LOGINPOV: IVY STERLINGMy fingers were still trembling over the keyboard as the air in the office turned glacial, displaced by a rush of violence that coursed through my entire body.Killian was there, framed by the doorway like an apparition from hell itself.His white shirt was soaked in fresh blood, the fabric clinging to his muscular chest; his hair, usually perfect, fell disheveled over his forehead and his knuckles were raw, dripping scarlet onto the carpet.But what stole my breath away was the golden glint of his weapon, holstered in the waistband of his trousers, right where the belt tightened at his hip."K-Killian..." the name left my mouth like a broken plea, a stutter that betrayed the panic coursing through my marrow.He said nothing. He took a step inside and closed the door behind him with a sharp thud that echoed in my ears like a gunshot, making me give a small jump.He didn't even respond; instead, he took a slow step in my direction, making me instinctively retreat, stu
Hours earlier. Friday night.The atmosphere in the VIP lounge of the bar "The Abyss" was dense, heavy with the scent of expensive tobacco, leather, and the stale trail of alcohol.I leaned back on the black velvet sofa, feeling the dull throb in my shattered knuckles, covered in a crust of blood that did not belong to me. On the other hand, my white shirt featured crimson splatters that darkened with every passing minute.Caleb was beside me, balancing a glass of whiskey with ice with a smug smile. The clinking of the crystal cubes was the only sound competing with the dull music vibrating through the soundproof walls."Clean scene, Alpha," Caleb said, taking a sip of his drink. "My men took care of the bodies of Viktor and his people. Not a single shell casing was left at Pier 4. They took them far enough away for the fish to handle the rest."I nodded, taking a long sip from my own glass. The liquid burned my throat, attempting to calm the beast that still clawed at the inside of my
Friday nightCigarette smoke swirled inside the Bentley's cabin while my gaze was on the window glass, just a few meters away, where Pier 4 stretched out like a cemetery of metal and concrete under the dying light of the streetlamps.I watched in the distance as four armored trucks kicked up clouds of dust and gravel, followed by a flashy red car that exhaled Alpha Viktor's scent.After a few minutes, Viktor got out of the first vehicle, surrounded by a dozen men armed with automatic rifles. He had a black briefcase in his hands while he seemed to mutter something to his men.I knew perfectly well what was going through his head. Those were not businessmen; they were an execution squad. I immediately pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed a quick number.“Ready,” was the only thing I said before hanging up.Not even a minute passed when my men, stationed among the shadows of the containers, came out to meet Viktor. The exchange was fast. Reinforced wooden boxes passed from my soldi
“You're crazy if you think of going in there,” my wolf hissed in my head. “Killian was clear. He said never, ever, to enter his office. Do you want him to kill us?”“And what if my father is right?” I countered internally. “And what if there is something on that computer that gives me my life back? I'm already a slave; I have nothing to lose.”“Damn it Ivy, don't do it! Your father sold us without hesitation! Are you really going to believe him?” My wolf wouldn't stop screaming in my head over and over.I knew perfectly well that she was right, but I also knew that I didn't want to spend my whole life locked in this mansion being Killian's assistant.With that in my head, I gathered courage, clenching my fists until my nails dug into my palms. “I will do it, and you will help me,” I countered my wolf with certainty.My wolf let out an annoyed growl inside my head and with no other option accepted to help me. I quickly climbed the stairs to the floor where Killian’s office was.I scann
I felt like a hunting trophy disputed by two predators. On one side, my father, the man who swore to protect me and who was now asking me to risk my neck in a suicidal game of espionage.On the other, Killian Blackwood, who held me as the guarantee for a debt I did not incur.My world felt like a carousel out of control, spinning faster and faster with my father's request echoing in my ears while Leyla and I returned to the university.I walked across the campus with a tense back, watching every shadow, every parked car, praying that Killian’s men hadn't noticed my little escape.During class hours I was in a state of trance. With my notebooks full of meaningless scribbles, feeling my father's words circling in my head like an infinite loop.“It is our only way out, Ivy”I didn't even hear the other classes; although my eyes were fixed on the board, my mind was on the small metallic device that burned the bottom of my bag until the bell for the last class vibrated in my bones.“Ivy! E
The men waited at the main entrance while Leyla and I finally slipped away until we reached the taxi stand.As soon as we arrived at the shopping mall, Leyla didn't hesitate to force me through almost every gleaming hallway of the mall. She went in and out of designer stores, buying jewelry and linen outfits as if money were worthless paper.I limited myself to observing, with my hands tucked into the empty pockets of my coat. I was the assistant to a man who held half the country in his hands, I lived in a million-dollar mansion, and I didn't have a single bill in my bag. Everything I had on, even my underwear, belonged to him.“Look at this, Ivy! It would look incredible on you,” she said, holding a gold bracelet.I looked at the piece of jewelry and made a slight grimace with my lips. Its cost was almost 2 thousand dollars! At that, I forced a disinterested laugh and looked at her without spirit.“It’s pretty, but I don't think I need it,” I lied.Leyla looked at me for a few secon
The sting in my neck was barely a whisper compared to the agony of the dense, icy liquid carving its way through my veins. Dammit, within seconds, an unbearable heat spread from the nape of my neck to the base of my spine with terrifying speed.What the fuck was happening to me?Pain?Agony?The fe
POV: Killian BlackwoodThe engine of my Bugatti roared down the highway while my fingers tapped the leather steering wheel with a tension I couldn't explain.I was returning from a meeting with the Alpha Council, my mind filled with numbers and war strategies, until an electric scent—sweet and wild
POV: Ivy SterlingI reached my room in the dorms, and the silence of the walls hit me with the force of a truck.I slammed the door shut, leaning my back against the cold wood while the echo of my father’s shouts and Killian Blackwood’s icy laughter replayed on a loop inside my head."Damn him! Dam
Shit, shit! This was a slavery sentence disguised as employment. However, at that moment, my eyes stopped on a line written in italics at the bottom of the page."Any act of disobedience, attempt to flee, or unauthorized romantic contact with third parties will result in the immediate ex







