All Chapters of THE CONTRACT WIFE OF THE DEMON WOLF: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

LENAI still had my mourning dress on, my eyes swollen with tears as I stared at her grave which has been decorated with flowers. My fingers run through the pendant we both had as a gift but now, I wear hers. The silver chain pelted against my skin, like it always does when my wolf is angry. While everyone were under an umbrella, I stood in the rain, my black dress received the lashes of being irresponsible, of never hearing her out while she was in pain. Her last call to me was; "I hate you" I couldn't be there for my sister when she needed me the most, all I just wanted to do was impress my husband that I forgot about the people who were important to me.Weak, my feet dragged me inside the family house were they were mourners too but their voices were blurry. No one recognizes me here, except that they just got to know that I was her sister.My husband, Zain was meant to be here but work has kept him far away. He'd be playing for the nationals today, captain of the

LENAI didn't know how long the drive once but I noticed when the car came to a halt. My mind was driven back to reality as I gawk at the villa. While struggling to get out, I accidentally broke his handle in anger. He got out and opened the car for me and just as I intended to step out, he suddenly carried me in his arms. "I can walk" I protested in a weak tone. "You have no shoes on, you've walked enough" My hands grabbed a fistful of his shirt as he walks me inside. The blinding lights flooded me. He stopped when he brought me to a door. "You can use the room, I'd be waiting downstairs for you..." He discontinued and then gasped like he wasn't breathing again when our eyes locked."Don't skip dinning because of him, he's not worth doing that for" It's like he knows everything but just feign ignorance. He lean closely to me, like he'd kiss me but then, I realized he was opening the door. "I'd be waiting"My body recoils as I had goosebumps with that line of

LENAThe unfamiliar ceiling was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes.For one moment, I forgot everything and thought I was waking up beside Zain.Although, the illusion shattered almost immediately as it dawn on me that in this enormous house, a stranger had become my husband.I squeezed my eyes shut again and let out a long breath before forcing myself out of bed.The room was quiet and the curtains had already been drawn open, allowing the morning sunlight to pour through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The rain from yesterday had disappeared, leaving behind a bright blue sky that mocked the heaviness inside my chest.As I walked towards the bathroom, I froze.Everything seems new, ranging from toothbrush, fresh towels and skin-care products still sealed.Even a neatly folded outfit rested on the marble counter. Someone had prepared everything.I didn't know why that tiny act made my throat tighten.Aaron hadn't said much yesterday, but somehow he'd thought of everything.Aft

LENAThe meeting room felt colder than it had the day before, though nothing about the temperature had changed. What had changed was me, sitting at the head of the table instead of standing awkwardly beside it, a folder of numbers in front of me that I was expected to understand.Seven directors sat around the table, and seven pairs of eyes observed me the way people study something they don't trust yet. I kept my spine straight, my hands folded, though my stomach twisted itself into knots beneath the table where nobody could see."Shall we begin?" I asked, keeping my voice calm and as steady as I could.The senior director, a broad man named Harold with silver cufflinks and an even colder stare, leaned back in his chair. "Mrs. Krane, I don't mean any disrespect, but I think we should address the obvious. You're new to this industry. Your only connection to hockey, as far as any of us know, is that you were once married to one of our players."The words landed exactly where he wante

LENAI read the email a fourth time, hoping the words might soften, but they stayed exactly as cruel as before. Ashcombe wanted Zain's blessing before they'd trust my numbers. After everything, after the sleepless nights and the calls and the trimmed budgets that actually made sense, my name still wasn't enough on its own. It needed his stamp of approval to matter to people who had never even met me.I set the phone face down on the desk like that would stop the words from stinging.I wasn't going to let his name decide whether my work succeeded. I told myself that firmly, the way I told myself a lot of things lately, hoping repetition would make it true faster. But the ache underneath it didn't care about my decision. It just sat there, old and familiar, reminding me that no matter how far I climbed, some part of this world still measured me by who I used to belong to.I closed my laptop and left before I could read the email a fifth time.Word about me had apparently reached Za