LOGIN~ 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 ~“What do you mean she’s nowhere to be found?”My voice comes out like a fucking roar, ripping through the room. Maddox has been restless all day, that uneasy agitation crawling under my skin, and I’d thought he was just acting up again.I was wrong.Caden stands in front of me, tense, careful with his words. I try reaching for her through the mind link, but there’s nothing. No connection.It’s just… gone. My chest tightens. No.Hell no. According to High Priestess Selara, today was supposed to be the relic ritual. Laia wouldn’t just disappear. She wouldn’t...“She’s been searched for everywhere,” Caden says. “The last person she was seen with was Zia.”“Then get Zia,” I say, my voice low, lethal. “Now.”Caden hesitates, and I catch the shift in his expression immediately.“What?” “According to her, they talked, and then—”“I said I need Zia.”My patience is gone, completely gone. He moves, closing the door behind him.I turn to the window, pressing one hand flat against the
~DAMON~Wounds don’t heal. Mostly the ones you grow up with, not the ones that follow you through every stage of your life, clinging to you like something permanent. The kind that reminds you every single day that you were a mistake… that you were never meant to exist.I grew up with that. Every se
~LAIA~It’s been a week since the incident, and I’m already doing better… just slight pain and a lingering ache that shows up when I move too quickly.The bruises on my skin have dulled into faint yellow, barely noticeable unless you’re looking closely. My body feels lighter now, and less stiff, pl
~DAMON~"How are you feeling?" I ask, staring at her.Those silver orbs stare back at me. She winces as she forces out words that are barely audible."I'm okay… the doctor said it's not too serious."A light crease of a frown forms on her face, but it is quickly replaced by a charming smile. The pa
LAIAThe worse thing to experience, is the kind of anger that sits tight in your chest and has nowhere to go because you're standing in the middle of a cobblestone street next to your friend who doesn't know anything, and you can't scream, can't cry, can't do any of the things your body is desperat







