Leah's POV "Miss, a naked man is standing next to the swimming pool! Shall we call Beta Jalin?" A maid, who looked terrified and crimson at the same time, ran toward me in confusion. "No. Don't tell anyone. He's my friend. You need to bring me some towels and a long bathrobe. Can you do that for me?" I asked. "Yes, Miss. Towels and a bathrobe! Right away!" The maid disappeared immediately and came back with some towels and my brother's bathrobe. I took them from her and said, "Don't tell anyone about this incident." The maid nodded her head. "Is my brother at home?" I asked. "His Highness left early this morning to the hospital for Miss Parrish. He wanted to bring her some red roses and asked us to cut off some roses from the orchard." "Red roses," I whispered and melted inside. This was so sweet. My knucklehead brother brought flowers to my best friend. And among thousands of flowers in the orchard, he picked red roses, which mean eternal love and passion in any dictionary. Ev
Jalin's POV"I've got bad news for you, Alpha," I said after I took my seat in the driver's seat.Just like his Father, His Majesty the Lycan King, Lucian didn't reveal his thoughts on his face.I spent over 30 years with that man and I could barely tell if he was in a good mood or a bad mood.But on that day, he seemed to be quite calm after he met Laura in the hospital. He brought him flowers. He made her smile. He let her lean over his shoulder. He stroked her hair gently like he was petting a small wounded animal. And he mumbled something to her ear to make her laugh out loud.So far so good.So, this was the perfect timing for me to sway in and spoil his perfect morning.I took a glance at him in the mirror and met his eyes.He looked perfectly calm, absentmindedly sniffing the scent of roses and Laura on the tips of his fingers.Poor thing. He didn't realize how bad this piece of news was going to be."Before I say anything, you have to promise that you won't yell at me," I conti
Leah's POVSunshine poured into the car and plated everything in gold.Finn stared at me like he was staring out at the horizon.The morning sky was clear, with a dash of clouds. It was a tranquil backdrop to the chaos of the streets as well as the emotions inside the car.As I sat on the edge of the seat, my kneel buckled. I couldn't help but feel torn.I knew my feelings for this man. He was my second chance and there was no question about that. But the pull of everything else, including the difference in social status and the complexity of my marital status, were growing stronger by the minute. I had worked so hard all my life to meet the perfect man in my life, and now it was slipping through my fingers, just like that.I glanced over at Finn. The soft glow of sunshine cast a halo around his features. He was everything that I had ever wanted as a mate and a lifetime partner. And the thought of leaving him behind was breaking my heart.I had always been a dreamer of love, but I had
Leah's POV"The stripper guy?" Gean stared at me in surprise."I'll explain it to you later," I said to Gean while walking into the building.After swiping my card on the elevator control panel, the private elevator opened in front of me.I walked in with Jalin and Gean following me.The door shut in front of us and the elevator started to move up steadily and fast.If it wasn't for the increasing number on the electronic panel, I wouldn't even tell you that the elevator was climbing to the 70th floor within 30 seconds.I broke the silence, "I let Finn go back to Sheridan Club.""Why did you do that?" Jalin raised his eyebrows."Sak Doyle, the club owner, is his brother. He wants to stay with his brother. So I let him go," I said. There was a bitter taste in my mouth when I actually said these words.A crazy thought suddenly struck me -If I ran to the Sheridan Club right now, maybe I could still take Finn back. If Sak dared to stop me, I could punch him in the nose and take Finn to th
Leah's POV With rounds of applause, I walked down the podium and took my seat next to my brother. He seldom revealed his true feelings in front of other people, but at that time, he couldn't help but look at me with approval. Board members around the table commented - "This is a great presentation on the Mediland market." "Very insightful. Thank you, Miss Lewyn." "We're very lucky to have such an aspiring young lady join our team." Just as I was smirking inside, I heard a sharp, high-pitch voice at the other end of the table - "I have some concerns regarding Miss Lewyn's plan." I looked up and saw the Head of Eastern Market, Ava Dinara, glaring at me. Being the only female member in this board meeting, she was definitely a sight to behold, with her striking features and commanding presence. Her dark, wavy hair was sleek and pulled back into a tight bun, framing her sharp jawline and piercing blue eyes. Her tailored suit hugged her curves in all the right places, easily making
Jalin's POV I love my job of being a Lycan's Beta. But there are times in my life that make me hate being a werewolf in general. If I were a human being, I could easily bash someone's head against the wall and torture him the way I like it until that motherfucker decides to cooperate with me, because, well, human beings were born with the right to be unapologetically ruthless and mean to their own kinds. But no. I am a werewolf and I wasn't born with an innate need of killing my own kind. Plus, I work for a Lycan Prince. So I have to handle technicalities very carefully when it comes to torturing someone for confession. "I'll give you one more chance to tell me who you really are." I stared at Finn, who was curling up on the floor in front of me. He was covered in blood and there wasn't a single part of his skin that was still intact. I know now it's too late to say something like I have absolutely nothing to do with it, but the truth is, when I arrived at Sheridan Club 20 minute
Leah's POVThe meeting room was filled with the hum of voices as people filtered out, chattering amongst themselves about their summer houses in Switzerland and the coming auctions, complimenting each other on their new trophy wives, yachts, and cigars.As I walked out of the meeting room, accompanied by Gean, I felt a sense of exhilaration wash over her. I had just given a presentation that had gone flawlessly, and all the audience, except Ava, had responded with a thunderous round of applause. Probably I was still under the influence of Leo's magic potion, I didn't know. Anyway, it was a feeling that I had never experienced before, and it was one that I would tr
Leah's POVAva stood there with her eyes blazing with fury and her body quivering with rage.Her chest heaved with each breath, and her fists were clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white.I reckoned that she was a storm that was about to break loose.Her voice was low and dangerous, growling like she was possessed by her own inner beast, "How dare you, Leah Lewyn? Do you know who I am? I am the daughter of Alpha Saxon of the Blazebite Prowlers Pack!"
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