Push! âMy queen, you are almost there,â the midwife urged Luna Anita, who was midway through labor. With a long, determined push, Luna Anita gave a final effort, and suddenly a baby's cry filled the room. The midwife quickly handed the newborn to a waiting maid and turned back to attend to Luna.
âAnita, please, my lady, you have to push again. The second baby is almost out,â she said, caressing the Luna's forehead. Luna Anita nodded and, gathering up her strength, with one last push, another baby was brought into the world, accompanied by a loud cry.
âCongratulations, my lady, you've delivered two bouncing baby boys,â the midwife announced. Luna Anita smiled weakly, exhaustion etched on her face.
âGo tell the Alpha,â she instructed a maid who bowed and hurried out of the room.
âLet me see my boys,â Luna Anita requested, stretching out her hands. The first child, still crying, was gently placed into her arms. Luna Anita cradled him, tears of joy glistening in her eyes as she beamed at the precious little boy. He had her exact sea-blue eyes, and she fell in love with him at first sight.
âMy darling,â she whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. âYou are so perfect.â
The midwife then placed the second baby into Luna Anita's arms. She marveled at the difference between her two sons. They weren't identical as she had expected. Instead, they had very different facial features. The second twin had piercing green eyes, just like his father, the Alpha. She marveled at their uniqueness and kissed their tiny faces.
The sound of the door opening caught her attention, and she looked up to see two maids rushing into the room, looking panicked and scared.
âWhat is wrong?â Luna Anita asked, her voice filled with unease.
âMy lady, it's your handmaid, Jennifer,â the first maid mumbled, fear evident in her voice.
âWhat about Jennifer? Is she in labor as well?â Luna Anita asked, panic rising in her chest.
Jennifer, her most trusted handmaid, who had mysteriously gotten pregnant and refused to reveal the father, was also in her ninth month of pregnancy.
âShe is dead, my lady. She died while giving birth,â one of the maids said, choking through her tears.
âNo!â Luna Anita exclaimed in pain. âHow? When? Why?â
The maid, struggling to speak through her sobs, managed to explain, âShe fell unconscious after delivering her baby. We tried to revive her, but it was already too late, my lady. She died.â
Luna Anita felt a wave of pain wash over her. She clutched her newborns tightly, drawing strength from their presence.
âWhere is her baby?â she asked, her voice trembling.
The second maid stepped forward, her hands trembling as she cradled a tiny, swaddled bundle.
âHere, my lady. It's a little girl.â
Luna Anita reached out, taking the newborn girl into her arms. The baby's eyes were tightly shut, her tiny face peaceful.
âShe looks so much like her,â Luna Anita mumbled as tears trickled down her cheeks.
âShould we send her to the orphanage?â one maid tried suggesting, but Luna Anita shook her head in disapproval.
âNo, I will care for her. She will live here,â Luna Anita vowed, placing a soft kiss on the baby's face.
---
Eighteen years later
Amara balanced a tray of hot coffee in her hands as she made her way upstairs to Damonâs room. Reaching the door, she knocked gently, but there was no response. She knocked again, this time with a bit more force.
âStop knocking, and get the hell in!â Damonâs irritated voice grunted from inside the room.
Amara swallowed her discomfort, hating the way he shouted at her. Opening the door, she stepped into his room, carefully closing it behind her.
Turning around, her eyes fell on Damon, who was on the bed passionately kissing a blonde girl. They were so engrossed in their act that they didn't even bother to acknowledge her presence.
Amara immediately looked away and quietly made her way to the table. This wasn't the first time she had walked in on Damon in the middle of an intimate act, but each time her heart clenched with an ache she could never fully suppress.
As a maid, having a crush on the Alpha's son was absurd, yet Amara couldn't help the way she felt about Damon. But Damon had never seen her as anything more than a maid, and she knew she would always remain that way in his eyes.
After setting down the tray of coffee on the desk, Amara turned to leave as quickly as possible, but Damon's voice stopped her.
âWait,â he commanded, and pushed away the lady who was wrapped around his arm.
As he approached her, she noticed that he was only in his underwear, and her eyes involuntarily wandered around his groin. Awkwardly, she gulped and quickly looked down toward the floor. But she couldn't deny he was huge down there, which explained why girls flocked around him.
With an irritated frown on his face, Damon picked up the coffee, took a sip, and immediately growled, âYou added sugar to this.â
âDo either of you want to be betrothed? If there is any young damsel you desire, speak now, and I will arrange an engagement to ensure no one else claims her while you are away for these five years,â Alpha Richardson said, offering the same suggestion his father had given him when he went for his own training. âNo one, Father,â Damon replied without hesitation. There was no other lady he desired apart from the one he had already rejectedâAmara. Alpha Richardson furrowed his brow and glanced at Damon, wondering why his son declined so quickly. âWhy, son?â Alpha Richardson asked, his gaze curious. Damon sighed and ran a hand through his hair before meeting his fatherâs eyes. âBecause I want to marry my mate. I believe sheâs out there,â he lied smoothly. His wolf growled in protest, but Damon ignored it. Alpha Richardson nodded. âThat is a wise choice,â he muttered, turning to his other son, Darius, who had been quiet and lost in thoughtâhis mind consumed with Amara. âAre you ok
Damon, you are here⊠Antonia stammered in fear, while Damon nodded. Sensing her panic, he knew Antonia was up to something. And strangely, he felt compelled to find out what it wasâsomething he could have easily brushed aside. It was her personal life, and he shouldnât have been interested⊠but somehow, he was. âWho was on the line? And who is this person that has just three days to comply?â Damon asked, raising an eyebrow. Antonia swallowed nervously, trying to think of an excuse. She knew Damon wellâknew how smart he wasâand she had to say something convincing, or he would suspect her. Being suspected by him was the last thing she wanted. Antonia quickly masked her fear with a nervous smile. âOh, Damon, itâs nothing serious,â she began, trying to sound casual. âJust some friendship drama, you know how it is.â Damonâs eyes narrowed, clearly not buying it. âExcuseâfriend drama?â he repeated, his tone skeptical. âWho were you trying to convince, Antonia? Me or yourself?â His voice
Damon, we need to talk! Luna Anita yelled as she burst into Damonâs room. She walked over to where he was seated and stood before him with folded arms. âI heard you tried whipping Amara with a belt. Is that true?â she asked, hoping Damon would deny it. She couldnât believe he would do such a thing. Damon, filled with guilt, couldnât say a word. Rather, he ran a hand through his hair and looked away, unable to face his mother. His silence made her realize that what Darius had reported to her was true. For a moment, she couldnât believe it. She couldnât believe her kind-hearted son, who had loved Amara so dearly when they were little, would consider flogging her with a beltâsomething he had never done before. Even when a maid did something terrible and she wanted to discipline them, Damon would always be the one to beg for mercy on their behalf. So what happened? Why was he acting so cold and harsh toward Amara? She took a deep breath and sat across from Damon, who still couldnât ho
âWhatâs on your mind, Damon?â Lisa asked, her voice soft. She had noticed he hadnât been himself since the moment she arrived. âIâm fine. Stop with the questions,â Damon replied tersely, his eyes closing to block out his thoughts. He had summoned Lisa, hoping to distract himself from the constant thoughts of Amara. But even as he lay with her, his mind drifted back to the one woman he couldnât forget. Suddenly, a knock came on the door, and his brow furrowed. He wasnât expecting anyone. âThe door is open,â he called out, gesturing for the person to enter. The door opened, and Damon was surprised to see Amara walking into his room with a tray of coffee in her hand. He hadnât requested it, but as usual, he always had his coffee first thing in the morningâand Amara kept to that routine. âOh, did you ask the maid to bring me coffee?â Lisa cooed, kissing Damonâs cheek with a flirtatious grin. âHow thoughtful, baby.â She signaled for Amara to come forward with the tray. Amara, whose
Damon, you know, Amara likes you right, so why are you asking me to ask her out? Darius asked, a hint of frustration in his voice. Damon chuckled softly, shaking his head. Amara likes me? Damon scoffed, shaking his head again. âAmara could never like me, Darius, you're just seeing things wrong. Besides, I could never like her. She's not in my league, and she's definitely not my type. I like my women wild, and Amaraâsheâs anything but that.â The lie came smoothly off Damonâs lips, even as it stung his wolf. Darius studied his brother's face, wondering why Damon never saw Amara the way he did. To him, Amara was the perfect womanâkind, strong, and beautiful. But to Damon, she was nothing more than a maid. âI'm telling you, Amara has a huge crush on you,â Darius insisted. For a moment, Damonâs heart fluttered at the idea, but he quickly masked it with a loud scoff. âYou're seeing things that aren't there, brother. Amara doesn't have a crush on me, and even if she did, there's no chan
Iâm so sorry,â Amara apologized, her cheeks flushing a deep shade of crimson as she quickly averted her gaze, trying to keep her eyes anywhere but on Dariusâs bare form. Her heart raced, her breath catching in her throat as she stumbled backward, her foot catching on the edge of the rug. Darius, equally surprised, froze for a moment before his lips curled into a slow, amused smile. âAmara,â he said, his voice carrying a teasing lilt, âstop acting like youâve just seen a ghost.â He chuckled softly, clearly not as bothered that Amara had seen him naked as she was. Amaraâs face burned even more, and she quickly turned around, her back to him, trying to maintain whatever shred of dignity she had left. âIâm so sorry, Darius. I didnât know you wereâ I mean, I thought you were out,â she stammered, wishing she could disappear into the ground right then and there. Darius chuckled again, seeming to enjoy her flustered state. âItâs okay, Amara, no harm done,â he said casually. She could h