CHAPTER 12~GABRIELLA'S POV~I ran after the bright orange light through the passages, and each time I came to a corner, the light was already at the other end of the hall. It would remain shining for a moment, then vanish, fading out with the giggle of a little girl.I wasn't the least bit comfortable with what was going on, but for some reason I kept on following the light until it came to a halt in front of a large door.The lantern sat there, shining brightly on the carvings on the wooden door. I walked slowly toward it, and when I reached it, I picked it up and let out a sigh.“What place is this now? I'm completely lost,” I said as I exhaled. I stared at the large door for a moment, then turned to a small knob that hung from it.I wrapped my fingers around the knob and was about to turn it when I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.“What are you doing?” Marie's voice sounded behind me.I felt a chill go down my spine, and I instinctively sprung up from the ground in fear. I fell b

CHAPTER 14~GABRIELLA'S POV~~EARLIER~“My lord, I was asked to come collect your clothes for dry cleaning." A maid I stood beside said as we both bowed to Alpha Steven at his door.“Please, come in,” Steven replied, opening his door a little wider for us to enter.We walked into the room, and he directed us to the area where he kept his unclean clothes. I and the maid started to pick them up one by one, and as we did, I noticed one was missing.“My lord…” I said it nervously.“Yes?” Steven replied. “How about the clothes you wore yesterday? The ones you went out with. I can't seem to find them here,” I said.“What do you mean? I never went out; you must have seen somebody else, perhaps one of the other warrior wolves,” Steven replied, then turned away from me to continue his work at his desk.“A warrior wolf, wearing royal garments? I highly doubt that. What in the hell is going on?” I thought to myself as I stared at him.~PRESENT~I made my way into the hall where the human statue

CHAPTER 16~STEVENS POV~“I'm really proud of you, Steven. You've come really far on this agenda of yours. Farther than any Mortimer has ever come,” Evelyn said with a bright smile.She stood before me on the balcony of the mansion, wearing a golden dress and holding a glass of red wine.“Yes, it was always my father's dream to see me achieve great things. He wasn't too specific about what it would be, but as I grew up, I learned that there was no greater goal than this. Now that the council has agreed to support me, none of the other packs stand a chance,” I replied.“Once I finally take over all the other packs and gain a position in the council, all the other alphas will be made my subordinates, and any of them who dare to defy me will be punished painfully,” I continued.“You know, you're such a unique man. When you were younger, everyone saw you as strange and delusional; only your father, and of course, me, saw the potential you had. I only wish you you don't… forget me after yo

CHAPTER 18~3RD PERSONS POV~Two muscular arms flew through the air at insane speeds, clashing into the body of a training dummy made from golden straws and rocks.The intense blows, striking the dummy's body one by one, shattered the rocks within it, and after a few minutes, it came falling down like a house of cards.“Next!” A male voice sounded, ordering his guards to bring him more training dummies. His entire body was covered in sweat, and his abs and muscles glistened like they had been painted with oil.“My lord, You shouldn't overwork yourself so much; you don't give your wounds enough time to heal, and that can be very dangerous for your health,” another male standing a small distance from him advised. He wore attire fit for a soldier of his time but had no armor, as that would make shifting difficult.“Eugene, common. The more I train my body to be resistant to pain and physical stress, the more efficient I'll be during battle. As a wolf, I'll be faster, stronger, and overal

CHAPTER 20~GABRIELLA'S POV~I walked through a passage leading to maid rooms. I was tired and exhausted; I hadn't been myself since the party with the council members.My mind would often trail off during work, or I would feel dizzy every time I tried to lift something heavy. Every time I was around Steven, I felt this sadness well up inside me that made me mess up everything I touched.I leaned against a window along the passage and let out a sigh. The memory of the incident I witnessed during the party flashed through my mind again, and tears started to fill my eyes.I tightened my fist and clenched my teeth as my tears dropped one by one.“He's my mate; he belongs to me... Why couldn't I do anything?” I whimpered, staring through the window.Why were we born in such cruel circumstances? When I was still in the Dark-Hound Pack, I imagined a world where we would be happy for the rest of our lives after finding each other, a world where nothing would come between us ever again. But,