Lucas' POV"Who... Are... You...?" I asked.I could barely recognize my voice. My vocal cord must have been torn.The little white wolf took a glance at me as if it was checking if I was alright, but it didn't answer my question.Instead, it lowered its head to get closer to my father while stomping on his spine again, triggering waves of my father's scream again. It seemed that this tiny little thing was determined to torture my father before killing him."Don't hurt my husband!" My mother pleaded in tears. She wanted to protect my father, but she also wanted to hold me in her arms. I could tell she was torn.The little white wolf heard my mother's voice and raised its head abruptly, staring at me.At that time, I recognized its olive-green eyes."Leah...?! Is that you...?" I asked.Leah's POVLucas' voice brought me back to sanity.I looked down at the giant grey wolf twitching under my claws."You damn old fool!" I snarled in anger. "Are you crazy?! Why did you try to kill your own
Leah's POV"And you're also a loud, loud person, Jorah," Lucas said in a low voice.I lifted my head and saw Lucas looking down at me with a half-smirk on his face.For a person whose throat almost got slashed by his own father, he looked way too happy. And I knew he was happy because he was holding me in his arms.I immediately stood up, shaking my fur and trying to walk away, but he caught me."Where do you think you are going?" He taunted me, holding me in his giant hands while sitting up."Urrrgh!" I turned my head, trying to bite him. Wolves don't like being caught. It was almost a reflex.But on that day, I ended up holding his hand in my mouth, scratching my teeth against his long, slender fingers.He tasted so good. I thought to myself. If I was in human form, I would definitely be blushing."Alpha! You're still alive! Oh, my Goddess! I haven't killed you! Great!" Jorah clapped and jumped up while clapping his hands."And praise the Moon Goddess for me not being killed by my Be
Leah's POVLucas pulled my wolf closer and tilted his head."Are you sniffing me before eating me alive, little she-wolf?" Lucas' voice was enchanting, tilting his head to sniff me back.My wolf didn't answer but licked his face."Ahh. It's so tickling." Lucas grinned, but he didn't flinch a bit.My wolf started at him with her giant eyes wide open for a brief second and licked him again.Lucas didn't move. He just sat there and let my wolf lick him.When she eventually decided to stop, Lucas held her up with both of his hands in the air and gave her a twirl."Are you done sniffing me?" Lucas asked.My wolf nodded with great satisfaction."So, it's my turn!" Lucas smirked and buried his face in my wolf's soft, fluffy fur.The tip of his nose triggered a wave of shivering all over my body. If I was in human form, I would be giggling and tittering.But at that time, my wolf suddenly took over and she sounded very grumpy, "You know what? You always take Leah for granted. For example, Leah
Leah's POV"Lucas, I..." I whispered, lowering my head."Leah, please don't go away. Please come back to me. I will give you everything you want. I will make it right this time. Lucian is a Lycan prince. Do you know what kind of danger you're going to go through to be in the company of a Lycan prince? I'll give you a hint. He rejected his last Luna and killed her by himself..." Lucas said.I immediately got cross because my elder brother's good name was insulted."Stop saying things like that! It's just a rumor. You know nothing about Lucian..."Lucas interrupted me and said, "Neither do you. Actually, nobody knows anything about that guy.""If you don't know anything about someone, then don't rush to your judgment," I said in a cold voice. "Lucian is a great person and he takes care of me..."Lucas got irritated even when I mentioned Lucian's name. He had that jealous look on his face again and stared at me.I turned my head away from him, but he grabbed my shoulders and forced me to
Leah's POV"Lucas, what have I ever done to you to make you treat me like this?" I whispered after he got off my body.Lucas didn't answer me. I wondered if he had heard my voice after all.He was still furious, panting and roaring like an agitated beast. I wouldn't be surprised if he killed me in the next second.Obviously, the rough sex we had just had didn't calm him down.Whatever he wanted to get, he didn't get from me.His fluid was still all over my body, and so did the bruises and cuts. It was a mess.I could wipe myself clean and heal the bruises and cuts, but the excruciating pain in my heart never went away.I thought Lucas would have walked away and left me alone as he did in the past, but he didn't.Instead, he shifted his hands into giant wolf claws and approached me.I looked at him with horror.Was he going to rip my heart out with those claws?!But he didn't.Instead, he used his razor-sharp claws to cut the tie to cut loose from the bed.Having regained the freedom of
Jalin's POV"Why are you here?" Jorah looked surprised to see me, twisting his hands together.Nothing good happens when he twists his hands like this, especially when there's blood on his hands."Where's Leah?" I frowned."She's upstairs with Alpha. Why?" Jorah looked even more puzzled."You leave them alone upstairs?" I clenched my fists."Yeah..."My heart sank and immediately walked upstairs.Jorah stopped me by blocking my way."Hey, Jalin! What's going on?!""Someone is in danger, you idiot. That's what's going on. Now stay out of my way." I tried so hard not to punch his stupid face."Let's not blow this whole thing out of proportion, OK? Lucas misses Leah and he just needs to have some quality time with his wife. I don't see anything wrong with it. He wouldn't hurt his own wife." Jorah shrugged. He still stood in my way, acting like there was not that big a deal for my precious Leah being left alone with a fucking asshole."Leah isn't the one who's getting hurt!" I pushed Jorah
Jalin's POVLeah stared at Jorah in surprise. She put down the pen in her hand and said, "Jorah, you do know that we can print another copy of that, right?""Then I'll eat them again!" Jorah raised his voice. I could see tears circulating in his eyes and I knew he must have been terrified."You can't divorce him, Leah. I have never seen him so crushed like this... I mean, both physically and mentally... not even when Basil passed away. Leah, I don't know shit, but I know one thing for sure - If you divorce him today, he's going to kill himself. If he kills himself, I will have to kill myself, because, again, I don't know shit, but I'm sure whatever shit happened in his life, it's at least 90% my fault. So I'm not going to let you divorce him. Not on my watch!"I rubbed my temple and said, "Jorah, stop being a child. This is Leah's life. You have no right to interfere or threaten Leah like this."Jorah ignored me and kept on going, "Leah, I've grown up with Lucas and I'm not blind. You'
Jorah's POV"You know you can tell me where it is." I took the box and took out some bandages to wrap the wound in front of my chest."Yes. But I want to take it out by myself. Do you have any problem with that?" Lucas frowned."No, Alpha. Having problems with you will never be one of the many problems I have to deal with." I said, trying to wrap the bandage around my chest, but I couldn't.Lucas sighed and took the bandage from my hands and started to mummify me."Do you think I should take her back?" Lucas asked."I'm not supposed to give anyone any advice on relationships," I replied."Are you defying me?" He stared at me, frowning.I answered without hesitation, "No, I'm bleeding.""Jalin did this to you?" Lucas asked."No. I accidentally fell on my dagger, because that's what I do. I hurt myself until it bleeds." I said."Can you still drive for me today?" Lucas looked worried."Yes, I can drive for you. And yes, Leah's a keeper. You should do everything to take her back, and that
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