All Chapters of ONCE A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE LUNA NOW THE DEMON ALPHA'S BRIDE: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

60 Chapters

WHEN THE CHAINS BROKE

"SOMETIMES THE GREATEST MONSTERS AREN'T DEFEATED BY STRENGTH... BUT BY SOMETHING THEY NEVER EXPECTED."STELLA"RUN!"The word slammed into me harder than anything else, harder than the roar that had come before it. It was Alpha Damien. Not whatever had taken over him. I didn't hesitate. I ran, my legs barely obeying me as I sprinted out of the dungeon, my heartbeat pounding so violently against my ribs that it hurt with every stride, every breath tearing at my chest as I went.Behind me another roar echoed through the mansion. Not human. Not wolf. Something far darker.Tears blurred my vision as I reached the nearest room and threw myself inside. I slammed the heavy wooden door shut. Click. The lock turned. I stumbled backward, struggling to catch my breath."No..." "No, no, no..." My entire body shook uncontrollably. I pressed both hands over my mouth to stop myself from sobbing. He had almost. Moon Goddess. He had almost.A deafening crash shook the floor beneath my feet, hard enoug

Last Updated : 2026-07-30

BENEATH THE SCARS

"SOMETIMES THE STRONGEST MEN LOOK THE MOST FRAGILE WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING."STELLA"I have to get you inside."The words came out in a whisper, though I wasn't sure why I was talking to him. Alpha Damien wasn't going to answer me. He lay unconscious on the rain-soaked grass, his silver hair plastered against his forehead while blood continued to seep through the tears in his shirt. For the first time since I'd met him, he didn't look terrifying. He looked exhausted. I swallowed hard. "Please don't die." The prayer escaped before I could stop it.Taking a deep breath, I slipped one arm beneath his shoulders and tried to pull him up. Nothing. He didn't even move."Oh, Goddess..." I groaned. "How can one person weigh this much?" I planted both feet firmly into the ground and pulled again with every bit of strength I had. He shifted. Barely. A frustrated sigh escaped me."Werewolves are ridiculous." It took nearly five minutes just to get him sitting upright. His head lolled onto my shou

Last Updated : 2026-08-01

AN ALPHA ON HIS KNEES

"THE KINDEST APOLOGIES ARE OFTEN SPOKEN BY THOSE WHO BELIEVE THEY DON'T DESERVE FORGIVENESS."STELLAHis voice was rough, barely above a whisper. I immediately pulled my hand back."I-I was just trying to clean your wounds."His eyes drifted down to the bloodstained cloth resting on the bed before returning to me. Then, almost unbelievably, one corner of his mouth lifted."You do know werewolves heal on their own... don't you?"My entire body froze. Oh. Moon. Goddess. Of course. How could I have forgotten? I mentally slapped myself. Stella, you absolute fool. Every werewolf pup knew that. Except I had never really experienced it. Ever since leaving my former pack, I had hidden what I truly was. Whenever anyone asked, I simply claimed to be an Omega. It was safer that way. Omegas healed slower than most wolves, and no one questioned it when I struggled to recover from injuries. The truth was I'd never even tried. I'd spent so long pretending to be something I wasn't that I'd almost for

Last Updated : 2026-08-01

STAY AWAY FROM ME

"SOMETIMES LOVE BEGINS WITH THE SIMPLE ACT OF TRYING TO PUSH SOMEONE AWAY."STELLA"You have to leave, Stella."For a moment I wondered if I'd imagined everything that had just happened, if my exhausted mind had simply invented the whole scene out of hope. The way he'd cleaned my wounds. The way he'd apologized. The way he'd knelt before me without caring that he was an Alpha and I was nothing more than a servant. Now he wanted me gone.My fingers curled tightly into my dress. "I don't understand.""You don't need to." His voice was calm. Too calm. "I'll send word to my mother. You'll still receive your wages. The Shaman will arrange everything.""I don't want your wages."He finally turned around, those piercing blue eyes meeting mine, unreadable as ever."Then what do you want?""I made a promise." "To the Queen."His jaw tightened. "Forget my mother."I blinked. "What?""I said forget my mother." His voice became firmer. "For once in your life..." He took one slow step toward me. "

Last Updated : 2026-08-03

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

"OBSESSION ISN'T BORN FROM HAVING. IT IS BORN FROM LOSING."DEREKSilence. I hated silence. Especially now, when it left too much room for my own thoughts to circle back to the same place they always ended up lately. The fire crackled in the corner of my chambers, yet the room felt colder than it ever had before, the warmth from the flames somehow refusing to reach past the edge of the hearth.I leaned back in my chair, swirling the amber liquid in my glass. One sip. Two. It tasted like nothing. Everything tasted like nothing these days.I closed my eyes. And somehow there she was again, the way she always seemed to appear the moment I let my guard down. Not Valentina. Stella. That damned servant. I could still hear the way she'd looked me in the eye without flinching, the way none of the others ever had, even when they thought I wasn't watching."At least your brother treats me like a person... not just a body."My grip tightened around the glass until I felt the edge of it press har

Last Updated : 2026-08-04

LONELY HEARTS

"SOMETIMES THE LONELIEST HEARTS SPEAK THE MOST HONEST TRUTHS."STELLAI barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes I saw them again. Those pitch-black eyes. That terrifying smile. The demon's voice begging me to come closer. Then Alpha Damien's voice breaking through it. "Run."I rubbed my face as I climbed out of bed. Maybe keeping myself busy would stop me from thinking. Maybe. After washing up, I headed downstairs to prepare breakfast, surprised to find the kitchen already stocked with everything I needed. The Shaman really had thought of everything before leaving. Before long, the smell of fresh bread, roasted meat, and herbs filled the mansion, chasing away some of the heaviness that had settled in my chest overnight.I balanced the tray carefully and walked toward the dining room. Alpha Damien was already there. Of course he was. He sat at the long table dressed entirely in black, one leg crossed over the other as he read a thick leather-bound book. A cup of tea rested beside him

Last Updated : 2026-08-05

Brimstone, Clover and ASH

"THE GENTLEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE OFTEN FOUND IN THE HEARTS PEOPLE FEAR THE MOST."STELLAThe first thing I did that morning after breakfast was write a letter. The mansion was unusually quiet, the silence only broken by the soft scratching of my quill against parchment. Sunlight poured through the tall windows of my room, warming the wooden desk where I sat.I smiled to myself as I began.Dear Mama and Mira, I hope the both of you are doing well. Please don't worry too much about me.I paused. That was already a lie. There was plenty to worry about.I dipped the quill into the ink again.The mansion is beautiful, and I even have my own room. Alpha Damien isn't nearly as frightening as the stories made him sound. He's... difficult, but not cruel.Another lie. Or perhaps only half of one. I couldn't exactly write, His demon almost tore the front door off while chasing me. Nor could I mention the kiss. Or the way he'd knelt before me yesterday to clean my wounds with his own hands.Mama

Last Updated : 2026-08-05

AZARTH

"SOME MONSTERS DON'T LIVE BENEATH YOUR SKIN... THEY WAIT FOR YOU TO LOOK INTO A MIRROR."DAMIENThe stable had become unusually quiet after Stella left. Brimstone nudged my shoulder impatiently."I know."I gave him one last scratch beneath his jaw before leading him back into his stall. "You've become spoiled." He snorted. "I blame myself too."A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. I closed the stable door behind me and made my way toward the mansion, the image of Stella sitting awkwardly on Clover refusing to leave my head. She had looked absolutely terrified. Not of me. Of the horse. Yet somehow she'd still climbed onto it. Stubborn woman.I found myself shaking my head. She possessed an unusual habit of doing the exact opposite of what fear demanded. Any sensible person would've left this mansion weeks ago. She stayed. Any sensible person would've abandoned me after witnessing my demon. She stayed. Even after I had practically begged her to leave, she stayed."Hopeless."

Last Updated : 2026-08-06

GENTLE HANDS

STELLAThe first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was the heat. Not the warmth of the blankets. My own. My skin felt strangely hot, my head heavy and my throat dry. I blinked several times, staring at the ceiling while trying to remember what time it was.I must have slept longer than usual. That realization immediately made me sit up."Oh, no." My duties. The horses needed to be fed. The mansion needed cleaning. Breakfast needed to be prepared. And Damien's medicine— I pushed the blankets aside so quickly that the room spun. I grabbed the edge of the bed until the dizziness passed. I could rest later. I couldn't afford to be lazy. Especially not when Alpha Damien had already warned me that he would make my stay difficult enough.I hurried out of my room, pulling my hair back as I walked. I was halfway toward the kitchen when another wave of dizziness hit me. I ignored it."I'll be fine."I had survived worse. I just needed to work. That was all.But when I stepped into the kitch

Last Updated : 2026-08-08

THE CHOICE TO LOVE

“WE ALL HAVE A CHOICE”STELLAThe silence between us lasted longer than it should have. Breakfast was nearly over, yet neither of us seemed particularly interested in leaving the table. I kept thinking about what Damien had said earlier. The Raventooth pack. His father's death. The hatred that had apparently existed long before I ever stepped foot inside this mansion. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but something told me they could wait. Not everything needed to be answered today.I lowered my gaze to my plate and picked at the last piece of bread. I could feel Damien watching me. I looked up. He wasn't. His attention was fixed on the cup in his hand. For a moment I wondered if I had imagined it.Then he spoke. "Have you ever had someone?"I blinked. "Someone?"His eyes lifted to mine. "A lover."My fingers stopped moving. For some reason the question caught me completely off guard. I stared at him for a moment before shaking my head."No.""Never?""Never."He hummed qu

Last Updated : 2026-08-09

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