CHAPTER 132: THE DOMEVENUS:I don’t know how long I was out, but the next thing I felt was a rough tap on my shoulder.“Hey, miss… wake up.”My eyes snapped open. Two men in black uniforms with the mall’s logo stood over me, flashlights aimed at my face. My heart jumped into my throat. For a second, I thought Maxim had sent them.I pushed myself up from the bench, rubbing my eyes. “What… what is it?”One of them crossed his arms. “We should be the ones asking that. What are you doing here, sleeping in the open like this?”“I…” My throat tightened. Lying wouldn’t help. “I don’t have a place to stay.”They exchanged a quick look.“Are you homeless?” the taller one asked.I nodded slowly, hugging the paper bag with the money tight against my chest. “Yeah. Just for now. I just… I need somewhere to sleep. Please, I’m not causing trouble.”The shorter one squatted a little, his flashlight dimming. “Where are you from?”“Far from here.” My voice cracked. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”He si
CHAPTER 131: OLIVIA IS PREGNANT MAXIM:“Take her to the pack clinic,” I had said to Conrad last night after he had informed me that Olivia was unconscious. I had better things to worry about than worrying about someone who has caused so much pain.I paced my office, my room, even the damn hallways. Every time I shut my eyes, I saw Venus’s face. I saw her eyes when she begged me to believe her. And then her back as she ran.I went out more than once, shifting into my wolf, sniffing the borders, praying I’d catch even the faintest trace of her scent. But nothing. Just cold air and my own damn guilt choking me.By morning, I looked like hell, but I didn’t care. I had one more thing to take care of before anything else—Olivia. Conrad had said she was out cold last night. I hadn’t bothered to check, too wound up in my own mess. But today, I needed answers.The walk to the clinic was quiet except for the sound of my angry feet hitting the gravel. A few pack members I passed bowed their hea
CHAPTER130: THE STRANGER’S KINDNESSVENUS:I hugged my knees tighter to my chest, my entire body trembling as the rain poured down in sheets. My hair was plastered to my face, my clothes heavy and damp, sticking to my skin. The smell of gasoline from the abandoned station mixed with the earthy scent of wet asphalt, and every little sound out there felt like danger lurking.The moment I saw headlights earlier, my heart had stopped. I hid behind the wall and peeped but when the car stopped in front of the gas station and the driver stepped out, I knew I had to change my hiding position.So I pressed myself flat against the ground, crawling behind a half-fallen metal sign and broken crates. My fingers dug into the mud as I held my breath. The man had stepped out of the car, his boots crunching against the gravel as he circled around.“There’s no way Venus will be out here…” he muttered under his breath. “But I still have to check.”I didn’t move. I held myself from even breathing loudly.
CHAPTER 129: DESPERATE FOR VENUS MAXIM:The first drop of rain hit my window like a taunt from the heavens. By the time I looked outside, the sky had already opened up, releasing heavy drops of water that poured down on the roofs and pounded the earth below. My chest tightened instantly.Venus… where are you?I sat up from my chair, still feeling very regretful about everything that has happened. Crystal’s words haunted me. The pictures…were all AI-generated. And the stranger who claimed that Venus was his lover was paid to do so I had accused Venus of something she never did. I had looked into her eyes, the eyes of the woman who had given me nothing but loyalty, and I had chosen to believe a deception instead.Now she was out there, alone, hurt, betrayed, and in the middle of a storm.“No,” I muttered, shaking my head violently. “I can’t just sit here.”I stormed out of my study and into the hallway. Several of my guards straightened the moment they saw me.“Alpha?” one of them a
Chapter 128: My Biggest MistakeMAXIM:I have never lost control like that in a long time. Not since I was a young wolf.When my claws ripped through that stranger’s neck, it wasn’t me, it was my wolf, Bruno. He was a massive beast and very deadly when enraged. My disappointment. My fear that Venus had betrayed me had caused me to lose my control over Bruno. Everything exploded in one moment, and before I knew it, blood was everywhere. And the stranger’s head rolled on the floor.But when I looked up, what I saw in Venus' face was pure terror. Her face was pale, and her body trembled. She backed away from me as if I was the monster she had been running from all her life.And then she turned and fled.I didn’t chase her at first. I thought she had only gone to hide, maybe in the clinic, or in the maid’s quarters. I was still angry, too furious to even listen to her. I told myself I would have to calm down before I called her back to talk.But hours passed. The sun began to sink. Shado
CHAPTER 127: RUNNING IN THE RAIN VENUS: I didn’t know how I found the strength in me, but my legs kept moving with a lightening speed. I ran like a frightened deer through the woods, my lungs burning with every breath. My heart pounded so loud I could hear it in my ears. Branches scratched my arms and face, but I didn't care. I had to run for my life. Even when stones dug into my bare feet, I still didn't stop. I just couldn’t afford to stop running because I didn't want to die. I didn’t even look where I was going most times. I just wanted to get away from the Bloodclaw pack, and from Olivia’s mocking eyes. Every few minutes, I forced myself to glance back, terrified that someone was right behind me. Maybe Maxim had sent warriors. Maybe they were hoping I would trip and fall. But each time I looked back, I saw nothing. No shadows chasing me, no sound of heavy paws hitting the ground. Just the cold, dark woods and the wind rushing past my ears. “Keep running, Venus. Just keep