Leah's POVTaking a deep breath, I walked over to Lucian, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Kneeling beside his chair, I forced myself to stay composed."Lucian, you’ve always been like a father to me. I look up to you, I admire you. That’s why it hurts so deeply to have my loyalty questioned by you. I should be able to show you my unwavering loyalty, but how can I prove it to my own brother?"Lucian looked down and gently placed his hand on my head, stroking my hair.
Leah's POVMy father’s bedroom was located on the top floor of the castle, offering a commanding view of the entire Court. I had never been summoned to his bedroom before, but I once sneaked in when I was little. To my astonishment, it was relatively small. Mr. Carson found me there. He scooped me up in his arms and gently admonished me for wandering into such a restricted area."Why is Father’s bedroom so small?" I asked curiously.Mr. Carson replied, "A Lycan King never sleeps well in giant rooms."At the time, I didn't understand what he meant, but now, I began to grasp his meaning.My father sat upright in his bed, supported by a pile of pillows. The air in the room was thick with the grim scent of decay, a telltale sign of the cancer that had relentlessly gnawed away at his once-powerful body. It pained me deeply to see my father, a man who had once exuded immense strength and unshakable will, now lying frail against the pillows. His hair had turned a ghostly grey, with thin, wis
Leah's POVI didn't answer his question."What have I done to make you hate me so much, Leah?" he murmured. "All I've ever done is follow the Moon Goddess's will and protect you.""You learned from the Moon Goddess that I was the chosen one, destined to bring an end to your reign. But the only person you care about in this world is your son, Lucian! So you encouraged me to marry Lucas to send me away. Every misfortune in my life was orchestrated by you. You sacrificed my Batair for your sick enhancement project. You want to sacrifice me, just like you sacr
Leah's POVI lowered my head and saw black blood trickling down my face, dripping onto the floor. I tried to stand, but my limbs felt leaden, and my head was growing heavy."What... what have you done?!" I screamed, struggling to rise, only to collapse back onto the cold ground."It's wolfsbane, Leah..." the old king hacked, black blood spewing from his mouth as he smirked wickedly. "I hid it in my nails...""Father!" Lucian shifted rapidly into his human form, rushing forwa
Leah's POVWhen I woke up, I was enveloped in warmth. Blinking against the light, I realized Lucas was holding me from behind. I cherished moments like this, moments that never happened when we were married. My head still felt foggy, and the tubes in my arms itched, making me impulsively pull them out. The machine beside me erupted in beeps, and a flustered nurse rushed in, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. Lucas sprang off the bed."I'm sorry, Sir. You can't be in here," she insisted, staring at him."I just want to be with my wife," Lucas shrugged,
Leah's POVI reached for the phone on my nightstand and dialed Darren's number. It rang for a while before going to voicemail. I paused, formulating my thoughts, then said, "Darren, it's me..."Suddenly, the phone was answered. "Leah?" Darren's voice sounded shaky."Yes, Darren. It's me."He let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Where have you been? I was so worried...""What's going
Leah's POV"What's the hurry?" A voice echoed from the doorway.Mick Toussaint?!What on earth was he doing here?"Ah, we've crossed paths again, Miss Lewyn." Mick's gaze locked onto mine, his eyes narrowing with intent. "Allow me to introduce you to my Luna and wife. I assure you, this reunion will be nothing short of spectacular."Clara's face materialized next to his.It was as though my worst nightmare had clawed its way into reality. They stood together, each an abomination that had finally found its twisted match."Leah, you conniving wench! At last!" Her lips curled into a cold, vindictive smirk as she slammed the door shut. "We're going to have such a delightful time.""Get out of my room!" I shouted, desperation hitching my voice. My legs were numb, unwilling to obey, while I knew exactly what this deranged pair had in mind."You look like one of the Swanson boys." Clara purred, flicking her gaze to Darren. "The Swansons have always been so... delectable. Care to join us?"D
Darren's POV"What's happening...? What the hell?!" Josephine gasped, her eyes widening as she saw Leah cradled in my arms."Leah's in danger. We need a doctor," I murmured, laying Leah gently on the sofa."If you need a doctor, you’ll have to go to a clinic! Not to me!" Josephine snapped."I can't take her there. There are soldiers everywhere," I replied urgently. "She's dying, Jo. The blood won't stop."Josephine's face twisted with hysteria. "What do you expect me to do? We can't help her! Didn't you see those soldiers on the street? They're hunting for her! If they find her, we're both dead!"Ignoring her, I tore through the linen closet, grabbing anything that could help staunch Leah's wound. Josephine tried to pull me back."Darren! Are you listening to me?!""I hear you, Jo," I said softly, but firmly. "But I have to save Leah. She took a bullet meant for me. If it weren’t for her, I’d be the one bleeding out."
Leah's POVThe air down there was damp, thick with the musk of captivity. Darren was curled on a filthy mattress, his wrists and ankles chained, his body a knot of tension. The clink of my tray against the stone floor roused him, and his eyes snapped open - wild, burning with a madness that made my chest ache. He lunged, a beast in human skin, all teeth and fury, but the chains yanked him back, the iron biting into his flesh. A guttural snarl tore from his throat, and his face twisted, feral, unrecognizable.I slid the tray toward him, the pancakes still warm, their sweetness a mockery in this place. He froze, nostrils flaring, then dropped to his knees, his face hovering over the plate. He ate like a starved dog, tearing at the food, growling low, the sound vibrating through the stone. I sat a few feet away, watching him, my heart splintering. I wanted to reach for him, to smooth the matted hair from his face, to touch the man he used to be. My hand lifted, trembling,
Leah's POVLycidas peeled off his gloves slow, deliberate, a smile curling his lips like blood seeping from a wound. "Leah, my sweetest sister, you know me. I'd never hurt anyone. They just keep crawling back, begging to be my dog.”There it was - the Old King's dominance and viciousness, alive in him, a shadow Lucian never cast. "From childhood to adulthood," I said, my voice hard as iron, "I always knew you were more his son than Lucian ever was. Pity the Old King never saw it. Not until he was rotting in the ground. Lucian was all he had in his shriveled heart."Lycidas' smile stiffened, a crack of fury splintering through his mask. "Darren disappointed me," he said, "so I tossed him to Leo for his little experiments. But Leo didn't like this human being. He said he didn't meet his standard and sent him back. You wanna know what happened to your precious old flame? Go sniff out Leo. You two always got on better than you and me. I mean, he'll help you, I
Leah's POVA pang ripped through my chest, sharp and unwelcome. I didn't want to know what Lycidas had done - didn't want to picture the claws, the needles, the hunger in that bastard's gaze. Darren wasn't the man I'd known anymore; he was a husk, cracked open and spilling fear. My fingers found the lock, bending the steel like it was clay, the cage door groaning as it gave way. He lunged at me, wild and blind, and I struck fast - knocked him cold with a blow that felt like betrayal. His body slumped, limp and heavy, and I hauled him into the cart, draping a cloth over him like a shroud.I shoved the cart toward the door, every nerve screaming, when a shadow blocked my path. The hotel manager, all puffed-up indignation, glared down at me. "What the fuck? Who are you?! Why are you here? Don't you know this whole floor is reserved...?"His words choked off as my fist met his jaw. He crumpled, a sack of meat, and I dragged him back inside, stuffing him into the cag
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