Leah's POV"His Majesty has already left," the soldier informed me.I wanted to speak with my father, but it was clear he didn’t want to engage. In my silence, the soldier continued, "His Majesty mentioned something to Alpha Lucas about a guy named Lester Swanson."Darren's brother? Why would my father mention him?"What did he say?" I asked, dreading the answer."He said Leo did something to him, so he would have to kill his brother Darren Swanson," the soldier replied, looking confused.What?!"Where’s Lucas now?" I demanded."Alpha has already gone to the airport to stop Lester Swanson. He didn’t want you to know. He wants you to go back to the lake house and wait for him.""Go fetch me a car right now," I commanded."Where are you going, Miss Lewyn?" the soldier asked, perplexed."I need to get to the airport before everyone gets killed," I said, urgency in my voice.As I arrived at the airport, a barricade manned by soldiers greeted me."What’s going on?" I asked one of them, my
Leah's POVLucas wrestled the gun from Lester’s hand, aiming it at him."No!" Darren shoved Lucas’s arm, causing the bullet to hit a nearby chair instead."What the fuck are you doing, Swanson?! That freak’s going to kill us!" Lucas yelled."That freak is my brother!" Darren cried, a raw anguish in his voice.Lucas lowered the gun, letting it clatter to the floor. Despite Lester's desperate struggles, my wolf refused to relent. Darren, with tears streaming down his face, approached me."Leah, let go of him," Darren pleaded.My wolf, still in fight mode, snarled, but Darren wasn’t deterred. He met my gaze with a calm, steady stare. "Let go of my brother, Leah," he whispered, tears choking his voice.Finally, my wolf released Lester. Blood gushed from his neck as he choked, drowning in his own fluids."I'm sorry, brother. It should have been me," Darren whispered, collapsing beside him.Lester tried to speak, his mouth forming silent words. Darren leaned close, listening. Whatever was s
Lucas' POV"This is Gean Lee. He's Leah's assistant," Jorah introduced him.I sized Gean up, feeling an unexpected wave of discomfort. It unsettled me that Leah worked so closely with someone who looked this good."Alpha Lucas, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Gean said, bowing slightly."I need you to talk to a deranged telepathic prince," I explained. "He’s imprisoned, yet he’s still controlling other werewolves. I need you to get him to stop without hurting him, since the King plans to deal with his mind later.""Is that all, Alpha Lucas?" Gean asked, his voice soothing. I began to see why Leah liked having him around. There was something calming about him."No, there's one more thing. I want you to resign from UniHeal and come work for me."Gean remained unflustered. "One thing at a time, Alpha Lucas," he said with another bow before walking away.Jorah's annoyance was evident once Gean had left. "You can't just take everyone away from Miss Lewyn and make them work for you."
Lucas' POVI was stunned. Completely paralyzed.When my deceased Beta, Basil, was alive, I had promised to look after his sister. If he were here now, he might be able to forgive me for the way I'd treated her.I rose, facing Josephine. "You're free to go now. Jorah will be in touch. Don't ever set foot in my pack again."Josephine lifted her head, defiant. "There won't be a next time, Alpha Lucas."After she left, I felt a gnawing unease settle deep within me. Why did Josephine's visit bother me so much? Perhaps it was because she was pregnant.I needed to be with Leah. The doctor's orders be damned—I had to go to her now.Just as I was about to leave, Gean Lee walked back in, casually wiping his hands with a handkerchief, as calm as ever."So?" I demanded."His Highness Leonard is asleep now," he said, placing a small, switch-like device on the table."And what's that?" I asked, frowning."It's a microchip. He had it implanted under his skin to communicate with his prototype soldier
Leah's POV"Take off your clothes," he commanded, his voice low, yet imbued with undeniable authority.Never in my life had I been forced to do anything, making his commanding tone both foreign and strangely tantalizing."You heard me, Leah," Finn repeated, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. "I want you. Right here, right now.""Finn, we need to talk," I said, my voice wavering.Finn roared, his hands gripping my shoulders with a fierce, almost desperate strength. "I don't want to talk," he snarled. "I want you to take off your clothes right now. Don’t make me do it for you. You're not the Lycan King's daughter to me. You're my woman. And I want my woman to obey..."I didn't wait for him to finish. With a deliberate, almost defiant motion, I tilted my head and slowly unbuttoned my blouse.Finn’s gaze fixated on my plump breasts and the swelling curve of my belly, his expression shifting to one of disbelief."I'm pregnant, Finn," I said, my vo
Leah's POVMy father? This was the second time someone had mentioned his involvement in the enhancement project. Yet, that still didn't validate Leo's outrageous claims."The lab was destroyed later," Sak continued."What happened?" I asked, my curiosity piqued."It was located at the far end of the old Huffner Bridge. When Mick set fire to the bridge, the lab caught fire and burned down."Mick Toussaint. He was just a teenager back then. He set the bridge ablaze and was later sent to rehab by his father, the late Alpha Dire. The past was a jumble of fragmented events, impossible to piece together fully."The next time I saw Finn was at the slave market," Sak went on. "I recognized him immediately because of the scars on his chest. I bought him and took him home, giving him food and shelter. I didn't want him working in the club, but the Blazebite Prowlers kept causing trouble. When you came to my club, I had to push Finn out to keep them away. With your influence, they wouldn't dare
Leah's POV"You're still in love with him. Love clouds your judgment. He's going to strangle you and your cub to death, but you still want to flee with him. I can't let this madness continue. It's time to put an end to it," my wolf said, her voice calm in my mind."If you let him out, I will hate you for the rest of my life!" I screamed."I don't care," her voice was unwavering. "You'll hate me for a while. But eventually, you'll make peace with it. Men come and go, but you're stuck with me.""You're impossible! He's the father of my baby!" I shouted. "You will make my baby fatherless!"At that moment, Finn shifted into human form. He picked up the clothes from the ground and put them on piece by piece.As he dressed, he said, "Leah, I know you're there. I know you can hear me. You deserve the truth, and now I'm telling you. My entire life, I've been used and exploited. My blood was altered, my muscles torn and reassembled. Sak forced me to stay with you, Jalin used Sak to make me ple
Gean's POVMy life is nothing short of tragic. I think that’s a fair assessment. Loving men is apparently a capital offense in our pack. They shunned me like I was a plague-ridden rat, disregarding every talent I had to offer.But I’m a problem solver. I work with diverse clients, providing them expert solutions. To truly excel, you need a personal touch and influential connections. And what could be more influential than a prodigal son from a Lycan family?I met Leo during his time in medical school. He was as queer as a three-dollar bill back then and convinced he had some mysterious ailment. He’d lock himself away in the lab for weeks, only to emerge with a new potion, claiming he’d discovered the cure. He’d down it and promptly pass out, only to wake up queerer than ever.It took a lot of persuading to convince him that there was nothing wrong with us. I can be very persuasive, if you catch my drift. One morning, he woke up in my arms and said, “Gean, I think I’ve found my solutio
Lycidas' POVA pause, heavy with his worry. "Lycidas, don't let anyone hurt her. Protect her. The ritual has to be done."Finn's pace quickened, his throat tightening around me, and I gripped his hair harder, forcing him to take more. "Don't worry, brother. I miss you. I'll be back soon. Put Jalin on, will you?"The line shifted, and Jalin's cold "What?" slithered through.My voice turned razor-sharp. "If you dare touch my brother again, I'll pump you full of suppressant, make you a fuck toy, and toss you to the slave market. Every hole in your body will be stuffed with cocks for the every minute in the rest of your fucking life. Do you understand?"Silence. Finn gagged, his throat spasming, and the pleasure spiked through me. "I'm talking to you," I snarled into the phone."I understand, Your Highness," Jalin muttered, subdued at last. I hung up, tossing the phone aside, and turned my full attention to Finn. He sucked harder, desperate to p
Lycidas' POVThe lazy afternoon sunlight in Miami pressed against me like a lover's claw, the moon long gone but its bloody echo still staining the sky. I stepped out of the limousine, and the red carpet unfurled before me like a tongue, wet with the flash of cameras and the screams of the crowd. The hotel loomed, a glittering beast of glass and steel, its jaws wide with fans clawing at the barriers, their voices a feral hymn to my name. I was Lycidas, the Lycan Prince, a Hollywood god carved from hunger and shadow, and they worshipped me with every ragged breath.I strode forward, my boots sinking into the plush scarlet, and the air thickened with their adoration. The paparazzi swarmed, lenses glinting like predatory eyes, but I owned them all. My lips curled into a smile, sharp and deliberate, as I waved - a king acknowledging his court. The noise swelled, a tidal wave of sound, and then a voice cut through it, high and desperate."Lycidas! Lycidas!" A female
Leah's POVThe clock on my wrist ticked like a smug little bastard, each second a jab at my nerves as I stood there, plotting culinary carnage. Six hours until the Miami Mayor's Annual Seafood Charity Dinner, and I was about to turn a fancy gala into a symphony of gurgles and groans. The TV blared in the background, some chipper anchor rattling on about celebrity cars rolling up to the hotel—shiny Bentleys and Teslas, all ferrying the rich and famous to their doom. I smirked, imagining them clutching their pearls and their stomachs by night's end.I glanced over at Seth, who was practically hypnotized by Sharbo's lazy laps in the shark tank. The kid's mop of hair flopped over his eyes, and he looked like he'd rather be anywhere but here, plotting with me. I gave his shoulder a solid pat, jolting him back to reality. "It's time, Seth."He blinked at me, all wide-eyed and twitchy, then fumbled for his laptop like it was his security blanket. His fingers danc
Leah's POVThe moonlight was pouring down from the sky like cascade.I stood there, rooted, facing Darren, his eyes blazing with a storm of rage and grief that pinned me where I stood. The air hung heavy, thick with unspoken venom, prickling my scarred skin—the brands of the slave market I'd never outrun."Why are you asking this question?" Darren's voice cut through the stillness, sharp as a blade, edged with accusation.I didn't answer. Couldn't. My throat clenched tight, strangling the words beneath the weight of all we'd left unsaid.He stepped closer, his emotions bursting free like blood from a fresh wound. "Are you asking this to hurt me, Leah? Haven't I done enough for you all these years to earn your trust?"Tears spilled down my cheeks, hot and relentless, carving trails through the grime on my face. I felt nothing - no sting, no release - just the hollow rush of them falling, a betrayal of the numbness gnawing my bones.
Leah's POVI remained silent. Father killed his son. Justice was almost done.Al Cosa continued, "And my son Tommy... He was burned alive in an elevator. Forensic team said his charred, deformed body burned so badly that... they needed tweezers to collect him."Two fat tears carved paths through his ashen stubble. I mirrored his grief - shoulders curling inward, breath catching - as the incinerator roared to life behind him. Its hunger vibrated in my molars."They found nail marks," he whispered. "Inside the elevator door. My boy...my Tommy clawed iron hot metal until his fingers..." A wet choke. "You know what fire does to lungs before death comes?"I let my own eyes glisten. "Mr. Cosa, I...""You're about to find out."I pretended to be horrified. "Mr. Cosa, I'm...""Sorry?" The wheelchair lurched forward. "You shoved my Tony off a balcony! Trapped Tommy in that metal coffin!" Spittle hit my cheek. "And now you're standing he
Leah's POVThe neon sign above the night club buzzed like a dying wasp, its crimson glow pooling on the asphalt as I shoved through the club's sticky doors. Smoke clung to the air—cheap cigars and cheaper desperation - and there he was, slumped at the bar like a discarded marionette. Liam's fingers curled around a whiskey glass, his knuckles whitening with each swallow as if he could drown the words we'd never said.I slid onto the stool beside him, the leather sighing under my weight. "You look like someone pissed in your bourbon," I said, nodding at the bartender for my usual gin.Liam didn't turn. "Would've improved the taste." His voice was sandpaper rough, but the corner of his mouth twitched. Classic Liam - even half-drunk and brooding, he couldn't resist the bait.We drank in silence for three songs, the bass thumping like a defective heartbeat. When he finally spoke, it was to the smudged mirror behind the bar. "You shouldn't be here. You do
Leah's POVI turned my head, meeting Darren's gaze, those eyes still hungry, still pleading. "I know," I said, quiet, a sad twist to my lips.But knowing wasn't enough. Love wasn't enough - not when the howls kept calling, not when my scars ran deeper than my skin. I rolled onto my side, facing the window, the moon's bloody glow spilling over us both.The full moon hung there, swollen and silver, its light bleeding through the broken window and washing over the bed. I stared at it, unblinking, the pale glow clawing at something inside me - something feral, something I couldn't bury no matter how hard I tried. The air thickened, heavy with the salt of the sea and the weight of the night, and then I heard it - a low, guttural sound drifting through the dark. A howl. Distant, but unmistakable. Then another, and another, until the night was alive with their calls, a chorus of primal hunger that sent a shiver down my spine.My heart kicked against my ribs, the
Leah's POVThe sun bled out over the coastal city as Darren gunned the motorcycle through the weaving crowds, the traffic shuttling around us like a frantic pulse. I clung to him, my helmet pressing into his back, my arms locked tight around his waist, feeling the heat of his body sear through me. The sky was a mess of red and orange, spilling over the buildings like a wound, and the sea's salty stink mixed with the exhaust choking the air. Last night clawed at my mind—his hands, his mouth, his desperation sinking into me after years of waiting. We'd fucked all night, a brutal, beautiful collision that tore past every fantasy I'd nursed in the dark. It played over and over in my head, a sad, desperate reel I couldn't stop watching—every thrust, every whispered curse, every moment I'd surrendered to him. Thinking of it, I tightened my grip, my fingers digging into his leather jacket like I could claw the memory into permanence.He pulled the bike to a stop by the sea, t
Liam's POVSeth caught it and sighed, theatrical as ever. "Look, we're pros here. Employers aren't people - they're NPCs in a game. Whenever I approach her, I get a new task alert. I walk up, get a quest, finish it, cash out. Done. Sure, late nights, when I'm beat, I might jerk off while looking at her before crashing - but it's all business. Nothing more, Liam."I blinked, thrown. "Wait, you jerk off over the survaillance video?"He shrugged, casual as if we were discussing the weather. "Who wouldn't? Look at her! She's a goddamn knockout. Any guy with a pulse would twitch. Doesn't mean I'd act on it."He scratched his head, squinting at the screen. "Come to think of it, I barely see her sleep. She's always on, like she doesn't need rest."That hit me like a spark. "That's exactly what I wanted to ask about," I said, leaning in, my voice low. "She's not normal, Seth. She took down two thugs with one hand - barely blinked. She's too confident, too