AUTHOR’S POV The dark hall was covered in shadows and sorrow, a sea of black clothing as mourners gathered to pay their final respects. Nora stood by Leo’s grave, her hand trembling as she placed a lily on top of the polished wood of his coffin. Leo’s parents, their faces covered with grief, stood beside her, each adding their own floral tribute. Nora turned to them, but her eyes pointed at the ground, the guilt still weighing on her. She dropped to her knees and whispered, “I’m the reason your son is gone. I took him away from you. If he hadn’t saved me, he would still be here.” But Leo’s parents would hear none of it. His mother lifted Nora gently, her voice soft yet firm. “No, honey. It was not your doing. It was the will of the moon goddess, and our son chose to save you.” His father added, “You must live for him now. Make his sacrifice meaningful.” A smile lit up his broad face, softening his harsh features. Overwhelmed by their kindness, Nora felt a tear streak down her fac
AUTHOR’S POV A year later, A year had passed since Nora lost Leo, bringing her to this moment, seated in the dressing room, staring at herself in a wedding dress. Mrs. Williams, who had once been a wicked mother, now stood before her, offering jewels as tokens of acceptance and regret. The nightstand was filled with daily gifts from her and her husband, each one a silent plea for forgiveness. Nora’s gaze lingered on the jewels, her voice soft but strong. “I cannot accept these anymore,” she remarked. “Like I said before, I have already forgiven you a long time ago. These gifts aren’t necessary.” Regret formed a jagged rock in Mrs. Williams's stomach, and emotion flickered across her face. “These gifts are my punishment,” she declared. “I did a lot of awful things in the past, and I forgot that love doesn’t care about social status. The moon goddess herself would agree to that; that is why she made you my son’s mate. And no one is more suited for him than you.” The knock at the do
NORA’S POV I vividly remembered that night, when I…I was drugged and did something terrible. My head was pounding as I opened my eyes. I couldn’t recognize my surroundings. Where was I? What had I done? I turned on the bed and noticed Alpha George, the soon-to-be alpha of the Darkfire pack, sleeping next to me. His chest was rising and falling with his breath. His arm was draped over my waist. His scent was all over me. A high-pitched scream escaped from my throat. The scream was louder than I expected. I was hoping to wake up from this nightmare. But it was—it was real. And my scream. Woke. Him. Up. He stared at me with shock. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was open. He looked like he couldn’t believe what he saw. “Did we have sex?” he asked in a low voice. “What the hell are you doing in my room, woman? And who even are you? Did you seduce me? Are you a whore?” He tried to sound composed, but I could hear the panic in his tone. My entire body tensed, but no amount of st
NORA’S POV I paced back and forth in front of the hospital's emergency room, my heart pounding in my chest. I stopped and glanced at the screen of my phone, where Gina's number taunted me. I wanted to call her, to express my anger and frustration for ruining my life and causing me so much pain. But I didn't want to hear her shitty voice. Suddenly, the doors of the emergency room swung open, and a doctor in a white gown walked out. My stomach dropped as he approached me, his face grave. "Your mother has cancer," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It's aggressive, and she needs surgery as soon as possible." I felt a lump form in my throat, my vision blurring with tears. I struggled to find my voice. "S-So what are you waiting for? Start the surgery, I'm willing to pay any amount of money as long as she is—" He cut in, "But here's the catch. The surgery is going to cost around $100,000, and before we even think about starting, we need the money upfront.
NORA’S POV "What the hell are you doing at my door, looking like a goddamn queen?" I blurted out, unable to control my words. Alicia's elegant eyebrow arched, her piercing gaze fixed on me. "So, you are Nora Clark, huh?" she said, though it sounded more like a question. "Yeah, I'm Nora. What can I do for you, Your Highness?" I asked. She smirked and gestured towards my open door. "Well, why don't you invite me in? I would like to have a word with you," she said. I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering what the hell she wanted from an omega like me. "Oh, forgive my manners. Please come in, Your Highness," I said and quickly stepped aside. She strolled into the dimly lit living room with her two bodyguards. I rushed to open the windows and allowed the morning light to brighten the apartment. She took in my surroundings, a little bit of disappointment on her face as she settled onto the worn-out couch in the center of the room. I walked over to her and instead of sitting on the one-sea
NORA’S POVI sank to the filthy cell floor, my trembling legs unable to support me any longer. Tears streamed down my face, my whole body shaking with the weight of my actions. I never meant for any of this to happen. I never meant to shoot my own sister. But now, with the news of Gina's death hanging over me, I couldn't stop the stream of tears, and I could barely breathe.The other cellmates stared at me, their eyes burning with curiosity and judgment. But I didn't have the energy to care. All I could see was Gina's lifeless body on the ground when I removed the bean bag and the flash of my finger pulling the trigger replaying in my mind like a broken record.In the blink of an eye, Thomas appeared at the cell gate with his face contorted with anger and grief, his eyes filled with venom as he started hurling accusations at me. "You fucking monster! You killed her, didn't you? I know what you are capable of, you sick bitch!"I cried out through my sobs, my voice hoarse. "It was an ac
NORA’S POVAs I walked up the hill towards the beautiful mansion, guided by Alicia's intimidating bodyguards, my heart pounded hard in my chest. The rumors surrounding this place were wild, but here I was about to find out the truth. We entered the lavish living room, adorned with elegant furniture and artifacts from around the world. There, standing in the center of it was a doctor."Welcome, Nora. I am Doctor Laura, I will be in charge of the whole process," she greeted me with a smile. "I assume you are ready for this life-changing opportunity?"I nodded, although I was scared, and this all felt surreal. I had to do it to earn my freedom back. "Yes, I am. Let's do this.""Come with me," she said, leading me to one of the many expensive couches in the living room and handed me a pen and a thick paper."That's the contract; you can go through it if you want," she said and took a seat on the couch, and I sat down on the three-seater couch in front of her. I opened the pen with my mout
Present… Nora’s POV I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heartbeat. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion, embarrassment, and guilt. The sound of the water echoed in the shower, its soothing rhythm trying to wash away the taint of my recklessness. I scrubbed vigorously as if I could scrub away the shame that clung to my skin. My body shivered under the hot water, not from the heat but from the memories that flashed through my mind. The feel of his lips on mine and the way his hands roamed my body with an intensity that made my knees weak. As I stepped out of the shower, I reached for the arsenal of beauty products—makeup to conceal the hickies that disfigured my neck and jaw and perfume to drown out the intoxicating scent of Alpha George that still clung like a possessive lover. The mirror reflected back a girl I didn’t recognize. I slipped into a cute pink dress, hoping it would take my mind off things. With my head hanging low, I made my way to the living room and st