. This is a bond the Moon Goddess herself destined… and you know one thi
~ DAMON ~It’s been two fucking days with no result in finding her… we’ve searched everywhere, turned over every possible place, and I was able to pull the footage from the scene… four masked men, and even through that, I can see she fought, I can see how hard she tried before they took herI’m lividTwo fucking days without sleep, two days of nothing but rage. I’ve been tracking Xaden, trying to pin down where that fucker is hiding, but he moves like a ghost, jumping from one deserted place to another, recruiting rogues, building whatever sick plan he has.And I’m waiting for the right moment to strike. I expected a call, a message, or some kind of threat, but there’s been nothing, not even a single move. If he thinks he can play this game… Then all I need to do is show him just how well I can beat him at his own fucking game of chess.“Alpha, something urgent just came in,” Caden says as he walks in, his tone carrying clear urgency.I turn to look at him, my expression already dark.
~ LAIA ~For a moment, I almost let myself sink into his words, into that guilt and regret he’s throwing at me, almost let myself feel something for him again, but no, I can’t, I won’t, because the only person on my mind right now is that Alpha, the one with the grey eyes, the one who looks at me like I’m the only thing that matters in his world, the way he stares, the way he touches, the way everything about him pulls me in without trying.“And you still want me as your mistress, right?” I ask, and the look on his face gives me the answer before he even says anything, and that’s it, that’s the whole fucking point.“Well, it’s more complicated, I do want you, but you need to understand that Lysandra...”“Lysandra, Lysandra, then stick to fucking Lysandra and leave me alone,” I yell, because for a second I almost fell for his stupid story, almost let myself believe him, but I know better, I know the relic is creating a fake bond with her, but the relic isn’t the one making decisions fo
~ LAIA ~It’s been hours since I finished eating, I don’t know the exact time because there’s nothing here to tell me, but it feels long, and I’ve done everything I can just to keep my mind from breaking, counting the ceiling, the walls, the cracks, the lines, even thinking about what it would take to clear out the cobwebs hanging above me.The two burly men are still by the bedside, watching me, just there like guards making sure I don’t try anything stupid, and the worst part is I still can’t fully remember how I got here.I remember going to see Zia, I remember parts of it, small broken pieces, flashes that don’t fully connect, and then the fight comes back, those four masked men, the way they moved, the way I tried to fight them off.My memory is coming back bit by bit, slow and frustrating, but every time I try to push it, to force myself to remember more, a sharp headache hits me hard, pounding through my skull like a warning, telling me to stop before it breaks me completely.I
~ LAIA ~My eyes snap open to yet another unfamiliar place, and I shut them again quickly, trying to remember where I am, hoping maybe this is just some dream I need to wake up from, but when I keep them closed, nothing changes except the pounding in my head and the heavy weakness in my body, like I haven’t eaten in days, as though something has drained everything out of me.My head aches badly, each throb making it harder to think, and for a second I just want Rhea or Sage, want to call out for them to bring me something, anything, even just Tylenol, something to make this pain stop.I slowly open my eyes again, forcing myself to look around, taking in everything this time, the space feels empty, the bed beneath me is strange, slightly raised and uncomfortable, nothing like my room back at the pack house.Where am I? The thought slams into me all at once, and my heart pummels against my rib.Did Damon find out about my plan, did he finally see me for what I am? That I'm not the angel
~DAMON~I undo the top button of my shirt that has been choking me all night, and take the first breath of the night that doesn't stink of Alpha hormones. The festival has finally come to an end, and thank fuck for that. It's a success, even though Xaden was a ticking PR time bomb the entire time.
~ LAIA~My hand clutches the purse tighter as I walk through clusters of wolves, my eyes scanning for that emerald dress.I'm really doing this. I'm really betraying Damon.The thought makes me feel physically ill, but I push it down, bury it deep.I scan through the crowd, everyone's eyes focused
~LAIA~I clutch the purse tighter to my side, my eyes fighting hard to maintain contact with his silver ones, trying to decipher whatever theory he's making up in that slippery mind of his."What do you think would be in a girl's clutch purse aside from girly essentials?" A forced, awkward laugh bu
~LAIA~I barely register the walk back to my room. My legs move on autopilot, my mind still reeling from what I just did.I stole from Damon.The thought hits me in waves, each one threatening to pull me under. My hands shake as I fiddle with the handle and slip inside my room, pressing my back aga







