Vinorca Jona POV“Show us your IDs,” one of the bodyguards at the club entrance demanded.I was scared—but thrilled.No idea where I found the guts for this. Still, tonight I’ll enjoy it. Or hopefully I’ll be able to.Amanda had painted my face with makeup and slipped me into a black dress that matched hers—except hers had some silver prints and mine didn’t. The way it clung to my chest, showing off my cleavage, barely covering my ass… it made me want to crawl out of my own skin.I knew it was my eighteenth birthday—the one chance I had to live before Dante tightened the chains again.But the guilt gnawed at me anyway. It was my parents’ death anniversary too. I’d gone to their grave. Even stopped by Dante’s parents’ headstone. “Let’s enjoy every bit of it,” Amanda said as we walked past the entrance, her ID doing all the talking.I smiled faintly. “I’m trying.”The bass thumped through my chest the second we stepped in—lights flashing hard enough to burn, people grinding like the ni
Vinorca Jona POVWho even is we in this? Why would I want to drink to my heart’s content—with a stranger?And I didn’t even know where Amanda was.The music throbbed so loud it turned into a pulse in my skull. I knew I was in a club, but the alcohol in my system spun faster than it should’ve—thanks to the blaring sound drilling straight through me.Or maybe it was just because I’d never drunk before in my life.“Let’s go.” Before I could say a word, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me across the floor.I stumbled to keep up, heels slipping on the slick tiles. “Sto…p.” The word spilled out soft, too soaked in hesitation.Either he didn’t hear me in all this noise—or he just didn’t care.I looked around, trying to anchor where he was taking me. It wasn’t the bar—not even close. He’d said he’d get me drinks. I hadn’t agreed.“Where are you taking me?” This time, I made sure he heard me.“To my private lounge,” he said without slowing. “You can drink as much as you want there.”I yanke
Vinorca Jona POVI slammed the door shut—and froze.Dizziness hit me hard. Someone was already in the room.To escape that pervert, what kind of mess had I thrown myself into?A thousand thoughts slammed through my head as I gripped the doorknob, heart pounding. I knew this wasn’t my room.But in the rush and the crush of the bar crowd, all I’d cared about was getting away from that asshole.Did I just drop myself into another nightmare?“Miss, what the hell are you doing?”A man. His voice, deep and sharp, sent another spike of fear through me.And just like that, my brain filled with worse possibilities.I forced myself to speak. “I’m sorry. I was... running away. From some pervert,” I hiccuped.“Is that so? At least show your face.”Confusion edged his voice—but not anger. Not yet.I took a few breaths and turned my face away, eyes dropping to the floor. But I could still see his feet—he was sitting.A couch.Great. I’d stumbled into someone’s private lounge.Escaped one trap, land
Vinorca Jona POV"Wow! Have you heard of it? Alpha Dante is coming back? I heard he recently donated a lot of money to the school. He's so generous and hot," Amy said, eliciting giggles from the others."Damn! You're right. He's incredibly hot and handsome," another girl chimed in.I sat, listening to the students talk about him while filling my stomach with cold water and a single piece of bread."He's back," I whispered to myself. My nightmare was returning after three years. Who knew what would happen while he was here again?The chatter of different voices unsettled me, causing my heart to race inside my chest. My hands began to shake dangerously as a forbidden name reached my ears, curling my toes and coating my body in cold sweat."Vinorca, what are you doing?" Amanda called to me, bringing me back from my thoughts."Nothing, Amanda. I'm eating," I replied, regaining my composure."I can see, but why are you eating this cold stuff?" she asked with concern.A smile formed on my f
Vinorca Jona POV"How dare you!" he shouted, causing me to jump on the spot.Like, he would surely murder me without even thinking twice.I attempted to take a few more steps to run away from here, to reach a safer place, somewhere better than staying here. But my legs didn't take me anywhere.I needed to run; that's what I knew, but my body and head both went into a state where I couldn't do anything properly."F*uck!!! Vinorca, did you forget what I said last time?" he questioned.I could feel the heat of his words spreading inside my numb body.How could I forget what he said before? I could never forget it, that's for sure. Every day, every night, I remember what happened three years ago.That was the day this monster ruined my peace more than he did ten years ago by adopting me.Three years ago, I was guileless but not gullible.That was my first time rejecting Dante. "One day, you'll beg me." His icy tone spread from his mouth.Those were the words he spoke.After that, he left
Vinorca Jona POVEven after attempting to deny him and his touch.Butterflies flutter inside my heart whenever he touches me. It ignites a fiery sensation, as if everything within me is ablaze.Despite knowing the immorality of these feelings, I refuse to let myself drown in them. He is my stepbrother, the one who adopted me."I've already spared you for leaving the room before. If you push your luck further, I can't guarantee your safety," Dante warns dominantly.Before he can say anything more, I push him away and hastily flee, without looking back, consumed by anxiety.I reached my room and tightly shut the door. What will happen if he continues to exert control over me like that?I can't seem to control myself; my body responds to him in a language of its own. He is the epitome of passion, an overwhelming force that fills me with anxiety I'd rather not entertain.I undress, discard my clothes onto the floor, and step into the small bathroom attached to my shabby room. A shower is
Vinorca Jona POV‘You're going to be late for university,’ my conscience interrupts my thoughts, jolting me out of bed.Rushing to the bathroom, I took a quick shower and threw on some old, shabby clothes, grabbing my backpack before darting out of my room. Being late is not an option, not when I'm already a scholarship student; one slip-up could spell disaster.I hurry out of the house, eager to avoid any encounters, especially with Dante and his taunts. His mere presence is enough to throw me off balance, a harbinger of trouble.As I walk briskly, trying to slip away unnoticed, a familiar car pulls up beside me. Damn! Just what I wanted to avoid. Dante had caught me before I could make my escape."Get in," he ordered, rolling down the window.His voice sends shivers down my spine, a mix of fear and apprehension clouding my mind. Why does he want me in his car? What does he want from me now?I try to process his words. Is he really asking me to get in? Wasn't I forbidden from even gr
Vinorca Jona POV "Why do you work so much? I've never seen you do anything else other than study and work. Don't you feel you should enjoy it too?" Amanda asked, her brow furrowing with concern.I smiled and replied, “I just don't find anything more interesting than working and studying.”The statement was partially true.I had always loved studying and had never found interest in anything else.But when it came to working, I couldn't say the same.It was a necessity, not a passion.I worked to earn a living, and there was no shame in that.Whether supernatural beings or regular humans, many people worked for survival.There was nothing inherently wrong with that."I can never believe that, but surely you are different. You're always doing your best in your studies and working so hard. Your parents must be so proud of you," Amanda remarked, her eyes reflecting admiration.At the mention of my parents, I felt a pinch in my heart. My smile dropped. "I am an orphan.""What?" Amanda aske
Vinorca Jona POVI slammed the door shut—and froze.Dizziness hit me hard. Someone was already in the room.To escape that pervert, what kind of mess had I thrown myself into?A thousand thoughts slammed through my head as I gripped the doorknob, heart pounding. I knew this wasn’t my room.But in the rush and the crush of the bar crowd, all I’d cared about was getting away from that asshole.Did I just drop myself into another nightmare?“Miss, what the hell are you doing?”A man. His voice, deep and sharp, sent another spike of fear through me.And just like that, my brain filled with worse possibilities.I forced myself to speak. “I’m sorry. I was... running away. From some pervert,” I hiccuped.“Is that so? At least show your face.”Confusion edged his voice—but not anger. Not yet.I took a few breaths and turned my face away, eyes dropping to the floor. But I could still see his feet—he was sitting.A couch.Great. I’d stumbled into someone’s private lounge.Escaped one trap, land
Vinorca Jona POVWho even is we in this? Why would I want to drink to my heart’s content—with a stranger?And I didn’t even know where Amanda was.The music throbbed so loud it turned into a pulse in my skull. I knew I was in a club, but the alcohol in my system spun faster than it should’ve—thanks to the blaring sound drilling straight through me.Or maybe it was just because I’d never drunk before in my life.“Let’s go.” Before I could say a word, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me across the floor.I stumbled to keep up, heels slipping on the slick tiles. “Sto…p.” The word spilled out soft, too soaked in hesitation.Either he didn’t hear me in all this noise—or he just didn’t care.I looked around, trying to anchor where he was taking me. It wasn’t the bar—not even close. He’d said he’d get me drinks. I hadn’t agreed.“Where are you taking me?” This time, I made sure he heard me.“To my private lounge,” he said without slowing. “You can drink as much as you want there.”I yanke
Vinorca Jona POV“Show us your IDs,” one of the bodyguards at the club entrance demanded.I was scared—but thrilled.No idea where I found the guts for this. Still, tonight I’ll enjoy it. Or hopefully I’ll be able to.Amanda had painted my face with makeup and slipped me into a black dress that matched hers—except hers had some silver prints and mine didn’t. The way it clung to my chest, showing off my cleavage, barely covering my ass… it made me want to crawl out of my own skin.I knew it was my eighteenth birthday—the one chance I had to live before Dante tightened the chains again.But the guilt gnawed at me anyway. It was my parents’ death anniversary too. I’d gone to their grave. Even stopped by Dante’s parents’ headstone. “Let’s enjoy every bit of it,” Amanda said as we walked past the entrance, her ID doing all the talking.I smiled faintly. “I’m trying.”The bass thumped through my chest the second we stepped in—lights flashing hard enough to burn, people grinding like the ni
Vinorca Jona POV I looked at my wrist, shocked to find the bracelet was missing.So much had happened today, and I hadn’t even noticed it was gone.Did it fall off somewhere?“Why are you so shocked?” Her question made me more nervous.I didn’t know how to respond. If nothing else, I was glad to have two wolves, because all my injuries were healed. If they hadn’t been, after what Dante did to me—how he left me injured and bleeding—things would’ve been much worse to explain.“I forgot to wear it, after the bath,” the answer rang in my head. Please, let her believe me.Amanda’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t know that bracelet is waterproof?” Her tone made it clear she didn’t fully believe me.“Did you tell me?”Yeah, she never told me about it. Even though I was lying, it might just save my ass.“Right,” she nodded. “I thought you wouldn’t be taking it off, not after how much you blushed when I told you it’s from Lewis.” She giggled.I forced myself to smile. How can I even feel good about
Vinorca Jona POV “Don’t be like this, Dante. It’s already cold. If nothing else, I’d like to go to my room.” “So what’s that got to do with me? I fucking enjoy seeing your foul mouth freeze up.” His rage simmered beneath his words, molten lava threatening to erupt. “Better then—you won’t have to deal with it. So let me go inside.” Though this feeling was… something else. I knew I was on his nerves now, but hell, I was enjoying it. “Still not enough reason to let you inside since you ran away yourself.” Why the fuck does he have to be so snobbish? Then again, when has he ever not behaved this way? I inhaled, steadying myself. “So you can go inside, but I can’t? Thought so.” Bullshit. “Get lost.” His voice cut like a blade as he strode away, not sparing me a glance. Every step seethed with irritation. Not like I wanted to stay here. Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside the house, my body bare and bleeding. At least the plan worked. ‘You’re really something,’ the male wolf
Vinorca Jona POVI was fuming with anger, but at least things were working. Running hadn’t worked, and I still couldn’t understand what was wrong with my wolves—or why I had two of them. So, I thought maybe talking nonsense would help. And it clearly was. The way Dante stood here, provoked but still not touching me, was entirely because I showed I was in control of the situation—a state of being he absolutely despised. Though, truth be told, I was scared out of my mind. Bleeding, completely naked under his predatory gaze, it was nothing short of terrifying. “What did you just say?” Dante growled, his voice loud enough to pierce my ears and make them feel like they might bleed. “Exactly what you heard, Dante,” Despite my fear, the act of opposing him felt oddly soothing, almost like healing. “You hate repeating things. I don’t mind repeating, though. Still, wouldn’t it drive you mad to hear the same thing said twice?” Dante’s eyes narrowed. “You’re testing me way too mu
Dante Scout POV “You want to fuck, don’t you?” The question hit me like a lightning strike. Of all the things I thought I’d hear from Vinorca’s mouth, this wasn’t one of them. But then again, she was different today. We stood in the middle of my garden, her body bare and unapologetic. Her wolf lingered just beneath the surface, feral and untamed, teetering on the edge of control. She was ready to defy me—ready to reject me. I knew she wasn’t in heat; I’d made sure of that. The maid had given her the medicine earlier, knowing today would bring her wolf forward. “Tell me, Dante Scout. You want to fuck me, right?” she demanded, gripping the arm I had wrapped around hers. I flinched. Me?Fuck?!This wasn’t just unexpected—it was something else entirely. “What if I do?” I shot back, locking my gaze onto hers, sharp and unwavering. “You’re my mate. I can take you however I want.” If she thought she could push me to my limits, she was about to learn I could go further. Much fu
Dante Scout POVDid she just call me a moron? Shock slammed into me like a freight train. But even that paled compared to the sheer absurdity of what I was witnessing—her running completely naked. I was grateful for one thing: the pack house was secluded, hidden from prying eyes. Yet, the sight of her just inches away from the main gate, ready to bolt, sent a surge of agitation through me. Still, I didn’t move. I wanted the fear she harbored for me to grip her, to root her in place. But it didn’t. She didn’t even flinch. How could she even *think* of running out like this? Naked? “Vinorca, stop right there!” I shouted, my voice sharp and commanding as she gripped the gate handle. I couldn’t just stand idle anymore. Does she seriously think she can leave like this? Without wasting another second, I moved. My wolf speed kicked in, and in an instant, I grabbed her wrist. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Vinorca?” I barked, yanking her back. Her body slammed against
Vinorca Jona POV Another voice fell into my ears, causing me to shiver on the spot. Is it Dante? But it doesn't sound like him. I can't even halt my feet to explain or defend myself, as they are working their own. Shit! I really want it to stop. ‘Don't worry, it's not Dante at all,’ the voice replied. I don't understand what's happening or why it has to be like this—two voices inside my head speaking as if they're conversing with each other. Whoever said, "Leaving for Good," isn't Dante. It's the voice inside my head speaking as if two people are residing there. ‘Why are you so scared, Vinorca? Chill out,” came a response inside my head, shocking me. I'm certain that I'm not talking to myself. Someone is inside my head, and there are two distinct tones and pitches I can hear. But who are they? My wolf? ‘What do you think? You're stressing your head more than necessary. Leave this topic aside and keep running,’ both voices loudly commanded, and suddenly my pace changed fro