LEAH
The drive back to the house felt like I was in an oven. Dante was already in the house and to my luck I was forced to use another car yet heaven knows I was more bothered about what was going down tonight. The car came to a halt and I swallowed harder before taking a deep breath and stepping out. There was no doubt he was going to touch me tonight. At the balcony he had whispered eight o'clock in my ears and I had half an hour to get my shut together. “We'll help you get ready" Two maids appeared from nowhere and I knew they were made by the way they dressed, but I've never seen them before Half an hour past and I was sitting in his… Our room and he was nowhere to be seen. I nervously moved back and forth in the room as I stared at the clock that was exactly eight then the door cracked open making me freeze in place. “You seem very impatient little one” His voice sent chills down my bone and to make it worst, I was excited I shouldn't be excited but I was The night was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. Dante’s touch was possessive yet careful, as though he was holding something fragile, something he wasn’t willing to break. For the first time in my life, I felt wanted, like I wasn’t just a discarded piece of property passed from one man to another. His lustful eyes found might and I could trace the shimmer of gold in them while my body got hot with every passing seconds and his lips met mine. Fireworks were an understatement, tingles flowed through my bone. His fingers brushed my nose gently as he deepened the kiss, it was no longer lust, it was something I couldn't place a finger on, but I didn't want him to stop Disappointment courses through my body when he pulled away, and I realized I wasn't breathing at all, I tried to catch my breath, but it was instantly taken away when his hot breath showered my shoulder blades making me swallow His lips traced paths along my skin, claiming every inch of me with a quiet intensity that left me trembling. His hands, calloused and warm, skimmed my waist, my shoulders, my back, drawing out sensations I didn’t know I could feel. I had spent years believing I was worthless, but in his arms, I wasn’t just Leah, the unwanted mate. I was his Queen. The way he looked at me in the dim light of the bedroom, his silver eyes darkened with an emotion I couldn’t name, made my heart race. He wasn’t just touching my body, he was unraveling me, piece by piece, until there was nothing left but raw vulnerability. And yet, I wasn’t afraid. Two hours passed like a breeze and I wished I could relive them over and over again. It didn't matter that I had experienced it before with my ex-husband, this felt good, it felt right even if the wedding doesn't settle in my mind. I watched him sleep quietly, and I wished for him to wake up, but he looked so peaceful sleeping and absolutely nothing like the beast everyone knew. I moved closer to him and let myself peaceful slip into my dream land By the time the sun rose, I lay tangled in the silk sheets, my body exhausted but strangely light. I wasn’t sure what had changed between us, but I knew there was no going back, and I don't regret it to my surprise. I glanced over at Dante, his strong arm draped over my waist, his breathing steady. I suddenly remembered everything that happened last night and I blushed before looking at him again, a stark contrast to the ruthless Alpha everyone feared. I had to remind myself that I couldn’t afford to get attached. Whatever this was, whatever last night had meant, I had to be careful. Dante was dangerous, and I was already starting to feel something for him, something I shouldn’t which scared the daylight out of me. A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I carefully slid out of bed, wrapping a robe around myself before opening the door. A servant stood there, holding a tray of food and I furrowed my eyebrows confused “The king asked me to bring this to you,” she said politely, and I stared at the tray of food in surprise before looking back at the human who was fast asleep I hesitated before taking it. “Thank you.” I set the tray down on the table and lifted the lid. The smell of fresh bread, eggs, and fruit filled the room. My stomach twisted with hunger, but something else curled inside me, something unfamiliar. No one had ever taken care of me like this before. Tears filled my eyes and I immediately wiped it away, couldn't afford for him to see me like this. I turned to look at him as he peacefully slept, and I fought the urge to kiss him. Dante stirred, his eyes opening slowly as he stretched, and he looked at me, “You need to stop staring at me like that,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. “I would rather not wake you,” I said softly while looking at the food on the side cupboard He pushed himself up, the blanket slipping to reveal the hard lines of his chest. “Did you eat?” “I was about to. How do you even order food while you are asleep?” He stood, walking toward me, and without hesitation, he plucked a piece of fruit from the tray and pressed it against my lips. “I have my ways, come on, eat, Leah.” I swallowed hard before taking a small bite. The gesture was intimate, almost too much, but I didn’t pull away. Dante watched me with an unreadable expression before he grabbed a cup of coffee and took a sip. “You should rest today,” he said. “But tomorrow, training begins.” I blinked. “Training?” “You need to be stronger, Leah. I won’t have you weak and defenseless.” I frowned, setting my fork down. “I don’t need training. I can take care of myself.” His silver eyes darkened. “You think you can? After everything that’s happened? If you had been stronger, those rogues wouldn’t have touched you, again”. His words were a knife to my pride. I had spent so long being powerless, and I hated that he saw me that way. But he wasn’t wrong. If I had been stronger, maybe my life wouldn’t have turned out the way it did. “I’ll think about it,” I mumbled. Dante leaned in, his fingers tilting my chin up so I had no choice but to meet his gaze. “You belong to me now, Leah. And I protect what’s mine.” I can't believe we were having the same conversation as last night and he wasn't complaining Something flickered in his eyes, something dark and possessive. The words sent a strange shiver down my spine, and I wasn’t sure if it was fear or something else entirely. After breakfast, Dante left for his duties, leaving me alone in the massive bedroom. I wandered aimlessly, my fingers brushing against the velvet drapes, the polished wood of the furniture. My eyes landed on the nightstand, where a drawer sat slightly ajar. I only meant to grab a tissue, but when I opened it, my breath caught in my throat. There, tucked neatly inside, was a portrait. Of me. I picked it up, my fingers trembling. The image was an old one, I looked younger, my face softer, my eyes uncertain. But there was something wrong. I had no memory of ever taking this picture. A chill ran through me as I stared at the image. How did Dante have this? And why? The question settled deep in my gut, a dark suspicion curling inside me. Whatever I thought I knew about Dante, it wasn’t the entire truth. And now, I needed to find out exactly what he was hiding.DANTE The day had finally come and Alpha Dante was making the final announcement to the senior pack committee. He was going to leave later at night when everyone was in the confines of their beds because he didn't want anyone to know where he was going, to avoid the risk of them following him. Everybody was not happy with Alpha Dante's temporary exchange of power but when they heard the reason, they backed him and he was happy that they did. He would not have been able to live with himself if they didn't. "I leave you guys in good hands, with the man that was there for both me and my father whenever we needed him. My uncle, Charles Lockwood." He took the hand of his uncle and raised it. The rest of the committee rose their hands up reluctantly, which made Alpha Dante feel a knot in his stomach. He gave them a sad smile before he took a step back for their temporary new king to speak. "I know all of you here are used to having Alpha Dante as your king, and I respect that be
LEAH It has been three days since the incident with Paula and Alpha Victor happened and I had not been able to step foot outside. I was enraged, knowing that Paula had probably moved in with him by now because they were mates. If they slept together, their bond would hold them to each other and they wouldn’t be able to leave again. Especially after she has been gone for a long time. I couldn’t help but feel like the both of them used me for their selfish gain. While she was gone, Victor used me as a distraction and now that she is back, I was tossed away like an empty bag of nothing. It hurt me more than it was supposed to. I felt like I was slowly slipping into the depression phase because I had barely eaten since that night, and I had not bathed since then. But when I saw how time was ticking and moving, not bothering to wait for anybody, I knew that I had to do something or else my entire life would go to shit. I wanted to leave the pack and head to another, where no one
DANTE Alpha Dante toasted a cup to his uncle with a smile on his face as they went down the memory lane. He laughed as his uncle reminded him of all the goofy things he had done when he was young, all the sacrifices he made for the pack and all his parents did for love. He convinced him that no matter what, love always came first for the wolves in their pack. His father may not have done worse when it came to love but he knew if he was in that situation, he would do it without thinking twice. It was a day before Alpha Dante left the Aurora pack to the Tick moon pack with nothing but a carry-on of his clothes and money. He was going to make a brand new life in the neighboring pack since he had never shown his face, or had a meeting with anyone from the pack. Whatever relationship the both of them had come as a result of the pack members, and barely ever from the pack Alphas. “You have always been successful Dante, it wouldn’t be any different this time. I promise.” He placed
LEAH We got to the palace late at night. The doors to the palace were closed, the Omegas were back at their log cabins but the bodyguards still stood, the night shifters who I’m sure came in just a few minutes ago. I was sure Alpha Robert was in our room, trying to get some sleep after a long day. I’m sure he hadn’t fallen asleep because I could peek at some light right from the threshold of the palace. “You should get my clothes upstairs,” I told my maid as I stepped into the house. The bodyguards were surprised to see me, but they greeted me nevertheless and welcomed me back. “Okay, ma.” She nodded before she headed upstairs to my room where I kept some of my stuff. Alpha Robert didn’t allow any Omega into our room because of reasons unknown to me, but I knew it had to do with his mother. She was that way towards the Omegas too, even though Robert was softer than she was to them. I headed towards the fridge that just had its position changed recently. We always did
DANTE Dante's days were getting longer and each day that passed. He was barely able to have a good night's sleep before waking up in sweats and horror, unconscious of his surroundings. He was getting tired of it and taking Maria's advice suddenly didn't seem like a very bad idea. He was at the pack meeting, but he was barely concentrating on what the pack's committee was saying because of his lack of sleep in him. He caught himself dozing off a few times since the meeting started, which confused both his Beta and the rest of the committee because they knew Alpha Dante never showed a weak side. Even when he was sick, he would rather stay back in the palace than come down to the meeting and show a sign of weakness like sleep. "Alpha Brain," Beta Louis, who was closest to him touched his arm which jerked him up from his reverie. He brought his hand up to his forehead and massaged it before he turned to look at him. "What is it, Louis?" He asked. Beta Louis looked at him in
LEAH The next few days at my home were the best. I loved how I was being treated by Alpha Robert, which was strange compared to who he was a few days ago. It was quite surprising for a man that had that sort of tantrum to turn out to be all forgiving and loving in the next second. I was surprised but I knew I had to enjoy it while it lasted. “Are you done dressing up my queen?” He asked, planting a subtle kiss on my cheek and hugging me from behind. My body radiated with heat as thoughts of last night came rushing into my mind. I loved having sex with him, but I knew deep in my heart he wasn’t the one I wanted to be with. He was not my mate, he was my sister’s. It felt wrong letting him fuck me with every chance he got after I came back, even though I knew it had a lot to do with Paula. “Yes.” I nodded, a fake smile appearing on my lips as I tied my hair into my usual hairstyle. I decided to change my choice of clothing today because Alpha Robert’s mother would be here to ta