VANESSAAfter Aphrodite helped me with my make up and the dress I decided was going to be the center of Dante's attention I put on matching yellow shoes and jewelry. I had even considered yellow makeup but decided that was taking it too far. Besides, I had no wish to resemble the yellow teletubby from the children story books.I left Aphrodite in the room to clean up and came down to the dining table myself. Before I had fully descended from the stairs I heard him yell at a maid. Instinctively I felt bad for her, I used to be on the receiving end of such anger. But I couldn't help but warm up a little at his words. "I will not eat until my wife's here." Wife. He may not be the husband I wanted but I had a husband nonetheless and I was a wife. I convinced myself that it would please me just as much if it was anyone else that said it and it had nothing to do with him.He stopped and turned at the sound of my sarcastic remark and my oh my,he did look like he was one more inconvenience aw

DANTEI narrowed my eyes. "This is very unusual," I said, my voice low and measured. I tried to make sense of what was happening. I have been hearing rumors about the witches around the neighboring yard. How dare they step in my pack? Who gave them the right to enter my pack?"Where are they now?" I asked the guard, my voice steady."They are being led to the courtroom," he replied, his tone impassive. I saw the worry etched on Vanessa’s face. I turned to the guard, my voice hard and commanding. "Take her to her chambers," I said, In a stern voice.Venessa looked at me, her eyes pleading. "Can I go with you?" she asked, her voice soft and trembling. I shook my head, "No, go to your chambers now," I said gently, "and don't leave until I come to you." She nodded, her expression resigned and followed the guard out of the room. The door closed behind them.As I approached the courtyard, I could feel a change in the air. It was thick with tension, almost palpable. A guard bowed before

DANTE.The sound of the door closing echoed through the room, and I let out a long, slow breath. The tension in my body slowly began to uncoil, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I stood there, alone in the room, and tried to clear my mind. But it was no use. I was still reeling from the events that had just transpired. I needed to regain control, so I decided to call a meeting of the elders. "All of you assemble now," I reached out to the elders of my pack through a mind link.The door opened, and the elders of the pack filed into the room, murmuring amongst themselves. But the moment they caught sight of me, they fell silent. "We rushed here as soon as we got your message," one of the elders said. "We hope everything is alright." "Everything is not alright," I said, taking a deep breath. looking each of them in the eye. "The witches were here," I said, my voice devoid of emotion. "They dared to intervene in our territory." One of the elders' eyes widened in disbelief. "Ho

Chapter 17Vanessa's POVI drifted off to sleep, the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds lulling me into a peaceful slumber. I woke up to the sounds of someone moving around the room. I opened my eyes, still half-asleep, and saw Dante getting dressed. I sat up quickly, feeling wide awake now. I cleared my throat awkwardly trying to get his attention. "We need to talk," I said in an urgent tone. He turned to look at me, his expression unreadable. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice calm.I tried to speak, but my words came out in a stutter. "About what happened yesterday." I finally managed to say "I have a lot on my plate today, whatever it is can wait," he interrupted, putting on his wristwatch. I felt my frustration building, but I forced myself to stay calm. "But I..." I started, but he was already out the door, the sound of the door slamming behind him. I stood there, the words I wanted to say dying on my lips. I felt so many emotions swirling inside me: fr

Chapter 19Vanessa's POVI hurried back to my room, breathing a sigh of relief as I closed the door behind me. I quickly pulled off my shoes and threw my clothes on the floor. I ran a hand through my hair, packing it into a messy ponytail. I went inside the bathroom, turned on the tap, and poured cold water over my face and neck. I looked at myself in the mirror taking a deep breath, willing myself to relax.I came out and put on a light red gown, transparent enough to show the silhouette of my body. I laid down on the bed, trying to relax and clear my mind, but I couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. I tossed and turned, my mind spinning. Finally, I gave up and decided to try to read a book to take my mind off things. I made my way to the closet, where I had a small collection of books, and pulled one out. I settled back into bed and began reading, trying to focus on the words on the page. But within minutes, my eyes grew heavy and I drifted off to sleep.I woke up wit