The bar was rowdy and filled with people. Different shades of lights dazzled the entire area. The music was blaring, and the ground shook every time the DJ tuned his equipment.
Raven looked at the barman, who was busy attending to other people seated at the counter, as she raised her glass. "One more bottle, please."He looked at her before his gaze flickered to the now-empty bottle of tequila. She could easily tell he was worried, seeing her finish a whole bottle herself and still ask for more. But she couldn't be bothered to care about keeping faces at that moment. He also seemed to consider that he was making a profit, and instead of convincing her otherwise, he brought out another bottle for her.She took yet another glass of tequila, feeling the burning sensation down her throat, and her eyes welled up with tears. She couldn't even be sure if it was due to the strong taste of the drink or if she was just too sad and needed to cry."Aish..." She whispered, her body swaying on the chair due to the several shots she had taken.The series of events that had unfolded in the past week had been enough to make her want to cry into a bucket.First, she had found out who her mate was and then got rejected by him. And then, she had no idea how the rest of the pack members found out, but the bullying and harassment she had to face in the days that followed were incomprehensible.And then, to top it all off, her so-called mate had found her the night before after ignoring her and treating her as if she were invisible the past few days, only to try to sleep with her. When he was rejected, he had offered to make her his sex slave in exchange for protecting her.It was the final straw for her. Nothing hurt more than her rightful mate wanting to take advantage of her and make her his mistress."Fuck..."She was disgusted, heartbroken, and frustrated by everything that had driven her out of the pack house and into the streets dominated by humans to get some fresh air. She didn't know how she had ended up in the bar, but the drinks seemed to be doing well as a distraction from her issues.While she was quietly brooding, three men suddenly appeared beside her and took their seats around, enclosing her in the middle. At first, Raven was too far gone to notice their motives.But when one of them suddenly said to the barman, "Get this beautiful lady another drink. Her bills are on me."She looked up at the man before moving her gaze around and noticing that the three of them were strange. She lifted a hand, slurring as she rejected, "No, thank... you. I'm... good."The men laughed and didn't force her. Instead, the one on her right tried to strike up a conversation."Pretty lady, why were you here drinking alone?""Are you heartbroken? Did your boyfriend jilt you?" Another asked, and they laughed.Raven could sense that something was wrong, and she didn't say anything in response. Instead, she looked toward the barman, feeling her head swaying with every moment. She was getting uneasy."How much is my bill?" She asked."Two hundred bucks," he replied, and she dug her hand into her pocket for her card. She had saved some money up in the past two years, so she wasn't completely broke and had something to fall back on."I'll pay for it," the man insisted, but Raven still brought out her card, and the barman took it.She stepped down from the chair she sat on, staggering immediately as she was not yet balanced, and nearly fell off the platform. But she managed to stand up straight, narrowly avoiding the outstretched hands of the men who were now trying to grope her as their eyes scanned her figure.They had noticed Raven from the moment she entered. She was quite beautiful, that was for sure. It was something even Lucas had noticed in her despite his presumed disgust and hate. And it was the reason Nadia hated her guts despite always looking down on her.She was fairly tall and had a slender figure with ample breasts, and a perky bottom that seemed to jiggle every time she moved.The men were immediately enticed, and they set their gaze on her. She was a good catch, especially since it was clear she was a novice in the bar and wasn't quite aware of the dynamics.Even though she resisted them, they weren't deterred, as they were convinced they could handle a club geek like her.Raven stumbled toward the exit, ignoring the calls from the barman to get back her card. She stumbled, half-drunk and half-conscious, toward the parking lot that led to the open roads, intending to get a cab.But before she could do anything, she was grabbed by the men who had quickly followed her out and were now trying to corner her in a deserted parking lot."Let... go!"Raven immediately tried to resist as she shook off their strong grips, but she couldn't go far for long, as she was thoroughly drunk and stumbled on her steps again.Werewolves usually didn't get drunk easily, as they had better immunity compared to humans, but Raven was an omega, and she had come to the bar with the sole reason to drink away her sorrows. She was far gone and couldn't even summon her wolf, not to mention fighting off three strong men."Little sister, don't struggle so much. We're not going to hurt you."Another one quickly quipped, "See, you're so beautiful. Why would we want to do anything bad to you?""You're so drunk. Let's help you. A pretty girl like you shouldn't walk around the streets alone at night.""No. No need," Raven stuttered as she tried to break away from their grip. But she couldn't even fight them off no matter what."Help me!" She wanted to shout as she caught sight of a figure coming out of the bar, but the men quickly covered her mouth tightly."Shut up, you little bitch!" One of them growled as he reached out to slap her, but his hand was grabbed from behind and the next moment, he was thrown over someone's shoulder.A few kicks here and there, and all three men were on the floor with broken ribs and jaws. They screamed in pain as they looked at the tall masculine figure that had suddenly appeared and was glaring at them angrily.The man approached them once again, but before he could do anything, they quickly scrambled off the ground and limped away, howling as they went. The man watched them as they left, seemingly wanting to chase after them but deciding against it as he looked back toward her.Raven had long fallen flat on the ground, losing her balance, and now had her eyes closed as she dozed off. The man stared at her quietly and sighed, both speechless and amused as he reached out to carry her in his arms and walked toward a black Ghost parked across the street.AUTHOR'S POV:"Congratulations, Miss Raven. You're three months pregnant," Dr. Foster announced with a warm smile, his eyes reflecting genuine joy. The test results were on top of his desk as he closed the papers.Raven blinked, disbelief etched across her face. "Pregnant? But... how?" she stammered, her mind still catching up. It felt like the walls were suddenly closing in on her.The doctor chuckled. "Well, it seems you fainted earlier because of more than just fatigue. You're going to be a mother." He handed her the test result, and Raven's trembling hands took hold of it.She sat there for a couple of seconds, trying to process the situation. She had fainted at the office earlier that day, so she came to the hospital, but surely, she was not expecting to be told she was pregnant."Thank you, Doctor," she managed to utter, her thoughts racing. As she exited the office, the weight of the news sank in, leaving her stunned.As she walked along the hospital hallway, she ran into Larson
TRISTAN’S POV:I stared at the screen, my eyes glued to the footage Ethan had managed to salvage from the hotel's security system. Frustration simmered within me as I realized there was a critical gap – the moment Seraphine supposedly plunged into the water was missing. Deleted. Gone."Can't you retrieve that part?" I asked Ethan, my voice tight with worry.Ethan sighed, shoulders slumping. "I went to Jasper's place, watched him try, but even he couldn't get it back. It's like it vanished."Disturbed, I knew that missing piece was vital to proving Raven's innocence. No matter how fiercely I could protect her, I couldn't let a stain tarnish her reputation. I pondered the options – interrogate Seraphine, force a confession, but the risks loomed large. Accusations of me using my power to bully could tarnish my position without solid proof. Not to mention, it would affect Raven - they'd accuse her of messing with my head."We need that footage, Ethan. Find a way," I urged, worry coursing
RAVEN'S POV:An uneasy vibe buzzed in me as Tristan and I shuffled down the hospital hallway. Seraphine supposedly woke up, but it still felt surreal. What happened still feels like a dream to me, and I was unable to come to terms that she had almost died.When we reached the door of the VIP ward she was staying in, a crowd awaited – her family. I didn't realize she had so many relatives, and even Tristan's mom, Luna BlackClaw, was there.The moment we appeared, all gazes fell on us, especially me. Their glares screamed judgment, but I held my cool, knowing I didn't do what they accused.Probably sensing my unease, Tristan held my palm and rubbed it, an attempt to reassure me, so I shot him a forced smile, not wanting him to worry.Luna BlackClaw jumped on me first, fuming, "How dare you show your face here?"She looked very furious, and if one didn't know, they'd think Seraphine was her daughter. I would have been intimidated, but the conviction that I did nothing wrong made me meet
Raven’s POV:I held a glass of wine as I looked around the hall. I was attending Madison's engagement ceremony, and there weren't a lot of people in attendance, as the marriage was not aristocratic, and there were a lot of gossip about them in the pack. Not to mention, it was no news that her father wanted her to marry a richer and well-known man, not her mate. They were all everybody was talking about and giving their two cents of advice on like they knew it all.But as I stared at Madison's figure walking around the entire hall arm in arm with her mate, Christian, I could tell she was happy with the man she ended up with. And I was happy for her because it meant that not all mates were assholes, and they complemented one another well.However, as I saw Madison approaching me with Christian, I placed the wine glass in my hand on the table some distance from me. I didn't want to toast her and have to drink the wine.Firstly, because I had promised Tristan that even though he wasn't th
TRISTAN’S POV:I smiled, seeing the sheer fear and shame that ran through their spines upon seeing me. "Isn't it rude to start a meeting without me, the main topic of the so-called abdication?"As I spoke, I strolled to my seat and settled down. Lucas frowned, but he was soon back to being haughty. That made me frown at his closed-mindedness - how could he be foolish enough to rely only on one piece of evidence that wasn't conclusive enough?"Which rule of the council talks about members not holding a meeting behind the Alpha King?" I questioned as I tapped on the table, intending to drag it out and give them chills."Ru...rule 15," one of them managed to speak while the rest of them frowned, but they all seemed to have regained their composure.I was about to respond when Lucas coldly snorted, "That doesn't include an abdication gathering in the case of a bad Alpha King."That made me perk up, and my gaze found his. "Oh really? How bad of a King am I that you all respectable Alphas w
Lucas paced back and forth in his dimly lit study, a sense of urgency in his voice as he spoke into his phone. "Make sure the meeting room is ready, and no one should tip off Tristan. We can't afford any slip-ups," he ordered.The door swung open abruptly, and Nadia stood there, a hand on her now heavily pregnant stomach. Anger flashed in Lucas's eyes, but he held back his initial impulse to shout at her for barging in. Instead, he ended the call, turning his attention to Nadia. "What are you doing here?" he inquired, attempting to keep his tone steady.Nadia, however, was not in the mood for pleasantries. She stormed toward Lucas, pushing him in the chest. "What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, frustration evident in her voice.Perplexed, Lucas responded, "What do you mean?"Without wasting a moment, Nadia thrust photos into his face. "Someone saw you with another woman last night. They're spreading rumors about us," she accused, her eyes ablaze.Lucas glanced at the picture