LOGINRhea POVVivianne looked flawless even this early in the morning, her silk robe slipping off one shoulder, her hair tousled like she’d just rolled out of a bed made of pure moonlight.No matter how much I hated her for what she had done to me, there was no denying how beautiful she was. Perfect face. Perfect figure. Everything exactly where it was supposed to be.I couldn’t compete with that.The closer she stepped, the faster my heart began to race. My fingers trembled so badly that my phone slipped from my grasp, hitting the floor softly as I lowered my head on instinct, bowing in respect.“Good… good morning, Luna,” I stuttered.I might be Dorian’s mistress, but she was still his wife. A woman with enough power to get rid of me. A woman who already had.“To you,” she replied, stopping directly in front of me. Even with my head down, I could feel her gaze slowly sweeping over my body.Then her hand shot out and she grabbed me by the neck.I gasped as her fingers clamped like iron, h
Rhea POVLess than thirty minutes later, the food came.He brought the tray back himself, carrying it into the bedroom and setting it beside me on the bed. He didn’t say anything as he took the chair across from me and sat down, just watched while I ate.I could feel his eyes on me the whole time. At this point, I couldn’t even tell if I liked this version of him. Or if I was just relieved he wasn’t angry anymore. At least he’d said he didn’t hate me. That counted for something. Right?When I finished, he took the plates back to the sitting area without a word.By the time he returned, I was already lying under the thick blanket, curled in on myself. Without hesitation, he climbed into the bed behind me like it was the most natural thing in the world.I wanted to turn away. To put space between us. To breathe without feeling him.But he didn’t let me.He pulled me back against his chest, wrapping his arms around me from behind without loosening his grip.His heartbeat was fast and uns
Rhea POVThe silence that followed was deafening.Why did I even ask that again? Isa didn’t say anything about him loving her, even when he got attached. I was just being ahead of myself. Fuck, I’m so stupid. I shouldn’t have—“I don’t know,” came the reply I hadn’t expected, draining all the voices in my head.It wasn’t a yes. Not a no. But he didn’t know.“I don’t know what I feel for you, Rhea.” His expression was still blank, but his eyes were saying something else. I could see sadness in them, and that only confused me more. Why was he sad? Was that even possible?“But…” he continued. “I know I no longer hate you. I know I want you by my side always. I know I can’t stand anyone hurting you.”“Except you,” I added impulsively, trying to pass it off as a joke. But he wasn’t laughing. Not that I expected him to.“Are you scared of me?”His words sent a shiver down my spine, through every exposed part of my body.“I am,” I replied honestly, watching the sadness in his eyes deepen. It
Rhea POV I groaned as my eyes fluttered open, my entire body feeling like I’d been hit by a truck, dragged through hell, and finally thrown off a cliff for good measure. Everything hurt. My thighs burned. My hips ached with deep bruises. My ass stung. And between my legs… god. I could still feel him, swollen and tender, like he’d been inside me for hours. Which he had. I remembered the exact moment the pleasure turned to pain, when he didn’t give me time to adjust or even a second to breathe. No break. No pause. Eventually my body just couldn’t take it anymore. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw before losing consciousness was his glowing red eyes, his low grunt hovering over me. Where was I? The thought formed slowly as my eyes finally focused and my gaze shifted around the room. That was when it hit me. I was in Dorian’s bed. Worse, the moon was out. I groaned again and lifted a hand to my sore neck, only to freeze when my fingers brushed over a bandage. My breath
Kale POVShe couldn’t even wait until dessert to drag Rhea into it.My jaw clenched, my grip tightening around my fork as heat crept up my neck.“Rhea’s not useless,” I said, my voice coming out low and sharp. “And she’s not the reason I don’t have plans mapped out like the golden child here.”Mom’s eyes narrowed instantly. “Watch your tone. I’m just saying, spending all your time with a low rank girl who has no ambition—”“She has ambition,” I cut in, my grip tightening even more. “She’s smart. She’s kind. She works harder than half the pack—”“Enough!”Dad finally spoke. What should have been a growl came out slurred, thick and wet because half his face was paralyzed, the sound scraping like gravel dragged over glass.“Do you really want to spend the rest of your life chasing some omega,” he continued, “knowing fully well we will never allow a union that brings our lineage down?”“But she’s—”“Kale!”Damian cut in, slamming his fist against the table so hard the dishes rattled. I fl
Kale POV“Why isn’t she answering?” I muttered, staring at my phone, debating dialing her number again.I was in Damian’s office at the pack estate. He sat away from me with his legs kicked up on the desk, a toothpick hanging from his mouth as he pulled out his phone and started calling someone. A second later, I realized it was Dorian.I scoffed internally and shifted my attention back to Rhea’s number glowing on my screen, tuning out whatever conversation they were about to have. It was always useless to me anyway.“Are you fucking right now?” Damian’s voice suddenly sharpened, cutting through the room and catching my attention.I squinted in disgust. Who the hell answers a call mid sex, loud enough to be heard?I felt bad for whatever woman Dorian was with. No one deserved that bastard. I still didn’t understand what Vivienne saw in him. She was too perfect, too kind, and he… he was just there. Cold. Arrogant. A man who didn’t deserve her light.I sighed when Rhea still didn’t pick







