《Betrayed Heiress: My Second Chance Mate is A Lycan King》


 Chapter 1: A Surprise [Literally]

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The rays of the sunlight shone directly onto my eyes forcing me to rise from my sweet sleep.


    I yawned, still feeling a bit exhausted but the morning hade and I had a long day in front of me.


    Rolling to my left, I reached for my phone which I had ced beside the pillow and as soon as I picked it up, a notification shed on my screen reminding me of what day it was.


    18th November¡­


    A smile shed across my face. The day that I had been waiting so long for had finally arrived and I was over the moon with joy.


    It was my boyfriend¡¯s birthday and the day that we met for the first time. It still felt like yesterday.


    I was stopped by two men as I walked down the alley in the thick of the night after temporarily exiting a party.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Jace, they¡¯d have had their way with me that night. They¡¯d probably have killed me too but Jace was my knight and shiny armour.


    He appeared right out of nowhere and took them out like they weren¡¯t anything. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked as he held me in his arms as soon as my eyes met with those golden eyes of his, I knew he was the one for me.


    He felt it too. I saw the way he bent over to sniff me. I did the same. He smelled like lotus mixed with chocte. It was almost so good that I could have been forgiven for giving him a bite.


    My heart leaped with joy as he nted a kiss on my forehead and when I ced my right hand on his chest, I could tell his wolf was delighted too.


    I didn¡¯t have a wolf yet, but I wished I did. Maybe, my wolf would have been excited to meet him too. Maybe¡­


    I got out of bed and went straight to the bathroom to have my bath. I was done in a few minutes due to my excitement to meet with Jace and I quickly put on my silky, yellow dress and a pair of ck heels to go with it.


    Picking up my handbag, I grabbed the small travelling bag that I came along with for the business meeting and off I went to the reception.


    ¡°Good day, ma¡¯am,¡± the receptionist greeted me with a beautiful smile and I responded with a nod. Dressed in a shiny white top and a ck skirt, she looked so smart and professional.


    ¡°How much?¡± I asked, handing my card over to her.


    ¡°A thousand.¡± She handed the machine to me so that I could input my PIN. ¡°Thank you. Have a nice day.¡±


    I took my card and walked straight out of the hotel into my car. I had gotten a beautiful gift for him; a Rolex watch, the type he always talked about but couldn¡¯t get.


    I hoped to surprise him with it when I got back knowing how much he loved Rolex watches. He¡¯d always talk non stop whenever he saw someone wearing it. Real life, television, it didn¡¯t matter.


    It took me about an hour to get into the city and about twenty minutes more to get to the house. I parked my car, took out the wristwatch and walked down to the door.


    Knock knock!


    There was no response so I knew that he wasn¡¯t around. It made it even better for me since he was going toe into the house only to meet me there waiting for him with his dream gift.


    Taking out the keys, I unlocked the door and walked into the parlour but before I could sit on the long, brown sofa by the left of the ck centre table which was made of marble, I saw a small letter on one of the four side stools ced on each side of the table.


    I picked it up to see what it said and it read¡­


    ¡°Hey, love. I know you came back home with a surprise for me. That¡¯s so sweet of you. I want you to know that I love you so much and I, too, have prepared a surprise romantic event just for the two of us. The address is behind this letter. See you soon. I love you.¡±


    I let out a chuckle, seeing that he had caught on to my n to surprise him. He must have felt so proud of himself because, in all three years that we¡¯d been mated, he had never managed to achieve that feat. Good for him.


    Dropping my bag on the stool, I went into the room to have another shower. When I came out, I picked up a flowing red gown which I thought was my favourite dress and with a ck pair of heels, a little higher than the previous one, I felt I was good to go.


    Standing in front of my mirror, I figured my gold-ted purse would be more befitting for the asion than my ck bag so I transferred all the important stuff that I had into it and away I went.


    As I drove off to the location, I wondered what Jace had in store for me. Thrice, we had gone for a romantic date put together by him in the past year and each one was a hit. If there was something that Jace knew how to do so well, it was the act of outdoing himself. This time, I hoped it was going to be the case once again.


    When I arrived at the location, I got out of the car and stared in awe at what was in front of me.


    It was a garden; arge, beautiful garden, perfect for any romantic date that anyone could dream of.


    Just like I had thought, Jace didn¡¯t disappoint. Thest time we hung out in a fancy restaurant, I spent most of the time telling him how much I loved gardens and would love to visit one soon.


    Turned out he took that personally and decided to surprise me on his special day. Such a sweet man, he was. I was more than lucky to have him as my man.


    Slowly, I walked, taking my time to appreciate the rose flowers on both sides of the entrance. My heart swelled with fondness as I bent a bit to sniff in the sweet scent.


    But there were people there so I quickly stood, unwilling to embarrass myself in public despite the relentless urge to linger a little longer.


    I inhaled deeply as I finally got to the entrance but something seemed a bit off to me.


    People flocked to the location in their numbers and they didn¡¯t all look like couples.


    Some of them came with their children. Some elderly people were around too but it was the presence of several familiar faces that caught my attention.


    Still, I just assumed that they were all there for some other reason. Besides, the garden was open to everyone but I couldn¡¯t help but wonder¡­


    Was this a wedding? Was Jace finally trying to propose to me in the presence of all these people?


    I giggled at the thought of that but quickly shook it off, unwilling to have my expectations high so I wouldn¡¯t end up disappointed.


    Making my way past the entrance into the venue, I was met with several white chairs covered in transparent materials and arranged in rows.


    Just like I had suspected, this wasn¡¯t a date or anything like that. It was an event; a ceremony of some sort, but whose it was, I did not know.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I pulled up a seat so that I could sit and observe what went on but before my ass could touch the chair, my eyes went wide open in shock as I beheld no else but¡­.


    ¡°Ana! What the hell are you doing here?¡± I asked but she was too far away to hear me.


    Was the hell was she doing there wearing a white dress with a man by her side and who was that?


    ¡°Jace?¡± I eximed in shock without minding that everyone around me turned to look at me.


    This was supposed to be a romantic date. How were those two walking down the aisle with their hands held together?


    With a shake of the head, I wiped both eyes with my hands just to make sure that I wasn¡¯t dreaming.


    I wasn¡¯t. It was real. This was indeed a wedding ceremony, but it wasn¡¯t for Jace and I.


    Jace, my mate, whom I thought loved me with all of his heart, was getting married to my Omega twin sister on his birthday and he had the nerve to invite me to witness the greatest betrayal that I¡¯d ever experienced.


    I clutched my chest in pain as I helped myself to a seat. ¡°No. No. This has to be a dream. This isn¡¯t happening,¡± I muttered, breathing very fast as I struggled to contain my emotions.


    My eyes welled up with tears and soon, breathing became a struggle. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Asked an elderly woman with grey hair, who sat by my right hand but I couldn¡¯t say a word.


    All I could do was watch the man whom I fell in love with march on to be married to another. Not just any other woman but my sister; my twin.


    How could I exin to the woman that my heart had been crushed into pieces and I wanted nothing else but to fall to the ground and die?


    Jace was my dream man but he invited me to my worst nightmare. What was I supposed to do? Confront him or just sit there and watch him break what was left of my heart?

 Chapter 2: Disbelief

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Unable to contain the rage that burned within me, I rose to my feet and began to walk toward Jace and my twin sister as they kept walking down the aisle, waving and smiling sheepishly at everyone.


    Getting past the crowd was a tad difficult as I had to push through them as they stood and pped for those two.


    One of the men with the cameras spotted me and immediately, he turned his camera and took a shot. The others joined in as I walked furiously to the intending couple but I couldn¡¯t care less.


    I had to get to Jace. I had to find out why he chose to betray me that way but most importantly, I had to make sure he¡¯d return to his senses and call off that sham of a wedding.


    He was my man. We hadn¡¯t even broken up. If he wanted nothing to do with me, he could have first broken up with me, right?


    As I drew closer to them, Ana turned briefly and our eyes immediately met. She winked at me with a smirk on her face and proceeded to tighten her grip on Jace¡¯s hands.


    She knew exactly what she was doing. She hade for Jace just like she came for all the guys who took an interest in me when we were younger. I wondered what I did to deserve that from ady I called my sister.


    Right from when we were little, Ana disliked me. She¡¯d leave me all alone and go y with the other kids and whenever I tried to join them, she¡¯d make them mock me and leave the ce like I was some kind of a monster.


    Even the love of my parents was stolen from me by Ana. They treated her so well and made me feel unwee in my own house just because I didn¡¯t have a wolf like their Omega child. Sometimes, I did think that she stole that from me too in the womb.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here, honey?¡± I finally asked, pulling Jace¡¯s right hand so he could turn and face me. ¡°What are you doing with Ana?''¡±


    Releasing his hold on Ana¡¯s hand, he nced around the area as if surprised by my question and asked, ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing here? It seems you¡¯re the only one who can¡¯t tell that this is a wedding.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ But ¨C How can you get married to my twin?¡± I asked, surprised that he could say what he said to my face. ¡°What have I done to deserve this? You asked me toe here for a romantic date since it¡¯s your birthday. What is this?¡±


    ¡°A romantic date. Can¡¯t you see it? Look around you, everything here spells romance and this is a wedding; a romantic gathering. I only thought it¡¯d be bad to leave you out on such a memorable moment,¡± he derided me in the presence of everyone with Ana by his side,ughing scornfully.


    I put my right hand over my mouth and sobbed bitterly. I had been deceived by the man whom I felt was in love with me. My lips parted as I tried to speak but the words just wouldn¡¯te out.


    ¡°How could you have thought that I could ever fall in love with you?¡± He mocked me even further, staring at me in disgust as he pointed his index finger at me. ¡°You¡¯re wolfless and very ugly and your twin? Look at her. She¡¯s so pretty; the most beautiful woman that I¡¯d ever set my eyes on and she¡¯s also an Omega. Can you not see the difference?¡±


    I bowed my head in shame knowing that what he said was true. With my 5¡¯2 height and my slender frame, I wasn¡¯t quite the best-lookingdy in the Pack. My tiny lips and bulgy eyes didn¡¯t quite make things better but I was sure that I didn¡¯t look as bad as he made it seem. My beautiful blonde hair remained the silkiest in the Pack. Everyone said that.


    All my life, I¡¯d been a victim of bullying. My peers would always call me out for not being that pretty. They¡¯d remind me that of all the wolves my age, I was the only one whose wolf remained asleep.


    It used to make me insecure. I¡¯d wait till everyone was back home before I¡¯d begin my journey home from work just so I could avoid being taunted. But all that changed when Jace came into my life.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, just the way you are,¡± he¡¯d always tell me each time I leaned into his arms as wey on the bed.


    He made me confident that I was simply different and that it was okay to be different. He called me perfect after our first night together and when he was kissing and ravishing my body, he didn¡¯t seem to think that I was ugly.


    *Were they all lies?¡± I voiced in a low tone, looking up into his eyes. ¡°Did you not mean all those words that you said to me back when we were dating?¡±


    Jace and Ana looked at themselves for a few seconds and broke intoughter. The crowd seemed amused too and joined in on the fun while I gawked at them, bereft of ideas as they poked more fun at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re just delusional, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ana mocked, pulling Jace in for a passionate kiss that seemed tost forever. ¡°Jace has never loved you. He has always been in love with me. All that time, he was simply passing time with you. He saw you as a ything to be used and dumped so he used you. Now, he¡¯s dumping you and if I were in your shoes, I¡¯d turn around and walk away before things get even worse¡­ For you, of course.¡±


    ¡°What of those men?¡± I asked, referring to the men he saved me from. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just let them kill me if you knew you¡¯d treat me this way? I know you feel something for me, Jace. Please don¡¯t let Ana take everything we¡¯ve shared away from us.¡±


    I knew I was wrong. I had read in several books that I should never beg for love but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I just wanted him. No one had ever loved me like him and I didn¡¯t think I deserved it either.


    ¡°Look behind me,¡± Jace said, pointing to two men wearing ck suits just like him who stood directly behind him. ¡°Can you recognise them?¡±


    At first, I didn¡¯t. They both had ck shades on and when they saw that I was trying to see what they looked like behind the shades, they chuckled and took them off.


    Then it dawned on me what happened back then. They were the same men who Jace had saved me from. I could barely believe my eyes.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± I yelled in shock.


    Jaceughed and shook hands with the men. ¡°It was a well-executed n and thanks for your naivety, it worked,¡± he revealed. ¡°The lengths people can go to get what they want from others. I have all that I want now. I don¡¯t need you anymore.¡±


    I fell to my knees with tears from my eyes wetting the ground. Jace and I had been mated for three years and I never imagined that we¡¯d ever break up. I never saw iting.


    ¡°Please, we can still work this out,¡± I begged him, holding onto his legs. ¡°I love you, Jace. Please, don¡¯t leave. Look, I got you a gift for your birthday. It¡¯s a Rolex. Your favourite.¡±


    I quickly took out the Rolex from my handbag and handed it over to him but he just shook his head and spat on the floor.


    ¡°How low would you go, sister?¡± Ana remarked disdainfully. ¡°Do you really need to embarrass yourself this way?¡±


    Jace drew closer to me looking a bit concerned and I thought¡­ Maybe he has realised that I¡¯m the one for him. But he stopped right in front of me and lifted his hand so everyone would stay still and hear what he had to say.


    ¡°I cannot continue with this rtionship, Aira. I don¡¯t love you and I never will. I, Jace, reject you Aira. I break whatever bond that holds us still and I choose Ana to be my wife!¡±


    The guests cheered him on as I watched on in disbelief. As they kissed once again in my presence and Jace ced both his hands on her big ass, a reminder that mine was as t as a spoon.


    This was a man whom I gave my heart and everything else that he ever needed. When Jace met me, he was only a mere cleaner. I found out the next day after he supposedly saved me from his friends but that didn¡¯t stop me from loving him. That night, I promised him that he¡¯d never get to clean in his life.


    I made sure he got a well-paying job two dayster. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t quite afford to keep paying rent after the first month, I let him move into my house. Ipletely transformed his life and what did I get for it? A betrayal of the highest order. Truly, I was a fool for love.


    Rising to my feet, I wiped the tears from my eyes and muttered a subtle, ¡°Thank you,¡± to Jace. All eyes were on me as I took the walk of shame out of the venue. I got into my car as quickly as I could and drove off.


    I turned on the radio hoping to distract myself with some good music but the news of what just happened sounded in my ears, forcing a gasp out of me.


    My phone beeped a few times and I took it out only to see notifications about the same event! How fast news flies!


    I should have known that the news would be the talk of the time given my status in the Pack. Maybe, it would have made me avoid any confrontations in front of the paparazzi.


    All I wished was for the ground to open up and swallow me. The shame was too much for me to bear.

 Chapter 3: Surely It Couldn’t Get Any Worse

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I honked as I got to the gate and waited a bit for the gate to be opened but the gateman was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°Where the hell is this guy when I need him?¡± I asked under my breath as I got out of the car.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I knocked as soon as I got to the gate and finally, I heard footsteps approaching and I knew it was him.


    ¡°Come on, Briggs, what took you so long?¡± I asked in frustration. ¡°I¡¯ve been honking for a while now. Have you been sleeping on duty again?¡±


    He shook his head and greeted, ¡°Good day, ma¡¯am.¡¯


    ¡°Please open the gate,¡± I instructed. ¡°I need to get something inside very quickly.¡±


    I turned around to walk back into my car but Briggs¡¯ voice stopped me in my tracks. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am, but I cannot let you in,¡± he said, shocking me to my bones.


    My face contorted with rage as I turned to face him. ¡°What the hell do you mean by that?¡± I asked, with my nose red. ¡°I said open the gate! What do you mean by you can¡¯t open the gate for me in my own house?¡±


    ¡°My¡­ My apologies-¡± he stuttered with his hands trembling as he stared at me. ¡°It¡¯s the boss. He instructed me to not let you into the house. He also asked me to show you these.¡±


    I followed his hand which he pointed to the right of the gate and there I saw my big, blue box and my little red bag lying on the ground.


    In shock, I burst intoughter. It was all a dream. I mean, it had to be. How else could I exin that I was being thrown out of my own house? A house I bought with my own money! It made no sense to me at all.


    ¡°You¡¯d let me get into the house,¡± I demanded, trying to break through but Briggs stood firm. ¡°This house belongs to me and not him. Why would you take instructions from him instead?¡±


    Briggs didn¡¯t say a word but I knew there was more to what was going on. The concerned look on his face was more than enough. He looked like a man whose hands were tied.


    I shook my head, disappointed in the man I used to think cared about me. No, not Jace this time, but Briggs. It was thest thing that I expected from him given how close we had be over the years and all the times I showed up for him and his family when no one else could.


    When his wife was ill to the point of death and he had no one to reach out to, it was I who helped. I took them to the hospital in my car and covered all the bills.


    When he couldn¡¯t pay his daughter¡¯s fees, I was the one he still ran to for help and I took care of those fees.


    I made sure he nevercked a thing, always paying more than the agreed sry. Yet, like Jace, he chose the path of betrayal but I knew one thing for sure¡­ That path never led to anything good.


    Briggs walked into the house and shut the gate while I looked on, hands on my waist, shaking my head severally.


    Furious, I went back to my car and picked up my phone from my handbag. I punched in Jace¡¯s number, pressed the dial button and waited patiently for him to pick up.


    ¡°What the hell did you do, Jace? Why would you ask Briggs to lock me out of the house?¡± I fumed, struggling to breathe properly.


    But heughed. It seemed Ana was listening from the background because I heard herugh too. ¡°This girl must be crazy,¡± she said to him but they were the crazy ones. What sane person throws someone else out of their own house just like that?


    ¡°Look, Aira, I don¡¯t have time for this nonsense. Your things are already outside. Please take them with you and get the hell out of my house before I get back¡­¡±


    ¡°Your house? Are you being serious right now?¡± I asked. ¡°That house belongs to me. I¡¯d lived there for a couple of years before I let you into my life. If you know what¡¯s best for you, you¡¯d call Briggs right now and ask him to let me in.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± He blurted out coldly. ¡°What would you do if I didn¡¯t let you in? Cry?¡±


    They bothughed once again, drawing my ire once more but I wasn¡¯t going to let him walk all over me again. This time, I was prepared to fight and there was no holding back anymore.


    ¡°Or I¡¯ll involve the cops,¡± I threatened. ¡°Perhaps, you¡¯ll be thrilled to exin to them how you locked someone else away from her own house.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that, Aira. You just don¡¯t have it in you,¡± he opined but he was wrong about that.


    I wasn¡¯t the same person that he managed to fool all these years. Those few hours had turned me into an entirely different person sworn to never let anyone use her again.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised to know the things that I can do, Jace but I hope you won¡¯t have to find out,¡± I warned him further, hoping he¡¯d buy it instead of letting me go the extra mile.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. That¡¯s for sure. And that¡¯s because you can¡¯t do anything to me,¡± he retorted, defiance etched in his voice. ¡°It is true that you lived there for two years before I moved in but you might want to recall that the house didn¡¯t belong to you until I moved in.¡±


    ¡°But it belongs to me now. I paid for it¡­¡±


    ¡°Does it? Can you say for sure that you own that house?¡±


    I furrowed my brows, befuddled by his questions. We both knew too well that I owned the house. He could never have been able to afford a house like that at the time. Why ask questions that we both knew the answer to?


    After a few seconds of not saying a word to him, he exhaled and asked. ¡°Can you remember how you paid for the house?¡±


    It was a simple question but it struck my heart so hard that I let my mind drift back to how it all happened.


    That day, I left the house for a weeklong meeting in the neighbouring Pack but before I could get there, I heard my phone ring and lo, it was Jace.


    I picked it up and ced it on my ear to know why he was calling, given that we had already spoken at length before I left the house.


    ¡°Aira, I just got the news that there¡¯s a house for sale. It¡¯s not new but it¡¯s a very good house and I think that we should act on it as quickly as possible,¡± he suggested and I wondered what house he was talking about.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s this house. I saw thendy trying to paste something on the wall and when I asked her, just to be sure, she confirmed that she wanted to sell the house,¡± he exined. ¡°That is why I called. I wouldn¡¯t want us to have to move from this house because someone else bought it and it¡¯s not even that expensive.¡±


    I felt like the entire thing was being hurried and I wasn¡¯t toofortable. I needed more time to think it through just so I wouldn¡¯t be making a mistake but he was relentless.


    ¡°She insisted that she¡¯s selling it off today and already has offers to choose from,¡± he added, just to add some urgency and after a few minutes, I finally obliged.


    I sent him the money and he thanked me, especially since he had fallen in love with the house. Then about an hourter, he sent me a text that he hadpleted the payment and I was d it had been sorted out.


    ¡°Could you guess in whose name I made that payment?¡± He chuckled.


    I was about to say it was in mine when my eyes suddenly went wide open. ¡°Damn it!¡± I cussed, realising what just happened.


    I had just been conned by Jace in the name of love. Because I trusted him, I didn¡¯t bother to check the documents. When he told him that he had carefully put them into the drawer, I didn¡¯t question him. I just assumed that the payment was made in my name. How could I have let him do that to me?


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a fool, Aira. This is not an insult but a fact,¡± he derided me. ¡°You trust people blindly without proper checks like every foolish person does and this, my dear, is going to be your undoing.¡±


    Before I could say another word, he hung up and sent me a text that read: ¡°Be gone before I return or else, I¡¯ll be charging you for trespassing.¡±


    I sat on the ground right outside the gate and cried my eyes out. It didn¡¯t bother me that people passed by, stopping briefly to stare at me. I just had to let out the pain clogged up in my chest just so it wouldn¡¯t kill me.


    When I cried enough, I stood and dusted my gown. Then I picked up the bags, one after the other, and ced them in my boot before getting into my car.


    I was homeless. Who could have believed that? I had nowhere to sleep that night and I didn¡¯t want to lodge in a hotel just to avoid seeing many people who must have heard the news earlier.


    All that I could think of was to head over to the next street where my friends stayed. Joan, Ray and Samantha all stayed together in a four-bedroom apartment. Some nights when we wanted to have an all-girls hangout, I used to go there to rx before and after our outing so I hoped to stay there for just about a week.


    When I got to their house, I noticed that their brown door wasn¡¯t locked so I walked into the house full of confidence.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted them with a smile as I met them in the sitting room sitting on the sofas with drinks in their hands.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Sam asked, staring at me in shock. ¡°We weren¡¯t quite expecting you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I know. It happened so suddenly,¡± I exined. ¡°I was thrown out of my house by my boyfriend so I thought I could stay here for a week or two so that I can sort this out. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ray blurted out to my surprise.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard her,¡± Joan concurred. ¡°We can¡¯t let you stay here. We heard everything that happened earlier today at your ex-boyfriend¡¯s wedding and we don¡¯t want any of that. ¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t have you bring us shame and tarnish our image in the public eyes, Aira,¡± Sammented. ¡°Please, stay the hell away from us. Leave now.¡±


    I shook my head as I gazed upon the people I called my friends and for a few seconds, I didn¡¯t know what to do.


    I realised that those weren¡¯t my friends. They didn¡¯t love me at all. They, like Jace, were all about my money and the benefits of being in my circle.


    I stormed out of their house in anger and got back into my car. Exhausted, I leaned back on the chair and shut my eyes just to have a moment of rest.


    When I woke from my slumber, the ce was already dark and I felt very strange. My head was a bit hazy and I had a strong urge to throw up.


    I started my car and drove to the hospital in a hurry. I couldn¡¯t afford to let anything happen to me before I got there as there was no one to help.


    ¡°Wee, ma¡¯am,¡± one of the nurses greeted but before I could respond, my head spun around and I fell to the ground.


    ¡°Quick! Take her to the emergency room,¡± I heard one of the nurses say as I slowly slipped unconscious. ¡°I believe she¡¯s pregnant.¡±

 Chapter 4: Deserted

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Ah,¡± I groaned, slowly opening my eyes as I finally woke up from my sleep.


    With my right hand, I held onto my head, still feeling a bit dizzy.


    I was in pain. My entire body felt like I had been smashed countless times with a hammer and I couldn¡¯t exin why.


    The room seemed quite unfamiliar. The walls were painted white which was in contrast to the cream colour that I used on mine.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± I groaned once again, my head throbbing even faster as I attempted to remember.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Then the memories began toe back.


    I recalled being humiliated by Jace and my twin at his wedding. I remembered going back to my house only to be thrown out. I felt the pain all over again but held back the tears as much as I could.


    I remembered getting into my car to sleep and feeling weak immediately after waking up. I remembered¡­


    ¡°The hospital. Yes¡­¡±


    I recalled that I had gone to the hospital to get help, only to fall to the ground unconscious. But before I did, I heard one of the nurses say something that sounded like pregnancy. I wasn¡¯t quite sure but I believed I heard right. There was only one way to find out.


    Reclining on my pillow, I wondered what step I had to take. I had no ce to live and the man I loved had turned his back on me because of my twin. Life made little sense to me but I was determined to move on.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake,¡± a nurse on low cut said as she walked into the room with her face beaming with smiles. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    I tried to sit up but I couldn¡¯t. All I could mutter was, ¡°Better, I guess.¡±


    She grinned as she got to the bed, cing her hand on my head to check my temperature. ¡°Your body still feels a bit hot,¡± she noted. ¡°Good thing I have just what you need to feel better.¡¯


    She pulled one of the drawers in the wooden table beside the bed and took out a syringe. ¡°You¡¯re going to inject me?* I asked with my eyes wide open with fear.


    I was scared of needles. I¡¯d always been scared of them since I was little. One of the ways my mom used to get me to do things was by threatening to call our family nurse who for some reason found delight in giving me injections as opposed to drugs despite my numerous protests.


    I felt that as I got older, the fear would go away but it didn¡¯t. It only intensified. Although I felt very embarrassed as the nurse stared at me bemused, I just couldn¡¯t stop my hands from trembling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t even feel a thing,¡± she assured me and just like she said, it was the least painful injection that I¡¯d ever had.


    Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes and rested my head on the pillow as the nurse adjusted the nket with which I was covered.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sarah and I¡¯ll be responsible for you all through your stay in this hospital,¡± she announced. ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Aira. But I¡¯m sure you already knew that, didn¡¯t you?¡± I said, almost in a whisper. ¡°My stay in this hospital¡­. Are you saying that I won¡¯t be leaving here today?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because of your condition, we can¡¯t let you leave,¡± she reaffirmed. ¡°We would love to monitor you and your baby, just to be sure that everything is fine. Then we will let you leave.¡±


    ¡°Baby? I¡¯m really pregnant?¡± I asked aloud, more to myself but it was loud enough for her to hear.


    ¡°Yes. Congrattions, ma¡¯am. You¡¯re six weeks pregnant,¡± she revealed. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you came here when you did because that fall could have been dangerous if we didn¡¯t attend to you as quickly as we did. Just hold on. You must be hungry. Let me get you some food.¡±


    When she walked out of the room, I didn¡¯t quite know how to feel. I was delighted to know that I had a baby in me; that in a few months, I¡¯d carry my child in my hands and show her the best care that any child could receive.


    But on the other hand, I didn¡¯t know what Jace would say about it. I wondered if he¡¯d ept the child or even suggest that I take it away. I could never abort my child.


    I also didn¡¯t know if I wanted to have a child with him or give him the chance to be part of my child¡¯s life or mine. Yet, it was only right for him to know that he was soon going to be a father.


    Before the nurse could return, I forced myself up on the bed and slowly pushed myself to the edge.


    Then I ced my feet on the ground and after taking a few deep breaths, I managed to stand on my feet.


    Slowly, I walked, after picking up my handbag which was on the table. Then I made my way out of the room and headed straight to the reception.


    ¡°How much is my bill?¡± I asked thedy who seemed pretty shocked to see me.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here, ma¡¯am. You should be resting in your room,¡± she said but I ignored her, walked over to the counter and ced my hands on it for support.


    ¡°How much is my bill?¡± I asked again, spotting the nurse hurriedly making her way to the counter. She had probably gone to the room with the food only to find me missing.


    ¡°I have somewhere to be right now,¡± I exined. ¡°I cannot stay here. Please, I need to leave now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s free,¡± Sarah voiced with a nod, handing a card over to me. ¡°Please, be careful. Call the number on that card if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Leaving the hospital, I walked into my car and drove straight to my house, hoping to break the news to Jace. As soon as I got to the gate, I honked twice and this time, Briggs opened the gate for me to get in.


    I had the urge to ask him why he changed his mind but I didn¡¯t think it was worth it. All I wanted was to have a word with Jace and tell him the truth.


    When I got to the door, I saw that it was already open and I heard some giggling sounds inside the sitting room.


    I pushed it open and walked inside to find Jace and Ana passionately making out on the sofa.


    Clearing my throat, they shuddered, surprised to see me inside the house. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Ana asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock?¡±


    ¡°I need to have a word with you Jace,¡± I said, ignoring my sister as she fumed, angered by my intrusion. ¡°I have something to tell you¡­ Alone.¡±


    Jace wasn¡¯t happy to see me either. He scrunched his face at my request and pointed to the sofa by the right so I could sit.


    I did.


    ¡°Whatever it is you want to tell me, you can always say it here,¡± he voiced. ¡°Please, make it very snappy. I believe you already saw that we were in the middle of something special.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant,¡± I revealed, much to his shock as his eyes went wide for a minute. ¡°I¡¯m six weeks pregnant.¡±


    Suddenly, the shock on his face disappeared and all that was left was a smirk. ¡°That can¡¯t be true, Aira,¡± he refuted. ¡°I switched out all of your vitamins for n b tablets just to make sure you¡¯d never get pregnant for me, you bloody liar!¡±


    Ana shook her head as she gazed disdainfully at me. ¡°You should be ashamed of yourself sister. How desperate could you be?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ But, I¡¯m telling you the truth,¡± I maintained but they wouldn¡¯t believe me. ¡°I¡¯m justing from the hospital.¡±


    Jace rose to his feet and harshly pulled me up from my chair. ¡°Leave here immediately or I¡¯ll call the cops on you,¡± he threatened and in tears, I walked away from the house swearing in my heart to have nothing to do with him again.


    Determined to put everything about him behind me, I drove to my bank and walked inside still feeling a bit weak. I had to leave the country and I needed some money to do that.


    As usual, the ce was crowded as many customers lined up to receive their money.  One of the bankers dressed in a shirt, a pair of ck trousers and a ck tie spotted me as soon as I walked inside and walked straight to me in a hurry.


    ¡°How may we help you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I want to withdraw all of my money,¡± I revealed as his mouth went ajar. ¡°I need it immediately.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡±


    He led me away from the crowd to an inner room and there, I filled out the necessary form, handing it over to him.


    After a few seconds, he returned with a worried look. ¡°Ma¡¯am, there¡¯s no money in your ount,¡± he revealed and I stood at once in shock. ¡°We can tell from the records that you withdrew everything inside it just a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t withdraw any money. I¡­¡±


    I opened my bag and searched for my card but it wasn¡¯t there. I knew exactly what had happened. Jace had taken all of my money. Why was he that wicked?


    Picking up my phone, I dialled his number and he picked up almost immediately. ¡°Why, Jace? Why would you do this to me?¡± I cried. ¡°I demand that you return my money, all of it or I swear, I¡¯ll make you pay for it. Give it back and I promise, I¡¯ll never show up in your life again.¡±


    ¡°Good. I was hoping you¡¯d say that,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up then. I¡¯ll send you a location. Don¡¯t bete.¡±

 Chapter 5: Light or Darkness… at The End Of The Tunnel

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Oh¡­ They¡¯re already here,¡± I muttered under my breath as I saw Jace and Ana standing beside an iplete building very close to the forest.


    As I got out of my car, I wondered why they asked to meet up there. The ce was very lonely with very few passersby so I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I was in some danger, especially since it waste.


    But I needed that money. I couldn¡¯t let him have it. I thought, maybe, he didn¡¯t want me to call the cops whilst handing the money over to me and when I saw that it was just him and my sister and that he had a bag in his right hand which I assumed was the money, my mind was finally at ease.


    I approached them a bit cautiously as they talked to themselves in low tones. As soon as I got to a few feet in front of them, a bunch of men all dressed in ck stepped out of hiding and immediately surrounded me.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked, looking around for an escape route but there was none.


    Jace and Ana shared a kiss and returned their gazes to me smiling. ¡°You could have gone when you had the chance,¡± Jace spoke in a very low tone. ¡°Now, you leave me no choice.¡±


    I went down on my knees quickly, sping my hands together as tears rolled down my cheeks. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this, Jace,¡± I begged as he stared nkly at me. ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll nevere close to you. You can have all the money. Take it. It belongs to you. Just spare me and the baby. I¡¯ll take her away from here and we¡¯ll nevere back.¡±


    He nodded and the men grabbed me, tying my hands with a long, ck rope. ¡°It¡¯s toote, Aira. You should have thought about this before showing up here,¡± he sneered. ¡°The nerve you have to threaten to call the cops on me. Did you think I was going to let that slide?¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I turned to Ana who hadn¡¯t said a word since the men in ck showed up. I knew she hated me but she couldn¡¯t have been okay with killing her sister, right?


    ¡°Please, Ana. Don¡¯t let him do this to me,¡± I begged, doing my best to break free from the hold of those men but they were way too strong. ¡°You¡¯re my sister; my twin. Don¡¯t let him kill me, please. I¡¯ll leave you both alone, I swear. Please, I don¡¯t want to die. My baby¡­¡±


    I wailed as she scoffed at me, shaking her head and holding onto Jace¡¯s hand. I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. My own sister wanted me dead.


    ¡°It¡¯s so sad that it has to end this way,¡± Jace said, as he and Ana made their way out. Goodbye, Aira. I just want to let you know that I regret none of my actions including this one.¡±


    I bowed my head to the ground as the men bundled me up, knowing that my end was near. They led me into the deep forest and made me sit in front of a tall tree.


    ¡°You might want to say a prayer to the goddess,¡± one of the men remarked, pulling his sword and cing it on my neck.


    I shut my eyes in expectation of the inevitable, counting numbers in my heart¡­


    One. Two. Three. Four¡­


    Suddenly, I heard a strange sound and quickly opened my eyes. I witnessed a bunch of werewolves in their wolf forms jump on the men, tearing them to shreds in a few minutes.


    Three men managed to escape, running as fast as they could but the wolves chased them down and caught one of them as the others slipped into the darkness. They dug their ws into his body, tearing him apart until he was unrecognisable.


    I shook in fear as all four werewolves approached me, ring at me with their golden eyes. My fingers trembled as I tried once again in vain to break free.


    All my life, I¡¯d never beheld a wolf in its animal form. I used to hear it in stories but I never knew it was possible. It was referred to as shifting and no one in my Pack had ever done that. Well, none that I knew of.


    Each step they took made my heart skip. I felt as if it was about to jump out of my chest and I wondered¡­ Were they about to kill me like they killed the other men?


    Well, they didn¡¯t. Perhaps, my time hadn¡¯te yet. Or perhaps, even death didn¡¯t want me either.


    Instead, one of them picked me up and ced me on his shoulder. Then, they all took off with unimaginable speed.


    They came to a halt in front of arge house and the man let me down from his shoulder. It was a three-storey building made entirely of ss and two bald men stood in front of it with a cold visage.


    Looking around, I could tell it wasn¡¯t my Pack. It was certainly somewhere else; a ce I¡¯d never seen in my life despite having visited several Packs.


    They led me into the building where a few men were already gathered as if they were expecting them.  There, a tall, huge man with long, blonde hair stepped down from his chair and made his way to me with a huge grin.


    Turning behind me, I saw that the wolves had turned to their human forms. They untied my hands and dered, ¡°Behold, our Queen!¡±


    All the men in the room rose to their feet and bowed before me, except for the huge man, as I watched on in shock, unable toprehend what was going on.


    ¡°Queen?¡± I asked in my heart. I was no Queen. I had no clue who these people even were.


    ¡°Not long ago, we got a vision that our Queen was finallying to our Pack,¡± the tall man exined. ¡°It was shown to us that she¡¯ll be present in the deep forest. That is why we went there and now, you¡¯re here with us, our Queen.¡±


    The men cheered, pping their hands in excitement while I just stood there, confused, certain that they had mistaken me for someone else.

 Chapter 6: I’m No Queen

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°You do not understand; I am no one¡¯s queen. Honestly, there has to be some kind of mistake,¡± I said to them as they led me to God knows where.


    ¡°You may not be aware of it now, but you are our queen. Our oracle is never wrong,¡± the tall man exined, but I continue to shake my head in denial.


    This is just too much toprehend. Is today some sort of nightmare? How can all of this happen in a span of twenty-four hours?


    ¡°Maybe. But I am telling you now that you have the wrong person. Your queen could still be somewhere within this forest; do not waste your time with me and go find her,¡± I said. Turning on my heel, I attempt to leave, but tworge men blocked my path.


    ¡°We are certain that you are the one. We have searched this entire forest twice and have note across a single soul except you. And our oracle informed us of how you would look, and you fit every description, your highness.¡± He finishes, and I just look at them like they have all lost their minds.


    Actually, they most certainly have lost their minds. Gosh, to think I felt relieved for a moment that I was rescued, yet I am now in the hands of a bunch of lunatics.


    Clenching my fists, I feel my frustration reaching its peak. But I do my best to keep it under control because thest thing I want is to upset them. ¡°My name is Aira, and I am telling you, I am not your queen.¡±


    The huge man grins in a way that makes him appear quite handsome. His forest green eyes trickle with amusement when he says, ¡°We will let our alpha decide that.¡± He turns to his men and says, ¡°Take her.¡±


    My eyes widen with horror, and I try to make a run for it. It¡¯s a shame that I do not even manage to get anywhere before my arms are grabbed and I am being pulled harshly away. I try to nt my feet on the ground, but they only scrape on the dirt as they drag me away.


    Even though I know it is futile, I struggle to set my arms free, but their grip does not budge one bit. ¡°Let me go! You can¡¯t do this to me! This is kidnapping!¡± I scream, still attempting to set myself free.


    All of them ignore me as they lead me into the forest. I continue to scream out in frustration, and I feel my eyes begin to sting with tears.


    ¡°Please, I promise you that you have the wrong person. I have had a very bad day, and I just want to be left alone. Please¡­¡± I sob, and the tall man looks over his shoulder. Our eyes meet, and I see a spark of empathy within his.


    They harden once he directs them to his men. ¡°Be careful, you idiots! You do know what will happen to all of us if you so much as leave a bruise on her skin. Or do any of you wish to face the alpha¡¯s wrath this faithful evening?¡± He asks, and I see fear overtake them all.


    Their grip on my arm loosens, but it is still firm enough to prevent me from escaping. After a while, I stopped struggling. I give up. I bow my head and let the tears trickle down my cheeks as they continue to lead me to God knows where.


    When they stop, I lift my head to find a convoy of luxurious cars. Some BMW¡¯s and others range rovers. The men help me into one of them and cage me on both sides. The tall man, who I am starting to believe is the leader of this group, takes the passenger seat. One of the men takes the driver seat and fires the engine. Soon we are driving down to a ce I know nothing about.


    I sit silently at the back, sandwiches between these huge, muscr men, as you think about everything that happened today. Who would have thought I would find myself in this situation?


    I lost my mate to my own twin sister, my home, my money, and almost my life. Now I do not even have my freedom because of these strange wolves that think I am their queen. Sincerely, I just hope all of this is just a bad dream and I will soon wake up.


    Therge man angles his body in the passenger seat to meet my eyes. ¡°My name is Arnold, by the way. I am the beta of our pack.¡±


    At first, I considered not responding to him, but I have to remember that these men have the power to snap my neck if I piss them off even a little bit.


    ¡°Aira,¡± I say simply, and his grin widens. It isn¡¯t an excited or happy grin, but rather one filled with mischief.


    ¡°I know. I also understand that all this must be confusing to you, but trust me, this is all a good thing. You are the queen our kingdom has been waiting for for over a decade now, the key to bringing our kingdom peace and prosperity. Our alpha¡¯s mate. Certainly, once you see him, I am sure you will feel the spark and all will be well,¡± he says, and I want to scream at him that he has the wrong person.


    I already have a mate. Or should I say had.


    I got rejected just a few hours ago; there is no way I am their alpha¡¯s mate. A part of me wants to tell him all of this, but another part of me wonders if, if I do find out I am not their queen, they will kill me. So I stay silent.


    What does it matter anyway? I know that once I see their alpha and he realizes that I am not his mate, he will have me killed on the spot. I am just heading towards my own execution. Again.


    The cares to a stop, and all the men step out. Arnoldes up to my side and helps me out of the vehicle. My jaw practically hits the floor when my eyes fall on the magnificent pce situated before me.


    It has about five stories and stretches on for miles. The lush gardens that surround the perimeter and the beautifully trimmed shrubs andnterns give the whole ce a royal look. The men lead me up the grand stairs, and my mouth remains agape as I take in the grand pirs that appear ten feet taller than me.


    Two guards stand by the metal, silver doors; they open them for us once they see us approaching. They bow as we pass, and I refuse to believe that it is because of me.


    ¡°Where is the alpha?¡± Arnold asks one of the guards.


    ¡°In the throne room,¡± he replies, and Arnold nods. He leads the way to the throne room, and I feel my heart rate elerate the closer we get. We walk through the picturesque hallway, and I am in awe at the various paintings and artworks that hang on the crystal-white walls.


    My gaze falls on the golden double doors at the end of the hall and two guards standing on either side.


    They bow as well before opening it for us. A shiver goes up my spine as I stare into the dark room. I almost did not notice it, but I felt the two men standing by my side grow rigid. Arnold is the first to step in.


    ¡°We have returned your highness,¡± he says into the darkness.


    The voice that fills my ears nearly brings me to my knees. It freezes every drop of blood in my veins and takes away my ability to breathe. I have never heard a voice so deep and so menacing.


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    The guards pull me in, and the deeper I walk into the room, the clearer my vision bes. I find the silhouette of someone-not a man but a god-sitting on a throne. His silver eyes are his most prominent feature, as they pin me to the spot.


    For a fraction of a second, I see something sh within them, an emotion I am unable to recognize. But as quickly as it came, it disappeared. Instead, his silver orbs brim with rage. A growl so powerful escapes from his chest, and the walls around us tremble.


    ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± He roars, and my feet take an involuntary step back.


    Arnold visibly gulps, and for the first time since I met him, there is a tremble in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m, your mate, your highness?¡±


    ¡°But she is a damn wolf!¡± he growls, rising to his feet and grabbing a nearby vase and smashing it against the wall. A scream leaves my lips as the pieces fly in every direction of the room. I look at the alpha¡¯s mighty form with horror. I can feel his rage vibrating off him and slipping fear into my bones.


    I knew it.


    I knew all of this was a mistake.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Arnold immediately goes down on his knees and begs for mercy. ¡°I am truly sorry, your highness. We simply followed the directions of the oracle.¡±


    Another growl escapes the alpha¡¯s throat. He marches up to us, and with every step he takes, I feel myself grow heavier with fear. It feels like there is this weight on my shoulders that only grows the closer he gets to me.


    He steps into the light, and I am unable to hold back my gasp when his facees into full view.


    By the moon goddess, he is beautiful.


    His midnight ck hair falls above his silver eyes in a way that leaves this mystery to him. His jaw and nose are sharp enough to cut through anything, and those lips¡­ My God, I have never seen one as pink and luscious as his.


    He tilts his head to the side, his eyes still trained on me, when he asks, ¡°Are you pregnant?¡±


    My eyes widen with surprise. I am certain I have not started showing yet, so how the hell did he know that?


    Swallowing the bile that has risen with my throat, I say, ¡°Yes.¡±


    That one word alone is all that it takes for him to snap. He grabs one of the guards by my side by the throat and effortlessly flings him across the room. My mouth falls open at his strength, and I have tomend myself for not fainting.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± the alpha yells. He looks like he is about to punch through something, and I subconsciously take another step away from him.


    ¡°Your highness, I was not aware that she was pregnant. Perhaps we made some sort of mistake; we will make sure to dispose of her immediately.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you darey a hand on her.¡±


    Just when I thought he could not get any more intimidating,.


    ¡°Throw her in the dungeons instead,¡± he continues, and my face twists with disbelief. He meets my eyes once again; there is not a hint of emotion within those silver orbs when he says, ¡°She can rot for all I care.¡±


    And with that said, he storms out of the throne room.


    My knees meet the cold marble floors, and once the dam breaks, tears cascade down my cheeks.


    At this point, death would be a luxury.

 Chapter 7: Disappointment

    This has to be some sort of mistake.


    A damn werewolf? And to top it off, she is pregnant! What the fuck?


    This has to be a punishment from the moon goddess. Yes, she is definitely punishing me for all the wrong I have done to others. Because why else would I be mated to such a woman?


    There is no denying that she is my mate. I could feel it from the second they drove into the pce. That sensation was strange but incredible. I could feel her drawing near me, all confused and petrified at the same time.


    And for the first time in decades, I actually felt a tiny bit of excitement. I actually get to meet my mate after years of believing that I was mateless. When the oracle told me that they had seen a vision of my mate in the forest, I personally set out to look for her. This search has been going on for about a week now, and today we finally got her. And she turns out to be a damn pregnant werewolf?!


    To top it off, she is even marked!


    My blood begins to boil as I clench my fists with rage. My canines elongate, and I feel my wolf slowly begin to take over.


    He is furious.


    But not for the same reason as me. He is furious at the fact that someone marked what is ours. And he was so furious at me that I locked her up in the dungeons.


    Release her now!


    My jaw ticks, and I scoff.


    ¡®No, I am not doing that! She¡¯s a werewolf.¡¯


    It does not matter. Mate is mate.


    ¡®No, mate is not mate. Don¡¯t you understand how embarrassing all of this is? Werewolves and Lycans are never mated. They are inferior creatures. And to make things worse, she has the child of another growing within her! Someone touched her before me!¡¯


    My words only seem to anger my wolf more. His rage mixes with mine, and I honestly feel like I am about to lose my mind. I pace my dark room, my fingers embedded in my hair. It feels like I am losing my mind.


    I do not know when my hand makes contact with a chair; all I know is that I am smashing it against the wall. Its pieces fly in every direction as I roar out in rage. The walls encircling me tremble at the power of my roar.


    Screw the mate; I cannot lead my kingdom with a werewolf by my side. I am better off alone. Perhaps I will just get one of thedies in my kingdom to have my child and have her killed right after.


    ¡°What have you done?¡±


    My head snaps to the entrance of my room. My father stands tall with his fists balled and his re heated.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Ever heard of knocking?¡± I snarl, and his gaze only heats up more. My father might as well be the only person in this entire kingdom that does not fear me. maybe because he is almost as feared as I am. Almost.


    I may never admit it, but my father is the only man I respect, not just in this whole kingdom but in the world. Silently, I observed him during his rule. I learned a lot from him on how to be an alpha.


    The way he carried himself with so much pride and charisma, the way he led with confidence and a clear head. He was an admirable leader.


    But now it is my turn.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± he asks again through clenched teeth.


    ¡°I suppose you are going to have to be more specific, father, because you personally know that I have done quite a lot of things,¡± I say with a bit of sarcasm, and his growl fills my ears.


    He marches into the room, and it feels like I am staring at an older version of myself. I got most of my features from him, except my eyes.


    ¡°I knew you were impulsive and foolish, but I never knew it would be to this extent! You know how long we have waited for your mate to be found, and here you are locking her up in the dungeons?!¡±


    My eyelids narrow, and I try to keep my anger at bay. If this had been anyone else speaking to me in such a manner, I would have snapped their neck by now.


    ¡°She is a werewolf,¡± I state through gritted teeth.


    Difort swirls within his eyes, but he is quick to mask it. ¡°And so what? She is your mate regardless. And you heard what the oracle said-she is the key to bringing this kingdom so much peace and prosperity. If anything happens to her while she is in there, our kingdom could face the consequences, and you would risk upsetting the oracle. Now I know you might be ruthless, but somewhere deep down, I know you wouldn¡¯t want such to happen. Let her go, Alexander. Now.¡±


    And with that said, my father turns his back on me and walks away. Once I am left alone, my chest heaves up and down in rage.


    ¡°FUCK!¡±


    Aira¡¯s POV


    The smell of piss, vomit, and blood filled the air. The stench is so awful that it hurts my nose and brings tears to my eyes. I sit curled up on this filthy floor with my arms wrapped around my legs. Iy my head on my knees and let the tears flow.


    It seems that is all I can do. Cry.


    This has to be the second worst day of my entire life. The first was the day my parents died. I just know for a fact that none of this would have happened if mom and dad were here. Ana would not dare do this to me.


    And even if she did, at least I would have had somewhere to run to. I would escape into mom¡¯s arms and bury myself in her warm hugs. I would spend my days in the living roomughing at dad¡¯s jokes, and then we would go for karaoke nights like we always did.


    None of this would have happened.


    I would not be crying in this disgusting dungeon with nothing to my name.


    I do not think things can get any worse than this.


    As soon as that thought popped into my head, the jingling of keys was heard. I lift my head to see that the doors to my cell are being unlocked. A man in uniform, who I assume is one of the pce guards, stands before me. There is ady in a ck dress and white apron standing right next to him. I suppose she is a maid.


    She gasps once she takes in my condition. She covers her mouth with hers, and I want to believe that I am hallucinating when I see her eyes ze with tears.


    ¡°The alpha has ordered that you be released,¡± the guard says, and my eyebrows crease. I am certain that I have not been in here for a day; why would he throw me in here if he was just going to release me hourster?


    When I do not move, the maid speaks.


    ¡°Oh, you poor thing.¡± She walks into my cell and helps me to my feet. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you all cleaned up.¡± She leads me out of the dungeons, and I silently follow her. We walk through the majestic halls, and I asionally find a few maids and guards staring at us.


    I shrink at their heated gaze and begin to wonder if being in that dungeon would have been better. ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to them; they are just surprised at how pretty you are,¡± the maid next to me says, and I do not know how to respond to that. ¡°My name is Ca, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Aira,¡± I say, surprised by how small my voice is. Well, what did I expect? I have been crying and screaming all day. It is a miracle that I have not lost my voicepletely. ¡°It¡¯s good to have you here with us, Aira.¡±


    I wish I could say the same.


    As we pass by most of the workers, I am able to catch a bit of their whispers.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she is the alpha¡¯s mate.¡±


    ¡°She looks so weak; I expected someone stronger and more confident.¡±


    ¡°I hear she is pregnant. The damn whore, she couldn¡¯t even wait for her mate before opening her legs.¡±


    It seems like we have been walking for hours; how big is this pce anyway? I can tell that I am going to get lost here a couple of times.


    We step into a room at the end of a secluded hall. Inside the room, there are about twenty bunk beds lined up. The lighting is very dim, and there are a few maids sitting around talking. But they all stop once they see me.


    Ca must have seen the confusion in my eyes because she quickly says, ¡°This is the maid¡¯s chamber.¡±


    My eyelids narrow as my brain tries toprehend what exactly is going on. ¡°Why am I here?¡±


    A grin lifts Ca¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? You are one of us now. Isn¡¯t it wonderful? Instead of having you locked up, the alpha has agreed to have you work as a maid in the pce.¡±


    Oh, how wonderful indeed.

 Chapter 8: Slave

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°What do you think this is? Your private bathroom? Move it!¡±


    I flinch when a shrewd voicees from the other side of the wooden door. I have only been in this bathroom for thirty seconds, and I am already being yelled at to get out.


    There is no way I am stepping out until I am done.


    For the past forty-eight hours, I have been tossed around like a rag. I am covered in sweat, blood, and dirt. If there has been a point in my life where I need a good shower, it is now.


    Taking in the condition of this bathroom, I grimace with disgust. I cannot believe over thirty women are being forced to share the same bathroom. I am certain that there are over twenty other bathrooms in this pce; making every maid share one is just utter cruelty.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare make mee in there! I refuse to bete because of you!¡± says another voice, equally as harsh as the first. Quickly, I twist the shower nub and gasp when the cold drops of water hit my skin. Soon I sigh with relief as my body adjusts to the temperature.


    Picking up the piece of soap beside the handle, Ither my body and hair with it. Just when I am about to rinse it off my body, a loud bang fills the air. My body jolts with surprise, and my brain does not get enough time toprehend what is going on before my wrist is harshly grabbed.


    A scream leaves my lips as I am flung out of the bathroom. My bare body collides with the cold tiles. I try to get a good look at what exactly is going on, but I instantly regret that decision when a sharp sting attacks my eyes. Shit, I got soap in my eyes.


    ¡°Can someone please hand me a towel?¡± I plead, waving my hand in the air aimlessly. Laughter mixed with mockery fills my ears.


    ¡°Oh my God, how pathetic is she?¡±


    ¡°It is no wonder the alpha rejected her.¡±


    ¡°She is so weak.¡±


    Their words pierce my heart like a knife, bringing a tremble to my lips. I do not know how long I sit helplessly on the floor, wiping the soap away from my eyes as my falling tears help wash them away. But once I finally regain my vision, the first thing I see is a pair of dusty shoes barely covered with a ck cloth.


    Slowly, I lift my gaze upwards to find a somewhat elderly woman ring down at me with disapproval on her face. The lines on the corners of her lips suggest that she does it quite often. She has her arms folded above her significantlyrge boobs¡­


    ¡°And what exactly are you just sitting there doing? Get up! There is a lot of work to be done!¡± She screeches with a voice that is quite painful to my ears.


    Thankfully, the soap and water on my feet have dried up, so I hurriedly got to my feet. She encircles me like a predator would their prey. I can feel her eyes all over my body, sizing me up. This would have been a lot less awkward if I had some clothes on.


    ¡°So you are the new girl everyone has been going on about,¡± she says in a somewhat muttering tone. ¡°My name is Grace, and I am the head maid. I will be the one assigning your daily duties. Every day, once you are done with your task, you report back to me. Now, your uniform is on your bed. Quickly put it on and meet me in the kitchen to receive your duties for the day. And do not make me wait.¡± With that said, she storms out of the door.


    I hear a few whispers and snickers as I drag myself down to my bed. On it was a ck dress and white apron that were just my size. I cannot even describe how thankful I am when I see some underwear. I inspect it to make sure that it is clean before putting it on.


    Once I am fully dressed, I make my way out of the maid¡¯s chambers and head down to the kitchen. Or at least try to. This ce is like a maze! Why the hell are there so many twists and turns?


    To make things worse, there are so many paintings that look exactly alike.


    A sigh of defeat leaves my lips when I pass the painting of a woman in a red dress for the third time. I really wish Ca was here. She did not even tell me she was leaving; if not, I would have followed her, or at least had her help me get used to the ce. Now what am I supposed to do?


    The sound ofdies talking grows nearer, and I bite my bottom lip as I contemte whether to ask them for directions or not. But I mean, what other choice did I have?


    ¡°Um, excuse me?¡± The three maids seized on their conversations and looked at me in a way that made me regret saying anything. Well, I might as well finish what I started. ¡°I am having a hard time finding the kitchen. Could you please give me some directions to where it is?¡±


    The three of them grin to themselves. The one in the middle, with blonde hair and blue eyes, points ahead. ¡°Oh, you just keep heading down this way. Then you take the first turn to your left. Take another left; the door by the end of the hall is the kitchen.¡± She says so, and I smile appreciatively.


    ¡°Okay, thank you so much.¡±


    Her smile is rather tight when she says, ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    The three of them walk away, and at a point, I think I heard them burst out withughter. How strange. Shrugging to myself, I follow the directions given to me, and I smile with relief when I see the wooden door. My hand reaches out for the handle, but I barely make contact with it when a loud voice fills my ears.


    ¡°By the moon goddess, step away from the door, woman!¡±


    I jump back from the urgency and fearced with the feminine voice. Spinning on my heel, Ie face-to-face with one of the pce guards, who looks at me in horror. He looks rather young, if I am to be honest; everyone around here looks like they are in their middle orte twenties. I don¡¯t think this guy is anything more than twenty-two years old.


    ¡°Why?¡± I ask, and he hikes a brow slowly.


    ¡°Why?¡± he repeats after me. ¡°I am more than certain that you do not want to walk into a room filled with starved wolves. Unless you are suicidal, of course.¡± Once he finishes, my eyes widen with horror.


    ¡°What? But one of the maids said, this was the kitchen!¡± I say, and he looks at me like he expected me to say I was joking, but when I do not, he shakes his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Well, whoever did that certainly wants you dead. Anyone who has ever walked in there neveres out. The alpha keeps this room as his execution room for criminals,¡± he finishes, and I gulp loudly.


    Well, then it adds to the list of people who want me dead. How could those girls do that to me? I do not even know them!


    The guard looks at me with pity and then releases a sigh. ¡°Take your first right; you will see a flight of stairs. Go down and turn to your left. You will see the kitchen,¡± he says, and I nod skeptically.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say a bit shakily.


    ¡°You are wee,¡± he pauses. ¡°My name is Johan, by the way. I am guessing you are one of the new maids here,¡± he finishes, and I am d he has no idea who I actually am, unlike the others. If he had, he probably would have let me walk into that death room.


    ¡°Aira.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is nice to meet you, Aiara. Let me give you a tip: do not walk into rooms you have never walked through before. Trust me, this is not the only dangerous room in this ce,¡± he says, and I smile wryly at him.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I say. He waves me goodbye as I start to walk away. I follow his directions and release a sigh of relief when I finally see the kitchen.


    It is quite huge. There are about seven maids actively working. Some were handling the steaming pots on fire, others were chopping away ingredients and vegetables, and others were setting out trays and tes. A bead of sweat trickles down my head when I see Grace ring at me from the other side of the kitchen.


    ¡°What did I say about keeping me waiting?!¡± She yells, and my mouth opens and falls several times.


    ¡°I am sorry, I had a hard time finding the kitchen and-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your flimsy excuses. I need you to prepare an omelet for the alpha; the other dishes have been prepared; make it snappy.¡± she says, and I blink up at her.


    An omelet?


    That was one of my favorite meals growing up, but I am not certain I know how to prepare it. I always had a maid prepare it for me. I am sure I can do it. I mean, how hard can it be?All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    My gaze falls on some fresh eggs in a bowl on the counter. I take out a smaller bowl and break about three inside. Pouring some of the oil into the frying pan, I put it on the stove and began to whisk the eggs. From the corner of my eye, I caught a few of the maids leaving the kitchen.


    Soon, I will all be alone. I do not know why that makes me a bit anxious. No matter¡­ Soon I will begin to search the cupboards for some spices. A cough escapes my lips when I open a drawer. Is it just me, or did this kitchen get hotter?


    A gasp fills my ears, and my eyes snap to Ca standing at the entrance of the kitchen. ¡°Oh my God, Aira, get away from there!¡±


    At first, I am confused, but when I look behind me to see that the frying pan I had ced on the stove is now on fire, I do as I am told. How the hell did that happen?


    I step back as Ca puts out the fire. Once she does, the entire kitchen is engulfed in smoke. ¡°What happened? Why are you the only one here?¡± she asks through her coughs. She opened some of the windows to let the smoke out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ They all just left. Grace told me to prepare an omelet for the alpha.¡± I exin to her, and she looks at me with sympathy.


    ¡°Let me help you,¡± she says, and I smile at her appreciatively. I watch her closely as she prepares the omelet in under ten minutes.


    ¡°Damn, you are a pro,¡± I say, and sheughs.


    ¡°Help me with that tter. Let¡¯s go,¡± she says, and I do just that. We head out of the kitchen together when she says, ¡°But I do not think I have seen a cook as terrible as you.¡±


    Her words make me giggle a bit. But it does notst long because my body suddenly collides with a hard wall. How the hell did I not see that?


    ¡°Where the hell did this walle from?¡± I mutter to myself. I expected Ca to say something, but she doesn¡¯t. My gaze shifts to her, and I am shocked to find her on her knees with her head bowed.


    What the hell?


    That is when I feel it.


    That is when I feel him.


    My blood runs cold as I look up at him. Alpha Alexander stands before me, tall and mighty, with rage written all over his face.


    I am in deep shit once again, aren¡¯t I?

 Chapter 9: Do Not Help Her

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Why the hell is he always angry?


    And why does my heart rate always elerate when he is near me? Why does he make the hair on my skin stand and my throat dry? I can feel his anger vibrating off him, but that is not all. His power and might, his aura-they all radiate off him and leave me uneasy.


    His eyes pin me to the spot. I am unable to tear my gaze away from them. Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to look away and get on my knees like Ca, but I do not. I stand my ground, and for some reason, I know I am going to regret it.


    When he speaks, my entire body shivers. I do not think his voice is one that I can easily get used to; it always leaves my heart skipping beats and my blood freezing in my veins.


    ¡°The next time your filthy body touches mine, I will make sure you are tossed in the dungeons for three days without any food or water. I do not care if you are pregnant or not. Do you understand that?¡± he says, and I swallow the bile that has risen within my throat.


    ¡°I am sorry, your majesty. We were just on our way to meet you at the dining room; we prepared some omelets for you,¡± I say, holding out the tter towards him with a small smile on my lips.


    What he does next has my jaw touching the floor.


    He grabs the tter from my hands and throws it against the wall. Shards of ss and pieces of the omelet fly in several directions. Ca and I flinch with surprise.


    The alpha redirects his angry gaze at me and says, ¡°First of all, I do not eat omelets. Grace knows this. And secondly, the next time you prepare any food for me to eat, I will make sure both you and her are duly punished. Now get out of my way!¡±


    Subconsciously, my body moves to the side, making enough room for him to pass through. He storms away, and I watch him until he ispletely out of sight.


    What an asshole.


    Ca¡¯s sighs of relief fill my ears as she gets to her feet. She goes to pick up the pieces of omelet and what is left of the tter.


    I help her out as well.


    ¡°Damn, is he always like that?¡± I ask her, and she nods quietly. ¡°How do you all cope over here? Why does he have to act like such a brat? Honestly, I wish I could just-¡±


    My words are lodged back in my throat when Ca presses my lips together. At first, I look at her with confusion, but when I saw the fear and terror in her eyes, I instantly knew why she did what she did.


    ¡°Do not ever do that again.¡± she says, her eyes as wide as saucers.


    ¡°Do what?¡± I ask her once she releases my lips. She looks around before bringing her lips closer to my ear.


    ¡°Do not talk badly about the alpha. Believe me, it is far better that you are caught stealing than doing that. As long as you are within the four walls of this pce, never speak ill of him. Trust me, all four of them have ears.¡±


    I gulped once again. This ce is absolutely terrifying!


    It¡¯s like any wrong step, turn, or act is enough to get you killed.


    Ca must have seen the horrified expression on my face because she quickly sters a smile on her face and says, ¡°But don¡¯t worry; once you know the dos and don¡¯ts around here, I am sure you will be just fine. And I will be right by your side to make sure that you do not get into any trouble.¡±


    A grateful smile stretches my lips. ¡°Thank you, Ca.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it; now let¡¯s get out of here,¡± she says, picking up thest bit of omelet on the floor. She wraps an arm around my shoulder and leads me back to the kitchen.


    Despite Ca¡¯s promise, the next three days have been absolute hell. Unfortunately, Ca could not be with me 24/7. Sadly, she too is a maid and has her own duties to fulfill.


    I do not know if it is just me, but I can swear that Grace is giving me the hardest jobs to handle. The first day, she told me to clean the entire first floor.


    Why the hell did this pce have so many maids if they were just going to assign suchrge jobs to one person? I noticed something as well. Most of the maids here are always grouped into three, so they always share a single task. Ordering me to handle an entire floor seems like pure evil.


    The second day, I was ordered to clean the pce stables. That was by far the most disgusting. I mean, shouldn¡¯t there be people to handle the horses and their welfare? Howe I get to be the one to clean up all that horse shit? I think I vomited about three times, if I am being honest.


    And have I talked about our feeding? To think that since we are maids, we could prepare our own foods. But no, the food in the kitchen was meant only for the royals. Our meals were prepared by another team in the pce. If we were caught eating any of the royal food, we would be punished.


    Mind you, we eat only twice a day.


    I mean, how the hell is any of that even fair? Did these people forget that I am eating for two? I will soon be a month into this pregnancy, and my cravings and appetite are increasing immensely. But then again, I do not think any of them care.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Well, all except Ca, of course.


    On my first night here, I could not sleep at all because I was so hungry. Ca, whose bunk is right above mine, noticed and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± She stuck her head over the edge and looked at me with worry in her eyes.


    ¡°I am hungry,¡± I admit with a pout. Her gaze goes down to my arms wrapped around my stomach, and she sighs.


    ¡°You are lucky I went to the market today and got enough snacks,¡± she said. I heard some ruffling before she finally handed me some crackers and choctes.


    The smile that lifted my lips was so wide. I did not think I had been that happy in a long time. Without thinking, I snatched the treats from her hands and started eating. I froze midway and looked at her sheepishly. My mouth was still filled with crackers when I said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She giggled a bit at my behavior. ¡°You are wee, but try to eat quietly. I don¡¯t want to upset one of these stuck-ups here,¡± she said, and I nodded in understanding.


    I finished the crackers and choctes in under three minutes. Even though I was still a bit hungry, it satisfied my hunger a bit. The second day, Ca still had a bit more snacks for the night, but today, being the third day, would be a problem.


    Did I forget to mention that I have not seen Alpha Alexander these past three days? I know I should be ecstatic about it, but a part of me surprisingly longed for him.


    Wow, I really do find more ways to disappoint myself every day.


    Ca is off to do her duties in whatever part of the pce. Right now, I am following Grace closely as she leads me to my next torture of the day.


    We walk into a room, and I instantly recognize it as theundry room due to the numerous baskets filled with clothes. But wait a minute, why is there no washing machine?


    ¡°I want all these clothes washed by this afternoon, and make sure not to leave even a speck of dirt on any of them. These clothes belong to the alpha, so they sought to be in top shape.¡± she finishes, and I nod slowly.


    ¡°Okay, but where is the washing machine?¡± I ask, and for the first time since I have known this vile woman, she grins.


    ¡°There is no washing machine. We handle the alpha¡¯sundry manually; now get to it!¡± she snaps before storming out of the room.


    My head is rearing back as I let her words register in my head. Wash clothes manually. I do not think I have ever done such a thing in my entire life.


    A tired sigh escapes my lips, and my hands subconsciously go to my belly.


    Do not worry, little one; all this will be over soon.


    I start my work the best way I can: grab a few buckets, detergent, and water, and start washing the alpha¡¯s clothes. I would be lying if I said I did not sniff some of his clothes one or two times. Or maybe ten times.


    I know he is a dick, but that does not change the fact that he smells so good.


    Beads of sweat trickle down my forehead as I struggle to wash one shirt. There is this stain that just won¡¯t leave! Groaning with defeat, I rinse it off and proceed to spread it on the rope.


    What happens next is all under a second. One moment I am getting up with the alpha¡¯s shirt in my hands, and the next there is a sharp pain shooting up my back and skull as I find myself on the wet floor.


    Shit, I slipped!


    Tears spill out of my eyes like water from a broken dam. Sobs wrack my throat as my arms subconsciously wrap around my belly.


    Please be okay. Please be okay.


    ¡°Oh my God, Aira!¡± Ca¡¯s voice fills my ears, and I am instantly filled with relief. I feel her arms on my shoulders as she helps me to my feet. ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡±


    ¡°I slipped. Is my baby okay?¡± I ask, and she starts to inspect me.


    ¡°I think you are both fine, since younded on your back, but you have a bit of a bump at the back of your head. I think we are going to have to put some ice on it,¡± she says once she is done checking me. ¡°You really have to be more careful, Aira.¡±


    ¡°I am trying! But why should I be forced to wash so many clothes without anyone¡¯s help? Besides, this is a fucking pce! How the hell do they not have a washing machine?¡± I ask; the tears slipping past my eyes are one of frustration.


    ¡°There are washing machines, Aira. I think Grace is just doing this to punish you,¡± Ca reveals. I should have known. ¡°Well, lucky for you, I am done with my chores for the day, so I am free to help. But I do not think you should do anything strenuous for now; I will handle it. Just sit somewhere and look pretty.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t just do that. Maybe I will help you rinse or something,¡± I say, and she looks at me worriedly. ¡°I will be fine; trust me.¡±


    Eventually she gives in, and we embark on ourundry journey. We are only halfway through when I sense it.


    When I sensed him,.


    Oh no.


    ¡°What exactly do you think you are doing?¡±


    I see all the color drain from Ca¡¯s face as the alpha¡¯s voice fills the air. She spins around and goes down on her knees. Alpha Alexander is standing by the entrance of the door, looking as furious as ever, but this time it is directed at Ca.


    ¡°I am sorry, your highness. She is with a child, and she slipped, so I thought I would help and-¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± he roars, and my heart skips a beat. Oh no, Ca is in trouble, and it is all my fault. ¡°I personally ordered that the whore suffer in this pce, and here you are helping her?¡±


    Ca bows her head even lower. ¡°It was not my intention to disrespect you, your highness; I just wanted to help my friend.¡±


    There is a moment of silence. I expected to see some sort of empathy in the alpha¡¯s eyes, but there is nothing but coldness. A dark void.


    ¡°Well, your friend has earned you two weeks in the dungeons without meals or visitation. Anyone that tries to offer you food within this period will receive double your sentence.¡±


    My head snaps in his direction.


    ¡°What??¡±

 Chapter 10: Frustration

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡±


    The little girl¡¯s words have raised my eyebrows slightly. This girl¡¯s confidence amazes me as much as I hate to admit it. Who the hell does she think she is to talk to me in such a manner? Has she forgotten who I am?


    Perhaps I would need to remind her.


    ¡°Yes, I can, and I will. I am the alpha, and my word isw,¡± I say with finality. The guards file in to take the maid away. Aira blocks their path, but they walk past her like she is nothing but thin air.


    Despite that, she struggles and fights them. ¡°No! You can¡¯t take her! She did nothing wrong! Take me instead!¡± She pleads, but my guards turn a deaf ear toward her. as they should. They knew better than to go against my orders. Unlike this little girl, they are personally aware of the consequences.


    Once she sees that speaking to the guards ispletely pointless, shees to me. I am not going to lie; I had expected her to get down on her knees and beg for her friend. But instead, she stands tall, fists balled and eyes filled with rage.


    This girl, her spirit, It is quite admirable. But it changes nothing. It is such a shame she is not a Lycan.


    ¡°I have been treated like shit ever since I was dragged here. I have been overworked, starved, and even had some women try to kill me! For God sake, I am with child! Even if it is not yours, it does not change the fact that I am your mate and-¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± I snap, feeling my wolf take over. She flinches back and looks up at me with horror and fear. ¡°Never, and I mean ever utter such a thing again. I will do whatever I please with you, and anyone that tries to go against me will be punished.¡±


    I spin on my heel to leave, but she does something no one in this kingdom has ever dared to do.


    She grabs my wrist.


    But it is not just that; something happens when she does. There is this sensation; it is like electricity shooting up from the spot she touched straight to my heart. It courses through my veins and brings my body to life.


    My wolf stirs within me at the contact. He purrs with satisfaction and yearns for more. Hell, I yearn for more.


    Fuck!


    My head snaps in her direction, and I do not know what I feel when I see tears streaming down her cheeks. Usually I love watching my subjects cry and beg for forgiveness, but it is different with her. Her tears are like drops of acidnding where it hurts most.


    On the heart I never knew ever existed.


    Her bottom lip trembles as she says, ¡°I beg you, no one can survive that long without food. She does not deserve such a punishment. She has been nothing but kind to me; if anyone deserves to be punished, it should be me for not being able to perform my tasks properly.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    My gaze travels down to her hand holding my wrist. ¡°What did I say would happen if you were to ever touch me again?¡±


    The color on her face drains, yet she bows her head in defeat. ¡°I am ready for whatever punishment you have to give me.¡±


    There is a moment of silence between us. Now that I have taken the time to look at her, there is a fact I cannot deny. She is actually quite beautiful. Despite the tears rolling down her cheeks and distress in her eyes, I have never seen a woman as beautiful as her.


    My jaw clenches, and I feel my rage grow immensely. I do not know what angers me most-the fact that she is a werewolf or because she is pregnant for another. It is most definitely thetter.


    Someone touched what was mine before me!


    I need to find out who he is and rip his head off his shoulders. Certainly, that will bring me peace, even if it is a little bit of it.


    ¡°Your friend will be sentenced to one month in the dungeons; my rules still apply.¡±


    Her eyes snap up to mine. ¡°No! Please! I said, Punish me!¡±


    ¡°That is your punishment,¡± I growl, then free my wrist from her touch. A part of me regrets it, because instantly I am left with this feeling of hollowness. I storm out of the room, and her cries follow me all the way to my room.


    mming my door shut, I am engulfed in a deafening silence. But why can I still hear her crying?


    My wolf stirs within me. He is angry. Well, so am I.


    He slowly crawls up to the surface, and my canines and ws elongate. The roar that escapes my lips shakes the walls around me. Who is this girl? Why is she in every corner of my mind?


    I have watched my own mother cry, and it did not even bother me this much. So why her?


    Is this what it is like to have a mate?


    A frustrated growl rumbles from my chest. My fists ball, and without thinking, I m it into the nearest thing, which happened to be a brick wall. It cracks from the brute force, but my anger is in no way satisfied.


    The sight of her crying is engraved in my mind; it bothers me. and I hate that it does.


    I kick down a chair and throw my table across the room. I do not know how long I spent trashing my room, but once I was done, everything was either broken or torn. There is this strange sense of defeat in me. I leave my room and order one of the guards to get me Grace.


    ¡°You called for me, your-oh my,¡± Grace stops, her wide eyes taking in the condition of my room.


    ¡°Get some of your girls toe clean this up, then tell Rufus to rece everything that is broken and¡­¡± I cannot believe I am about to say this. ¡°Get the guards to release the maid I had detained today.¡±


    Grace¡¯s eyes grow even wider with surprise. ¡°But your majesty news got to me that you had ordered that she be locked up for a month and-¡±


    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are to question me?!¡± I snarl, and she shuts her mouth.


    She bows her head and says, ¡°My apologies, your highness.¡±


    ¡°You may leave,¡± I say, and she does just that.     I have no idea how I ended up on this balcony. I cannot seem to get my eyes off her.


    Aira is in the courtyard, shoveling some dirt into a hole that once held a tree. I know that is the work of our gardener, but I suppose Grace must have run out of challenging tasks to give her. I have been watching her for the past hour.


    asionally, she would get down on her knees and cry. Whenever she did that, I would get this urge to call someone to help her. but then I see her get back on her feet and continue. Her breakdowns are at thirty-minute intervals.


    At times, she would hold her stomach and mutter a few things before wiping away her tears and continuing. If there is another undeniable fact, it is that she is strong.


    What am I even doing here, watching her? I have other things to do.


    It takes every bit of my willpower to draw myself away from the balcony. I return to my office and bury myself in work; there are still so many papers and contracts to be signed. My need for a mate is getting quite paramount.


    My thoughts are disrupted by a knock on the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡± The door opens and closes quietly. I do not need to look up to know who is standing before me. ¡°What do you want, Mira?¡±


    Her softugh fills my ears, and it makes my skin crawl. Mira is one of the maids, and at a certain point in my life, she was my favorite. Even in bed.


    ¡°I thought I should remind you that your dinner is at seven¡­ It¡¯s almost nine now.¡±


    ¡°I am not hungry,¡± I say dismissively. I sense her drawing closer to me, and I hope she realizes that I am not in the mood for whatever it is she is about to do. It has been a while since I snapped someone¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Even for me?¡± she asks teasingly,ing to my side and taking a seat on my table. My eyes meet her seductive blue one through my thickshes. If this had been a month ago, I would have had her pinned against the wall, mming every inch of me into her as she begged for forgiveness.


    Now I can¡¯t even look at her.


    I tear my gaze away from hers and say, ¡°Especially for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± she purrs, caressing my chest softly. She perches herself on myp and brings her lips dangerously close to mine. ¡°I know you want this. It has been so long since we have been in bed together, and I am sure that wretched mate of yours¡±


    She does not get to finish her sentence because I throw her off myp. A gasp leaves her lips as her body ms into the floor. Mira looks up at me with shocked, wide eyes.


    My eyes remain cold as I repeat my words from earlier with gritted teeth: ¡°I said, I am not in the mood.¡±


    I see tears well up in her eyes, but she nods in understanding. She gets to her feet hurriedly and excuses herself. Once I am left alone, I release a sigh.


    I need some fresh air.


    I make my way to the only ce I go to find tranquility. The garden.


    I strictly forbade everyone froming there by this time because I loved to turn there. The moon was always most beautiful in the garden. But it seems someone has vited this order.


    There is only one person who would be that stupid.


    My eyes fall on Aira, sitting by the fountain. The moon¡¯s gentle glow illuminates the side of her face as she pays with the water. She looks so at peace.


    She resembles a goddess.


    A ghost of a smile lifts her lips. I¡­ I want to keep it there forever.


    Unfortunately, it vanishes when her eyes connect with mine.

 Chapter 11: Laying Claims

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Today has been absolute hell.


    I do not think I have felt this shitty in my entire life. Not only did I carry the guilt of getting Ca detained the entire day, I had to spend the whole of it shoveling dirt into an insanely huge ditch!


    I am not going to lie; I cried a lot more than I should have today. Part of it was because I was experiencing terrible cramps. I suppose the baby was not happy about all the manualbor I was doing. Well, I sure as hell was not happy either. But I suppose it was the unfortunate circumstances we found ourselves in.


    For what feels like the millionth time today, my arms wrap around my belly. I find myself whispering to my baby. I mean, now that I have no one else to talk to, the least I could do was talk to my child.


    Do not worry, little one; this will all be over soon. Just endure for a little while longer; I know you are a fighter. Just like your mama.


    The other reason I found myself crying today was because the only soul that has been kind to me since I stepped into this hell hole is now starving in that disgusting dungeon.


    I cannot believe how evil Alpha Alexander can be. I could not give him any more reason to punish Ca. He knows that I do not mind getting punished myself, so he used the only person I had gotten close to as my weakness. So I did my chores withoutint.


    Even though my chest and stomach hurt like hell, I somehow managed to finish filling up that ditch. Take that, you asshole, Alexander!ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I just finished having dinner, and despite the tiring day I had, I still did not feel sleepy at all. I find myself walking into a part of the courtyard I never have before. It is oddly secluded, which makes me instantly fall in love with it.


    I need a break from all the stares and insulting whispers everyone always shot at me when I was in the room. I just needed space to breathe.


    The moon is full and bright. It is perched atop the dark sky, providing the earth with this cool, luminous light. My eyes fall on a beautiful fountain in the middle of the fountain. There are two cupids at the very top, with water flowing out of their mouths.


    I feel drawn to it. Sitting on the edge, I stare at my reflection in the clear water. The moon is right beside me, and I cannot help but smile at the beautiful view. I do not know what urges me to, but I find myself reaching out to the moon¡¯s reflection. The simple action brings a little smile to my lips for reasons unknown to me.


    But that smile disappears when another person¡¯s reflection appears in the water. My head snaps up to meet the dark eyes of Alpha Alexander. He stands majestically beside a shrub, watching me with his hands in his pockets.


    Instantly, I get to my feet and clear my throat. ¡°Sorry, I did not know you would be here,¡± I say, quietly turning on my heel to leave.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to leave,¡± he says coldly. His voice sends a shiver down my spine. I turn to face him, and he stares at me in a way that makes my knees grow weak. The moonlight illuminates his features. I think this is my first time actually getting a good look at him after the first day we met.


    He is actually very hot.


    His eyes appear unusually dark as they trail up my finger. His jaw tickles, and I wonder if he is angry. Oh, who am I kidding? He is always angry. ¡°You were smiling to yourself; do you care to share what is amusing you?¡±


    With you? No. but considering you will snap my neck if I don¡¯t, I do not think I have much of a choice.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ The moon appeared right next to me in the water. My reflection, I mean. I have always loved the moon, and as crazy as it sounds, I have always wanted to know what it feels like. So I just reached out for it,¡± I say dumbly, avoiding his eyes as I speak.


    My eyes shift to our reflection in the water. The moon sits between the both of us, but for the first time in my life, I can actually say that I have found something prettier than the moon.


    Him.


    I watch him stare at me through the water. I see the curiosity and intrigue in his eyes as he tilts his head to the side, essing me.


    ¡°You sound like me when I was a child; I had simr dreams as well,¡± he reveals. That statement alone puts a thousand questions into my head. He had the same dream as me when he was a child. That means he and I actually have something inmon.


    I wonder what he was like as a child. Who was he before he became this cold, heartless monster standing before me?


    I guess I will never know.


    ¡°It is getting quitete; I should get some sleep. I had quite a long day,¡± I say, hoping that he will at least grant me a good night¡¯s rest and not find some other reason to punish me.


    ¡°I know,¡± is all he says, and as much as I want to ask him what he means by that, I decide not to. I need to remind myself that this man is not my friend. He is not my anything. He is a cruel and heartless monster who derives joy from seeing others suffer.


    I spin around a bit too fast and end up losing my footing. A gasp leaves my lips as I find myself growing nearer to the fountain¡¯s water. I shut my eyes and brace myself to be submerged in the cold water, but nothing happens.


    When I open my eyes, I find myself barely a few inches from the water¡¯s surface, with an arm around my waist. Alexander¡¯s arm is around my waist.


    I look up to find him staring down at me. I want to believe that I am hallucinating when I find a ghost of a smile on his lips. Are those dimples I see?


    ¡°Careful,¡± he mutters as he pulls me back to my feet. His arm remains around my waist, holding me firmly.


    His minty breath fans my face, and that is when I realize how dangerously close our faces are. My heart rate elerates, and I feel like I might faint from how close we are. His eyes are so intense up close. They hold me captive and paralyze me from my head to my toes.


    For a brief moment, I catch them heading down to my lips. I did not think it was possible, but they darkened even more with lust and desire.


    ¡°Aira¡­¡±


    Never in my life has anyone said my name the way he just did. I have always thought my name was strange, and so I hated it. but the way he says it is so sweet and passionate.


    Good lord, am I going crazy?


    My gaze falls to his lips; they are so full and pink. I hate how badly I want to get a taste of them, even if it is just once.


    I do not know which one of us is leaning closer; every inch of my mind is screaming at me to pull away and run as far away from him as possible. But it is like someone else has taken control of my body.


    Screw it, what¡¯s the worst that can happen if I just¡­


    Our lips brush, and before I can make a mistake I am most certain I willter regret, the crushing of a twig fills the air. Our heads snap in the direction of the sound, and I find one of the maids staring at us with wide eyes.


    I instantly recognized her as one of the maids who had given me the false directions to the execution room.


    ¡°Mira,¡± I hear Alexander say.


    Without warning, his arm disappears from my waist. I stumble a bit but manage to regain my footing in no time. Before I can figure out what is going on, Alexander ispletely out of sight, and the maid that had caught us is gone.


    What the hell just happened?     The next day, I woke up with a bit of a headache. I could not get much sleep because I kept on thinking about Alexander and my little momentst night. I mean, we were this close to kissing!


    But I do not think that is what kept me up through the night. It was the fact that I had lostplete control of myself in that situation. It was like I wasn¡¯t the one in my own body. It was strange.


    But I suppose the sooner I forget about it, the better. I need to remember exactly who Alpha Alexander is.


    A demon.


    As I make my way down to the kitchen, I stop at the top of the stairs. Why do I get this feeling that I am being watched?


    Spinning on my heel, Ie face-to-face with the maid who had caught Alexander and me the previous night. And she did not look happy. What was her name again? Maya? Mira?


    ¡°Uh, hi?¡± I say it awkwardly, breaking the silence between us.


    The re she shoots at me is menacing. I fear she might hurt her hand with how hard she is clenching them, however.


    ¡°Alexander is mine. Stay away from him if you don¡¯t want me to make your life a living hell.¡±


    Her words caused my eyebrows to shoot to the top of my head. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    She closes the distance between us, and I grip the edge of the railing. ¡°I know you might be thinking that because you are his mate, you have hit the jackpot, but trust me, he hates you, and that is because he is already in love with me. So watch it, or I assure you the next thing I will do to you will be far more painful.¡±


    Far more painful? What does she mean by that?


    My question is instantly answered when she shoots her hand out and shoves my shoulders harshly. For just one second, I felt a fear that I had never felt before. A fear far greater than the one caused by death.


    The fear of losing my child.


    Subconsciously, my arms wrap around my belly as I wait to receive a series of torments, but they nevere. Instead, my back meets a hard chest, and a scent that has be all too familiar fills my nostrils.


    I parted my eyelids to find Mira looking at something behind me with fear and regret in her eyes.


    Or should I say someone?


    The growl that fills my ears is menacing; it makes my heart skip several beats and sends a tremble to my knees.


    If I thought I had seen Alexander at his angriest, I was by far mistaken. Because the voice that fills my ears isced with so much rage, it made me wish the ground would swallow me whole. And I am not even the one he is speaking to!


    ¡°What exactly do you think you are doing?¡±

 Chapter 12: The Witch

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Despite the fear in Mira¡¯s eyes, she manages to muster up a smile.


    ¡°Oh, you know, A and I were just having a little chit-chat. You know, girls talk,¡± she says, and I frown. She doesn¡¯t even know my name.


    Judging by the growl that rumbles off the alpha¡¯s chest, I can tell that he does not believe her even a little bit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare lie to me again, Mira. I will ask you once again, What were you trying to do?¡±


    The smile on Mira¡¯s lips vanishes, and for a brief moment, her eyes lock with mine. It almost looks like she is asking me for help. She can¡¯t be serious, can she? Is this the same girl who nearly put my child¡¯s life at risk a few minutes ago?


    ¡°I was upset, Alpha. I have no idea what got into me,¡± she admits, bowing her head in shame.


    Alexander walks to her side and brings his lips close to her ear. He whispers something in her voice that is inaudible to me. How is that even possible when I am right next to them?


    Mira¡¯s eyes widen, but a secondter they swirl with anger. ¡°You cannot possibly be serious; I would rather-¡±


    ¡°You would rather what?¡± The alpha interrupts her, ring at her in a way that seals her lips shut.


    From the corner of my eye, I see a couple of maids watching us from a distance. They are doing a horrible job trying to conceal themselves, by the way.


    With astonishment, I watch Mira go down on her knees before me. She bows her head at my feet and says forcefully, ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    She tries to get back up, but Alexander grabs the back of her head and forces her back to the ground. ¡°Now say it like you mean it.¡±


    This is just evil. A part of me felt bad for Mira, but an even bigger part of me enjoys what is happening right now. My ears pick up on a few whispers, and I manage to get a glimpse of the maids watching the whole scene with disbelief.


    ¡°Forgive me, Aira, for my words and actions towards you. I acted blindly and full of rage; I promise it will never happen again,¡± she says with so much emotionced in her tone. I almost believed that she was genuinely sorry.


    ¡°Now get out,¡± Alexander grumbles, and Mira hurriedly gets to her feet and leaves. ¡°And what the hell are you three doing standing over there?!¡± He snaps at the maids watching us. They flinch with surprise and quickly scurry away.


    Now it is just the alpha and I.


    I suck my bottom lip into my mouth as I think of what to say. This man has saved my life twice in a span of twenty-four hours. Should I thank him?


    ¡°Alpha-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t see yourself as special. I did not do any of this for you; I did it for me. As shameful as it is to admit it, you are my mate. I cannot have anyone disrespect you,¡± he pauses, then adds. ¡°Except me.¡±


    Of course.


    He does not wait for me to reply before walking away, leaving me stunned and speechless. Once I snap out of it, I make my way down to the kitchen. My mind still reys Alexander¡¯s words in my head. I do not know why his words arouse something in me.


    That man ignites the strangest feelings within me, and I do not know if I hate or love it.


    When I enter the kitchen, I feel the eyes of the other maids on me. I walk up to Grace, standing in the middle of the room with a checkboard in her hands and a scowl on her face.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I greet her, and she points towards the sick.


    ¡°Clear the dishes. Once you are done with that, there are three rooms on the first floor that need thorough cleaning. Get to it!¡± She snaps, and I hurriedly do as she says.


    She leaves the kitchen shortly after, and I tend to the dishes. I hear the other whispers, and I have never felt the urge to disappear as much as I do right now.


    ¡°Did you see what the alpha did to Mira?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and it was all because of this weak bitch.¡±


    ¡°I thought he did not like her.¡±


    ¡°She probably did something to charm him; I am telling you she is a witch!¡±


    Seriously? Me? A witch?


    At this rate, they would do and say anything to tarnish my name.


    Once I am done drying the dishes, I take them to the drawer, but sadly, I do not get there with them. All I know is that when I pass one of the maids, I suddenly lose my footing, and all the tes and myselfe crashing to the floor.


    I hiss when the broken shards pierce the skin on my hands. Looking up at the maid I passed, the way she smiles at me is enough to tell me that she tripped me. ¡°Oh, sorry, you are not hurt, are you?¡± she asks sarcastically, and the others snicker.


    ¡°Aww, look at her. The alpha is not here to save you now, is he?¡± another says.


    Tears sting my eyes, and I am not sure if it is due to the pain in my hands or that in my heart. I have no idea what I have done to these women! Why do they all hate me?


    Trying to keep my tears at bay, I inspect my bleeding and hands. Taking out the pieces from my hand, I get to my feet and rinse the blood away in the sink. Tears flow down my cheeks as the water washes away the blood.


    Thankfully, I remember seeing some bandages on the drawer beneath the kitchen counter. I wrapped my own hands around myself while the others pretended like I was not in need of some assistance.


    Nevertheless, I manage to wrap up my own hands by myself. Once I am done, I still pick up the broken pieces. There is no one left to clean up my messes anymore.


    The girls leave, and I check the clock on the wall. Ah, it is lunch time. Finally, I am starving.


    The maids have a special room where they have their dinner. It is more like a dining room but less sophisticated than the royal dining room. I join the queue with my te in my hand to get my food.


    There is a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see one of the maids smiling at me sweetly. I do not think I have seen her around before. She has simr features to Ca, but her nose and cheekbones are more defined.


    ¡°Hey, I do not really have much of an appetite. Spaghetti isn¡¯t actually my best food. I was wondering if you would like some.¡± she pauses. ¡°My name is Latisha, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Aira.¡± I introduce myself, then look at the long line before me. I would have fainted before it finally got to my turn. ¡°Are you sure? What will you eat then?¡±


    ¡°I have some snacks; don¡¯t worry about me. And besides, I hear you are pregnant. One serving is barely enough for me, talk less of a pregnantdy like yourself,¡± she says, and I smile at her appreciatively as I take the te of spaghetti from her hands.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Her smile widens when she says, ¡°You are wee.¡±


    I watch her walk away, and I cannot help but feel the joy in her gesture. I suppose Ca might not be the only nice person here. I pour myself a cup of water and take a seat. Instantly, I start shoving spaghetti into my mouth.


    And then I stop.


    The fork falls from my hands as I start to cough aggressively. I spit out the spaghetti in my mouth as I reach out for some water. The second the water goes down my throat, ites back up again. But this time with blood.


    My eyes widen as I pped a hand over my mouth. My throat feels like it is on fire. I start a coughing fit, tears begin to blur my vision, and I feel myself gasping for air.


    The burning sensation in my throat travels down to my chest. Soon, it feels like my entire body is on fire. The blood that escapes my mouth bes much thicker. And my mind instantly travels to my baby. What is happening to me?


    I manage to lift my teary eyes, and when I do, my heart breaks into a thousand pieces. Latisha is smiling with the others as I cough up blood. The food. There was something in the food. This bitch totally poisoned me!


    I feel rage coursing through my veins, but I need to get out of here first. I try to get to my feet, but I only end up with my back against the floor. As I stare at the ceiling, ck dots taint my vision, and I feel myself slowly losing sensation in my lungs.


    Thest thought thates to mind before my world sumbs to darkness is,


    Moon Goddess, please protect my child.


    Alexander¡¯s POV


    Something feels wrong.


    I do not know why, but my wolf feels so uneasy. He has been howling for me to get up; he is radiating with rage and urgency, and I do not know why. I was in my office filling out some paperwork, but now I am heading down the halls with no clue to where exactly I am headed.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    It¡¯s as though my wolf has taken full control of me. I have not turned yet; he has full control over him. This has never happened before.


    ¡®Where are you taking me? What¡¯s the matter?¡¯ I ask him, but he does not respond.


    I find myself walking into the maid¡¯s diner. What the hell am I doing here?


    All the maids stare at me, and I instantly know something is wrong. my fists ball and my jaw clenches.


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    None of them say anything.


    I notice there is a spot they are trying to cover up. And that is exactly where I head. ¡°Move!¡± I roar, and they clear a path for me.


    The sight before me brings out the demon in me that I have fought to keep at bay for years.


    Airays in a pool of blood. She isn¡¯t moving. Why the hell is she not moving?!


    My gaze shifts to the maids present, and they back away from me. I can feel my wolf fighting toe to the surface, and I let him.


    I will have all their heads for this.


    No one hurts what is mine!

 Chapter 13: Poison

    Aira¡¯s POV


    A groan escapes my lips as I slowly return to consciousness. My body feels so strange, like it isn¡¯t mine. My eyelids peel open slowly to find a beautiful chandelier ced above me. I squint at it as I think, ¡®I don¡¯t remember there being a chandelier in the maid¡¯s chambers.¡¯


    That is when I realized that this isn¡¯t my room. What happened? Where am I?All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    The memories of me coughing up blood and Latisha¡¯s evil grin as I passed out flood back into my mind. My heart aches as the familiar sting attacks my eyes.


    I thought I was going to die. I know I do not have much to live for, but this child in my womb is more than enough. Subconsciously, my arms wrap around my belly as I think,


    Are you okay, little one?


    ¡°Your child is just fine, Aira.¡±


    My head snaps in the direction of the familiar voice. The tears I have been trying so hard to hold back begin to fall like rain when my only friendes into view.


    ¡°Ca.¡±


    She grins at me from the other side of the room. She closes the distance between us, and I spring out of bed to embrace her. I do not care if my grip is a bit too strong; my happiness right now cannot be contained.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it; you are actually here,¡± I say, nuzzling my hair into her air. Her embrace fills me with a warmth I cannot quite describe. I pull away almost instantly and look at her suspiciously. ¡°Wait, how are you here? I thought you were being detained.¡±


    She takes my hand and gives them a light squeeze. ¡°I didn¡¯t stay in that cell for up to thirty minutes, honestly. The alpha had ordered my release a long time ago and moved me to another unit.¡±


    My eyebrows shoot to the top of my head at her revtion. Alexander really did that. And he never told me anything.


    ¡°All this time, I carried this guilt because I thought you were rotting away down there,¡± I say as my vision blurs once again. Ca¡¯s smile is gentle as she wipes away my tears.


    ¡°Honestly, I cannot quite exin it myself. Never in my life have I witnessed the alpha show such kindness. I think that is because, even though he would never admit it, he cares deeply about you. He knows that it would hurt you if anything bad actually happens to me,¡± she exins.


    I still find this all hard to believe. Alexander showed mercy to someone. Because of me?


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did not know you were free.¡±


    ¡°I suppose the alpha just wanted you to feel heavy with guilt,¡± she says, and I nod in agreement. Yeah, that definitely sounds like the Alexander I know. ¡°I was the first person he called when he found you in the maid¡¯s diner. I suppose I was the only one he trusted with you.¡±


    My heart clenches at the thought of the maid¡¯s diner.


    ¡°Ca, they tried to poison me; I thought I was going to die,¡± I say through trembling lips, and she nods.


    ¡°I know,¡± she says, but with the way she looks at me, I can tell that there is more she wants to say.


    ¡°There is something you are not telling me. What else happened when he found me?¡± I ask her, and she releases a sigh.


    ¡°Word got to me that he lost his mind when he found you in that state. He had everyone present locked up and beheaded Latisha.¡±


    Oh, my God.


    My stomach churns, and I feel this urge to throw up.


    He not only killed Latisha but did so by beheading her. I know I did not know Latisha all too well, but I sincerely do not believe she deserved such a fate.


    Ca squeezes my hands once again, forcing me back to the present. ¡°Hey, do not think about it too much. Everyone here knows what the alpha is like; she had iting. But on the bright side now, I am certain that no one else will have the guts to harm you again.¡±


    I sincerely wish I could believe that.


    The next few days have been undoubtedly calm. Ca has been moved back to the maid¡¯s chambers, and Grace at times assigns a single task to the both of us. I have no doubt that it was on Alexander¡¯s order.


    There are very few maids now since most of them are still in the cell. There were no more mocking insults, side res, or attempts on my life. Everyone simply minded their own business, which I appreciated very much. Everything almost seemed perfect except for one fact.


    Within these past few days, I have not gotten even a glimpse of Alexander. It is almost as though he vanished. There was a time I could have sworn I felt him; he was close by, watching me. but the second that feeling came, it left.


    He disappeared.


    I knew I was not hallucinating or going crazy; he really was there. And that is when I came to the conclusion that he was avoiding me. But why?


    Did he feel bad for killing Latisha because of me? Sincerely, that did not even sound right. I may not have known him for a long time, but I can guarantee that Alpha Alexander is not one to regret any of his actions.


    There are times I find myself searching for him without knowing. I would wander the halls with no direction, but my feet moved and my eyes searched like they were on a mission. But even with that, he was still nowhere to be found.


    It hurt.


    I longed for him, and I hated it.


    But I suppose that things were better off this way. Things have been very peaceful, and I would like to keep it that way. But sadly, the peace does notst as long as I hoped.


    I feel my blood freeze within my veins as I read the note taped above my bed.


    The writing is red, and the metallic scent that fills my nose tells me that it isn¡¯t red ink that was used to write it.


    Your days are short, little bitch, but your child¡¯s are much shorter.


    I tear the note off my bed and jump out of it.


    ¡°Ca? Ca, where are you?¡± I call out, only to find out that I am the only one in the room. Where did she go? It is so unlike her to leave without telling me. And where did everyone else go?


    Panic courses through my veins as only a single thoughtes into my head.


    I need to find Alexander.


    Bolting out of the room, I run down the hall to Goddess knows where. My feet just move on their own ord, like they already know where he is.


    When I take a sharp turn, my body collides with a hard one. As soon as the arm that wraps around me makes contact with my skin, I instantly know who it is.


    ¡°Careful now.¡± Alexander¡¯s voice fills my ears in a way that sends shivers down my spine. I dare to look up at him, and my heart skips a beat as his dark eyes stare down at me intensively.


    ¡°Alpha Alexander,¡± his name, rolls off my tongue almost naturally. His arm around my waist disappears, and he takes a step back.


    ¡°What is it? You look pale.¡±


    I reared my head back with surprise. I cannot believe he noticed that, or is that evident?


    I hold out the letter to him; he takes it from my hands and reads it, his eyes darkening as he does.


    ¡°I found this taped above my bed this morning. I sincerely think someone is out to kill me and my child. I really need your help.¡±


    My words only appear to infuriate him even more. He looks at me with a zing fire in his eyes when he says, ¡°You don¡¯t need my help with anything. No one is going to hurt you.¡±


    He turns his back to leave, but I do not let him. I walk around him and block his path, pinning him down with my gaze. ¡°I am sorry, but I do not believe that. I am not the only one involved in this; my child is as well, and I cannot let anything happen to them.¡±


    The alpha lifts his brow slowly and says, ¡°You are being a dramatic baby right now. You need to stop being so scared. I am telling you that no one has the guts to hurt you; you are my mate, and no one will dare do anything to upset me.¡±


    He tries to walk past me, but I do not let him. I have no idea what has gotten into me; usually I would be cowering in fear from the way he is ring down at me. but instead I stand my ground; I have to for the sake of my child.


    ¡°I have been your mate since the second I stepped into this hell you call a pce. And I have been cut, tortured, starved, and nearly killed ever since then. So me being your mate is not enough! I need protection, and if you cannot offer that, I will be forced to take matters into my own hands. Do you under-¡±


    I do not get to finish my sentence because the next thing I know, my back is being mmed against the wall.


    ¡°What are y-¡±


    I am interrupted once again, or, should I say, silenced.


    Alexander seals his lips with mine and my God. I have never felt something so exhrating before in my entire existence. His lips send electric waves through my body; they bring it to life. It fills me with an energy and power I have never felt before.


    He pulls away for a moment. His eyes are pitch ck now; they are filled with so much hunger and lust that it makes my knees weak. His voice is far deeper than usual, more arousing too.


    ¡°I hate when people tell me what to do, but surprisingly, I have never been more turned on in my entire life when you do it.¡±


    My cheeks feel as though they have been set aze. I want to say something, but he kisses me once again. His lips move hungrily against mine. I am not as stunned as I was the first time. I gain control of myself and kiss him back with the same intensity.


    A growl rumbles off his chest as he pins me against the wall. His hands find their way to the back of my thighs, and I do not need to be told before knowing what to do. I jump and wrap my legs around his waist.


    The moan that leaves my lips when I feel something hard poke against my middle was unintentional, but it only drives him more. I feel a harsh squeeze on my ass before his hands find their way to my breast.


    ¡°Oh my God.¡±


    Alexander and I pull away as Ca¡¯s voice infiltrates our ears. She stands with wide eyes, taking in the scene before her, but what worries me is that she isn¡¯t alone. There is another maid with her who is equally shocked.


    ¡°I am so sorry, your majesty,¡± she says quickly before taking her leave.


    As though Ca could sense my worry, she says, ¡°I will make sure she does not say anything.¡±


    I wish I could believe that too. But I don¡¯t.


    If the others find out about this, I am as good as dead. It¡¯s bad enough that Alexander does not believe me. They nearly seeded in killing me, and I fear their next attempt would be fatal for me.


    No, I can¡¯t do this. I have to get out of here.


    Tonight.

 Chapter 14: Freedom

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The clock chimes once the hour hand strikes midnight.


    Iy on my back in the maid¡¯s chambers with my hand folded above my stomach. It has been lights out for us for the past three hours now, but I couldn¡¯t sleep knowing what I was about to do tonight.


    Quietly, I step out of bed, careful not to make a sound. My eyes take in the sight of everyone in the chamber sleeping soundly. My eyesnd on Ca, and my heart clenches. She is sleeping so soundly and peacefully.


    A part of me wants to take her with me. A part of me wants to get her out of this hell hole and give her the opportunity to start a new life without fear and very. And I would have if I were the only one involved in this, but I am not.


    I cannot afford to risk my child.


    With a pained heart, I make my way out of the chambers. As I head down the hall, I pass a few guards. They do not bother to ask me questions, probably thinking that I am one of the night shift maids. Good.


    But once I step out of the pce, I conceal myself as much as I can. My eyes take in my surroundings as the cold night air hits my skin. Once I am certain that there are no guards in sight, I make a run towards the courtyard.


    If my memory serves me correctly, there is arge oak tree by the fence in the backyard. Its branches stretch over the fence. If I can manage to get over it, then I should be free.


    As I make my way to the oak tree, my heart skips a beat when I hear the sound of footsteps. But they are not just anyone¡¯s footsteps.


    I feel him long before I hear him.


    Quickly, I shield myself behind a nearby tree. I press my back against the dirty wood when Alexander¡¯s voice feels the night air. ¡°Have you secured the new shipment?¡± I hear him ask one of the guards.


    ¡°Yes, alpha. The new supplies would be put into storage first thing in the morning,¡± the guard answers.


    ¡°You may leave,¡± he says coldly, and I hear the guards retreating footsteps.


    My heart pounds wildly against my chest as I wait for Alexander to leave. The air is deathly still and quiet; I almost believed he wasn¡¯t there anymore. But I can still very much feel his presence. Why was he just standing there?


    What if he already knows I am here?


    A bead of sweat trickles down my head as I try to calm myself down. I know Alexander is not one of the most feared alphas I have ever met for nothing. If he even heard the sound of my heartbeat out here, I would be as good as dead.


    So I take in a few quiet breaths and wait.


    My shoulders slouch as his retreating footsteps fill my ears. Peaking my head through the side of the tree, I find him heading back into the pce. I watch his tall, muscr figure until he ispletely out of sight.


    For a brief second, I want to go back in there. I do not know why, but something in me is screaming for him. I suppress it.


    My life and baby are the most important. If I stay here, then I am not sure either of us will ever make it out of here alive.


    With that conviction in my heart, I make my way towards the oak tree. I look around once again before climbing up the hard wood. My breaths be a bit morebored as I inch further and further out of the branch sticking over the fence.


    My eyes fall on the little shrub on the other side; it would have to do to cushion mynding. Taking in another calming breath, I let myself fall.


    The air in my lungs is knocked out as my back collides with the shrub. A few twigs of hard leaves poke my spine, and I groan. Getting to my feet, I dust the leaves and dirt on my clothes.


    I did it.


    I actually got out!


    A little victory smile stretches my lips, but I do not let myself get too distracted. I need to get as far away from here as possible. So I run.


    I run and do not look back.


    Despite the growing hollowness in my chest as I got further and further from Alexander¡¯s pack, I still did not look back. I do not know how long I have been running; I would say about thirty minutes. My legs begin to scream for rest, and I do just that.


    My ass nts in the dirt, and I take the time to catch my breath. As I take in my surroundings, I notice a few w marks on most of the trees. But that was not all that was on those trees; there was blood as well.


    And it was still fresh.


    As soon as I realize exactly where I am, I shoot back to my feet. I am at the border.


    And wherever there is a border, there are border wolves.


    Border wolves are a special kind of soldier wolf. They kill anything or anyone in sight, unless they are informed by their master not to. And that is only when one from the other side of the border has requested and been granted passage.


    Which I have not.


    Shit.


    My heart drops to the pit of my stomach as I hear the rustling of leaves from afar. It grew closer and closer; they wereing.


    Panic courses through my veins, and the wheels in my head spin faster than they ever have before. From what I know about border wolves, they are partially blind. They rely mostly on their sense of humor to track down invaders.


    That is how they know when someone who doesn¡¯t belong to their pack tries to infiltrate their territory.


    I have to think of a way to get rid of my scent.


    An idea clicks in my head, and I instantly spring into action. I get back on my knees and start to cover myself in mud and dirt. I put it on every corner of my body until I am certain that my scent can no longer be traced.


    And then I made a run for it.


    Again.


    I hear the wolves getting closer and closer. Fear grips my heart, and I start to wonder if they can still smell me. but then they stop.


    Ah, thank the goddess.


    I cannot believe it; I am actually going to get out of here! I am actually:ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Oof!¡±


    I am knocked down on my ass when my body collides with something hard. Or should I say someone?


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t my lucky day.¡±


    No.


    It can¡¯t be. This cannot be possible.


    My blood runs cold when my eyes meet a familiar pair. The men standing before me have only met me once, but there is nothing that will ever make me forget them.


    Nothing will ever make me forget the faces of the men my own mate sent to kill me.


    They are the three who managed to escape the night Alexander¡¯s men saved me. This cannot be happening right now. How the hell did I wind up in their hands again?!


    Hurriedly, I scurry to my feet, but I am knocked back down. Tears brim my eyes as my body trembles. No, no, no!


    This has to be some sort of nightmare; this can¡¯t be real. How are they here? Why are they here?


    A scream leaves my lips when one of them grabs my hair roughly, forcing me to my knees. I feel something cold on my neck, and I instantly recognize it as a knife.


    ¡°You have no idea what you have put us through these past few days, have you?¡± The one holding the knife against my throat sneers.


    ¡°Jace swore to kill us if we didn¡¯t find you and put an end to your pathetic life. We haven¡¯t slept or eaten properly in days because of you,¡± the other says, closing the distance between us with a sadistic grin on his face.


    Shaking my head in refusal, tears stream down my eyes as I start to beg for my life. ¡°No, please do not do this. Have mercy.¡±


    Theyugh at my begging. The third one with a scar running down his left eye speaks next: ¡°Mercy on you? Oh no, sweetheart, I think it is a little bitte for that. My brother is dead because of you, you know? I watched those wolves that came to save you tear them to pieces. Where are they now anyway?¡±


    ¡°Please, just let me go. I swear, Jace will never know that I am alive. I won¡¯te back, I swear.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± The one holding my hair snaps, tightening his grip on my hair.


    ¡°We promised to bring your head to him, and that is exactly what we will do. Finally, we can go home,¡± the one standing directly in front of me says. My eyes widen with horror as he lifts a dagger directly above my heart.


    The scarred and sadistic one stops him. ¡°Wait a minute; I don¡¯t want this to end this easily. Why don¡¯t we have a little fun with her? It could be a little reward for all the trouble she has caused us.¡±


    ¡°W-wait, what?¡±


    The man holding my hair lets go and pushes me roughly to the ground. My hands shoot out to stop my head from hitting the floor. Spinning around, I find all three men standing before me with sadistic grins on their faces.


    The scarred one starts to undo his jeans, and I back away.


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t do this,¡± I plead, but they clearly fall on deaf ears.


    Once again, I try to make a run for it, but I am grabbed by my ankles and pulled back. ¡°No! Let go of me! stop!¡±


    I scream at the top of my lungs as two of them pin my hands to the ground. He gets on top of me and starts to raise my dress. Sobs break through my throat as I shut my eyes and await my fate.


    But it neveres.


    The snapping of bones fills the air, and I feel the two men holding my hands grow rigid. Huh?


    Slowly, I peel my eyes open, and I really wish I did not. The scream that leaves my lips is a horrifying one.


    The sight before me will haunt my dreams for years toe.


    The scarred man¡¯s body kneels before me, but what terrifies me is that his head is no longer attached to it.


    Rather, it is in the hands of a demon.


    Alexander.

 Chapter 15

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    THIRTY MINUTES EARLIER¡­


    It feels like I am losing my mind. I have not been able to get this damn girl out of my head. I see her everywhere, and I smell her everywhere. Hell, sometimes I even hear her voice everywhere. I am starting to think she is a witch.


    I have always been able to control my own thoughts and actions, but ever since she walked through those doors, they all went to hell.


    Hell, I even think she is out here right now. I can feel her out here; her scent is all over the ce, but it has been that way for a couple of days now. And besides, she is nowhere to be seen; my thoughts must be ying tricks on me again. Damn that woman.


    The guard I had asked to oversee the arrival of our new weapons walks up to me. ¡°Have you secured the new shipment?¡±


    He nods. ¡°Yes, alpha. The new shipment will be put into storage first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°You may leave.¡±


    He bows in respect before doing just as I said. I watch him leave until he ispletely out of sight. I do not know why I am still standing out here. My wolf is swirling within me; he is uneasy because of the scent of our mate. It¡¯s all over the ce.


    She must have been here earlier today. But why did I find that so hard to believe? It is right; I can feel her standing right next to me.


    My head snaps to the tree right beside me, and I squint at it. My ears perk up as I try to listen for any sign of life on the other side; there is none. My fists ball, and I feel myself giving in to anger. I hate how easy it is for her to get into my head and mess with me.


    I storm back into the pce, and I feel my wolf whimper.


    ¡®Shut up!¡¯ I snap at him as I make my way back to my office. I was trying to get the woman out of my head and focus on the paperwork before me. Ten minutes pass, and I find myself tearing up the contract in front of me.


    God damn it, what is wrong with me? Why do I get this feeling that something is wrong?


    I find myself marching out of my office and heading straight down to the maid¡¯s chambers. I cannot believe I am actually going to do this; if I see that girl, I swear I am going to give her a piece of my mind. Because why the hell is she messing with my head like this?


    I kick the door to their chambers wide open without knocking. All of them wake up surprised, and I feel their shocked eyes on me as I make my way to her bed.


    She isn¡¯t there.


    My fists clench, and the growl that escapes my throat is that of my wolf¡¯s.


    My eyes meet those of the girl that I ordered to watch-her friend.


    ¡°Where is she?!¡± The small woman looks equally shocked as me, but that isn¡¯t getting her off the hook. My hand lunges forward and wraps around her throat, lifting her out of the bed. She dangles in the air as she struggles for air.


    ¡°I do not know your majesty, I swear! She was right there when I went to bed! I don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I ordered you to watch her and to never let her out of your sight!¡± I snap, and she whimpers. Her face turns a bright shade of blue as she continues to struggle for breath.


    ¡°Forgive me, please¡­¡±


    I drop her carelessly on the floor, not caring to hear much of her begging or her voice in general. Heading out of their chambers, I give my guards only one order.


    ¡°Find her!¡±


    While they search every inch of the pce, I return to the courtyard. I find myself at the tree where Ist felt her presence.


    She was actually here.


    My fist ms against the hard wood as I let the beast in me take control. Her scent is faint now, but it is still there. I follow it to the oak tree beside the fence. I look up to find the branch poking out of the fence.


    That sly girl.


    She actually escaped.


    My wolf snarls with rage, and I let hime to the surface. He can find her faster than me. I get down on all fours and switch ces with him. He tilted his head upward and howled at the moon. A series of howls is heard both far and near; he is sending a message to my other wolves.


    The hut has just begun.


    He makes his way out of the pce gates and follows her scent in the woods. He chases her scent for a good twenty minutes until I realize where she is. This crazy woman actually made it to the border.


    I do not know if I am shocked, angry, impressed, or all three.


    Suddenly, a sense of urgency courses through my veins, and my wolf picks up the pace. She is scared.


    She is in danger.


    Her scream cuts through the air like a knife and straight into my heart. Her scent grows stronger, but so does the scent of others. The closer I got, the angrier my wolf became.


    ¡°No! Let go of me! stop!¡±


    Her scream grows more and more prominent, filling me with an emotion I have never felt before in my life.


    But when I find her pinned to the floor, that fear quickly turns into a demonic fury. My gaze jumps from the two men holding her hands down to the one undoing his jeans and riding up her dress.


    It lingers on the spot where their hands touched her delicate skin, with tears streaming down her face.


    They are touching what is mine.


    Their dirty hands are on my mate!


    That is thest thought thates to my mind before my world goes dark.


    Aira¡¯s POV


    I couldn¡¯t move. I do not think that it is even possible. My entire body is paralyzed with fear as I watch Alexander rip them to shreds.


    His wolf is the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. It is one of thergest my eyes have ever seen; his fur is as dark as night, and his amber eyes screamed nothing but death.


    My other two attackers were quick to transform into their wolves and lunge at him. I watch one of them sh Alexander¡¯s chest with his ws, but my mate is a step ahead of him. He takes my attacker¡¯s neck into his snout, and the cracking of bones fills the air once again.


    Alexander drops the body instantly and lunges for thest one, tearing open his insides with his ws. I am certain that the wolf has been dead from the first gash, but Alexander does not stop until all of his intestines and organs arepletely out.


    My God.


    Alexander¡¯s wolf steps away from the body; his bloody form turns to me, and a gasp escapes my lips. I watch him turn back into his human form, and I almost wish he did not.


    His wolf was not nearly as furious as when he was a human.


    He takes a step towards me, and I scurry back. His dark eyes swirl with so much rage that it has me swallowing. Instantly, I get on my knees before him because I know that there is no way I could outrun him; it¡¯s not even physically possible.


    ¡°Alpha-¡±


    ¡°You stupid,¡± he starts, and my body trembles as he takes another step towards me. ¡°Foolish,¡± His anger grows more evident with every word that slips out of his mouth. ¡°Brainless ingrate!¡± A scream leaves my lips when he grabs me by the hair, forcing me to my feet. ¡°Are you some sort of suicidal maniac?!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, I thought-¡±


    ¡°You thought what?!¡± he growls in my face, making me flinch back. ¡°Do you realize you could have gotten raped if I didn¡¯t get here on time? And after which killed? What the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    His tone and words brought tears to my eyes. My bottom lip trembles as I try to keep my emotions in check. ¡°I thought I was doing what was best for my child and me. We weren¡¯t safe back there, and-¡±


    ¡°And what? Almost getting used by three men and having your head chopped off is a better solution?¡± He spits, and I am left speechless. If not for the fact that his hand on my hair is keeping my head up, I would have bowed my head in shame. He brings his lips closer to my ear, and his words send a shiver down my spine: ¡°The next time you try something like this, I wille right after you, not to save you but to kill you myself. Do you understand?¡±


    Swallowing loudly, I nod.


    He lets go of my head, and I see his eyes cross for a second. That is when I realized that he was bleeding profusely.


    ¡°You are hurt,¡± I note, taking in the deep w mark and dragging down his shoulder to the top of his stomach.


    ¡°No shit.¡±


    I am about to say something, but he throws me over his shoulder before I can get a word out. I pound my fists on his back as he starts to lead me back to the pack. ¡°Hey! Let go of me! I can walk perfectly on my own; you are hurt!¡±


    My words clearly fall on deaf ears because he makes no attempt to acknowledge my words. I give up and dangle off his back as we return to the pack. When we do, he drops me on the ground like a bag of potatoes.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± I groan as pain shoots up my ass. He could have been a lot more gentle, but I guess I did deserve that after all I have put him through today. I shoot to my feet and catch him heading up the stairs.


    ¡°Hey, what are you going to do about your wound?¡± I ask from the bottom of the stairs, but he doesn¡¯t say anything. I am about to ask him if he heard me, but that is when I catch him staggering.


    Shit.


    Quickly, Ie up to his side and help him to his room. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± he groans, struggling against me, but thanks to his weakness, he is unable to push me off him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn; please let me help,¡± I plead as I help him to his room. I feel eyes on us, but I pay no attention to them. I push the door to his room open and help him to the bed. He groans as heys down on the bed.


    ¡°Where is the first-aid kit?¡± I ask, and he manages to point at the drawer on his dresser. I get the box and return it to his side. Pouring some iodine on cotton wool and cleaning his wounds. I make sure to be as gentle as possible, but it is hard to concentrate when I feel his eyes on me.


    He doesn¡¯t say anything; he just watches me as I work on his wounds. Once I am done bandaging him up, I say, ¡°There, now all you have to do is take it easy for the next few days, and you will be fine.¡± I take the box and attempt to get up, but he grabs my wrist. ¡°What is-¡±


    My words are cut short when he seals my lips with his. My body grows rigid from shock, but I soon find myself melting into him. Our kiss is slow and sweet, but it turns passionate real quick. He pours out his need and anger into this kiss. When he pulls away, he locks his eyes with mine.


    ¡°Never do what you did today again.¡±


    For a second, I caught a hint of fear in his eyes.


    That can¡¯t be right. Alpha Alexander fears nothing, right?

 Chapter 16: Guilt

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Ca, please talk to me.¡±


    My plea falls on deaf ears. Ca has refused to utter a word to me all day, and my guess is she is pissed at me for attempting to run awayst night. Speaking aboutst night¡­


    After Alexander and I¡¯s little kiss, I almost started to think that he was worried about me¡­


    Until he tantly told me to leave his room. I do not know why I was shocked. Alexander always pushes me away at any slight opportunity to bring us closer.


    It was almost like he was scared.


    As I returned to the maid¡¯s chambers, I received several ugly looks, and I mean a lot more than usual. I suppose news had gotten around that I had made a run for it. Well, what did they expect? It¡¯s not like they have exactly been the best or most amodating people in the world.


    I did not care much about the nasty looks I got. I think I am pretty much used to it right now. But the one thing that I am afraid I am not quite used to is Ca¡¯s silence. I have never seen her this way; she can¡¯t even look at me.


    I have never seen her this way before.


    She has been washing a bunch of dirty dishes rather furiously, with a scowl on her face. It is quite odd; she has always had such a beautiful smile on her face. I almost did not recognize her.


    ¡°You are mad at me for running away, right? Look, I know I should have told you, but I was only doing what I thought was best for me and my child,¡± I exined, but now that I say it out loud, it does sound kind ofme. I noticed that there was an odd addition to her uniform this morning. She has a ck scarf wrapped around her neck.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the scarf? Are you feeling sick? The weather is like eighty degrees.¡± I joke and release a smallugh, but she does not seem to find the joke quite funny. ¡°Ca¡­¡±


    She sighs and drops the dishes rather loudly. It makes a loud ttering sound that makes me flinch a bit. She turns to me, and now all I see is disappointment in her eyes.


    ¡°I understand; you have been threatened and undergone things here you never have in your entire life. But for God¡¯s sake, I thought you would at least have been smarter. You could have gotten killed!¡±


    My heart clenches at the memory of what had happened the previous night. If Alexander hadn¡¯t made it in time, I am not sure what I would have done.


    ¡°I know and I am sorry,¡± I say, but she ignores me and proceeds to put some of the dishes into the cupboard. ¡°Ca wait-¡± I attempt to grab her arm but end up getting ahold of her scarf instead. It falls off her neck, and she freezes. ¡°I am sorry, I didn¡¯t-¡±


    My words freeze in my throat when I see the big purple bruise around her neck. It is a hand print. My eyes widen with horror, and I rush to inspect it.


    ¡°Oh my God, what happened to you?¡± I ask her, and she doesn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, she takes the scarf from my hands and uses it to conceal her neck.


    ¡°I am fine; do not worry,¡± she says, but there is no way in hell I would ever believe that.


    ¡°Like hell you are! Tell me who did that to you,¡± I demand, and she sighs.


    ¡°Well, when the alpha found out about your little run, he med me for it,¡± she exins. I take a step back as I stare at her with disbelief.


    ¡°Oh my God, Ca I am so sorry,¡± I say, my voice breaking.


    ¡°I am fine; it¡¯s nothing I have not experienced before,¡± she says rather coldly, and her words break my heart.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right. Alexander had no right to do that to you! My actions are my own; none of it is your fault,¡± I snap, feeling my anger rise as the thought of what the alpha did registers in my mind. How long will he continue to make Ca suffer for my mistakes?


    ¡°He ordered me to take care of you and never let you out of my sight. I am the one who is responsible for you, and I failed,¡± she says, and I shake my head in refusal to your words.


    ¡°No, you did not know any of this would happen. It wasn¡¯t your fault; you didn¡¯t deserve this,¡± I say, and she does not appear to believe me.


    ¡°I am just d he found you on time; if he was even a minutete, then¡­¡± She trails off as tears brim her eyes. The sight tears me to pieces, and I instantly wrap my arms around her.


    I hold her tight as I whisper, ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°I thought he was going to kill me,¡± she says in between sobs, and I feel my own eyes brim with tears. Damn that Alexander to hell.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare, because he knows he has me to deal with,¡± I say as we pull away. I help her wipe her tears as she shakes her head in disbelief.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°I am just d nothing happened to you. Aside from what Alpha Alexander would have done to me, I do not think I would have been able to live with myself if anything happened to you,¡± she admits, and her words warm my heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing nothing happened then,¡± Iugh, and she chuckles lightly.


    ¡°Yeah, you are one hell of a lucky woman. But please do not do anything like that again; I do not think you can get that lucky twice,¡± she warns, and I nod. ¡°I have some work to do in one of the lounges on the second floor. Please try to keep yourself out of trouble until I get back.¡±


    I do a little salute, then say, ¡°I promise.¡±


    She smiles before leaving the room. When I am left alone, my countenance falls. That woman has been a lot, and it is all because of me. I need to do something in order to express my appreciation.


    Maybe I could bake her a cake. Even if it¡¯s as little as a bento, it¡¯s not like I have anything better to do. Thankfully, I remember the procedure in order to bake one from a YouTube tutorial I watched a few months ago.


    I am mixing the dough when I feel an all-too-familiar presence.


    Releasing a sigh, I ask, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Well, that isn¡¯t a nice way to address the man who saved your lifest night, is it?¡±


    I spin on my heel toe face-to-face with Alexander himself. He is barely an inch away from me, and it does not help that his top half is bare. But I suppose that is due to the wound he sustained the previous night.


    But still, I hate to admit that it makes me a little jealous to know that he has been walking around the pce with just trousers on. I am sure those nasty maids have gotten an eyeful. Anyway, why should I care?


    If not for the fact that I sensed him, I would have been terrified by his presence. The man¡¯s footsteps are hardly heard indoors. ¡°Much less your alpha.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me,¡± I say with a rather tight smile. ¡°How may I help you, Alpha?¡±


    A ghost of a smirk appears on his lips as he tilts his head to the side. ¡°You are going to help me by satisfying my curiosity,¡± he starts. He paces the kitchen with an inquisitive look in his eyes. ¡°Before I got to youst night, I picked up a bit of your conversation with your attackers. You knew them,¡± he pauses, then locks my gaze with his. All forms of yfulnesspletely vanished when he asked, ¡°Who were they?¡±


    My eyes shift down, and I say, ¡°You nearly killed Cast night; why?¡±


    He smirks at me, and I hate to admit how devilishly handsome he looks when he does that. He even has dimples!


    ¡°Turning the tables now, are we?¡± he asks, closing the distance between us. ¡°I hate ipetence. Whenever I see someone incapable of performing their duties, I remove them. But she is quite lucky, because my removals are usually permanent.¡±


    The look in his eyes is so devious, so evil. It makes me gulp.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt her again. If I go against you then I should be held ountable,¡± I say, trying my best to sound strong even though my knees are trembling right now.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me what I should and shouldn¡¯t do.¡± He captures my chin with his fingers and asks, ¡°Now, don¡¯t try to change the subject again, or I will get angry. Who were you running from?¡±


    My mouth goes dry as my brain thinks of some lies. What can I possibly say? Alexander is a master at detecting lies I can tell. Those demonic eyes of his can see right through anyone¡¯s soul.


    Thankfully, we are interrupted when a bunch of maids walk right in. They freeze as their eyes jump from Alexander to me. And boy, is there so much hate in their eyes? Don¡¯t these women get tired? It¡¯s not like I have done anything to them to fuel their rage so much.


    Alexander releases my chin and takes a step away from me. ¡°We shall continue this conversationter,¡± he says briskly before walking out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with the vultures.


    I continue my little baking as they continue to whisper amongst themselves. These girls really need to learn how to whisper; they suck at it, to be very honest. Plus, I think I would be pretty much at ease if I did not know what they were talking about most of the time.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the alpha is still letting her walk around freely after what she did.¡±


    ¡°He was so lividst night; it was like he was going to kill everyone that even looked at him the wrong way. Yet here he isughing and ying with her.¡±


    ¡°She must really mean something special to him; I think he might actually like her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, we all know she is a witch and has cast some sort of demonic spell on our precious alpha.¡±


    I am about to shut them up because I have had enough!


    My lips part to give them a piece of my mind, but whates out instead is a scream.


    Pain like never before erupts across my chest and spreads through my body. For a moment, I almost believed that I had been poisoned again. But the pain I feel is far worse than the one I felt the other day at the cafeteria.


    This time, it feels as though my blood has been set aze. My wolf howls out in pain; she is hurt. She is begging for our mate; he is doing something he isn¡¯t supposed to be doing with someone else, and it does not take me another second to realize just what it is.


    He is marking someone.


    Jace is marking Ana.

 Chapter 17: Reminisces

    Aira¡¯s POV


    His smile was warmer than the morning sun¡¯s gaze. It filled me with so muchfort and tranquility. I felt my heart swell with so much love as I stared down at my mate.


    Jace is on one knee with a bouquet of roses and a box of chocte in his hands.


    My hand shields my agape mouth as tears sting my eyes. ¡°Oh my God, Jace¡­¡±


    His smile only makes him look even more devilishly handsome. ¡°Will you be my girlfriend, Aira?¡±


    Iugh a bit as tears slide down my cheeks. There is a tornado of emotions erupting within me. I am filled with so much joy and happiness that I feel as though I might burst any moment from now on.


    I just got back home from the grocery store, and I was confused when Jace told me that we had run out of milk. I was certain that we still had some left.


    But now that I walk into this living room covered in rose petals and red balloons, I think I know exactly what happened to the gallon of milk.


    ¡°I am already your mate; you didn¡¯t have to do any of this, Jace,¡± I say in between tears and chuckles.


    His dimples pop out, and his eyes shimmer in a way that makes me fall for him even more. ¡°Just because you¡¯re my mate doesn¡¯t mean I should not do things properly. You are a great woman, and you deserve to be asked out like a queen. So, I will ask again. Will you be my girlfriend, Aira?¡±


    The smile that stretches my lips has to be the widest. ¡°Yes! Yes, I will be your girlfriend!¡±


    Excitement and joy fill his gorgeous eyes, and he rises to his feet to engulf me in a bone-crushing hug. He lifts me off my feet and spins me around in the air, and I burst outughing.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you,¡± he repeats as he licks my face with kisses. ¡°I love you so much.¡±


    He sets me down on the ground, and I take his face in my hands. I look up at him with so much love and admiration that I cannot believe how lucky I am to have a mate like him. I know nothing can ever ruin this moment. In fact, I sincerely believe that this is the beginning of something beautiful.


    I do not know what I did to be blessed with such an amazing mate, but I sure am grateful. I sniffle a bit as my vision blurs with tears.


    ¡°I love you too, Jace. More than you will ever know.¡±


    He seals my lips with his, and I sink into him. Our kiss is soothing; it is calm but soothing nheless.


    When our lips parted, he pressed his forehead against mine and whispered, ¡°I am going to dedicate the remainder of my life to making you happy. We will love and grow together, always and forever.¡±


    ¡°Always and forever.¡±


    He lied.


    He lied to me.


    A sob and scream erupt from my throat as my knees make contact with the floor. Tears stream down my cheeks faster than ever before as I struggle for breath. This pain-it¡¯s maddening; it¡¯s killing.


    I cannot believe he is doing this. He is actually marking Ana, my own sister!


    My wolf howls in pain; I can feel her writhing and wing at her own skin. The pain is like a consuming fire, killing us and burning us with a speed that we cannot fathom.


    I can see them. I can feel them.


    They are touching each other so passionately that his wolf is merging with hers. They are whispering sweet nothings to each other, making promises that were never meant to be. Those words he is uttering to her, those promises, and those confessions-they were all meant for me! Not her.


    I just don¡¯t understand why he would do this.


    Another scream leaves my lips as a sudden burst of pain shoots through my entire body. My chest tightens as my body trembles. I need to get rid of this pain fast!


    I can feel the eyes of the other maids on me as I struggle to get back on my feet. I do not pay much attention to them anyway; I know for a fact that none of them would help me. rather, they will just stand there and watch. They will have the time of their lives watching me suffer.


    But I will be damned if I go down without a fight.


    With trembling legs and an aching body, I drag myself up to Alexander¡¯s office. I do not bother to knock before turning the door knob and throwing myself inside.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I hear Alexander say this as soon as I step in. My legs give in, and I get back on my knees. Beads of sweat trickle down my head as I continue to struggle for breath.


    ¡°Mark me,¡± I manage to let out.


    He looks at me like I have gone mad. Maybe I have lost my mind with all this pain, but what else can I do? The only way to get this pain to seize is if I am marked by another. And Alexander is my only option.


    ¡°No,¡± he says tantly, and more tears spill out of my eyes.


    ¡°Please, I beg of you. This pain¡­ it- it-¡±


    Alexander shoots to his feet, his eyes disying nothing but disgust as he stares down at me.


    ¡°Whatever is wrong with you, take it to the pack doctor. But one thing is for sure: I am not marking you.¡±


    And with that said, he walks out.


    At this point, I am uncertain of what hurts most. The pain Jace is currently inflicting on me with my sister or the pain from Alexander¡¯s words.


    A sob leaves me, and I watch my tears drip to the floor.


    I give up.


    My body copses on the cold marble floor, and I feel it shutting down as ck dots taint my vision. I feel something screaming in me to get up and fight. To do something.


    But I am just so tired.


    I am tired of constantly getting treated so harshly; I did not do anything to deserve this. I can¡¯t fight. I am sorry.


    I feel a tear trickle down my face before I ampletely engulfed by darkness. At least finally, I will be granted some form of peace.     Slowly, my eyelids part, and I am greeted by an ache all over my body. My vision is a bit blurry, but I am able to make out the object before me as a chandelier. Where am I? And why is this bed so hard?


    I try to move a bit, but that is when I realize I am not on a bed but on the floor. The memories of what happenede flooding back in.


    Jace marking Ana.


    The pain.


    Alexander refusing to mark me.


    Passing out.


    It alles flooding back in, and I feel that all-too-familiar sting in my eyes returning. I let myself cry because that was all I could do. But something feels rather off¡­ Why do I have this heavy sense of hollowness?


    A gasp fills my ears, and my attention is shifted to Ca, standing by the door. Her eyes are as wide as saucers and filled with so much horror. I hate to admit it, but Ca can be a bit overdramatic.


    I mean, it should be a normal thing for her to find me lying on the floor and flushed with despair. But as I look at her, I notice that she isn¡¯t looking at me directly but at my thighs. What?


    She rushes to my side, and I am surprised at how much strength she uses to pull me up.


    ¡°We need to get you to the pack doctor immediately,¡± she says with urgency in her tone.


    She helps me out of the alpha¡¯s office and down the hall. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ca; I feel a lot better now, honestly.¡±


    She nces at me, but only for a second before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think you are, Aira.¡±


    I am about to object to your words, but I don¡¯t when I feel something sliding down my thighs. Confusion overtakes me as I shift my gaze downward.


    No.


    It can¡¯t be.


    ¡°No, no, no. Please no!¡± I scream as I stare at my bloodstained dress.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    My baby.


    ¡°Just calm down, Aira. Everything is going to be fine,¡± Ca chants to me as she takes me down to the infirmary. I always passed by it whenever I was on my way to the stables, but I have never actually been inside it.


    Until now.


    It looks like a mini-hospital.


    There are two stretchers and a bed. A drawer filled with all forms of medicine and a table full of equipment needed for surgery. There are other machines too, but I do not focus much on them as Cays me down on one of the stretchers.


    Slowly, I start to zone out of reality. I see Ca speak to the pack doctor, but their conversation is unknown to me. The only thing I know is that I have my hands wrapped around my belly as I chant three words.


    ¡°Please be okay.¡±


    The pack doctor starts to analyze me. Even though I am being injected with God knows what and have a bit of blood drawn out of me, it all did not matter to me; none of it was being registered in my head. I justid there with tears streaming down my eyes and praying for my child¡¯s safety.


    But it seems my prayers are never answered.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Aira. But you have lost your child.¡±

 Chapter 18: Blame

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    I stare at some of the members of my council as they discuss our recent issues on our farmnds and how crops have been mysteriously dying along with some of our animals.


    We have had a meeting concerning this before and thought the problem was just fertilizers and ntation location, but now we see that it is not.


    It is all over the kingdom.


    And if care is not taken, there will be famine all over thend. It is a very serious matter, I know. But I still cannot bring myself to concentrate on the issue at hand. We have been at this meeting for almost thirty minutes, and I have been zoned out throughout most of it.


    My mind is solely upied by one person, and it angers me greatly. Aira.


    Ever since that day, she barged into my office all red and sweaty, asking me to mark her. I have not seen her ever since. I mean, where the hell did that evene from anyway? I know she is my mate, but we are not exactly on the same page in terms of marking each other.


    It was just so strange and disgusting. She looked so desperate to be marked-how pathetic. But then again, she did look like she was in pain too. But I am sure whatever the problem was, she has gotten it sorted out by the pack doctor.


    She probably just feels embarrassed because she came begging for me to mark her when her problem could have been easily solved with a few medications. I am sure she realizes that now, which is why she is avoiding me. Yes, that is definitely it.


    But why do I get this sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach? I get the sense that something is wrong. terribly wrong.


    Damn you, Aira.


    At least just show your face so that I will know that you are okay.


    Wait a minute, why the hell do I even care?


    ¡°Your highness?¡±


    I am brought back to the present, and I find everyone staring at me. clearing my throat, I straighten my back and say, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°We asked if you are in agreement with the new strategy,¡± my minister of agriculture, Daniel Ross, asks me.


    I do not show my confusion; instead, I keep myposure and ask them to repeat themselves. They do just that, and I do notpletely assimte everything they are saying, but I nod in agreement anyway.


    I need to get out of here.


    My wolf has been crying for our mate for days now. I am sure he is the reason I cannot concentrate. Yes, it is definitely him.


    My council members and I all sign a contract before I dismiss the meeting. I rise to my feet and leave the room without saying another word. I find myself wandering the pce halls in search of one woman.


    And I see everyone except her. Where the hell is she?


    My attention shifts to the maid I had assigned to watch over my mate, and I make my way over to her. Her eyes widen when she sees me, and she instantly goes down on her knees.


    ¡°Good morning, your highness,¡± she says with her head barely a few inches away from my feet. I will never get tired of seeing my subjects do that. But now I have something very vital to ask her.


    ¡°You may stand,¡± I say, and she hesitates, but for only a second before doing as I say. ¡°Where is Aira. I have not been seeing her aroundtely. Has she by any chance gotten into trouble again?¡±


    The maid¡¯s countenance falls, and I see a hint of shock in her eyes when she asks, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    ¡°If I knew anything, I would not be asking you now, would I?¡± I snap, and she bows her head as an apology.


    ¡°Forgive me, your majesty; I just thought everyone had heard about it. especially you since I found her in your office.¡± She trails off, and I feel my anger heightening with every word that leaves her mouth.


    My fists clench, and I feel my wolf crawling to the surface. He is growing impatient. Just like me.


    ¡°You have five seconds to tell me what is going on before I snap your neck.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Her eyes widen with horror, and whates out of her mouth next leaves an emotion I have never felt before swirling within my chest.


    ¡°Aira lost her child three days ago, Alpha.¡±


    That was the day she asked me to mark her. Could it be¡­ No, it can¡¯t. There is no way her child could be dead because of me.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I demand, and the sadness in her eyes is great.


    ¡°I do not know. I just found her lying on the floor of your office three days ago. She had blood flowing down her legs, and she was crying. I keep asking her what happened, but she won¡¯t respond. She hasn¡¯t moved or said a word to anyone since then, not even me.¡±


    Ah shit.


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°In our chambers, your highness,¡± she replies, and I nod.


    ¡°You may leave,¡± I order, and she does a submissive bow before doing what she is told. I wait for her to disappear from my line of vision before quickly making my way towards the maid¡¯s chambers. I moved a lot faster than I would have liked, but at this moment, I do not think I care.


    All that I can think about is Aira.


    I knock down the door, and she is the first thing I see once I walk in.


    Her eyes lock with mine, but at the same time, they do not. She is looking right at me, but it seems she has zoned out.


    Taking a step towards her, I take in her features. She is a mess.


    There arerge, dark circles beneath her eyes. The corners of her eyes are tainted with a bright red color, and I wonder if it is because of how widened her eyes are. Her hair is pointing in every direction, and her hands constantly fidget on her stomach.


    The stomach where her child once was.


    There is difort in my chest as I take in her condition. I hate it. It is driving me crazy.


    A moment of silence passes between the both of us, and for the first time in my life, I genuinely do not know what to say; I am speechless.


    But I know I have to say something. My wolf screams at me to get down on my knees and ask our mate for forgiveness, because deep down we know this is our fault. I don¡¯t know how but it just is.


    That is why she came to me that day, begging. And I turned her down, and as a result, she lost the one thing she was willing to fight for.


    ¡°You lost your child,¡± I state, breaking the deafening silence. She stays mute. I take another step towards her, and that is when I see it.


    The anger, the hatred, and the pain.


    Despite all of that, I did not expect her next words.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    My eyebrows shoot to the top of my head, and I ask, ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Are you deaf?¡± she snaps, slowly rising to her feet. I stare at her with disbelief, not believing that she actually has the guts to speak to me like that.


    A growl erupts from my chest, and my jaw clenches. ¡°Who are you-¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck out of my room!¡± she screams, taking a step towards me, making me take one back. I want to berate her for her tone; I want to punish her and teach her that I am the alpha and that no one dares speak to me in such a manner, but I cannot. ¡°You! You are the reason my child is dead!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! Ever since the unfortunate day our paths crossed, you have made my life a living hell! I wish your men never would have rescued me that day in the forest because at least I would have died with my baby.¡±


    At this point, her voice breaks and tears stream down her cheeks.


    ¡°But no. You just had to waltz into my life and make it more miserable, and in the process, you took away the only will I had to live.¡±


    I stand there silently, watching her sadness morph into rage.


    Her next words are like a dagger straight to my chest. I have never met anyone who has ever used words to inflict pain on me. But for her, it is always different.


    ¡°I hate you.¡± She seethes and jams a finger into my chest. ¡°I do not care if you are king; I do not care what you will do to me because now my only will to live is gone. So if I were you, I suggest that you live in this room now.¡±


    Another moment of silence passes between us. Neither of us do anything but stare at each other, and all I see in her once warm hazel eyes is a burning hatred and anger that no ocean could quench.


    And so I leave.


    I turn my back on her, and she grants her wish. This is probably for the best anyway. It is good she hates me; I mean, now she would stay the hell away from me.


    I head down to the barracks to watch the instructors train the new recruits. The rest of my day is spent tending to my other alpha duties, but I am ashamed to admit that I performed poorly in all of them.


    God damn it, who am I kidding? I am losing my damn mind.


    I have thousands of wolves that hate me, but just hearing those words from Aira alone hurt.


    Nightfalles, and I find myself in the garden. This is the only ce I know that could bring me even an ounce of peace.


    But as I walked through the pathway and picked up on the sound of crying, I knew my search for peace would never be possible.


    It did not take me a second to know who it wasing from. I can feel Aira right on the other side of these walls of trees. I can feel her sitting at the edge of the fountain with her head in her hands, crying her eyes out.


    I want to go over to her, but I do not; my feet remain glued to the spot.


    That is how I spent that night, listening to her cry. And that was by far the worst night of my entire existence.

 Chapter 19: Breaking Down

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I thought I knew pain.


    I thought I had felt the worst type of pain when I watched my own mate choose my own sister over me. I watched all the love in his eyes turn to hatred, while the love I craved was directed to the one girl that hated me most.


    My own flesh and blood. My sister. My twin.


    I thought that was the worst pain anyone could endure, watching the people you love the most turn their backs on you just after stabbing yours.


    Oh, what a fool I was.


    That was not pain. That was not even close.


    Pain was the moment I woke up in Alexander¡¯s office after the pain of Jace¡¯s betrayal. Pain was that hollowness I felt as Iy there with no one by my side. Pain was having absolutely nothing. Not even my own child.


    My hand touches my stomach for what feels like the millionth time today. My heart shatters when the little beating heart I hoped to sense is nowhere to be felt. There is nothing but an empty void.


    Tears sting my eyes, but I do not let them fall. I cannot let them fall.


    Tears are a sign of weakness. It is precisely because of this weakness that I lost my child. Because of my very own mate, I lost our own child. I swear to never be weak again.


    I can¡¯t stay here anymore. I have to get out of here. I do not care if Alexander is furious with me; that is precisely what I want. If I manage to escape this ce and get found by Jace¡¯s men, I would not mind dying at their hands.


    And if I am unfortunate enough to be found by Alexander for the second time, well, then I will make sure that he kills me himself. All I know is that death would be far better than this. But for now, I cannot afford to be weak.


    I have to be strong. In honor of my child.


    So, that is precisely what I do. That day, I report to Grace, asking for my duty for the day. She looked at me with wide and surprised eyes. She blinks away her shock and clears her throat. ¡°Ah, yes. Well. Uh, there is not really much here today. I was nning on getting the chimneys cleaned tomorrow, but since you are asking, you could do it now.¡±


    Once she is done speaking, I nod and turn my back on her. Her next words almost shock me, but the organ meant to produce that emotion does not seem to be working at the moment.


    ¡°Are you okay? You don¡¯t have to do it if you are not.¡±


    I look at her over my shoulder and say bluntly, ¡°I am fine.¡±


    I see a sh of worry in her eyes before I turn my back and leave.


    It¡¯s a bit toote to be worried about me.


    I get started on the chimney immediately, and I feel a bunch of eyes on me. Did I forget to mention how annoying that is?


    Ca¡¯s voice infiltrates my ears, and I step out of the chimney. ¡°You did not have to do any of this; you know I could have helped you, right?¡±


    I look at her right in the eyes and say, ¡°There is nothing wrong with my hands or legs now, is there?¡±


    She appears shocked by my words but blinks them away immediately. ¡°Oh, well, no. I just thought that maybe you would like some help considering your situation.¡±


    Tilting my head to the side, I reply, ¡°My situation? I do not know what you are talking about. I am more than capable of cleaning up a chimney. As a matter of fact, I am done.¡±


    Picking up my broom and other cleaning materials, I make my way to the kitchen, and Ca follows closely behind me. As I step into the kitchen, I feel the eyes of the other maids on me. Of course, I ignore them. It is more than clear that these women don¡¯t have lives of their own; all they do is stare at me.


    ¡°Okay, then, I am d you are doing better. So now that we have the rest of the day to ourselves, I was wondering if we could have a little pic out in the courtyard. I was thinking of bringing along some of my favorite books so we could read and gush over the rather devilishly tempting male characters,¡± she suggests, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.


    I am about to decline her offer, but then I see the spark and excitement in her eyes. I also see the hope that I will agree to it. That hope is so immense, and despite the absence of my heart, I still could not find it in me to break that hope.


    So I say, ¡°I would love to.¡±


    Her smile reaches all the way to her ears, and she jumps up and down in excitement. ¡°Lovely! I will go get the things we need ready; meet me in the courtyard in thirty minutes.¡± She says so, and I nod before watching her leave.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I begin to wash the dirt off my hands when I hear the other maidsughing. ¡°What is she doing here? I thought she was too busy crying over her dead baby.¡±


    ¡°Oh, please, do you think she cared about that child? I am sure she killed her baby on purpose to get the alpha¡¯s attention.¡±


    My body trembles from rage, and I spin around to face them. Closing the distance between us, I pin all three of them with a venomous re. ¡°You do know I can help you, right?¡±


    The one in the middle smirks and says, ¡°Of course we know; we are that little voice in your head that nags right at you since your conscience is clearly not working.¡±


    A bitter snort leaves my lips before I say, ¡°Oh, look at you speaking about conscience like you even know what it is. Now look, I have no problem with you all talking about me. I know none of you have anything better to do considering how boring and sad your lives are. But please do so away from me or a little quieter next time.¡±


    The middle oneughs and shakes her head in disbelief. ¡°You know what your problem is? You are just bitter about the fact that you are a terrible mother. That baby is better off dead anyway.¡±


    The cracking of bones, followed by a series of screams, followed right after that.


    I have no idea what got over me, but I sure as hell know that I am not in control. Even with my fist making contact with the bitch¡¯s nose and her screams of agonizing pain filling my ears, it is still not enough. I pounce on her and begin toy a series of blows on her face.


    I can hear her friends screaming at me to stop and trying to get me off her, but all their attempts are futile. Until someone a lot stronger than them yanks me off the already unconscious girl.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough,¡± Alexander says as he cages both of my wrists in his hands. I struggle against him, but all my efforts are useless.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I scream.


    ¡°I am afraid I cannot do that; I cannot have you kill one of my maids. That is my job.¡± To my surprise, he throws me over his shoulder like some kind of potato. ¡°You two take your friend to the infirmary; I will take care of this one.¡±


    Alexander carries me to god knows where while I bang on his back, screaming at him to let me go, which he clearly ignores. After much effort, I give up and just dangle until he finally reaches his destination. He puts me back on the floor, and I see that we are on the balcony on the second floor.


    ¡°Sit,¡± he orders, pointing at one of the chairs set out. I do so begrudgingly. He takes a seat on the one facing me, and for several minutes, we do nothing but sit there in silence.


    My gaze shifts to the kingdom below, and I watch the people carry on with their daily activities as the soft evening wind blows my hair. This is actually kind of calming.


    My attention shifts to Alexander, who has been staring at me from the moment we came up here. I am about to demand what exactly it is he is looking at, but what he says next leaves me speechless.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    I rear my head back with surprise. ¡°What?¡±


    He nods in confirmation and repeats himself. ¡°I am sorry. You are going through all of this, and it is all my fault. I should have marked you when you asked me. If I did, then maybe your child would still be alive, and that annoying little girl I call my mate would be sitting right in front of me. and not this cold and hurt woman. So, I am sorry.¡±


    Staring at him, I search for the right words to say, but Ie up with none.


    Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that he has surprised me for the second time today by hugging me. I stiffen in his arms, but after a while, I melt into him.


    I broke the promise I made to myself this morning.


    I cry.


    I buried my head in his chest and let out all of my pain and hurt. And he took it all in silence.

 Chapter 20: Promise

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The sun¡¯ste afternoon gaze kisses my porcin skin, filling me with a warmth I didn¡¯t even know I terribly needed.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    With all the coldness and darkness that have been evolving around my life, who would have thought that something as simple as the sun¡¯s kiss could make me feel a whole lot lighter?


    Ca and I are seated in the courtyard beneath a small oak tree, having our little pic. We sit together on top of a dark purple nket and have nothing but fruits sitting on a silver bowl. It is not anything grand, probably because we do not have the permission or the money to afford anything more than this.


    But I still loved it.


    The mere thought of it alone and the effort Ca put into making all of this possible warmed my heart far more than she will ever know. My gaze shifts to her lying on her stomach; she has a book in one hand and an apple in another.


    I am just realizing how breathtaking she is. She did not even have to put in effort to look so¡­ beautiful. I suppose that is why it made me ask, ¡°How did you end up here?¡±


    She stops chewing her apple midway and lifts her eyes to meet mine. swallowing the bit of apple in her mouth, she asks, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean exactly what I mean. I can not help but wonder how a beautiful young woman like you could end up working in such a hell hole.¡±


    I turn my entire body andy all my focus towards her.


    ¡°I just realized that I barely even know the person who has stuck by me since I came here. I don¡¯t know how you got here, where your family is, what your childhood was like, or your hobbies and dislikes.¡±


    Picking up her hand, I squeeze it softly. ¡°Let me know you, Ca.¡±


    The smile that lifts the corners of her lips is a sad one. I notice she does everything in her power to avoid eye contact with me, and it makes me wonder why. What is so terrible about her past that she can¡¯t even look me in the eye?


    Clearing her throat, she gestures around the nket we are currently on and says, ¡°Well, this is one of my hobbies, if you must know. Nature walks, a good book, and good fruit. As for my dislikes, well,¡± she pauses to sit up. ¡°Let¡¯s just say they are quite a bunch. Things, actions, and certain people all fall under that category. It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    I ce my elbow on my thigh and rest my chin on my hand. I watch her with so much keen interest that I ask, ¡°I have time. Tell me about all of it.¡±


    Her honey brown eyes shift to the sun setting behind me, and if I thought that she looked beautiful before, she resembles a goddess now. I watch the sun set slowly through her eyes as she tells her tale.


    ¡°For things, I would say foods like coffee, alcohol, and smoke. I have always hated them since I was a child. And for actions, well, I guess you could say I hate to watch someone get treated unjustly. Treating others like they are a piece of trash. I hate it. Maybe it is because I have once been there; I have once been treated like I was nothing, which brings me down to the people aspect.¡± She pauses, and our eyes lock. What she says next has my heart plummeting to the pit of my stomach. ¡°My father.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I pry, even though I could not exactly help it. I wanted to know everything about her. I wanted to know what made her so different from the rest. I wanted to know every bit of her story.


    Her tongue slips out of her mouth to wet her lips. I can see the pain in her eyes as she reminisces about her past. ¡°I don¡¯t really remember my mother. From the age of five, I remember being told that she died during an attack by rogues. She was just in the wrong ce at the wrong time. And that left me alone with my father. I can¡¯t remember how he was before my mom died. All I know is that ever since then he has done nothing but drink and smoke and hit me.¡±


    My eyes widen a bit, and my mouth forms an O shape. Everything she hates now all stems from her father. Go figure.


    I squeeze her hand once again to let her know that I am here. ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    She waves her free hand dismissively and says, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I havee to ept everything. Things just changed after my mother¡¯s death. I stopped going to school and spent most of my time at home, cleaning up my dad¡¯s messes. It got to a point where he could not even stand or speak properly because he was always, and I mean always, on something. He would hit me because he would see pieces of my mother in me.¡±


    ¡°And you lived with him that way for how long?¡±


    She pursed her lips before answering me. ¡°Till I was seventeen. I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, the thought of running away did ur to me, but I just could not bring myself to do it. He was my dad and the only family I had left.¡± She stops and sniffles a bit. I watched her sadness turn into rage, and I instantly knew that she had lied to me earlier.


    She has not epted anything about her past.


    ¡°But I guess I should have known the feelings were not mutual. When I was seventeen, my father sold me so he could buy a couple more beers and cigarettes.¡±


    My jaw is practically on the floor at this point. What a bastard!


    ¡°I am so sorry that happened to you, Ca. You really did not deserve to go through any of that,¡± I say, my heart breaking as I watch a tear slide down her cheek.


    She wipes it away furiously and shrugs. ¡°Well, I suppose everything happens for a reason. I never got to see who I got sold to; I was being taken there, but I managed to escape. I was in the middle of nowhere when I bumped into Alpha Alexander. And till this day, I really do not know if I made the right decision by running away.¡±


    My eyebrows crease, and I look at her with disbelief. ¡°What do you mean? Of course you did the right thing by running away.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t exactly say that where I am currently is paradise now, can I?¡± She shoots back, and my lips seal shut. My gaze travels down to the bruise around her neck, and I feel my eyes sting with uing tears.


    Scooting closer to her, I look Ca right in the eyes as I make this promise to her.


    ¡°I am going to get you out of here; you are way too kind to continue to live the life you are living now. You deserve far better; you deserve a life filled with happiness without people tossing you around, cleaning up their messes, and having them hurt you in the end. And I am going to make sure you get just that.¡±


    Despite the sadness in her eyes, her smile is still warm. We engulf each other in a soothing hug, and she nuzzles her head into my hair. ¡°Thank you, Aira.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose this is a bad time.¡±


    Ca and I pull away to find a maid standing before us. She has her hands sped in front of her as she looks between the two of us a bit sheepishly.


    When neither Ca nor I say anything, she continues, ¡°I have been watching you guys for some time now, and I have to say this looks like a hell lot of fun. Mind if I join?¡±


    My eyes widen a bit from surprise. Ca and I share a nce, and she smiles. ¡°Of course you can.¡±


    The girl grins before taking a seat between Ca and me on the nket. She looks at me and says, ¡°I know this is weirding to you like this, but after what you did today, I just had to.¡±


    Tilting my head to the side, I ask, ¡°What did I do today?¡±


    ¡°You stood up for yourself. Even when they all mocked you and called you a terrible mother, you stood your ground.¡± She pauses, and there is a bit of sadness in her gaze. ¡°Something I wish I had done when I lost my own kid too.¡± Her face brightens up a bit when she looks at me and says, ¡°You inspire me.¡±


    Her words hit me harder than I would have liked to admit.


    ¡°I am Maria, by the way.¡± She introduces me, and I nod.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Maria. My name is Aira,¡± I say, and she grins, picking up an apple from the bowl between us.


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡±


    The next few hours are spent with us talking about books and gossiping about certain maids in the pce. The interaction was mostly between Ca and Maria since they have been here longer and know almost everyone.


    I find my hand asionally going to my stomach, and I feel my heart shatter every time. I try to move past the hollowness, but I can¡¯t. It¡¯s so hard. But I do act like everything is fine; even when Ca would asionally catch me zoning out, she would ask me if I was okay, and I would fake a smile and say yes.


    It was tiring, but I had to do it.


    She put all her effort into arranging this pic to cheer me up. Night falls, and the three of us finally decide to call it a day. Maria helped Ca return some of the stuff we used while I excused myself.


    My feet start to move on their own ord, and I just let them. I did not know where I was going, but I was not bothered about it; I just needed to be somewhere I could find peace.


    So when I walk up to the balcony on the second floor to find Alexander sitting there with a bottle of whiskey in his hands, you can imagine my surprise.


    His dark eyes connect with mine, and I take a step back. ¡°Sorry, I had no idea you would be here. I just¡­ I should go.¡± I stammer before turning on my heel to leave.


    But a single word from him stops me.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Slowly, I return my attention to him.


    His eyes are so dark and filled with so many mysteries I want to uncover. It is weird; I know he is drunk, even though he does not quite look it. I suppose that is how much self-control he has over himself.


    He lifts the bottle in the air, facing me.


    ¡°Join me.¡±


    His words leave me both shocked and confused.


    The infamous Alpha King wants me to sit on a balcony and get drunk with him. Who would have thought that such a day woulde?


    Biting my bottom lip, I think about it. I am sure he would snap my neck if I even dared refuse him in this state. Perhaps a little alcohol would help eradicate this hollowness.


    And besides, what is the worst that could happen?

 Chapter 21: Permission

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The night is silent and cold. It isforting yet mystic.


    I sit in front of Alexander, and I do not know for how long. We have been out here passing the bottle of whiskey to one another in silence. At times I would lift my gaze to get a good look at the moon; the sight alone would fill me with so muchfort I could not even begin to fathom.


    asionally, I would feel Alexander¡¯s eyes on me. But whenever I look at him, his eyes are on something else. It was strange; it made me believe that it could perhaps be the effects of the alcohol.


    He hands me the bottle, and I am shocked to see that we are more than halfway through. Tilting my head back, I take down the intoxicating liquid. A groan escapes my lips as it leaves a burning sensation in my throat. I hand it back to him.


    ¡°Aira.¡±


    The way he says my name makes a shiver go down my spine. His eyes are hooded and dark. I can¡¯t tell if his wolf was struggling to take control of him or if this is how he appears when drunk. But I hate to admit it; he actually looks pretty hot.


    I just admire the way he illuminates his features while casting a dark shadow on the other half of his face. His dark eyes almost looked honey brown, and his lips appeared good enough to kiss. Snap out of it, Aira!


    ¡°Yes, alpha?¡±


    He purses his lips for some time, then says, ¡°For tonight, you may call me Alexander.¡±


    I am unable to help the grin that lifts the corners of my lips. ¡°Why the sudden change?¡± I ask and he shrugs.


    ¡°I guess you could say I just want to be able to have one informal conversation with you. Even though it pains me to the core that you are a werewolf, you are still my mate, and I want to get to know you.¡±


    My eyebrows shoot to the top of my head and my eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. I blink up at him, waiting for him to call bluff or even April fools or something. But he doesn¡¯t.


    I am unable to control the chuckle that leaves my lips. cing my hand on my head, I say, ¡°Man, we must really be drunk.¡±


    ¡°I am not saying this because of the alcohol, Aira,¡± he says with all seriousness. There is something about the way he says my name that makes me actually like it. He says it so differently from others, so passionately.


    He leans closer, cing his elbows on his knees. His gaze grows in intensity, and I feel so small before him.


    ¡°I am saying this because it¡¯s something I have always wanted to say. Alcohol doesn¡¯t make me a liar; it makes me honest.¡±


    Sinking back into my chair, I hum. ¡°You mean it gives you confidence.¡± A grin lifts my lips, and I say, ¡°The big bad Alexander is too scared to show emotion, and he only does so with the help of a little alcohol. Am I right?¡±


    He rolls his eyes and sinks into his chair. ¡°Whatever you choose to believe.¡±


    I am unable to control my smile as I look at him. I cannot believe I am actually having a real conversation with Alexander without either of us throwing a tantrum or screaming at each other. But I should not let my guard down. I have to remember that he is only this way because he is drunk.


    From tomorrow on, things will just go back to normal. He will hate me. The maids will do everything to make my life miserable. And I will have Ca as my only friend.


    I might as well enjoy this night; I might never get another one like this in years.


    ¡°Ask away,¡± I say, snatching the bottle from him and taking a gulp of the alcohol.


    ¡°Where are your parents?¡±


    What a good conversation starter!


    As much as I would love to open up to Alexander, I have to remember that he is an asshole. I cannot afford to let him know every detail of my past, not just yet.


    I return my gaze to the moon, feeling a familiar ache in my heart as I think of the two people I loved more than anything or anyone in my life.


    ¡°They are dead.¡±


    He does not say anything. I do not know why, but I had expected him to say what everyone usually says when I talk about my parents. Show pity, empathy, sympathy, or maybe ask questions like, How did it happen? Am I okay? Or even a simple ¡®I am sorry for your loss.¡¯


    But he does none of this. Of course, he would be different.


    ¡°Do you have siblings?¡± he asks after a moment of silence.


    ¡°I have a twin sister,¡± I reply, and this time I get a reaction out of him. It was almost unnoticeable, but I caught it. That small fraction of surprise in his eyes could have easily been missed if I had blinked, but thankfully I didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Where is she now?¡±


    In the arms of my mate, in my own house, enjoying my own money while I am out here stuck here with you.


    I shrug and feign nonchnce. ¡°After my parents died, we kind of split up. We did not really like each other; our parents were the only ones keeping us sane and together. Now they are gone. We decided it was best. We just went our separate ways.¡±


    In a way, I was telling the truth. Notpletely, but there are fractions of the truth in there.


    His eyelids were narrow, and I knew he knew something was off. But I do not give him the chance to counter what I just said. I change the topic by throwing the same questions at him.


    ¡°And what about you? Where are your parents? Do you have siblings? What was your childhood like?¡± I asked, and I could have sworn I watched his jaw tick.


    I suppose those questions did not exactly have happy answers.


    I can see the memories flooding back into his mind through his eyes. His grip on the bottle tightens, and I gently take it from him before he loses control of himself.


    ¡°My dad is alive and well. He is actually in this pce; he likes to keep to himself and is usually very secretive. Almost anti-social,¡± a ghost of a smile lifts his lips as he talks about his dad. Okay, this is good. Not as bad as I thought. I did not know why, but I had expected him to have some sort of Daddy issues.


    He continues, ¡°That is probably why you have never met him. He does know you, though. As a matter of fact, he was the one who convinced me to release you that day, my beta, and my men found you in the woods.¡±


    A tight smile stretches my lips, and I say, ¡°Gee, and I thought that was out of the kindness of your own heart.¡±


    His chuckle is raspy; it is dark and almost evil. Just like him.


    ¡°There is no kindness in my heart.¡±


    I beg to differ.


    Yes, Alexander is a maniac and can be incredibly scary, but I know that there is something good in him somewhere. He has shown it to me on various asions. But then again, I suppose that is because I am his mate. It is in his nature to be kind to me, even if he does hate me.


    His chin tightens when he continues. ¡°I have no siblings, but my mother took in a boy when I was about ten years old. His name was Jared. I did grow up with him; he was my best friend for over a decade. I considered him my brother, actually.¡±


    I do not know why, but this piques my interest. I lean forward and ask, ¡°What happened to him?¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Alexander¡¯s eyes lock with mine, and what he says next leaves me uneasy.


    ¡°Shit. Shit happened. There was this maid who asionally brought her daughter here; her name was Sophia, I believe. Jared was smitten by her. Hell, we all knew they were mates because you could barely keep them apart. I got, um, upset that he spent most of his time with her instead of me. There was a day Jared and I were ying beside the cars; we were ying with make-believe swords, and I mistakenly punctured a tire. Jared wanted us to inform someone of it immediately, but I thought whoever would use the car would notice.¡±


    Suddenly, he stops talking.


    That is when I saw it. That is when I see the hurt, the sadness, and the regret. What in the world happened that day?


    ¡°Alex? What happened?¡± I inquire, and his eyelids fall shut.


    ¡°That day, my mother, Sophia, and her mother all used that car to go into town. That was the first and veryst day rogues attacked this kingdom. From the reports we got, their driver tried to outrun the rogues but ended up losing control of the vehicle. The car fell into a gully, and they all died.¡±


    My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach, and my blood freezes in my veins. I do not know what gets over me when I get up from my seat. I crouch between his legs and take his face in my hands.


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    He shrugs, and I can see his struggle to act like he doesn¡¯t care, but he does. I can see it.


    ¡°That was a messed-up time for me. When Jared found out, he lost his mind. He loved my mother as his own, and he loved Sophia more than anything. He lost both of them, and he med me for it, and he was right. It was all my fault.¡± He says this, and I shake my head in denial.


    ¡°You were just a kid; it wasn¡¯t your fault. I mean, who would not notice a t tire before getting into a car?¡± I say this, trying to lift the burden off his chest.


    ¡°It does not matter. That ident could have been prevented if I had listened to Jared and said something. He lost the people he loved most because of me,¡± he says, and I caught the little hurtced in his tone as he uttered thest part.


    My finger caresses his cheek softly, and my chest¡­ my god, it actually aches seeing him like this. Despite the hell he has put me through, seeing him like this physically hurts.


    ¡°You also lost someone you love; you lost your mother,¡± I remind him, and I watch his eyes darken. Rising to my feet, I take his hands in mine. ¡°Come on, you are barely awake; let¡¯s get you to bed.¡±


    ¡°I am fine,¡± he mutters, but still gets up when I pull him up. I lead him to his bedroom, which is just down the hall. I help him into bed and gasp when he pulls me down with him.


    ¡°Alex-¡± My words are cut short when he seals my lips with his. The kiss is different from the others; it is soft and gentle. Almost loving.


    When we pull away, his eyes are barely open. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I am about to ask what for, but his soft snores suggest that would be pointless. I stare at Alexander¡¯s sleeping form in awe. After tonight, I think I can see Alexander for who he really is.


    A hurt child.


    A child burdened with guilt and regret for years.


    But it will never excuse the fact that he is a monster. I lost my child because of him.


    And I will never forgive him for that.


    Never.

 Chapter 22: Annoyance

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Slowly, my eyelids parted, and I was graced with one of the most beautiful views I have evere across. Alexander sleeping.


    No, I mean it. I have never seen someone sleep so soundly and beautifully. It is hard to believe that this is the very same man who has caused so much torment and misery. Right now, he looks so innocent.


    His rather long eyshes fall over his face so softly, and his pink lips are so plump and pink. Just looking at them makes me want to kiss them again. Damn it. I need to get out of here before I do something stupid.


    As handsome as Alexander is, I cannot afford to give into him so easily. My eyes fall on our bodies, and I curse myself internally. My limbs are sprawled all over him. Thank goodness we still have our clothes on. How did I even get here? I have no idea, but I sure as hell am not sticking around to find out.


    Slowly, I lift myself off him and hop off the bed as quietly as I can. I tiptoe to the door, and before leaving, I shoot him onest nce. As much as I would love to give him a chance, I know what happened thest time I gave my whole heart to a man.


    I got stabbed. Severally.


    I refuse to be that stupid again. So with that resignation, I step out of his room and shut the door as quietly as I can. I return to the maid¡¯s chambers, and as soon as I step in, Ie face-to-face with Ca.


    Her eyes are as wide as saucers and filled with disbelief. She has her hands ced on her hips as she begins to interrogate me. ¡°And where the hell have you been all night?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± I do not get to finish my statement because she cuts me off instantly.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± She takes a step towards me, and I take one back. Damn, she really does look pissed. ¡°Sorry does not cut it! Do you know I could not sleep at allst night? I searched every inch of this pce for you. I was starting to think that you had run away again.¡±


    My heart pangs with guilt, and my countenance falls. She thought I ran away again. She was scared of what the alpha would have done to her. I am too, to be honest.


    She continues. ¡°I almost had a panic attack! As I was looking for you, I was also doing my best to avoid the alpha because what if he asks me where you are? How do I answer him? If I even dare say I do not know, he will have my head!¡±


    ¡°Ca I-¡± I attempt to exin myself once again, but she holds a hand up to silence me.


    ¡°And not another word from you! Honestly, I thought we had spoken about this?! You can¡¯t just go disappearing whenever you like! People are actually out to see you dead, and as much as I love you, if you die, I die too, and I sure as hell do not want that!¡± She rants, and at this point, I am more worried about whether she is breathing or not. She shuts her eyes and sucks in a rush of air. ¡°Now, young woman, answer me. Where were youst night?¡±


    My cheeks heat up, and I avoid her gaze. ¡°With the alpha,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°You were what?¡± She asks, and I wonder if she actually did not hear me or if she refused to hear me.


    ¡°I was with the alpha,¡± I say a bit louder, and she grows silent. For about thirty seconds, she does not say or do anything. She just stands there, blinking at me.


    And then, out of nowhere, she breaks out into a wolfish grin. ¡°You sly girl. I spent the entire night scared out of my mind while you and your mate were having lovey-dovey time.¡±


    At this point, I am certain that my face is on fire. Why do I like this? I mean, I can¡¯t possibly be shy about this. I am not a high school teenager, and it is not wrong if I spend some time with my mate. Yet why do I feel so embarrassed talking about it?


    ¡°It was not exactly love-dovey time. I mean, I found him drunk, and he needed someone to talk to.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Alexander needed someone to talk to. Are you sure we are talking about the same person?¡± Ca asks, and I shake my head in wonder.


    ¡°Trust me, I am just as surprised as you are. He was just so differentst night. He was so vulnerable,¡± I admit, and she tilts her head to the side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can imagine the alpha and the world vulnerable in one sentence. But then again, you are his mate. You are meant to see parts of him no one else can.¡± She pauses and smiles at me in a way that makes me feel almost shy. ¡°I think you are softening him up. And that is something we all need.¡±


    We will see about that.


    The rest of the day went awfully quiet. Ca and I waited around for Grace to assign our chores for the day, but she never did. Thete afternoon came, and we decided to go look for her. As we walk through the halls, I say, ¡°Perhaps she is sick.¡±


    Ca snorts. ¡°Trust me, Grace is never sick. Something must be off. Maybe there are not many chores left, or she just forgot about us.¡±


    I remain silent. Three maids walk up to us, and I prepare myself for their res and side talks. But they do none of that.


    Instead, they do something that has my jaw dropping, if not frightened.


    They greet me.


    ¡°Good afternoon,dy Aira.¡± The three of them say it simultaneously.


    Gwen and I freeze in our steps. We watch the three of them walk away, waiting for them to burst outughing because there was no way they were actually serious. But they were.


    Ca and I share a disbelieving nce. ¡°What was all that about?¡± I ask, and she shrugs.


    We continue our walk down to the kitchen, and once we arrive, all the maids present greet me as well. ¡°Good morning,dy Aira.¡±


    It is safe to say that I am terrified at this point.


    Mariaes up to us with a grin, touching her ears. ¡°You have got to be the most badass girl I have ever met.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Why is everyone being so nice to me this morning? And why are they calling me Lady Aira?¡± I ask her, and she chuckles a bit.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°I guess you would not know seeing as you and Ca have been locked up in the room all morning, but¡­ Grace got fired today,¡± Maria says, and my jaw is practically on the floor.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± I demand, and Maria shrugs.


    ¡°I really do not know. The alpha just stormed in here this morning and fired her. and he put you in her ce. What were his exact words again?¡± She pauses and ces a hand on her chin. ¡°Ah yes.¡± She clears her throat and attempts to mimic Alexander¡¯s voice. Which is awfully hrious, by the way.


    ¡°From today onwards, you all will report to Aira; she will be your head, and you will respect her. If I ever find out that you so much as even thought of disrespecting her, you will have me to deal with.¡±


    Ca turns to look at me with eyes full of amazement. ¡°What the hell did you do to our alphast night?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I swear!¡± I say, raising my hands in surrender. ¡°I am going to get to the bottom of this.¡± I say this before leaving. I make my way up to Alexander¡¯s office while trying toprehend what Maria just told me.


    It just doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why the sudden change? I thought things would go back to how they werest night, but clearly I was wrong.


    Without knocking, I push open the door, and Ie face-to-face with Alexander, sitting behind his desk. He does not bother to look up at me as he busies himself with the papers on his desk.


    ¡°Why?¡± is the first thing I ask as I storm in.


    ¡°I should be asking the same thing. I mean, whatever happened to knocking?¡± He asks, still not looking at me.


    I roll my eyes and ask, ¡°You fired Grace? Why?¡±


    He shrugs, flipping over a page, then saying, ¡°She was bing old and sloppy. She needed to go.¡±


    ¡°And you thought I would be the best recement?¡±


    ¡°Well, no one else in particr came to mind considering I hardly remember the faces of my servants,¡± he says coldly, and I hated whenever he did that. I hated it whenever he would act like he did not care.


    ¡°And all that talk about dealing with anyone that disrespects me?¡± I ask, and finally he meets my eyes.


    ¡°For order. If they do not respect you, then it would bring chaos and disorganization, which obviously I cannot have in my pce,¡± he finishes, and at this point I am left speechless. Slowly, he lifts a brow and asks, ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you actually thought I did that because I care about you.¡±


    Ouch.


    Dropping my gaze, I try to ease the pain his words have just inflicted on my heart. My voice is small when I say, ¡°I almost thought you did.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t,¡± he says firmly. But something about the way he said it makes me genuinely feel like that is a lie.


    ¡°Very well then,¡± I say, squaring my shoulders. ¡°I shall carry out my duties; thank you for your time.¡±


    Spinning on my heel, I begin to march out of the office when he says, ¡°Wait.¡±


    My feete to a halt, and I look at him over my shoulder. For a moment, he appears almost conflicted.


    ¡°There is this ball I will be attending tomorrow night. The annual alpha¡¯s ball, and I need a date. I want that to be you.¡± I part my lips to decline when he adds, ¡°And don¡¯t think you have a choice.¡±


    Damn it.

 Chapter 23: Take My Breath

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I can¡¯t believe this is happening.


    I didn¡¯t think I would ever return to that city so soon. I mean, has it even been up to a month? Why couldn¡¯t Alexander go with someone else? Why did it have to be me? Why did he have to drag me back to the very ce where my life turned into misery?


    But then again, would I really be okay if I had gone with someone else? I don¡¯t think so.


    Did he really have to go at all? Gosh, this is all just frustrating.


    When he told me that the annual alpha¡¯s ball would be held at St. Louisa¡¯s auditorium, I nearly burst out into tears. That was the very same ce Jace and I met. It waste at night at an old friend of mine¡¯s ball.


    That was the night I found my mate and knew he was the one.


    Now look at us. I will be walking into that very same ce in the arms of another man. And Jace? Will he be there? Holding Ana by the hand? How will I even react if I see them again? What if we meet at the ball? Will he try to kill me likest time?


    I don¡¯t think he would even dare to be honest. I will have Alexander by my side, but that means I will have to keep him by my side at all times. If I do, then he will definitely find out the truth about my past. He would know Jace is my mate and that the woman he is with is my sister.


    My very own twin sister.


    Oh, I can already see the disaster that is about to unfold.


    ¡°Aira!¡± I snap back to reality, and my attention falls on Ca, who is staring at me with wonder and disbelief. ¡°Where has your head gone? I have been calling out your name for a while now.¡±


    My cheeks heat up with embarrassment. ¡°I am sorry, I was just thinking about some things.¡±


    She hums, putting two pieces of lingerie into my little box. After Alexander had given me the order to go pack my things, I thought I could use some help, and of course Ca was the only woman that came to mind.


    The excitement on her face when I told her Alexander and I were going on a trip was one I wish I could possess. If it were under normal circumstances, then I would have been ted. I mean, this is almost like going on a honeymoon with my mate.


    But the location just had to be the ce that held so many terrible memories. How can I possibly be excited? We are going to the very same ce where I lost everything.


    My mate. My sister. My friends. My money. My property. My home.


    We are going to the very same ce where I was stripped of everything I ever owned and loved. I doubt this trip would even be enjoyable at all.


    ¡°I can tell they are not happy thoughts¡­ You haven¡¯t been looking quite good in a while, and I don¡¯t get it. Look at all the Alpha is doing for you. He stood up for you, made you our head, and now he is taking you on a trip to attend a super cool ball,¡± she says, and I copsezily on my bed.


    My hands drag across my face with frustration as I groan. ¡°I know I should be happy about all of this, but I can¡¯t. This city where this ball is being held¡­ It is the very same one I ran from. There are people in that city I hoped to never see again, and now all of this¡­


    Ca sits beside me on the bed, and I am more than grateful we are the only ones in the room. She takes my hand and squeezes it softly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is you are running from, but I want you to know that whoever it is can¡¯t hurt you anymore. They are going to have to get through the alpha before getting to you, which is ny-nine percent impossible. You are covered; I know the alpha isn¡¯t going to let anything happen to you, and you should believe that too. So focus on the fun and all the benefits, and stop worrying.¡±


    A small smile graces my lips, and I squeeze her hands back. ¡°Thank you, Ca. I really do not know what I would do without you.¡±


    ¡°Neither,¡± she says, and we bothugh. ¡°Come on, we still have a lot to pack; you will be leaving soon.¡±


    We spent the next ten minutes debating what I should and should not wear. I am in awe at how many clothes Sharon, the royal designer, brought for me.


    ¡°Why not just take all of them?¡± Ca asks after a moment, and I chuckle at the tiredness in her eyes.


    ¡°There are over thirty different dresses here, Ca; I am only going to be there for a few days,¡± I tell her just before the door to the room bursts open and two maidse walking in. I catch them pausing to stare at my clothes in awe, but then I watch it slowly morph into envy.


    They walk past us and stay on their beds at the very far end of the room. I would catch them shooting asional nces at us, and it irked me.


    ¡°You are right, but what about shoes? You barely have enough shoes to go with these,¡± she says, and I ce my hand on my chin as I think carefully.


    Snapping my fingers, I gesture to the two girls in the room. ¡°You two do tell Sharon that I need a couple of shoes to go with the dresses she brought. And make it snappy because I will be leaving soon.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± One of them snaps, rising to her feet, but her friend holds her down by the wrist.


    I raise a brow slowly, and her friend bows her head in submission. ¡°Yes,dy Aira.¡±


    She takes her friend by the hand and leaves the room. The second they shut the door, Ca throws her head back and bursts outughing.


    ¡°Damn, you are evil,¡± she says, and an evil smirk stretches my lips.


    ¡°I guess it is like you said, I should focus on the benefits.¡±


    Alexander¡¯s POV


    ¡°You put her in charge of the maids?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you are taking her to the annual alpha¡¯s ball.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And you do know you can get a bootie call, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But you still want to take her with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Silence.


    I looked up at my beta for the first time since he walked into my office. ¡°Since when did you grow the balls to question me, Arnold?¡±


    He swallows, then bows his head in submission. ¡°Forgive me, your alpha. It¡¯s just that the day we brought her to you, you seemed to not want anything to do with her.¡±


    ¡°Well, things have changed,¡± I reply before getting to my feet. ¡°I called you here because I will be away for five days; you will handle the pack while I am gone.¡±


    The grin that stretches his lips is sly as he bows. ¡°Would it be my pleasure, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°You are dismissed.¡± I say, but he doesn¡¯t move a muscle.


    Instead, he tilts his head to the side and asks me, ¡°I know it is not my ce to ask, but are you okay? I was hoping we could hang out a bit before you go. You know, just like old times.¡±


    My eyelids are narrow. It has been years since Arnold and Ist hung out as friends. He used to y with Jared and me when we were kids, but he wasn¡¯t that close to me; it was only Jared. But after the incident and Jared¡¯s disappearance, I kept my distance.


    And I will continue to do so.


    ¡°I am the alpha of one of thergest packs in the state, and you are my beta; surely you are well aware we don¡¯t have time for games.¡±


    His countenance falls, and he nods. ¡°You are right; forgive me for asking. Excuse me,¡± he says, then leaves.


    I check the time on my watch and leave my office. Stepping out of the pce, my gaze falls on the convoy waiting. My butler, William, walks up to me and then bows.


    ¡°Is everything packed and ready?¡± I ask him, and he nods.


    ¡°Yes, your majesty, I packed all of your essentials and the items you requested,¡± he says, and I nod. I check the time for what feels like the millionth time today, and I find myself growing impatient. I thought I told this woman to be ready by two p. m..


    As though she can sense my growing impatience, she walks out of the pce, and I am suddenly unable to breathe.


    This woman takes my breath away in rags, but now she threatens to take my life away in that pretty red dress.


    She smiles sheepishly at me as she descends the stairs with her friend. My eyes travel up her exposed legs to her lower thighs, where the dress stops. Her hair has been neatly tied up in a bun, bringing out most of her delicate features.


    She stops mid-way as one of the guards helps her with her bag. She hugs her friend goodbye before walking up to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± she says, and there is something about the way she is smiling at me that leaves me breathless.


    Maybe I really should have gotten a bootie call.

 Chapter 24: Ball

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I am unable to take my eyes off the view of the outside world. We drove through the forest in silence, and part of the reason I absolutely refused to take my eyes off the window is because of the fact that Alexander has been staring at me since the very second we stepped into this car.


    He was not even trying to be discreet about it.


    I noticed his change in demeanor the minute I walked out of the pce; he looked at me like a child would after seeing the prettiest person in their whole life. And Alexander was not a child, and I am certain I am not the prettiest person he has evere across.


    Perhaps he was in shock to find me wearing something other than rags and a dusty old maid¡¯s uniform.


    The ride back to the city is silent and awkward, and despite the fact that the air conditioner is blowing at full capacity, I still felt pretty hot. I could not tell if it was due to the fact that Alexander has been staring at me for an unhealthy amount of time or the fact that I was returning to the ce I once called home.


    Whatever it was, I sure did not like it.


    I soon find peace in the outside world, but that peace vanishes the moment we enter the city. Not a bit of it has changed since thest time I was here.


    The sky above it is still blue, the buildings are still standing tall and high, and the two categories of people still remain. The cheery children and the depressed adults.


    I suppose that is just what I loved about living in this city-the fact that Jace was able to keep me a happy adult despite all the factors that threatened to make me a part of the matrix.


    We drive by one of the ice cream parlors my sister and I used to go to with our parents. My gaze falls on two young girls, possibly around the age of six. They have simr features to Ana and me. One of them balls her eyes out as her ice cream falls all over the floor, while the other enjoys hers happily, not caring that her sister is sad.


    Funny how I can remember this exact same thing happening between us.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    We drive past the ice cream parlor and towards the old run-down club, where my friends and I would usuallye to get drunk and live a bit irresponsibly. During this time, I hadn¡¯t even met Jace; I was just a young teenager rebelling against the deaths of her parents and using alcohol as my sce.


    The nights we spent in there getting drunk, dancing, and puking on strangers alle back to me. I feel a tear threaten to slip past my eye as we drive away from the club, the memories of those nights fading away.


    And then I see it. the auditorium where it all started.


    ¡°This is where the ball is going to be held tomorrow morning,¡± I hear Alexander exin, and I manage to only hum in response. There is no point in telling him that I am already aware of that fact.


    I know every inch and corner of this city, possibly even better than him.


    For the first time since we got started on this trip, I tear my gaze away from the window. I would rather not reminisce about the night I met the man who shattered my heart and stole everything I owned.


    Once again, I feel Alexander¡¯s eyes on me, but I pay him no attention. Thankfully, it does not take long before the car finallyes to a stop. Alexander is the first to get out of the car, and I follow his lead.


    The mansion before us has my jaw dropping. I did not know such homes actually existed in this city. It is two stories long and has ss for walls. It has a modern architectural touch that I just seem to fancy.


    I take a look around to find that the house is surrounded by trees. A pathway leads down to a rather tall ck-and-gold gate. A fitting residence for a king, if I must say.


    Two men in uniform emerge from the house and bow at Alexander before taking our bags into the mansion.


    ¡°Let me show you to your room to freshen up,¡± Alexander says briskly before marching up the front porch. I follow him closely, getting an eyeful of his mansion as we step inside. This ce screamed nothing but luxury.


    From the crystal white couches to the tinum t-screen TV to the ck binds, air conditioner, chandelier, and even the damn kitchte. Everything was just up to par.


    He ascends the stairs, and I follow right after him. I notice that the entire building is in. No paintings, no family photographs. There isn¡¯t even a damn flowerpot in here.


    He stops before a door and gestures for me to open it. and I do.


    My eyes widen by a fraction once I step inside. There is a queen-sized bed situated in the middle of the room. a walk-in closet, a golden dresser, a mini couch, and a t-screen TV. There is even a mini fridge as well.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Alexander asks, and I spin around to meet his eyes, which have already been watching me. He couldn¡¯t possibly be nervous now, could he?


    A small smile stretches my lips when I say, ¡°I love it.¡±


    He nods a bit and purses his lips. ¡°Good,¡± he says, then turns his back and leaves. The guards have already brought in my bags, so I use the time to put some of my things in my closet.


    Once I am done, a knockes from the door. ¡°Come in,¡± I say, and one of the guards from earlier walks in.


    ¡°Good evening, ma¡¯am. The alpha has requested that you join him in the living room.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay, thank you,¡± I say, and he bows his head before leaving. I leave my room and head straight downstairs. Alexander is standing by the door with a coat as an addition to his earlier attire. ¡°You summoned me, my lord,¡± I say sarcastically, and I almost miss the second his lips twitch upwards.


    ¡°I am heading out to get dinner; you areing with me,¡± he says, simply opening the door before stepping out.


    ¡°Oh, how can I forget that I don¡¯t have a choice?¡± I mutter, even though I am certain he heard me. We get into the car and drive into town in silence.


    We stop at one of my favorite restaurants, poprly known as Lucho. They have the best Italian cuisine. As we step out of the car, I can¡¯t help but feel as though there are a thousand eyes on me.


    Alexander appears by my side, and my body grows stiff when he wraps his hand around my waist. He brings his lips closer to my ears and whispers, ¡°Keep your head down.¡±


    I do as he says without question, and I let him lead me into the restaurant. I am a bit startled when cameras start shing and the whispers of the people nearby fill my ears.


    ¡°It¡¯s Alpha Alexander.¡±


    ¡°What is he doing in town?¡±


    ¡°He probably came to attend the ball tomorrow night.¡±


    ¡°I heard he doesn¡¯t attend those kinds of things; I heard he is too proud.¡±


    ¡°Who is that woman beside him?¡±


    Everything they say only leaves me more and more in question. When we enter the restaurant, all the buzz settles down. ¡°You can lift your head now.¡± He says so, and I do. Lucho¡¯s is a lot more pleasant now than thest time I visited here.


    And yes, you guessed right, it was with Jace.


    My shoulders slouch a bit as I watch a waiter walk up to us. ¡°Your reservation is ready, Alpha Alexander.¡±


    Alexander¡¯s only response is a nod. We follow the waitress to our table before giving him our orders. He writes all of it down in his notebook before leaving.


    ¡°So, mind telling me what all that outside was about?¡± I ask Alexander, and he has the audacity to grin. It annoys me how handsome this man can look without even trying.


    ¡°I am a bit of a celebrity in this city, which is one of the reasons why I hateing here. I can¡¯t get anything done without people staring and watching my every move all the time,¡± he pauses, then digs into his pocket. ¡°You know thedies love me around here.¡±


    A snort leaves my lips, and I roll my eyes. ¡°Well, they are blind as hell.¡±


    His eyes narrowed at me, almost jokingly. So the infamous Alpha Alexander is familiar with humor. Who would have thought?


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you haven¡¯t fawned over my good looks before,¡± he says, and I will never admit to him that I do. Every day.


    ¡°You wish; you are just average to me,¡± I lie, and I know he can see right through it because he chuckles a bit.


    ¡°Would an average man give you this?¡± he asks before pulling out a box from his coat. He hands it over to me, and my eyes widen. I look back at him to find him watching me with amusement in his eyes.


    ¡°You got me an iPhone 15?¡± I ask, and he shrugs.


    ¡°Is that what it is? I just ordered that you get a good phone, so I suppose this was the best they could find,¡± he says casually, and my jaw is still pretty much on the floor.


    ¡°Oh my God, Alexander! I didn¡¯t know you were capable of getting gifts for others,¡± I tell him, and he clears his throat, his hard expression returning.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a gift. I am giving it to you because you are most likely to get lost or into some sort of trouble here. It¡¯s better you have a way I can easily reach me or I can track you,¡± he says. I knew that was a tant lie.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him softly, and as I watch his hard exterior soften, there is something that shes in his eyes-an emotion. But it disappears before I can identify it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he says, then tears his gaze away from me.


    The waiter returns with our dinner, and we eat in silence. I set up my phone while eating. There are times I would feel his eyes on me, but whenever I would lift my gaze, I would find him busy with his phone. Maybe it is all in my head.


    We leave the restaurant shortly after, and I keep my head down until I am in the car. Throughout the ride, my eyes remained glued to my phone. I finish logging back into all my social media ounts, and my cheeks hurt from smiling too much.


    ¡°I am starting to regret getting you this,¡± Alexander mutters, and I chuckle.


    We return to his mansion and step in together. Before going into my room, I stop and say, ¡°Alexander?¡±


    He turns around and lifts a brow. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Without thinking, I close the distance between us and engulf him in a tight hug. His body grows rigid beneath my touch. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I step away to find a surprised look on his face. He blinks it away and regains hisposure in no time. ¡°Uh, yeah, you are wee.¡± He says that, then clears his throat. I watch him return to his room, not being able to help the smile on my face.


    Maybe Alexander really is changing for the better.


    That night I spent most of it scrolling through Instagram, and what I found was that the headlight made all the blood in my veins freeze.


    On the headline of every news story is one picture and one caption.


    ALPHA ALEXANDER RETURNS, BUT WITH A MYSTERY WOMAN, WHO IS SHE?


    The picture is of Alexander and I entering and leaving the restaurant earlier today. My face is notpletely visible, but anyone who knows me will clearly know that it is me.


    Anyone like Jace or Ana?

 Chapter 25: Meeting Again

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The sun rises in the morning, giving the earth a peaceful glow.


    But there was nothing peaceful about this morning for me.


    I could not even get an ounce of sleepst night. I kept going through the pictures of Alexander and me all over the news.


    Ana is always online, so surely she would have definitely seen it by now.


    I hear some shuffling outside my room and hop off my bed. Throwing the door to my room open, I practically sprint downstairs. My eyes fall on Alexander fixing a bowl of cereal for himself in the kitchen.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I ask, showing him one of the pictures of us on Instagram.


    ¡°Good morning to you too, Aira,¡± he says, still not looking at the photo I am showing him.


    I roll my eyes as he shoves a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. I am going to be honest; if someone had told me that I would be walking into a kitchen with Alexander in it and not feel an ounce of fear in my bones, then I probably would have thought they were insane.


    We have grown some sort ofradeship without even knowing it.


    I guess all those nights we spent up on the balcony and in the garden did prove to be useful.


    ¡°Look at this; there are pictures of us everywhere,¡± I say, and he casually takes my phone from my hands and inspects the photo.


    He shakes his head before handing the phone back to me. ¡°They couldn¡¯t even get my angles right.¡±


    My jaw dropped.


    ¡°That is not the issue at hand here!¡± I scream, and he raises a brow slowly.


    ¡°Then please tell me what the issue is so we can get it fixed as soon as possible. I do not really entertain screaming women first thing in the morning,¡± he says before taking another spoon full of his cereal.


    ¡°Why are we everywhere?¡± I demand, and he looks at me with disbelief and a mix of annoyance.


    ¡°I remember vividly that I told you I was a big shot in this city. I have people watching my every move, so of course once I step foot outside, there will be people taking pictures,¡± he exins, and my shoulders slump.


    I admit he did say that, but I did not think it would be this serious. I mean, we are on every local news channel there is.


    His eyes drill holes into my skull as he stares at me while lost in thought. And then he says, ¡°Most women would be excited to find themselves on the news. Why are things always different with you?¡±


    Sliding my tongue over my bottom lip, I shrug. ¡°I just don¡¯t like being seen on social media.¡±


    Alexander pushes himself off his seat andes to stand right in front of me. His eyes are so menacing; they appear to be looking right into my soul.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not believe you. There is a reason you are freaking out about this. Are you scared of someone being aware of your presence here?¡±


    Ah, how could I forget who I was talking to?


    Alexander is one of the smartest people I have ever met. If I ever slipped up even a little bit, he would figure out everything. I can¡¯t let him do that. Not now.


    ¡°What? No. I just got freaked out because, well, it¡¯s not every day you wake up and find your face everywhere,¡± I lie, and his eyelids narrow. For a second, he doesn¡¯t say anything; he just stares at me.


    He knows I am lying, doesn¡¯t he?


    I have to keep myself from sighing with relief when he shrugs and returns to his seat and cereal. ¡°Well, then you better get used to it because I am taking you everywhere while we are in this town.¡±


    Great.


    I do not know what to say, so I just turn on my heel to go back to my room. I freeze mid-way when Alexander says something that makes my heart flutter and sends a wave of fear through me at the same time.


    ¡°And if you are lying to me and someone ising after you, I assure you they will be dead before they get even a foot close to you.¡±


    A shiver runs down my spine, but I manage to muster up a tight smile before offering him a tight smile over my shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t have to get blood on your hands because of me.¡±


    He meets my eyes, and there isn¡¯t an ounce of emotion within them when he says, ¡°I will.¡±


    He takes thest bit of his cereal and leaves the dish in the sink before leaving.


    Suddenly, I feel terrified of Jace and Ana finding me. not because of what they will do to me, but because of what Alexander would do to them.     Joan: Hey, can we meet up, please? We miss you so much.


    I stare at the message from the girl I once called my best friend with no expression on my face. I do not know how long I have been staring at it; perhaps I was having a hard time actually believing that it was real.


    It has barely been an hour since Alexander gave me more reason to fear him. Right now, Iy on my stomach in my bedroom, watching some Instagram reels, when Joan¡¯s text came in. and I have been dumbfounded ever since.


    My mind travels back to the day I needed her most. I needed her, Ray, and Sam that day. And what did they do? They threw me out in the street.


    Joan: I know you are upset with us, but we really do miss you.


    My eyelids narrow, and I stare at her second marriage. The girls and I have been friends for years, or so I thought. And one thing I know about them is that they do not miss the people they cut off. I always knew I was the weakest link among them. I should have known from the very beginning that they would cut me off.


    Ray: Hey, we heard you are back in town. Please let us see Michelo¡¯s ice cream parlor. You know, just like in old times.


    I should have known.


    I can¡¯t believe that I didn¡¯t realize this earlier. They must have seen the pictures of Alexander and me. Now they want me back because I was seen patrolling with a high-ranking alpha.


    It disgusts me to say this, but I always knew they were power- and attention-seeking women. They only got rid of me when they saw I would not be beneficial to them. Now they want me back.


    I will show them.


    I texted both of them back.


    Me: sure.


    I hop off my bed and pick one of the best outfits Ca helped me pack. It was a ck pair of jeans with a white chain design on them. I paired it with a white crop top and sneakers before tying my hair up in a bun.


    Stepping out of my room, I head down the stairs to find Alexander speaking to a few guards. He pauses once he sees me and takes in my outfit.


    ¡°I am going out,¡± I inform him, and I watch as his eyebrow slowly elevates.


    ¡°And who gave you permission to do that?¡±


    cing my hands on my hips, I tilt my chin at him and say, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the reason you gave me a phone? So you can always track me? Besides, where I am going isn¡¯t too far from here. I just want to go see some old friends.¡±


    ¡°You are not going anywhere,¡± he says with finality. I scowl at him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want your date to the ball tonight to show up in tears and cause a scene, now do you?¡± I shoot back at him, and he remains silent. He looks at me like I have gone mad before shaking his head in disbelief.


    ¡°You have grown quite stubborn,¡± he mutters beneath his breath. ¡°These two will go with you,¡± he says, referring to the two guards he is speaking to.


    I shrug. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    He turns to the guards, and even though his words were not exactly directed at me, they still sent a shiver down my spine.


    ¡°If you lose sight of her for even a second, I will have your eyeballs.¡±


    The two men gulped.


    With their escort, we drive down to the ice cream parlor, and I make sure to do what is needed on my phone before going in. and then I see them.


    The three girls I once would have done anything for, the three girls I once thought were my friends.


    Joan is rocking a tight, fitted thigh-high dress. On her dress is a sleek leather jacket, and on her feet are ankle-high boots. The dark outfitsplement her dark hair and demeanor.


    Samantha, on the other hand, is wearing a yellow sundress and white sandals that also just so happen to match her blonde hair and brilliant blue eyes.


    Then there is Ray, the redhead of the group. She is chewing loudly on a piece of gum that never seems to leave her mouth. She is wearing a two-piece gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, along with a pair of slides.


    Funny how they all looked differently on the outside but were disgustingly the same on the inside. I almost wanted to cry at the sight of them. Almost.


    Their eyes fall on me, and the smiles on their faces are fake.


    ¡°Oh my God, Aira!¡±


    ¡°Hey girl!¡±


    ¡°You look so beautiful!¡±


    They all hug me, and I only manage to hum. I free myself from their grip and take a step back. I cannot even stand to have them touch me right now.


    ¡°Come on, sit; we have a lot to talk about,¡± Joan says, taking my hands and pulling me down to their booth.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± Ray asks, leaning over the table with that fake happiness she always seemed to muster on her face.


    ¡°I have been pretty good for someone who got kicked out by her friends,¡± I spit out, and the smiles on their faces slowly fades.


    ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t tell me you are still upset about that,¡± Samantha says with a wave of her hand.


    ¡°We were only doing what was best for our image; I mean, if people saw us with you after what happened between you and Jace that day, it would have been so embarrassing,¡± Joan says casually, and a dryugh leaves my lips.


    ¡°Trust me, I know the feeling.¡± Joan and Samanatha look at me in confusion. A grin lifts my lips when I watch all the color drain from Ray¡¯s face.


    ¡°You guys¡­¡± she says slowly before turning her phone for Joan and Sam to see. I am barely able to hold back myughter as I watch the both of them drop their jaws as they watch the video on Ray¡¯s phone.


    It was an old video of us from earlyst year at one of the clubs we used to hang out at. This video was taken on the night Joan was invited to the owner¡¯s office, and she refused to go in without taking the rest of us.


    The video shows Joan and Ray being half naked and on top of the owner of the club, Mr. Channon. He is a popr figure in this city, known to be happily married with his wife and kids. The two girls are clearly doing everything to please him, while Sam is seen dancing on the pole with nothing but her pants on.


    My drunkenughter can be heard in the background. I was still a bit too shy to join them and knew I would feel guilty considering I was still with Jace at the time.


    My intention was to get a video of myself, but I mistakenly took a video of them instead.


    cing a hand over my chest, I push myself off the table for a more dramatic effect.


    ¡°Oh my God, this is so embarrassing. I can¡¯t be seen with you guys; you guys are only going to bring me shame.¡± I repeat Sam¡¯s exact words from that day, and a realization dawns in their eyes.


    ¡°It was you,¡± Ray seethes. ¡°You are the one that leaked that video!¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°Maybe it was. But surely you guys understand that I cannot have you around; you will tarnish my image in the eyes of the public,¡± I say mockingly.


    Joan¡¯s eyes turned a bright shade of amber, and I just knew she was pissed. She hops off the table and closes the distance between us with blood lust written all over her eyes.


    ¡°I am going to-¡±


    ¡°You are going to what?¡±


    I watch all the color drain from their eyes as they stare at something behind me.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    Or someone.


    Joan takes a step back. And I instantly knew who was standing behind me.


    Alexander.

 Chapter 26: Just like him

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Joan¡¯s eyes are as wide as saucers. She takes a step back; her mouth opens and closes continuously, like a fish out of water. A nervous smile lists her lips as she says, ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just going to give her a high five.¡±


    Her eyes meet mine, and I can¡¯t help the snort that leaves my lips.


    I feel her eyes on me for some time before she says to her friends, ¡°Come on guys, we better leave. There is nothing left for us to do here.¡±


    Joan and Sam make their way out of the ice cream parlor, but Ray stays behind. Her eyes jump between Alexander and me, and a bitter smile lifts her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know which one of you is more ruthless. You two really do deserve each other.¡±


    And with that said, she leaves.


    I let her words settle on me. I don¡¯t know whether to feel proud or disappointed by her words. But there is one thing I cannot deny, and that is that she is right.


    I turn to Alexander, who looks at me with his eyebrow raised. ¡°Why is it that every time I leave you alone, someone attempts to kill you?¡±


    His words make meugh. I throw my head back, and I know I should not beughing about this, but it is just so funny. When I calm down, I find him watching me without a hint of emotion on his face.


    Clearing my throat, I say jokingly, ¡°Well, you better get used to it. because every time you turn your back, some mad woman will try to kill me.¡±


    The corners of his lips twitch, but I should have known he would not dare smile out here. ¡°And I would be right there to snap their necks before they do.¡±


    His words make my heart flutter, and I look away from him.


    ¡°I doubt you guys actually had any ice cream though,¡± he says, and I purse my lips.


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t¡­ and this was my favorite ice cream parlor.¡± I tell him, and he looks around unimpressed.


    Nevertheless, he says, ¡°Then I suppose we should get some,¡± and I am unable to help the smile that stretches my lips.


    Like a child, I take him to the counter, and we order our ice cream. He pays for it, and we take our seats in the booth. Those snakes and I once sat.


    I start taking my ice cream happily while he stares at his cup, unamused. ¡°You don¡¯t like ice cream?¡± I ask, and he shrugs.


    ¡°I have never really been a fan,¡± he admits, and I pout.


    ¡°How can you not like ice cream? Everyone loves ice cream!¡± I announce, and he looks at me in a way that says I should know by now that he is far from everyone else. ¡°Just try it,¡± I encourage, and he takes a spoon full into his mouth.


    Nothing.


    Damn, he is a hard nut to crack.


    ¡°Can I have some of yours then?¡± I ask, and he slides his cup over to me. My eyes light up as I pour his ice cream into my cup and devour it all in seconds. He does nothing but watch me, and I know I am probably embarrassing him with my eating habits, but goddamn it, I can¡¯t help it.


    When I am done, a belch erupts from my lips, and my cheeks heat up.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I say, and when he doesn¡¯t say anything, I look up at him.


    He is smiling at me.


    He reaches out, and my heart pounds wildly against my chest as he swipes some ice cream from the corner of my lips. He puts his finger into his mouth, still holding eye contact with me as he did.


    He hums, ¡°Maybe ice cream isn¡¯t as bad as I thought after all.¡±


    This man is going to be the death of me, isn¡¯t he?


    He leans back in his chair and asks, ¡°So why exactly did the girls you called your old friends try to beat you up?¡± He asks, and I dly tell him what I did.


    When I am done, he has a sly smirk on his lips. ¡°Why the hell would you do that to girls you once called your friends?¡± he asks me, and my fists ball.


    ¡°Because they betrayed me when I needed them the most. Now, when pictures of you and me suddenly surface, do they want to make amends? Bullshit. They were never really my friends; they were just looking for a means to use me. just like they always did,¡± I say, feeling my anger worsen. ¡°I just showed them that I am not the same girl they can easily manipte. Not anymore.¡±


    His eyes have widened by a fraction, and I see a glimpse of an unfamiliar emotion in his eyes. But then he says something that I never thought I would hear from him.


    ¡°I am proud of you.¡±


    Silence.


    My lips are suddenly unable to move, and I look at him with shock. I blink up at him with surprise, having a hard time believing if I actually heard him properly. ¡°You are?¡± I ask, and he nods.


    ¡°You stood up for yourself, and that is something I expect from you.¡± He says, and I do not know why his words actually make me feel so good. Maybe because it has been so long since I heard someone say something like that to me.


    He gets to his feet and offers me his hand. ¡°Come on, it is gettingte, and we have a ball to prepare for,¡± he says, and I smile up at him before taking his hand.


    An electrifying sensation goes up my arm once our hands make contact. Alexander leads me out of the parlor, and I cannot help but begin to wonder how things would have been if I actually met him like this.


    Maybe my child would have still been alive.     Night falls, and I wish I could say the same about my blood pressure. It only keeps rising more and more with every second that passes. Because I know that every second that passes means I am a second closer to meeting the people I have tried so hard to avoid.


    Alexander had hired a makeup artist and hairstylist for me, and I cannot even begin to exin how grateful I am for what he did. Because heaven knows that I would not have been able to prepare myself with all these thoughts swirling through my mind.


    When they finish, I inspect myself in the mirror.


    The woman standing in the mirror is tall and proud. Her dark hair flows gracefully down her shoulders. Her ck dress hugs her curves nicely, starting off her shoulders and flowing all the way down to her feet. Beautiful diamond stones are encrusted around the neck and thigh-high slits on my legs. And on her feet are two-inch Louboutin heels.


    A diamond-encrusted ne dangles around her neck, with two diamond studs on her ears. Her makeup had been done to perfection. Her smokey eyes and blood-red lips could leave any man weak.


    It¡¯s almost as though I am staring at another person.


    There is a knock on the door, and I say, ¡°Come in,¡± before the door opens.


    My eyes meet Alexander¡¯s through the mirror. I watch him freeze through the mirror as his eyes take in my appearance.


    A bashful smile lifts my lips as I keep my gaze on my feet. I do not know why it is so hard to look into his eyes; they are so intense.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± I ask him. His footsteps draw closer, and he lifts my chin with his fingers.


    His face is barely an inch away from mine, and the intensity in his eyes makes my knees grow weak.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he whispers, and a shiver goes down my spine. He takes a step back and offers me his hand. ¡°Shall we?¡±


    I ept his hand, and that sensation I felt earlier goes up my arm. ¡°Yes, we shall.¡±


    He leads me out of his mansion and towards the waiting car outside. Alexander opens the door for me, and he helps me in. He gets in beside me, and the driver starts up the engine and makes his way down to the auditorium.


    The closer and closer we got, the more uneasy I became.


    My heart practically flies out of my chest when I feel something on my hand. My head snaps to find Alexander staring at me.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asks, and I swear it feels like his eyes are boring right into my soul.


    ¡°Yes, I am fine,¡± I lie, but he doesn¡¯t appear even a bit convinced. I look away and focus my attention on the world outside the window. A part of me wants to tell him what is really going on, but I can¡¯t.


    We arrive at the auditorium, and I prepare myself for the chaos that is about toe. Alexander steps out of the car and offers his hand once again. I ept it, and he helps me out of the car.


    We make our way up the grand steps, and the guards standing before the great golden doors open them for us. As soon as we step in, the music stops, and all eyes are on us. Whispers erupt across the sea of people, and I cannot help but keep my gaze down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± I hear Alexander mutter. ¡°Don¡¯t be intimidated; trust me, they are less than you. Always keep your head up high and know that you are far greater than these fuckers.¡±


    His words fill me with an emotion I cannot quite describe. But it boosts my confidence a hell lot. I keep my head high as we mix into the sea of great alphas and lunas.


    Their whispers fill my ears, and I cannot help the smirk that lifts my lips; their words only fill me with pride.


    ¡°It¡¯s Alpha Alexander¡­ But who is that woman with him?¡±


    ¡°She is so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I heard that is his mate.¡±


    ¡°I hear she is just as ruthless as he is. Did you hear what she did to her old friends? I never would have expected it from her.¡±


    Alexander squeezes my hand lightly, and that simple action fills me with so muchfort that I can¡¯t even begin to exin it. A man who appears to be around the same age as Alexander walks up to us. He is wearing a dashing red suit and shoots us both a smile when he reaches us.


    The woman by his side appears to be the same age as us as well. She is wearing the same shade of red as the man by her side.


    ¡°Alexander! It has been quite long. How have you been? How is your father fairing?¡± He asks, and Alexander¡¯s face remains void of emotion. His thumb draws small circles on the back of my palm, and I do not know if he was doing that to calm me down or distract himself.


    ¡°Good,¡± Alexander responds monotonously.


    The man¡¯s eyes shift to me, and he grins at me in a way that makes my skin crawl. ¡°And who is this beauty by your side?¡± he asks, taking a step closer to me. ¡°I am Marcus, and you are?¡±


    Before I am given the chance to respond, Alexander stands between Marcus and me.


    ¡°Leave.¡±


    Judging by the way the color drains from Marcus¡¯s face, I can tell the look Alexander is giving him isn¡¯t quite pleasant. Marcus takes his date and leaves without saying another word.


    Unable to help myself, I burst outughing. ¡°Do you always have to act so scary all the time?¡± I ask him, and there is a ghost of a smile on his lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an act,¡± he replies, and I roll my eyes.


    Music starts ying, and I notice Alexander grow a bit tense. We watch everyone in the room start to pair up and dance with their partner. Alexander mutters something beneath his breath, but I do not catch it.


    He meets my eyes, and if I did not know any better, I would almost think that he is shy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t normally say this, but¡­¡± he pauses, and my heart nearly explodes with suspense. but what? What does he want to say?


    ¡°May I have this dance?¡±

 Chapter 27: This Dance

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    Get it together, damn it.


    Why the hell am I acting like this? What is it about this woman that always renders me incapable of speaking or thinking properly?


    I mean, what is so special about her anyway? I have met so many beautiful women in my life, but hers is different.


    It seems the more time I spend with her, the weaker I be. I can¡¯t have that. I can¡¯t afford to be weak because of some woman, most especially a wolf, for that matter. I have to be strong, not just for my image but for my kingdom.


    But ever since she walked into my throne room with Arnold that day, she has made me feel more emotion in a week than I have in my entire life. She has made me feel anger, confusion, and sadness, but scariest of all, she has made me happy.


    And now I am nervous.


    It¡¯s like I am trapped in the body of another. Since when did my fingers tap nervously on my thigh or sweat trickle down my face in anticipation? Everything about this woman makes me feel like someone else.


    She hasn¡¯t responded to my request yet. She has just been staring at me for a very long time, might I add? Is she surprised that I asked her to dance? Or does she see me as a fool for asking when I should have just demanded?


    That is what I always do-I never ask, I alwaysmand.


    But like I said, it is always different with her. and I do not know why.


    Slowly, the corner of those luscious lips of hers lifted into a smile.


    Ah, that smile. It hurts my very soul to admit it, but that smile is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. It made her resemble an angel. Her eyes would light up, and there would be this soft, innocent glow on her face that made her look so heavenly.


    ¡°It would be my pleasure,¡± she responds, and I have to summon every ounce of strength to stop myself from showing too much excitement. For God¡¯s sake, we are in a room filled with my associates and foes. I cannot be seen letting my guard around her. right?


    Taking her hand, that unfamiliar yet soothing sensation goes up my arm and courses through my whole body. What was that feeling? I have never felt it before; it¡¯s not normal, but I like it.


    It only happens whenever my skin touches. At times I would have this urge to feel more of her-that feeling I got just by holding her hand-and I wanted more of it. But I need to have better control, don¡¯t I?


    I keep telling myself that she is a wolf. And having a wolf as a mate when I am the king of Lycans has to be the most embarrassing thing to happen to someone like me. I am one of the strongest beings on this earth; having a mate as weak as her should be a disgrace.


    But why don¡¯t I feel any of that now as I lead her to dance on the floor?


    Why don¡¯t I feel that shame and regret as we press our bodies together and move to the beat of the music? Why do I feel almost happy being with her?


    This isn¡¯t right.


    It isn¡¯t right at all.


    But I can¡¯t help it.


    The beat drops, and she tears away from me. Our hands are still connected as I twirl her. Her beautiful dark hair whorls across the air, along with her subtleughter. Our bodiese together again, and she holds me captive with those enchanting eyes of hers.


    I am starting to think that I may be bewitched.


    My gaze travels down to her lips. I can¡¯t even begin to count the number of times I have wanted to taste them. Most of the time, when I see her, I just want to pin her against the wall and slide my tongue into her mouth. I just want to know what they taste like, just once.


    Calm yourself, Alex. You are getting too excited down there.


    Deciding to avert my gaze, I take it down to her exposed cleavage. Good God, this is even worse. Her breasts are so smooth and full, I can only imagine how soft they will feel.


    Aira tilts her head to capture my eyes, and I am instantly filled with embarrassment. Did she catch me staring at her boobs?


    Way to lose control, Alexander.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asks and I do not know why I am relieved when I find nothing but worry in her eyes. There is no difort or anything screaming. Oh, I am dancing with a pedophile.


    Clearing my throat, I say, ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    She does not look even a tiny bit convinced. Thankfully, the musices to an end and the dance is over. What am I thinking? I am not thankful for that at all. I still wanted to dance with her.


    I have never been a fan of dancing, but as always, it is just different with her. the way our bodies moved together in sync with the music, the chemistry that flowed from my body to hers and hers back to mine. the feeling¡­


    God, I really am going crazy.


    ¡°Wonderful dance, Alexander,¡± says another familiar voice from behind me. I sigh in annoyance when I turn around to find Amarie standing behind me.


    Amarie has to be one of the most beautiful women on this. She always found a way to stand out among the crowd without even trying. Her skin is glowing porcin. Her eyes are foxy and dark, while her lips are full and red.


    And I mean naturally red.


    Her eyes are an intimidating shade of silver; it is said that one re from her and any ve would go down on their knees. Only kings such as me could withstand the intensity of her re.


    She is wearing a sparkly silver dress with a thigh-high slit. Her hair, which is darker than midnight, flows down her shoulders like a pin. Everything about her has always been so defined, if not perfect.


    To everyone else, but never to me.


    Amarie is a luna without an alpha. Some would refer to her as the female alpha.


    While I was searching for Aira, it had been agreed among our two kingdoms that if, in the course of the next five years, neither of us found our mate, we would get married.


    Her gaze shifts to Aira, standingpletely lost by my side.


    ¡°So this is the mate everyone has been talking about,¡± Amarie says, her eyes going up and down Aira¡¯s body bitterly.


    I feel Aira grow tense beside me, and I just know that this isn¡¯t going to go well.


    ¡°Um, Aira. It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Aira says, offering her hand out for Amarie to take.


    Amarie only gives her a tight smile. ¡°Of course it is.¡±


    Clearing my throat loudly, I turn to Aira. ¡°Aira, do wait for me by the table. I will be with you in a minute, and please do not talk to any more perverted men.¡±


    Her eyes go from Amarie to me, and I can see something simr to hurt within them. Silently, she nods before leaving. I watch her until she is at the table, helping herself to some chocte.


    Turning my attention to Amarie, who is smirking up at me, she says, ¡°How good of you to get rid of her so we can chat; you must be so embarrassed to end up with someone like her. I heard she is a wolf; you know you can reject her, right?¡±


    ¡°I am well aware of that,¡± I say coolly. She takes a step towards me, cing her hand on my chest and smiling up at me in a way I sincerely hope was not meant to be seductive.


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you yet? I understand if you feel bad for her, but she is the one standing between us.¡±


    The growl that vibrates off my chest shuts her up immediately. Her eyes widen as I take her hand off my chest.


    ¡°I sent Aira away because I do not want her to know about the agreement between you and me. It¡¯s never going to happen; I have found my mate, and I suggest you try harder at finding yours.¡±


    Sheughs a bit, but stops when she sees that I am serious. ¡°Really? But she is a wolf. She is weak and pathetic, and¡±


    ¡°And may this be thest time you speak about her in such a manner in my presence. If you do, I won¡¯t hesitate to snap your neck. The same effect goes when you disrespect her again. You will ord her with respect whenever you even hear her name, or I promise you the consequences will be dear. Do you understand me?¡±


    She looks into my eyes with horror but nods nevertheless.


    ¡°Have a good night, Amarie.¡± With that said, I turn my back on her and leave.


    I join Aira at the table, and the sight before me is not what I had expected. I thought I would find her creeped out as men surrounded her, but it was actually the other way around.


    The two men she held by the shoulders looked absolutely horrified. Judging by the way she spoke and the look in her eyes, I instantly knew she was on something. I inspect the choctes I found her taking earlier and curse.


    I should have known these were brownies.


    ¡°Next time, they would think twice before crossing me. Goddamn bitches,¡± is what I hear as I walk up to them.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough,¡± I say, taking Aira off the two men. They look at me appreciatively before scurrying away.


    ¡°Hey, that is not fair,¡± she slurs, trying to get away from me, but she only ends up stumbling.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go home,¡± I say, and she takes a step away from me, cing her hand on her hips suddenly.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go. You were busy talking to your new girlfriend. And I got two new boyfriends!¡± She defends, and my brow hikes slowly.


    ¡°I am very sure you don¡¯t even know their names,¡± I state, and she looks skyward like she was trying to figure out if that was true.


    ¡°I was going to ask them. The bottom line is I want to stay.¡± She says, using the table to hold herself up, but I knew it would only be a matter of time before her legs gave in.


    ¡°Unfortunately, that is not up for debate.¡±


    Before she can argue with me further, I scoop her into my arms and make my way out of the auditorium. I feel everyone¡¯s eyes on us as we leave, but I do not care.


    Surprisingly, she doesn¡¯t struggle against me; rather, she sinks into my chest and hums infort.


    ¡°You would make a good pillow,¡± she says as her eyelids start to flutter shut. We make it out of the room, and as I descend the grand stairs, she says something that I doubt will leave my mind for the next few years toe.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are as bad as everyone thinks you are. I am happy to have a mate like you. I am happy I got another chance.¡± Her soft snores follow right after.


    What does she mean by another chance?


    My chauffeur opens the door to the back seat, and I ce her inside carefully. That is when I noticed that she wasn¡¯t even wearing any shoes. What the hell?


    She must have left it on the table.


    A sigh of disbelief leaves my lips as I head back into the auditorium. As I make my way towards the table, someone bumps into me. It is a woman.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention to where I was going,¡± she says before facing me.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    What the fuck?


    If I didn¡¯t know better, I would have thought the woman standing before me was Aira.


    But I know she isn¡¯t.


    This woman¡­ her eyes are darker, and there is something diforting about her aura.


    ¡°Come on, Ana, we have got to go,¡± a guy standing a few feet away from us says.


    ¡°Coming, Jace,¡± she says to him before turning her attention to me. ¡°See youter, stranger.¡±


    I watch her walk away with the man, and only one question remains in my mind.


    How the hell can two people have the same face?

 Chapter 28; Pain

    Aira¡¯s POV


    A groan leaves my lips as I slowly slip back into consciousness. My eyelids flutter softly.


    and I regret parting with them because the moment I did, a sharp pain shot through my skull.


    Another groan leaves my lips as my handse up to massage my temples softly. Why the hell does my head hurt so much? Did I hit it or something?


    Carefully, I sit up and find myself in an unfamiliar room. Where am I? What happenedst night?


    The memories of what urredst nighte flooding in, and I sigh with disbelief. How na? ve I was to take that chocte; I should have known that there would be something in it. They were just so delicious; I just couldn¡¯t help myself!


    Looking around the room, I wonder how I ended up here. Every inch of the room is filled with Alexander¡¯s scent. The room just gives off his aura. The walls are the only crystal-white, or, should I say, light-colored, thing in the room.


    Every other thing was ck.


    Ranging from the curtains to the bed sheets to the drawers, doors, t-screen TV, and couch, Everything was just ck. Just like his soul.


    But afterst night, I do not think his soul is as dark as I thought it was.


    My eyes travel down to my body, and I throw the nket that covers it. I am in a pair of ck shorts and a grey t-shirt. My cheeks re up.


    He changed mest night. That means he saw me naked.


    I p my hand over my eyes, trying to control the amount of embarrassment I feel. I must have been really out of it for me not to notice.


    Did I sleep in his bedst night? Did he sleep beside me? If he did, I highly doubt he touched me. There isn¡¯t any sign that anything sexual or intimate went downst night.


    Speaking aboutst night¡­


    Thest thing I remember was that beautiful yet scary womaning up to Alexander and me, then Alexander telling me to leave them alone. I do not know why, but I felt hurt when he did that.


    Why would he push me away because of another woman? What was so important and secretive that he couldn¡¯t talk about it in my presence? I recognized the emotion I was feeling as jealousy, and it was quite a lot.


    I suppose that is why I kept stuffing my face with chocte while watching them interact. I could tell their conversation wasn¡¯t going well, judging by the horrified look on the woman¡¯s face.


    ssic Alexander.


    When they dispersed, I grabbed the closest men to me without thinking and started babbling some random shit just to make him jealous.


    I am not sure he worked, though.


    Then I remember him carrying me out of the ballroom before it all went dark. I can¡¯t believe that night is finally over. This may sound crazy, but I actually had fun.


    I mean, I danced for the first time in a very long time. I wore a fancy dress and looked beautiful. I got high and got swept off my feet by my own mate. That was by far the best night I have actually had in a while. I can¡¯t believe I spent the entire time thinking I would bump into Ana or Jace; I didn¡¯t even get a whiff of their scent.


    I was just being paranoid over nothing.


    I can literally hear Ca¡¯s voice at the back of my head telling me she told me so.


    My thoughts are cut short as the door to the roomes flying open. My jaw drops when Alexander casually walks in with nothing but a pair of dark sweat pants dangling loosely around his waist.


    His upper body ispletely bare, and I get my eye full of him.


    He is sculpted to perfection.


    His shoulders and abs are so defined, it takes every ounce of self-control in my body not to spring up from this bed and run my hands through them. There are a few scars on his chest that leave me wondering how he got them.


    ¡°Are you done eye-raping me?¡± he asks, sitting down on the chair facing the bed.


    My cheeks re up, and I cast my gaze downward.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± I say sheepishly, and there is a brief silence. I can feel his eyes on me, taking in every inch of my body.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asks, and his question takes me off guard. He has never asked me that before.


    ¡°To be honest, I am having a bit of a hangover,¡± I admit with a groan. When I lift my gaze, I find him grinning. I don¡¯t think he will ever know how handsome he looks when he does that. ¡°d, my pain is amusing you.¡±


    ¡°Maybe next time you will think twice about stuffing your face with choctes filled with brownies in a room full of people you don¡¯t even know,¡± he says, and I bow my head in shame. He has a fair point.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    I hear him hop off the chair and take something out of his drawer. He walks up to me and points at the bottle on his nightstand. ¡°Take this; you will feel better.¡± He says he is handing me some pills, which I dly ept.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him before popping the pills into my mouth and taking them down with some water.


    ¡°You need to eat; I made breakfast,¡± he says, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of my head.


    ¡°You can cook?¡± I ask, and he grins a bit.


    ¡°There are many things you don¡¯t know about me, Aira,¡± he says, and the way he says my name sends a chill down my spine. Before I can ask him what he means by that, he scoops me off the bed and into his arms.


    A surprised gasp leaves my lips. I steady myself against his chest. I shoot him a re and ask, ¡°You know I can walk, right?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± is his simple answer as he heads down the stairs. We walk into the kitchen, and the sweet scent of pancakes and scrambled eggs fills my nostrils. My stomach grumbles at the scent, and I hear a light chuckle leave his lips.


    ¡°Not funny,¡± I mutter, and he doesn¡¯t say anything as he ces me on the stool beside the center counter. I watch him dish out a te of pancakes and scrambled eggs for me before pouring me a cup of tea.


    He shifts the tray to me, but I don¡¯t touch my food.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that?¡± He asks, and I shrug, picking up my fork and ying with the eggs.


    ¡°I just never thought that you could be this nice,¡± I say, and his eyelids narrowed into slits.


    ¡°Then why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have a maid here, and clearly you are in no condition to do anything useful, that¡¯s just it.¡±


    Oh.


    I cast my gaze downward, feeling ashamed that I even thought for a second that he could actually start caring about me all of a sudden.


    ¡°And maybe I just wanted to,¡± I hear him mutter, and the corners of my lips lift a bit.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him, and he doesn¡¯t say anything as he shoves a fork full of pancakes into his mouth. I shove some into my mouth as well. A moan of delight leaves my lips as the sweetnessces all over my tongue.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± Alexander snaps, taking me off guard. I stare at him wide-eyed, and he sighs. ¡°Don¡¯t make that sound,¡± he mutters, and my cheeks heat up for what feels like the millionth time this morning.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I say with my mouth full of pancakes. I swallow the pieces in my mouth before saying, ¡°You are just such a good cook.¡±


    ¡°Learn from my mom,¡± he reveals before shoving another fork full of pancakes into my mouth. I did not know how to respond to that, so he shoots me with a question thatpletely takes me off guard. ¡°Where did you say your sister was again?¡±


    My hand freezes, and I look up at him. Why is he suddenly asking me that?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Her whereabouts became unknown to me after our parents¡¯ deaths.¡± I lie, avoiding eye contact with him.


    I can feel his eyes boring holes into my skull. ¡°And you don¡¯t care to know where she is?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I wish to never see her again.¡± Now that was the truth.


    I see him parting his lips to possibly ask me more questions, but I wasn¡¯t having any of that. Pushing myself off the stool, I say, ¡°Breakfast was delicious. The maids in the pce could learn a thing or two from you.¡±


    His eyelids narrow to slits, and he points a fork at me. ¡°Not a word of this to anyone.¡±


    I throw my head back andugh. When my eyes meet his, I find something within them; I almost mistake them for admiration.


    ¡°Anyways, we have another event to attend tonight,¡± he announces, and I look at him with disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s the birthday party of an old friend of mine. I just got an invitation this morning, and since it is in town, I thought I might as well attend. And you areing with me.¡±


    ¡°Like I ever had a choice,¡± I sigh.


    Another party? And in this city?


    I am not going to let my paranoia get the better of me again. But why do I still have this feeling that things are about to go terribly wrong?

 Chapter 29: My love

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I stare at my reflection in the mirror with uncertainty. Unlikest night, Alexander did not hire a makeup artist or hairstylist for me. He said that this wasn¡¯t a big event, and I could just go as myself. But there was no way I could actually do that.


    I had to look my best.


    I have to look worthy of being by his side at all times.


    My reflection in the mirror is what some might call beautiful, but I am not sure it is enough. Is my makeup perfect? Did I style my hair properly? And this dress-is it fitting for the asion?


    The dress is ck and short. It hugs my curve and stops just a little bit above my mid-thigh. It has just one long sleeve, leaving my other hand bare. On my feet are a pair of wraps around heels that increase my heart by about two inches. My jewelry is all silver, but I am having thoughts about switching it to gold.


    Do you think I look good enough?


    A knockes from the door, and my heart skips a beat. That must be Alexander.


    Taking onest nce at my reflection, I take a deep breath and say, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opens, and Alexander¡¯s dark eyes meet mine through the mirror. He freezes in the doorway, his eyes going up and down my body, taking in my appearance carefully. When his eyes meet mine, there is something different in them.


    They are darker and more lustful.


    I take in his attire as well. He is wearing a dashing ck suit. His hairline has been perfectly sculpted, and his hair is jutting back. His intoxicating scent fills my nostrils, stirring something within me. It¡¯s a fact that this man does not even try to be this handsome.


    Spinning around, I offer him a small smile. ¡°Well, how do I look?¡± I ask him, and his eyelids narrow.


    ¡°You are not going out in that,¡± he says, and my smile drops.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too short. All the men there will be looking at you,¡± he says through clenched teeth, and I grin when I detect jealousy in his tone.


    ¡°Then that means my dress is just perfect,¡± I say, taking another nce at my reflection before taking my purse and leaving. My wrist is grabbed halfway down the stairs, and I am met with Alexander¡¯s fiery gaze.


    ¡°You dare defy me?¡± he asks slowly, and I close the distance between us. Our noses are almost touching, and my heart is pounding wildly against my chest. His eyes fall on my lips, but for only a second, I almost miss it.


    ¡°Yes, I dare,¡± I say, not once taking my eyes off him. I try to take a step back, but he holds me in ce.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare leave my side at this party, do you understand?¡± He asks, and something about the way he speaks has me feeling all tingly inside, almost excited.


    ¡°I understand,¡± I reply, and he grunts. He holds me by the waist, and goosebumps shoot across my skin. He leads me out of the mansion and towards one of his cars.


    He steps away from me to open the door for me, and I smile teasingly at him. ¡°Ah, such a gentleman.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it,¡± he says, making meugh. I hop into the car, and he shuts the door for me. He gets into the driver¡¯s side, starts the engine, and soon we are off. The first few minutes of the car ride are spent in silence.


    Then I decide to break it by asking, ¡°So you said this birthday party is for an old friend of yours?¡±


    ¡°An acquaintance, rather. I do not have friends,¡± he says coldly, and I nod once. ¡°He is the alpha of a pack down the western isle. His territory borders mine, so we often do business together,¡± he exins further.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I say with a small voice.


    I felt his eyes on me for some time before he asked. ¡°Are you feeling nervous?¡± he asks, and I shake my head no.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to meet any more bitchy queens separating us,¡± I tell him, and the corners of his lips twitch.


    ¡°Amarie is noting for this party; even if she were, she wouldn¡¯t daree ten feet away from you. I made sure of it,¡± he says, and I catch his hand tightening around the steering wheel.


    No wonder she ran away in fear. This man is horrifying.


    In the next few minutes, we arrive at the mansion, and my mouth falls open. We drive into the estate, and there are people and cars everywhere. Alexander parks the car by the side of the pathway before hopping out of the car to open the door for me.


    He helps me out and leads me into the garden, where the guests are. Everyone is either holding a ss of champagne, conversing amongst a group, or both.


    ¡°Ah, Alexander. So d of you to make it. I didn¡¯t think you woulde to be honest.¡± A man in an all-white suit walks up to us. And my God, he is a sight for sore eyes.


    He has brilliant ocean blue eyes, and his hair is almost as crystal white as his suit. His smile is dashing; it pops out his dimples and leaves a sparkle in his eyes. He radiates a great aura, but not nearly as much as Alexander.


    Alexander shrugs then says, ¡°I was in town and thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt if I attended.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am d you did. It is not every day that the infamous Lycan King attends your birthday party. It is an honor to have you here,¡± he says before shifting his attention to me. ¡°And what a beauty it is you have brought with you.¡± My cheeks heat up when he picks up my hand and ces a kiss on the back of my palm. ¡°My name is Nius, and you are?¡±


    ¡°Aira,¡± I respond, and he smirks. His hand, which still holds mine, begins to stroke the back of my hand slowly, sending an ufortable chill up my arm.


    ¡°Aira,¡± he repeats. ¡°You are, as your name says, a breath of life.¡± He says it slickly, and my cheeks grow even hotter. The both of us jump with surprise when a growles from our side.


    Alexander has his canines sharpened and his eyes livid. They are focused on Nius¡¯s hand holding mine.


    Instantly, our hosts let go of me and took a step away from me.


    ¡°Forgive me; I didn¡¯t know you were off limits,¡± Nius says with a nervous chuckle. ¡°Alexander, you and I have a lot to discuss.¡± He pauses before offering me another swift nce. ¡°And I would appreciate it if we did that alone.¡±


    Alexander¡¯s grip on my hand tightens. ¡°No, she is not leaving my side.¡±


    Nius ces a hand over his heart. ¡°I never thought I would see the day where you would utter such words; you hardly let women into business, most especially ours¡­ but believe me when I say I can only discuss with you alone.¡±


    Alexander is about to say something more, but I cut in. ¡°It¡¯s fine; I will busy myself with something else. I need to get something to drink anyway.¡± Alexander looks at me warningly, and then I add. ¡°Water. I am just going to get water.¡±


    ¡°One of my waiters will attend to you,¡± Nius says, swooping Alexander away from me.


    He looks at me over his shoulder and says, ¡°I will be back shortly; stay put,¡± before disappearing into the crowd.


    Great. Now I am alone.


    Thank you so much for not leaving each other¡¯s side today.


    A waiter passes with some sses of champagne, and I dly take one for myself. As if I would ever attend a party and drink only water. Who the hell does that?


    As I take a sip of champagne, my ears pick up on the conversation going on in the group beside me.


    ¡°And they have made quite a beautiful couple as well.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he did that to his ex, though. I mean her own sister.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°I heard he would be here in attendance with her today. What was his name again?¡±


    ¡°I believe his name was Jace Swanville.¡±


    No.


    And just like that, the ss slips past my fingers and shatters into a million pieces on the floor. The guests beside me look at me like I have gone mad, but I do not pay them much attention.


    Jace and Ana areing here.


    I have to get out of here. I have to find Alexander.


    My eyes search through the crowd frantically, and my feet begin to move on their own ord. Where is he?


    I do not pay much attention to where I am going when my body bumps into someone.


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    No.


    It can¡¯t be.


    My blood runs cold, and time seems to have stopped as I stare at the woman I prayed to never see again. My own sister.


    Ana.


    We share the same shocked expression, and it is like I am staring at a mirror. She is wearing a dress simr to mine; her only way of telling us apart is the mere fact that her hair is down and mine is up.


    ¡°You¡­ you are alive,¡± she whispers.


    She takes in my appearance from head to toe. I watch her shock slowly morph into shock and hatred. Her eyelids narrow, and the grip on her drink tightens.


    ¡°You are alive,¡± she repeats, but this time with a lot more rage. ¡°Why the hell are you alive?! Jace!¡±


    No, please, no. not him.


    The hair on my skin stands as the boy my heart once beat for walks up to us. When his eyes fall on me, they are hard and filled with so much fury. Every fiber in my body is screaming at me to run and never look back, but I seem to be frozen in ce.


    ¡°Why is she alive? I thought you told me she was dead!¡± Ana seethes, and Jace grimaces; his eyes roll up and down my body with disgust. The way he looks at me only tears my heart to shreds even more.


    He once looked at me with so much love and admiration.


    I found myself asking the same question the day I watched him get married to my sister. What changed?


    ¡°The men I sent never got back to me. Their bodies were found in pieces in the forest up north. They said it was a wild animal attack, and pieces of a woman¡¯s clothing were found on the site, so I thought she had been killed as well,¡± he pauses and grimaces at me. ¡°It seems I was wrong.¡±


    A part of me wants to ask if he knew those men tried to rape me. But then again, this is the same man who sent them to me to kill me, right? How could he possibly care?


    Ana turns her enraged eyes at me and says, ¡°I do not know how you are still breathing or what you did to get yourself in a ce like this, but trust me when I say it won¡¯tst for long.¡± Her eyes scan my dress again, and she snorts. ¡°You look terrible.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, even with all that makeup, you still look hideous. You can¡¯t even fit into a ce like this even if you try,¡± Jace says, and he and Anaugh together.


    I take a step back as tears begin to blur my vision. I want to say something; I want to scream out my lungs, but nothinges out.


    God, why did Ie here? I just want to disappear. Please take me away. I don¡¯t want to be here.


    ¡°Ah, there you are, my love.¡±


    My heart freezes in my chest when Alexander¡¯s voice fills my ears.


    My love? Did he just say my love?


    Jace and Ana grow pale as he walks up to us and wraps his arms around my waist. It feels like my entire world hase to a stop when I find him smiling down at me. It¡¯s the most beautiful thing I¡¯ve ever seen.


    ¡°I have been looking for you everywhere,¡± he says, grabbing my chin softly and tilting my head up.


    And just like that, I got my wish.


    I was taken away from there; it felt like I was in a whole other universe at that moment.


    Because that was the moment Alexander and I¡¯s lips met.


    And it was electrifying.

 Chapter 30: The facade

    Aira¡¯s POV


    My entire body seems to have been frozen in ice.


    I have never felt anything like this before. His lips feel so good against mine. What is going on? Why is he kissing me in front of all these people? And why is it turning me on so badly?


    His hands around my waist pull me closer, and a gasp leaves my lips when he squeezes my ass softly. He slips his tongue into my mouth, and the moan that leaves my lips cannot be helped.


    My goodness, what is happening?


    Even though I do not have an answer to that, I kiss him back. Our lips move together in sync, and the kiss is by far the best one I have ever had. It sends waves of electricity through my veins, filling me with an emotion I cannot quite describe.


    It is funny how all I wanted to do earlier was bawl my eyes out in front of Jace and Ana, but now all I could think of was how to get Alexander and I¡¯s clothes off. Something stirs within me, something primal.


    It wanted more of him, and so did I.


    Sadly, our mini-make-out sessiones to an end. He tears his lips away from mine and ces a kiss on my forehead. The hair on my skin stands, and I can feel the eyes of everyone on us. Alexander kissed me in front of all these people.


    The very same Alexander has been ashamed to call me his mate ever since the day our paths crossed.


    I am sure that I am redder than a tomato at this point. I can¡¯t even imagine my facial expression when Alexander pinches my cheeks.


    What the hell is wrong with him? Did he hit his head or something?


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappear like that again, okay?¡± He says it softly, staring into my eyes with an intensity that makes my brain go numb.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± I stutter dumbly, and I want to p myself for being so foolish. He turns to Jace and Ana; the both of them have been staring at us with eyes wider than saucers and their mouths wide open. I am sure they didn¡¯t expect Alexander and I¡¯s public disy of affection.


    Neither did I, to be honest.


    Alexander offers them a smile. It isn¡¯t the same as the one he showed me; the one he offers them is tight. If not bitter,.


    ¡°And who are these wonderful friends of yours?¡± he asks, and I almost throw up when he refers to Ana and Jace as my friends.


    Ana¡¯s shocked face morphs into a bright smile, and she perks up. ¡°Actually, Aira and I are-¡±


    ¡°Acquaintances,¡± I finish, and her smile drops.


    She looks at me with her head reared back and her mouth slightly ajar. What the hell did she expect? That I would dare let her refer to us as sisters? As family?


    I don¡¯t think so.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Aira, don¡¯t be-¡±


    I cut her off once again by saying, ¡°Yes, that is exactly what we are. I don¡¯t even know who this gentleman here is,¡± I say, referring to Jace, who has been watching the whole scene like a gaping fish.


    ¡°I see. Well, if you and your acquaintances are done speaking, I would like you toe meet a few of my associates,¡± Alexander says, and I wrap my hand around his bicep.


    ¡°Actually we-¡± Ana tries to speak, but I cut her off once again. She bares her teeth at me, and her eyes grow wild. I know just how much she despised when I interrupted when she always did that to me while growing up. But I suppose the tables are turned now.


    She wouldn¡¯t darey a finger on me with Alexander present.


    ¡°We are done speaking,¡± I say. Ana narrowed her eyes at me, and I had to keep myself fromughing. She is boiling with rage now. My eyes shift to Jace, and his face is void of any emotion. His grip on his drink tightens; however, I fear it will shatter in his hands.


    ¡°Very well then; it was nice meeting you both,¡± Alexander says.


    It really wasn¡¯t.


    Ana and I share onest nce before Alexander sweeps me away. As we get further and further away from them, it does not change the fact that I can feel their eyes boring holes into the back of my skull.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± I whisper to Alexander, leaning closer to him.


    His smile is wide, and I cannot even begin to describe how much it is creeping me out. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about, darling.¡±


    Darling? First, my love, and now, darling?


    He definitely hit his head. And it must have been terribly hard, too.


    Before I can question him further, a man and woman walk up to us. We greet each other, but I do not pay much attention to their conversation. My mind only keeps reying the events that happened earlier. From meeting my sister and ex-mate to being on the verge of tears and being kissed by the man I could have sworn on my life hates me, and now he is calling me sweet names.


    He is actually being nice to me. and in public.


    My head is starting to spin from all this thinking.


    Clearing my throat loudly, Alexander stops talking to look at me. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Um, no. You are being weird as hell.


    ¡°I need to use the restroom,¡± I say, and he looks at me like he is about to tell me he is going toe with me. So I quickly add, ¡°I will be fine. I can handle myself.¡±


    The man and woman he was talking to looked at us with confusion written all over their faces.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be long now; if you are, I will have toe find you.¡± He says that so sweetly, but only I could identify the silent warning in his words.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I say before parting ways with him. I make my way into the white house and ask one of the waiters for the restroom. He gives me the directions, and I thank him before following them.


    Once I am inside, I shut the door and release a breath I did not even realize I had been holding. I stare at my reflection in the mirror, and tears instantly fill my eyes.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    It¡¯s like I am staring right at Ana.


    My body jolts with surprise when the door is flung open and someone walks right in.


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t-¡±


    My words are cut short when he locks the door quickly and faces me. My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach when Jace¡¯s facees into view.


    Subconsciously, I take a step back, and I can feel my heart pounding wildly against my chest. I lift my hand to keep some sort of distance between us as I continue to back away.


    ¡°Get out.¡±


    He takes a step towards me and ces his hand right out in front of him as well. ¡°Calm down; I just want to talk.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to talk to you. If you are not getting out, then I will,¡± I say, trying to sidestep him, but he blocks my path.


    ¡°Look, I know you are angry and hate me, and you have every right to,¡± he starts, and I look at him with disbelief.


    ¡°Hate you? That doesn¡¯t even amount to ten percent of what I feel towards you. Look, I am not having this conversation. Get out of my way or I will scream,¡± I threaten, and I watch his patience run thin.


    ¡°Now, you listen here-¡±


    ¡°Aira? Are you still in there, honey?¡±


    Jace grows pale as Alexander¡¯s voicees from the other side of the door. I raise an eyebrow as a silent question to see if he really wants to continue this conversation. He holds my gaze, but eventually makes room for me to pass through.


    Stepping out of the bathroom, I smile at Alexander. He looks at me with slightly narrowed eyes. ¡°You took a while,¡± he states. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to go.¡±


    Thank God.


    He takes my hand and leads me out to our car. He opens the door for me, and I hop right in. When he gets to the driver side, he shuts the door, and just like that fa? ade he has been putting on ever since the moment he walked in on Jace, Ana and I disappear.


    He starts up the engine and drives out of the estate with ferocious speed.


    ¡°Now tell me who the fuck those two fools are,¡± he says, and just before I can open my mouth, he adds, ¡°And don¡¯t you dare lie to me because I will snap your neck and throw your body out of this car.¡±


    I should have known his niceness would notst forever.


    Bile rises within my throat, and I cast my gaze downward.


    ¡°That was my sister, Ana,¡± I say, and he isn¡¯t even a tiny bit surprised. I suppose he would have been able to tell, seeing as our resemnce is uncanny. But what he did not expect is what I say next.


    ¡°And that man was Jace, my ex-mate.¡±


    The tires screech to a halt, and Alexander¡¯s eyes meet mine; they look like they belong to a demon. A devil.


    When he speaks, his voice does not sound like his own. It sounds menacing, furious, and evil.


    ¡°What?¡±


    My vision ispletely blocked by tears, and I let the tears I have been holding in for so long spill out of my eyes. ¡°He rejected me and got married to Ana.¡±


    For a moment, Alexander does not utter a word; he is unnaturally silent. I am not even sure he is breathing because the silence was deafening.


    He breaks the silence with a question: ¡°Was he the one that sent those men to kill you?¡± he asks, and I nod. His anger radiates off his body, and suddenly it feels like all the air in the car has vanished.


    ¡°And was he the father of your child?¡±


    A sharp pang strikes my heart at the memory of my deceased baby.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answer. Alexander starts up the engine of his car, and my heart stops when he makes a sharp U-turn. ¡°Wait, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I am going to rip his head off his shoulders and make that bitch you have as a sister watch.¡±


    The scariest part about all of this is the fact that he is not joking.


    I grab his hands on the wheel and plead, ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Watch me,¡± he says through gritted teeth, and I shake my head in refusal.


    ¡°I mean it, Alexander, stop the car!¡± I order, and he does.


    Huh, I can¡¯t believe that actually worked.


    I sink back into my chair and let out a breath. Slowly, my anger resurfaces, but I do my best to keep it at bay. I cannot let myself be taken over with rage.


    ¡°Death would be too easy for them,¡± I say quietly. ¡°I want them to suffer a hundred times more than I did. It is their fault I lost everything. My money, my home.¡± I pause, letting a tear slide down my cheek. ¡°My child.¡±


    I felt his eyes on me the entire time. He ces his hand on mine, and our eyes meet.


    ¡°Tell me what you have in mind, and I will make them endure the worst pain anyone ever has in this world.¡±

 Chapter 31: Early visitors

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°I still don¡¯t see why we can¡¯t just kill them,¡± Alexander says from behind his desk.


    He has his elbows on his desk and his hands sped together; the way he taps his foot on the floor shows a glimpse of how impatient he is.


    I have to distract myself from fawning over him and how good he looks. He is wearing an all-ck tailored suit, which matches his dark eyes, hair, and general demeanor. My gaze falls to his lips, and I still cannot believe that I got a taste of them just a few days ago.


    It has been three days since Jace, Ana, and I bumped into each other. And let me tell you that I have not been able to get an ounce of sleep since then. The first night, I spent it crying over how much I hated them and how I wanted them to suffer twice as much as I did.


    The second night was spent actually thinking of a n. Alexander and I sat together to brainstorm. He wasn¡¯t exactly helpful, considering every idea he thought of consisted of killing them both. But I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°They are the reason your child is dead, Aira. If you want them to suffer, then fine; their deaths can be slow and excruciatingly painful,¡± he had said, and I actually thought about it.


    But I think I know what the real reason I didn¡¯t want that to happen was.


    It was because, deep down, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to kill the man I once loved or the sister I have known my entire life. Even if they would do so to me without a second thought, But that¡¯s the thing; I am not like them.


    I am far worse.


    I want them to live. but the rest of their days won¡¯t be peaceful ones. They will know nothing but torment, hurt, and pain until they are old and gray. And that was my n.


    I would make them regret treating me the way they did, and to do that, I needed Alexander¡¯s cooperation.


    On the third day, I told him what I had in mind. He thought about it carefully and asked, ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Positive.¡±


    The first stage of the n is that we will send out invitations to all the alphas in the city toe have dinner with us this Friday. We have already made preparations for their stay. I had Alexander hire new maids because there was no way I would ever allow the maids back at the pce here.


    I have enough enemies to watch out for. and I couldn¡¯t bring Ca in because I do not want her to get tangled up in all of this. Ana is very intelligent and devious; if she finds out that I have gotten someone close to my heart aside from Alexander, she will do everything within her power to make sure she ruins our friendship.


    And I would never let that happen.


    There are enough rooms for all five alphas and their mates. During their stay here, Alex and I would act so happy and in love.


    The first stage of the n is to make them envious, jealous, and angry. And then we would move on to stage two.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Anyway, back to the present. I shoot Alexander a disbelieving look. ¡°We have already talked about this. We won¡¯t kill them.¡±


    He genuinely looks sad now. He pouts his lips a bit and casts his gaze downward. It is hard to believe that this is the same Lycan king that brought fear to thousands of people.


    The invitations were sent out yesterday. The dinner is in three days, so you can imagine our surprise when a guard came in and said, ¡°Your highness, one of the guests is here.¡±


    Alexander and I share a nce, a perplexed expression on our faces. I am pretty sure the date of the dinner was clearly stated on those cards. We head down the stairs together, and I have to do my best to contain my shock when I find both Ana and Jace standing at our doorstep.


    They each have their luggage in their hands and wide smiles on their faces. Which are obviously fake as hell.


    Thankfully, Alexander speaks to them while I recover from the shock of having both of them pop out of the blue.


    ¡°Jace, Ana, I fancy seeing you here today. The dinner is still three days away,¡± he says, and they offer that stupid fake smile I just want to smack right out of their faces.


    ¡°We are aware of that, but I thought it would be better if we came early. You know, since we are nothing but mere acquaintances,¡± Ana pauses. She says thatst word with much disdain, her eyes ncing at me briefly. ¡°I want us to change that and get to know each other a bit better.¡±


    Jace speaks up next; his eyes remain cold and fixated on Alexander. ¡°I hope it won¡¯t be a problem now, will it?¡± he asks, and Alexander¡¯s jaw ticks. Even though his face remains stoic, I can feel his anger growing.


    He takes a step towards Jace, and my heart skips a beat. I grab him by the wrist to stop him. The Lord knows that if he gets even another step closer, he will kill him.


    ¡°Of course it won¡¯t be a problem; you are more than wee,¡± I say to them, and both of them focus their attention on me. Even from where I stand, I can feel their hatred radiating off their bodies. I find itical how we are all pretending like we don¡¯t want to rip each other¡¯s throats out.


    Turning to Alexander, I ce my hand on his cheek and caress it softly. He looks at me in a way so intense that it sends tingles across my body. His dark eyes stay focused on mine, and I could have sworn I saw something sh within them when I smiled at him.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s okay, sweetheart; they can stay. Please tell the servants to prepare their bedroom,¡± I say, and for a moment he does not say or do anything. He just stared at me; it was almost like he was taking in my features for the first time. What he does next nearly brings me to my knees.


    He takes my hand on his face and ces a gentle kiss on it.


    ¡°Alright, my love,¡± he says, and if I didn¡¯t know better, I almost would have believed he meant that endearment. He walks back into the house, leaving me alone with Jace and Ana.


    ¡°Oh, Aira,¡± Ana says once Alexander is out of hearing range. Her voice sends ufortable shivers down my spine. She continues, ¡°When are you going to tell the poor man who we really are?¡±


    ¡°He already knows,¡± I say, and I hate that my voicees out colder than I would have liked. I need them to think I am warming up to them in order for this to work.


    My response seems to have taken her off guard because she rears her head back and blinks rapidly. ¡°Oh well-¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, where are my manners?¡± I cut her off, stering one of my sweetest smiles on my face. ¡°Please doe in.¡± I step aside, giving them a way to pass through, and they do. My eyes meet Jace¡¯s, and that is when I realize that he has been awfully quiet during this whole interaction.


    They look around the living room; Ana has that envious re on her face, while Jace only looks pissed. I am sure it is hurting them to the core that I am living in a ce far better than their ce.


    Oh, wait, that was my ce.


    How the table turns.


    One of the newly hired maids walks up to us and says, ¡°Your room is ready; may I take you in?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I am exhausted,¡± Ana says, handing the maid her luggage, much to her surprise. ¡°Where is it?¡±


    The maid blinks up in surprise but quickly recovers. ¡°Right this way, ma¡¯am.¡±


    They head down the hall, but Ana stops to look at Jace. ¡°Aren¡¯t youing? ¡±


    ¡°I will be with you in a minute,¡± he responds, and Ana¡¯s eyelids narrow. She looks at me, then at Jace, then back at me again. I see the suspicion in her eyes, but nevertheless, she shrugs and follows the maid to her room.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Jace says after a moment of silence. The moment he said that, I have never had such an urge to punch someone as much as I do now.


    He is sorry. Does he really think sorry is going to cut it?


    He continues, ¡°I know I have put you through so much shit, and I probably don¡¯t have the right to say that. But yet you sent Ana and me a dinner invitation to your home; I forgot how much of a sweet and kind person you are, and I suppose that means there is still hope.¡±


    ¡°Of course there is. I thought about it, and I realized that I couldn¡¯t stay mad at you guys for long. You two are the people I love the most and will always be family.¡±


    Gosh, those words taste so bitter in my mouth.


    Jace¡¯s eyes light up. ¡°So you forgive us?¡±


    I stare at him for some time, and Alexander¡¯s n of having them both killed pops up in my mind. He hasn¡¯t even asked about his child; he can clearly see that I am no longer pregnant. But he doesn¡¯t care.


    Forgiveness is far from you, Jace Swanville.


    ¡°Of course I forgive you,¡± I say, and the next second he closes the distance between us and engulfs me in a bone-crushing hug.


    ¡°Ah, thank you so much,¡± he says, pulling me even closer to him. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to push him off; my skin crawled where his touched, and I had the urge to throw up.


    I manage to summon every ounce of tolerance and self-control in me to hug him back.


    ¡°There is nothing to be thankful for; you will always have a special ce in my heart.¡± Thank God he can¡¯t see my face, because if he did, he would know that my countenance contradicted my words.


    We pulled apart, but our hands remained sped. I find hope and a bit of joy swirling within his eyes.


    Yes, that is what I want to see.


    I want him to be so happy and hopeful right before I crush him.


    Jace is about to say something when Alexander walks into the room. ¡°Hey, my love,¡± I say, smiling up at him in appreciation for his presence.


    But what shocks me more is that it doesn¡¯t feel forced.


    Neither does the kiss we shared right in front of Jace.


    When Alexander and I pull away, there is nothing but rage swirling within Jace¡¯s eyes.


    Oh, I can tell the next few days are going to be quite fun.

 Chapter 32: Memories of the past

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The air is tense and silent.


    Everything just felt awkward.


    The only sound is the nging of cutlery against our tes. It¡¯s dinner time, and we are all seated together around the table in an ufortable silence. Only once have I lifted my gaze since we started, and may it be thest time.


    As usual, I caught Ana staring at me from across the table. Jace was too focused on Alexander, and Alexander looked like he just wanted to shred both of them to pieces. One wrong move, and this civilized dinner could turn into a war zone.


    I am starting to wonder if this really was a good idea.


    Surprisingly, Ana clears her throat and sters a wide, fake smile on her face. ¡°So tell us, how did the two of you meet?¡± she asks.


    Alexander and I share a nce, and he speaks first. ¡°My men found her in the woods while she was getting attacked. And just a few days earlier, our oracle told us that the queen of my kingdom would be in great danger in that very same area.¡±


    My heart skips a beat when Alexander takes my hand on the table and intertwines our fingers. He looks at me so lovingly that I almost start to think that this is real.


    ¡°And ever since we recovered her, she has been my queen. Ruling by my side,¡± he finishes.


    Oh, how I wish that were true.


    I almost want tough at the expression on Jace and Ana¡¯s faces; they look like they are about to explode from rage. I know for a fact that it is killing them, and now they realize it was because of them that Alexander and I found each other. If they hadn¡¯t left me out there in the woods with those men, the oracle¡¯s prophecy would never havee true.


    Ana clears her throat and manages to recover her smile. ¡°That¡¯s rather beautiful,¡± she says before meeting my eyes. ¡°I am happy for you.¡±


    We both know you are not.


    All this pretense was really starting to get on my nerves. I need some fresh air.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I say, attempting to leave the table.


    ¡°Are you alright, darling?¡± Alexander asks, and I nod.


    ¡°Of course, I just need some fresh air,¡± I tell him, but he still looks at me with uncertainty. I almost would have thought he was worried about me. He nods once, and I take my leave.


    I walk out of the mansion and into the serene garden. I have never actually spent time out here; I never actually realized just how beautiful this ce was. The trees are tall, and the leaves are beautiful. The flowers give the whole ce life ande in shades of different colors.


    The cold night air blows my hair softly, filling me with so muchfort that I could not even begin to describe it. The moon is hoisted right above me, shedding a cool light upon the earth and giving everything a luminous glow.


    I bask in the rays of the moon, feeling something within mee to life.


    ¡°You seem rather troubled.¡±


    I can¡¯t have one moment of peace now, can I?


    Spinning on my heel, Ie face to face with Jace. He is standing barely an inch away from me with his hands in his pockets and a sly smile on his lips. His proximity frightens me and causes me to stumble back.


    ¡°Jeez, you scared me,¡± I say, cing my hand over my chest to calm my racing heart. He chuckles a bit at me.


    ¡°I am sorry; you were always just so easy to sneak up on,¡± he says, tilting his head to the side. ¡°Anything the matter?¡± he asks.


    ¡°You know I have never been a fan of gatherings,¡± I tell him, and he nods in agreement.


    ¡°Oh, trust me, I know. But I think you have gotten a lot better; you seemed to be holding yourself up pretty well at that party,¡± he starts, and I have to bite my tongue to keep myself from saying what it is I really wanted to say.


    You mean the very same party you and Ana mocked me at?


    He continues, ¡°You know, I remember the ball where we first met. You were so shy and couldn¡¯t even ask the waiter for a ss of champagne.¡± Heughs, and I find myselfughing as well at the memory.


    ¡°Yes, I remember, and you asked me if I was thirsty because my lips were looking so chapped.¡± I reminisce, and he nods in agreement.ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    ¡°Yeah, even though a waiter just passed with a whole tray full of drinks,¡± he chuckled, shaking his head at the memory. ¡°If you were choking and someone had a bottle of water with them, I was so sure you would rather die than ask them to lend you some.¡±


    I throw my head back, and I am surprised that theughter that left my lips was actually genuine. I could not believe the person I was all those years ago was such a pushover.


    ¡°Yeah, I was the worst,¡± I said, cing a hand on my head as I tried to calm myself down.


    Jace takes another step toward me, automatically closing the distance between us. ¡°No, you were the best. You would rather suffer than inconvenience anyone else,¡± he says, capturing my chin between his fingers and forcing my gaze upwards.


    My breath catches when his lips hover above mine; he is just one inch away from kissing me.


    My heart is pounding faster than it ever has before, and I don¡¯t know what this feeling I get when he looks at me with such intensity is.


    Suddenly the hair on my skin stands, and I have this odd, tingly sensation around my body. Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to put as much distance between Jace and me as possible.


    ¡°That was the woman I fell in love with, the woman with the purest heart,¡± Jace rasps against my lips.


    He dives in for the kiss, but I take a step back just in time.


    But that is the very same woman he inflicted the worst pain on. The woman he sought to kill.


    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte; we should probably go to bed,¡± I say, and his jaw visibly clenches.


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Have a good night, Jace,¡± I say, then spin on my heel to leave. I make my way back into the mansion, and I am surprised to find that the table has already been cleared. And everywhere was deathly silent.


    I make my way up to my room, but unfortunately for me, I do not get there.


    I do not get the chance to scream as arge hand wraps around my throat and pulls me into a dark room. My back is mmed against the wall, and my breath freezes in my chest when my eyes lock with a pair of fiery amber eyes.


    Alexander.

 Chapter 33: The Alpha’s Jealousy

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    Something was bothering her; I just knew it. I can feel it.


    I knew this n to get the people who hurt her under one roof and attempt to make them jealous would be a bad idea. I mean, these are people she once loved with her whole heart; obviously, she can¡¯t inflict pain on them without inflicting it on herself as well.


    She isn¡¯t that strong, and neither is she that diabolical. She is still soft and kind-hearted. I could feel her pain radiating off her body as she sat beside me. She wanted to cry; she wanted to scream out.


    What the hell am I thinking? Who am I to know what she feels and what she is thinking? That¡¯s the thing; I just do. I suppose that is one of the perks of this crazy-mate bond.


    As I watch her walk out of the dining room, I feel a tug in my heart and something screaming within me to follow her. Just as I am about to get up, the fucking pussycat beats me to it.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ana asks him, and he just throws his hand over his shoulder.


    ¡°Just stay here,¡± he says coldly, and the girl pouts. It makes me wonder who is really in charge among the both of them. Something primal erupts in me when I watch him go in the same direction as Aira.


    Just what is he about to do? I don¡¯t know why, but the thought of leaving the two of them alone bothered me. and I hate it. I shouldn¡¯t care if she is alone with another man. And I don¡¯t think Aira would be that stupid to do anything with the very same guy who broke her heart.


    The very same guy killed her child.


    Jace would be a lot safer with me than with Aira, to be honest.


    The dining room falls into a deafening silence. My gaze falls on Ana, who is ying with her food idly. I am still in awe of how much she looks like Aira. There is barely any difference in their physical features, but when the two of them stand side by side, the difference is striking.


    Aira has so much light and life in her eyes, and it¡¯s incredible considering how much she has been through. She has gone through so much, but that has never managed to dim her light.


    Ana, on the other hand, doubts she has ever been through any traumatic event. Yet she is filled with so much darkness and so much evil. There is an ominous aura around her that not even Jace possesses. Which is why I am more wary of her than him.


    But the way she acts¡­ like she is the victim. It makes me question my theory of her.


    She lifts her gaze and catches me staring. I am not at all moved that she did. She smirks, and her cheeks turn a shade redder.


    My eyebrow elevates. There is something awfully wrong with this girl.


    ¡°Rather inappropriate for you to stare at your inw, now would it?¡± She asks, and a grimace takes over my face. There is mischiefced in her tone, and I did not like it.


    ¡°I was just thinking of how the two of you look so much alike,¡± I say bluntly, and she doesn¡¯t look pleased by that fact at all. Nevertheless, she smiles at me, and it is terribly forced, may I add?


    ¡°Yes, we are twins after all.¡± She pauses to roll her eyes. ¡°How absurd it was for her to refer to me as an acquaintance; Aira can be rather rude.¡±


    ¡°I believe she was upset,¡± I say, feeling my eyes and heart harden. She seems taken aback by my response but lets out a nervous chuckle.


    ¡°Well, you know how siblings can be; we always fight. Do you have any siblings?¡± She asks, and I think that it is about time I take my leave. Jace and Aira have been away for too long, and it is making my skin crawl.


    ¡°Fortunately, I don¡¯t,¡± I say, and her countenance falls as I rise to my feet. ¡°Have a good night,¡± I say, then leave the room without giving her a chance to speak further. I step out of the mansion, and my eyes scan the area. There is no sight of neither Jace nor Aira.


    Where the hell are they?


    Shutting my eyes, I listen carefully to them. My ears pick up on the sound of Aira¡¯sughter mixed with Jace¡¯s. My jaw tickles as I follow the sound of theirughter. What I see sends me into a fit of rage.


    Aira is standing in Jace¡¯s arms; his fingers hold her chin up, and their lips are only a breath away from touching.


    Something primal swims within me, and every part of my body wants to rip Jace¡¯s limbs off his body. How dare he touch her!


    And Aira¡­ How can she stand to even be that close to him?


    Shutting my eyes, I take a step back as a sharp pang strikes my chest. I can¡¯t watch anymore of this.


    I return to the mansion and wait patiently for Aira in my room. Perhaps she needs a sound reminder of what exactly it is we are doing.


    I do not bother to turn on the lights as I wait patiently in the dark room. My ears pick up on the sound of her approaching footsteps, and my body springs into action. The moment shees in line with my door, I throw it open and drag her into my room.


    mming the door shut, I m her horrified body against the wall. Her pounding heart fills my ears as she holds her breath. Despite the darkness that envelopes us, I can still see her eyes staring widely at me.


    My canines sharpen, and a rage I have not felt in a very long time overtakes me.


    ¡°What were you doing outside?¡± I demand in a voice that sounds far from my own.


    She gulps loudly, and her body trembles against mine. ¡°I was with Jace,¡± she answers.


    ¡°And what exactly were you doing with him?¡±


    ¡°Just talking,¡± she says, and a menacing growl leaves my throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking lie to me!¡± I snap, mming my fist on the wall beside her head. She flinches, but I take her chin in my fingers, forcing her to meet my eyes. ¡°I saw you.¡± I pause, trailing my hand down her face.


    A shaky breath leaves her lips as she shuts her eyes at the sensation my fingers are giving her.


    ¡°You like being held like this, don¡¯t you?¡± I ask softly, and she only nods in response. I take a strand of her hair falling above her face and tuck it behind her ear, making sure to drag my finger gently and slowly across her earlobe. ¡°And this?¡± I ask her, and she nods. ¡°I need words.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replies breathily. Pulling my hand away, she meets my eyes.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t forget what the n is, which is to make them suffer; don¡¯t give into that bastard. Remember all that he put you through and all the pain he made you endure. Never forget any of it; do you understand me?¡± I ask, and she nods in understanding. Tilting her with my fingers, I bring my face dangerously close to hers.


    Her sweet strawberry breath fills my nostrils, awakening something in me. I can hear her heart pounding wildly on her chest, and I love that I can get that reaction out of her.


    Our lips are barely a breath apart when I say, ¡°And if you ever want to be touched, youe to me and only me.¡±


    Then I seal our lips together.


    We both take a deep breath, and an electrifying sensation shoots through my body, going straight to my member. It feels like my entire body has been taken over by someone else. Our lips move in sync, but unlike every other time we have kissed, this one is more desperate.


    It is more needy.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    More passionate.


    There is an animal in me that hungers for her. My tongue slides over her lips, asking for entrance. When she doesn¡¯t grant it to me instantly, I bite her bottom lip, causing her to gasp. I use the opportunity to slip my tongue into her mouth.


    I explore her sweet mouth as I press her even more against the wall. She moans into the kiss as my prick pokes against her upper thigh. My hands find their way to her boobs, and I squeeze the soft mound of flesh softly.


    Another gentle moan leaves her lips, making my member grow even harder.


    Suddenly, she tears her lips away from mine and backs away.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t do this with you. I am sorry. I just can¡¯t-¡± I cut her off by pulling her back to me. My arms wrap around her waist, holding her in ce.


    ¡°Hey, calm down,¡± I say gently, taking her face in my hand. Her eyes lift slowly to meet mine, and I see it-the uncertainty and the fear. The fear of giving herself to another man while the one who hurt her is just a couple rooms away.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I ask her, and she searches my eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replies, and that word gives me more relief than I would have liked.


    ¡°Good, because I am not going to hurt you. I am going to take care of you, I promise,¡± I say softly, and she nods.


    My hands returned to the back of her thighs, and she knew exactly what she needed to do. She jumped, and I helped her wrap her legs around my waist. I lead her to the bed andy her down gently on the bed.


    I take a moment to look at her, and I am in awe at how beautiful she is.


    ¡°I apologize for this,¡± I tell her, and for a second she looks at me with confusion. The realization dawns on her as the ripping of clothes fills the air. In seconds, sheypletely naked beneath me, and I marveled at how beautiful she was.


    Her skin is wless, and her hourss figure is more prominent. Her breasts are full and round, and I almost salivate at the sight of her pink and perky nipples. She is cleanly shaven and soaking wet.


    Fucking hell.


    Her cheeks turn a bright shade of red, and she tries to cover herself up, but I stop her by holding both of her hands on either side of her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hide yourself from me,¡± I rasp against her lips. ¡°You are beautiful.¡±


    I saw something sh within her eyes just before I captured her lips with mine. I release her hands, and she does her work by undressing me. Our lips don¡¯t leave each other¡¯s until it is time to take off my pants.


    My member springs free, and her eyes widen. ¡°You are so big,¡± she blurts out before pping a hand over her mouth.


    I chuckle before pinning her down on the bed once more. ¡°Then I can tell you are going to love this,¡± I tell her before taking her nipple into my mouth. Her back arcs as her moan fills my ears.


    My fingers fiddle with her other nipple, and her fingers entangle in my hair.


    ¡°Oh God, Alex,¡± she moans, and that is the moment where I reach my limit.


    Bringing my head up to hers, I position my tip just above her entrance and meet her eyes. ¡°Are you ready?¡± I ask her gently, and she bites her bottom lip. When she nods, I waste no time sliding right into her.


    Her mouth falls open as she takes in more and more of me. My hands grip hers on the bed as her warmth engulfs my dick.


    Once I am fully inside her, I spend a few seconds basking in this moment.


    ¡°Fuck, you feel so good,¡± I manage to say. She moans in response, and I ce a swift kiss on her lips. My thrusts start off slowly, but they quicken with time.


    Her hands grip my back, and her legs wrap around my waist, probing me further. Her moans mix with the creaking of the bed as I continue to go in and out of her swiftly. Her moans be incoherent as her walls clench around my member.


    ¡°I am going to cum,¡± she says in between her moans, and I am only able to grunt in response.


    A few more thrusts in, and I pull out of her, releasing my seed all over the sheets.


    Copsing on the bed, we both recover our breaths. My hand finds its way to her swollen folds, and I slide my fingers over them. I make sure to keep eye contact with her as I stick these two fingers into my mouth.


    ¡°My, my, you are delicious.¡±

 Chapter 34: Her rejection

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I pinch my eyes shut when the sun¡¯s morning gaze falls on my eyes. A groan leaves my lips as I angle my body away from the light.


    Ah, that¡¯s a lot better. Now there is no light prating my eyelids. But why do I have the feeling that something is boring into my skull? It seems like someone is staring at me incessantly.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Slowly, I peel my eyelids open, and my breath catches when my eyes lock with a pair so dark.


    Alex.


    He has his eyes glued to mine, his face void of emotion. What is he doing in my room anyway? I am about to ask him when the memories of the previous nighte flooding back in. My eyes grow as wide as saucers before falling on my naked body, shielded by his nket.


    A shriek leaves my lips as I hold the nket to my chest.


    ¡°Good morning to you too,¡± Alex says sarcastically, and my face grows hot.


    ¡°Um, good morning,¡± I said awkwardly, and there was a moment of silence between us. He does nothing but stare at me with that nk expression that makes me nervous. He is in nothing but a pair of boxers, and I wonder how it is possible for someone to look so effortlessly handsome.


    His sculpted torso is on full disy, and the way his hair falls slightly above his eyes makes him look like some sort of Versace model. I don¡¯t know why I feel so hot beneath his gaze; maybe it is because of the moment we sharedst night.


    It was so magical.


    I have never been with any other man aside from Jace, and our sex was nothing likest night. When Jace and I had sex, it didn¡¯tst up to three minutes. He always got done early, and I was never even close to being satisfied. I thought I could put up with it because he is my mate and I care about him.


    Butst night was the best sex of my life.


    There was something about the way Alex pinned me against the bed and thrust in and out of me with so much power, all while keeping eye contact with me. I have never been so out of breath yet felt so good at the same time. And aside from the physical aspect, I felt something in me during those sweet intimate moments.


    I felt like we were connecting. Like there was a part of us getting tied.


    I am crazy, aren¡¯t I? This is most definitely one-sided. I am certain he didn¡¯t feel the same. It was probably just normal sex for him. It makes me wonder how many women he has been with.


    You are overthinking, Aira!


    I guess there was only one way to find out.


    Clearing my throat, I say, ¡°So aboutst night.¡±


    ¡°Was a moment of weakness,¡± he finishes, and my body freezes. He continues, ¡°We were both feeling tense and gave into our desires. It didn¡¯t mean anything.¡±


    Slowly, I sink into myself. I want to tell him that it meant something to me-it meant everything! That feeling I got while staring into his eyes and holding his hand as he pleasured me so passionately meant everything.


    It felt like our souls were connecting.


    Ah, what a fool I am. I should have known it was only me; it meant absolutely nothing to him.


    ¡°Yeah, it meant nothing,¡± I say solemnly, but I still feel his eyes on me. I couldn¡¯t look at him, not right now. I can¡¯t risk breaking down in front of him. He has made it clear from the beginning that he doesn¡¯t feel anything for me.


    ¡°I will give you some time to dress up,¡± he says, and I nod in appreciation. He gets off the bed and heads straight into the bathroom. When I hear the shower start through the door, I spring to my feet and pick up the pieces of my clothes from the floor. Once I am done, I bolt out of his room and straight into mine.


    mming the door to my room shut, I press my back against it and slide down to the floor.


    Why did I ever think that things would change after what happened between usst night?     Tonight is dinner night. All the alphas have arrived with their mates and are currently downstairs with their mates. I am unable to get my eyes off my reflection in the mirror as the makeup artist does her job on my face.


    ¡°Could you find a darker shade of red? ¡°I say, making what feels like my tenth suggestion on my makeup, and I know she is doing everything within her power to hide her irritation. At this rate, I might as well have done my makeup myself.


    I just can¡¯t help it. I need to look perfect for the show Alex and I are about to put on tonight. Speaking of Alex, after our brief discussion yesterday morning, I have seen neither his hide nor his skin. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I have not left my room ever since.


    The maids would bring my meals to my room because I was not in any way ready to bump into Alex after what happened. Tonight would be our first time seeing each other after what happened. I just hope we can actually pull this off.


    My seamstress puts the finishing touches on my dress just as my makeup artist puts the finishing touches on my face. My hair has already been straightened to perfection, so now it is time for the final analysis.


    My dress is the bloodiest shade of red. It handles me andys much emphasis on my cleavage. The dress hugs my upper body so snuggly; it clings to my curves and pools around my feet like a pool of blood. My jewelry is gold, which onlyplements my dark makeup.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± I say, and the both of them release a relieved sigh. My cheeks heat up, and I feel bad for making them work so hard on such short notice. I turn to the twodies and take both of their hands. ¡°You two outdid yourselves; thank you so much.¡±


    The both of them smiled appreciatively. ¡°You are wee, ma¡¯am.¡±


    A knockes from the door, and my heart skips a beat. I already know who it is.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I say, and Alexander walks into the room, looking like the most handsome devil to ever walk this earth. My breath catches in my chest when I take in his attire.


    His pants, shoes, and shirt are as ck as night, but he has a red tuxedo on that is the same shade as my dress. We are actually matching.


    His hair is gelled back, and his sideburns are neatly trimmed; somehow, they all make his enchanting eyes pop out. For a moment, neither of us said a thing. We both take in each other¡¯s appearance, and we are just in awe of each other.


    My stylist¡¯s eyes nce between the two of us, and they silently take their leave. It¡¯s just Alex and me now.


    He clears his throat and breaks the silence. ¡°You look gorgeous.¡±


    My cheeks heat up a bit, but I try to act stoic. ¡°You don¡¯t look too bad yourself.¡±


    He grins at my words and offers me his arm. ¡°Are you ready? ¡°He asks as I take his arm.


    ¡°I doubt I will ever be, but we might as well get it over with.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Now, chin up and put on the biggest smile you have ever put on your face,¡± he says just before he opens the door. ¡°It¡¯s going to be quite a show.¡±


    We step out of my room, and he leads me down the stairs. The chattering of our guests fills the air, but it stops as we descend the stairs. All eyes are on us, and I can¡¯t lie, I feel a bit intimidated by all their staring. Nevertheless, I do as Alex said and keep my head up and my smile wide.


    A waiteres to us with two sses of champagne, and we take them. My eyes meet Jace and Ana¡¯s, and the corners of my lips twitch when I see the envy swirling within their eyes.


    ¡°Wee everyone! I am so pleased you all decided to honor my invitation to spend the night with me and my beautiful mate,¡± Alexander says, addressing the small crowd. He picks up my chin and pinches it softly. ¡°I thought that it would be a fabulous idea to formally introduce her to you all. So, this is my queen, Aira, and I expect you all to ord her the same respect you do with me.¡±


    All the alphas and lunas present smile and nod in agreement with Akex. Their gazes are weing, all except for two certain individuals, of course.


    ¡°Thank you all foring. This night promises to be a fun night for us all. So sit back, eat, drink, rx, and enjoy the evening,¡± I say, and we all cheer for that.


    The alphase to speak to Alex and me one by one. Each of them was kind to me, and their friends treated me like their friend. I learned most of their names and even promised to visit a few of them as well.


    It saddened my heart that I might never actually visit them; all of this is just a pretense. Once our n to take revenge on Jace and Ana isplete, everything will go back to normal between Alex and me.


    I will be nothing but a maid, and he will be the strong, powerful alpha.


    I feel a tap on my shoulder, and I spin around toe face-to-face with Jace. I notice that there is something off about him; his eyes are a shade redder, and he is oozing alcohol.


    ¡°Aira, may I speak to you for a moment?¡± he asks.


    Alex and I share a nce, and I can easily tell he is telling me not to, but I offer him a reassuring smile. ¡°I will be fine,¡± I whisper to Alex. He gives Jace a hard re as I slip out of his grasp and follow Jace out of the mansion.


    The second we step into the garden, Jace says, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    My eyebrows furrow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He closes the distance between us and ces a hand on my cheek. My skin crawls, and I want to push him away and put some distance between him and me. Whenever he is this close to me or even touches my entire body, he reacts in a vile way.


    ¡°I mean, leave all of this. Leave that bastard ande with me. I have already realized my mistake, and I swear we will go back to how we were. You cane back home, and we will forget all about Ana and Alex. It will just be the two of us, just like old times. And I promise that I will treat you a lot better; I will never leave you again.¡±


    Silence.


    I stared up at him with a nk expression, letting everything he said sink into my head. Then I throw my head back andugh. He frowns at my reaction. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    I wanted to drag this moment out a bit further, but I suppose it is time to unleash the final stage of my n.


    Rejection.


    ¡°You, of course. I mean, how could you possibly think I will ever go back to you?¡± I say in betweenughs, and his eyes harden.


    His fists clench along with his jaw when he says, ¡°But you said you have forgiven me. You said that you are willing to move past our differences.¡±


    I shrugzily. ¡°I guess I lied. Read my lips. Jace.¡± I pause before drawing out my words. ¡°I will never, and I mean never, go back to a miserable bastard like you.¡±


    A scream leaves my lips as my head snaps to the side with brute force. I lose my footing, and my head ms against a tree nearby. Pain shoots up my skull and cheeks as my body copses to the floor.


    ¡°I am going to fucking kill you, you bitch!¡± Jace seethes as he storms up to me. I try to get back on my feet, but my vision is blurry, and I feel something warm trickle down my head. The metallic scent that fills my nose tells me exactly what it is.


    I try to crawl away from him, but ck dots taint my vision. I find myself slowly losing consciousness as my body grows weak.


    Jace¡¯s approaching footsteps suddenly stop; in fact, it sounds like he is running away.


    He is running away from someone.


    Thest thing I remember before sumbing to the darkness is Alex¡¯s voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve got you.¡±

 Chapter 35: Future regrets

    Aira¡¯s POV


    A groan leaves my lips as I slowly return to the conscious world. A sharp pang strikes my head, causing me to hiss. I feel someone shuffle beside me, and a warm breath blows over the top of my head.


    ¡°Ssh, take it easy.¡±


    I had to open my eyes to make certain that the voice I heard belonged to the right person. Because there was no way the Alex I knew could speak with such a soft and gentle tone. But the second I parted my eyelids, I was graced with his devilishly handsome face.


    There is something different about him. His hair is a mess, and the bags beneath his eyes suggest that he has been up all night. But what concerns me most are the tints of red at the corners of his eyes.


    I squint up at him and ask, ¡°Were you crying?¡±


    He blinks up at me with surprise, but it takes him less than a second to recover. He rolls his eyes and looks away from me.


    ¡°Of course not; you only suffered a concussion. Why would I cry because of that?¡±


    I suffered a what?


    The events of the previous night begin to rey in my mind. The party, Jace calling me out to the garden, Jace telling me to run away with him and get back with him, my rejection, and¡­ that damn bastard! I can¡¯t believe he had the guts to p me!


    And so violently, I might add.


    My hand shakily goes up to my head, and my fingertips meet something hard aside from skin. It goes around my head, and I instantly recognize it as a bandage. That¡¯s bad, huh?


    ¡°Alpha Rafael¡¯s mate is a nurse; she helped bandage you up and make sure there was no further damage to that thick skull of yours,¡± Alex exins, and I roll my eyes at his reference.


    My hands cover my face with shame. ¡°That means everyone knows what happened. The dinner was ruined!¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Alex says, taking my hands off my face so I can look at him. ¡°The dinner was actually going quite well when you left. Everyone had a good time¡­ well, until I came in with your unconscious body and blood dripping down your head.¡±


    A pout takes over my lips. Yes, it is true that I organized this dinner for the sole purpose of making Jace and Ana jealous. I actually did want the rest of the guests to have a good time. I got to bond with most of them, but of course, everything good that happens in my life gets ruined.


    ¡°Where is he? Jace?¡± I ask, and Alex¡¯s jaw visibly tightens.


    ¡°He got away. I wanted to go after him, but I¡­¡± He pauses, then meets my eyes. ¡°You weren¡¯t moving. I couldn¡¯t just leave you.¡±


    His words tug at my heart strings. I take a good look at him, and that is when I confirm my earlier question. He had been crying. And I doubt he got even a wink of sleep.


    ¡°You were worried,¡± I state, and he shrugs.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe I was. I mean, I couldn¡¯t have the woman I just unted in front of everyone die at my dinner party, now could I?¡± he says, and I shake my head in denial.


    ¡°No, that is not why you were worried. You were actually scared.¡± Slowly, a smile stretches my lips. ¡°The great alpha Alexander cares for another soul apart from his own.¡±


    He shoots me a re and says, ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡±


    I burst outughing but immediately regretted that decision because another wave of pain struck my head. ¡°Ow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you need to get something to eat. Where is that damn woman?¡± He says thest part more to himself than to me. Shortly after, a knockes from the door, and he goes to answer it. A maid stands on the other side with a tray of food in her hands.


    Alexander takes it from her and ms the door in her face. My jaw drops.


    He walks back to the bed, and I shoot him a disapproving re. ¡°You could have at least told her thank you.¡±


    He rolls his eyes as he sits beside me on the bed with the food. ¡°Oh, please, I told her toe up with that food over an hour ago. She wasted my time.¡±


    ¡°You forget that we have other guests in the house. She must have gotten caught up; it¡¯s not her fault.¡± I defend, and he only hums in response. ¡°You have to learn to be a lot nicer to people, Alex.¡±


    ¡°I will think about it,¡± he says calmly, and I can¡¯t believe how hard headed he is. My breath catches when he leans closer to me, his eyes pin mine to the spot, and my heart freezes when our lips are barely an inch apart.


    What¡¯s he doing?


    Just when I think that we are about to have yet another intimate moment, he wraps his arm around my back and helps me to sit up. He rearranges the pillows so I can rest my back while staying in a sitting position before pulling away from me.


    Oh.


    He picks up a piece of toast and brings it to my lips. ¡°I can feed myself,¡± I inform him.


    ¡°I know,¡± is his simple reply. I know it would be better to just go along with this rather than argue with him, so I let him feed me. For a while, neither of us say anything; he just watches me carefully as he stuffs my mouth with food.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can finish all of this,¡± I say with my mouth full, and a sly grin lifts his lips. He is enjoying this, isn¡¯t he?


    I pick up a piece of toast and shove it into his mouth. He chuckles but eats it nheless.


    There was something about this moment that was just so innocent; I cherished it. Lord, know when I will ever get another like it again.


    We finish the food on the tray, and he helps me wipe my mouth before putting the tray on the nightstand. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say honestly. I never would have thought Alex had it in him to be this sweet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me; you are my wife,¡± he says, and my heart freezes in my chest. Well, until I added, ¡°At least until our guests downstairs leave.¡±


    ¡°But they can¡¯t see us now; you didn¡¯t have to do all of this,¡± I tell him, and his hand cups my face. I find myself slowly sinking into his touch; it¡¯s so warm andforting.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    What he does next is sure to knock me unconscious once again.


    He kisses me.


    The kiss leaves me shocked for a brief moment, but slowly I find myself kissing him back. His lips are so soft and sweet. Sadly, it does notst long before a knockes through from the other side.


    Alex curses before taking in a sharp breath. ¡°Great timing, Ken,¡± he says lowly, and my eyebrows crease.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± I ask him, and he looks up at me with a sly grin. For the first time since I have known him, I find genuine excitement in his eyes. Now, that is just scary.


    He gets off the bed and goes to answer the door. ¡°There is someone I would like you to meet, Aira.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He opens the door, and a man in a white and gray suit walks in. He seems to be a bit older than Alex, but nowhere near as handsome as he is. In his hand is a briefcase, and I wonder what could possibly be inside it.


    ¡°Aira, this is Kennedy, mywyer,¡± Alex says, and I am only more confused than before.


    Kennedy waves at me, and I offer him an awkward smile. He drops his suitcase on the table beside the door. He opens it and brings out some papers and a pen. He walks up to me and hands it over. I stare at the papers with perplexity and look at the two men.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I ask them.


    ¡°This is the deed to your home and every other asset that was taken away from you by that bastard Jace,¡± Alex exins, and my eyes grow as wide as saucers.


    ¡°But how is that possible? All of them were all signed into his name,¡± I say, reading through the papers to ensure this wasn¡¯t some sort of scam or prank.


    ¡°Yes, that may be so, but Kennedy here is one of the bestwyers in the country. He hasn¡¯t lost a case in over seven years, and I doubt he would start with mine. Isn¡¯t that right, Kennedy?¡± Alex asks, and the fear in the poorwyer¡¯s eyes is evident.


    I read through the deed, and my vision began to blur with tears. ¡°But what will happen to Jace?¡±


    Alex shrugs. ¡°He will be homeless and broke. But I had some security wait at your ce in case he goes there thinking the ce is still his. That is when I will get him and rip his head off his pussy shoulders.¡±


    He is always so vulgar with his words.


    I stare at the deed with disbelief. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand. This wasn¡¯t part of the agreement; why would you do this?¡± I ask Alex, and he stares at me like he is searching for the answer himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he says.


    Without thinking, I jump out of bed and wrap my arms around him. His body grows still beneath my touch, but that did not make me let go of him. Instead, I bury myself in his chest as a few tears slide down my cheeks.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said into his chest. And as a response, he hugs me back. When we pull away, I sign the deed and hand it to Kenndey.


    ¡°Congrattions, Aira; all that you have lost is finally yours once again,¡± he says before taking his leave.


    ¡°Does this mean I can go back home?¡± I ask Alex, and hisughtercks humor.


    ¡°Not even in your dreams.¡±


    I should have known.


    I suppose I can rent it out.


    We head down the stairs to see our guests off. My heart warmed up when some of them didn¡¯t want to leave before ensuring I was okay. We saw all of them off and waved them all goodbye as they drove out of our mansion.


    All except one person.


    Alex and I spin around to find Ana on her knees and sobbing profusely.


    ¡°Aira, please don¡¯t kick me out; I have nowhere else to go,¡± she says, and my eyes harden. After what happenedst night, I have seen neither hide nor skin from her. Did she even care to know if I was alright? It just goes to show that she is still very much that vile twin sister of mine who never cared if I lived or died.


    And I shouldn¡¯t if she did either.


    ¡°You can go find your husband and live with him,¡± I suggest, and she looks up at me with wide, horrified eyes.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. All of this was Jace¡¯s idea. Look, I know you know I have never liked you since we were kids. But for God¡¯s sake, you are my sister! Why would I ever want to kill you?¡± She pleads, her bottom lip trembling as she speaks.


    Alex stands between us and says, ¡°But you happily married her mate, left her homeless without any money or food, and you think we would believe you if you said you didn¡¯t want her dead?¡±


    She ces her head on the floor as she continues to weep. ¡°If I tried to help you out, Jace would have killed me! Yes, I did have my eyes on him the first time I saw him with you, Aira. But that was long before I knew what kind of monster he was. Please, you have to believe me.¡±


    I find myself trying to process her words. Was she telling the truth? To be honest, I knew Ana had always hated me, but leaving me out to die was something I never thought she could do to me.


    ¡°I love you, Aira; you are my sister. Please just let me stay until I get a ce for myself. Please¡­¡± she says, holding me captive with her teary gaze.


    What should I do? What would my parents want me to do?


    Sighing and shutting my eyes, I knew I would regret the words that were about to leave my mouth.


    ¡°Fine, you can stay.¡±


    She smiles up at me while Alex looks at me like I have gone mad.


    ¡°What?! No, she can¡¯t!¡± he seethes and takes a step towards her.


    I block his path, looking up at him pleadingly, ¡°She is my sister. Everyone who has ever done me wrong is an outsider; she is my blood. Just for a few weeks, please.¡±


    Alex says nothing; rather, he gets angrier by the second.


    ¡°I just hope you won¡¯t be swimming in regret by then,¡± he says before storming away from us.


    I hope so, too.

 Chapter 36: Same face, different clothes

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°You can stay in here,¡± I say, walking into the room next to mine upstairs. Ana walks in right behind and looks around cautiously. I don¡¯t know why I felt the need to move her out of the room she was staying in with Jace.


    I can tell by the fear in her eyes that she could still feel him. His presence still lurked in the shadows and could easily make one paranoid. I doubt she could get any sleep when you still hear the man who supposedly tried to kill you.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she says softly, and I nod, not knowing what more to say. The room is engulfed in silence as I think of what to say next.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe that Jace has been threatening you all this time. How long has it been going on? And howe I never knew about it?¡± I inquire, and she blinks up at me like she did not expect me to bring it up.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, it has been going on for a while. Ever since that night, you first brought him over. You were asleep, but the both of us were still up; we got drunk, and well, we slept together.¡±


    Ouch.


    Quickly, Ana adds, ¡°But trust me, I did want to tell you. But he held a knife to my throat and said he would kill me if I ever did. He already had this n of taking everything you own; all he had to do was make you fall head over heels for him. And you did; I just never expected you to sign your house in his name. ¡°I never knew how bad things could get.¡±


    My lips purse as I think back to how stupid I was. But it¡¯s in the past now.


    ¡°You should have still told me. We could have gotten him arrested, and none of this would have happened.¡±


    Her jaw clenches before she says, ¡°I was scared, okay? Every time I wanted to speak up or say something, he would just appear. He was always there because you kept inviting him and taking him everywhere.¡±


    I stay silent. That is true; when Jace and I found each other, I hardly ever let him out of my sight. I never knew that I was putting my sister in danger. But why does this all not add up? Did he also threaten her to be mean to me? She could have easily texted me and said she wanted to meet up alone.


    But I would be lying if I said I wouldn¡¯t have been scared if she ever did that. Ana and I have never really been that close, but there was a point in our lives when we tolerated each other.


    And that was when our parents were still alive.


    Ever since their deaths, everything has changed between us. I wonder if maybe, just maybe, things could go back to how they were. There is only one way to find out.


    stering a bright smile on my face, I say, ¡°It¡¯sing up, you know?¡± Ana¡¯s eyebrows furrow, and the confused look in her eyes tells me that she doesn¡¯t know. I guess constantly being on guard with a serial killer by your side could do that to a person. ¡°Our birthday,¡± I say, and her lips form an O shape.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember thest time I checked the calendar,¡± she says, cing a hand on her head, and a light chuckle leaves my lips. Ever since we were young, Ana has always hated the fact that we shared the same birthday, because that day meant we got to share everything. The cake, the gifts, the attention.


    It has been years since our parents died, and ever since then, we have never celebrated it together. But I am hoping that now we can.


    ¡°I know mom and dad aren¡¯t here anymore, but I am hoping we can still celebrate it like old times. You know, since we are technically going to be stuck together that day,¡± Iugh slightly, but she doesn¡¯t appear amused by anything I say.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± was her simple response before tearing her gaze away from mine. I see a sh of sadness in them before she does, and I instantly know that things aren¡¯t going to be easy. Ana has hated me for many years. I am sure getting her to like me suddenly and out of the blue would be a bit much to ask.


    I close the distance between us and take her hand in mine. Her eyes connect with mine once again.


    I have always been in awe during moments like these. It always feels like I am staring straight into a mirror. But it is still these very moments that give me hope that we can be better for one another. How can someone with the same face as mine hate me forever?


    Is that even possible?


    stering a reassuring smile, I say, ¡°Things aren¡¯t going to be easy, I know. We haven¡¯t exactly been the best of friends over the years, but let¡¯s just try. We are sisters, and I know somewhere deep down, both of us care for one another. And in memory of our parents, we are going to celebrate this birthday like they were here. It¡¯ll be like old times. We would perform all of the family traditions and sing those very same annoying songs they would sing to us first thing in the morning. Pour each other buckets of ice-cold water the moment we step outside, and let us not forget the clowns,¡± I state, and she startsughing.


    There it is.


    That genuine joy we shared as kids. It¡¯s still in there, and I know I can bring it back. Her eyes sparkle as the memoriese flooding in.


    ¡°They were always in clown costumes and chased us around the house. And they did that every damn year,¡± Ana says in betweenughs, and I nod in agreement.


    ¡°And let us not forget how they would always y that tape of us as toddlers during our first birthday,¡± I say, and an evil grin lifts her lips.


    ¡°And how I would alwaysugh at that part I threw up in your face.¡±


    A scowl forms on my face. ¡°That was not funny!¡± I defend, and she throws her head back whileughing. Well, I am d one of us is having fun while walking down memoryne.


    Slowly, herughter seizes, and she bes solemn. ¡°Do you really think we can do it? Do you think our birthday would still be the same without them?¡±


    Squeezing her hand softly, I say, ¡°We can at least try.¡±


    I see something sh in her eyes-an emotion I could not quite identify. ¡°Thank you, Aira. You were always the bright and hopeful sister.¡±


    Her words tter me, and I have to keep myself from blushing. I can¡¯t believe it; Ana and I are actually getting along. This feels way too good to be true.


    ¡°Well, all this hope would be useless if I didn¡¯t n properly. There are so many things I have to get done if I really want it to feel like old times, but don¡¯t you worry, this is going to be our best birthday ever!¡± I tell her, and Ana smirks up at me.


    ¡°Oh, trust me, I know.¡±


    I leave her in her room to get some rest before going into mine. A surprised yelp leaves my lips when I find Alex sitting idly on my bed.


    ¡°Done, sister bonding?¡± He asks, and I quickly try to regain myposure.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, yes,¡± I tell him, and he shakes his head in disbelief. His eyelids narrow as he hops off the bed and walks up to me.


    ¡°Are you really incapable of seeing that she is lying to you? How can you believe that anyone as cowardly as your ex could actually threaten and manipte her without you knowing?¡± He asks, and I purse my lips. Well, it does seem a bit odd. Jace was always physically strong, but he never had the brains to actuallye up with anything so diabolical.


    No! I won¡¯t let Alex get into my head.


    ¡°That is my sister, and I have known her and Jace way longer than you have. I think I would be able to tell when she is lying to me and when she is not,¡± I say as I sidestep him to walk deeper into the room.


    ¡°You know what I think?¡± He asks, and he takes my silence as a means to continue speaking. ¡°I think you know that she is lying, but you don¡¯t want to ept it. You have this stupid crazy fantasy in your head that everything will be cupcakes and rainbows between you two while you just sweep away the fact that she almost murdered you under the rug.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    My fists m against my drawer a bit harder than I would have liked, and a rage I have not felt in a long time bubbles within my heart. ¡°That is because everything is cupcakes and rainbows between us! I am going to finally have the loving sister I have longed for years to have, and I am not going to let you poison my mind against it.¡±


    Alex¡¯s eyes grow slightly wide, and I see the surprise in his eyes. He has never actually seen me mad before.


    Taking in a few breaths, I try to calm myself down. ¡°Look, I know you are trying to protect me, and believe me, I really appreciate it, but I can take care of myself. Our birthday ising up, and I promised her we would celebrate it like old times.¡±


    For a moment, I see a sh of sadness in his eyes, but he is quick to mask it. He takes a step away from me and nods to himself. ¡°I get it; I won¡¯t get in your way.¡±


    Before I can tell him that is not what I meant, he walks out of the room, leaving me alone with my aching heart.


    Calm down, Aira; he is just being a bit emotional right now. He will calm down. Right now, I have to make sure that Ana and I¡¯s birthday is a sess.


    Grabbing my wallet from my drawer, I leave the house and get into one of Alex¡¯s cars. It wasn¡¯t easy getting security to let me pass through, but I kindly told them that I was not in a good mood.


    Emphasis on the kindly.


    I drive down to the closest grocery store and begin to shop for some baking ingredients and decorations. I knew I could have easily gotten a maid to get all this stuff for me, but I just had to do it myself.


    Everything just has to be perfect.


    While I take a look at some of the baking powder products, the hair on my neck suddenly stands, and an ufortable shiver goes down my spine. It feels as though there were some boring holes in the back of my skull.


    Or someone.


    I spin on my heel, expecting to find someone, but there is no one.


    How strange¡­


    I better get back home.


    Taking my cart to the front counter, I waste no time in paying. As I drove back to the mansion, I would constantly take a peek through my rearview mirror to make sure I was not being followed.


    Why do I feel like I am being followed anyway? There is absolutely no car behind me.


    It seems Alex has infected me with his paranoia.


    When I return to the mansion, the maids help me take my bags into the house. I find Alex in the kitchen,pletely shirtless, with a big smile on his face. That is strange; wasn¡¯t he just sulking when I left?


    The smile on his face morphs into confusion. What he says next causes my heart to plummet to the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°How did you change your clothes so fast?¡±


    No. This cannot be happening.


    ¡°I never changed my clothes, Alex.¡±


    And just like that, his confusion morphs into a hellish rage.


    What the hell happened while I was gone?

 Chapter 37: The mix up

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLIER¡­


    I just can¡¯t believe someone can be so na? ve. It¡¯s times like this that I thank the moon goddess that I am an only child. I can¡¯t forgive such treachery just for the sole reason you are my blood. It is clear as day that the little snake is lying, and Aira knows that. But she just wants to turn a blind eye-but for how long?


    Probably until the little witch plucks her eyes out and Aira is actually left blind.


    I will be damned if I let that happen.


    Aside from that, Aira¡¯s birthday ising up. I honestly did not n for a third party, not to mention that this third party is also sharing a birthday with Aira. But she can go to hell for all I care. Aira is my main and only concern.


    Even though she can be annoying and stubborn as hell, she deserves to have a good birthday. It¡¯s the least I can do for what I have to get her through. As I descend the stairs, I get my phone out of my pocket and make a few calls. I have never done any of this birthday stuff, and I do not know how any of this works.


    There is only one person I know who can help me out. I can¡¯t believe I am about to do this.


    ¡°Hello, your majesty, you asked for me?¡± Ca says this through the phone, and I take in a few calming breaths. Asking for help from the maids is pathetic.


    It takes me a moment to bring myself to say this: ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she says, and I can hear her surprise through the phone. I exin the situation to her, and I listen carefully as she tells me what to do and what to get. I listen to her attentively until she is done speaking.


    ¡°Are you sure this will work?¡± I ask her, and she hums.


    ¡°I am positive, your majesty,¡± she says.


    ¡°Okay,¡± there is a pause, and my jaw ticks as I force the next words out of my mouth. ¡°Thank you, Ca.¡±


    There is a moment of silence, and I instantly regret saying that. Aira really is infecting me. That whole bullshit about being nice to people-how foolish.


    ¡°You are wee, your majesty,¡± Ca says, and I can hear the genuine appreciation in her voice. Why does that actually make me feel good? That¡¯s it. I am ending this call. Things are already getting weird.


    I end the call and ry the orders to two of my guards. I dismiss them once I am done, and my stomach grumbles. I always get hungry when annoyed. I make my way down to the kitchen and fix myself some fruit sd. I could have easily gotten a maid to do this for me, but I need to do something to take my mind off things.


    The sound of approaching footsteps fills my ears, and Airaes into view. She is wearing a yellow sundress, not the blue one I could have sworn she was wearing when she was in the room. I do not bother to look at her for too long because I am still mad at her for being so blind.


    She walks up to my side, and I can feel her eyes on me. There is something about her scent that is different; did she try a new perfume?


    She tilts her head to the side, trying to capture my eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t even look at me.¡±


    I don¡¯t say anything; instead, I slide thest bit of mango into my bowl. Picking up my fork, I start to harshly shove it down my throat. Her sighs fill my ears. ¡°Look, I am sorry, okay? I don¡¯t want you to be mad at me.¡±


    ¡°Then throw that wretched sister of yours out of here,¡± I seethe.


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that; she is my sister, and I love her so much,¡± she says, and my eyebrows furrow. Love is a word she hardly says out loud. She takes my face in her hands, forcing me to look at her. her eyes¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s just forget Ana; I don¡¯t want her to be the reason you and I are on bad terms,¡± she says, taking the fork from my hands and putting a piece of apple in her mouth. Half of it sticks out of her lips, and the next thing I know, she is grabbing the back of my neck and pressing our lips together.


    The apple falls into my mouth, and she tears her lips away from mine. I blink up at her with surprise; that is the first time she has ever made a move on her own. But there was less passion and excitement this time. The spark wasn¡¯t there.


    Her smile is sweet as she caresses my nape. ¡°Do you forgive me?¡± she asks softly, and I nod slowly.


    ¡°I can never stay mad at you,¡± I admit, and that is the sad truth about everything. She takes a step away from me, that sweet smile on her lips as she did.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Good.¡±


    She leaves the kitchen without another word, and I just sit there, confused as hell. Is she experiencing her heat? Here¡¯s a werewolf thing women usually go through. Shrugging to myself, I decide to let it go. I take out my phone and start to research more on werewolves and their heat period when I hear the front door open.


    Three guards walk in with their hands filled with shopping bags; they bow in submission when they see me before leaving the room. Where did all this stuffe from?


    My question is answered when Aira walks into the kitchen with the same yellow sundress from earlier in her room. My brows furrow in confusion. ¡°How did you change your clothes so fast?¡±


    Her face is void of amusement when she says, ¡°I never changed my clothes, Alex.¡±


    Silence.


    The realization hits me like a truck, but so does the rage. Aira looks at me with worry in her eyes and asks, ¡°Are you okay? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°No, I just thought I saw you pass by in a different dress,¡± I lie, and I hate it.


    Fucking hell I am going to rip out that bitch¡¯s throat.


    Relief washes over her face, and she ces her hand on her chest. ¡°Oh, that must have been Ana. You know she hardly wears dresses, but when she does, you might confuse us,¡± Aira exins, and I do nothing but nod.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± I say, leaving her confused in the kitchen as I make my way up the stairs. I storm into Ana¡¯s room without knocking, and I catch her sliding the sleeves of her blue dress down her arms.


    She grins up at me and says, ¡°Careful, Alex. A few secondster, and you would have walked in on me naked. I¡¯m not sure how Aira would take that.¡±


    The demon in me growls, ¡°Give me one reason why I shouldn¡¯t snap your neck right now.¡±


    Ana throws her head back andughs. ¡°We all know the answer to that already,¡± she says, walking up to me slowly. She sways her hips in a way that, I hope, she doesn¡¯t think is seductive. She stops when she is barely an inch away from me, and she tilts her head to the side.


    There is a mocking pout on her lips as she says, ¡°Because poor Aira will hate you forever. You will kill the only family she has left.¡±


    When I don¡¯t say anything, sheughs more, and the sound is dreadfully painful to my ears.


    ¡°Oh,e on, Alex,¡± she says softly, cing her hand on my cheek and peering up at me through her thickshes. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you didn¡¯t enjoy that little kiss we shared.¡±


    As soon as thatst word leaves her lips, I grab her hand, twist it over her back, and m her against the wall. She hisses, but soon breaks out into another annoyingugh.


    ¡°Oh, Alex, I see you like it rough, huh? Well, guess what? So do I.¡±


    What the hell is wrong with this woman?


    My grip on her wrist tightens, and she hisses with pain. ¡°Okay, maybe not that rough.¡±


    ¡°Never, and I mean never mention that kiss ever again. It was a mistake, and it sure as hell won¡¯t repeat itself,¡± I say into her ear, and she chuckles.


    ¡°Oh, is the big bad alpha Alexander scared of how poor Aira will feel if she finds out? What makes you so confident that I won¡¯t tell her? You can¡¯t kill me,¡± she says so confidently.


    ¡°That may be true, but mark my words,¡± I pause, bringing my lips closer to her ears. ¡°I will make your life so miserable that you will beg me to kill you. And when I do, I will make it so agonizing that even the devil will weep.¡±


    I catch her eyes widening with fear just before I leave her room.


    I haven¡¯t been this pissed off in a long time. But my rage wasn¡¯t directed at Ana.


    It was at me.

 Chapter 38: Sad birthday to you

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Happy birthday, dear princess¡­ Happy birthday to you!¡±


    An excited squeal leaves my lips as I jump out of bed and into my father¡¯s arms. Myughter bounces off the walls of my room as he spins me around in the air. He ces me on the floor and drops a kiss on my forehead.


    My mother carefully drops my cake on my little study table and engulfs me in a big bear hug. She litters my face with kisses, and I try to get her to stop, but all my efforts are to no avail.


    ¡°Mommy, stop it!¡± I screech, but she clearly doesn¡¯t do as I say.


    ¡°Oh, I just can¡¯t help it! You are such a big girl now. You are growing up so fast. Very soon you will be all big and ready for marriage; you will have kids of your own and know exactly what it is I am talking about,¡± she says, and my father steps in to speak his mind.


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, Marilyn! She only just turned ten years old; she is too young to be thinking about marriage and having children,¡± my father says strongly, and mom rolls her eyes.


    ¡°I know, but I am just letting her know, honey.¡±


    ¡°She does not need to know anything. She won¡¯t even have a boyfriend in the next twenty years!¡± my dad deres, and my mouth falls open.


    ¡°But daddy I would be thirty by then! I will be so old!¡± I defend with a pout, and he smiles down at me. He ruffles my hair, which causes me to shriek. I hate it when he does that!


    ¡°Look who is getting better at math,¡± he remarks, and I stick out my tongue. My teacher told me I am getting the first position in math ss. I can¡¯t wait to show mom and dad my report. ¡°And yes, you are not getting a boyfriend until you are at least 30.¡±


    ¡°But my friends said their dads will let them get at 16,¡± I pout, and a horrified look overtakes his face.


    ¡°Well, you won¡¯t! Not under my watch. You are not like your friends; you are far more special,¡± he says before ruffling my hair once again. I groan in annoyance. He is so controlling.


    ¡°Okay, enough talk about friends and boyfriends!¡± Mom interrupts, then lights the candles on the cake. She brings it to me with a bright, excited smile on her face. ¡°Make a wish and blow out the candles!¡±


    I am about to shut my eyes, but I stop when I remember someone. ¡°Wait, what about Ana? We are supposed to blow out our candles together.¡±


    The smile on mom and dad¡¯s faces vanishes, and they share a nce. ¡°Um, Ana has her own cake, sweetheart. She wanted the both of you to have separate cakes; she has already blown hers out.¡± Mom says, and my smile falls.


    I guess she is still angry at me for blowing out all the candles on ourst birthday.


    Shutting my eyes, I think of a wish and blow out the candles. Mom drops the cake, and she, along with Dad, engulfs me in another warm hug.


    ¡°Happy birthday, princess; we love you so much.¡± Dad says, and his words make me feel warm and safe inside.


    ¡°I love you guys too.¡±


    A tear slides down my face before I even open my eyes. When I open my eyes, I hear the shattering of my own heart before I feel it. If mom and dad were here, I would have been jumping out of bed and running into their arms, ready to blow out the candles on my cake.


    But this room is engulfed in nothing but a deafening silence. The beating of my own heart and my reurring breaths are the only sounds in the room. This room is void ofughter, void of birthday songs, and void of happiness.


    This isn¡¯t my first birthday without my parents, but it still hurts every year.


    Wiping my tears away, I get to my feet and take a deep breath. I am not going to spend my day moping and feeling all bad for myself. This is the only day in three hundred and sixty-five days I get to call mine. and Ana¡¯s.


    Oh, Ana!


    Bolting out of my room, I head down to her room and burst it right open without knocking. My eyesnd on her sleeping form on the bed, and I roll my eyes. I consider waking her up, but then I have another thought. Quietly, I head down the stairs to get the cake I ordered yesterday for today.


    On getting to the kitchen, my feete to a halt and my eyes widen as I take in the sight of the beautifully decorated kitchen. The pink balloons over the counter read HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AIRA.


    There are trays and tters already set out with all kinds of delicious delicacies and treats. A twoyer pink and white iced cake is situated at the center of it all. It takes me a few minutes to process the sight in front of me.


    Tears sting my eyes, and my feet subconsciously take a step back. A surprised gasp leaves my lips when it meets with a hard chest, and I spin on my heel. Alexander is standing behind me with a handsome smirk ying on his lips. His hair is ruffled, and I almost did not notice the dark circles under his eyes.


    It is evident that he did not get much sleepst night. Did he stay up trying to fix all of this? For me?


    His eyes held emotions. I could not decipher, and I wonder if it is due to the fact that a few strands of his hair are falling above it. It is incredible how attractive this man can look without even having to try.


    His voice is a lot deeper and raspier than usual when he says, ¡°You are up early¡­ was justing up to wake you up and sing for you.¡±


    Hisst words have me hiking a brow. His rather shy demeanor is amusing; I have never seen him act this way before.


    Folding my arms above my chest, I say, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not toote. You can still sing for me.¡±


    He shoots me a little re, then casts his gaze at his feet. I take a seat on one of the stools by the counter and wait for him to do the needful.


    Alex walks around the table and grabs the cake beforeing to stand before me. He meets my eyes and sters a boyish smile on his face.


    ¡°Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Aira¡­ I love you.¡±


    Whatever expression I hadpletely vanished at hisst words. He looks at me cautiously, and I almost would have thought he was scared. but that isn¡¯t possible. Alpha Alexander causes others fear; he doesn¡¯t feel it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not part of the song,¡± I state, and he nods slowly.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. That was my personal addition.¡±


    My cheeks grow hot, and I feel my heart pound wildly against my chest. ¡°I lo-¡± He presses his fingers against my lips to silence me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± he starts, and my eyebrows furrow. ¡°Don¡¯t say it if you don¡¯t mean it; don¡¯t say it because you feel the need to respond. I know somewhere deep down you still hoard some sort of resentment towards me.¡±


    He takes his fingers away from my lips, and I don¡¯t say anything. I was too scared to say anything. I mean, do I really love Alexander? When I met him, he was nothing more than a cold, overbearing, and insufferable maniac. But after a while, I like to think he has softened.


    Maybe, just maybe, I could forgive him.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He lights the candles on my cake and brings it to me. ¡°I think you are supposed to blow it and wish for something.¡±


    I nodded and shut my eyes. I really do not know what to wish for at this point in my life. I suppose I could wish for Ana and me to have fun today. We would get along, and this would be a great day for all of us.


    Yes, that¡¯s definitely it.


    I blow out the candles, and he sighs while rolling his eyes. ¡°Finally,¡± he says, dropping the cake carelessly on the table. I chuckle at his behavior as I hop off the stool.


    ¡°Thank you so much for making all of this possible, but could you do me one tiny little favor?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asks, and I gesture to the balloons that say my name.


    ¡°Could you please take my name down? You know it¡¯s Ana¡¯s birthday too,¡± I say, and he scowls bitterly.


    ¡°I did not do any of this for her; I did it for you,¡± he states, and I close the distance between us.


    Taking his face in my hands, I muster up the best doggy eyes I could and say, ¡°I know and I really appreciate you for doing all of this, but please just take my name down. Please?¡±


    He groans. ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± I ce a kiss on his cheek, and he grows still. I march up to the fridge and take out Ana¡¯s cake. Before I leave the kitchen, I turn to Alex as he takes down my name. ¡°Okay, maybe I need one more favor¡­ and you might not like it.¡±


    Thirty minutester, Alex and I barge into Ana¡¯s room shouting, ¡°SURPISE!¡±


    Ana shoots out of bed, looking disheveled with her hair flying in all directions. Her eyes fall on me, and she rolls her eyes and releases a sigh.


    ¡°Damn, I thought these traditions hade to an end,¡± she mutters before copsing back on the bed.


    I walk up to her with her cake and throw the nkets off her body. She hisses. ¡°As long as I am here, these traditions will never die!¡±


    ¡°Clearly,¡± I hear her mutter into the pillow, and I roll my eyes.


    Pulling her up to a sitting position, I ce the cake before her and say, ¡°Come on, make a wish!¡±


    She looks at me, then at Alex, who is dressed in a clown¡¯s costume, and then shakes her head. She shuts her eyes and blows out the candles secondster!


    ¡°Yay! Now Alex is going to chase us around the house, just like how mom and dad used to do when we were kids,¡± I say, looking at Alex, who looks as though he is ready to snap the neck of anyone thatughs at him in that costume.


    ¡°Nah, I am not doing this,¡± Alex says, turning on his heel and leaving the room.


    ¡°Alex!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I am not ready to run around anyway. I don¡¯t have the same energy as I did when I was a kid,¡± Ana says boredly, and I pout. ¡°Okay, well, I got us matching dresses. You know, just like how mom and dad would when we were kids! Then we are going to have breakfast and do a little painting and shopping.¡±


    Ana¡¯s smile is tight, and I see something unfamiliar in her eyes. She has such a weird way of expressing joy. ¡°Yay,¡± she says dryly.


    I am sure she is just upset because it won¡¯t be the same as when Mom and Dad were here. but I will do everything within my power to make up for their absence.


    Today is going to be perfect. It has to be.


    ¡°Alright, I will send a maid to bring you your dress. In the meantime, get ready! Today is going to be so much fun!¡± I squeal, and she doesn¡¯t say anything as I leave her room.


    The next thirty minutes are spent hurriedly getting ready. I stare at myself in the mirror after putting myst touch of makeup on my face. Once I am certain that everything is perfect, I return to Ana¡¯s room.


    ¡°Ana, are you ready?¡± I called out, but there was no response. I step into her room, but I frown when I find an empty room. Where could she be?


    I head down the stairs and check the living room, but she isn¡¯t there either. When I step into the kitchen, what I see nearly brings me to my knees.


    Slowly, my vision blurred with tears as my body could no longer bear to take in the sight in front of me.


    The sight of Alex and Ana kissing on the counter.

 Chapter 39: An Alpha’s Regret

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    TEN MINUTES EARLIER¡­


    I can¡¯t believe she put me up to this. Me? in a damn clown costume? Thank goodness we are miles away from the pce. If any of my subjects have seen me in this, then they are most likely to lose respect for me!


    I would be theughing stock of my very own pack.


    What terrifies me most is how easily Aira convinced me to do it. That woman holds way too much power over me, and I do not like it. but at the same time I do. God, I am so confused.


    I take off the clown costume and wash the makeup off my face before heading back down to the kitchen. A scowl takes over my face as my gaze falls on the balloons. I did not want to take Aira¡¯s name down; I made all of this just for her.


    Why the hell did she have to be a twin? And of an annoying, insufferable sister to top it off.


    No need to worry; I knew something like this would happen. It¡¯s a good thing I made a special n for just her and me this evening. It¡¯s a little surprise that I surprisingly thought of myself. All of this surprise in the kitchen with balloons and stuff was Ca¡¯s idea. But it all seemed too in.


    Aira deserved far better. So that was what I was going to give her. It may not be perfect, but it will be close. All I have to do is make it through the day with that annoying sister of hers getting in the way, and then I shall have Aira all to myself this evening.


    I almost feel excited. I have never felt this way before.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    The sound of approaching footsteps fills the air, and I turn to find Ana walking in. Her eyes widen as she takes in the balloons and marvelous disy of food on the counter. I notice that she has a lot more make-up  than usual; it is almost done the way Aira does hers.


    That is one of the very many things that distinguished the two of them. Aira¡¯s makeup was always simple yet smokey, but Ana¡¯s was a lot more eye-catching, attention-seeking, and shouting.


    She smiled up at me after taking a look around. ¡°This is a very beautiful baby; you shouldn¡¯t have done all of this, really.¡±


    Baby?


    Did she just call me baby? The realization of what she was trying to do dawns on me. I thought I told this bitch not to try to act like Aira; she knew I would never kill her with Aira around. But she sure as hell is testing my nerves.


    Acting all cute and trying to seduce me when her sister is just right above us? What a low blow, but I suppose it is to be expected from someone like Ana.


    Maybe that is just what I need to do. Aira needs to see that her sister is still the same snake that tried to kill her. She never changed, and I know damn well that Jace never threatened her into doing anything either.


    But since Aira is just going to be ignorant, the best thing I can do is y along and show Aira myself.


    I ster a smile on my face and say, ¡°I did it all for you; I just had to make your day special.¡±


    She ces a hand over her chest, and I am impressed she is able to muster up tears. This woman¡¯s acting skills were impable; no wonder she was able to fool Aira.


    ¡°No one has ever done this for me,¡± she says, then closes the distance between us. She takes my face in her hands and looks deeply into my eyes.


    Never in my life have I wanted to throw up as much as I want to right now. But I contain myself.


    ¡°I love you,¡± she says, and I have to control myself from tearing her hands off her body. Her touch is absolutely repulsive! I can¡¯t do this anymore; this is just pure disgust. I can¡¯t even pretend to like her.


    Before I can push her off me, she seals her lips with mine. It takes me a second to process what is going on. My eyes shift to the figure standing by the entrance of the kitchen, and my hands instinctively push Ana away from me.


    Aira is standing by the doorway with tears streaming down her cheeks. That was by far the most painful thing I have ever seen in my life. I have never met someone who has looked at me the way she does right now.


    With so much hurt, betrayal, and anger.


    ¡°Aira wait-¡± I start, but she doesn¡¯t let me finish before running off.


    ¡°Uh oh,¡± I hear Ana say, but I do not pay her much attention. I go after Aira, and I catch up with her before she can get into a vehicle. My hands wrap around her wrist, but she spins around and ms her fist right into my nose.


    There isn¡¯t much force in her punch, but the shock causes me to let go of her wrist and stumble backwards.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± she screams. My mouth opens, but no wordse out. The anger and hurt radiating from her left me speechless. It is as though I could feel it myself; it was so strong and overwhelming.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think! She kissed me, and she has been trying to act like you.¡±


    ¡°And you are telling me that you can¡¯t tell the difference between Ana and me?¡± She snaps, her eyes narrowing into slits as more tears stream down her cheeks.


    Sucking my lips into my mouth, I bow my head. ¡°Yes, I can tell the difference. I wanted to show you that she wasn¡¯t up to any good.¡±


    Aira shakes her head, and a bitter, painedugh leaves her lips. It feels so strange when ites from her-so unnatural. ¡°Oh, you definitely showed me Alexander.¡±


    She turns her back on me, but I grab her hand once again to stop her from leaving. She tears her hand away from my grip as though I were some fire that burned her. What is this strange feeling? I have never felt this way before.


    This feeling of regret.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention to kiss her, Aira. She kissed me! You have to believe me.¡± I pause, and the next word that leaves my lips surprises the both of us. ¡°Please.¡±


    Her eyes widen slightly, but she looks away before I can even get a hint of what she was feeling. ¡°I need some time, Alex; please just give me that.¡± She says it, and I don¡¯t say anything.


    Hell, what was there for me to say?


    I stand there silently and watch her get into the car. She starts up the engine, and I watch her drive out of thepound until she ispletely out of sight.


    ¡°Well, that was quite heartbreaking to watch, if I have to admit.¡±


    My eyelid twitches.


    Ana¡¯s footsteps fill my ears as she approaches me from behind. My eyes remain on the spot Aira once filled.


    ¡°But on the bright side, you have me now. And trust me, I am far more fun to be with than my bore of a sister,¡± Ana says,ing to stand right in front of me. right at the spot where Aira once stood.


    Our eyes meet, and all the color instantly drains from her face. She takes a step back, and I catch a glimpse of my reflection in her eyes.


    The white in my eyes has turned pitch ck, and my pupils are a striking shade of amber. My canines have elongated, and the desire for blood swirls within my eyes.


    Oh, I want to do more than murder right now.


    ¡°Get out,¡± I say, surprised by the calmness of my own tone.


    A nervousugh leaves Ana¡¯s lips. ¡°Surely, you don¡¯t mean that, right?¡±


    ¡°GET OUT!¡±


    My roar shakes the ground beneath us, and Ana shrieks. Before I knew it, the monster in me was released, and he did not want anypany right now. Ana lifts her dress and runs as fast as possible until she ispletely out of thepound.


    I stormed up to the men guarding the gate. ¡°Make sure she doesn¡¯t return.¡±


    ¡°Which one of them?¡± one of the guards asks.


    ¡°The one that just ran out screaming like a banshee, you idiot!¡± I snap, and I catch the two guards sharing a nce; they could not tell who was who among the both of them.


    No matter, Ana wouldn¡¯t dare set foot in here again. Because if she did, I would kill her. and I do not care if I have to spend the rest of my life asking for Aira¡¯s forgiveness.


    ¡°Send three of our men after Aira; make sure they don¡¯t lose sight of her for even a second!¡± I order, and they both bow their heads in submission.


    I storm back into the mansion, pace it, and patiently wait for her return. The silence was driving me crazy. My feet paced the entire house until night fell. How long did she n on staying out there? Did she even n oning back to me tonight?


    Sighing to myself, I head out of the mansion and into the garden. The sky waspletely dark now, with nothing but the full moon to provide light. My eyes fall on the little dinner I had set out for Aira and me tonight.


    Two seats face each other with a table between them. There is a candle lit between the two golden tters, along with a single rose.


    Tonight was supposed to be a fun day for Aira and me. Now it¡¯s ruined.


    Without thinking, I flip the table over and let its contents fall all over the floor. A furious roar leaves my lips, and never in my life have I desired another presence as much as I do right now.


    Pleasee back to me, Aira. Please¡­

 Chapter 40: The Kingston Heiress

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Pain.


    All I have felt for the past few years is nothing but pure agonizing pain. Just when it seems I am about to catch a glimmer of hope, something or someone crushes it before my eyes, and the hurt I would feel would be far worse than what I had felt earlier.


    Why? Why did this happen to me again?


    I thought we had finally gotten rid of the problem, which was Jace, so why is history still repeating itself? Was I a fool for trusting Anna, my own sister? Or was it Alex that was the problem?


    It just doesn¡¯t make sense. Alex was the one that warned me about Anna, so why would he give in to her like that? Was all this some sick prank all along? I thought I could trust him; I thought he would be a lot different than Jace. But I suppose all men are the same.


    The only difference between them is their bodies.


    And Ana¡­ I thought I could trust her. But after all these years, one would have thought I would have learned my lesson. Ana could never be trusted; we would never have the sister rtionship I have dreamed of having all these years.


    All these days that I have spent with this delusion that I would be happy were just a waste of time. I see now that I am far from happiness.


    Today was supposed to be a fun day for all of us; why did this have to happen? Why must the universe punish me this way? All I wanted to do was celebrate my birthday with the two people I cared about the most. Yet here I am in an empty park in the middle of the night, crying my eyes out.


    On my own damn birthday.


    The tears flowed down my cheeks like a stream, and I made no effort to stop them. I couldn¡¯t take in any more of this hurt; I just wanted it all to end.


    I was so busy crying that I did not notice someone was walking up to me until they sat down beside me and handed me a handkerchief. I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t a bit startled. I looked to my left to find an elderly woman smiling warmly at me.


    Cautiously, I take the handkerchief from her hands and use it to wipe away my tears and snot. ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell her appreciatively.


    ¡°You are wee, Aira.¡±


    I freeze.


    Slowly, I look at the woman again to be certain if I knew her from somewhere. I don¡¯t.


    ¡°Do I know you from somewhere?¡± I ask her, and her smile only widens.


    ¡°You don¡¯t, but I know you,¡± she says, and it is safe to say that I am beyond creeped out right now.


    ¡°Okay, um, that¡¯s nice. Well, thank you for the hanky; I really appreciate it, but I have to go,¡± I say slowly as I attempt to stand up and possibly get as far away from this strange olddy as possible.


    I turn my back on her and start to walk away, but she says something that has me freezing in my tracks. ¡°Your mother wanted me to give you this on your twenty-first birthday.¡±


    My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach at the mention of my mother. I spin on my heel to find the elderly woman holding out a small box to me. With shaky hands, I take it from her, but I do not open it just yet.


    ¡°You knew my mother?¡± I ask, and she nods. ¡°Who were you to her?¡±


    ¡°Her sister-inw,¡± she says, and I frown.


    ¡°My dad had no sisters; he was an only child,¡± I state, and she nods in agreement.


    ¡°Your adoptive father, Jake Sanchez, had no siblings. But your real father, Marco Kingston, had eight siblings, and I am his eldest sister,¡± she says, and I blink rapidly at her.


    Carefully, I put down the box beside her and backed away.


    ¡°Okay, I think you have the wrong person.¡±


    Thedy gets up as well with a sigh. ¡°I knew you would have a hard time believing any of this, so here,¡± she says, digging into her pockets and taking out a piece of paper.


    When she hands it to me, I find out it is actually a picture. The people in it have my eyes widening and my jaw dropping. The picture was of my mother and father, alongside another couple.


    The two women in the picture were identical.


    ¡°Your mother was a twin. Your adoptive mother, the one who raised you, Marilyn Sanchez, is actually your aunt.¡±


    My legs give up on me, and I take a seat on the bench I just stood up from. My head was pounding at this rate. Who was this woman, and why is she telling me all of this now?


    cing my hand on my temples, I begin to massage them softly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°I know this is a lot of information to take, and especially on a special day like this,¡± I wanted to snort. There was absolutely nothing special about today. She continues, ¡°But if youe with me, I can exin to you better.¡±


    My eyebrows furrow, and I give the woman a once-over. ¡°What makes you so confident that I would willingly follow a strangedy iming to know my adoptive and biological parents to God knows where?¡±


    Thedy shrugs. ¡°I suppose you are just going to have to trust me.¡±


    Silence.


    Today really wasn¡¯t going exactly as I nned. Actually, this is far from what I nned; this woman iming to be the sister to my supposed biological father just shows up out of nowhere and wants to reveal the secrets of my deceased and apparently adoptive parents. What could be a better birthday gift than that?


    My eyes carefully take in the woman¡¯s demeanor. She seems harmless.


    But then again, I thought Ana was harmless too. Look at where that got me.


    I suppose I am just going to have to trust my gut one more time, even if it does get me killed in the end.


    ¡°Okay, I trust you.¡± I reply, and the woman smiles warmly at me. She leads me down to her car, and I hop into the passenger seat. She starts up the engine, and in a second, we are driving to a ce I have absolutely no idea about.


    The drive is silent, but my head is filled with so many questions I want to ask her. So I start with, ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Camille,¡± she answers politely. Not once taking her eyes off the road.


    ¡°Okay, Camille. Please exin to me how and why all of this is possible. If I really am adopted, then where are my biological parents? Why are you here and they are not? And why did it take so long before I was told all of this?¡±


    For a moment, Camille remains silent. Then she breaks the silence by saying, ¡°Your father was a great man. Owner of one of the world¡¯s greatest manufacturingpanies. I am sure you have heard of Kingston¡¯s,¡± she pauses, and I nod in agreement.


    Kingston¡¯s manufactured everything from crude oil to certain food items and car parts. I remember our teacher would constantly use them as an example during our business management sses.


    So my father is the owner of thatpany?


    Camille continues, ¡°He swore that when it was time for him to retire, he would hand over the business to you. Along with all of his assets-houses across the globe, luxurious cars, and million-dor artifacts- Everything was put in your name. You can check the pigeon hole for the deed.¡±


    With an agape mouth, I open the pigeon hole and take out the document clearly stating that I would inherit all of my father¡¯s businesses and assets either on the day of his retirement or the day I turn twenty-one years old.


    Which is today.


    But the condition for thetter is that unless he is¡­N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Tears well up in my eyes, and I turn to Camille and ask, ¡°Is he¡­? Are they¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯tplete my sentence; I was too scared to. But Camille understood exactly what it was I wanted to say and nodded in confirmation.


    ¡°Yes, your biological parents are dead.¡±


    Wow. So I became an orphan twice. What luck I have.


    With saddened eyes, I look down at the deed. ¡°But nothing here is in Ana¡¯s name.¡±


    ¡°Ana isn¡¯t your sister, Aira. She is your cousin.¡±


    What the fuck?


    ¡°How is that even possible? We are identical. Cousins aren¡¯t identical, are they?¡± I ask her, and she chuckles.


    ¡°Sometimes they are. Your mothers were identical twins, so it would make sense if their daughters were as well. Your mother had very strong genes; they have been in their family for generations. Why, I remember that on the day your mother got married to my brother, I encountered another set of twins. I believe it was their grandmothers.¡±


    Well, isn¡¯t that quite interesting?


    ¡°But you and Ana were born on the same day, just by different parents,¡± Camille finishes, and I hum. I suppose that means we really did have to share a birthday. All this time, I was thinking Ana and I were sisters when we weren¡¯t. Perhaps that is why we couldn¡¯t bond properly.


    I stared at the present Camille had given me in the park. I have yet to open it. My eyes begin to sting with tears as my vision begins to blur. I swallow the bile in my throat and dare to ask, ¡°How did they die?¡±


    Sadness takes over Camille¡¯s features, and I see her eyes sh with pain before she replies. ¡°Car ident; it was on the night of their second anniversary. You were barely a year old then.¡±


    I feel a pang in my heart, and even though I didn¡¯t know them, it still hurts to know that I never really did get to know them.


    ¡°You should probably open that present now; you will need it for where we are headed,¡± Camille says, and I take a deep breath before doing as I am told. I pop open the lid and am surprised to find nothing but a video camera.


    I turn the device on and find only one video on it. I press y, and tears instantly slide down my face as my real parents¡¯ facese into view. They have bright smiles on their faces as they sit together in front of the camera.


    ¡°Hey Aira, if you are seeing this now, you should probably be about twenty-one years old. You are such a big girl, and I am sure I balled my eyes out this morning singing you that happy birthday song,¡± my mother says, and more tears spill out of my eyes.


    I never got to hear her sing me a happy birthday.


    My father continues, ¡°Aye, and at this age I should have taught you all the basics of the business. I will be turning fifty by October, but if I feel tired, I would most likely hand over the business for you to run so I can spend more time with this beauty.¡±


    I shake my head in disbelief as the two of them share a sloppy kiss. Well, at least they were both crazy in love with each other. That¡¯s a good thing to know, at least.


    Mother says, ¡°But don¡¯t you worry, we will be with you every step of the way. You don¡¯t have to worry about being alone, my beautiful girl. At twenty-one, I know that you are a strong, confident, independent, and powerful young woman. Nothing and no one can stop you or bring you down. I am proud to call you my daughter, Aira. Remember, mommy loves you! And happy birthday.¡±


    ¡°Happy birthday, my princess,¡± my father said, and he waved me goodbye before the video came to an end.


    I stared at the nk screen for a moment before wiping away my tears.


    ¡°I am sorry they were never there for you, Aira,¡± Camille says, and I purse my lips.


    It wasn¡¯t their fault; they did not know they were going to die.


    I am unable to utter another word until the car finallyes to a stop before a golden gate. A guard in uniform bows at us before opening therge barrier, and we drive in.


    My eyes are as wide as saucers as we drive past the massive acres ofnd.


    ¡°All this belonged to your father, and now to you,¡± Camille says, parking the car before a great mansion that looked nothing short of a pce. She gets out of the car, and I follow right after her. We stand before the massive building, and I stare up at it in awe.


    Camille smiles warmly at me. ¡°So, Aira Kingston, are you ready to take over your father¡¯s legacy and be the woman they always envisioned you to be?¡±


    I let her words sink into me. I cannot lie; I am far from the woman they envisioned. I am weak, far from independent, and let others walk all over me.


    After what happened today, I never want to be that woman again.


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    Camille hands me a pen, and I sign the deed.


    ¡°Congrattions, Aira. You are now the owner of the Kingston dynasty,¡± she says, and a small smile lifts my lips.


    Maybe this birthday wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it would be.

 Chapter 41: Kingston’s Daughter

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I make sure my attire is perfect. Today is my first day resuming work at Kingston¡¯spany, and I have to make a good first impression. Camille had exined everything to mest night, and even though the information was quite bulky, I think I got most of it.


    She showed me around the estate and even the room I slept in when I was just a few months old. Everything looked so strange; I couldn¡¯t remember a single room or object in this ce. But at the same time, being inside that home just made me feel¡­ at peace.


    I felt at home.


    When Camille asked me if I wanted to go into my parents¡¯ room, I instantly rejected the idea. I don¡¯t think I am ready for that yet, and I highly doubt I ever will be. Camille nodded in understanding and took me to the room I could actually call my own. It was by far one of the biggest rooms I had ever seen.


    Everything screamed luxury and power. From the queen-sized bed to the t-screen TV to the white couches, ck curtains, and sheets, it all just gave off this royal vibe. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would consider the room dangerously simr to Alex¡¯s room.


    Alex¡­


    My heart ached at the thought of his name. Whenever his name pops up in my mind, I am immediately reminded of the second he kissed Ana. I knew that would be an image that would hunt me for a while. But I will get through it.


    Ever sincest night, Alex has been sting my phone and demanding to know where I am. At first, his tone started off a bit harsh and authoritative. But soon his texts became more apologetic and a lot softer. It almost made me want to run back into his arms and forget everything.


    Almost.


    Alex, where are you? My men can¡¯t find you anywhere.


    Alex: Aira, answer me; in fact, juste home right now.


    Alex: I know you can see my messages; stop ignoring me.


    Alex: Look I know you are mad at me and possibly hate me, but doing this is pure torture. I am worried about you; please juste home. You can stay in the room furthest away from me. I just want to make sure you are safe.


    Alex, at least just reply to me so I know you are alive.


    Alex: I¡¯m sorry.


    A tear slipped past my eyes at thatst message, and I decided it would be better to just block him. I can¡¯t deal with this right now. I have a legacy I just learned I had to uphold a few hours ago. I cannot afford to crumble so soon.


    Although I have to admit that it was hard trying to fall asleepst night, Something in my heart kept tugging at me, and I instantly knew it was Akex. He was trying to use our bond to get to me. He has never done that before.


    So yeah, it was safe to say that I did not get much sleepst night.


    A tired sigh leaves my lips as I stare at my makeup-covered face. I had to conceal my eyebags withyers of cosmetics. Everything has to be perfect.


    My eyes trail up my red two-piece suit. My hair has been curled into a bulb, and my make-up was slightly heavy but not too attention-seeking. My Louboutin heels increased my heart by two whole inches, and I wish I felt as powerful as I looked.


    All will fall into ce with time, Aira.


    That is what I tell myself. Grabbing my purse and keys, I make my way out of my room and join Camille downstairs. I have to say, she looks so cute in her little red suit and tight bun.


    She smiles warmly at me and asks, ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    I shrug my shoulders and say, ¡°I doubt I will ever be.¡±


    She pats my back reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will do great; you have Kingston blood running through your veins. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± She says so, and I follow her out to the waiting car.


    We hop in, and before I know it, we are heading down to thepany I inherited from a father I never knew my entire life. All this is a bit much to grasp in a span of a few hours, but I suppose I have to get a grip and do what I have to.


    When we arrive at thepany, I have to crane my neck far back to get a good look at the top. This has to be at least a twenty-floor skyscraper. I am surprised to find members of the paparazzi at the gates. Their questions and shing cameras were a bit overwhelming, so I keep my head down at all times.


    Once we get past the gates, the cares to a stop before thepany¡¯s entrance. A guard opens my door, and as I step down, I thank him. My eyes fall on a line of people in suits standing before the entrance.


    ¡°Those are the heads of departments. You will have to do a formal introduction, and in turn they will introduce themselves to you.¡± Camille says,ing to stand beside me.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I say, taking in a deep breath and marching up the stairs. Once I arrive at the top, I offer them all a bright smile. ¡°Good morning,¡± I greet politely, and I am pleased when they all smile warmly at me.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Kingston,¡± they say in unison, and I would be lying if I said that wasn¡¯t a bit creepy.


    ¡°Please call me Aira. I don¡¯t know how things usually work around here, but I would like to consider all of you my friends. Now that I am here, Kingston¡¯s will be far greater than it already is, but that can only happen if we all work together. So, can I count on you guys?¡± I p my hands, staring each and every one of them in the eyes.


    ¡°Of course you can,¡± one of the men says.


    ¡°Wonderful, so please do tell me your names and the department you head,¡± I say, and they do just that. There are a total of many departments, and I would be lying if I said it wouldn¡¯t take me a while to get to actually know all of them, but baby steps, I guess.


    But there were two that stood out among the ten. A man and a woman.¡¯


    The woman had the brightest shade of blonde hair I have ever seen; her eyes are even more vibrant, a shade of blue that reminds me of the sea. Her smile could brighten up a whole room, and her aura was just naturally soft and delicate.


    ¡°I am Aurora,¡± she says, and I nod.


    The man on the hand was tall. His eyes were a sharp silver color, and his hair was darker than night. His lips are slim, but when they stretch into a smile, they pop out a very cute set of dimples.


    ¡°My name is Travis; it¡¯s so good to have a boss as hot as you,¡± he says, shooting me a charming smile that made my cheeks heat up a bit.


    Aurora ps him in the back. ¡°Travis, control yourself!¡± she scolds before pulling him away. I shake my head in wonder and a bit of amusement as I make my way into thepany. I have to keep myself from gaping at the magnificent infrastructure.


    The second one stepped foot inside a wave of cool, conditioned air and pped the skin. The walls are made of pure ss, and everything screamed luxury. I joined Camille in the elevator, and we headed up to the floor where my office was.


    Which just so happened to be on the twentieth floor. The elevator doors part, and my gaze falls on two guards standing before a posh wooden door. They open it for me, and I don¡¯t make any effort to shut my mouth when it drops.


    The office walls are made of ss, giving a spectacr view of the city below. The table is made of ss as well, and the seat behind it is ck leather. The book shelf in the left corner stretched on The t-screen TV and couch by the side were definitely a personal addition.


    I suppose my father really loved watching the news.


    ¡°He was a football fan,¡± Camille said, as though she could read my mind. ¡°So, what do you think of your new office?¡±


    ¡°I love it,¡± I reply.


    ¡°I am d you do, because now there is a lot of work to be done. You see, I did my best to keep up with thepany¡¯s records and keep it on its feet, but due to old age and fatigue, I couldn¡¯t keep up, so there are still a lot of things to be done,¡± she exins, and I nod in understanding.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine; I will handle it,¡± I tell her, and she smiles up at me before making her way out of the office.


    ¡°And Camille?¡± I say, making her freeze in her tracks. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She chuckles lightly. ¡°No, thank you, dear.¡±


    I do not get to ask what she could possibly be thanking me for before she walks out of the office. A sigh leaves my lips as I take my seta behind the desk and start on my paperwork. True to Camille¡¯s words, there really is a lot of stuff to be done. After a few hours, I decide to take a quick break and scroll through my social media, and I am shocked by what I find.


    My face is on the cover of every local news channel. Again.


    BILLIONAIRE DAUGHTER RETURNS FROM THE DEAD; AIRA KINGSTON HAS RETURNED TO TAKE BACK WHAT IS HERS.


    Pictures of me entering thepany and addressing my staff are all over the ce, and I can¡¯t help but wonder how they get these things to go viral so fast.


    I drop my phone and refocus on the pile of work set out in front of me. I have absolutely no idea how long I spend engulfed in the piles of paperwork before a knockes in through the door.


    ¡°Yes,e in,¡± I say, not once lifting my gaze.


    ¡°Miss King-I mean, Aira, you have a visitor,¡± Aurora says, and I finally meet her eyes.


    ¡°And who might that be?¡± I ask, and she shrugs.


    ¡°He says his name is Alexander.¡±


    Shit. He found me.


    Sighing to myself, I wave my hand in the air and say, ¡°Very well, let him in.¡±


    She leaves, and shortly after, my door is opened once again. The hair on my skin stands, and every fiber of my beinges to life. Alexander walks in looking as devilishly handsome as ever in his dark suit and cool eyes.


    I match his demeanor, looking up at him without a hint of emotion.


    ¡°Alex, it¡¯s a it¡¯s a pleasure to see you here this evening,¡± I say coldly, and he hums.


    ¡°Believe me, the pleasure is all mine. Who would have thought the little girl I inquired about all those months ago was actually the daughter of a billionaire?¡± he says, and I offer him a tight smile.


    ¡°The world is a crazy ce.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it is,¡± he says, and there is a moment of silence. ¡°Come home, Aira.¡±


    ¡°I am home,¡± I defend, my eyes narrowing into slits.


    ¡°No, your home is with me, your mate,¡± he says, and a scoff leaves my lips.


    ¡°Go tell that story to Ana, not me.¡±


    Alex sucks in a rush of air and pushes his hair back; his frustration is evident. ¡°It was a mistake; you have to believe me. She took me off guard for only a second. Why the hell would I want Ana when I am clearly in love with you?¡±


    Silence.


    My heart stopped beating after he uttered thosest words. What was he doing to me? Why was he evoking so many emotions within me and making me crumble from the inside?


    ¡°I love you, Aira; believe me, I would never do anything to hurt you,¡± he says, and I tear my gaze away from him.


    ¡°Well, you have certainly done more than enough damage already,¡± I seethe. ¡°Just leave, Alex. It¡¯s over. Like you said, I am not that scared little maid your men found in the woods all those months ago. I have grown. And you should, too. So please leave my office before I ask security to escort you out.¡±


    For a moment, he says nothing. I can feel his eyes boring holes into my skull, and suddenly it bes almost impossible to breathe.


    ¡°I am not giving up on you. I am not giving up on us,¡± he says, and I feel a pang in my chest from his words. He begins to walk towards the door, but before he leaves, he says, ¡°Congrattions, Miss Kingston.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Then he was gone.


    The dam I have tried so hard to build crumbles once again, and I let the tears flow like a running river.

 Chapter 42: Home is where the heart is

    Aira¡¯s POV


    When I step into my office, my eyes widen at what I find. I blink at therge bouquet of roses sitting on my table alongside a couple of Chanel bags and the biggest box of chocte I have ever seen.


    Slowly, I walk out of my office to find Aurora sitting on her desk. She is typing away on herputer, but stops once she notices meing.


    ¡°Aurora, who are all those things in my office from?¡± I ask her, and she blushes a bit.


    ¡°That handsome fellow that came to see you yesterday sent them. I believe his name was Alexander. I can¡¯t really remember,¡± she sighs dreamily, and I frown. ¡°He is such a gentleman.¡±


    I had to stop myself from snorting. ¡°Get rid of them, and the next time he sends any more gifts, reject them.¡±


    Her smile falls. ¡°But why? You don¡¯t like him? I know it¡¯s not my ce, but he seems like a pretty sweet man, and he¡¯s handsome too.¡±


    I pursed my lips.


    Sadly, I am more than aware of that.


    ¡°Just do it, please,¡± I say, and she sighs but nods. I head back into my office and toss the gifts on the couch before getting back to work.


    I resumed my work, but it was exceptionally hard for me to concentrate. asionally, my eyes would go towards the gifts on the table, and I could not help my curiosity.


    After an hour of pretending to be focused on the piles of paperwork before me, I give in. I walk up to the channel bag, and my eyes widen by a fraction when I find a jewelry box. Inside contains one of the most beautiful diamond-encrusted nes and rings I have ever seen.


    Picking up the bouquet, I take a quick whiff and sigh with contentment as the sweet scent engulfs my senses. I pick up the box of chocte and pop one into my mouth.


    The moan that leaves my lips can¡¯t be controlled as the delicious treat melts on my tongue.


    A knockes from my fore, snapping me out of the little trance Alex has apparently put me in again.


    Dropping the flowers, I make sure that there isn¡¯t any smudge of chocte on my face. Then I clear my throat and say, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opens, and I am surprised to find Travis walking in. He smiles at me, then his gaze shifts to Alex¡¯s gifts behind me.


    ¡°Woah, it seems someone has a secret admirer,¡± he says with a light chuckle. He sounded almost nervous.


    I roll my eyes and then say, ¡°Trust me, there is nothing secretive about him.¡± I pause. ¡°To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?¡± I say, referring to his presence in my office.


    ¡°Well, now I feel pretty awkward asking for it now,¡± he says, his hand going up to his nape.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You can tell me anything,¡± I tell him, but he still looks hesitant.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure your secret admirer would approve,¡± he says, and my eyes widen by a fraction when I realize where he is headed.


    My gaze falls on the gifts Alex brought me, then to Travis. I am not going to lie; Alex has messed up more times than I can count. Even though we may be friends, I don¡¯t think I can spend the rest of my life with him.


    I suppose I could give someone else a chance. And Travis doesn¡¯t seem quite bad.


    ¡°There is no secret admirer, not anymore,¡± I say through a tight smile, and his eyes shine brighter than the sun.


    ¡°Oh, well, in that case, do you mind having lunch with me, Aira? I mean, I know you are my boss and everything, and it may seem inappropriate.¡±


    ¡°I would love to,¡± I say, cutting off his bbering.


    He looks downward but still has that smile on his face. I don¡¯t know why, but something about Trevor gives off this shy, child-like aura. It was nothing like Alex, who was more assertive and dominant.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go,¡± he says, and we head out of my office together. I catch Aurora shooting the both of us disapproving looks, and I wonder if they had anything to do with each other.


    When we step out of the building, Travis leads me down to his car, and we drive down to a cafe nearby. I do my best to keep my head down so I won¡¯t be spotted and instantly swarmed by members of the paparazzi.


    Travis gets the hint and makes sure to shield my body with his until we are inside the cafe. We take our seats in the booth that appears most hidden, and a waiteres up to us shortly after.


    She is a brte with hazel eyes and a warm smile. She takes our order and leaves shortly after. Now it¡¯s just Travis and me.


    ¡°So, tell me more about yourself, Aira,¡± he says, and I think of what to say.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything about me that isn¡¯t all over the inte,¡± I say, and he shakes his head in disagreement.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible for the media to capture everything in your life. There has to be something,¡± he says, and I am about to tell him about my favorite food when he continues. ¡°Like, I have numerous hobbies, but the media only captured three. You know I was the captain of the football team back in high school, and everyone just assumes that football is my life, but I bet you they never could have guessed I am into programming too. And¡­¡±


    He just kept on going.


    At times, I would find myself zoning in and out of what he was talking about, and I just got tired. The waiter brought our food, and I was hoping he would have taken a moment to at least catch his breath, but he didn¡¯t.


    He just kept going.


    I eat my food silently, hoping at one point he would let me talk about myself, but he didn¡¯t. Now I just want this lunch break to be over.


    At some point, I could have sworn I felt someone staring at me in the cafe. At first, I thought it was someone from the press, but no, this gaze was far too intense.


    Yet far too familiar.


    I look around the cafe but am disappointed when I don¡¯t find him anywhere.


    Finally, we finish our food, and the waiteres with our bill.


    ¡°Ah, bills on her. She¡¯s my boss,¡± Travis says with a wink. The waiter and I both raised our brows, shocked by his words.


    ¡°Oh, um, yes, of course,¡± I say, fetching out my card and handing it to the waiter. Once I¡¯m done paying, it is safe to say I remained speechless throughout the ride.


    Not like he even let me speak anyway.


    We arrive at the office, and before we go our separate ways, he says, ¡°I hope you had a good time.¡±


    Is that supposed to be a trick question?


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I did,¡± I told him, and he smiled brightly, clearly oblivious to my lie.


    ¡°Awesome! I had a great time as well. Maybe we could do this some other time,¡± he says, and instead of answering, I offer him a tight smile.


    I return to my office, and once I shut the door, I take a deep breath, trying to process exactly what just happened.


    The buzzing of my phone snaps me out of my thoughts. It¡¯s a message from an unknown number.


    Unknown: Enjoy your date?


    My blood runs cold. I knew someone was watching me!


    Me: Who is this?


    Unknown: Take a wild guess, princess.


    Without a second thought, I instantly knew who it was.


    Me: Alex?


    Unknown: Please don¡¯t block this number too.


    I stare at the message, not knowing what to say.


    Alex: You didn¡¯t seem quite happy on your date.


    I still haven¡¯t replied. How did he even know I would be at the cafe? Has he been watching me this whole time?


    Once again, my phone buzzes, and the text I see next makes my heart ache.


    Alex: I miss you. Please just give me one chance to exin.


    I stared at the message for some time, contemting what I should do next. My gaze shifts to the pile of files on my desk, and I sigh.


    Me: I¡¯ming.


    I have to stop myself fromughing when he sends me a smiling emoji. I still can¡¯t believe this is the same infamous alpha king I knelt before all those months ago.


    I step out of my office and inform Aurora that I am done for the day before heading out of thepany. I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t speed a little more than I should have on my way to Alex¡¯s mansion.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    It kills me to admit it, but I miss him too.


    The guards instantly open the gates for me once I arrive, and I drive right in. Immediately, the memories of thest time I was heree flooding back in.


    My heart aches a bit, but it doesn¡¯t stop me from going forward. When I park my car and step out of it, my eyes instantly lock with Alex¡¯s.


    Instantly, my heart shatters at the sight of him. He looks broken.


    His eyes are red and tired, his hair is a mess, and the lines at the top of his head along with the bag beneath his eyes suggest that he hasn¡¯t gotten much sleep.


    Quietly, I walk up to him, not once tearing away my eyes from his. When I reach him on the front porch, there is a moment of silence between us.


    ¡°Hi,¡± he starts.


    ¡°Hi,¡± I repeat.


    His eyes trail up and down my body, and I can tell he is impressed. ¡°You look beautiful-amazing,  really.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I answered meekly.


    ¡°Um, sorry,e in,¡± he says, stepping aside for me to enter, and I do.


    The house has looked pretty much the same since I left. And it still felt the same. It still felt like peace.


    I take a seat on one of the couches, and Alex takes the one next to me. Once again, we are engulfed by silence. He looked as though he was struggling with what to say.


    So I go first.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I ask, and his eyes are cold when he answers me.


    ¡°I threw her out the second you left.¡±


    Oh wow.


    I want to be mad at him for leaving my sister homeless, but I was secretly happy about it.


    ¡°Oh,¡± is all I could say.


    He sighs, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what I can say to make you forgive me, but I fucking miss you, Aira. I¡¯m sorry; I shouldn¡¯t have let her get so close to me. I should have pushed her away. I should have screamed at her to get the fuck away from me, but I swear on my life I didn¡¯t do any of this to hurt you. I would never do anything to hurt you. I love you so fucking much, and these past few days have been hell. Please,¡± he pauses, and what he does next has my eyes widening.


    He gets down on his knees before me.


    ¡°Forgive me.¡±


    I sat there speechless, not believing that I could get the great Alpha Alexander to get down on his knees before me.


    I look into his red-rimmed eyes, and I know that he means it. I didn¡¯t know when tears started to spill out of my eyes until he reached out his hand and wiped them away.


    I find myself leaning into his touch, and I never wanted him to pull away.


    ¡°I forgive you,¡± I say, and those words send a wave of relief over Alex. His lips stretch into the most beautiful smile I have ever seen.


    He wraps his arms around me, and I instantly sink into him, allowing his scent to engulf my senses.


    He kisses the top of my head, and when he whispers, ¡°Thank you,¡± I know that there is no better ce to be than right here with him.

 Chapter 43: Goodbye, sister.

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Alex, where is all the sugar?¡± I ask him as I search all the cupboards for it. I spin on my heel when he doesn¡¯t answer me. He is seated on one of the high stools, then gives me a shrug as a response. ¡°This is your house; how can you not know?¡±


    He raises two of his fingers in the air, then says, ¡°Two things. One, you know I don¡¯t enter the kitchen. Two, this is not my house,¡± he says, and my eyebrows furrow. I roll my eyes when he adds, ¡°This is our house.¡±


    Shaking my head in disbelief, I say, ¡°You are so cheesy.¡±


    I hear him snicker once my eyes fall on the sugar. I put some in the cake batter and mixed it. I wanted Alex and I to actually do something a bit normal tonight. It feels like ever since we met each other, we have had one goal or objective that makes us cling to each other.


    But not anymore. Now I want us to spend the rest of the evening like a normal couple. My heart flutters at that thought. I can¡¯t believe Alex and I are actually a couple now.


    Once I am done mixing the cake batter, I pour it into the pan and throw it in the oven. After setting the timer, I dust my hands and turn to Alex, who has been staring at me the entire time.


    ¡°You do know staring at me like that is creepy, right?¡± I ask him, and he shrugs once again, this time the corner of his lips lifting.


    ¡°Then consider me the biggest creep you will ever meet because I am not stopping anytime soon,¡± he says, and his words cause my cheeks to heat up. He hops off his stool and closes the distance between us. He stops when our chests are barely an inch apart, and I feel my heartbeat speeding up. His masculine scent fills my nostrils, filling me with something that makes me desire him.


    It made me need him.


    His hand slowlyes up to my face, and I shut my eyes when they make contact. His touch is gentle, and his voice is raspy when he says, ¡°How could you possibly want me to stop staring at such a beauty?¡±


    His hand travels down my face to my neck, stopping at the skin above my cleavage. I wonder if he can feel how fast my heart rate has be. He draws his finger over the soft skin, sending tingles through my body. He brings that same finger to his lips, and I see a drop of cake mix on it just before he puts it in his mouth.


    He hums, not taking his eyes off me as he says, ¡°Delicious.¡±


    I feel something stir in me, and I tear my gaze away from his. His fingers lifted my chin, forcing our eyes to meet once again. I notice that they have darkened greatly; they are filled with so much want and desire. They fall to my lips, and I watch him slide his tongue over his.


    ¡°Can I kiss you?¡± he asks me gently, and the amount of restraint he is using to keep himself from pouncing on me is noticeable.


    ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± I whisper, and the second those words are out of my mouth, he seals our lips. Instantly, I moan into the kiss. His hands snake around my waist, pressing our bodies together. I can feel his hard member poking against my inner thigh and the bottom of my stomach.


    His groan feels the air as his hands travel down my waist and to my ass. He squeezes the soft flesh harshly and sighs, tearing his lips away from mine for a moment. ¡°You have no idea how much I want you,¡± he rasps against my lips.


    ¡°Then take me,¡± I say, biting my bottom lip and meeting his eyes with the same lust and desire. The corners of his lips lift into a devilish smirk, if only I knew what I had just gotten myself into.


    His hands go to the back of my thighs, and he lifts me up. My legs snake around his waist, and he reconnects our lips. He takes me up the stairs, and the next thing I know, I am being tossed on the bed. A surprise gasp leaves my lips as my back makes contact with the soft mattress.


    Alex hovers over me, the hunger in his eyes growing by the second. ¡°Strip.¡± He orders.


    Slowly, I get to my feet and do as I am told. Our eye contact does not break as I begin to take off my clothes one by one. He does the same, and soon we stand before each otherpletely naked.


    He snaps his fingers then points to the bed. ¡°On the bed, now.¡± He demands, and I waste no time in obeying. Once I am on the bed, he joins me and flips me over so my ass is in full view for him. He ces his hand on my shoulders, forcing them down on the bed. Now I am arching my back and leaving my ass on full disy for him. His hand rubs my ass gently, so I do not expect the smack he gives the soft skin.


    A yelp leaves my lips from surprise at his actions. My mouth falls open when he drags his finger over my wet folds, and his hum fills my ears. ¡°Damn, you naughty girl. You are already so wet for me,¡± he purrs. He slips a finger into me, and a shudder goes up my spine. ¡°You like that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Unable to form any words, I just nodded. He ps my ass again, this time a lot harder than thest time. ¡°I need words, baby girl. Do you like this?¡± he asks again.


    ¡°Yes, I love it,¡± I moan. He adds another finger, and my mouth forms an O shape as he stretches out my walls.


    ¡°What about this?¡± he asks, and I bite my bottom lip.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I moan again. His thrusts be quicker, and my body trembles beneath him. ¡°Alex, please,¡± I plead, and his fingers disappear from inside me. I almost cry from frustration until I feel his tip on my folds.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asks, and I nod. He smacks my ass, and I instantly realize my mistake.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answer.


    He slides his full length into me, and a shudder goes up my body. His hard member stretches my walls, and I hear him release a slow exhale. ¡°God, you feel so fucking good.¡±Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    My response is incoherent as his thrust quickens. My hands grip the sheets as he quickens his movement. Waves of pleasure wash over me as he pounds into me without mercy.


    ¡°Oh, fuck Alex, yes,¡± I pant. His hand goes around my neck and lifts me up, his member still buried deep inside of me. His other hand gropes my breasts and squeezes them softly. A gentle moan leaves my lips as he begins to y with my already-hard nipples.


    Coupled with his powerful thrusts, I feel my climax approaching.


    ¡°Alex, I am about to cum,¡± I manage to let out, and he grunts.


    ¡°Not yet, baby. Just hold on,¡± he exhales, and his thrusts be more violent. His hand on my breast travels down to my clitoral area, and he begins to y with the wet, soft skin. Sensations I have never felt before erupt all over my body, and I feel a knot in my stomach.


    ¡°Alex! I aming!¡± I yell out just before I reach my climax and spill my juices on his cock. A few more thrusts in, and he spills his seed into me. His hands disappear from my body, and my body copseszily on the bed.


    His light chuckle fills my ears as he climbs over me. His eyes lock with mine, and he smiles sweetly at me. Something about the way he is watching me now makes my heart flutter.


    ¡°You are beautiful,¡± he rasps, and azy smile lifts my lips. He presses his to mine; this kiss is a lot gentler and more loving. My hands wrap around his neck, and my legs wrap around his waist to pull him closer to me.


    I don¡¯t know how long we stay in that position, but I push him away when an articr scent fills my nostrils. Burning cake.


    ¡°Alex, the cake!¡± I screech, and he hops to his feet. He quickly puts on his shorts and bolts out of the room. Iy back on the bed, trying to use the opportunity to catch my breath. I stared at the ceiling for some time, trying to process everything that just happened.


    I chuckle to myself before finally getting the will to hop out of bed. I put my clothes back on and walked up to the mirror to inspect my face. I notice that I appear much happier; my skin tone is lighter, and my eyes are a lot brighter.


    And it was all because of Alex.


    Smiling to myself, I bow my head to button up my shirt. When I return my gaze to the mirror, I notice that the light in my eyes has disappeared. They were so dark and filled with a burning hatred. And that is when it sets in.


    That wasn¡¯t me.


    My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach, and my blood runs cold. Spinning on my heel, Ie face-to-face with Ana. And she does not look happy.


    Her hair is a bit disheveled, and there was a bit of madness in her eyes. My gaze falls to the dagger in her hands, and I subconsciously take a step back until my back hits the mirror.


    ¡°Ana.¡± I say her name as a whisper, and the grin that lifts her lips is a bit psychotic.


    She tilts her head to the side and says, ¡°Hello, dear sister.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I ask her, and sheughs dryly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I came to take back what is mine,¡± she says, and my eyebrows furrow.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? I didn¡¯t take anything from you; I never would.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± She snaps, and a moment of silence passes. She breaks out into a sinisterugh. ¡°Alex. That newpany that suddenly turned out to be yours. The money. The fame. The life. It is all meant to be mine! I mean, look at you; you have always been the boring and dumb sister. If anyone is deserving of all these things, it is supposed to be me.¡± She screams, her eyes widening to the point where I am certain her eyeballs would pop out of her head.


    I raise my hand gently to try to calm her down. ¡°Ana, I understand. Just put the knife down, and we will talk about this.¡±


    She pauses, her face void of emotions. ¡°Talk? I don¡¯t want to talk to you. I never have. You have no idea how much it disgusted me to pretend to like you when Jace left. But it was all part of my n; that way, I could study you and the way you behave around Alex. Now I can finally get rid of you.¡±


    I try to put as much distance between us as possible when she begins to walk closer to me. A bead of sweat trickles down my face, and I feel my heart racing faster than it ever has before. I stare into the eyes of the woman I once called my sister, and my heart shatters when I find nothing but a lust for blood within them.


    ¡°You can¡¯t get rid of me; everyone will know that you are not me. and when Alex finds out, he will kill you,¡± I say, and she chuckles lightly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± she says, then lunges for me. I make a break for it, but she knocks me down.


    ¡°ALEX!¡± I scream at the top of my lungs as I try to fight Ana off me. My eyes lock with hers the second she raises the dagger. I plead with her silently, feeling tears sting my eyes.


    ¡°Goodbye, sister,¡± she says, then plunges the dagger into my chest. My eyes widen as a pain like never before courses through my body. A tear slips out of my eyes as she takes out the knife and plunges it into my stomach. Again. And again. And again.


    ck dots taint my vision as I watch her stab me with no remorse. Suddenly, her head snaps in the direction of the door, and she bolts out through the window.


    My eyelids grow heavy, and I feel myself slowly slipping away.


    ¡°No, no, no.¡±


    Alex suddenlyes into view, and my heart clenches when I see tears in his eyes. Hees to my side and runs his hands through his hair in panic.


    When his eyes lock with mine, the corners of my lips lift.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whisper just before another tear slips past my eyes and the darkness wees me in a cold embrace.

 Chapter 44: come back to me

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    ¡°I need a doctor!¡±


    I storm into the nearest hospital with Aira¡¯s bloody and unmoving body in my arms. Two nurses rush over to me with a stretcher and I ce Aira¡¯s on it. I follow them as they rush her into a theatre room.


    ¡°Sorry but you can¡¯t go in there,¡± one of the nurses says, cing a hand on my chest to stop me. I p it away.


    ¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t go in there? That¡¯s my mate!¡± I snap and the small woman nods.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Yes, I understand but you aren¡¯t in the right state of mind now sir and the doctors need to be fully concentrated in order to work,¡± she says, and I curse beneath my breath. I begin to pace the hallway and she takes it as my silent way of agreeing with her.


    I run my hand through my hair and down my face. I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch something. Anything.


    I can¡¯t believe I let someone hurt her again. Under my fucking watch! Where the hell were the security? I specifically told them not to let that bitch in. I am going to fire all of those idiots. Ipetent fools. Because of their stupidity, Aira is hurt, and that bitch is still out there.


    If I ever catch sight of that girl, I am snapping her neck. I have had more than enough of her. I do not know how long I pace the hallway with my fingers in my hair. It feels as though they have been in there forever. I have lost track of how many times I have wanted to burst right through those doors and demand what is going on, but I knew better.


    At some point, I felt this cold, odd sensation course through my veins. It was sickening. I just couldn¡¯t help but shake off the feeling that something was wrong.


    Barely a minuteter, the door to the theater room bursts open, and one of the doctors walks up to me. He has blood all over his gloves and coat. When his eyes lock with mine, I catch a hint of fear shing within them. He clears his throat and tries to keep hisposure while walking up to me.


    ¡°Hello, who are you to the patient?¡± He asks, and I grimace. Does it matter who I am? I literally brought her in here with my own hands!


    ¡°My mate.¡± I deadpan. ¡°Where is she? Is she good now? How long will it take her to recover? Is she awake now?¡± I throw all these questions at him, and he does nothing but stare at me. The growl that leaves my lips is angry. ¡°Speak, damn it!¡± I snap, my voice bouncing off the walls and shaking the foundation of this building.


    He gulps, then takes a step back. ¡°I am sorry,¡± he says, and I wonder if he is apologizing because he is wasting my time or because of something else.


    My eyelids narrow to slits. ¡°Sorry for what?¡±


    He blinks up at me, then swallows. ¡°We lost her. I am sorry, but she¡¯s gone.¡±


    Silence.


    Panic overtakes his features, and he looks at me as though I were some monster ready to take his life. He puts a bit more distance between us, then shakily adds, ¡°She was losing a lot of blood, and her heart rate was already greatly declining when you brought her in.¡±


    The man flies across the hair and ms his back on the wall. He falls on the floor with a grunt, and it takes me a second to realize that it was I who pushed him out of the way. I must have used a bit more strength than expected. I don¡¯t care anyway.


    I storm into the dark theater, my eyes searching frantically for her, and when they do find her, it is as though every fiber of my being has frozen. My heart felt like it hade to a standstill in my chest as I gazed upon her pale figure. The doctors ce a white sheet above her, and just as they are about to cover her face with the cloth, my growl cuts through the air.


    They are all startled by my presence, staring at me with wide, frightened eyes. I storm up to them with a murderous rage, and even then, one of them dares to stand in my way. ¡°Sir, I am sorry, but you can¡¯t.¡±


    I push him out of the way, not wanting to hear the rubbish he has to say. ¡°Get out of my way!¡± I roar, and they all do so without hesitation. Because the next person to stand in my way will be the next person they¡¯ll be covering with a white cloth.


    I stand above Aira¡¯s pale form and shake my head in disbelief. For the first time in my life, I feel a sting in my eyes as tears blur my vision. There were so many emotions swirling within me, and it was driving me crazy. All this hurt, all this pain, all this anger, and all this all this rage It was all boiling within me, and I felt as though I was about to explode.


    My breathing bes more shallow as I stare at her face, which grows paler and paler by the second; she wasn¡¯t moving at all. She wasn¡¯t breathing.


    ¡°What the hell are you dying for? Wake the fuck up!¡± I snap, cing my hand above her chest and performing CPR. I pump her chest, then push air into her lungs through her lips. I repeat my actions over and over again, and I do not care for how long.


    I sense one of the doctorse up behind me and ce a shaky hand on my shoulder. ¡°I know this is hard to ept, but she is gone. She isn¡¯ting back.¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck away from me!¡± I snap, and he takes his hand off my shoulder as though I were a fire that had just burned him. I continue to perform CPR on Aira, my eyes remaining trained on her as I wait for some response.


    There are none.


    I see something drop on her face, and it takes me a moment to realize they were my tears.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me; you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You give my life purpose and fill it with so much light. Pleasee back to me, my love. Please!¡± I plead, not caring how shaky and weak my voice has be.


    I almost did not believe that voice was my own.


    Performing another round of CPR, I push air into her lungs onest time. But this time my lips linger on hers a bit longer.


    Please, Aira¡­ I need you. Come back.


    I feel something soft go through my hair, and my heart freezes. Slowly, I lift my lips from Aira¡¯s to meet her open eyes and bright smile.


    ¡°You really are very cheesy,¡± she chuckles.


    The whispers and gasps of the doctors and nurses fill the room.


    ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Her heart stopped for a whole five minutes.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle.¡±


    I don¡¯t know why I had expected the tears to stop, but they only fell more. I scoop her into my arms and hold her tightly to my chest. I run my hand through her hair as I litter her face with kisses.


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.¡± I repeat, holding her even tighter.


    She groans, ¡°Alex, I have many stab wounds.¡±


    Immediately, I loosen my grip, but I don¡¯t let her go. I ce onest kiss on her head and say, ¡°Thank you foring back,¡± and she smiles at me.


    ¡°I will alwayse back to you.¡±

 Chapter 45: Scars

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The beeping of the heart monitor is the only indicator that I am still alive.


    Alex Hands has been holding mine for days, not even hours. Days. At this point, it is safe to say that my hands are aching.


    Ever since I opened my eyes to find him crying above me and begging me toe back, he wouldn¡¯t leave my side. He has been holding my hand as though if he were to ever let go, I would disappear.


    There were a couple of times I tried to free myself from his grasp, but his grip on my hand only tightened. He is sitting on the chair beside my bed with his head and arm on the edge of my bed. I think he is asleep. But even when I tried to move or adjust myself, he would hold onto me like a scared child, afraid to let go of his mother¡¯s hand.


    After much effort, I give up and decide to let him hold onto me until he is ready to let go. I doubt that will be anytime soon. But he was super helpful, if I am to admit it. I had a bit of trouble moving at all. You know, considering I have seven stab wounds all over my torso.


    Alex would often send the guards to go get us some food, and even before I ate, Alex would test it out first for any poison or something. He became so paranoid it was crazy. He would spring into action at the slightest unsuspecting sound, and it bothered me. He has not gotten much sleep for the past week we have been here.


    I keep telling him not to worry, especially with the fact that he had more than half of our security watching every inch and corner of this hospital. But he still wouldn¡¯t listen to me.


    He would often carry me to the bathroom whenever I needed to use it, and I couldn¡¯t deny that, at some point, it became so embarrassing. Even in the middle of the night, when he would finally be shutting his eyes to get a few minutes of sleep, I would need to use it and have to wake him up.


    It was pathetic.


    But somehow, he didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    I have to say that Alex has changed a lot from the first day I met him. He is no longer that angry, arrogant, disrespectful asshole I was forced to kneel before all those months ago. Now he is one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my entire life. I am grateful for him.


    If I had one reason for being scared of death, it was because I was scared of leaving him. Especially with Ana. I would be damned if I ever let that happen.


    My eyes remain glued to the ceiling. Listening to the gentle beeping of the heart monitor as it cuts through the silence. If that sound is to ever seize, then so am I. I wonder what would happen then. Where would I go?


    My mind reys the scene of Ana holding the dagger just above my chest. That brief moment where our eyes locked, that moment where I thought she wouldn¡¯t do it, that moment I thought she would realize the gravity of what she was about to do to the girl that has been by her side all her life would dawn on her.


    But instead, I saw nothing but joy and relief because she would finally be getting rid of me.


    I should have known after she left me alone in the woods with those men that night that she had always wanted me gone. Jace never threatened her. She always wanted me dead.


    And she nearly seeded. Again.


    But this time, it was my fault. She used my love and kindness toward her against me. She used the hope that I had that some day we would be the sisters I have always dreamed of being.


    Never again.


    All those dreams and hopes I had for Ana¡¯s redemption are gone. I have tolerated her cruelty all through our childhood, just for the sake of our parents. But now I don¡¯t have to anymore. There is no saving Ana. She needs to be stopped.


    For good.


    The door to my room opens, and Alex¡¯s head snaps in its direction. He is in defense mode, and my heart shatters at the sight of how disheveled he looks. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine what he must have gone through after seeing me like that with various stab wounds and unconscious on the floor.


    He has always felt ipetent for being unable to protect me when I was in danger. It is no wonder he has been unable to let go of my hand. I feel quite bad for Ana; once she knows that I am alive, I am certain that she wille for me.


    And unlikest time, she won¡¯t seed.


    Because now the monster in Alex is out, and he is not happy.


    He snarls at our visitor, and the doctor raises his hands in surrender. ¡°Ie in peace; I just came to check her vitals.¡±


    I nod for him toe forward, but Alex doesn¡¯t take his eyes off the poor doctor. I can tell that the poor man felt incredibly ufortable beneath the possibly paranoid alpha¡¯s gaze, but he did what he had to nheless.


    After writing thest bit of detail on his checkboard, he nods in approval. ¡°I am impressed, Aira. You have been recovering a lot faster than we anticipated.¡±


    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Of course it is a good thing, especially since it means you can go home now,¡± he says, and I smile at him in appreciation.


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that a bit too soon? She can¡¯t even walk,¡± Alex says, and the doctor slowly raises a brow.


    ¡°She can¡¯t walk, or you won¡¯t let her walk?¡± The doctor asks him, and Alex responds with a venomous growl. The poor man quickly adds, ¡°I am just saying that she should at least try to.¡± He turns to me and nods for me to go ahead.


    I take a deep breath and rise slowly from my bed. My feet met the cold tiled floor for the first time in a week. It feels strange. When I am finally on my own two feet, my legs wobble a bit. Alex appears by my side in a sh, as though he was ready to catch me if I fall.


    How poetic.


    I take a few steps, groaning at the slight pain in my chest. But the more I begin to walk, the easier it bes.


    It¡¯s a miracle.


    Spinning on my heel, I meet Alex and the doctor¡¯s eyes with a wide smile.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand; it is almost as though nothing happened,¡± I say, and the doctor nods in agreement.


    ¡°It is a miracle indeed, and I must tell you that you are really special. I know patients that would have taken months to recover from the same injuries you have sustained,¡± he pauses. ¡°You are lucky.¡±


    I suppose I am.


    I just hope my luck doesn¡¯t run out when I need it the most.


    Even after seeing that I can walk, Alex still scoops me into his arms and takes me out of the hospital. He gives the order to our men to scout out the route we would use to return home. He also makes sure to tighten security back home before we finally hit the road.


    ¡°Ready to go?¡± he asks, and I nod. He takes me out of the hospital in his arms, and as we step out, I am in awe at the line of men leading up to our car. They all bow their heads in submission as Alex and I walk past them. He ces me in the car and steps in with me. The driver fires up the engine, and we are escorted by a convoy back to the mansion.


    The speed at which they took the roads nearly gave me a heart attack. But on the bright side, we arrived in just a matter of minutes. Alex opened the door, and just when he was about to pick me up, I ced my hand in front of him to stop him.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°I can walk, you know?¡± I say, and he meets my eyes. The way his lips lift into a dashing grin makes my heart flutter.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Then he proceeds to pick me up and carry me into the mansion. He makes his way up to his room and ces me on the bed. He sps his hands together and asks, ¡°Do you want anything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A very nice long bath,¡± I say, and he nods.


    ¡°I will go get the bath ready,¡± he says before making his way into the bathroom. Once he disappears through the door, I use the opportunity to get back on my feet. I take off the hospital gown I have been wearing for the past week, and my eyes catch my reflection in Alex¡¯s mirror.


    I almost burst out in tears.


    Yes, it is true that I was miraculously healed, but there are scars littering almost every inch of my torso. My fists clench with rage.


    You did this to me, Ana.


    ¡°Alright, the bath is¡­¡± Alex pauses as he steps out of the bathroom; his eyes fall on the scars on my torso. ¡°Ready.¡± He finishes.


    I tear my gaze away from his, embarrassment creeping into my heart. I try to shield some of my scars, but he moves my hands away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he whispers, cing a gentle hand on my cheek.


    ¡°I look terrible,¡± I whisper, still not able to meet his gaze.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± he says, and our eyes lock. He ces a swift kiss on my lips before crouching down a bit. He ces a kiss on the scar on my chest and every other scar on my torso. ¡°Even with these.¡±


    Tears well up in my eyes, and I kiss him once more. This time, the kiss is more passionate and a bit more reckless. He hurriedly took off his clothes and carried me into the bathroom. Our lips never leave each other as we make sweet love in the bathroom.


    He kissed, sucked, and pleasured every inch of my body. All while whispering sweet nothings into my ears. It was by far one of the best moments I have ever had with him.


    Or anyone, for that matter.


    When we finally get out of the shower, he helps me into a warm set of pajamas, and Iy back down on the bed. As he wears his clothes, I pick up the phone from the dresser.


    ¡°I need to call in work,¡± I tell Alex, and he nods in agreement.


    I can¡¯t believe I haven¡¯t thought about this ever since. I mean, I just disappeared without a trace. I need to exin what is going on, and I will probably be absent for a while. I dial Aurora¡¯s number, and she picks up on the second ring.


    ¡°Hey, Aurora. I am so sorry I have been absenttely; I had a bit of an ident,¡± I say. What she says next has my eyelids twitching.


    ¡°What do you mean? You just left the office about ten minutes ago.¡±

 Chapter 46: It’s over

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Alex, stop!¡±


    I grab my fuming mate¡¯s wrist, and he spins on his heel. His eyes, which zed with fury, meet mine, and I wonder if I made the right decision by telling him what Aurora had just told me. I suppose he would have found out sooner orter.


    His eyelids narrow to slits, and he yanks his wrist free from my grasp. ¡°Don¡¯t, Aira. Don¡¯t even try to stop me again! I am so sick and tired of you letting that creature you call a sister walk all over you. She tried to kill you! And might I add that she nearly seeded too?¡± His eyes grow harder, and I watch a vein pop out of his temple. His face grew a shade redder, and I realized that I had never seen him so angry before. ¡°Now you want to let her slowly take over yourpany?¡±


    ¡°I am not letting her take over mypany!¡± I snapped, offended that he would think that I was that na? ve and stupid.


    ¡°Then why do you stop me?¡± He growls, and I sigh.


    ¡°Because you are not thinking straight right now. If you go into mypany, you are going to throw tantrums and cause a scene. I assure you that Ana isn¡¯t there anymore. She wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to remain in the same ce posing as me for a long time. If you stormed in there, you would only end up putting everyone in a panic. I am sorry, but I can¡¯t let you do that.¡± I finish, and he pinches his eyes shut.


    ¡°Fine, then what do you suggest we do?¡± He asks, running his fingers through his hair while he paces the room.


    ¡°We have to be more discreet about this. We need to set out a trap for Ana, one that she wouldn¡¯t be able to easily detect or escape from,¡± I say just before I receive a notification on my phone.


    My blood runs cold.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Alex asks, noticing the change in my expression. He takes my phone from my hands when I don¡¯t say anything and reads through the message. His eyes shed a menacing shade of amber, but only this time; his anger was in no waypared to mine.


    On that screen was a notification that five million dors had just been transferred from my business ount and into some Herbert Crawshaw. I have no doubt that this is a fake ount, and my money would only end up being transferred somewhere else.


    There is only one person capable of doing this.


    Alex hands me back my phone and shakes his head in disbelief. ¡°Whatever your n is, I hope it is a fast one. Because I assure you that in a matter of days, this woman is going to take everything from you. Again.¡±


    And I would be damned if I let that happen.


    The corners of my lips lift, and he looks at me cautiously. If I didn¡¯t know better, I almost would have thought he was scared. Everyone better be because the Aira they all knew is dead.


    This one is not one to be messed with. I will show the world exactly who the evil twin is.


    Alexander¡¯s POV


    Two dayster¡­


    Eugenia Hotel and Suites.


    One of the most expensive and tallest hotels in the city. It has over fifty floors, with a penthouse right at the very top. It is known to host the city¡¯s most extravagant balls and has the biggest investment tform as well. The rich and famous alwayse here; it was the best ce to catch the eyes of the public.


    I step out of my limousine and instantly put on my shades. The shing of the paparazzi¡¯s cameras was more than enough to blind me if faced with the naked eye. Adjusting my ck suit jacket, I walk down the red carpet with my shoulders squared and my head high.


    The pressmen all tried to shove their microphones into my mouth, but thanks to security and barriers, they were unable to do so. But that didn¡¯t stop them from bombarding me with questions.


    ¡°Alpha Alexander, you are looking quite dashing tonight. Could you tell us what or who inspired this outfit?¡±


    ¡°How are you feeling about tonight¡¯s event?¡±


    ¡°Alexander, you seem to havee here alone tonight. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Where is Aira? Wouldn¡¯t she be attending?¡± Someone asks, and my feete to a halt.


    ¡°She had a few business trips to make in Switzend. But she will be here in time for the event,¡± I say, and they proceed to ask me more questions. Unfortunately, that is the only question I am in the mood to answer.


    Ascending the steps leading to the grand banquet, I keep my eyes trained on the floor. When I get to the top, the security guarding the two golden doors bows at me before opening them for me. Instantly, the chattering of the guests and the music fill my ears.


    Stepping into the nicely air-conditioned hall, I take in the sight before me. Everything and everyone screamed luxury and power. On a normal day, I wouldn¡¯t even bother honoring invitations to social events like these, but unfortunately for me, Aira insisted that I attend.


    I don¡¯t even understand what it is that woman is doing to me. She is changing me, and I don¡¯t know if I am angry or relieved by that.


    As I mix myself into the crowd, a couple of alphas and noblese up to me to talk to me about politics and other territorial matters. I would be lying if I said I actually felt interested in anything that left their lips. I just wanted this night to be over.


    My eyes lock with a familiar pair of hazel eyes. Her lips lift into a wide smile when they do, and she rushes over to me, wrapping her arms around my torso. I do the same and ce a kiss on the top of her forehead.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± I say, and we pull away a bit, our hands still sped together.


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I am sorry, there was a bit of traffic around the airport,¡± she says, and I nod in understanding. We went about the rest of the event by socializing with the others, and it was safe to say I was already feeling exhausted.


    A waiter in a dark suit walks up to us and says, ¡°Alpha Alexander, Aira, and Alpha Reinard are requesting your presence in the penthouse.¡± He says this, and her eyes widen.


    ¡°Alpha Reinard?¡± she asks, and the waiter nods. Her shock and excitement are understandable considering that Alpha Reinard is known to be the most powerful alpha in the state, as well as having the biggest territory and the most deadly defense. He heads one of the most lethal packs in the world.


    Personally, I think his reputation precedes him.


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go,¡± I say, taking her hand and leading her up to the elevator. Once the door opens, I push the button for the penthouse.


    ¡°What do you think Alpha Reinard would want with us?¡± she asks me, and I shrug.


    ¡°I have been proposing that we join forces. He will supply a few rounds of ammunition to us while I give him more of our medics and a fraction of ournd. I have been trying to get him to respond for a while now,¡± I say, and her mouth forms an o shape.


    ¡°I suppose he has finallye up with a fancy idea,¡± she says, and I hum.


    ¡°Of course he has, and that is all because of you,¡± I say, smiling down at her.


    ¡°Me?¡± she asks, her eyebrows shooting to the top of her head.


    I nod. ¡°You have been in the spotlight for quite some time now. Everyone has grown curious about you; they want to know you. Some might even fancy you. So yes, all of this is because of you.¡± I pause and take her face in my hands. ¡°So thank you.¡±


    For a moment, her eyes search mine, probably to decipher whether I am being serious or not. Slowly, a small, shaky smile lifts her lips, and she says, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    The elevator doors part, and we step into the penthouse. She takes a look around and grimaces. ¡°Where is Reinard?¡± she asks, and I say nothing. She spins on her heel to meet my eyes, and a moment of silence passes between us.


    Her eyes widen in realization.


    ¡°You know,¡± she says in a whisper, and I grin. A figurees up from behind me, and she grows pale.


    ¡°Hello, sister,¡± Aira says from my side, a cocky smirk on her lips as she eyes Ana.


    She takes a step back, and her eyes nce from me to Aira. ¡°I don¡¯t understand; I made sure your flight was dyed so you wouldn¡¯t get here. How are you here?¡± Ana pauses, then meets my eyes. ¡°You knew it was me the whole time, yet you acted so well, even in the end.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was all part of my n,¡± Aira says, walking up to Ana slowly. ¡°You see, I knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy to track you. The only way I could get you out is by throwing a ball where you know you will meet powerful people and coerce them into being on your side. You have always been a gold digger, so I knew you just would not be able to resist.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Ana¡¯s eyes harden. ¡°But your flight-¡±


    ¡°I never went on any flight; that was just a decoy. The only way to ensure that you wille out is by making sure I am as far away from the scene as possible so you can pretend to be me as long as you want.¡± Aira takes another step towards Ana, her eyes so cold that I could have sworn they looked terribly alike at that moment. ¡°It¡¯s over, Ana.¡±


    A bitter snort leaves Ana¡¯s lips, and I notice her y with the ring on her finger a bit more than usual. ¡°We will see about that. So what¡¯s the n now? Arrest me? torture me?¡±  She throws her head back and releases a bitterugh. ¡°You know you are incapable of doing anything to hurt me. You are just too weak,¡± she seethes, and for a moment I catch her eyes. she grins.  ¡°And that is what will cause your downfall.¡±


    It took me a second to realize, but it was toote.


    Before I could spin on my heel or dodge the attack, the knife was plunged into my back, and my body was engulfed in pain.


    ¡°Alex- ah!¡± My eyes snap up to find Aira getting knocked down by Ana as she takes out a dagger from beneath her dress.


    Not again!


    I try to get the dagger in my back, but my attacker only shoves it deeper into my spine. ¡°You have no idea how long I have waited for this.¡± Instantly, I recognize the voice, and my eyes re with rage.


    Jace.


    ¡°Not so tough now, are you?¡± He snickers in my ear, and I groan as he continues to twist the dagger in my back. I manage to lift my gaze to find Airand a sharp blow on Ana¡¯s face. The cracking of bones fills the air, and Ana screams out in pain.


    ¡°I am going to kill you!¡± Ana screams, then shes her dagger across Aira¡¯s face. Her cries of pain fill my ears, and that is when I snap.


    An outraged roar leaves my lips, and I twist my body around tond a solid blow on Jace¡¯s face. I use the moment he uses to recover to pull the dagger out of my back. I stalk up to him, and his eyes widen with horror.


    He tries to punch me, but I catch his fist mid-air and twist it at a 180-degree angle. He screams at the top of his lungs, but I grab his throat so tight that it seizes. When his eyes lock with mine, I see the fear in them.


    ¡°And you have no idea how long I have waited for this.¡±


    Then I jammed the dagger into his skull. I drop his body on the floor and rush to Aira¡¯s aid. But I was toote. The minute I spin around, my eyes fall on both of them falling over the balcony edge.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Their screams fill my ears, but then they suddenly stop.


    Hurriedly, I rush over to the edge, and the first thing I see is Ana¡¯s bodyying in a pool of blood thousands of feet below me.


    The sound of groaning fills my ears, and my eyesnd on Aira, holding onto the edge with her dear life. Our eyes lock, and I reach out my hand for her to take. When she does, I pull her over the edge and into my arms.


    Relief washes over me as I shower her with kisses. Holding her tightly to me, I nuzzle into her hair as she sobs into my chest. Caressing her hair softly, I say,


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We did it. It¡¯s all over now.¡±

 Chapter 47: Goodbye, Ana.

    Aira¡¯s POV


    It was not okay.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Nothing was okay.


    I just murdered my very own sister. There is a tornado of emotions inside of me, and I did not know which one of them to feel. As I stared at my sister¡¯s bodyying hundreds of feet beneath us in a pool of her own blood, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ept that she was really gone.


    But I knew she was.


    Her face, so simr to mine, has stters of blood all over it. Her eyes, which have been the only difference between us, stare up at the heavens,pletely void of life. She really is gone.


    I feel a gentle hand on my back, and I am instantly filled with warmth. But the warmth thaws the ice within me, and all the tears begin to fall. My shoulders tremble as the sting in my eyes bes immense. I still could not take my eyes off Ana¡¯s corpse.


    My grip on the edge tightens, and my teeth clench with rage and hurt. ¡°I killed her, Alex. I killed my own sister,¡± I say with trembling lips.


    He tears me away from the edge and takes me into his chest. He caresses my hair all while hushing me. ¡°It¡¯s okay; it wasn¡¯t your fault. If you hadn¡¯t, then she would have killed you,¡± he says, but for some reason, that doesn¡¯t make me feel any better.


    My n after cornering Ana up here was to detain her. I wanted to take her somewhere far away from here and lock her up. I wanted us to have asional visits while I assigned a therapist to her because I knew her hatred for me was not normal. I thought it could be cured.


    When I told Alex this aspect of my n, he looked at me like I was crazy. I knew he found it hard to believe that Ana could ever be redeemed, but for God¡¯s sake, what else could I have done? Killing her was never on my agenda.


    I do not know how long I have my face buried in his chest, and neither do I care. He doesn¡¯t seem to mind either; Alex just stands there, caressing my hair while I soak his shirt with my tears. From the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Jace¡¯s body. I do not know why, but I am incapable of feeling anything as I stare at his corpse.


    Yes, it is true that I have loved Jace for many years. But at the end of the day, he was just a guy. A guy who cheated on me until he became nothing but a stranger.


    But Ana was family, my sister. I never cared when I found out we were actually cousins; she will always be my sister at heart. If things had been different, if the treatment I wanted to get her had actually worked out, I wonder if maybe we would have been the sisters I had always dreamed we would be.


    I would have helped her build an empire of her own, and we would have seeded side by side.


    But she just had to hate me with everything in her. why?  Why did my very own sister hate me more than anyone else in this world?


    The scream of a woman pierces through the air, forcing Alex and me apart. I look over the edge to find people gathering Ana¡¯s body.


    ¡°Oh my God, she is dead!¡±


    ¡°She must have fallen off the top.¡±


    ¡°Someone call an ambnce!¡±


    ¡°Someone call the damn police!¡±


    ¡°We have to leave,¡± Alex says, taking my hand and leading me out of the penthouse. As we take the elevator down, he makes a few calls to security and our driver. ¡°Keep your head down,¡± Alex tells me just before the elevator doors open.


    Four guards appear by our side and escort us out of the hotel. I can hear the bustling of people and cameras clicking. They are taking pictures of Ana¡¯s corpse.


    I dare to make the mistake of lifting my gaze. My curiosity got the better of me. The press surrounded my sister, and soon the paramedics arrived. I do not know why, but I was suddenly ovee with rage.


    The urge to scream at them to get away from her was so great. But Alex grabs my wrist to stop me.


    ¡°I promise that I will uncover the body, and we will give her a proper burial. But we need to get you out of here first, okay?¡± He whispers to me, and I take onest nce at the scene. At this point, I can barely see her anymore; she is surrounded by so many strangers, talking and taking pictures of her body.


    I threw my gaze away from the scene, but it was toote.


    ¡°Oh my God, isn¡¯t that Aira?¡±


    ¡°Wait, there are two of them??!¡±


    Half of the members of the presse to surround me, but Alex makes sure that they don¡¯te anywhere close to me. The guards aid him, and all five of them act as my shield as they lead me down to the waiting car.


    ¡°Are you Aira? Who is that dead woman over there?¡±


    ¡°Are both of you sisters?¡±


    ¡°Can you tell us what happened before she fell?¡±


    ¡°Did you kill your own sister?¡±


    ¡°Tell us what is going on, Miss Kingston.¡±


    I ignore all their questions and hop into the car. Alex gets in beside me, and the driver zooms out of the hotel and back to our home in no time. During the drive, I do nothing but stare at the outside world through the window. I can feel Alex¡¯s eyes on me asionally, but I do not bother to spare him a nce.


    I believe that if I even spark a bit of emotion in me, I will break down all over again. So the drive is silent.


    When we arrive home, I step out of the car without saying a word. Before I go inside, I hear Alex say, ¡°I am going back to get her body.¡±


    I say nothing in response to that and just head inside. Once I get to my room, there is a moment of silence. And then I finally lost it.


    Without thinking, I grab a nearby vase and smash it against the wall with a scream. It shatters into a million pieces, just like my heart. I press my back against the hard wood and slide down to the floor, allowing the tears to cascade down my face.


    Most might consider me a fool for mourning the girl who has tried to take my life several times.


    But in reality, I am just heartbroken that my sister is gone.     I stare at the gravestone with a nk expression. At this point, I am certain I have shed every drop of tears I had. Now it is the day of Ana¡¯s burial, and I have no more tears left. Alex and the guards stand a few feet behind me, watching me.


    I hate how they all acted like I was some ticking time bomb about to explode, let alone for too long.


    My eyes remained glued to the words on Ana¡¯s gravestone, and I wonder what I should do now. I think this is the part where I am supposed to make a speech, but I am short on words.


    ¡°Can you please give me a moment?¡± I ask, my voice barely a whisper, but I am confident Alex heard me. I hear their footsteps get further and further away until I can no longer sense their presence.


    Clearing my throat, I say, ¡°Um, hi Ana. It¡¯s me, you know, the sister that killed you,¡± I say, thenugh lightly, even though there is pretty much nothing funny about the situation. I swallow. ¡°I am sorry. I don¡¯t really know why I am apologizing to you, even though you tried to kill me several times. I mean, I knew you always hated me when we were kids, but I never knew it was this much.¡±


    The words on the gravestone start to blur, and my voice bes shaky. My heart rate increases, and I notice the warmth of the sun has disappeared. The sky is suddenly gray, and for a moment, I wonder how that is possible considering that we are still in the middle of summer.


    But what do I care? That was the least of my concerns at this moment.


    My legs grow weak, and my knees meet the green grass. cing my hand on the gravestone, I watch my tears drop onto her gravestone. But soon there will be other droplets.


    Rain.


    It starts to drizzle, and the weather bes oddly windy. My hair fans my face, and despite the coolness of the air, I feel incredibly hot, as though I am about toe down with a fever.


    My fists clench on the grass, and I swallow heavily.


    ¡°I am sorry things had to end this way. All I can do now is hope that you are finally at peace wherever you are, and you got to be with mom and dad.¡± I finish, then rise to my feet.


    As I wipe my tears away, I notice that the once-green grass that surrounded Ana¡¯s gravestone is all dead. First the change in weather, then the change in my temperature, and now this.


    How strange.


    There is a sharp sting in my head, and I havee to the conclusion that I am overthinking and just need to get some sleep. My eyes met my sister¡¯s grave onest time.


    ¡°Goodbye, Ana.¡±

 Chapter 48: Painting storms

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Come on, Aira, you can¡¯t lock yourself in here forever,¡± I hear Alex say, but I do not have it in me to respond to him. It has been a week since Ana¡¯s burial, and my phone wouldn¡¯t stop buzzing.


    I have people from work and even unknown numbers messaging and calling me, demanding to know what happened. My face, along with Ana¡¯s, is all over the news, and everything just felt absolutely suffocating. I just want to disappear, but I can¡¯t seem to go anywhere because something bad always happens to me when I am away from Alex for too long.


    But then again, what bad could possibly happen now that Ana and Jace are gone? I know that they are the only threat in my life, but I can¡¯t help but feel otherwise. I still have this unsettling feeling in me that there is something even worse lurking in the shadows.


    I suppose it is my imagination ying with me, but I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe otherwise.


    Alex¡¯s tired sigh fills my ears, and I feel very bad for him. He has been by my side ever since this whole sh*t went down. He was doing his absolute best to try to cheer me up, but for some reason, it just wasn¡¯t enough.


    There is this hollowness in my heart that I just can¡¯t get rid of, no matter how hard I try. It is a strange feeling, and it is simr to what I felt that day I kneeled before Ana¡¯s grave. I still couldn¡¯t shake my head over what happened that day.


    There hasn¡¯t been a drop of rain or any strange wind since that day. I was almost starting to believe that it was me that brought about that weather. Now I am starting to sound crazy.


    How could I possibly control the weather? I am nothing but an ordinary girl. I don¡¯t even have a wolf.


    Alex¡¯s approaching footsteps fill my ears, and I feel the bed sink beside me. His hand gently touches my shoulder, and I can feel his sad eyes on me. ¡°I don¡¯t like seeing you like this; just tell me what I can do to make you happy, and I will do it. I will do anything, just please. Don¡¯t be this way.¡±


    I shut my eyes after hearing his words, and my heart clenched. Honestly, I do not know what I did to deserve him. He has literally turned into one of the kindest men alive, at least towards me. He still acted pretty much in the same manner toward others.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do, Alex. I just want to be left alone,¡± I mutter, and there is a moment of silence. Something happens in my chest when he ces a kiss on my temple.


    ¡°You will never be alone as long as you have me. but I will give you some space if that¡¯s what you really want,¡± he says, and I hear him get off the bed. ¡°I will be downstairs if you need me.¡±


    His footsteps slowly fade away, and the door shuts shortly after. A sigh leaves my lips as I snuggle into my nket even more. I have no idea how long I will remain in bed, but I sure as hell knew that I would not be getting up anytime soon.


    A knockes from the door, and I groan. ¡°I said I want to be alone, Alex!¡± I say it loud enough for him to hear from the other side.


    The door opens, and a voice I didn¡¯t expect fills my ears. ¡°Well, then it¡¯s a good thing I am not Alex.¡±


    I sit up quickly, and my eyes meet a familiar pair of warm eyes. Tears instantly brimmed my eyes.


    ¡°Camille.¡±


    She smiles sweetly at me as she walks up to the bed. We engulf each other in a warm hug, and I fear that I may be holding onto her a little bit too tight, judging by the way she groaned. ¡°I am sorry.¡± I apologize as soon as I let her go.


    She chuckles lightly and waves her hand dismissively. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she says, then takes my hands into her soft, warm ones.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What are you doing here? How did you even know where this ce was?¡± I ask her, and she smiles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but that husband of yours managed to track me down. I suppose he thought I would have better luck cheering you up,¡± she says. I want to correct her and tell her that Alex isn¡¯t my husband, but for some reason I don¡¯t.


    I kind of like it, if I am to be honest.


    Camille catches my eye and asks, ¡°Can you follow me outside?¡±


    I want to tell her that I would rather stay indoors but something about the way she looks at me keeps me from doing that. So I just nod.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    She helps me out of bed and leads me out of the room. As I descend the stairs with her, my eyes fall on Alex at the bottom of the stairs. He has a bowl of pasta in his hand and ispletely shirtless. He shoots me a wink, and I shoot him a suspicious re.


    What is going on?


    Camille leads me out of the house and down to the garden. I am surprised to find a table set out with a nk canvas and paint on top of it. As we approach it, my eyebrows crease with confusion.


    Camille must have sensed my confusion because she says, ¡°I must have failed to mention that your father was a painter. I was the one who ignited his love for art when we were kids, but as we grew older, he became even more exceptional than I, and it was my greatest pride.¡± She gestures to the seat facing hers, and I take it.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to paint,¡± I tell her, and she nods.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to, or you have never tried?¡± She asks, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of my head.


    ¡°If I have never painted before, how will I know how to do it? I cant just magically be good at something,¡± I tell her and she smiles at me like she knows something I do not.


    ¡°That is what we call talent my dear. To be naturally good at something. When we lost our parents, you father would disappear into the woods with his canvas and paint his days away. It helped him manage his emotions and express himself in the only way he knew how,¡± she says then ces a hand above mine. ¡°My dear, art isn¡¯t always a graphical representation of something. It¡¯s an expression, just let go and let the brush do the talking.¡±


    My gaze falls on the canvas and paint. Picking up the brush, I dip it into some ck paint, and as Camille would say, I let the brush do the talking. It felt as though my hand had grown a separate mind of its own as it painted away on the canvas.


    I feel the weight on my shoulders suddenly lessen. Something about the way my hand just moved with the paint was just so rxing. At the end of it all, I stared at my work with wide eyes.


    I drew the night sky.


    ¡°This is actually very beautiful,¡± I mutter, staring at my work with surprise.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the oue, sweetheart; it¡¯s about how you feel during and after the oue,¡± she says, and a small smile graces my lips.


    Then it disappears when a thoughtes to mind.


    ¡°You said my father had other siblings the night we met; where are they?¡±


    Her face falls, and she grows incredibly pale.


    Oh no.


    She stares at her canvas for some time without saying a word. The silence made me incredibly ufortable. ¡°Camille?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where they are,¡± she whispers, and something about the way she says it makes me feel like she doesn¡¯t even want to know. She meets my eyes, and what she says next causes an ufortable feeling to course through me.


    ¡°But no matter what, if there is ever a day you encounter any of them, run.¡±

 Chapter 49: Home

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to leave,¡± I whine like a child as I pout my lips. Alex clearly ignores me and carries on with his packing. I continue, hoping to get my point across, even though I knew it would be pointless. He seems to have already made up his mind. ¡°Remember, I own one of thergest empires in the city; I can¡¯t just abandon it.¡±


    Alex stops, then sighs. ¡°My God, you are frustrating,¡± he says, and I frown. He walks up to me and takes my face in his hands. The way he looks into my eyes makes me instantly melt, and for a second, I forget what it is we were actually talking about.


    His voice is soft, and he speaks to me as though he is speaking to a child. ¡°We are not abandoning anything, but we have to go back. You can¡¯t forget that I am an alpha and I have a pack to run. We have stayed here a lot longer than intended. And besides, it¡¯s just a two-hour drive; you can being like two or three times a week if your physical presence is needed at yourpany.¡±


    I part my lips to say something, but he silences me by saying, ¡°And no, I am not leaving you here. That is not an option. You are mine, and wherever I go, you go.¡±


    My lips seal shut. ¡°Fine,¡± I grumble. ¡°Let me just give Aurora a few calls,¡± I say, and he shoots me a cocky smile. He knew that he would always get what he wanted.


    I ce a call to Aurora and give her an order on what she should and shouldn¡¯t do until I get back. After that, I join Alex downstairs, and we hop into the car. The drive back to the pce started off quietly. For some reason, Alex wanted to be the one to drive, but we were still led by a convoy.


    asionally, I would feel his eyes on me, and I just knew he wanted to say something but didn¡¯t. The silence would have beenforting if he didn¡¯t keep opening and shutting his mouth like a fish out of water.


    A sigh leaves my lips, and I ask, ¡°What do you want to say, Alex?¡±


    He looks at me like he is unsure of whether he wants to say it or not. I have never seen Alex uncertain before; he is always assertive and has sound judgment. Now, he is just so different. I am not sure whether I like it or not.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± is what he asks after a moment of silence.


    ¡°Yeah, I am fine. Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± I ask him, and he looks at me like I should know the answer to that question.


    Nevertheless, he says, ¡°Well, I just wanted to know how you are feeling about the whole thing. You haven¡¯t cried since that aunt of yours came, and you have taken an unusual liking to painting. I just want to be sure if it¡¯s a good thing or if I need to be worried.¡±


    My eyes stay focused on the road ahead as I think of the best way to answer him. ¡°Yeah, my sudden liking for painting is unusual. I can¡¯t exin it, but it helps with the pain. I mean by a great deal. Don¡¯t get me wrong, the ache is still there, but whenever I paint it, it just disappears for a while.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s subsiding or are you just shoving all of it into a bottle?¡± he asks, and I purse my lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I say honestly, and he hums.


    ¡°I envy you,¡± he says, and I look at him with confusion.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°After the incident with my mother and Jared, I had no one to talk to about it. I didn¡¯t have anything to do that would help reduce the pain. I just stayed locked up in my room for days, crying and praying that I would somehow stop breathing and just die. I kept feeling that I should have been the one to take their ce. None of them deserved it.¡±


    My heart shatters at his words. He stares nkly at the road ahead, but I knew that there was so much hurt buried deep within him. cing my hand on his own on the gear, I feel him grow tense. He doesn¡¯t take his eyes off the road, but I knew he wanted to. But for now, I just need his ear.


    ¡°You did not deserve to die either, Alex. You were just a kid,¡± I whisper, and his jaw clenches.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t matter. I could have stopped that ident from happening, but I didn¡¯t, and it cost me my mother. Ever since that day, the pain just wouldn¡¯t go away. But one day, I stopped crying. I resumed my training and tutorials a week after her death. I mean, there wasn¡¯t any time to waste. I would be taking over the pack soon, and I needed to be as prepared as possible.¡± He finishes.


    As I stared at him, I could have sworn I watched his eyes ze over. That child is still in him. The child still wants to reach out to someone, he still wants a warm hug, and he still wants to cry.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many years it has been, Alex. If you still want to cry, then cry. The difference between now and then is that you have a shoulder to do it on,¡± I tell him, and he smiles tightly at the road.


    ¡°I am not really good atforting people. But yeah, if you, um, want to cry too, I can give you a couple of taps on the back to help you calm down,¡± he says, and I throw my head back, a loudugh bursting from my lips.


    A ghost of a smile lifts his lips, and he shakes his head in disbelief. cing a hand over my chest, I say, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    The rest of the drive back to the pce is spent in silence once again. But the difference between then and now is that the silence is peaceful.


    When we finally arrived at the pce, I couldn¡¯t help the smile that lifted my lips. Now this is where I call home. It¡¯s funny how I have been nearly killed several times, cried the hardest, and been abused the hardest within these four walls. Yet I still call it home.


    Alex helps me out of the car, and as soon as he shuts the door behind me, a loud squeal pierces through the air. The second the familiar voice fills my ears, my heart is ted, and a joy I didn¡¯t know I was capable of feeling, especially during a time like this, fills me.


    ¡°Aira, you are home!¡±


    Spinning on my heel, I find Ca sprinting down the front porch and towards me with a speed that was a bit concerning to me. If she falls, I am certain she will knock out a few teeth.


    As she makes her way towards me, I cannot help but notice how different she looks. And I mean in a good way. Her hair has been cut up to shoulder length, her face is a lot chubbier now, and her skin is glowing. I suppose that would happen when the ruthless alpha king isn¡¯t around, terrorizing everyone.


    I am surprised I was knocked down on my back when she mmed into me. Ca wrapped her arms around me tightly; it was almost impossible to breathe. ¡°Oh, I have missed you so much! You have no idea! Oh, look at how beautiful you look,¡± she says, holding my face in her hands like I am some child.


    A chuckle leaves my lips. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, Ca. And you are one to talk; you are practically glowing!¡±


    She shakes her head, refusing to believe my words. ¡°Lies. Ugh! We have so much catching up to do!¡± Ca takes my hand and starts to lead me back into the pce.


    I look over my shoulder at Alex to find him smiling at me. He nods at me in confirmation to go, and I smile back at him.


    Ca takes me back to the maid¡¯s chambers, and my countenance falls. I forgot this is where it all started. I am going to miss my bed back in the mansion.


    ¡°Okay, firstly, tell me what happened on your birthday. I hope the alpha did everything I suggested that he should do,¡± she says, and a nervous chuckle leaves my lips.


    ¡°Well, unless you suggested that I should walk in with his lips on my twin sister, then yeah, I suppose he did do everything,¡± I say, and Ca¡¯s eyes grow as wide as saucers.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Okay, you are going to have to start from the second you left this ce, because what?!¡±


    The next few hours are spent talking to Ca about all that happened in the city. There are times I wouldugh at myself for some of the things that happened. Other times I would cry, and she would give me a tight hug, telling me that I didn¡¯t have to continue, but I did.


    When I finished, she shook her head with disbelief. ¡°You are by far one of the strongest women I know. You went through all of that and still returned in one piece.¡±


    ¡°Barely,¡± I snort.


    A knockes from the door, and our heads snap to the door. ¡°Come in,¡± I say, wondering who would be knocking on the door of a fucking maid¡¯s chamber. I am surprised to find Alex walking through the door.


    His eyes jump from me to Ca to the room in general. ¡°You do know you are not going to be staying here anymore, right?¡±


    My eyebrows shoot to the top of my head, and I say, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    He grunts. ¡°Well, you know now. You will be staying in my room.¡± He pauses, then looks at Ca. ¡°I need another favor from you.¡±


    ¡°And what would that be, your majesty?¡± Ca asks him.


    ¡°There is this arts gallery opening this evening. I want you to help Aira look her best,¡± Alex says, and I rear my head back.


    ¡°Um, hello? You didn¡¯t even ask me if I wanted to go,¡± I say, and he chuckles lightly.


    ¡°Bold of you to think that you have a choice,¡± he says, and I shoot him a disbelieving look.


    Ca snickers at our bickering. ¡°It would be my honor to help her get ready, your majesty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. You have one hour,¡± he says, then shoots me a wink before leaving.


    Shaking my head in disbelief. ¡°He is so frustrating.¡±


    Ca ps my hand lightly and says, ¡°No, he is so in love with you!¡±


    My cheeks heat up, and I do not say anything after that. Ca helps me get ready, and we end up taking more than an hour. There is pounding on the door, and it doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure out who is on the other side.


    ¡°We are almost done!¡± Ca yells, and the doores flying open.


    ¡°It has been two hours! What do you mean you are almost-¡± His words die in his throat as soon as his eyes meet mine through the mirror. His eyes travel up and down my figure, and I am surprised when they darken. ¡°Woah.¡±


    A cocky smirk lifts Ca¡¯s lips as she applies the finishing touches to my make-up. ¡°Worth the wait, wasn¡¯t it?¡± she asks him, and Alex clears his throat.


    ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± he says, and I spin around to meet his eyes, which travel across my body again. He starts from the tip of my dress, where its dark material pools around my feet; you couldn¡¯t even see my feet. Then they go up to my curves, which are nicely wrapped around the darkce material around my exposed shoulders. My neck is designed with a single silver ne. My earring and bangles are silver as well; theyplement my smokey makeup nicely.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± he says once he is done taking in my appearance.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, taking in his dark suit. ¡°You don¡¯t look too bad yourself.¡±


    He smirks, then reaches his hand out to me and says, ¡°Well then, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we shall,¡± I say, epting his hand and letting him lead me out of the pce. I nce over my shoulder to see Ca giving me an enthusiastic thumbs up.


    ¡°Have fun,¡± she mouths, but I don¡¯t know why I get the feeling that I won¡¯t be having any fun tonight.

 Chapter 50: Dreaming graveyards

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Wee to Aristotle Arts Gallery; we hope you have a remarkable time,¡± the tour guide says with a bright smile on his face. He seems to be in his early twenties, with messy brown hair and deep blue eyes.


    He is wearing a blue shirt and cap with the gallery¡¯s name on it, along with some dark pants. He hands Alex and me a flier, and I smile at him gratefully.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell him, seeing as Alex is just going to pretend like the young man doesn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°You are wee. Make sure to read the pamphlet and abide by our rules and regtions. No touching of any of the paintings; do not take any pictures, and make sure to stay out of all forbidden areas,¡± he says, and I nod in understanding.


    ¡°We will,¡± I tell him, and he steps aside for us to pass through.


    ¡°Enjoy!¡± he says, waving at us as we enter the gallery. The second we do, I am instantly in awe.


    The art is absolutely beautiful.


    Alex and I went hand in hand exploring the art gallery with a few other art lovers. It is safe to say that I am beyond moved by the great talents of other artists. Some of the paintings on the walls told stories-some painful, others beautiful. But they were all stories nheless. And each portrait told at least one story.


    I was so intrigued by the beauty of it all that I almost did not realize that Alex had yawned three times within thest ten minutes out of boredom.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be having much fun,¡± I tell him with a slight frown.


    ¡°No, not really,¡± he admits, and my heart shatters at the fact that he isn¡¯t enjoying the sights as much as I am.


    ¡°Then why did you want toe here?¡± I ask him, and he meets my eyes.


    ¡°For you,¡± he says, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of his head. He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. ¡°You said how much painting and all of this stuff helps calm you down and makes you feel better. When I heard that this ce would be opening, I thought you would love toe here.¡±


    His words warm my heart. He inconvenienced himself just so that I could have a good time. ¡°That is very sweet of you, Alex, but I could have easilye here on my own. You didn¡¯t have to suffer yourself if you knew you weren¡¯t going to have a good time.¡±


    He meets my eyes, and the words he says next make a shiver go up my spine. ¡°I wanted to be there to witness your smile. That is worth more than anything.¡± His words bring a smile to my lips, and he ces a hand on my cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, okay? I am fine. Just focus on having a good time and enjoying yourself. Forget I am here.¡±


    ¡°That is actually going to be very hard,¡± I tell him honestly.


    ¡°Then let me go use the restroom real quick. Take the time to distract yourself,¡± he says, and I cannot stop myself from wrapping my arms around him. I bury my face in his chest and find myself smiling into it.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I mutter, and his body tenses up, but for only a second. He rxes and caresses my hair gently.


    ¡°I love you more,¡± he rasps, and I am about to argue with him when he pulls away and ces a gentle kiss on the top of my head. ¡°Be right back,¡± he says before parting from me and disappearing from my line of vision.


    I focus my attention on the art work, but I am intrigued by one in particr. It is a painting of a bleeding wolf beside a divine being, the moon goddess. It had to be her. or at least a representation of her.


    She is crouched beside the injured wolf, gazing down at the poor creature with such loving eyes.


    There is just something about the painting that catches my curiosity. I want to know more about it. I want to know what the painting is trying to say. My gaze falls on the bottom of the portrait, and the name of the painter causes my heart to freeze in its beat.


    Marco Kingston.


    My father drew this.


    ¡°Interesting artwork, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    A small scream leaves my lips as an unfamiliar voice speaks behind me. I spin on my heel toe face-to-face with a middle-aged woman. She had hazel eyes, was a few inches shorter than me, and had the palest shade of blonde hair I have ever seen. She is wearing the same uniform I saw the tour guide wearing before we entered this gallery.


    Something about the way she smiles at me is so weing yet so cold at the same time.


    ¡°Oh my God, you scared me,¡± I say, cing a hand over my chest to calm my fast-beat heart. She doesn¡¯t say anything; she only continues to smile at me. weird.  ¡°Um, yes, the painting is a rather interesting one.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are more like it. Just go down this hall and you will see more interesting paintings just like it,¡± she says, and I offer her an appreciative smile, even though I was still a little bit creeped out.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell her, and once again she doesn¡¯t respond. Just smiles.


    Okay then.


    I go down the hall, and true to her words, the paintings on the wall leave me absolutely speechless. There is so much divinity, bloodshed, pain, sorrow, and yet joy in these paintings. My eyes just couldn¡¯t get enough of them.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Most of them were portraits of the moon goddess and a lesser wolf; some were of the lesser wolf standing high and mighty amidst thousands of wolves; it appeared as though they were praising the lesser wolf. But there was only one that caught my attention the most.


    At the very end of the hall was a painting. It was of a girl in a white dress; she was standing in the middle of the grave on a full moon. When my gaze falls on the name of the painter, my blood freezes in my veins.


    Aira Kingston.


    What?


    A piercing scream tears through my throat when a cold hand falls on my shoulder. Spinning on my heel, Ie face-to-face with the tour guide I met at the entrance with Alex. ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is a private section. You are not supposed to be here,¡± he says, and my eyebrows crease.


    ¡°But the other tour guide said I coulde here,¡± I tell him, and he looks at me like I have lost my mind.


    ¡°There is no other tour guide in this gallery; I am the only one.¡±


    Oh, hell no.


    My feet take a subconscious step back, and my back meets something hard. Spinning on my heel, my eyes lock with Alex¡¯s worried ones. ¡°Hey, I have been looking for you,¡± he says, frowning as he takes a look at my face. That is when I realized that there were beads of sweat trickling down it. ¡°Are you okay? You are sweating a lot, and you look kind of pale.¡±


    ¡°I am fine,¡± I stutter, looking over my shoulder to find the tour guide looking at me with both confusion and worry. My eyes travel back to the painting of the girl in a graveyard, but there is one problem. It¡¯s not there.


    The spot at which I was certain it hung on the wall is now empty. Just a in, void wall.


    Okay, I think that is enough sight-seeing for me. I take Alex by the wrist and drag him out of the section. ¡°We need to leave.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s a section where they serve desserts,¡± Alex says, almost whining. I drag him out of the gallery and towards the car.


    When we both get in, I say, ¡°We will have dessert when we get home, but for now I need you to drive.¡± I tell him, and he doesn¡¯t question me further. He starts up the engine immediately, zooms out of the gallery¡¯s parking lot, and heads straight home.


    During the drive, I feel him nce at me asionally.


    ¡°Aira, what¡¯s going on? Talk to me, and I will help. You are scaring me,¡± he says, and I pinch my eyes shut.


    ¡°I am sorry. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going, I just-¡± I pause and run a hand through my hair. ¡°I think I just need some sleep.¡± I can tell that he is not even the tiniest bit convinced by what I just said, but he remains silent.


    When we return to the pce, he walks over to my side and helps me out of the car. I am surprised when he scoops me into his arms and takes me up to his room.


    When we get there, he ces me gently on the bed in a sitting position. He sits beside me and looks at me with sadness written all over his striking eyes.


    ¡°Today was supposed to be a fun day; I don¡¯t know where it all went wrong. I am sorry,¡± he says softly, and my heart shatters into a million pieces.


    ¡°Hey, look at me,¡± I say, taking his face into my hands. ¡°I had fun, okay? In fact, I can¡¯t remember thest time I had so much fun in my life. I just got very tired early, and I just need to get some rest, and I will be fine.¡±


    He pouts at me, and I have to stop myself from gushing at the sight. He looks just like a child when he does that. ¡°Are you sure that is all?¡±


    ¡°Affirmative,¡± I say.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he whispers, then ces a quick kiss on my lips. We wrap our arms around each other. I do not know why, but I expected this hug to fill me with warmth. But instead, it does the exact opposite.


    It fills me with an ufortable chill. The very same one I felt when I stared at that painting. What a weird day this has been.


    ¡°Aira¡­ Wake up, Aira,¡± says a shrill, scratchy voice. It sends a wave of goosebumps through my skin.


    ¡°Who is that? Who is there?¡± I call out, but no one answers. I feel something move past me, and I spin on my heel to meet nothing but darkness. ¡°If someone is there, you bettere out! This isn¡¯t funny!¡±


    ¡°Aira, wake up,¡± the voice says, this timeing from behind me. I spin in a circle to find the woman from the art gallery earlier, still smiling at me. ¡°Who are you? And what do you want from me?!¡± I scream, trying to put as much distance between her and myself as possible.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am, but you will soon,¡± she says, that smile still not leaving her face. I watch with my own two eyes as her neck splits right open and blood trickles down it like a fountain.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    A heavy gasp leaves my lips as I shoot up into a sitting position. I push some strands of my hair out of my face but only end up getting dirt on them.


    What?


    I stare at my hands to find dirt all over them. It is also all over my white night dress. How did I end up out here? Thest thing I remember is falling asleep in Alex¡¯s arms. My gaze lifts skyward, and I stare at the full moon shining brightly above me.


    No. This can¡¯t be happening.


    Shooting up to my feet, a scream leaves my lips as I spin around in a circle. I am nowhere near Alex or the pce.


    But in the middle of a graveyard.

 Chapter 51: FIND MY MATE

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    My hands searched the bed for her but found nothing. Not even her warmth.


    What the fuck?


    My eyelids part, and I am surprised to find the bed empty. How the hell did she get up without my noticing?


    ¡°Aira?¡± I call out, but my only response is silence. I get off the bed and head straight for the bathroom, and disappointment fills me when she isn¡¯t there. She left the room too. How deeply asleep was I?


    ¡°Aira, where are you?¡± I say it a bit louder, but I still do not get any response. Cursing beneath my breath, I make my way out of my room and down to the kitchen. Then I head into the garden. And then to the maid¡¯s chambers.


    She is nowhere to be found.


    And that is when I lose my mind.


    My breathing bes more controlled, and the beast in me slowly begins to awaken. My sight bes sharper, along with my other senses. My canines lengthen, and the rage bubbling within me bes too much to control.


    ¡°WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?!¡±


    My voice shakes the very foundation of this pce, and everyone jolts awake. The guards rush to me, and I grab the nearest one by the throat. ¡°Find her! find my mate!¡± I ordered before flinging his body across the room. He grunts, but quickly gets back on his feet and joins his colleagues in carrying out my order.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ca asks as she rushes towards me. I run my hand through my hair, and I swear it feels as though I am going insane. This is exactly what happens to me when Aira is away from me for too long. I lose all my sense of reasoning and control.


    And it doesn¡¯t fucking help that I have no idea where she is.


    ¡°We will find her; just rx,¡± Ca says to me calmly before joining the others in the search. An hour passes, and we still do not find her.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t in the pce, your majesty; we have searched everywhere,¡± one of my guards reports back to me shakily. The others cower in fear as my growl fills the air. I ignore all of them and storm up to the security at the gate.


    I pick the first one I see by the throat, and his feet dangle in the air. His hands w at mine, grabbing his neck, but it is no use; just the tiniest bit of pressure, and I would snap his neck in half.


    ¡°How could you let her escape?!¡±


    His face turns a bright shade of red as he struggles to breathe while speaking. ¡°I swear, your majesty, we were up all night and no one went in or out of this gate. She must have used some other route to escape!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? That she just vanished into thin air!¡± I demand, and his eyes slowly begin to shut.


    ¡°Your majesty, please, that is enough; you are killing him!¡±


    My eyes snap to Ca, and my growl bes feral.


    ¡°Who the hell gave you the authority to tell me what I can and cannot do?¡± I snap at her, and the fear in her eyes is visible. Yet she still stands her ground.


    ¡°No one, your majesty. But I know for a fact that Aira wouldn¡¯t want you killing us like flies because she isn¡¯t here. You are her mate; if anyone can find her, it is you. Just let go of all this anger and concentrate on tracking her,¡± she says.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    As much as it kills me to admit it, she is right.


    I drop the already unconscious guard on the floor and take a deep breath. ¡°Open the gate,¡± I order his associate, who hurriedly does as he is told. When the gates are open, I file out with my guards.


    My eyes rise to the full moon, and a gust of wind blows my hair. But that¡¯s not all. It is faint, but I catch it. her scent.


    I let my Lycan take control, and I gave him only one order before handing him the reigns.


    ¡®Find her.¡¯


    He grunts before bolting into the woods with a speed my men could hardly keep up with. He follows the scent of our mate through the woods, and I soon realize that we are out of my territory. We are now on forbiddennds, and I can¡¯t help but wonder how the hell she got all the way out here.


    I never bothered exploring this part of the woods because my father always warned me to never do so. Apparently, ancient spirits haunted these parts of the woods and took the lives of anyone who dared trespass.


    But I would rather die than abandon Aira on such dangerous grounds.


    The air bes cold, and we are soon enveloped by fog. At this point, we rely on her scent and not on our eyes to lead us. And soon, we will see her.


    My feete to a halt as soon as my eyes fall on her, seated in the middle of a graveyard atop a hill. She had her hands wrapped around her legs and her head down as she cried profusely.


    Without wasting another second, I rush towards her.


    ¡°Your Majesty, wait!¡± I hear one of my guards say, but Ipletely ignore him and rush up to my mate with full speed.


    The moment I pass through the gates of the graveyard, a chill I have never felt before in my life courses through my body. The fog clears up, and the world bes deathly still.


    I sprint past dozens of graveyards, not minding the fact that I am growing colder and colder from within. It was as though the closer I got to Aira, the weaker I became.


    But I did not care.


    Her cries be more audible, and it is like she is sending daggers straight into my heart. I am barely a few feet away from her when she lifts her gaze.


    And that is when I freeze.


    Her eyes have turned a demonic shade of ck, and the liquid cascading down her face was not tears but blood.


    Her teeth have sharpened into canines, and it was almost as though I was staring at a demon.


    But this was no demon.


    This was Aira.


    My Aira.


    I took a step toward her but only ended up crumbling to my knees. It is almost as though the blood in my veins is frozen, making me incapable of moving.


    My hand reaches out for Aira, but she only snarls at me in response.


    ¡°Aira, it¡¯s me. It¡¯s Alex,¡± I say in between shivers, and she stops.


    I watch her eyes return to their normal shade of brown as the white in them returns. The blood on her face is washed away with her tears, and she crawls into my arms.


    The second she touches me, all the ice melts, and I gain full control over my body. Wrapping my arms around her body, I hold her tightly to me as she sobs into my chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay,¡± I whisper into her ear as I caress her hair and back. ¡°You are safe now. I am here.¡±


    She continues to hold onto me tightly as her tears flow like a river. I do not care how long we stay in that position because I kept trying to find the answer to one question in my mind.


    What was that great wave of power radiating off her?


    I have never felt anything like it before.

 Chapter 52: Moriah’s rage

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with her.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean there is nothing wrong with her?¡± Alex snaps, holding me closely to his chest as a mother trying to protect her child from high school bullies would.


    I wanted to tell him that there was no need for that, but I actually secretly liked it.


    ¡°Her eyes turned pitch ck, and she was shedding blood instead of tears!¡±


    The pack doctor sighs as he puts his stethoscope into his bag. ¡°I am aware of that, your majesty. You said that three times before I even began to examine her. but I am telling you now that there is nothing physically wrong with her. She is as healthy as she can be. Perhaps this is something more than her physical form. I suggest she visit Moriah for further checkups.¡±


    My eyebrows crease. ¡°Who is Moriah?¡±


    Alex sighs and massages his temple. ¡°Moriah is my pack priestess. She has been for over eight decades now,¡± he exins, and I wonder why he isn¡¯t happy about that. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the old hag has refused to die,¡± he mutters beneath his breath, and my eyes grow as wide as saucers.


    ¡°Alex, why would you say that?¡± I screech, and he scowls.


    ¡°Moriah isn¡¯t exactly the easiest woman on the. But since she is our pack priestess and the most powerful witch around, she is needed. But if she dies, that power gets transferred to someone else,¡± he pauses, then purses his lips. ¡°Hopefully to someone much more tolerable.¡±


    ¡°Well, Morriah is the only one most likely to figure out what is wrong with her and cure her,¡± the doctor says, and Alex almost looks like he would rather let me die than let us visit this Moriahdy. But when our eyes lock, he sighs in defeat.


    ¡°Fine, we will go,¡± he says, muttering something beneath his breath as he goes to grab his knees.


    The doctor smiles at me warmly and pats my head. ¡°Do not worry; I am sure whatever happened to youst night isn¡¯t as bad as you think it is.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± I say quietly. He offers me a reassuring smile before leaving. Alex appears shortly after.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he says, and I nod. We head out of the pce, and he helps me into the car. Once we are both in, he fires up the engine and drives down to what I suppose is the priestess¡¯s ce.


    The drive is spent in silence. And I do not like it.


    After Alex found me in the graveyardst night, I passed out. I woke up to find him watching me closely in our bedroom. Judging by how disheveled he looked, I could easily tell that he had not gotten much sleepst night. He almost looked too scared to fall asleep.


    He said he couldn¡¯t sense me leaving, and I couldn¡¯t remember doing so either. Plus, the fact that none of the guards or servants saw me leave or that there was any sign of me leaving at all only added to his worry. And of all ces I could have slept, why walk to a graveyard?


    Honestly, I was starting to think that I might have teleported there.


    There really was no other exnation. I can only hope that this priestess can provide answers to all of this.


    There are times I feel Alex¡¯s eyes on me, yet he doesn¡¯t say anything. It was driving me crazy. When I felt it again, I met his eyes and snapped, ¡°I am not a ticking time bomb about to explode, you know?¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he says quietly, tearing his gaze away from mine. ¡°I just want to make sure you are okay,¡± he says, and I feel sad for yelling at him like that.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± I sigh and run my hand through my hair. ¡°This is all just a lot to take in.¡±


    He nods in understanding and says, ¡°I can imagine. You really don¡¯t remember how you got there?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. The only thing I remember was that strange dream I had,¡± I tell him, and he hums.


    ¡°What was the dream about?¡± he asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I can¡¯t really make sense of it. Back at the art gallery, there was this woman. I thought she was one of the tour guides, but it turns out she wasn¡¯t. But she led me down to that private section, and I saw a portrait of a girl in a graveyard on a full moon,¡± I say, and his eyes snap to mine.


    ¡°Just like youst night?¡± he asks, and I nod.


    ¡°Yes, exactly. And it said the painter was me. but after the other tour guide came, the paintingpletely disappeared. I just¡­ I just didn¡¯t understand. I thought all I needed was sleep,¡± I exin, and Alex purses his lips. He doesn¡¯t say anything for a while, and I desperately want to know exactly what is going through his mind.


    ¡°You were cryingst night. You were shedding blood; were you in some kind of pain?¡± He asks me, and I think back to that moment, but it is all foggy.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°We really do need Moriah then,¡± he sighs, and I ce a hand over his on the gear.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like her very much,¡± I tell him, and he nods in agreement.


    ¡°There was a time I needed her services in tracking down some cloaked rogues that were terrorizing our kingdom. The spell she ced wasn¡¯t exactly what I wanted, and I got upset,¡± he says, but I knew that there was more to the story.


    My eyes narrow into slits, and I ask, ¡°What did you do?¡±


    He clears his throat and scratches his nape. ¡°I may or may not have killed all of her cattle and destroyed her farm.¡±


    My jaw drops, and I shoot him a disbelieving look. ¡°How could you do that to an old woman?¡±


    ¡°Hey, those rogues were really stressing me out, and I was really temperamental back then,¡± he defends.


    ¡°You still are,¡± I state, and he gives a grunt as a response.


    ¡°Well, the problem is that ever since then, she has refused to help me at all. Even when I send my subjects or some nobles, she still rejects them as long as she knows they are from me,¡± he finishes, and my mood dampens.


    ¡°So that means she isn¡¯t going to help me,¡± I say quietly, and he stays quiet for some time.


    ¡°She has to.¡±


    The rest of the ride is spent in silence. My mind seems to be working five times more than it usually does. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what would happen if this witch actually refused to help me. What will I do then?


    Will I continue sleepwalking to graves and seeing weird paintings of me? Will it ever get better or worse? This stuff has never happened to me before. why now?


    It takes us about fifteen more minutes before Alex finally stops his car in the middle of nowhere. I look around, and before I can ask what is happening, he says, ¡°We have to walk from here.¡±


    He gets out of the car and opens the door for me. He helps me out and doesn¡¯t let go of my hand as he locks the car. He leads me into the thick forest, and the deeper we go, the chillier the air bes.


    ¡°Why is it so cold here?¡± I ask, using my free hand to rub my arms in order to provide some sort of warmth for myself.


    ¡®What are you talking about? It¡¯s hot as fuck here. The sun is literally frying me,¡± Alex says, and I rear my head back.


    ¡°You are joking, right?¡± I ask him, and he shoots me a look over his shoulder that suggests that he isn¡¯t in the mood to crack jokes right now.


    A shiver goes up my spine, and that is when he stops walking. ¡°Your hand is incredibly cold,¡± he notes, staring at our hands, which are joined together.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the weather that is making her cold; it is the power.¡±


    A scream leaves my lips, and Alex goes into full defense mode as a voice suddenly speaks from behind me. spinning on my heel, Ie face-to-face with an incredibly short woman. She appears to be exactly five feet tall. Her gray hair flew in all directions, and she had some dark coal smeared all over her face.


    She had nothing but a ck material that wrapped around her body like a towel. It stopped just below her knees, and the tattoos on her arms and legs were written in anguage I did not understand.


    ¡°Moriah, how long has it been?¡± Alex says, stering a smile on his lips anding to stand between the witch and me.


    The woman scowls bitterly at him. ¡°What do you want, you demon?¡±


    Alex ces a hand over his chest, pretending to be hurt. ¡°Me? a demon?  Don¡¯t tell me you are still mad at me after what happenedst time, are you?¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes grow feral, and there is a sudden gust of wind. It is heavy, and its whistle is loud. It blows our hair and the trees violently. The sky began to darken, and I knew that a great storm wasing.


    My mouth falls open, and the chill I felt earlier grows stronger.


    ¡°You killed Trevor?!¡± She snaps, and the strength in her voice frightens me. It is as though ten other people were speaking along with her.


    ¡°Oh, you mean that cute little cow that followed you everywhere? I said I was sorry; I even got you cattle twice as much as the one you originally had,¡± Alex says, and an earth-rattling thunder fills the air.


    ¡°None of them could ever rece Trevor?!¡± She screeches, her voiceing side by side with the thunder. ¡°Get out! I swore to never help you after killing what I loved the most.¡±


    My eyes widen when Alex snarls at her. He was getting angry.


    The wind bes stronger, and my heart rattles in my chest when it knocks down a tree in the distance. This isn¡¯t going to end well.


    My grip on Alex¡¯s hands tightens, and his Lycan eyes meet my pleading ones. His eyes slowly turn back to normal. I step forward until I am right in front of Moriah. She looks at me with narrowed eyes, and it looks like she was prepared to strike me down if I even uttered the wrong words.


    ¡°Miss Moriah, my name is Aira Kingston, and¡­¡±


    ¡°I know who you are,¡± she cuts me off bitterly. ¡°I know that you are that demon¡¯s mate. And you are also the daughter of Marco Kingston. You have been experiencing weird dreams and woke up in a graveyardst night.¡±


    My eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. ¡°How do you know all of this?¡±


    ¡°I know everything that goes on in this kingdom. And I know exactly what is wrong with you. But because you are the better half of that demon, I would rather die than help you,¡± she says, and I re at Alex, who looks away shamefully.


    Taking a deep breath, I try to search for the right words to say. ¡°I understand how you feel. Alexander is one of the most wicked, impulsive, evil, reckless, and selfish.¡±


    ¡°Where exactly are you going with this?¡± Alex cuts me off, and I can feel his re at the back of my skull.


    Ipletely ignore him and continue, ¡°But I have seen it. He is changing. I have lost something very important to me because of him,¡± I say, and I watch her eyes soften. She already knows what it is if she really is as powerful as she says she is. ¡°And I have as much reason to hate him as you do. But as painful as it is to admit, he is the alpha of this pack. And we can¡¯t stop helping him; otherwise, this pack will turn to ruins and everyone else¡¯s lives will be messed up. So please help us.¡± I dare to take another step toward her and take her hand in mine. ¡°Please.¡±


    The wind seizes, and the sky clears up. The chill I feel subsides, and she sighs. ¡°You have a wonderful way with words.¡± She takes a deep breath, then meets my eyes.


    ¡°This thing that is worrying you is not a curse, but a blessing. The strange things you have been seeing are visions; they are your ancestors trying to reveal your true self to you. And that is because you are a descendant of the moon goddess herself.¡±


    Well, that didn¡¯t sound like a cold that could be cured with some medicine.

 Chapter 53: A Discovery and A Loss

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m a descendant of who?¡± I ask after spending a moment to process her words. But even then, they were still not processing.


    Moriah did not look amused. ¡°You heard me loud and clear. You are a descendant of the moon goddess. And you have special powers, one over life and death.¡±


    I pull my hand away from here and take a step back. My eyes fall on Alex, and I look at him in a way that says, ¡°This is the powerful witch you thought would help us? She is clearly delusional.¡±


    Alex just shrugs.


    ¡°Look, ma¡¯am. These visions just started recently. I have no powers, much less any over life and death. I am sure there is just some angry spirit that is haunting me. Actually, I think that is exactly what the problem is. My sister just died a few weeks ago, and she did not like me very much.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how to feel when Moriah rolled her eyes and sighed like she was speaking to a dumb child.


    ¡°I am also aware of your sister, and trust me, her spirit is not hunting you. Believe it or not, her spirit has actually gone over to the other side. She has found peace. These powers of yours were activated when you came back to life. You have always had them, but they have just been dormant,¡± Moriah exins, and I ce a hand over my head because I was starting to have a migraine.


    ¡°This is¡­ Are you sure about this?¡± I ask her, still having a hard time taking this all in.


    ¡°I have lived for over eight decades, and I assure you, I am not wrong,¡± she pauses. ¡°Have you ever wondered why you don¡¯t have a wolf?¡±


    ¡°Well, I knew there are few cases where people weren¡¯t born with wolves even though they were birthed by wolves.¡± Casting my gaze downwards, I say, ¡°I always thought I was one of those cases.¡±


    All of this reminds me of times during my childhood where I would ask my parents why I was different from other kids and didn¡¯t have a wolf. They never gave me a straight answer. Now I know why.


    Alex steps up for the first time in a while; he has been awfully quiet throughout this whole exchange. I wonder what has been going through his mind.


    But his countenance and next words suggest that he doesn¡¯t see me as a freak, which is a relief.


    ¡°So how do we stop her from sleepwalking into graveyards? And how do we know this power isn¡¯t going to hurt her or something? She was crying bloodst night,¡± Alex says as hees up to my side.


    ¡°The spirits are trying to reach out to her; I suggest you reach out to them as well. It seems there is something they desperately want to tell you,¡± she says, and I can¡¯t help but wonder what spirits these are.


    ¡°And how do I do that?¡± I ask her, and she already appears annoyed by our numerous questions.


    ¡°That is something you are going to have to figure out on your own,¡± she says, turning her back to leave. She proceeds to walk away but stops midway.


    She meets my eyes, and it is obvious she just wants to take pity on me. ¡°The powers can be a lot to handle, but if you want to have an easier time learning them, keep your emotions in check and reach out to a rtive of yours. They will know how to guide you properly.¡±


    My eyebrows crease, and I say, ¡°But I have no rtives.¡±


    Moriah chuckles a bit, but not out of humor, but because she can¡¯t believe how dumb I can be. ¡°Oh, you do. There are many of them.¡± She spins on her heel and waves her hand in the air. ¡°That¡¯s all I got for you. Now get out of my forest before I strike the both of you down with lightning.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± Alex takes a step forward, but I grab him by the wrist. He looks at me, and I shake my head, silently telling him to forget about it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go,¡± I say, taking his wrist and leading him out of the forest.


    When we return to the car, he starts up the engine, and the first few minutes of the drive are spent in silence.


    Alex clears his throat. ¡°So, what are we going to do now?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the smile that stretches on my lips as he used the term ¡®we¡¯. I always loved how he made me feel like I always had someone to rely on; he always made sure to make me feel like I wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°We are going back to the city. I need to speak to Camille; she is my only living rtive. The one I know of, at least,¡± I tell him, and he nods in response.


    He drives down to the city, and on a few asions, I would give him a nce. He appears antsy, or should I say tense?? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I ask, and he shakes his head. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°I just want to know what these damn spirits want with you. I don¡¯t like the fact that my girl is walking around in her sleep on forbiddennds,¡± he says, and I ce my hand on his.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m going to be fine, okay?¡± I say it softly, and he doesn¡¯t say anything.


    At some point, I tried calling Camille because I was growing impatient for answers. She doesn¡¯t pick up. That¡¯s so strange.


    We arrive in the city shortly after, and it all startsing back. We drive by the hotel Ana fell from, and I pinch my eyes shut.


    When we arrive at the Kingston estate, I am filled with relief when I see Camille¡¯s car. Good. That means she is home.


    I nearly jumped out of the car before heading into the mansion. Once I step in, I notice how quiet everywhere is.


    It¡¯s a little too quiet, if you ask me.


    ¡°Camille? Are you home?¡± I ask loudly, so much so that my voice begins to echo across the halls. But even then, there was still no answer.


    I make my way up to her room and knock on the door. ¡°Camille? Are you in there?¡±


    Silence.


    An ufortable chill goes up my spine, and I can¡¯t help but get the feeling something is wrong.


    Without wasting another second, I push the door open and storm in. My eyes fall on Camille, sleeping soundly on her bed, and my shoulders slouch with relief.


    ¡°Camille, you scared me. I have been yelling your name since. I guess you must be very tired,¡± I say, walking up to her and taking a seat beside her bed. I take her hand in mine and scowl at how cold her hands are.


    That is when I realized that Camille is unusually pale.


    ¡°Camille?¡± I tap her shoulder, but she doesn¡¯t make a sound. She doesn¡¯t even move. ¡°Camille?¡± I call out again, but this time my voice cracks and tears spill out of my eyes.


    Goddess, please don¡¯t let this happen. I have no one else. Please¡­


    ¡°Alex!¡± I scream at the top of my lungs, and fast-approaching footsteps fill the air. I feel his presence behind me and look up at him with tears in my eyes. ¡°She isn¡¯t moving; I don¡¯t understand. Why isn¡¯t she moving?¡±


    Silently, Alex walks up to Camille and ces two fingers on her wrist. And then on her neck.


    The look he gives me says it all.


    ¡°No!¡± Tears stream down my eyes as I drop my head on Camille¡¯s chest. There is no beating heart in there. Just a cold, empty abyss.


    Alex tears me away from Camille and takes me into his arms.


    Alex whispers into my ear, ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay; you are going to be okay.¡±


    I wish I could believe that.

 Chapter 54: Promises to the dead

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I couldn¡¯t feel a damn thing.


    As I stood in the middle of this graveyard in a in ck dress with shades and a hat that covered a good part of my face, I felt nothing. I thought I would be bawling my eyes out. I thought I would be rolling on the floor and begging the universe to take me instead.


    But even if it wasn¡¯t, I at least expected to feel something. Anything.


    Hurt. Sadness. Depression. Anger.


    I wanted to feel anything but this numbness.


    But I didn¡¯t.


    I think all my emotions seized after the day I found Camille lying peacefully on her death bed. I screamed at the top of my lungs, cried till my eyes swelled up, and even went as far as trying to use my powers to bring her back.


    Moriah said I had power over life and death. So I thought I could have at least been able to bring her back to life, right? I mean, I knew she was an olddy and had already lived her fair share of life, but I needed her. I had no one else.


    I didn¡¯t know exactly what I was doing, but all I knew was that I kept facing my palms at her face and screaming at her toe back over and over again. Alex tried stopping me the first five times, but he knew that the only person who could tell me when to stop was me.


    When I realized that pointing my hands and yelling at her to return wasn¡¯t going to do anything, I continued to cry some more. I cried until my eyes could no longer take it, and it became impossible to breathe.


    I felt a warm sensation course through my veins, and shortly after, the once sunny sky turned gray. There is a howl in the wind as lightning dances across the sky. I instantly knew that I was the cause of that, but I couldn¡¯t stop it. I wasn¡¯t even sure I wanted to.


    Alex came up behind me, and at first I had expected him to scold me or tell me to calm down, but he did none of that. He just wrapped his arms around me and let me cry. That was the biggestfort I could get.


    We spend the rest of the day like that, and thankfully, I manage to pull myself together. When I did, I sent word to anyone who might have been close to Camille and informed them of her funeral, which was today.


    It seems like nobody wanted to show up.


    It hurt my heart that no one turned up. Camille was a sweet, beautiful, and kinddy. It did not make sense how absolutely no one she knew came to say their goodbyes. Not even her own siblings.


    Right now, the only people at her funeral are me, Alex, and a few of our security guards. I listen to the pastor say the final prayers for Camille before bowing at me in respect and leaving. I could feel Alexing up behind me before he even ced a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°No, I am not ready to leave yet,¡± I say, my voice a bit colder than I would have liked.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to ask you to leave,¡± Alex says gently into my ear. ¡°I was going to tell you that someone turned up for Camille after all.¡±


    My eyebrows crease with confusion. Alex points at two people standing in the distance. It was a man and a woman. They wore ck clothes, and the man held an umbre to shield them from the sun. They watched us from the distance, and my curiosity got the better of me, so I started to walk towards them without another word.


    I can swear on everything I hold dear that I have never met these people before in my life. But something about them seems awfully familiar.


    Thedy had sharp gray eyes and thin lips, and a few strands of her hair were gray while others were midnight ck. The man, on the other hand, had this dark aura oozing out of him. His eyes are a dark shade of brown, and his lips are heart-shaped. He wore an all-ck suit and hat, which gave him this mysterious look.


    But what was even more mysterious and a little bit creepy was what he said next.


    ¡°You have be quite the beautiful youngdy, Aira.¡±


    And just like that, my feete to a halt, and I blink up at the man with surprise. ¡°You know me?¡±


    She smiles at me, but not in a kind or amusing way, but in a narcissistic way. One that suggested that he knew that I would have asked that question.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I know my niece?¡± He asks, stepping towards me with that cocky grin on his lips. My eyebrows shoot to the top of my forehead.


    ¡°You are Camille¡¯s brother?¡±


    ¡°Immediate younger brother, yes. My name is Vincent Kingston. I am sure she never spoke about us,¡± he states, and I nod slowly in agreement. ¡°Yeah, that is definitely Camille. Always acting like she was better than the rest of us and couldn¡¯t associate herself with the likes of her own family,¡± he finishes with a roll of his eyes.


    Mine narrows into slits. ¡°Camille was a great woman; I am sure she had her reasons for doing so.¡±


    His smile grows tighter, and I can tell that he was not in any way pleased by my words. ¡°I am sure she did.¡± He pauses to take another step towards me. He spreads his arms and says, ¡°Wont you give your long-lost uncle a hug?¡±


    Instinctively, I take a step back. The smile on his face falls, and this time it is my turn to ster a tight one on my face. ¡°No offense, but Camille asked me to stay as far away as possible from you all, and that is exactly what I am going to do.¡±


    Vincent strokes his chin, eyeing me carefully in a way that suggests he was sizing me up. ¡°Is that so?¡± he drags out. ¡°Did she ever tell you why?¡±


    I stay silent.


    He snorts. ¡°I didn¡¯t think so either.¡±


    I do not know why, but I suddenly feel bad. I mean, I never got to ask what was so bad about her siblings that I had to run from them the moment I saw him. Although I had to admit that Vincent had an unsettling aura radiating off him, that could all just be in my head, right?


    I shouldn¡¯t exactly judge without hearing from both parties.


    But then again, I trusted Camille¡¯s words more than I trusted myself.


    Vincent sighs. He digs into his jacket pocket and takes out a card. I cautiously take it from him when he says, ¡°This is my personal card. You can contact me or pay me a visit whenever you wish. Trust me, it isn¡¯t good to be left alone at such a young age without family. Especially with the type of gifts you have.¡±


    My eyes widen by a fraction.


    I purse my lips and watch him walk away with the silent woman. Alexes up behind me and asks, ¡°Who was that?¡±


    I look down at the card and purse my lips. ¡°Family, I guess.¡±


    From his facial expression, I can tell that he had a lot of questions to ask, but I just didn¡¯t have the energy to answer any of them. I needed to get some rest; I haven¡¯t slept properly since Camille¡¯s death.


    Thest time someone close to me died, I sleepwalked into a graveyard. So I really couldn¡¯t be med for the PTSD I now suffer.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Our drive home was spent in silence; perhaps it was due to the fact that I kept staring at Vincent¡¯s card like it was some pot of gold. I don¡¯t even know why I still have it. I should throw this away.


    Camille warned me to never have anything to do with them. I promised her.


    But he knows about my powers; he could help me. If Camille were here, I would have asked her for help, but she isn¡¯t anymore. I can¡¯t think of anyone else who could possibly help me control my new abilities apart from him.


    Taking a deep breath, I take out my phone and start to dial the number.


    I am sorry, Camille.


    Vincent picks up on the second ring and says, ¡°Hello? Vincent? It¡¯s Aira.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. I was expecting your call, and yes, you can see me this evening if you wish,¡± he says, and if you ask me, he sounds a bit too expectant for this moment.


    ¡°Alright, I will see you then,¡± I finished before hanging up the call.


    I can only hope that I wasn¡¯t making some big mistake.

 Chapter 55: the right choice

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Are you sure you really want to do this?¡± Alex asks as we pull up to the incrediblyrge golden gates. I let his words sink into me and thought deeply about his answer. Is this really what I wanted to do? I would be breaking my promise to the only woman who has shown me even the closest bit of motherly affection in years.


    Her body isn¡¯t even cold in the grave yet. But what really is the point of waiting? What if my powers get out of control and I end up hurting someone? What if I hurt Alex? No, I can¡¯t ever let that happen.


    ¡°Yes, I am sure,¡± I say, and he looks at me like he is waiting for me to change my mind.


    When he sees that I am not going to, he says, ¡°I am going to call you every thirty minutes. And if you do not pick up even once, I am bursting in here with my soldiers.¡±


    I roll my eyes before grabbing his face and cing a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, okay? And thirty minutes is too small. How about every hour?¡±


    His eyelids narrow to slits. ¡°No. A lot can happen in an hour.¡±


    ¡°A lot can happen in a minute,¡± I tell him, and he parts his lips to say something, and I already know what it is. ¡°And no, you can¡¯t call me every ten, five, or one minute,¡± his lips seal shut, and he sinks into his chair without another word. ¡°Hey,¡± I say, cing my hand on his, and he looks at me softly.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want any more bad things to happen to you. You have suffered too much. All I ever want is to keep you safe and happy.¡± His words touch a sensitive spot, and I smile at him gently.


    ¡°I know that is what you want, and I am truly grateful for all of that. But you have to remember that we are dealing with a force we know nothing about. I could end up losing control and hurting someone. I need to learn how to control it, and Vincent is the only one who can help me,¡± I say, and he doesn¡¯t say anything; he just pouts his lips.


    I take hold of his face softly and make him look at me. ¡°I will be fine, okay? I am strong, remember?¡±


    This time, he smiles at me and kisses my lips softly. ¡°I know. I am just scared that you might be a little too strong,¡± he whispers against my lips before pulling away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything is going to be fine.¡±


    Before I step out of the car, he says, ¡°I am still going to call you every thirty minutes.¡±


    I throw my head back andugh. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.¡±


    I hop out of the car and wave him goodbye. I watch him drive further and further away until he ispletely out of sight before facing the gates. I press the bell beside it, and a voicees from the speaker.


    ¡°Who is this, and state your business?¡±


    Well, aren¡¯t they just polite?


    ¡°I am Aira Kingston, and I am here to see Vincent,¡± I say boldly. A secondter, there is a loud buzz, and the golden gates automatically part. As soon as they do, my jaw drops at the sight before me.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    The building before me wasn¡¯t as grand as the Kingston estate, yet somehow it was equally impressive. There is a brick pathway leading up to a fountain; it serves as the center of a roundabout. I am unable to shut my mouth as I walk into thepound. The side of the pathway is decorated with tall trees leading up to the ss mansion up ahead.


    I could actually see some of the rooms inside, although some were shielded with curtains. I loved the modern concept of their home. The wooden front door opens, and Vincent walks out.


    Unlike thest time we saw him, he is wearing a in gray t-shirt and jeans. ¡°Aira, wee to my humble abode. Come, let me show you around.¡±


    He takes me into his home, and if it was possible for my mouth to open wider, it did. The inside is way more impressive than the outside. In the living room, there is a tinum t-screen TV, cream couches, and a center table. A cockpit by the corner and a kitchte. From where I stood, I could see the spiral staircase leading up to the floor above. My eyes fall on the dining room; there are about ten chairs around the rectangr-shaped table.


    The chandelier hoisted above the living room was muchrger than the one in the dining room, but they are all beautiful nheless.


    Thedy I met him with at the graveyard walks out of the kitchen with mittens on her hands. She smiles warmly at me, and I am surprised she is capable of doing that. She was awfully quiet at the funeral.


    ¡°Aira, how nice of you to join us. I just took thesagna out of the oven; you are going to love it.¡±


    A grateful smile lifts my lips, and I say, ¡°Thank you, uh.¡±


    ¡°Stephanie. Call me Stephanie,¡± she says, and I nod. She walks back into the kitchen, and I look at Vincent, hoping that he will give me more information on her and if she is rted to me as well.


    ¡°Ah yes, how rude of me. Stephanie is my wife. We have been married for over two decades,¡± he exins, and I nod in understanding.


    ¡°What about the others?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Oh, your uncles Mason and Damon will be joining us for lunch. I told them that you would be here, and they were more than excited to see you. Your aunt Rebekah may or may note; I never really could tell with her,¡± he says, waving his hand dismissively in the air. ¡°The others are out of the country. But believe me when I say that they are unpredictable. They could just walk in whenever they like.¡±


    ¡°They sound like a fun family,¡± I say, trying to take a mental note of the names he mentioned.


    ¡°Oh, we are. Trust me, when you have eight siblings, there are a lot of personality shes. There is never a dull moment when everyone is home,¡± Vincent says, and for a moment I could have sworn I caught a sh of sadness in his eyes. ¡°I guess I should say six siblings now.¡±


    My heart shatters at those words. I knew what I felt when Ana died; even though we didn¡¯t exactly get along, it still hurt like hell to know that she was gone. And Vincent had to go through that. Twice.


    He perks up and says, ¡°Anyways, I am quite famished. Let us have lunch,¡± he says, then leads me into the dining room, where we take our seats. Stephanie serves us both a te, and just before we are about to dig in, an unfamiliar voice fills the air.


    ¡°My dear Vincent, I am heartbroken that you would start without us.¡±


    I look over my shoulder to find two men standing right behind me. One could easily tell that they are twins by their striking resemnce. I suppose these are Mason and Damon.


    Their eyes fall on me at the same time, and their smile is creepily simr as well. ¡°And this must be our long-lost niece, Aira.¡±


    My cheeks heat up a bit, and I am unable to control the excitement that bubbles within me. ¡°Hello uncles. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    My eyes widen, and my heart plummets to my stomach when the one on the left turns from hazel brown eyes to a striking shade of amber. The chill that goes up my spine is simr to the one I felt in the forest with Moriah. The power radiating from him was immense.


    Maybe I made the right choice bying here after all.


    He shes his pearly white teeth at me and says, ¡°Trust me, the pleasure is all ours.¡±

 Chapter 56: Family History

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°So, you woke up in a graveyard?¡± Uncle Mason asks, and I nod. He throws his head back and bursts outughing. Uncle Damon shakes his head lightly, a smile ying on his lips. ¡°Yours is actually quite better. Remember when Betty woke up in the middle of the ocean?¡±


    Everyone at the table chuckles except me. I just look lost among them. ¡°Who is Betty?¡± I ask.


    ¡°One of your aunts. She is in Russia right now; hopefully she drops by soon,¡± Vincent exins, and I nod slowly. Putting a fork ofsagna into my mouth, I let their words sink in.


    ¡°So, you all wake up in strange ces when our powers are about to unlock?¡± I ask them, and Uncle Mason shakes his head negatively., picking up a handkerchief to clean his lips.


    ¡°Not all of us. Some of us just have strange dreams or visions. Right now, it may not be clear to you, but each awakening reflects what exactly our power entails. Like your aunt Betty, who woke up in the middle of the ocean, she has the power to change the tides; she can control all water bodies and bend them to her will. I, on the other hand, simply received a dream where I was in a furnace of fire but could not be burned. The next thing I knew, I was creating fire from my fingertips,¡± he exins, and my eyes grow wider than saucers. This was all just so amazing.


    I look at Uncle Damon and ask, ¡°What powers do you have? And did yourse as a dream too?¡±


    ¡°No, mine came as a very unfortunate experience,¡± he says, his hands meeting his nape nervously. ¡°I was working at a site, and the whole structure just came tumbling down. Just me and two people beside me weren¡¯t crushed by the impact. That¡¯s how my powers of stone came to be.¡±


    At this point, my jaw was on the floor. That did not sound like a pleasant experience at all. My gaze shifts to Vincent, and I find myself asking, ¡°What about you? What are your powers?¡±


    The corners of his lips tilt upward a bit. ¡°Guess,¡± he says, and just before I could open my mouth, a gust of wind blows my hair.


    Ah, go figure.


    Of course.


    My head shakes with amazement. I was still having a hard time trying to process everything. ¡°But how is this possible? So none of us are wolves? Where did these powers evene from? And is our family the only ones who have them?¡±


    Uncle Damon rolls his eyes, then releases a groan. ¡°Oh, so many questions.¡±


    Uncle Mason ps his twin over the head. ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude. She has every right to ask questions. She is unfamiliar with everything; she didn¡¯t get to grow up with the knowledge just like the rest of us.¡±


    Uncle Damon massages his possibly aching head and says, ¡°Fine, fine. I am sorry.¡±


    Vincent clears his throat, and the table falls silent shortly after. It is clear that he did not appreciate his brother¡¯s bickering. He turns to me and says, ¡°Well, no, we are not wolves. But you are part wolf, considering that your mother was a full-bred werewolf. But your father was just like the rest of us-wolf-less but gifted with the supernatural abilities of the moon goddess. You see, we are her descendants, and each of us is blessed with a unique ability to make up for not having wolves.¡± He exins, and I nod slowly as my brain assimtes all this new information.


    ¡°So are all our powers different, or do we sometimes get simr ones?¡± I ask further.


    Vincent shrugs. ¡°Sometimes they are different. Sometimes they are not. It¡¯s all just super spontaneous, really. But some say that even though your powers may differ, parents pass down a tiny fraction of their powers to their children.¡±


    For a moment, I stay silent, a thought lingering in my mind. ¡°What about my father? What power did he have?¡±


    ¡°Marco¡¯s power was a bit¡­ different from the rest of us. He had the power to foretell the future. He would have visions, or dreams. Sometimes he would see the future without knowing he did. You see he had a love for painting and the arts. So his paintings ny percent of the time portrayed future events,¡± Vincent exins and my mouth falls open.


    So that is how Camille knew I would be naturally good at painting. And that painting I saw at the arts gallery. The one where I saw a girl in the middle of the graveyard at the full moon, and Iter figured out it was me. I didn¡¯t exactly paint it but it said I did. Then it just¡­ vanished. Perhaps it was a vision?


    Do I have my father¡¯s powers?Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Vincent¡¯s eyes narrow as he watches me carefully. ¡°You have grown quiet; is anything the problem?¡± he asks, and I tell him about my experience at the art gallery before I woke up at the graveyard.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s settled then. You have Marco¡¯s powers,¡± Uncle Mason says with finality while Vincent strokes his jaw.


    ¡°No, I do not think so. Marco¡¯s powers did not include him sleepwalking into forbiddennds; she may just have a fraction of his powers,¡± Vincent says, and I can tell that the wheels in his head were spinning faster than ever before. For a moment, I caught all three men giving each other knowing looks; there was something they were not telling me.


    ¡°I believe Marco always had a journal where he wrote down tips and findings about his powers. Perhaps that could help her,¡± Uncle Mason inputs, and Vincent nods.


    ¡°Yeah, that is a good idea. Do get it for her; the faster she learns how to control her powers, the better,¡± Vincent says, and Mason nods before leaving the table.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Vincent. I really do not know what I would have done without your help,¡± I say, and for the first time, Vincent smiles at me. It wasn¡¯t warm, nor was it cold.


    It was just a in smile.


    ¡°What kind of uncle would I be if I didn¡¯t help my precious little niece?¡±

 Chapter 57: Marco Kingston’s journal

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Monday, April 31, 2001.


    It poured heavily, yet my skin boiled as though I were next tova. I haven¡¯t slept well in over two weeks, and it feels as though I am losing my mind. There are times that Iy alone in my room and hear voices. Strange, unfamiliar voices.


    They speak to me about an uing danger. But I am simply going crazy, right?


    How wonderful.


    My siblings have been gifted with abilities that make them powerful-abilities that make them capable of defending themselves against any form of attack. But I? What have I been granted? Ah, yes.


    Madness.


    Tuesday, May 22, 2001.


    I have been feeling awfully lonely these past few weeks. The voices have been keeping mepany. They aren¡¯t that bad, at least not when I actually try to listen to them. They tell me that they are the spirits of my ancestors.


    Crazy, isn¡¯t it?


    They tell me their stories of their time among the living. They, too, had powers, just like my siblings. Each with different magical and defensive abilities. I envied them all. I suppose the only powers I have are formunicating with the dead.


    I suppose now I will never be lonely. I will always have someone to talk to.


    Joy.


    Wednesday, June 6, 2001.


    Finally! I have been able to get some shut-eye. But my slumber hasn¡¯t exactly been as peaceful as I hoped it would be. I kept having quite disturbing dreams. There are times I see my siblings strike each other down with their powers. There was yelling, bloodshed, and a strange burst of power.


    The family I once loved parted ways. The light in their eyes vanished and was reced with a strange darkness. And to make things worse, when I told the spirits about this, they would tell me that it woulde to pass.


    I asked them and pleaded with them to help me find a way to stop it. They said that it was already written and that there was nothing that could be done to change it. but there was no way I was going to have that.


    I could not just sit back and watch my family be destroyed.


    Friday, June 8, 2001.


    I told Mya about the dreams I had and my conversation with the spirits. At first, she threw her head back andughed. She thought I was joking. But when she saw that I was serious, she looked at me anxiously and asked if I needed any mental assistance.


    I tried to convince her that I was fine, but she wouldn¡¯t believe me. She told Vincent. They all just thought I was mad. And I suppose I am.


    How could I possibly believe that a family that has been bonded together for decades could simply be torn apart in mere seconds? It didn¡¯t make any sense.


    It is about time I ignored these damn spirits and dreams. They were messing with my head and filling my mind with poison.


    Perhaps if I paid no attention to them, they would go away.


    Friday, August 18, 2001.


    I have found sce in painting. Indeed, an old habit my older sister indulged me in when we were just children became the source of my peace. The spirits quieten when I start to paint, but I do have those strange dreams, though.


    I should consider seeing a therapist.


    Friday, November 30, 2001.


    I have been seeing Dr. Rashel, and I have to admit that agreeing to meet him for weekly sessions was the best decision of my life. He didn¡¯t treat me like some psychopath. He listened to me. He listened to all my dreams and even joked about them.


    He taught me to embrace everything I was experiencing instead of running from it. But he also gave me some medications that asionally granted me some peaceful sleep.


    Although I have to admit that for the past month, I haven¡¯t been taking them. That is because my dreams aren¡¯t as gruesome as before. I actually enjoyed the dreams I have been having. Instead of them being part of my family, It was of a strange woman.


    A very beautiful, strange woman.


    She had eyes that held me captive in my dreams. The first few days she showed up, I couldn¡¯t exactly get the details of her face. But as the nights passed, I was able to make out her face more and more.


    I became obsessed with her. My obsession became so bad that I would almost be driven to tears when I awoke from my slumber. At times, I would try forcing myself to sleep. But I knew it was pointless because her visits to my dreams weren¡¯t consistent.


    I began to paint her.


    At first, I didn¡¯t know what I was doing; I just picked up a brush and started to y with the canvas. But soon it formed into an image. The image of a woman with the most warming smile.


    That was when I knew I was in love.


    Tuesday, December 25, 2001.


    It¡¯s the holidays, yet I stay up in my room painting the woman who blessed my dreams. I believe I have over thirty portraits of her. portraits of the same woman that I have yet to meet.


    My siblings are starting to believe that I am going mad. But I honestly could not care less. All I wanted to do was spend my days up here, drawing the face of this beautiful angel, until the day our paths crossed.


    That is, if they ever do.


    Tuesday, January 1, 2002.


    Vincent just had to drag me out of the house. It is the New Year¡¯s festival, and he believed that I needed to step outside and receive some fresh air. Deep down, I knew he was right, but at the same time, I loved staying up in my room and painting the face of that gorgeous woman.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It had be my favorite thing to do. I just hope I have fun here. I hope this won¡¯t be a big waste of my time.


    Wednesday, January 2, 2002.


    I met her.


    At least, I think I did. I don¡¯t know why she appeared so strange in person. Last night I met the woman that I believe was haunting my dreams, but somehow I refused to believe it. Her face resembled the woman I have been drawing, and at first Vincent was terrified.


    He refused to believe that we actually hadn¡¯t met each other before. but even yet, I still didn¡¯t believe that she was that same woman.


    Despite my belief, I still had to get her number. I had to see her again.


    I just wish I felt more excitement.


    Sunday, January 6, 2002.


    Now I have met her.


    The second our eyes met, I knew she was the one. The woman that has been visiting my dreams for the past two months.


    It turns out that the girl I met at the festival was actually a twin! What great news! I knew I didn¡¯t make a mistake in getting her sister¡¯s number.


    Caroline.


    That was the name of the woman that appeared in my dreams.


    Thursday, February 14, 2002.


    Ah, the day of love!


    And indeed, I was in love.


    Caroline was a woman who brought rity to my mind and warmth to my soul. I know that it has only been a month since we have known each other, or at least that it may be to her.


    To me, I have known her for three months. But she doesn¡¯t know that. I have yet to show her my paintings.


    I suppose one could say that I am scared. Well, I couldn¡¯t be med. I didn¡¯t want to creep her out. I will show her my paintings one day.


    But today, I gave her roses and a box of chocte to celebrate the day of love.


    Although there wereplications, I watched Marilyn stare at us with tears in her eyes. The truth is, after I met Caroline, I never paid her much attention again. Which, I suppose, was quite heartless of me.


    I guess she thought I was into her when I took her number at the festival.


    I have to make things right.


    Saturday, February 16, 2002.


    I have finally made things right. I spoke to Marilyn and exined everything to her. I even showed her my paintings. And to my greatest surprise, she understood everything. even encouraged me to ask Caroline out. I just hope she actually epts me.


    Friday, February 22, 2002.


    She epted me! I have never been more happy in my life! And Marilyn has met a man named Jake; I believe he is quite a good chap! I do hope this happinesssts forever. But now, all is truly right with the world.


    Friday, March 1, 2002.


    The dreams are back.


    The dreams of my family tearing apart are back. And this time the dreams came every night, each being more gruesome and horrendous than thest. There are times I would cry in my sleep, and Caroline would hug me.


    She was quite the angel.


    But not even her light could shine in the darkness my dreams brought.


    Wednesday, March 13, 2002.


    Caroline is pregnant.


    I don¡¯t know how any of this happened. I mean, we have known each other for a short while, and a baby just feels a bit too soon. But I am not abandoning her. We are going to have this baby, and my kid is going to be the most blessed in the world.


    My kid will neverck. I need to work hard. Build an empire.


    My child will be great. I will make sure of it.


    Sunday, September 1, 2002.


    Simr to Caroline, I met my little girl before I even met her. She is beautiful. I can¡¯t wait to give her the world because I am already working hard to give it to her on a golden tter. I didn¡¯t know how I did it, but within the past few months, I have been able to build apany. One with different branches.


    My siblings didn¡¯t like it, though. They all seemed rather angry. All except Camille. She supported me all the way. Although I did wish the rest of them did,.


    But I can¡¯t be bothered about the others. I am not doing any of this for them. I am doing it all for my little girl.


    Friday, November 22, 2002.


    Aira.


    That is the name that left my lips as soon as I held my child. My little girl is here. She is just as I saw in my visions.


    I need to work harder for her. I need to work to the point where she never has to shed a tear for anything I can¡¯t provide.


    Wednesday, December 25, 2002.


    There is a great evil approaching. I could feel it deep within my bones.


    I could feel it growing nearer and nearer every day.


    I wanted to tell Caroline; I wanted to warn her, but I couldn¡¯t. This is Caroline and I¡¯s first holiday with Aira. I didn¡¯t want it to be spent in fear. I wanted it to be filled with joy,ughter, and fun.


    And that is exactly what we are going to do.


    I will surround my family with the world¡¯s best security. No harm shalle to my girls.


    Not even after my death.


    Saturday, November 22, 2003.


    It has been damn too long since I wrote here. I thought I had lost this journal. I¡¯m so d I didn¡¯t.


    I needed an outlet.


    Caroline no longer understood me. No one did.


    The only sce I received was in my paintings and journaling.


    It was Aira¡¯s first birthday today. Despite the heaviness in my heart, I was still filled with much joy. She has grown so much in the past year. Oh, she is gorgeous.


    Caroline was starting to fear that I adored Aira more than her. and honestly, I wasn¡¯t quite sure.


    Aira is the apple of my eyes, which is quite certain.


    This evil lurking in the shadows has made me quite paranoid. There are days I refuse to let Aira out of my sight. Caroline feared for my mental health, but she wouldn¡¯t understand. No one understands.


    But deep down, I knew I couldn¡¯t protect my little girl forever.


    Thankfully, I was able to convince Caroline to record a little tape for our little girl.


    I fear I won¡¯t be here for much longer.


    Monday, December 1, 2003.


    I can¡¯t trust anyone.


    Not even my-


    My eyebrows crease when I see that this is the end of the journal. The rest of the pages have been ripped out, and I wanted to scream out so badly.


    I shut the journal and brought my knees up to my chest. My eyelids fall shut, and I feel a tear slither down my cheek.


    Never in my life have I wanted to meet anyone as much as I wanted to meet my father.


    Marco Kingston truly was a great man.

 Chapter 58: The smile of a con

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Did you find the journal helpful?¡±


    I lift my gaze to find Vincent standing above me. I am seated in the middle of their garden, beneath an old oak tree. I thought that it would be better for me to be here as I learn more about the man who dedicated years to shaping my future.


    It may sound strange, but how does one miss someone that they have never even met?


    I shut the journal and wiped away a few stray tears. As I rise to my feet, I clear my throat and say, ¡°Yes, it did. There are a few scribbles that talk about ways he learned to manage his powers and gather some form of control.¡±


    Vincent nods. ¡°That¡¯s good. Although we are still yet to identify exactly what your powers are, apart from the incident at the art gallery, have you seen any strange visions?¡± He asks, and I shake my head no. He appears a bit annoyed due to the fact that his left eye twitched. He takes a deep breath and says, ¡°Well, if you do, don¡¯t hesitate to let me know.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I say it slowly, still trying to understand what that sudden reaction was all about.


    He checks the time on his watch and says, ¡°I have a few meetings to attend. In the meantime, make yourself at home.¡±


    I nod. ¡°Thank you,¡± I say, and he nods once before walking away. Once he waspletely out of sight, I was startled by the sudden ringing of my phone. As I check the name of my caller, a smile lifts the corners of my lips.


    I pick it up and ce it on my ear. ¡°Yes, I am still very much alive.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. I didn¡¯t call to confirm that,¡± Alex¡¯s gruff voice says from the other end.


    Biting my bottom lip, I can¡¯t help the excitement I feel just speaking with him. I know it has only been an hour, but I really do miss him. ¡°Then why are you calling me?¡±


    ¡°One to hear that sexy voice,¡± he says, and a blush instantly creeps up my cheeks. ¡°And two, to know how you are doing. How is the whole family reunion going?¡±


    My eyes fall on my father¡¯s journal in my hands, and I release a rush of air. ¡°Well, it certainly is one big andplicated family.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t wait to hear all about it. ready to get out of there?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    There is a little shuffling in the background, and I can practically picture him scurrying to his feet and making his way to the car. ¡°You will see me in five minutes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, baby,¡± I say with a sheepish smile.


    Just before I am about to hang up, he says, ¡°Hey.¡±


    My eyebrows furrow, and I reply, ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Guess what?¡± he asks, and I pull my phone away from my ear for a moment to be sure if it is still Alex I am speaking to. And indeed, it is.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    And just like that, my entire face felt as though it had been set aze. Even though he couldn¡¯t see me, I covered my face in embarrassment. ¡°I love you too.¡± I reply, then hang up before he gets the chance to say anything that will have me blushing like some little high school girl.


    As I take a few breaths to calm myself down, my attention returns to my father¡¯s journal. I turned to the back page, where he scribbled some tips that helped in controlling his powers. Although his were mainly visions and dreams and speaking to spirits,.


    And when the madness got a little too loud, I shut my eyes and silenced the world. It took a great deal of focus, but I did it. I had rity and full control. My chest heaved in and out, but so did the voices.


    Pursing my lips, I find myself a bit perplexed. But either way, I do as the journal said. I shut my eyes and silenced the world around me. That is when something strange happened.


    My eyes were shut, yet I could see everything around me. The world was quiet, but I could hear every sound of nature. The clouds grew gray, and a howling wind blew the world around me. Lightning strikes the sky, and a growling thunder is heard.


    Am I the one doing this?


    I suppose there is only one way to find out.


    I imagined the wind growing stronger and stronger. Light objects flew through the air, and I could see a woman walking up to me. She had the smile of a con artist, one so beautiful and true yet ugly and fake.


    My eyelids part when the cracking of wood fills my ears, and the next thing I know, the tree behind me is descending. Yet I was not harmed or touched in any way. The sky that was once bright and sunny is now gray and sad.


    But in a matter of seconds, the clouds begin to wither away and return to their bright and sunny glow.


    ¡°Well, I must say that was quite impressive.¡±


    My head snaps to the side to find the woman I saw walking towards me in my vision sitting on the fallen tree behind me. She has a round face and chubby cheeks; her eyes are the sharpest shade of icy blue I have ever seen; and that smile on her face¡­


    That smile is a con.


    She waves at me like a friend would and says, ¡°Hi, I am your aunt Rebekah.¡±


    An unsure smile lifts my lips. ¡°Oh, hello.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°That was some crazy power show you did right there. Marco couldn¡¯t do any of that. So is your power controlling the weather or something?¡± Rebekah asks, and I notice that she speaks a bit too fast. It was a miracle that I was able to catch everything she said.


    I look down at the journal and say, ¡°I am not sure yet.¡±


    ¡°Give her a break, Rebekah.¡± My head snaps up to find another woman standing right in front of me. My eyes grow wider than saucers as a surprised screech leaves my lips. How the hell did she get here? I didn¡¯t even hear or see hering.


    ¡°I was just getting to know our long-lost niece, Mya. Don¡¯t be such a spoilsport,¡± Rebekah says, and I look up at the woman in front of me. So this is Mya, the one my father first confided in about his visions.


    It¡¯s funny that I get this sense of familiarity with her, but I am certain I have never even met her before. She stretches her hand out to me, and I take it. The second I do a chill I have never felt before in my life, it shoots up my arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Aira,¡± Mya says, and my eyebrows crease in confusion.


    ¡°We have met before.¡± I ask, and her lips stretch into a lopsided smile.


    ¡°Of course, I was there with your mom when you were born,¡± she says, then takes a step back to take a good look at me. ¡°Your father really does not miss.¡±


    My eyebrow hikes, and when she sees my confusion, she says, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    She starts to walk back to the house, and I follow her cautiously, holding my father¡¯s journal closely to my chest. I can feel Rebekah¡¯s eyes drilling holes into my back and sending ufortable chills down my spine. I try to ignore her, but it is pretty hard.


    I think back to how both of them showed up, totally undetectable. I wonder what type of powers they have.


    I follow Mya up the stairs and into a dusty room. There are boxes and tarps everywhere. The room doesn¡¯t look like anyone has ever lived in it. and then I see the reason why.


    My feete to a halt as my eyes fall on the portrait on the center wall of the room. The man sitting on a golden armchair, giving off the aura of a devil with his dashing hazel eyes and perfectly trimmed goatee, was one I could easily recognize.


    Marco Kingston is my father.


    ¡°We all have rooms in this mansion. This was supposed to be your father¡¯s room. Even though he never stepped foot in here, we dedicated the room to him. All of his stuff is in here, untouched.¡± Mya exins as she walks up to a boxid in the center of the bed.


    She opens it and takes out a canvas.


    My heart plummets to my stomach when I see what is painted on it. or, should I say, who?


    It was as though I was staring into a mirror.


    My heart grows still in my chest as I stare at the portrait of myself. I was smiling brightly and even looked as though I was having a goodugh.


    Rebekahes to my side and says, ¡°At first, we weren¡¯t exactly sure who this was. Marco painted this on December 1, 2003. Just a few days before he died. This was thest painting your father did.¡±


    Mya, who is holding the painting, lifts her gaze to meet my eyes. ¡°Your father already knew the kind of woman you would be.¡±


    And with that said, tears started to stream down my face like a river. I feel a pair of arms wrap around me, and I recognize them as Rebekah¡¯s. Mya joins shortly after, and the both of them embrace me in a warm hug.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, little one. Don¡¯t cry. You are home now.¡±

 Chapter 59

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Do you think your dad saw me with you in one of his visions?¡± Alex asks as he inspects the portrait Mya had given me from my father¡¯s stuff.


    I shrug my shoulders and say, ¡°Possibly.¡±


    If I didn¡¯t know any better, I would believe that he was actually nervous. ¡°Do you think he liked me?¡±


    A smile creeps up my face as I watch him stare at my portrait. My shoulders shrug once again. ¡°I don¡¯t see a reason why he shouldn¡¯t,¡± I say honestly, but Alex still appears sad.


    Closing the distance between us, I take his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he would have liked me,¡± he says, and I swear he resembles a rejected child right now.


    ¡°Why would you say that?¡±


    He meets my eyes and looks at me in a way that suggests he couldn¡¯t believe I just asked that. ¡°A father only hands his daughter to a man who can provide for her and protect her. I haven¡¯t been protecting you the way I should.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ever say that. I have never met a man that has fought so hard to protect me the way you have,¡± I say, but he doesn¡¯t seem to believe a word I say. Tilting my head to the side, I watch him closely and say with all honesty, ¡°Danger and harm are inevitable. What has been happening isn¡¯t your fault. And you are wrong.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°Fathers hand their daughters over to the men that will love them; they hand their daughters over to men who will cherish them and be there for them when they are not. They hand their daughters to men who will, by all means, stand by her and never leave her side. And you have done all of these, baby, and so much more,¡± I say honestly.


    For a moment, I could have sworn Alexander was going to cry. His eyes look as though they were watering. But I could not exactly tell, seeing as he shut them immediately.


    He sighed, then cursed beneath his breath. When he opened those gorgeous eyes once again, there was nothing but love brimming within them.


    ¡°God, I love you,¡± he whispers, and those words bring a wide smile to my lips. I am just about to reply when he seals his lips with mine.


    Instantly, my body is brought to life. The kiss is electrifying. It fills me with a sensation that I do not think I will ever get used to.


    I feel him dip a bit to drop the portrait before wrapping his arms around my waist. I wrap mine around his neck, and he lifts me into the air. My legs wrap around his waist, and not once do our lips part. As a matter of fact, our kiss even deepened; it became more passionate.


    He leads us up the stairs, and before I know it, I am being tossed on the bed. A surprised gasp leaves my lips as my body bounces on the mattress. His eyes pin me down to the spot as his eyes ravage my body.


    ¡°Get naked for me, baby girl,¡± he rasps, and I bite my bottom lip.


    Hurriedly, I get on my knees and begin to pull off my clothes. Alex watches me with hunger in his eyes as he undoes the button on his jeans. Soon we were bothpletely naked, and our lips met once again.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    My back meets the bed, and our kiss deepens. His hands find my breast, and he begins to fiddle with them. I find myself moaning into the kiss when he pinches my already hard nipple.


    ¡°Oh God,¡± I say softly as his lips trail kisses down my neck and jaw. The trail continues all the way down to my chest and between my breasts. Despite how heavy my eyelids feel, I keep my eyes solely on him.


    He stops just above my middle and meets my eyes. Then he does the most boyish and unexpected thing before going in for the kill.


    He winks at me.


    My cheeks grow hotter than ever before, but I barely have time to process these emotions before his mouthtches onto my folds. My back arcs, and my mouth falls open. My handtches onto his hair, squeezing the strands harshly.


    ¡°Fuck, Alex,¡± I moan as his tongue sends unbelievable pleasure through my body. He swirls his skillful tongue around my pink nub, sending shivers all through my body.


    He hums as he sucks my juices. ¡°Damn, you taste so good,¡± he rasps. His finger joins his assault on my clicks; he trails one up and down my vertical lips, then begins to draw gentle circles at the folds.


    ¡°Oh¡± is the word that leaves my lips as a breath. Just when I think that things couldn¡¯t get better than this, he slips two fingers into me without warning.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I screamed due to the surprise. His fingers thrust in and out of me slowly, but then he quickens his pace, and my body begins to quiver. My walls clench around his fingers, and he curls his fingers to stretch me out even more.


    ¡°You are always so wet and tight for me, baby. I love that,¡± he says, and those words cause something in me to stir.


    He slips his fingers out of me; the pleasure instantly seizes, and I feel as though I am on the verge of tears. Just before I am about toin, he positions his tip at my entrance and meets my eyes.


    ¡°Are you ready for this baby girl?¡± Something about the way he asks is just incredibly sexy to me. somehow it turned me on, more than I already was. I bite my bottom lip, and I nod. ¡°I need words, baby. I want to hear how much you want me.¡±


    ¡°I want you. I need you, Alex. Please,¡± I practically beg, and he grins like the devil he is.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± he rasps, then crouches down to ce a loving kiss on my lips. Little did I know that it was a distraction for him to slip into me without warning. I sucked in a harsh breath as hisrge member stretched my walls.


    Alex shudders into the kiss while I moan. For a moment, he doesn¡¯t move. He just lets the warmth of my insides engulf him without making a sound. He relished it, and so did I.


    And then he starts to move. His movements start off frustratingly slow, but then they begin to quicken. Each thrust shoots a wave of pleasure through my body, and somehow each one was better than thest.


    Now the bed is creaking beneath us due to his powerful thrusts, and I grip his back so hard that I fear that I may injure him. But yet, I can¡¯t stop. The pleasure was just too much for me to control. My body begins to quiver beneath him, and I feel the bottom of my stomach knot.


    ¡°Alex, I am about to cum,¡± I manage to let out. I was a gasping mess at this point.


    ¡°Not yet. Hold on for me, baby,¡± he grunts, and I try to do just that. The bed shakes violently beneath us, and so does my body. His mouth finds its way to my nipples, and I throw my head more into the pillow.


    ¡°Fuck Alex, I can¡¯t take it!¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he growls, and the knot in my stomach grows tighter. His hands find their way to my pussycat, and he begins to rub the sensitive skin. He must be out to torture me.


    ¡°It¡¯sing,¡± I scream, and his only response is a grunt. A few more thrusts in, and I reach my climax. My juices spill all over his dick, acting as lubricant for him. My body grows ck as he slips out of me and releases his seed all over my stomach on the bed.


    And let me tell you that it was quite a lot.


    He copses on top of me, panting and sweating like he had just run a marathon.


    I am unable to help but hear the light chuckle that leaves my lips as I wrap my arms and legs around him. Alex shoots me a yful re and asks, ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    My head shakes slowly as I try to put my thoughts into words: ¡°I just can¡¯t believe I am doing this with one of the most feared alpha kings in the world.¡±


    He grinszily and says, ¡°Well, this feared alpha king is all yours, now and forever.¡±


    I feel tears stinging my eyes; his words go straight to my heart and fill me with emotions I could not even begin to exin. ¡°I love you,¡± is all I could say, and he smiles in a way that fills my heart.


    ¡°I love you too, my queen.¡±


    My eyelids grow heavy, and I feel a sudden tiredness strike me. A yawn leaves my lips, and Alex chuckles before leaving a sweet kiss at the top of my forehead.


    ¡°Sleep, beautiful. I will be right here when you wake up.¡±


    I manage to let out a little smile before the world grows dark. But when the light returned, Alex was not there.

 Chapter 60: Meeting grandma

    Aira¡¯s POV


    My eyelids part, and I rub my eyes groggily. A groan leaves my lips as I sit up from my bed and take a look around. I stilly in Alex¡¯s room, but Alex is nowhere to be seen.


    A grown man takes over my lips; he promised to be here by the time I wake up.


    Throwing my legs off the bed, I rise to my feet, and a chill goes up my spine. The ground is oddly cold. I rub my arms as a way to give myself some form of warmth as I make my way out of the room.


    ¡°Alex?¡± I call out as I step into the hallway. My response is silence, and I get this weird feeling when I walk down the hallway. It is oddly eerie; the lights were dimmer than usual and left this ominous feeling.


    ¡°Alex, where are you?¡± I yelled a bit louder thanst time. You couldn¡¯t even imagine my surprise when my voice echoed.


    That has never happened.


    ¡°He is not here.¡±


    My blood runs cold when a familiar yet strange voice fills my ears. Slowly, I turn around toe face-to-face with the same hazel eyes I never thought I would see again. My feet take an unconscious step back as I try to calm my racing heart.


    The woman, or, should I say, spirit, I encountered in the gallery stands before me with a small smile on her lips.


    ¡°But I am.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I instantly demand, and she nods slowly, like she had expected me to go straight to the point.


    ¡°I just simply want to talk to you. I mean you no harm, I promise,¡± she says gently, but I do not believe her.


    I take a look around once again and ask, ¡°Where is Alex? What did you do to him?¡±


    Thedy shrugs. ¡°Nothing; he is right where you left him in the real world.¡± She finishes, and my jaw drops. The real world? What does she mean?


    I swallow. ¡°Am I dead?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you can go back. You have been dying a lot and you don¡¯t even realize it; it¡¯s kind of why I really do not appreciate that little mate of yours,¡± she says with an eye roll, but her words only leave me more confused.


    ¡°What do you mean I have been dying a lot?¡± I question her, and she begins to walk away. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡±


    She waves her hand in the air and says, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    At first, I was hesitant, but what other options do I actually have? I followed her to the next room, or what I thought would be the next room. When she opens the door instead of a room, we are met with the outside world.


    Actually, we are right beside a road. There are people gathered around what seems to be an ident.


    ¡°Someone call an ambnce!¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, is she dead?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, this is bad.¡±


    The woman walks closer to the scene, and I brace myself for what I am about to see. I follow closely behind her, and my eyes fall on the cause of themotion.


    A young girl is lying in the middle of the road, her eyes open with a single tear rolling down her cheek. Her eyes are open, staring up at the heavens as she lies in the midst of strangers and in a pool of her own blood.


    But that was not the most horrific part about all of this.


    No, it was the fact that her stomach had been split right open. Judging by the tire marks formed with her blood, I could take a wild guess as to how it happened.


    A man was kneeling beside her, tears streaming down his face as his hands angrily pulled his hair. ¡°What have I done? I have killed a child!¡±


    My heart is beating faster than it ever has before, and bile rises in my throat. I look at thedy and ask, ¡°Why are we here? Why are you showing me this?¡±


    Thedy nods towards the dead girl and says, ¡°Look at her. look at her properly.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really understand what was going on, but I did as I was told either way. I looked at the girl once more, more specifically at her face.


    Her eyes are a bright shade of hazel, and her hair is one of the brightest shades of blonde. My eyes widen as the realization dawns on me. I look at the girl, then at thedy, and then at the girl again.


    ¡°That¡¯s you.¡± I say, and she nods in agreement. The corners of my lips pull downward, and sadness gues my heart. ¡°Is this how you died?¡±


    Instead of a verbal response, she simply smiles at me. Just when I am about to question her, the girl, whom many believe is dead, sits up and releases a loud gasp.


    ¡°Jesus!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    ¡°She is actually alive!¡±


    The girl¡¯s chest heaves up and down as she takes in her surroundings. She appears to be more shocked than those around her. It takes me a moment, but then I realize what happened.


    I turn to thedy with my mouth agape. ¡°You have the same powers as I do.¡±


    Thedy nods in agreement. ¡°Yes, I too had the power of life and death. And this was the first time I died, my first time unlocking my dormant powers.¡±


    ¡°That is so amazing. How did you learn to live with it? Were you sleepwalking to graveyards too? Did you see spirits the same way I do? How did you learn to control it? How did you not run mad? By the way, are we rted?¡±


    My questions are endless.


    She chuckles and says, ¡°All your questions will be answered soon. But for now,¡± she pauses to lift her gaze upwards. ¡°Now you need to get back to the real world. I think your mate is about to have a heart attack seeing as you are no longer waking up.¡±


    Typical Alexander.


    She begins to fade away along with the world around me. ¡°But wait, what is your name?¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Before shepletely vanishes from my sight, she says, ¡°I am Athena. Your great grandmother.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even give me the chance to react beforepletely vanishing from my sight and subjecting me to a world of darkness.


    A gasp leaves my lips as I shoot up to a sitting position. My chest heaves up and down as I fill my lungs with air; somehow, it felt like a strange activity. It was almost as though my lungs had been dormant.


    My gaze falls on Alex, who looks like he is on the verge of madness. The skin around his eyes is red, and his hair is aplete mess.


    But relief washes over them when our eyes lock.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will ever get used to this.¡±


    And surprisingly, I throw my head back andugh.

 Chapter 61: A surprise visit

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Alex, I am fine. You don¡¯t have to follow me; it isn¡¯t necessary,¡± I say for what feels like the millionth time, but my words don¡¯t seem to be getting through to him.


    He proceeds to put on his clothes and inspect his attire in the mirror. He is wearing a crispy white button shirt and ck pants. His hair was a bit messy, and his eyes are sharp and alert.


    It has been three days since Alex nearly had a heart attack because I died again in my sleep. Ever since then, he has refused to leave my side; he even considered getting me a heart monitor to be sure if any of this was healthy at all. He feared that one day I might actually die and note back.


    But then again, I had to remind him that there was nothing normal about any of the things that were going on.


    Today I decided to pay a visit to mypany; it has been a couple of weeks since Ist stepped foot in there. I suppose this whole drama with Ana and Camille dying and meeting new family members that I never even knew I had could do that to a person.


    Alex insisted oning with me, and I just did not want that. He has been breathing down my neck these past few days, and I have had it. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love him to death, but I need to fucking breathe.


    Alex runs his hands through his hair, fixing it up as his eyes remain on his reflection. I am unable to keep myself from biting my bottom lip. It still amazes me how he looks so devilishly handsome without even trying.


    I still find it hard to believe that he really is all mine.


    Once he is satisfied with what he sees in the mirror, He walks up to me and takes my hand; tingles go up my arm when our hands make contact. He starts to lead me out of the room before he says, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    My feet m on the ground in order for me to stand my ground. Alex freezes in his tracks and looks at me with his left brow elevated. ¡°You are noting with me,¡± I say with finality, yanking my hand from his grasp and folding my arms above my chest.


    ¡°Hell, yeah, I am. You have been dying a lot more frequently than normal, and to make things worse, they happen without warning. I can¡¯t let you go out there without my supervision,¡± Alex says strictly, and I roll my eyes.


    ¡°I am not a child; Alex, I can take care of myself. And besides, Athena would never put me in danger.¡±


    Alex lets out a snort. ¡°You mean Athena, the ghost that has been taking you back and from thend of the living and the dead? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    A tired sigh leaves my lips, and I say, ¡°I am not going to die today, okay? And besides, you have already surrounded me with so many guards. I am protected.¡± I walk up to him and ce both of my hands on his broad shoulders. ¡°You can¡¯t spend your days worrying about me, Alex. You have a pack to run.¡±


    Alexander stares deep into my eyes. Those dark orbs pierced right into my soul and let down each and every one of my defenses. He made me weak without even having to try. The words that leave his lips fill me with an emotion I cannot quite describe.


    ¡°I would sacrifice everything just to keep you safe. You are all that matters to me.¡±


    Sucking in a deep breath, I try to stabilize my palpitating heart. I grab his face lightly and smile gently at him. ¡°You were an alpha long before you met me, and you will be an alpha after me as well. Your priority is this pack, not me.¡±


    He does not seem to be acknowledging my words; I can tell by the way he looks at me like I am mad.


    Another sigh leaves my lips. ¡°Just believe me when I say I am going to be fine, okay? You can do your thirty-minute space calls if you want. But I want you to believe that I am going to be fine.¡±


    His eyes search mine, and the intensity behind his makes my knees grow weak. He sucks his lips into his mouth and nods. ¡°Fine.¡± He finally says, and I smile at him in appreciation.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I whisper against his lips before grabbing his face and sealing my lips with his. Our kiss is gentle and loving.


    When he pulls away, he drops his head on mine and whispers, ¡°I love you more.¡±


    It takes everything in me to pull away from him. When I let go of his hand, an empty hand suddenly filled me, and the warmth his touch provided disappeared. For a second, I almost did not want to go anywhere. I am starting to consider actually forgetting everything and spending the day with him.


    But I can¡¯t do that. I have an empire to run.


    Alex stands in the room, his hands in his pockets, as he watches me leave. I release a breath I did not even know I was holding once I step out of the room. I try to erase him from my mind before I find myself running back to him.


    As I step out of the pce, the guards bow at me as I walk by in respect. As I descend the stairs, I walk up to my waiting car. A guard stands beside the door and bows at me in respect before opening the door for me. I step into the BMW, and my eyes meet the driver¡¯s through the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am,¡± the driver greets, and I smile politely at him.


    ¡°Good morning. Kingston enterprises.¡± I say, and he nods in understanding before starting up the engine.


    During the drive to mypany, I think of how far I havee. I still can¡¯t believe that just a few months ago I was thrown out of my home by my own sister and mate. I was left on the streets with nothing in my name.


    Now I have a multi-millionairepany to my name, an overprotective and loving mate, and the family I never knew I would ever have.


    My only regret now is that I wish my baby could have seen all of this.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    By this time next month, I would have been due if they had survived. I would have given them all the good things life has to offer.


    A stray tear slips past my eye, and I quickly wipe it away. Taking a deep breath, I try to calm myself down. It is better if I don¡¯t dwell much on the past. It is exactly what it is-the past.


    And nothing can change it.


    We arrive at Kingston Enterprises in no time. As I step out of the car, I take a look around and notice not much has changed. I make my way up the steps, and the greetings I receive from my staff are tremendous.


    I am surrounded by happy faces and greetings. Most of themplimented me, telling me that I look much better, while the others weed me.


    Making my way up the elevator, I arrive at the top floor, where my office is located. The second the doors open, my eyes lock with Aurora¡¯s.


    Immediately, she rises to her feet and practically runs towards me. I cannot help theughter that leaves my lips as she runs up to me and engulfs me in a crushing hug.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are actually here, Aira!¡± She says that as she squeezes my ribs so tight, I fear that a bone might crack.


    ¡°Aurora, I can¡¯t breathe,¡± I wheeze out, and she lets go of me instantly.


    She smiles sheepishly at me and then says, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    I wave my hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I say before taking in her appearance. I could have sworn that she had put on a bit more weight. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you looking good?¡±


    ¡°Stop, you are the one that is looking all eye-catching,¡± she says, and Iugh lightly.


    ¡°If only you knew what I looked like just a few days ago.¡± I trail off, shaking my head as I try to get those thoughts out of my head. ¡°Anyways, what has been going on here? You have a lot to fill me in on.¡±


    She nods in agreement. ¡°Yes, I do. A lot has happened, and I will tell you the full report. But for now, you have more urgent matters to attend to,¡± she says, and my eyebrows crease in confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You have a visitor,¡± she says, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of my head.


    ¡°What do you mean I have a visitor? No one is allowed to visit me without an appointment,¡± I state, and Aurora purses her lips.


    ¡°Yes, I know that, but there is something different about this man. He was just so¡­ Aurora pauses to gulp nervously, and now my curiosity is spiked. Who is this visitor to fill my assistant with this much fear? ¡°He is nothing like I have ever seen before. He says he is your uncle.¡±


    Of course.


    My eyelids shut for a moment as I tried to take in this information. When I open my eyes, I nod slowly and say, ¡°I will handle this. Where is he?¡±


    Aurora points at my office and says, ¡°In there.¡±


    I head straight to my office, and true to Aurora¡¯s words, my uncle is in my office. But what I did not know was that he was sitting on my seat, behind my desk.


    ¡°Ah, Aira. I was wondering when you would show up.¡±


    My eyelids narrow a bit, but I manage to put up a fake smile: ¡°Hello, uncle Vincent.¡±

 Chapter 62: The orb

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°What brings you here Uncle Vincent?¡± I ask as I walk up to him slowly. I expected him to get off my desk, but he doesn¡¯t move a bit. He just sits there like he owns the ce.


    He shrugs,pletely oblivious to the fact that he is meant to get off my fucking desk. ¡°I just thought I should pay a visit; see how you are handling my little brother¡¯s greatest achievement.¡±


    My lips purse, and I hum. ¡°Well, as you can see, I am handling it just fine.¡±


    He nods slowly then tilts his head to the side. ¡°Maybe, but isn¡¯t it a bit too much for you? I mean, you can barely tell what your abilities are; talk less of earning to control them. Now that you have this great empire on your shoulders, do you really believe you can control everything on your own?¡± he asks, and I rear my head back.


    ¡°Of course I can,¡± I mutter. I only hope that my uncertainty is obvious.


    ¡°Look, I am only trying to help you. Why don¡¯t you let me take over the reins while you try to figure out how to master your abilities? I mean, what if one day you lose control and set this entire establishment aze?¡±


    Every word that leaves Vincent¡¯s mouth leaves mepletely and utterly speechless. Where is he going with this?


    His words rey in my mind, and I cast my gaze downward, not sure if I could meet his eyes. A part of me secretly believes he is right. My powers tend to get out of hand whenever my emotions have gone haywire. What if I am in some sort of business meeting and I am arguing with potential clients?


    What would happen then? Maybe I should¡­


    That thought dies the second I lift my gaze to meet Vincent¡¯s. The smile on his lips seems devious to me. I don¡¯t know; ever since the first day Iid my eyes on him, he has been giving me this ominous vibe. Then I begin to remember Camille¡¯s words telling me to stay as far away from him as possible.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I can¡¯t do that, though. He and the others are the only ones that can help me know who I really am. Without them, I fear I might self-destruct. They are my family.


    But that did not mean I trusted them.


    Camille was well aware I had powers I knew nothing about and couldn¡¯t control. Yet she still trusted my father¡¯spany. My father built thispany for me.


    If I am the one to strike it down and burn everything to ashes, so be it.


    So, I meet Vincent¡¯s eyes, my shoulders squared and my head held high. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. My father built thispany for me, meaning that it is mine. mine to grow and mine to destroy.¡±


    Vincent¡¯s countenance falls, and I can easily tell that he is doing everything within his power to shield his anger. But then he does the strangest and most unexpected thing. He smiles at me.


    What the hell?


    ¡°You really do have your father¡¯s spirit,¡± he says quietly, and those words tug at my heart strings. He finally gets off my chair, walks around the table, and makes his way towards the door. He stops right in front of it and looks at me over his shoulder. ¡°Apart from our family, who else have you told about your abilities?¡±


    ¡°My mate, the day I sleepwalked into a graveyard. Remember?¡±


    Vincent nods. ¡°Ah, yes, I remember. But did you not make mention of guards?¡± he asks.


    ¡°Yes, but they just think it has something to do with me being in forbiddennds. No one actually knows that I possess such powers,¡± I say honestly, and he looks a bit too happy about that information.


    ¡°Wonderful. It is important that no one ever knows of your abilities or those of our family.¡± He says so, and I purse my lips.


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    He walks up to me slowly and stops just barely an inch away from me. He runs his finger down my cheek, and the action sends an ufortable sensation through my body. I just hope he never does anything like that again, or I will be forced to bite his finger off.


    ¡°Because there are so many bad people in the world, my dear. People that would want those powers for themselves and will go to any lengths to take them.¡±


    I swallow.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t ominous at all.


    ¡°My siblings and I are hosting a party for you this Friday evening.¡±


    My brows shoot to the top of my head, and I ask, ¡°A party for me? what for?¡±


    ¡°For your return, of course! It¡¯s not every day we find the niece we once thought was dead for the past two decades. Think of it as a weing party. You can bring that little mate of yours; I am sure we would all love to meet him,¡± he says, and I consider hisst statement.


    I mean, what could possibly go wrong at a party? And Alex would be there, and I know for a fact that he would never leave my side. Maybe I am getting a bit paranoid because of what Camille said about them. They seem quite caring, and they are probably just worried about me.


    Perhaps I am just reading everything the wrong way.


    ¡°We will definitely be there,¡± I tell him, and he grins.


    ¡°Splendid¡± is what he says before leaving.


    A breath I did not even know I was holding leaves me, and I make my way back to my desk. I decided to busy myself with the pile of paperwork I had to go through and sign, but I found it quite hard. I keep wondering why I keep getting this feeling that something is about to go terribly wrong.


    A few hours pass, and a long yawn leaves my lips. My eyelids grow heavy, and I drop the paper in my hands. Maybe I should take a little nap.


    I am standing in a strange room. It ispletely unfamiliar to me, and I wonder if this is a dream or if I am in the underworld once again.


    ¡°Athena?¡± I call out, hoping to hear her reply, but my ears are filled with a strange voice instead.


    ¡°She¡¯s not here.¡±


    My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach, and I spin on my heel. When I do, my eyes fall on a little boy standing right behind me. He is wearing a white shirt that is a bit too big for his little body and ck trousers.


    I noticed that there was paint sttered all over his attire.


    Something about his eyes is awfully familiar, but I am very sure I have never met a kid like this in my entire life. I ce a gentle smile on my lips, and I crouch down in front of him.


    ¡°Well, hello there, little fe. What is your name?¡± I ask him in the sweetest voice that I can muster.


    ¡°It is not important,¡± he answers simply, which takes me off guard. ¡°Come with me,¡± he says, then proceeds to walk deeper into the room. What a rude kid!


    I follow him, and we stop in front of a man who is painting vigorously on a canvas. My heart skips several beats the second I recognize him.


    ¡°Dad?¡± I call out, and his brush freezes in his hands. He turns around swiftly, and his eyes lock with mine. Instant tears brim my eyes, but my heart shatters into a million pieces when he returns to his painting.


    ¡°He can¡¯t see you,¡± the little boy says.


    ¡°But he turned around when I called out to him,¡± I say, and the boy meets my eyes for just a moment.


    ¡°He can¡¯t see you,¡± he repeats, and my eyebrows furrow with confusion. He returns his attention to my dad, and so do I. My dad ces his entire focus on this specific painting. I do not know how long we would stand there watching him paint with so much passion and vigor.


    But when he was done, my jaw dropped. This is the painting he did of me.


    The creaking of the floor board steals my attention, and my head snaps to the side to find a much younger version of Vincent. My eyes widen when they fall on the de clenched in his hands. My father is still yet to notice him, and I can¡¯t help the scream that leaves my lips when he raises the weapon above my father¡¯s head.


    ¡°Quit fooling around and hand me the danger, Vince,¡± my father says without turning around, and my mouth falls even more wide open.


    Vincent chuckles, then lowers the knife, dropping it on the table holding my dad¡¯s paint and other tools. ¡°I hate your powers; no one can ever catch you off guard.¡±


    Instead of giving a verbal response, my father only hums. Vincent nods at the painting of me and says, ¡°Who are you painting now?¡±


    For a moment, my father doesn¡¯t say a word. He just stares at the painting silently and says, ¡°My daughter.¡±


    Vincent bursts outughing. ¡°Damn, you really are crazy. I get that you have mystical foresight, but I don¡¯t think you can see a three-month-old child in her adult years.¡±


    My dad still doesn¡¯t take his eyes off the painting. He tilts his head to the side and then says, ¡°Maybe.¡± He finally turns around, and a gasp leaves my lips. Marco Kingston was indeed a handsome man. He was tall, well built, and had eyes that could hold you captive for days. They are filled with so much passion, light, and love.


    Even with the smudges of paint on his face, it made absolutely no effort to thwart his beauty. He is wearing a white button shirt and dark jeans. He drops his brush and ces his hands in his pockets.


    ¡°What about the other stuff? Did you find it?¡±


    Vincent nods. ¡°Yup, the orb that you saw in your visions is really true.¡±


    A frown pulls my lips downward.


    An orb?


    He never made mention of any orbs in his journal. Could that be among the pages that were ripped out? It had to be¡­


    ¡°Can I see it?¡± Marco asks his brother, who nods and digs into his pocket. He takes out a blue crystal, and I am amazed by its cool glow.


    Its light dims and then sharpens every now and then. There is this strange sensation that fills me just by looking at it. Every fiber in my being wants to hold onto it and never let it go.


    Marco and Vincent¡¯s eyes lock, and they share a nod. ¡°You know what to do,¡± my father says, and Vincent smiles.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he says before walking away. Once my father is left alone, he takes onest look at my painting. And then the world around me begins to vanish.


    ¡°Wait, daddy!¡± I call out, but he vanishes into thin air.


    The voice of the small boy fills my ears, and his words leave an unsettling feeling within me.


    ¡°You must destroy the orb, or everything else will take its ce.¡±


    A gasp leaves my lips as my head flies off the table. I sit back in my chair, my chest heaving up and down as I desperately try to fill my lungs with oxygen. Beads of sweat trickle down my head as I think back to that dream.


    ¡°No dying today, huh?¡±


    A scream leaves my lips as I snap my head to the side. Alex is sitting on a chair next to my desk, his eyes trained on me closely.


    ¡°That was just a quick nap,¡± I say, and he snorts and then rolls his eyes.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    A moment of silence passes between us, and I say, ¡°How would you like to join me in searching for a mysterious blue orb?¡±

 Chapter 63: A reunion of estrangement

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I stare at my reflection in the mirror, seeking eptance for my attire. I wore a red body-hugging dress that hugged each and every one of my curves. It pools around my feet, making it appear like I was standing on a puddle of blood.


    My shoulders and cleavage arepletely exposed. A two-piece silver ne adorns my neck, and my hair has been tied up into a high ponytail. My make-up was sharp and fierce, done just the way I like it with my blood red lipstick.


    A knockes from the door, and I know exactly who it is. I say, ¡°Come in,¡± and the door opens to reveal my breathtaking mate.


    And breathtaking he was.


    The second our eyes locked through the mirror, I could not breathe. It was as though my lungs had forgotten how to function. He stood behind me, looking devilishly handsome as ever in his blood-red tuxedo and pants. His button shirt was as dark as night, the same as his shoes and gelled-back hair.


    What a coincidence! We are matching.


    As though he had shared the same thought as me, he grins deviously. He walks up to me slowly, snaking his arms slowly around my waist. His touch shot an arrow of tingles through my body; our eyes remain locked in on the mirror, and a smile creeps up my lips.


    Alex crouches down to drop his chin on my shoulder, and he hums quietly in my ear. I wish we could stay this way forever, just the two of us, without having to worry about all the trouble this world has brought.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± Alex whispers, his eyes trained on mine in the mirror. His words cause my smile to widen and a blush to creep up my cheeks.


    ¡°Handsome,¡± I whisper back to him, and he pulls away a bit to spin me around. A lightugh leaves my lips as I stand face-to-face with him. My arms instinctively wrap around his shoulders, and our lips hover over each other¡¯s.


    ¡°Are you ready for tonight?¡± I ask him, and he grins.


    ¡°Are you?¡± he shoots back, and I was not sure of how to respond to that. I mean, tonight was my wee party, which would be hosted at Kingston¡¯s estate. After Camille¡¯s death, I decided that it would be best to hand over the estate to Vincent. Seeing as it was Camille¡¯s, she never actually left her property in anyone¡¯s name.


    So now, it was his.


    My party would be thrown there, and I have to admit that I was feeling quite nervous about it. but I have Alex by my side, so what could possibly go wrong?


    ¡°I have you, so of course I am,¡± I say, and he ces a soft kiss on the top of my nose. I do not know how, but that simple action caused my heart to flutter a bit. He takes my hand and meets my eyes.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± he asks, and I nod, a sheepish smile on my lips. He leads me out of our room and out of the pce. From the corner of my eye, I see Ca gushing at the both of us, and I roll my eyes at her antics.


    Alex helps me down the stairs and into the car. He shuts the door for me, walks over to his side, and hops in. From the rearview mirror, I see three cars filled with our guards. All waiting to escort us to the party.


    I shoot Alex an incredulous nce, and he shrugs. ¡°What? What if my dear inws don¡¯t like me? You never know how ugly things could get.¡±


    My head shakes with disbelief, and Iugh slightly. He fires up the engine, and we take the highway at a dangerous speed. I grip my seat tightly as my eyes widen with horror.


    ¡°Alex! Take it easy; we are going to crash!¡±


    Instead of heeding my words, he just throws his head back andughs. And most definitely, to spite me more, he steps on the gas even harder. ¡°Alex!¡± I scream at the top of my lungs, and hisughter mixes with the engine¡¯s roar.


    Thankfully, we arrive at the estate in no time, and I can finally get out of this monstrosity. ¡°Finally,¡± I mutter beneath my breath, and Alex shoots me a wry smile.


    ¡°You know you had fun,¡± he says, and I shoot him a look that silently asks if he is mad.


    ¡°Um, no, I did not! I legit thought I was going to die.¡± I scream at him, and he raises a brow slowly.


    ¡°But you do it almost every day,¡± he counters, and I purse my lips. Touche.


    As we drive into the estate, the sound of ssical music fills my ears. The estate courtyard and pathways were swimming with people. I knew the party would be big, but I never expected it to be this big.


    Alex parks the car, and before we step out, I grab him by the wrist. ¡°Remember what we are really here for,¡± I tell him, and he chuckles slightly.


    ¡°What did you think I came here for? to dance?¡±  He asks sarcastically, and I p his shoulder yfully. The truth is, I didn¡¯te here to honor Vincent¡¯s invitation. We came in search of the orb. Now I do not know who that little boy is or what was so special about it.


    I just knew that somewhere deep down, I just had to find it.


    Alex walks around the car to open the door for me. He takes my hand and leads me into the grand Kingston Hall. The music was loud yet peaceful. Men and women I have never met in my life danced to the beat in their royal-like attire.


    As we walk deeper and deeper into the ballroom, there is this strange sensation that fills me. like a chill running up my spine.


    ¡°Aira, my goodness, you look absolutely breathtaking!¡±


    I spin on my heel toe face-to-face with Rebekah. A woman I have never met before stands by her side. She has simr features to Mya, and I just knew she had to be myst aunt.


    ¡°You look quite beautiful yourself,¡± I tell Rebekah before shifting my gaze to Betty. ¡°It is nice to finally meet you, Aunt Betty.¡±


    Her eyes widen a bit with surprise. ¡°How did you know it was me?¡±


    I shrug, ¡°I just did.¡±


    Betty and Rebekah share a nce but do not utter a word. Theye up to my side and say, ¡°Come, it is almost time for our family to address the guests.¡±


    They start to pull me away, and Alex and I let go of each other. They start to lead me away, but I struggle against him. Something about being away from him tonight just did not sit well with me.


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t met.¡± I start, but Rebekah stops me.


    ¡°Ah, yes, the mate. Nice guy,¡± she says hurriedly without sparing Alex a nce, much to my disapproval. I shoot Alex onest nce over my shoulder and mouth a ¡®sorry¡¯ to him. He nods once and turns his back on me, probably to go in search of the orb.


    Rebekah and Betty lead me into a room just beside the ballroom, and inside is where I find all my aunts and uncles. All were present, except Vincent. However, a man I have not met before sits in the corner of the room with a book in his hands.


    He seems rather uninterested by all that is going on around him and more intrigued by the fictional joy his book brought him. Could he be one of their siblings as well? ording to Camille, they were eight, excluding my dad. So that is Camille, Vincent, Damon, Mason, Rebekah, Mya, Betty, and this guy.


    The second I step into the room, his eyes lock with mine. Unlike the others, there was a strange innocence in his hazel orbs. And he looked much younger than the rest of them-almost my age.


    His lips form an open-mouthed smile as he drops his book and walks up to me. ¡°For years, I have searched for the girl that would bring all of us back together, and now she is finally here. It is an honor to finally meet you, Aira. I see so much of Marco in you.¡±


    Somehow, those words manage to tug at my heart strings and leave me speechless. ¡°The honor is all mine, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Richard,¡± he finishes politely. ¡°I am the youngest.¡±


    Ah, go figure.


    ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Mya says it loud enough to grasp our attention. ¡°Let us go out there and show the whole world that the Kingstons are back.¡± They all cheered, but all I could do was wonder what caused them to separate in the first ce.


    ¡°What about Vincent?¡± I ask, and the room grows silent for a while.


    ¡°He will join us shortly,¡± Mya says, but for some reason I did not believe that.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    We leave the room and return to the ballroom together. They take the stairs and climb up to the veranda, overseeing the entire ballroom. My eyes scanned the hall for Alex, but he was nowhere to be found. Where could he have gone?


    A waiter walks up to us and hands each of us a ss. Mya hits hers with a fork in order to get everyone¡¯s attention, and the hall grows silent.


    ¡°Good evening,dies and gentlemen. It is an honor to have you all here with us, and we are thankful for honoring our invitation. Tonight we celebrate the reunion of our great family and the return of our long-lost niece Aira.¡±


    The crowd ps and cheers quietly. I smile and give the audience a little wave.


    Mya continues, ¡°Tonight we eat, drink, and dance to our heart¡¯s content! Cheers!¡±


    Everyone lifts their sses in the air and makes a toast. They joined their sses with mine, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention to any of it. My eyes kept searching for Alex. Once they start to disperse into the crowd, I attempt to leave, but Mya takes me by the hand and says, ¡°Come, I want to introduce you to some people.¡±


    I yanked my wrist free with a bit more force than necessary. Mya¡¯s eyebrows furrow, and I quickly apologize. ¡°Sorry, I just really need to find Alex.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t say anything; instead, she just watches me walk away. A shiver goes up my spine as I can feel her eyes drill holes into the back of my skull. I step out of the ballroom and begin to search the halls.


    ¡°Alex? Alex, where are you?¡± Is this what I chant over and over again as I search the halls for him? I am on thest floor and on the verge of losing my mind. Where the hell is he? I try to reach out to him through our bond, but I feel nothing there.


    Just a nk, hollow space. There was nothing there to even begin with.


    The fuck?


    Just when I am about to give up and head back downstairs, I feel a tug. Not from Alex and I¡¯s bond but from something else. Without thinking, I make my way towards the door at the end of the hall. A blue light seeps out of the cracks-a light that is so chilling and attractive.


    I remember seeing a light like this in one of my visions.


    It came from the orb.


    Without thinking, I push open the door and step in. but the first thing I see isn¡¯t the orb.


    No.


    My friend is tied to a chair, all battered and bruised. Alex¡¯s head hangs loosely on his shoulders as blood trickles down it. My eyes sting with tears when I notice that he isn¡¯t moving at all.


    ¡°About time you showed up.¡±


    My eyes snap to my side to find Vincent adjusting his sleeves. His hand is bloody as he smirks viciously at me.


    The rage that bubbles within me is like none I have ever felt before. The next voice that fills the room doesn¡¯t sound like mine at all, but like the voice of an army of angry gods.


    ¡°I will kill you.¡±

 Chapter 64: Lose it all again

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Ah, that is quite the burst of power radiating off you there. Be careful now; you are getting angry. And we all know what happens when you lose control of your emotions,¡± Vincent muses, but I honestly could not care less about what he was saying.


    The only thing my brain wasprehending was the fact that Alex was tied to a chair and beaten like some animal. The only thing keeping me frompletely losing my sh*t was the fact that I could feel his heartbeat.


    But it was rather faint.


    My fists ball and my teeth clench. My entire body feels hot, and there was something piling up from within me that was just begging to be released.


    ¡°What did you do to Alex?!¡± At the same time, the earth begins to rumble with thunder. For a fraction of a second, I caught a sh of fear within Vincent¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Oh, nothing; I just had to knock him out in order for this n to work. I just wanted to hit him once, but the tough guy refused to pass out, so I had to do it over and over again until he did,¡± Vincent exins, and every word that leaves his lips only fuels my rage more.


    ¡°Why you-¡±


    I take a step forward, but Vincent aims his palm towards me, and a burst of air throws me across the room. The breath is knocked out of my lungs as my back ms against the concrete wall. My body falls to the floor just as pain shoots across it.


    By the time I lift my gaze, Vincent is standing right behind Alex with his hand wrapped around his head. ¡°Make one more move, and I will snap your precious mates¡¯ necks.¡±


    My eyes brim with tears, and I shake my head frantically in refusal. ¡°No, please don¡¯t hurt me. I will give you whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that music to my ears?¡±


    My head snaps towards the door to find the others walking in. They all had cocky smiles on their lips, and I have never been more confused in my entire life. Mason and Damon took me by the arms and ced me in the center of the room.


    All seven of them encircle me, and I meet all of their eyes, all except Richard, who wouldn¡¯t look at me. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What is happening?¡±


    ¡°I tried doing this Richard¡¯s way because he doesn¡¯t believe in resorting to violence when ites to family,¡± Vincent says, and I look at Richard, who still wouldn¡¯t meet my eyes. Vincent continues, ¡°I tried to do this the nice way the other day, but you absolutely refused. So now we are going to stick to the original n.¡±


    I would appreciate it if they would just stop speaking in riddles and tell me exactly what it is they want me to do.


    ¡°Just tell me what you want; his heart rate is slowing down.¡± I plead, and my breath catches when Vincent takes something out of his pocket.


    The orb.


    Its cool glow fills the room, filling me with its mystical power.


    Vincent nods at Mya, who takes the orb from his hand and brings it to me. She ces the orb in my hands, and the glow bes almost blinding.


    ¡°This orb has been handed down from generation to generation by our ancestors. It was forged by the moon goddess herself to capture the power of anyone to ever abuse the abilities gifted to us. Today, you are going to forfeit your powers into this orb, after which a fraction of your power would reside within us,¡± Mya exins, and my feet take a subconscious step back.


    ¡°No.¡± is the word that leaves my lips without thinking.


    Mason sighs, clearly irritated. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just take her powers by force?¡±


    ¡°The orb doesn¡¯t work like that. If we take it by force, the orb would only absorb her power, but it would not transmit it to us,¡± Vincent exins. ¡°She has to willingly give it up.¡±


    Damon takes a dagger from his pocket smoothly and goes to stand behind an unconscious Alex. He grabs Alex harshly by the hair and lifts his head, exposing his bruised face. My heart shattered into a million pieces as I took in the condition of his face.


    His left eye is a swollen and unhealthy shade of purple. The angle of his nose made it obvious that it was broken as blood trickled down it. But what caught my attention was the huge gash on his temple. I could see a fraction of his skull through the open wound.


    A sob breaks out of my lips as Damon brings the tip of the dagger to Alex¡¯s neck. ¡°Give it up, or he dies!¡± Mason yells, tilting his head. ¡°Or don¡¯t tell me your powers are more dear to you than your precious mate.¡±


    Not even in a million years.


    ¡°Tell me what I have to do,¡± I say grimly, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.


    ¡°You will chant the words ¡®Perdo, I miel poteri a causa del mio sangue¡¯ seven times. And while you do, do not resist; if you do, the orb will shatter and your mate will be gone. For good. So you have just one chance.¡± Mya exins, and I nod in understanding.


    Mason lets go of Alex¡¯s head, and it dangles on his shoulders. He joins his siblings, and they encircle me. I look at Alex, feeling his heart beat grow fainter and fainter with every passing second.


    I couldn¡¯t give a damn about these powers; nothing in this world is worth the life of my mate. My gaze returns to the orb, and I take a deep breath, letting myself rx and getting rid of every hint of resistance.


    ¡°Pedro, I miel poteri a causa del mio sangue.¡± I start, and the orb glows in my hands. I feel something tug at my chest, and I do not hold it back. I repeat those words for the second time, and a gust of wind fills the room, blowing at our hair and clothes. When I repeat it the third time, I feel myself grow weaker and weaker.


    A part of me screams at me to hold back, and just the thought alone caused a tiny crack to appear on the orb. My eyes widen with horror, and Rebekah¡¯s voice fills my ears.


    ¡°Do not resist, Aira! Let it go! Let everything go!¡±


    I continued to chant those words until the seventh time. The glowing orb lifts into the air, and a surge of light pierces my heart. My breath is instantly stolen, and I watch as a spiral of colors is taken from me and absorbed into the orb. When the light disappears, my body copses lightly to the floor.


    As Iy on the cold tile, a shiver went through my body. I have never felt so strange and empty in my entire life. I know I have only had these powers for a short time, but somehow they managed to fill the void I desperately tried to escape from.


    I am barely able to keep my eyes open as I watch that same surge of light strike all seven of them, filling them with my power. Their eyes glowed with an amber light, and within a second, it stopped.


    The orb shatters into a thousand pieces before my eyes, along with myst hope of ever getting my powers back. It¡¯s gone. Forever.


    ¡°Woah, that was so cool,¡± Mason states, flexing his fingers and inspecting his body like it wasn¡¯t even his.


    ¡°Did it work, though?¡± Betty asks them, and there is a moment of silence.


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± Mya says, shutting her eyes and concentrating on the power that has now been harvested within her. Her entire body begins to glow with a radiant light. Lightning struck the sky, and the thunder that pierced the air was so loud and menacing that the screams of our guests below could be heard.


    ¡°We did it,¡± Rebekah says, a wide, deranged smile on her lips.


    I stare at all of them nkly, silently wishing that I had heeded Camille¡¯s words and stayed as far away from them as possible. But I just couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Why?¡± is the question I have been meaning to ask from the very beginning. ¡°Why would you do this to me?¡±


    Vincent chuckled menacingly, walking up to me and crouching beside me as he tapped my head like some kid. I wanted to p his head away, but I couldn¡¯t summon the strength to even get up. Plus, I had to remind myself that he was the one with the upper hand here.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal. You wouldn¡¯t have suffered this fate if your father had just done what we asked all those years ago.¡±


    I still did not understand a word that wasing out of his mouth, and at this point, I do not think I even wanted to. I just wanted to be as far away from him as possible.


    ¡°Well, you have gotten what you wanted. Now give me Alex and let us get out of here; you won¡¯t have to bother about us ever again,¡± I say, managing to get myself into a sitting position.


    ¡°Actually, there is one more thing,¡± Vincent says, and my left eyelid twitches.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The deed to your father¡¯spany. Put it under my name.¡±


    There is no way.


    My head shakes slowly in refusal as I feel my throat close up. My eyes began to sting, and I hated how broken my voice sounded as I spoke. ¡°No, he built thatpany for me. You can¡¯t take it away from me!¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Then I hope you don¡¯t mind that we take Alex away from you instead,¡± he counters, a demonic smile stretching his lips as he sees my reaction to his words.


    ¡°Fine, I will give you the stupid deed.¡± I say this through gritted teeth as I manage to get to my feet.


    ¡°You have two hours. If you aren¡¯t back by then, you will be getting Alex¡¯s severed head delivered to you on a silver tter,¡± Vincent threatens, and my bottom lip trembles. I look at the rest of them, wondering if each and every one of them would really go along with this.


    They all watched me coldly, void of any empathy or sympathy. All except Richard, who still couldn¡¯t meet my eyes.


    ¡°How could you all be so cruel to me? How greedy could you all be? I am your niece! Your brother¡¯s child!¡± I say this through gritted teeth, but not once did I take my eyes off Richard. ¡°Why can¡¯t you look at me, Richard?¡±


    And then he does.


    What is left of the pieces of my heart obliterates when his once warm, passionate eyes are now void of any form of human emotion.


    ¡°Your time is ticking, Aira.¡± That is all he says before turning his back to me.


    Wiping the stray tear from my face furiously, I bolted out of the room. I hurry down the stairs on wobbly legs and make my way back to Alex and I¡¯s car. I caught the worried looks from people I passed, but I did not bother to pay them much attention.


    It wasn¡¯t as though they could help me. No one could help me.


    If I messed up, then I would lose Alex.


    I step on the gas with all the might I could muster and take the highway at deadly speed. To think that Alex wanted us to speed our way back home-who would have thought that I would be the only one doing that now? Tears brim my eyes, and I am unable to hold them back this time.


    Why did I have such terrible luck? Just when I would get a touch of happiness, something would alwayse along and ruin it. why?  I once had everything taken from me by the ones I loved; why is this happening again?


    I have already lost my powers; I am about to lose the empire my father fought so hard to build for me. but under no circumstances will I lose my mate.


    I would rather die.


    I put more pressure on the gas pedal, the speedometer screaming at me to slow down, but I wouldn¡¯t. How I wish I had.


    What happened next was all within a second.


    A loud burst fills my ears, followed by the screeching of tires. The steering wheel had suddenly developed a mind of its own, and the car swerved in all directions.


    Thest thing I saw was the windscreen shatter into a million pieces before it all went dark.

 Chapter 65: Truths and Lies

    Aira¡¯s POV


    A groan leaves my lips as I wake up in an unfamiliar room. I take a look around to find that we are in Vincent¡¯s mansion. How did I get back here? I thought I was on my way to get the deed to thepany.


    My eyes widen slightly as the memoriese flooding back in. Oh my God, am I dead?


    This did not feel like a vision, and besides, I had already lost my powers, so there was no way I had crossed over to the dead world. Unless I am never returning, that is.


    Tears sting my eyes, and I throw my arms around in frustration. ¡°No! I am not meant to die! If I die, then Alex will as well. I have to find a way back. Maybe there is still time.


    ¡°I am surprised you didn¡¯te with our little niece. Are you ever going to let us meet her?¡± My head snaps up to find my father, mother, and Vincent together. Marco just offers him a tight smile.


    ¡°Maybe one day,¡± Marco answers coldly, and Vincent ces a hand over his chest, feigning hurt.


    ¡°You have be quite rude, Marco,¡± Vincent says before turning his gaze to Caroline. ¡°Please talk to your husband.¡±


    Caroline snorts, ¡°This man doesn¡¯t even listen to me anymore. He is a force that can no longer be stopped.¡±


    ¡°Well, that he is.¡± Vincent says, clearly dismayed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join the women in the kitchen? I have a few things I wish to discuss with my brother.¡±


    Caroline and Marco share a nce that suggests that neither of them wanted to leave the other, but they just had to. They share a quick, loving kiss before parting ways. Vincent and Marco walk out to the garden, and they spend the first few minutes in silence.


    ¡°What is your secret, Marco? Tell me how you were able to build such an empire in such a short amount of time. You have investors all over the world, and more are flying in just toe offer their contracts to you. But it has taken me over two years to make a million-dor profit in my techpany. How do you do it?¡± Vincent asks, clearly desperate for his brother¡¯s answer.


    Marco just shrugs. ¡°I suppose it is just sheer luck. Perhaps one of these days I will take a look at your marketing strategy and budgeting and see what it is you are doing wrong.¡±


    It is clear that Vincent did not like Marco¡¯s tone one bit. Even a child could tell that the smile he had stered on now was fake.


    ¡°Or we could just join firms and be one. I feel it would be a much bigger entity if we were partners. What do you say?¡± Vincent asks his brother, who clearly is not in support of the idea in any way.


    ¡°Thatpany belongs to my daughter and no one else. Besides, I am sure you will do just fine on your own,¡± Marco says before turning his back on his brother to walk back into the building.


    A man walks up to Vincent and asks, ¡°Do you still want us to do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and do it well.¡± Vincent says it coldly, and the man nods once before disappearing. Vincent joins the others back inside, and I can¡¯t help but wonder what it was he had told that man to do.


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    My body jolts with surprise as the little boy who had appeared in myst dream does so again. But soon, that panic turns to relief.


    ¡°Ah, you are here. Look, I really do not have time. I have to get back and¡±


    ¡°Come with me,¡± the boy says again, paying no attention to the words that wereing out of my mouth. Begrudgingly, I seal my lips shut and take his hand. We take just one step forward, and we are in a different part of thepound-the front yard, to be precise.


    I watched as that man Vincent had spoken to in the garden walked up to a car. He searched his surroundings to make sure that no one was watching him before taking out a dagger and puncturing a tire.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I say it out loud.


    The second he leaves, Marco and Caroline step out of the house with Vincent and Mya. Vincent stands on the front porch, waving them goodbye, as Mya gives my mother a tight hug.


    ¡°Say hi to my little niece for me,¡± Vincent says as he continues to wave goodbye, the smile on his face a bit wider than normal. My eyes widen slightly as I start to put two and two together.


    No. This can¡¯t be.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t get in!¡± I scream at my parents, but they just walk right past me. They get into the car, and my heart grows heavy as I watch them drive away.


    ¡°Did you do it?¡± Mya asks Vincent, who nods.


    ¡°I hope you said your proper goodbyes, sister. Because that is thest time we are ever going to see our brother again.¡±


    That bastard!


    He killed his own brother!


    The hatred I feel towards Vincent grows more than ever before. The hatred that I feel towards all of them is like nothing I have ever seen before. How can greed be the reason you would kill your own brother?


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why didn¡¯t my father see this?¡± I ask the little boy, who looks up at me.


    ¡°His visions never clearly state what is going to happen. He knew he was going to die, but he just never knew how. The power that both you and your father possessed required great wisdom. It could save lives, but it could also destroy them,¡± the boy exins, and I shake my head in disbelief.


    ¡°Please take me back. I have already lost my powers to him. I can¡¯t lose Alex as well,¡± I say, feeling tears well up in my eyes. It hurts that my own family will forever be the cause of my own downfall.


    The boy takes my hand and says, ¡°There is onest thing I want to show you.¡±


    We take a step forward, and the world around us vanishes. We now stand in a room-a familiar room.


    My heart skips a beat when my eyes lock with the warmest pair I have ever seen. Camille.


    She is lying on her bed with a picture in her hands, although I could not exactly see it from this angle. From what I can see, she is lying in bed with the same clothes I found her in. This must be the day that she died.


    I take a step back. I want to disappear from this scene. ¡°No, please don¡¯t let me watch this. I can¡¯t.¡±


    But the boy does not say a word.


    Camille stares at the picture so lovingly, running her finger through it. ¡°I hope I made you proud, little brother, and I didn¡¯t fail you again.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, you have.¡±


    All eyes snapped to the entrance of the door, where Vincent stood tall and mighty. What was he doing here?


    Camille didn¡¯t move a muscle as she watched her brother walk up to her and sit beside her on the bed. ¡°What do you want, you demon?¡±


    Vincent ces a hand over his chest, feigning hurt. ¡°I simply came to talk. I have missed my big sister quite greatly. How long has it been? Two decades since Ist saw you. You don¡¯t even care to check up on any of us. That is not how you treat family.¡±


    ¡°You all stopped being family the moment you killed our brother,¡± Camille says through grit. Her nose was ring as she watched Vincent with disgust.


    ¡°He was just coteral damage. I was only trying to teach him a lesson. You know how I feel about people who defy me,¡± Vincent says coldly.


    ¡°Ah, yes, I do. You get them out of the way,¡± Camille states, knowing her brother all too well.


    Vincent grins and brings her lips closer to his sister¡¯s ear. ¡°And since you know just how far I can go for people who defy me, you would do well to answer my questions. Where. is . my . niece?¡±


    For a moment, Camille doesn¡¯t say anything. She just looks at Vincent with a stone-cold face. ¡°I would rather die than let you go anywhere near her.¡±


    Vincent purses his lips, then nods slowly. ¡°Then so be it.¡±


    What happens next must be tagged as one of the most horrifying scenes I have ever witnessed.


    Vincent raised his hand in the air and clenched his fist. And just like that, all the air in the room seized.


    Camille¡¯s eyes widen as she struggles for breath. She desperately tries to get up, but Vincent holds her down by pinning her by the chest. She tries to fight him off, but clearly, their strengths are unmatched.


    Tears brimmed my eyes as all I could do was stand there and watch Camille fight for her life. But soon, that fight begins to lessen, and her body starts to grow ck.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you finally get some rest, sister.¡±


    A tear slides down Camille¡¯s face as she watches her brother take her own life. She slumps on the bed, unmoving, with her eyes still open. When Vincent shut her eyes, I knew that it was already done.


    His attention falls on the picture in her hands, and he takes it.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me like that, Marco. If you all agree with me, none of this would have happened,¡± Vincent says to the picture as he walks out of the room. Before he ispletely out, I manage to get a glimpse of the picture.


    No way.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I look down at the little boy standing beside me with amazement, almost too scared to utter the word that I have been longing to call a man for years.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    For the first time since I have encountered him, he smiles. He transformed before me into his devilishly handsome adult self, and my heart grew heavy. Tears begin to spill out of my eyes as the man I have desperately wanted to meet now stands before me.


    And then, I hugged him.


    I hug him so tight that I never want to let go. I let the tears I had been holding back for the past few years fall violently.


    ¡°I wish you were really here; none of this would have happened because I would have had you to protect me.¡± I sob into his chest as he caresses my hair.


    ¡°I will always be there to protect you, my little one. Always,¡± he pulls away from me and takes my face in his hands. ¡°But now I want you to fight. Vincent needs to be put on hold.¡±


    ¡°But dad, I can¡¯t sacrifice Alex. I love him too much,¡± I say through my sobs, and he smiles at me softly, looking at me wholesomely.


    ¡°I know what it is like to be in love. You would sacrifice the world for them, but my dear, I am telling you that some sacrifices are worth making,¡± he says, and I take a step away from him. I stared at him in disbelief.


    ¡°What are you trying to say? That I should let my mate die?¡±


    ¡°It is not just you who is in danger here. This city, this world, and everyone in it will be in danger if you sign that deed in Vincent¡¯s name. There is a certain power locked within the deeds of the Kingston empire-the power that orbits every power of every Kingston that ever lived. That is why Vincent wants it so badly. It was infused in there after thest vessel could no longer hold it in.¡± My father exins, but I still shake my head in refusal.


    ¡°A life full of power yet void of love and warmth is not a life worth living. I will save Alex,¡± I say decisively, and I am shocked when a proud smile lifts his lips.


    ¡°You really are my daughter,¡± he says, taking my face gently into his hand and cing a soft kiss on my forehead. ¡°I just want you to know that no matter what, a sacrifice is inevitable.¡±


    He starts to vanish from my sight, and a wave of panic rushes over me.


    ¡°But dad, wait.¡±


    My eyelids part, and I shoot up into a sitting position. Desperately filling my lungs with air. My eyebrows furrow as I take a look at my arm; there is blood on it but no cuts or bruises of any kind. I thought, with my powers gone, that ident would have killed me.


    I look around to see that I am in some kind of hut. Where am I, and how did I get here?


    ¡°It is about time you woke up. I thought you were on a tight deadline.¡±


    My eyes snapped to meet the eyes of a woman I never thought I would see again.


    ¡°Moriah.¡±

 Chapter 66: The witch coven

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°I can¡¯t be here. I need to get the deed and save Alex,¡± I say hurriedly, attempting to get up, but I instantly regret my actions.


    A pain like I have never felt before courses through my body; it nearly leaves me in tears. Oh, how could I possibly forget that I was in a fatal ident just moments ago? Normally, I would take a breath and thank my stars that I am alive, but there is just not enough time for that right now.


    I need to save Alex.


    I attempt to move again, but the pain that shoots up my body is even worse than the first. My eyes fall down on my body, and I gasp at its condition.


    Okay, maybe it really is a miracle that I am still alive.


    There are deep, long cuts littered all over my body. Cuts that are sure to take the life of any living creature in seconds.


    Moriah watches me struggle in silence, shaking her head in disbelief.


    ¡°Why do you try so hard to save that monster? Don¡¯t you have any idea the lives he has ruined and taken for the most irrelevant reasons? I know you see him as the best man in the world, but in reality, Alexander is a cold-hearted beast. He deserves everything that ising to him.¡±


    Moriah¡¯s words twist something inside me. I tear my gaze away from her, not wanting her to see my tears. ¡°I know Alex was one of the most heartless and ruthless creatures to ever wander this earth.¡± I pause to meet Moriah¡¯s eyes once again, to show her that I mean everything I¡¯m about to say. ¡°But over the past few months, he has changed. He has grown a heart, and he has roots. I know a few months of good is not enough to make up for the years of torment he has brought upon you and everyone in this pack. But he doesn¡¯t deserve to suffer such a terrible fate at the hands of my power-hungry family.¡±


    Moriah¡¯s eyes soften at my words, and I see something I would take for empathy shing in her eyes.


    ¡°Despite all the evil this world and he himself have shown you, your heart is still pure. I admire that,¡± she says beforeing to stand beside me. ¡°Which is exactly why I am going to help you.¡±


    My eyebrows crease, and before I can ask how she intends to help me, a woman in a dark coat walks into the hut.


    Part of her face is covered by a hood, but the little that was revealed showed markings that had been done with coal. Her eyes are darker than night, and so is her aura.


    ¡°It is time,¡± the unknowndy says, and Moriah nods.


    The otherdyes to stand at my other side, and their hands hover above my face and chest. They begin to mutter something in a foreignnguage, and just as I am about to ask them what is going on, a chill sips into my veins and flows to every part of my body.


    My breathes to a halt as the surge of power fills every part of me. Moriah¡¯s pupilspletely disappear as her gray strands lengthen.


    Her body begins to tremble, and I watch her age before me at an rming rate. A glow flows down her heart to her arms and straight down to my heart, and my body rises off the bed on which Iy.


    I could see and feel everything.


    Suddenly, the light vanishes, and my body falls to the bed. But my body wasn¡¯t the only one that fell.


    ¡°Moriah!¡± I shoot to my feet and rush to her side. Iy her head on my thighs and began to inspect her body. My heart freezes in my chest when I can no longer feel her pulse.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°She is gone,¡± thedy in a ck coat says.


    ¡°What? Why would she do that?¡± I ask, feeling tears well up in my eyes.


    ¡°She was only fulfilling the prophecy. Moriah has been the head of our coven for over fifty decades. The prophecy clearly stated that her time hase and that a soul purer than a child¡¯s will be her sessor. And that is you.¡±


    There is no damn way.


    The woman tilts her head to the side and says, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad; it was what she wanted. She was d that it was you.¡±


    I look down at Moriah, the weight in my chest growing even heavier. I think she gave her life to help the man she hated the most.


    I can¡¯t let her down.


    ¡°My name is Sasha, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Aira,¡± I mutter, and a ghost of a smile appears on her face.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Two more men in a simr attire to thedy walk into the hut and take away Moriah¡¯s body. Thedy takes my hand and lifts me back to my feet.


    It was only at that moment that I realized that all my wounds had beenpletely healed. It was almost as though they had never happened in the first ce.


    The witch leads me out of the hut, and what I see leaves me inplete and utter shock.


    There are about twenty witches on their knees with their heads bowed towards me. Sasha goes down on her knees and, well, bows before me.


    ¡°You are now our leader, Aira. Every witch of this coven is at your service.¡±


    A smirk lifts my lips.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go save my mate.¡±


    Vincent¡¯s POV


    I check the time on my watch and scowl. The girl has just five minutes left.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just kill him and go get the deed ourselves,¡± Mason says, pacing the room impatiently.


    ¡°You should probably listen to him, the worst mistake you can make is letting me out of here alive. Because I wille for you.¡±


    I roll my eyes at the incessant brat.


    ¡°I think I liked you better when you were half dead,¡± I say to Alex, checking the time on my watch once more.


    Three more minutes.


    I get off my chair and take the dagger out of my pocket. ¡°I really thought she cared about you, but then again she is a Kingston. We value power more than love.¡±


    Sadness shes in his eyes but he is quick to look away. How sad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will make this as quick as possible for you,¡± I say as I stand behind him, lifting his chin so I can get better ess to his neck.


    He struggles against me but it¡¯s futile. I check the time once again, and sigh.


    It is time.


    ¡°I suppose you get to finally say hi to your father iw. I am certain he would love you.¡±


    Just as I bring the dagger to his throat, the door bursts wide open.


    Finally.


    When I lift my gaze I frown when I see that it is a guard who had walked in instead of aira.


    He is panting heavily with beads of sweat trickling down his head.


    His chest heaves up and down rapidly and the fear in his eyes is like none I have ever seen before.


    ¡°She is here.¡±


    His body jolts forward and he looks as though he is struggling for breath. Blood spills out of his gaping mouth and my siblings take a step away from him.


    A cold wind fills the room but I knew this was no ordinary wind. This was a great power radiating off someone. But who?


    I watch the life drain off the guard¡¯s eyes before he falls lifelessly to the floor. There is arge hole in the man¡¯s back, right above his chest.


    The girl that walks in is not my niece.


    But a monster.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask this nicely again.¡± Aira¡¯s eyes turned ghostly white and her voice didn¡¯t sound like hers but an army of angry gods. ¡°Give me back my mate.¡±

 Chapter 67: Her Power

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Well, that is quite the interesting entrance,¡± Vincent chuckles lightly. He has a knife in Alex¡¯s throat, and that is when my eyes lock with his. My heart shatters at the sight of him. He looks so tired and beaten up.


    When his eyes meet mine, anger shes within them. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee back. You are putting yourself in danger; I am fine,¡± Alex says stubbornly, and I raise my brow slowly. He is just a few seconds from losing his life, and he is telling me he is fine.


    I love you.


    ¡°I am not leaving this ce without you,¡± I tell him simply, and he smirks proudly. I shift my gaze to Vincent as I step into the room. The others encircle me, but I show no hint of fear. At this point, I do not think I am capable of feeling anything other than rage right now. ¡°Release him.¡±


    Vincent grins and says, ¡°I will once you hand over the deed.¡±


    Tilting my head to the side, I dig into my pocket and take out the deed. I hold out the paper to him, clenching it tightly in my bloody fist. ¡°Here is what you are looking for. Come get it.¡±


    Damon inhales sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. The irritation is obvious on his face. ¡°You seem to be forgetting who is the one with the upper hand here. We have your precious mate and you are clearly outnumbered. Stop this tough girl act and hand the deed so we can all go our separate ways.¡±


    Vincent nods in agreement then looks at me. ¡°You heard your uncle, hand it over.¡±


    ¡°I have no uncles,¡± I mutter, then do something that awakens an uproar. ¡°I have no family.¡±


    I tear the deed to pieces.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°You damn bitch!¡±


    Vincent growls and the rage in his eyes is immense. ¡°You have no idea what you have done. I am going to make you watch me kill your mate and then I will kill you as well.¡±


    He brings the knife down on Alex¡¯s throat, but before it could make contact with his skin, I flickered my fingers, and the knife flew out of Vincent¡¯s hands and plunged right into Damon¡¯s chest, right into his heart.


    The room grows silent. Damon¡¯s eyes widen as his hands slowlye up to the dagger¡¯s handle. He doesn¡¯t even touch it before falling on his knees with blood spilling out of his mouth.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Mason cries out,ing to stand by his twin¡¯s side. He takes out the dagger from his brother¡¯s heart and blood spews all over the floor. ¡°Stay with me, brother. Keep your eyes open!¡± Mason pleads as Damon starts to choke on his blood. His breaths be more harbored and his eyelids flutter shut.


    Soon his breaths seized. He is dead.


    ¡°Well then, who is next?¡± I ask teasingly, feeling no hint of remorse for the deceased man.


    Mason¡¯s chest heaves up and down. His body begins to tremble with rage, and when he lifts his gaze, his eyes glow. ¡°You,¡± he seethes before raising his hand and clenching his fists.


    A surprised scream leaves my lips as I crumble to my knees. I can feel my own bones crushing within my body, and pain erupts across my body. I shut my eyes for a second, and the moment I do, I see Mya speed walk up to me and grab me by the throat.


    My eyelids fly apart, and I lift my hand towards the dagger lying on the floor. It flies into my hand just in time for Mya¡¯s arrival. She attempts to grab my throat, but I bring the dagger down on her wrist, severing her hand right off her arm.


    She screams in pain and falls right down on her ass. I barely have time to recover from what just happened when someone grabs my head from behind. Before they can snap my neck, I plunge the dagger several times into their abdomen.


    The person¡¯s grip on my neck loosens, and I use the opportunity to twist my body around and embed the dagger right into their throat. I watch the life leave Rebekah¡¯s eyes as she clenches her bleeding throat in her hands, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. But it was pointless; she was as good as dead already.


    She chokes on her own blood, getting down on her knees as more blood spills out of her neck. Finally, she falls lifelessly to the floor.


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    Betty¡¯s screams pierce my ears, but they are in no way inferior to mine. My blood began to boil, and it felt like my whole body had been submerged in boiling hot water. My knees met the floor as both Mason and Betty came up to me with their hands aimed at me, and I could feel the crushing of my bones once more.


    The pain-it¡¯s just too much.


    Tears spill out of my eyes, and without thinking, I desperately reach out for Alex. Once his eyes lock with mine, I watch as something in him snaps. His roar shakes the very foundation below us, and I watch with amazement as he breaks free of his restraints.


    His movements were too fast for me toprehend. One moment he was breaking free of his constraints, and the next he had Mason¡¯s severed head in his hands. My bones stop crushing, but what surprises me is when my blood stops boiling as well.


    That is when I realized that Betty is nowying lifeless in the arms of someone I least expected.


    Richard.


    He holds his sister¡¯s heart in one hand and her corpse in the other, watching me without a hint of emotion in his eyes. My shock is evident as he drops both the heart and body casually to the floor and walks up to me.


    ¡°I have failed my brother once before; I won¡¯t let him down again,¡± Richard says, and a bitterugh fills the room.


    ¡°Well, this was quite the show to watch,¡± Vincent says, walking over his siblings¡¯ bodies casually. He has his hand in his pockets, looking so unbothered, like he did not just witness his family get ughtered.


    I knew from the beginning that there was something evil about Vincent. At least the others cared when they watched each other get killed. But he just stood there and watched, like it was his favorite show. It was as clear as ever that Vincent did not give a damn about family. He only cared about power.


    ¡°I wanted to do this in a nice and friendly way, but I guess you did me a favor by getting rid of the rest. At least now I do not have to do it myself,¡± Vincent says, and I stare at him with utter disgust.


    ¡°They were your family,¡± I whispered, but even I knew he could hear them. I may not have known them well, but even I felt something knowing they were dead.


    ¡°They were nuisances,¡± Vincent states, pulling off his suit jacket and pulling back his sleeves. ¡°And by getting rid of them, I will make your death less painful.¡± His gaze shifts to Alex, and he smirks. ¡°I can¡¯t say the same for him.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t fast enough.


    What happened next would haunt my dreams for as long as I lived. One moment Vincent snapped the handle of the chair Alex was strapped to and threw it straight at Alex, propelling with a violent wind. The stake goes right through Akex¡¯s heart; the force sends him flying across the room, pinning him to the wall.


    ¡°Alex!¡±


    I rush over to him and pull the stake, pinning him to the wall with a strength I did not know I even possessed. His body drops to the floor, and I take his face into my hands. Tears spill out of my eyes as blood spills out of his lips.


    ¡°Hey, you are going to be fine, okay?¡± I say desperately to him. I am doing my best to get him to keep looking at me.


    A smile lifts his bloody lips as he stares up at me with droopy eyes. ¡°You were so badass today. I never knew you could fight like that.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you piss me off, I will definitely fight you in ways you have never seen before,¡± I say against his lips, our noses brushing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will get the chance to piss you off anymore,¡± he says, his voice growing faint. My heart pounds wildly in my chest as I do my best to hold back my tears.


    ¡°Shut up! You will. Your pack needs you, and I need you. So that is precisely why you will be going home with me,¡± I say, and he tries to chuckle but only ends up spouting out blood.


    ¡°You have no idea how much I love you. I am sorry I was unable to protect you. I am sorry you had to go through all of this because of me,¡± he whispers to me, and my tear drops on his face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry about anything. And you do protect me; if it wasn¡¯t for you, I would have died.¡± I swallowed the bile that had risen within my throat as my body began to tremble. I could not exin it, but I could feel him slowly slipping away.


    I drop my head on his and whisper, ¡°Please do not leave me.¡±


    ¡°I will always be with you¡± is thest thing he says to me before his eyes finally fall shut and his breath seizes.


    No.


    ¡°Alex? Open your eyes,¡± is what I demand, but he doesn¡¯t respond. ¡°You are scaring me. Please just open your eyes.¡±


    Nothing.


    A sob wracks my shoulders, and a tornado of emotions erupts within me.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think he is dead, love.¡±


    Something snaps in me when Vincent¡¯s voice fills my ears. My eyes snap up at him, and a violent wind fills the room. It is so strong that it pushes him back a bit. The smirk on his lips falls when the lights start flickering.


    The door and windows begin to m open and shut, and the power flowing within the room is like none I have ever felt before. It is when I lift my hand towards him that I realize that my body has begun to glow.


    ¡°You will bleed by the hands of your own blood.¡±


    I have no idea what made me say that, but the second those words leave my lips, the Kingston siblings rise to their feet.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I hear Richard mutter as he takes a step back.


    For the first time since I have known Vincent, fear shes within his eyes. He tries to run, but Mya uses her superspeed to hold him down.


    ¡°Mya, what are you doing?! Let go of me!¡± Vincent growls, but Mya doesn¡¯t do as she is told; as a matter of fact, she is still pretty much dead. They all are.


    That is when Moriah¡¯s wordse flooding back into my memory.


    ¡°You have power over life and death.¡±


    How could I forget? All this time, I have been wondering what exactly my powers were, and she has told me all along.


    Damon and Mason get on top of Vincent, then proceed to rip both his arms off his body. He howls in pain, but it does not end there. Betty lifts her hand to Vincent¡¯s head, and in a matter of seconds, Vincent¡¯s blood is set aze.


    He releases a howl of pain as he burns from the inside out. The scent of burning flesh fills the air as the fire spreads to the rest of them and burns their bodies to ashes.


    ¡°I am so d I switched to your side.¡± I hear Richard mutter, but I pay him no attention.


    My gaze falls on Alex, and a tear slips past my eyes. I wish I could bring him back the way I did the Kingston¡¯s siblings, but the truth of the matter was that they were still dead. They were only doing my bidding.


    Which means Alex is gone.


    For good.


    Another teardrop falls on his eye. A sob leaves my lips as I bring them to his bloody ones. I kiss him gently, muttering, ¡°I love you,¡± just as I pull away. A bright light glows from my chest; it goes down my arm and transits into Alex.


    My eyebrows furrow with confusion, but it soon morphs to shock and a mix of happiness when the most unexpected thing happens.


    Alex smiles at me.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    ¡°Alex!¡± I scream, bringing him up to engulf him in a tight hug. I can feel the beating of his heart against my chest, and I pull him back to inspect him closely. ¡°But how? How are you still alive?¡±


    ¡°It was you. You brought me back, Aira.¡±

 Chapter 68: Torment and Misery

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°He is perfectly fine, Aira,¡± Sasha says after examining Alex with her magic. We are now back at the pce, and I had Sasha summoned after the doctors could not find anything wrong with Alex.


    To make things even more strange, his wound haspletely healed. Almost as though a stake had never even scraped his skin, talk less of gone right through his heart.


    I sit beside Alex on the bed; he has his head on my thighs and arms wrapped around my waist like a terrified little child seekingfort only from his mother. Since we got back, he hasn¡¯t let go of me, not like I amining.


    I frown at Sasha¡¯s words. I do not know why, but I was pretty sure that she would be able to give me a better exnation than the doctors after examining Alex with her magic.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°But I watched his heart get pierced. He literally stopped breathing! He died!¡± I exim, and Sasha sighs. She shuts her eyes and ces her thumb on Alex¡¯s forehead. She chants something beneath her breath, and there is a glow at the spot where her thumb made contact with Alex¡¯s skin.


    As quickly as it came, the glowpletely disappeared, and Sasha took a step back. ¡°I can¡¯t sense any form of magic in his body,¡± she pauses and purses her lips. ¡°Your magic is like none I have ever seen before. It is not the same as a normal witch¡¯s. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that you are a descendant of the moon goddess herself. And your powers are over the living and the dead.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean I can bring anyone back to life?¡± I ask, a million thoughts swirling within my mind. Sasha shrugs.


    ¡°That would go against thews of nature, but I would not know. I suppose you are just going to find out for yourself,¡± she says before shifting her gaze towards the window. ¡°I should return to the coven now. We await the day that you will finally take up your position as the leader of our coven.¡±


    She turns her back to leave, but I stop her by saying, ¡°Actually, I won¡¯t be taking up leadership of the witch covens.¡±


    Sasha appeared taken aback, and so did Alex. ¡°I assure you that being our leader isn¡¯t going to be much work. The benefits are far greater than the disadvantages. All you have to do is represent us, resolve disputes, and attend the general witch meeting. And as leader of our coven, you will be deemed the most powerful being in the state because you harvest the power of everyone within the coven. So why? Why won¡¯t you ept leadership?¡±


    I bite my lip, wondering the same thing as well.


    ¡°Aira?¡±


    I look down at Alex, who is staring up at me. He looks just as curious as Sasha. I am being granted such a great opportunity. As leader of the witch coven and a descendant of the moon goddess, I could be the most powerful being this world has ever seen.


    But what then?


    ¡°No,¡± I say firmly, shocking the two people in the room. ¡°I am not like the others; I do not crave power. As a matter of fact, I believe I have more than enough. I am the owner of the Kingston Empire, the Luna, one of the most powerful alphas in the world, and a descendant of the moon goddess. I have more than enough power. I have a good life already.¡±


    Alex smiles at my words, but Sasha only looks uncertain. ¡°So what is going to happen to our coven? Who will lead us?¡±


    ¡°You.¡±


    Sasha¡¯s eyes shoot to the top of her head, and she ces a hand on her chest. ¡°Me?¡±


    I nod. ¡°Yes, you. To be honest, you seem more suitable to lead the coven than I. You grew up with them and know the dos and don¡¯ts. You know the witches more than I ever could. And you were Moriah¡¯s right hand for many years. I am more than certain that you should be the leader.¡±


    For the first time since I met Sasha, I see a sh of emotion in her eyes. tears well within them, and I never knew she could look so beautiful with a smile on her face. ¡°Thank you; I will make you proud.¡±


    ¡°You already have,¡± I say, and she shoots me a grateful smile before leaving. It is just Alex and me in the room now.


    My fingers run through his hair, and he shuts his eyes, relishing my touch. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ept the offer? I mean, it would have been cool if my girl was the badass leader of a witch coven.¡±


    I chuckle at his words and shake my head in disbelief. ¡°Like I said, I already have enough responsibilities. I do not need it anymore.¡± I pause to brush my nose with his. ¡°And I do not want to do anything that would take me further away from you. Honestly, with all this drama, I feel like I haven¡¯t had a special moment with you.¡±


    Alex gets off my thighs and turns to take my face in his hands. ¡°Then let¡¯s get out of here. somewhere far away from here. We both could use a vacation.¡±


    A smile lifts my lips. ¡°I love that idea.¡±


    He grins at me, then seals his lips with mine. Our kiss is gentle, but at the same time passionate. It is clear as day that we both missed each other. We almost watched each other die. If it wasn¡¯t for my powers, which I still could not exin, I would have lost Alex forever. Who knows what would have be of me if I did?


    I have lost every person that I cared about; if I lost him too, then I would have lost my humanity.


    Our kiss deepens, and just before things could get heated, a knockes from the door. At first, we decide to ignore the person, but they just keep knocking nonstop. I pull away from Alex, and he sighs.


    ¡°This better be good,¡± he says as he throws his feet off the bed and goes to open the door.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Alex snaps, and I crane my neck to get a good look at who is at the door.


    ¡°I came to speak to Aira. I want to say goodbye.¡±


    I recognize the owner of the voice as Richard¡¯s, and I quickly shoot to my feet. I join Alex at the door and smile lightly at myst standing rtive.


    ¡°You are leaving?¡± I ask, and he nods.


    ¡°Yeah, there is nothing left for me here anymore,¡± he says, and I purse my lips.


    ¡°I am here.¡±


    He smiles lightly, but the sadness in his eyes is evident. ¡°You don¡¯t need me; you never did.¡±


    ¡°I need my family,¡± I say firmly, and admiration shes within his eyes.


    A light chuckle leaves his lips as he shakes his head lightly in disbelief. ¡°Family has brought you nothing but torment and misery, yet you still believe that you need them. You are something different, Aira Kingston.¡± I do not know how to respond to his words, so I just cast my gaze downward. ¡°I will being to visit asionally, but I think I need to find my own path. I need to find my own happiness, one that doesn¡¯t resolve within lust, power, and greed.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, secretly wishing that the others had been more enlightened like him. ¡°I wish you the best, uncle Richard.¡±


    We engulf each other in a warm hug. When we pull apart, his gaze falls on Alex, and he says, ¡°Take care of my niece.¡±


    Alex doesn¡¯t verbally respond, but he gives him a single nod. Richard shoots me a parting smile, then turns on his heel and leaves.


    That is how I watched thest member of my family walk out of my life.


    I hope his departure brings me peace.


    After all, like he said, family has only brought me nothing but torment and misery.

 Chapter 69: The getaway

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget to call the investors. Make sure to run through the inventories and revise the monthly budget for¡±


    ¡°Rx, Aira. I have it all covered,¡± Aurora says, chuckling lightly. ¡°I have been handling all of this even when Camille was our boss, and all this while you have been unavable. Believe me, thispany will not crumble if you spend one week away from it.¡±


    My heart twinges with guilt, and my countenance falls. Her words make me feel bad, even though I know it wasn¡¯t her intention. It hurt me that Camille left this ce in my care, and I have been neglecting it. I paid most of my attention to the people she made me promise to stay away from.


    And I nearly lost it all to them. If only I had just listened to her in the first ce.


    Aurora notices my sudden mood change and takes my hand in hers. ¡°Hey,¡± she says softly, making me meet her eyes. She offers me a sweet smile and says, ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, okay? We all know that you have had a lot to deal with. First the death of your sister; then you are weed by your extended family; and then they were attacked by wild animals and dered dead. I cannot even imagine how much of a toll that is taking on your mental health.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. It is quite a lot to bear,¡± I say, not being able to meet her eyes. The truth is, after realizing that Alex is alive, I wasted no time evacuating the vicinity with him and Richard. I did not care that I was leaving my family¡¯s remains for some random stranger to find.


    News of their deaths filled the whole inte. The conclusion the forensics came up with was that some wild animal must have broken into the estate and torn them all to shreds. Then, due to the fact that there was no one to tend to the furnace, there was a massive fire outbreak that burned their remains.


    It was a crazy story if anyone asked me, but as long as it was not linked back to me, I was fine with it. To this day, no one knows about my magical abilities or my family history. And I intend to keep it that way.


    A part of me felt bad for lying to Aurora. She has been nothing but kind and supportive towards me. If not for her, then I do not know what would have be of thispany.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She squeezes my hand lightly as a way of showing support. ¡°Then you deserve this vacation more than anyone. Honestly, I do not know if one week would be enough. Just make sure to take all the time you need. Unwind, reconnect with nature, and make wonderful memories with Alex,¡± she says in thest part while wiggling her brows, and I knew those words had a double meaning.


    My cheeks grow hot, and sheughs at my reaction.


    ¡°Just go have fun; I will make sure to hold up the fort.¡± She finishes, and I smile appreciatively at her.


    ¡°Thank you, Aurora. No need for that; it is my pleasure. Just keep in mind that this empire needs its leader to be strong and healthy. That means both physically and mentally,¡± she says, and I nod in agreement.


    I step out of the building, and the driver opens the door for me. When I step in, he shuts the door after me, then gets into the driver side and starts up the engine. We make our way back to the pce, where Alex should be waiting with our already-packed bags.


    We decided to spend our vacation in Rome. Our flight was at three this afternoon.


    I was feeling skeptical about this vacation. I don¡¯t know, but everywhere we turned, there was always bad news. I fear that we may get there and face more problems.


    The driver catches my eyes through the rearview mirror, and he says something that shocks me but makes me feel a lot lighter. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine, ma¡¯am.¡±


    I offer him a small smile and say, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The rest of the drive is spent in silence. When we arrive at the pce, as I expected, Alex is waiting beside a car as the guards put in our luggage. I did not bother packing personally; I just told Ca to help me out.


    As I step out of the car, Alex shoots me a warm smile and walks up to me. He takes my hands in his and squeezes them lightly. ¡°You ready?¡± he asks, and I shrug.


    ¡°I doubt I ever will be. But I suppose the sooner we get this over with, the better.¡±


    He grins down at me and pinches my cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. We are going to have so much fun.¡± He says so, and I shoot him an appreciative smile. I admire the amount of effort he is putting into this. This vacation is supposed to be for the both of us. This man died and came back to life. It is worth having a few days of retreat.


    But here he is, standing here, making me feel like I am the only damaged person here.


    ¡°And the pack?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°I left it in Arnold¡¯s care,¡± he says and I nod slowly. I almost forgot about Alex¡¯s beta. He has been quite scarce for some time.


    Alex leads me to the car and helps me inside. Alex hops in beside me, and before we know it, we are off to the airport. I spent the entire ride staring out the window, lost in my own world of thought. asionally, Alex would take my hand and squeeze it lightly to let me know that he was always there.


    What did I do to deserve this man?


    When we arrive at the airport, the staff leads us to our private jet. Yes, a private jet.


    I turn to Alex with eyes as wide as saucers and say, ¡°I thought we would be flying in business ss. I didn¡¯t know you had a private jet.¡±


    He snickers slyly, ¡°There are many things you don¡¯t know about me yet. But let¡¯s just say your father is not the only billionaire in town.¡±


    I am about to ask him what he means by that, but he decides against it. We board the ne, and I find it hard to keep my mouth shut. The inside is even more impressive than the outside. There is a bed big enough to fit two people, a TV, and a cockpit. Everything about the interior just screamedfort and luxury.


    ¡°Like what you see?¡± Alex asks from behind me, and I spin on my heel. His arm finds its way around my waist, while mine finds its way around his shoulders.


    ¡°I love it,¡± I whisper as he crouches down to capture my lips with his. Our kiss starts off slow, but it doesn¡¯t get too heated. And that is because of the throat that clears by our side.


    Alex groans into the kiss before pulling away. We turn to our side to find a middle-aged man. From his uniform, I could tell that he was either a crew member or the pilot himself.


    ¡°Your luggage has been loaded. We are ready to take off,¡± he informs us, and Alex nods.


    ¡°Very well then, Michael.¡± Alex says, and the pilot turns his back to leave, but then Alex quickly adds, ¡°And if you want to keep your job, do not disturb us again.¡±


    The man visibly pales but nods in understanding before leaving.


    Alex turns to me, and I shoot him a disapproving re. ¡°You need to start being nicer to people.¡±


    He snorts. ¡°Never.¡±


    He brings me closer to him and seals our lips once again.


    I probably shouldn¡¯t have told Moriah that he was changing.


    Our kiss deepens as our lips move together in sync. The kiss held a passion like never before as his hands roamed my body like they never had before. His hands find their way to my ass, and he squeezes the soft mound of flesh harshly. I take the hint and jump; he helps me wrap my legs around his torso as he leads me to the bed.


    He drops me softly on the mattress, and the sound of the ne¡¯s engine fills our ears. That does not stop Alex from doing what he wanted with me. The ripping of clothes fills my ears, and my eyes widen.


    ¡°Alex!¡± I scream as he rips my clothes to shreds.


    He ces a finger on my lips and tells me, ¡°Ssh.¡± Before proceeding to take off my underwear, Once I am fully naked, he takes a step back to take a good look at me. His eyes darken with lust, and the sight alone turns me on.


    ¡°I am so d you brought me back,¡± he mutters beneath his breath before hurriedly taking off his clothes. My mouth falls open at the sight of his hardened member. It was so big and veiny. I wanted to know how it would feel buried inside me.


    Alex smirks confidently as he walks up to me painfully slowly. ¡°Impressed?¡±


    I snort, ¡°Barely.¡±


    My response seems to have snapped something inside him. Before I could blink, Alex was on top of me, pinning me to the ne¡¯s wall, right above the window. Meaning my bare back is facing the entire world.


    Alex growls in my face. ¡°Let¡¯s see how well you can say that once I ram every inch inside of you.¡±


    I barely get the chance to process his words before he flips me over. He ces his hands on my shoulder and wraps the other around my waist to pull it up. My back is now arched, and my ass is now in full view for him.


    The sound that leaves my lips is in between a moan and a scream. His tongue slides gently over my wet folds, sending shivers and pleasurable sensations through my body. He swirls his tongue softly over the sensitive skin, sucking and licking it gently.


    His tongue finds its way to my nub, and he draws small circles around them.


    ¡°Oh fuck, Alex!¡± I moan out when he begins to suck on my clitoris. Without warning, he slides his fingers into me, and my back arcs even more into him.


    ¡°Ah, you are always so ready for me,¡± Alex rasps as he begins to thrust his fingers in and out of me. My walls clench around him, and he curls his fingers in me.


    Just when it feels like I am about to reach my climax, he slides his fingers out of me. A whimper leaves my lips as I silently beg him to go back in. I suck my bottom lip into my mouth when I feel his tip around my entrance.


    ¡°I am going to fuck you harder than ever before,¡± he says before ramming his full length into me.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Is what I scream. My hand grabs the window, and I manage to lift my droopy eyes. All I see are clouds.


    Is this heaven?


    Each one of Alex¡¯s thrusts bes more violent than thest. My walls clench around his hard dick, and I can feel him twitch inside me.


    ¡°Damn, you feel so good,¡± Alex says in between moans. His hand wraps around my throat, and he lifts me up and pins me against the window.


    It is a good thing we are thousands of feet above the ground and far from anyone¡¯s gaze.


    Alex¡¯s hand and find their way to my breasts, and he squeezes them softly. He pinches my hard nipples and twists them softly; the action sends rays of pleasure through my body. Coupled with his violent thrusts, I felt a knot in my stomach, and I knew that I was about to reach my climax.


    ¡°I am about to cum, Alex!¡±


    He brings his lips to my ear and slides his tongue over my earlobe. Tingles shoot through my body, and I start to tremble.


    ¡°Cum for me, my love,¡± he rasps into my ear, and after hearing that endearment, I do as I am told. I release my cum all over his dick while he releases his into me.


    My body grows ck, and I copse on the bed. Alex¡¯s tiredlyughs andys right beside me. I turn to face him, and the both of us justy naked on a ne and in the clouds, smiling at each other like high school kids.


    ¡°So, impressed?¡±


    I throw my head back andugh.


    Maybe I was wrong; maybe this trip was going to be good after all.

 Chapter 70: The great start

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    She was always a peaceful sleeper.


    It was one of the things I loved about her.


    Despite all the madness and craziness that has been going on, When it is time for Aira to go to sleep, she does so with ease. She slept like aplete angel; you would not believe the amount of trauma she has endured and the weight she has to carry on her shoulders.


    When she was asleep, I always thought of it as the only moment she was happy. I always thought of it as the moment she was finally at peace. Which is why I loved watching her sleep. It was actually one of my favorite things to do.


    That was until she died in her sleep.


    That part was not fun at all.


    I pay most of my attention to her chest, watching it heave up and down slowly. It was my only indication that she was still alive. I wonder now that all this drama is over if she would still be dying anding back to life. That orb observed her power after all, but she has a different one now.


    Or was it the same one?


    Damn, this whole thing was confusing. I would have to ask herter. Maybe after our vacation. Right now, my biggest concern is making sure she has a fun time.


    I grab the nket and cover her body. She snuggles into the soft material and smiles softly, her eyes still shut. She was just so cute, even without trying. Something swirls within me as I watch her sleep like a child.


    Subconsciously, I ce a hand over my beating heart. The memory of that stake piercing right through it and pinning me to the wall. I honestly thought that it was it for me.


    I never told Aira this, but within those few minutes I was dead. I saw those whose lives I had wrongfully taken staring at me. They were waiting for me on the other side, and they did not look happy.


    Aira has no idea what she has done for me by bringing me back. If I had actually died for good, then my soul would have been tortured for life. But even though Aira miraculously brought me back to thend of the living, what now?


    Will she keep bringing me back every time something or someone takes my life? How sure am I that she could even perform such magic again? It was her first time doing so; what if it was also herst?


    I could no longer deny it; death is inevitable. And I will pay for my sins.


    Shaking my head with a sigh, I get off the bed and put on my briefs and pants. I do not bother putting on my shirt before heading down to the cockpit and pouring myself some wine. I took down the entire ss, but I still wasn¡¯t satisfied.


    What I need is pure alcohol.


    I take out a bottle of whiskey and don¡¯t bother getting myself a ss. I take off the cap and take down the intoxicating liquid. It burns its way down my throat and chest, then finally to my stomach. And oh, how I love it.


    I do not know how long I sit by the cockpit drinking; asionally I look out the window and at the fluffy clouds. They always said heaven looked like a world set on a cloud.


    Meaning that where I went when I died was not heavy. Because all I saw was red and the hateful gazes of everyone that I have ever done wrong.


    ¡°Alex?¡±


    I am snapped out of my thoughts as Aira¡¯s voice fills my ears. She is sitting on the bed with the nket wrapped around her gorgeous, bare body. Her eyes are filled with worry as she walks up to me and sits on myp.


    She takes the bottle from my hands, and I expected her to return it to the cockpit, but she takes a swing at it as well. Her eyes pinch shut as she swallows it and shudders.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asks, and I avoid her gaze.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I mutter, and she takes my face in her hands.


    ¡°Talk to me,¡± she whispers, staring right into my eyes with those doe eyes of hers. My God, I can¡¯t get over how beautiful this woman is.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Aira. Believe me, I am fine.¡± I say, taking her hand from my face and cing a gentle kiss at the back of it. It is clear that she doesn¡¯t believe me, but nevertheless, she lets it go.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I may not get it out of you now. But I know I willter,¡± she pauses. ¡°Just know that I am always here for you, okay?¡± She takes another swing at the whiskey. I snatch the bottle from her hands and ce it back in the cockpit.


    I take her in my arms, allowing the nket to fall on the floor as I return her to the bed. ¡°I know you are,¡± I whisper against her lips before taking them in mine. We spend the entire flight making love to each other, sleeping, eating, and making love again.


    For a fraction of a second, I never wanted it to end.


    In the next few hours, we will arrive in Italy.


    I had one of the female attendants fetch some of Aira¡¯s clothes from her luggage and bring them to us. She brought a yellow sundress, some silver sandals, and a summer hat. After which, she leaves.


    ¡°We need to have a shower,¡± I tell her with a mischievous grin, and she blushes.


    I lead her to the bathroom and quickly turn on the shower. It is a bit more confined than the bathroom we are used to, but neither of us seemed to care. I turned on the shower, and warm water cascaded down our bodies.


    She has her ass turned to me, so I put some soap on my hands andther her body. My hand moves smoothly over her body, paying attention to every part of her as my hands roam her soft body.


    A light moan leaves her lips when my hand finds its way to her boobs and squeezes them softly. I love her boobs so much; they are slightly bigger than my hand and fun to squeeze. Her nipples are always hardening at my touch. My lips find her nape, and Iy gentle kisses on them.


    She shuts her eyes and tilts her head to the side, giving me more ess. This is one of the thousand reasons why I loved her; she was always sopliant and ready for me.


    My hand slips down to her middle, and I fiddle with the small nub. Her moans are like music to my ears. She arcs herself more into me, pressing her ass to my already hard member. I do not know how, but my tip manages to find its way to her entrance.


    Thanks to the water and soap, I am able to slide into her with ease. Her wet walls clench around me, and I groan into her ear. I slide my entire length into her, taking a moment to relish in having my dick inside her.


    Then I begin to thrust violently into her. The pping of our skin is emphasized thanks to the water. Her moans, my grunts, and the pping of skin fill the bathroom. Her body trembles violently, and I notice her footing growing weaker.


    I pin her to the wall, continuing my attack on her from behind. My tip twitched inside of her, and I knew that I was close to reaching my climax. A couple of rams in, and I release my seed all over.


    Our pants fill the steaming bathroom as we recover from the passionate sex we just had.


    ¡°I have never had sex this many times on a ne before,¡± she says in between pants, and I freeze.


    My brows furrow, and I look down at her. ¡°You have had sex on a ne before?¡± I ask, and she grins mischievously.


    ¡°No.¡±


    My eyelids narrowed to slits, and I did not trust that smile on her lips one bit. With a growl, I dare to ask, ¡°How many men have you had sex with?¡±


    Sheughs like I have just said the funniest thing she has ever heard before. ¡°Trust me, you do not want to know,¡± she says and attempts to leave the bathroom, but I grab her wrist harder than I should have and pin her to the wall.


    ¡°I am not done talking to you,¡± I snap, and I instantly regret it.


    Her eyes widen slightly, and I see a sh of fear in her eyes. What a great way tomence the vacation, Alexander!


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± I mutter beneath my breath, letting go of her wrist. At this point, I am unable to meet her eyes; I feel so ashamed.


    I walk out of the bathroom and grab the nearest towel to dry myself off. Aira joins me shortly as I put on my clothes. There is an awkward silence between us, and I curse myself internally for ruining the mood.


    Now we are both fully dressed and ready to leave the jet, but I did not want to leave with this awkwardness between us.


    ¡°Aira-¡±


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine,¡± she cuts me off, and on a normal day, that would have pissed me off, but now. ¡°You got jealous; I get it. And if you must know, the only person I have had sex with was Jace. The man I thought would be my endgame. But you-I don¡¯t even know how many women you have been with, and something tells me neither do you.¡±


    My head bows in shame because, as much as I hate to admit it, she is right. I have been with countless women; I don¡¯t even have any idea what her body count is.


    Aira continues, ¡°But I try not to think about it because I know I would lose my mind if I did. After all we have been through, I try to focus on the present, and you should too.¡±


    Then she turns her back on me and leaves.


    I really did mess up, didn¡¯t I?


    Now that I think of it, I have never actually taken the time to get to know Aira. There has just been so much drama going on that we haven¡¯t actually gotten the chance to learn more about each other. I have never really cared about getting to know anyone deeply, but it was different with her.


    She is the mate that I have longed to have for many years; it hunts me every day that I treated her so terribly because she was a wolf. And because of that,


    No, like she said, I am not going to dwell on the past.


    This is our opportunity to get to know each other better. This is my opportunity to make things right.


    And that is precisely what I am going to do.

 Chapter 71: The chef’s fortune

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Damn, I am so jetgged.


    I honestly could not stop stretching my limbs at the slightest chance I got. I kept yawning too, like I hadn¡¯t slept in days since I just woke up from a nap just mere hours ago. I suppose it is because I have never been on a ne for that long in my entire life.


    I believe the flight took about eleven hours. Come to think of it, I have never actually left America before; this is a whole new experience for me.


    Right now we are driving down to the hotel where Akex has made our reservation, and I am amazed at how far it is from the airport. But I could not deny the fact that I was enjoying the view. Everything was so different here in Italy.


    The air was a lot lighter and had this sweet smell attached to it. The buildings were different; most of them were built in ways that I never knew were possible. It was a mix of local and modern architectural design.


    The people here were a lot happier and more beautiful. Children yed amongst themselves on the streets; the youths danced, and to my surprise, not for money but just for the fun of it all. Couples held hands while taking romantic walks, and the elderly sat on benches, feeding the ducks.


    I have only spent a few minutes in this city, and I love it here.


    My gaze shifts to Alex, who is looking out his side of the window. He has been awfully quiet since ourst conversation in the jet, and I could not me him. I suppose I had gone a bit rough on him with my words, but to be fair, he did deserve it. We were having such a good time, and then he just


    Anyway, I do not really wish to remember it. I came here to have a good time, and that is exactly what I will do.


    Finally, we arrive at the hotel, and I am awed by the external decor. The guards open the golden gates for us, and our cab drives down the rosy path. The hotel is six stories tall, with balconies everywhere. A man in a dashing red suites up to open the door for us.


    ¡°Wee to Adesso; we hope your stay with us will be as pleasant as you are,¡± he says to me before offering his hand to help me out of the car. A loud growl leaves Alex¡¯s lips, and the poor man hurriedly retracts his hand. He clears his throat, then says, ¡°I shall help with the luggage instead.¡± He says, keeping his head down, and makes his way towards the trunk.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I roll my eyes at Alex¡¯s antics as he steps out of the car from his own side. He walks over to my side and offers me his hand. I do my best to suppress my grin. It amazed me that, despite the fact that we were not speaking to each other, he was still a gentleman.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say as he helps me out of the car. He nods once in response, and he doesn¡¯t let go of my hand, not even for a second as he leads me into the hotel. The inside is even prettier than the outside.


    The walls were painted crystal white, and the furniture was all gold. A big chandelier is situated at the center of the reception, giving the entire space a luxurious look. I don¡¯t even want to think of how much a room in this ce would cost.


    I should have known Alex would always go for the best.


    We walk up to the receptionist table, and the woman behind it widens her eyes once she sees Alex. Quickly, she shoots to her feet and bows at him.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to have you here, Alpha Alexander. Your room is ready for you,¡± the receptionist shakily says, and Alex¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that I am with my mate?¡± He snaps, and the woman¡¯s eyes widen with fear.


    She turns them to me and shakily says, ¡°Wee to Adesso, ma¡¯am.¡±


    I smile at her, hopefully as a way to ease her tension. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Alex takes me by the hand and leads me towards the elevator, and once inside, we are engulfed by an awkward silence. We still couldn¡¯t even look at each other, yet he didn¡¯t let go of my hand. When the elevator doors open, he leads me down to our room.


    I just stopped getting impressed.


    As we step into our room, there is a king-sized bed in the middle of the room and a mini chandelier right above it. There is a t-screen TV and two ck couches above it. Then there is the dresser, and I wonder what those three doors were.


    I make my way towards the first one, and Alex still doesn¡¯t let go of my hand. The first door is a walk-in closet; the second is the bathroom; and the third leads to the balcony.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Alex asks, breaking what felt like a never-ending silence between us. I turned to find his eyes trained solely on me; they were watching me closely. If I did not know any better, I would almost think that he was nervous.


    ¡°I love it,¡± I tell him, and those three words appear to have ted him. I lift the hand in which he has refused to let go and say, ¡°I also would like my hand back.¡± He scowls and looks at me questioningly. ¡°I would like to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he replies sadly, but releases my hand either way. I shoot him a small smile in appreciation, then make my way towards the bed before copsing hazardously on it. I feel his eyes drill holes into my back as I snuggle into thefy bed.


    My eyelids grow heavy, and I knew that I was about to fall into theforting arms of slumber any moment from now on. Thest thing I feel is a gentle kiss on my forehead. My lips lifted into a tired smile, and just like that, I was out like a light.


    When I wake up, the first thing I set my eyes on is the window. The world has already grown dark, and I wonder just how long I have been asleep for.


    A frown takes over my lips as I scan the room and don¡¯t find Alex.


    ¡°Alex?¡± I call out, but silence is the only response I get.


    My attention falls on the box at the foot of the bed, and I do not remember packing up anything of the sort. I take the box into my hands and read the note on it.


    Meet me downstairs at the restaurant.


    -A.


    Well, that is quite interesting.


    I lift the lid of the box, and my eyes widen when I see what is inside. It¡¯s a purple dress with a diamond ne and Louboutin heels. I spend the next few minutes putting them on, and I am impressed at how perfectly everything fits me.


    The dress stops right above my knees and has a few rhinestones embedded in the neckline. The heels made me appear two inches taller than normal, and the ne just enhanced the beauty of the entire outfit.


    After staring at my reflection in the mirror, I prep talk myself a bit before leaving the room. I take the elevator down to the restaurant, and sure enough, I find Alex sitting on a high stool. His foot stepped on the floor repeatedly, signifying either impatience or that he was nervous. That is when his eyes lock with mine.


    My heart flutters when his eyes light up and a smile stretches his lips, and I am talking about a full-fledged, genuine smile. He hops off his stool and walks up to me in long, confident strides. I used the opportunity to take in his dashing ck suit and perfectly styled hair.


    He takes my hand in his and ces a soft kiss on the back of my palm. The action causes a little blush to creep up on my lips. From the corner of my eye, I caught a few people watching us with dreamy smiles on their faces.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± Alexpliments.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look too bad either,¡± I say, that sheepish smile still on my lips. He leads me down to the stool he was sitting on and helps me into the one next to his. A chef walks up to us and smiles brightly at us. He is a fat middle-aged man with a goatee and chef¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°Oh, look at the both of you. Such a beautiful match made in heaven! What would you all be having?¡± The chef says this, and Alex looks at me, clearly wanting me to order first.


    ¡°I will have some pasta and meatball sauce,¡± I say, and Alex nods.


    ¡°Same.¡±


    The chef nods. ¡°Would you like me to perform Adesso¡¯s special?¡±


    My eyebrows crease, and curiosity takes the better of me. ¡°What is that?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°While making meals for people, couples especially, I prepare them with the aid of the spirits. They speak to me and tell me what your future would be like,¡± he says with all seriousness, but I just knew he was joking.


    I look at Alex, and he doesn¡¯t appear even a little bit interested. But I was. I mean, what harm could it possibly cause?


    ¡°Sure, we would love that,¡± I say, and the chef¡¯s grin reaches the ears. He grabs a small white ball and ms it on the floor. Suddenly, the entire ce was engulfed in smoke, but it wasn¡¯t choking.


    The chef starts up the fire in front of us and begins to chop ingredients and pour spices, all while dancing to a tune he hums.


    ¡°Oh, I see so much love between you two. A very strong and powerful love. You both would die for each other and would do anything to protect each other. The goddess has blessed the both of you, but there are people who are envious of this love. They are envious of your power.¡± He says that, and that is when I notice that his eyes are shut.


    The fire from the stove rose, and I nearly fell out of my seat if not for Alex¡¯s quick reflexes. He steadies me, cing his hand on my lower back, and I smile at him appreciatively.


    He nods once, then turns to the chef; he appears more interested in what he has to saypared to before. Meanwhile, I am just amazed at the fact that he is cooking a whole meal with his eyes shut.


    ¡°There is a storming. A great evil. If you allow yourselves to be avoided, the evil will consume you both, and you will be destroyed.¡±


    What the hell?


    The chef opens his eyes, and his lips lift into a wide smile, like he did not just predict certain doom for us.


    ¡°Food is ready!¡± he cheerily says before dishing out our tes of spaghetti. Alex and I share a nce, and only one thought swirls in my mind.


    Whether this fortune was real or not, I would make sure that absolutely nothing and no one threw me away from Alex.


    Never again.

 Chapter 72: Mine alone

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The meal was incredibly delicious, though.


    As a matter of fact, it was the best thing I have ever tasted. I did not care if I had to listen to more terrible fortunes, just as long as I would get to eat more mouth-watering meals like that.


    Last night, I ended up eating more than I could handle and basically passed out right after.


    ¡°But you just woke up,¡± Alex whined after I told him that I wanted to go to bed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; I am just so tired. I am sorry,¡± I said, pouting my lips. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I wanted to take you somewhere, though, but I suppose it can wait until tomorrow,¡± he said, and I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him as tight as I possibly could.


    ¡°You know, the both of you remind me of my wife and me when we were you and in love,¡± the chef said, and I hadpletely forgotten that he was watching us. My eyebrows creased when I noticed that he was talking about his rtionship in the past tense. Then he added, ¡°Now we are divorced andpletely despise each other.¡±


    My mouth fell open as he threw his head back and released a heartyugh. His shoulders shook as heughed, like he had just cracked the funniest joke in the world. Alex noticed my difort and took my hand, leading me out of the restaurant.


    Out of courtesy and respect, I look over my shoulder and wave the kind man goodbye. ¡°Bye, sir!¡±


    ¡°Bye, young one! I hope you two don¡¯t turn out like me and my ex-wife!¡± he said as he waved me goodbye. Whatever expression I had on my facepletely vanished. I hoped so too.


    Once we reached the room, Alex helped me out of my dress, and I sighed tiredly before burying myself under the covers. I felt a dip on the bed, and Alex joined me shortly after. My back made contact with his now-bare chest as he wrapped his arms around me.


    I think that was one of the most peaceful nights I have ever had.


    A groan leaves my lips when the sun¡¯s light rays fall on my eyelids. I try turning to the other side, only to meet the same oue.


    A chuckle fills my ears, and I recognize it as Alex¡¯s. ¡°This is the universe telling you to finally wake up. Come on, it¡¯s ten a. m..¡±


    Incoherent words leave my lips, and to be honest, I am not even sure of what I was saying either. I hear his approaching footsteps and feel the bed dip beside me. A gentle hand pushes some strands of hair away from my face, and I can feel his eyes taking in every inch of my face.


    ¡°You have been sleeping quite a lottely. Are you sure you are okay?¡± He asks, and I am able to detect worry in his voice.


    I pop open one eye to look at him. Dear Lord, he looked so handsome in the morning.


    His hair was messy, and some strands fell above his brilliant eyes. He was alsopletely shirtless, leaving his muscr and perfectly toned torso on full disy.


    It takes a great deal of strength to tear my eyes away from his torso and focus on his face. But then they fell on his lips, and all I could think about was having them against mine.


    God damn it, snap out of it, Aira!


    A groan leaves my lips, and I shut my eyes, clearly seeing that it was a mistake to open them in the first ce. ¡°I thought we were on vacation. This is precisely what we are supposed to be doing.¡± I inform him, and he sighs.


    ¡°But I had so much nned for us today.¡±


    Once again, I open my eyes, but this time I find him pouting at me like a child who just rejected his gift on Christmas morning. A sigh leaves my lips, and I sit up, pushing some of my hair out of my face.


    If there was one thing Alex was good at, it was making me feel guilty. ¡°Fine. But if I sleep off in the most random ce and manner, it is your fault. So you better do well to carry me back when you do.¡±


    He smirks slyly at me, then nods, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice.¡±


    He takes me by the hand, and we shower together once again. This time, also to my great surprise, we did not have sex in the shower. The moment waspletely innocent as we helped each other wash up. Once we were done, we got dressed and headed downstairs to find our car ready and waiting.


    When we hop in, Alex speaks to the driver. ¡°The Colosseum.¡±


    My eyes widen with excitement, and I look at him with an excited smile. ¡°I always wanted to visit the colosseum.¡± I say, and a proud smile lifts the corners of his lips.


    ¡°d I made the right choice then,¡± he says cockily. We arrive at the scene a few minutester, and it is even more magnificent than I had imagined. We joined a small group of tourists at the entrance, and I paid close attention to what the guide was telling us concerning the building¡¯s history.


    Alex could not care less.


    Actually, it was at that point when the guide got to the most interesting part that Alex decided to release a loud, uncivilized yawn. The action caught the attention of most of the tourists, and they stared at him with disbelief.


    It did not help that we were holding hands. Embarrassment fills me, and I shoot him a re. ¡°Did you have to yawn so dramatically?¡± I ask him in a hushed tone, and he shrugs nonchntly.


    ¡°I am only here for you; I have no interest in business of the past. I am only interested in the future,¡± he states tantly. I am about to tell him that the past affects the future more than he will ever realize, but I do not get the chance to do so as the ringing of his phone cuts me off.


    Alex takes it out of his pocket and frowns when he sees who is calling. ¡°It¡¯s Arnold; I have to take this. Go join the rest of the tourists; I will be with you shortly.¡±


    Before I get the chance to say anything, he lets go of my hand and walks off to somewhere a bit more remote. I join the rest of the tourists, but most of them have already dispersed and gone to look at different parts of the colosseum on their own.


    ¡°Need somepany?¡±


    I lift my gaze to find a young man who appears to be around my age walking up to me. He is as tall as Alex but not nearly as built; he has strawberry blonde hair and the prettiest shade of green eyes that I have ever seen.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I suppose,¡± I said awkwardly, looking back at the trail Alex had wondered off to.


    He grins at me and offers me his hand. ¡°My name is Matteo, and what would be your name, gorgeous?¡±


    My eyebrow hikes slowly. Gorgeous?


    Before I could even get the chance to open my mouth, arge figure cast a shadow over mine. Matteo pales and retracts his hand slowly.


    ¡°If you want to keep that hand, I suggest you leave,¡± Alex says right behind me, and I roll my eyes. At this rate, I do not think I will ever make any male friends for the rest of my life.


    Matteo swallows, then scurries away. I spin on my heel and ce both my hands stubbornly on my hips. ¡°How long are you going to keep on doing that?¡±


    He actspletely oblivious to what I am talking about. ¡°Doing what?¡± is what he asks.


    ¡°Chasing men away from me.¡±


    ¡°As long as I live,¡± he states nkly, and I sigh.


    ¡°Not all men have ill intentions towards me, you know? Some of them might be actual good guys and would just want us to be friends.¡± I try to exin to him, but he just stares at me like I have gone insane.


    ¡°No man shall be near you, not as long as I breathe. Even if I were to die, my spirit would haunt them to the ends of the earth,¡± he says, closing the distance between us and taking my chin in between my fingers. ¡°You are mine. and mine alone.¡±


    A tremble goes down my body at how much intensity he says that with. I could not find it in me to speak, so I just nodded. He smiles sweetly and ces a swift kiss on my forehead. ¡°Good. Now, onto the next stop.¡±


    And to my greatest surprise, our next stop is a canoe. A man holding a ratherrge guitar and the person who would row the small boat were also present. I never would have expected Alex to arrange something like this.


    A canoe was thest ce I would ever imagine Alex in; I always saw him on private yachts andrge cruise ships. But never a canoe.


    ¡°Alex, this is-¡±


    ¡°I looked up romantic things to do during our trip here, and this was one of them. I don¡¯t really know; I am not quite big on romance. But if this is one of the things that would put that breathtaking smile on your face, so be it.¡±


    Tears well up in my eyes, and my heart feels so full. Without wasting another second, I wrap my arms around him and bury my face in his chest.


    ¡°I love you,¡± is what I whisper to him.


    He wraps his arms around me, and I have never felt more secure in my entire life. I have no idea why he always feels like he hasn¡¯t been protecting me. He has shielded me from dangers no man has ever had in my entire life.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Truly, I am blessed to have a mate like him.


    ¡°I love you too. More than you will ever know.¡±

 Chapter 73: The Morgue

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°So, tell me all about it. How did it go?¡± Ca asks, biting her bottom lip and waiting for me to respond. My cheeks heat up a bit as I think about our days in Italy.


    I can¡¯t even lie; those were the best five days of my life. Every day we went sightseeing, tried out a new restaurant, listened to fascinating music, and, after much convincing, met wonderful new people. Or should I say wonderful newdies?


    Alex still refused to let any mane close to me.


    But despite that, it was quite a st. I almost shed a tear on the day we had to leave, but a queen has to return to her kingdom. No matter how much trouble it might bring her, it is still hers to rule.


    I shrug. ¡°It was okay,¡± is my simple answer, contradictory to the long rant I have sitting on my tongue.


    Ca narrows her eyelids to slits and rears her head back. ¡°You don¡¯t expect me to believe that, do you? Girl spill!¡± And that¡¯s what I do. I tell her everything that went down from the first day to thest, and when I am done, she sighs dreamily and stares nkly into space. ¡°You have the best life. When will my prince charminge along to take me on a vacation to relieve me of my stress?¡±


    ¡°Okay, first of all, I do not have the best life. No one on earth would want my life,¡± I say as a matter of fact, swinging my legs off the edge of the bed. ¡°And secondly, your prince charming wille around some day; are you trying to tell me not one of the guards has caught your eye?¡±


    I notice her cheeks heat up a bit, and I know I have hit a sensitive spot. She avoids my eyes and mutters, ¡°Well, there is someone.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    ¡°Aha! And you are out here acting like there is absolutely no one who has their eyes on you. I mean, look at you, Ca; you are drop-dead gorgeous. You have the best heart and purest soul I have ever seen. Any guy would be lucky to have you,¡± I tell her sincerely, tears well up in her eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Aira.¡±


    Before I can tell her that there is no need for that, the door to my roomes flying open, and Alex walks in. My smile falls when I take a good look at him. He looks terrible.


    If I am being honest, there were details that I left out when talking about our trip. After that day at the Colosseum, Akex had be incredibly distant. He was always staring off into space, like there was something heavy on his mind.


    But whenever I would ask him about it, he would ster a smile on his lips and act like there was nothing wrong, even though I knew there was.


    It went on for days. I could see his effort to try to be happy; he did not want to ruin the mood or our trip, but I knew his smile was fake. And it all started after his phone call with Arnold at the colosseum.


    I admired how long he tried to keep up his fa? ade, and I appreciated how he was doing everything within his power not to ruin the mood. But now that we are back home, I am going to get it out of him, no matter what.


    I mean, just look at him! It is tearing him up from the inside out. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were so tired. One just had to squint their eyes to notice the bags under his eyes; no one would believe that this man has just returned from a week-long vacation.


    Ca clears her throat, then gets off our bed. She dusts it like she has gotten dirt on it and clears her throat. ¡°I will be taking my leave now,¡± she says, and I pout. As much as I want her to spill more beans on who she is seeing, my mate is more important.


    ¡°I will talk to youter, okay?¡± I tell her, and she nods once before taking her leave. It is just Alex and me in the room now.


    Alex releases a long, tired sigh as he takes off his shirt. He makes his way over to me and copses lousily on the bed. He drops his head on my thighs and wraps his arms around me. He snuggled into me like I was the mostfortable pillow he had everid on.


    My fingers find their way to his hair, and I begin to y with them softly. He purrs, and his eyelids slowly begin to shut.


    ¡°You are tired.¡± I state the obvious, and he only hums as a response. ¡°You have been keeping something from me ever since our trip to Italy, and I want to know what it is.¡±


    ¡°Just forget about it; I can handle it myself,¡± he says, and his words bring a scowl to my face.


    ¡°After everything we have been through, I expect you to know better than anyone that we are not alone. We are together, mates forever, through thick and thin. Whatever problems you may have, they are my problems as well.¡± I pause and take his face gently into my hands. His tired eyes met my silently pleading ones; he was just a child. A very tired, misguided child has had to carry so much weight on his shoulders alone for so long.


    But I am here now, and I will not stop until he sees that.


    ¡°Talk to me, baby,¡± I whisper, and his eyes searched mine. His eyes sparkled with admiration, but I could also tell that he was struggling with the right words to say.


    He shuts his eyes and says, ¡°Instead of telling you, I will show you myself. That will be the first thing tomorrow morning. Is that okay with you?¡±


    I have waited an entire week for this moment for him to tell me what was going on. I suppose I could wait another day.


    I nod and ce a gentle kiss on the bridge of his nose. ¡°Sure.¡±


    A ghost of a smile lifts his lips, but it is quick to vanish. His breathing bes more stable, and that is when I realize that he has fallen asleep.


    I have never watched him fall asleep that fast before.


    Either he was that exhausted or I brought him that muchfort.


    Something tells me that it was more of thetter than the former.


    The next morning, my hands searched the bed for Alex. My eyes were still shut, but I was forced to open them when I noticed the bed was empty. Don¡¯t tell me he bailed out on me now, did he?


    As soon as that thought crosses my mind, the bathroom door opens, and Alex walks out in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.


    He grins once he sees that I am awake and says, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    A relieved smile stretches my lips when I say, ¡°I thought you had left. I was starting to think that maybe you bailed out on what you had saidst night.¡±


    He looks somewhat offended by my words and ces a hand on his chest. ¡°I am hurt that you would actually think that way towards me. You should know better than anyone that I am a man of my word. Under no circumstances do I back down on what I said I was going to do. You should get dressed and get some food too. You will need all of your energy for the day we are about to have.¡±


    Hisst words caused me to gulp. But I do as he says nevertheless. I quickly shower, and by the time I am done dressing, a maides in with our breakfast. To be honest, I could not eat much. It was bing very hard to handle the suspense any longer.


    Alex, as well, did not eat much. So when we decided we were both full, we made our way out and into the waiting car. There is also a convoy waiting to be escorted-three cars each filled with men armed to the teeth.


    ¡°Do they have toe along?¡± I ask Alex, and he nods.


    ¡°With what¡¯s going on now, you won¡¯t be stepping out of the pce without them.¡± Is his brief answer before helping me into the car? We drove down to God knows where, and you can imagine my surprise when we ended up in a mortuary.


    My blood freezes in my veins, and an eerie sensation goes up my spine. ¡°Alex, what are we doing here?¡± Is the first thing I ask once the cares to a stop at the mortuary gates?


    All forms of emotion have vanished from his face; now there was nothing but the cold, empty shell of a man sitting beside me. ¡°You said you wanted to know what was going on. Well, here it is:Before I can ask any more questions, he steps out of the car, and I do the same.


    The second we stepped foot into the home of the dead, a shiver ran through my body, and bile rose within my throat. Four guards remain stationed at the entrance, while the others follow us in. The sound of our footsteps bounced off the walls as we walked deeper into the building.


    Alex pushes open a door, and what I see instantly brings tears to my eyes.


    There were bodies everywhere.


    Now I know this is a morgue, but the bodies are meant to be cleaned up and covered with towels. But this waspletely different.


    This was a whole massacre.


    The walls were covered with the blood of the deceased. Bodies upon bodiesid piled up on the floor, some with their throats slits and others with their bodies ripped to shreds. They were all attendants to the morgue, some men, some women.


    But there was one body that broke something in me.


    The body of a child¡¯s.


    It was a little girl, probably not more than seven years old. Her stomach had been split wide open. Her eyes were parted, staring off into space, and I could already see how much she had suffered and how much she must have fought to stay alive.


    My fists clench, and I find myself taking a step back. I am not sure if my tears were caused by the awful stench or the gruesome scene before me. It is most likely a mix of both.


    I ce a hand above my chest, doing my best to calm my racing heart. The world grows darker, and thunder wracks the very earth on which we stand.


    ¡°Who did this, Alex?¡± I demand.


    He ran a hand through his hair, and he appeared almost ashamed to respond to that question. ¡°I do not know,¡± he whispers, and my head snaps to him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first massacre. One happened while we were in Italy; it happened the night before Arnold called me. The first attack was done at the market square; over ten women were killed and five children,¡± Alex exins with a strained voice, and my heart grows heavy. ¡°Although I suspect that they are rogue attacks, I am not entirely sure. I cannot think of anyone else who could possibly be responsible for all of this.¡±


    A tear slips past my eyes, and that is when it begins to pour heavily.


    I shut my eyes, not wanting to take in this gruesome sight anymore. But the second I do, I see something.


    An arrow is aiming right at Alex.


    My eyelids part, and I push him out of the way. ¡°Look out!¡± I scream and push him down to the ground, and an arrow embeds the walls in which he stood in front of them.


    ¡°Your highness, it¡¯s an ambush!¡±


    Alex and I shared a nce, and we both harbored the same thought. This was a trap.


    Someone lured us out here.

 Chapter 74: Keep my secret

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    My men readied their weapons while others transformed into their Lycan forms. My sensese to life, and I ce Aira safely behind me.


    ¡°Do not let any of them get close to her! Protect her at all costs!¡± I yell at my men, and they all nod.


    ¡°Yes, alpha!¡± they answer in unison, charging at our attackers with blood lust. I look at Aira, who has grown terribly pale, watching the wolves and my lycans rip each other to shreds.


    ¡°I am going to create a path; once you see it, I need you to run as fast as you can. Get into the car and drive straight to the pce,¡± I order, and then suddenly all the fear in her vanishes, and she looks at me with stubbornness in her eyes.


    ¡°What? No! There is no way I am going to run away while the rest of you stay here and fight. I want to fight too!¡± She says it with much determination, and I groan. This is not the time for her to act stubborn!


    I nce over my shoulder to find one of the rogues charging towards us, but one of my lycans intercepts them and tears through his throat. I look back at Aira frantically, hoping that she could see reason as soon as possible because we were wasting a hell lot of time sitting here and talking.


    I would throw her over my shoulder and take her as far away as possible, but there is no way in hell I would ever abandon my men to the cold hands of death. No, not when I can stand and fight. Aira may be my top priority, but so are my people.


    Besides, I doubt they could hold them long enough to get away. I am the only one strong enough to get rid of all these fuckers. And my men were dropping like flies.


    ¡°Fight? How can you possibly fight these monsters? You don¡¯t have a wolf! They will rip you to shreds!¡± I snap at her, and she flinches at the harshness of my tone. I sigh, dragging my hand down my face and saying, ¡°Look, I am going to be fine. I can handle these guys. But with you here, I am at a disadvantage. I wille right back home to you, I promise. But right now, I need you to go. Do you understand me?¡±


    Her eyes ze over, and her Adam¡¯s apple bobs. God, I hated it when she looked at me like that. It tore me apart from the inside out.


    She nods, and I smile at her before cing a swift kiss on her forehead. At this point, we are down by seven men; we have only six left. I met Aira¡¯s eyes onest time-the very same eyes that I had fallen for all those months ago and still kept falling for even to this very day. Staring into them gave me more reason to want to protect her.


    Even if it costs my own life. Again.


    I would die a million times over just to protect her.


    ¡°No matter what you hear, once you start running, do not look back. Do you understand me?¡± I ask her, and tears trickle down her cheeks.


    ¡°But Alex-¡±


    ¡°Do you understand me?¡± I cut her off; there is no time for any of this anymore. She swallows and nods in understanding.


    I rise to my feet and stretch out my limbs. Finally, I let the beast I had suppressed for years take over. I never found a reason to let him out because I never saw anyone as much of a threat. But judging by the amount of rogues that were present and Aira was still very much present, there was much of a threat.


    My fingers elongate into ws, and hair spews out of my skin. My muscles break a bit as I transform into my Lycan form. My mouth turns into a snout, and my teeth sharpen into canines.


    I release a loud howl, and for a moment, all the wolves and Lycans pause their fight. Fear shes within the eyes of the wolves once they behold my Lycan form. I could feel Aira¡¯s eyes on me as well, but I did not look at her. I couldn¡¯t. Maybe it was because this is the first time she has seen me this way.


    A part of me feared that she was currently watching me differently. That should be the least of my concerns right now; the most important thing right now is protecting her. I charge straight at the rogues, releasing another menacing roar as I tackle one to the floor and rip out his throat.


    I pin another one down and m my ws into his chest, ripping out his heart. I keep going until I clear a path for Aira. I look at her briefly over my shoulders, and she takes that as her cue to run. A rogue chases after her, and I go after him, but another one tackles me from the back.


    I fling the one on top of me carelessly and throw him loosely across the room, swiping my ws over his face and taking out both of his eyes. His howls of pain fill the air as I sprint towards the rogue, going after Aira.


    It nears her, and I pick up my speed. I pounce on the creature, dig my ws into its chest, and pull out its heart. Just when his body copses to the floor, a wolf pounces on me and buries its canines into my back.


    I made the mistake of releasing a howl of pain because it was at that moment that Aira stopped running. She goes against what we had just talked about and turns around. Her eyes fell on the wolf, biting through my back like I was some snack. I struggled to get this one off me due to the angle he was in.


    He tears through my flesh, and blood trickles down my back. A pain simr to the one I underwent in the hands of those mad uncles of Aira¡¯s enveloped my back, and I copsed to my knees.


    I managed to catch a glimpse of Aira, and what I saw had both the wolf and me freezing.


    Her body glowed with a blue light, and her eyes turned ghostly white. She clenches her fists and teeth, and a chill shoots through my body from the immense power radiating off her.


    She lifts her finger and points at the rogues. Then she gave amand; her voice was not hers at all. It sounded like abination of furious kings and queens across the globe.


    ¡°Kill them all.¡±


    At first, I did not know who she was giving that order to. But then something strange happened-something I had never witnessed before in my life. I knew that it happened on the night Aira went up against her family, but I was dead at the time and couldn¡¯t see it for myself.


    But now I do.


    Both my Lycans and the wolves thaty dead on the floor rose to their feet and began to attack the rogues. The rogues ripped through each other¡¯s flesh, and the most impressive thing about it all was that even when the living rogues managed to kill off the dead ones, they never actually stayed off.


    My men, the five left, to be precise, watched the entire thing with amazement. Soon, all the roguesy dead, and the ones Aira controlled joined them.


    ¡°Alex, are you okay?!¡± I hear Aira screech as she sprints towards me and sits beside me on the blood-stained floor. Slowly, I turn back into my human form; my Lycan was already exhausted.


    But the pain became much worse in my human form. As much as I wanted to stay strong and not scare her, the pain was immense. Her gasps fill my ears as she takes a look at my ripped-open back, and a part of me is d that I cannot see it.


    ¡°That was amazing, Luna. I never knew you were capable of doing that,¡± one of the guards says as he walks up to us. That is when I realized that they had all transformed into their human forms as well.


    Their eyes have grown so wide that it looks like they are about to pop out of their heads. It was filled with much wonder and amazement. I would be filled with pride if I wasn¡¯t slowly losing consciousness right now.


    ¡°Yes, I did, but you all need to swear that you won¡¯t tell a soul,¡± Aira says, and all five of them look amongst themselves.


    ¡°You saved our lives, Luna. So of course your secret is safe with us.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    My head falls on her shoulders, and her body grows rigid. ¡°Alex? Alex, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°I feel so tired, Aira.¡± I draw out, and thest thing I hear are her screams before it all grows dark.

 Chapter 75: When secrets get out

    Aira¡¯s POV


    My eyes remained glued to Alex¡¯s sleeping form. My only constion was the heaving of his chest. I watched its movements closely, fearing that my world maye to a stop if he stopped breathing. I do not think I was capable of bringing him back a second time.


    After he lost consciousness in my arms, the remaining guards quickly snapped out of their wonder and helped me get Alex into the car. They drove back to the pce at full speed and helped me rush him into the infirmary.


    The doctors wasted no time tending to his wounds. When they were done, I asked, ¡°When is he going to wake up?¡±


    The doctor gave me a pitiful look and pursed her lips. ¡°Sincerely, I do not know. That all depends on him. You have to pray and hope that he has a strong will to live,¡± and then he left.


    Once it was just Alex and me in the room, I began to cry. Tears spilled out of my eyes like two damn waterfalls. I cried my eyes out. asionally,  I would beg Alex to wake up and not die on me again because I would never forgive myself if I was unable to bring him back.


    Once again, he ended up hurt while trying to protect me. Why am I so damn weak all the time? If I were strong enough, I could have defended myself easily without his help. Now look at him. He is in this position because of me. I have to get stronger, no matter what.


    But right now, I need him to wake up.


    I stayed with Alex for the next two days; not once did I leave his side unless I needed to use the bathroom. A maid would asionally bring me some food, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to eat knowing Alex was still lying beside me unconscious.


    A knockes from the door, and a sigh leaves my lips before I go to answer it. When I open the door, I find Ca standing on the other side. ¡°Hey, how is he holding up?¡± she asks, stepping into the room and forcing me to give her some space to enter.


    Um, okay.


    ¡°He still hasn¡¯t woken up,¡± I say as I shut the door, and she hums before turning towards me, her eyes showing so much excitement that it actually terrified me, if I am to be honest.


    ¡°Is it true that you can bring back the dead?¡±


    My countenance falls, and it is at that moment that I want to scream at the top of my lungs. I inhale sharply and pinch the bridge of my nose, doing my best to hold back my annoyance. I should have known better than to trust the words of those men. I knew deep down that they would never keep their mouths shut.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I ask, trying to act oblivious, and she looks at me in a way that expresses disappointment.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe that you would keep something like this from me. Everyone is talking about what happened. You saved the alpha and the other five guards; you supposedly made the dead do your bidding! That is so crazy!¡± she says, her eyes brimming with excitement, and I purse my lips. The excitement slowly dims, and she watches me slowly. ¡°I am guessing you didn¡¯t want this to get out.¡±


    ¡°I never wanted it to get out. There are people that are willing to do anything to get this power, and it would put me in danger; it was best kept as a secret.¡± I try to exin to her, but judging by the look she was giving me, I do not think she seemed to understand.


    ¡°You wanted to keep it a secret, even from me? You didn¡¯t trust me enough to confide in me over something like this? I thought we trusted each other enough considering all that we have been through,¡± she says, and my heart shatters when I detect the hurt in her voice.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Ca. It was never my intention to hurt you,¡± I whisper to her, and she sighs.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I understand why you hid it from everyone.¡± She pauses, then looks over my shoulder, probably at Alex¡¯s unconscious body. ¡°We will talk about this some other time, I suppose. I can see now isn¡¯t a good time.¡±


    Well, it was about time you did.


    ¡°Thanks, Ca,¡± I tell her, and she offers me a little smile before taking her leave. Once she shuts the door behind her, my heart plummets to the pit of my stomach when a voice I knew all too well fills my ears.


    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t sound quite good.¡±


    I spin on my heel to find Alex staring right at me. Tears of joy ze my eyes, and I practically sprint towards him. Without thinking, I copse on top of him and engulf him in a tight hug.


    ¡°You are awake!¡± I screech, and he groans in response.


    ¡°You are killing me,¡± he says with a strained voice, and I get off him so fast, like he was a fire that had just burned me.


    ¡°Oh! I am so sorry.¡± I apologize quickly, still unable to hide my excitement and relief.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he says, then sighs. ¡°I am going to kill those damn guards,¡± he mutters beneath his breath, and I shake my head in disbelief. To think that he has just woken up from a near-death experience and all he could think about was killing others.


    This man will never cease to amaze me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. What¡¯s done is done.¡± I tell him, running my hand through my hair. This means that now the entire kingdom will know of my abilities. I wonder what is going to happen now. Will they fear me? love me?  or respect me more now.


    ¡°Whatever the oue of this will be, I am ready for it, knowing that I have you by my side,¡± I tell him sincerely, and I see something sh in his eyes.


    A surprised screech leaves my lips when he grabs me by the back of my neck and pulls me down for a kiss. I did not even know he possessed that much strength.


    But then again, this was Alpha Alexander we were talking about.


    He kisses me sweetly, yet with so much passion.


    When we pull away, he caresses my cheek and says something that I least expected. ¡°Now feed me because I am starving.¡±


    I threw my head back and let out a heartyugh. It takes a great deal of strength when I try to help him sit up. I was almost out of breath when I helped himy back down on the mountain of pillows I had stacked up for him.


    I sit beside him, ce the tray of food on my thighs, and feed. With a groan, he reaches out for the other fork and feeds me.


    ¡°Oh, stop; you do not have to do that. You are stressing yourself out,¡± I tell him. I try to get the fork from him, but he doesn¡¯t let me.


    ¡°I know you, Aira, and I know for a fact that you haven¡¯t had anything to eat since I have been out. Or do you expect me to believe that this food was just sitting here waiting for me to wake up?¡± He asks with a raised brow, and I avert his gaze.


    He was smart.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I give in and let him out the fork in my mouth. We sit together in silence and eat together. Once we were done with the food, I called the doctor toe and check up on him.


    ¡°Well, your wounds are still pretty much fresh, and you have lost quite a lot of blood. Just make sure to eat a lot of vegetables and be consistent with the medicine I prescribed. And most importantly, get enough rest. That was nearly fatal; if you strain it, you might start bleeding out again and might actually die this time.¡±


    I gulp.


    Alex appearspletely unbothered by what the doctor was saying; how was I the one more terrified here?


    The doctor turns to me and says, ¡°Please do help him. Make sure he doesn¡¯t move around too much unless it ispletely and utterly necessary.¡±


    I nod in understanding and say, ¡°I will. Thank you, doctor.¡±


    She smiles sweetly at me, then takes her leave.


    ¡°I guess it is just going to be you and me for the next few weeks,¡± I state, cing my hands on my hips, and he grins at me.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.¡±


    I spent the next two weeks by Alex¡¯s side. I would help him go to the bathroom, shower, and even eat. Only once did Arnolde to visit Alex, much to my dismay.


    ¡°He has a whole pack to run in my ce. Plus, he is doing his best to find out who is responsible for all these attacks; you cannot possibly expect him to be visiting all the time,¡± Alex exined after Iined to him about it.


    I still wasn¡¯tfortable with it. There was something incredibly off about Arnold; I just couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on it.


    Or maybe it¡¯s because, after everything that has happened, I am just paranoid about everyone. So I let it go.


    There are times I would head down to the kitchen to get something for myself or Alex. I never failed to notice the stares and whispers from the workers.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe that she is capable of raising the dead.¡±


    ¡°I told you from the beginning that she was a witch.¡±


    ¡°Do you think if I ask nicely, she would be able to bring my mother back to life?¡±


    I flinched at thatst statement and picked up my speed after that. I grab what it is I need and return to Alex and I¡¯s room. When I do, the first thing I see is him standing in the middle of the room with a letter in his hands. The look on his face showed that its contents were not good.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask him, and he meets my eyes.


    ¡°The alphas of the states have called for a meeting tonight. They want to discuss what to do with you and your power.¡±


    Wow, just when I thought things couldn¡¯t possibly get worse.

 Chapter 76: Frail girl

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I stare at my reflection with uncertainty. I was not entirely sure of my outfit.


    A meeting with every alpha in the United States.


    This is my first time attending anything of the sort; I have to at least look my best. I stand before the mirror in a white button-up shirt and ck penciled skirt. It stops just above my knees and hugs my body perfectly. It isn¡¯t too tight, and Iplement the whole attire with a ck suit jacket. On my feet are a pair of ck heels, and I tied my hair up in a bun.


    My gaze falls on Alex, who is standing right behind him.


    He doesn¡¯t pay much attention to the mirror, as he is clearly lost in thought. He is buttoning up his shirt and putting on his jacket as well. He has a crease between his eyebrows, and I can see a million thoughts running through his mind. I could not tell if he was angry or worried about this meeting.


    Something tells me that it is a mix of both.


    His eyes lock with mine through the mirror, and my breath catches. Even without putting in much effort, this man somehow managed to be the most handsome fellow I have ever seen. He looked like a snack I wanted to have all to myself.


    I walk up to him and ce my hand gently on his cheek. ¡°Rx; everything is going to be fine,¡± I tell him softly, and he shakes his head while scoffing.


    ¡°I should be the one telling you that. I mean, you are the reason for this meeting,¡± he states, and I nod in agreement. I do not know why, but I wasn¡¯t scared or nervous in any way; whatever the oue of this meeting may be, I was ready for it. and that is what scared me the most.


    ¡°I feel like a superstar,¡± I joke, and the corners of his lips twitched upward. He was doing his best not to smile, but it was soon proven useless.


    ¡°You are so getting sold tonight,¡± Alex says, shaking his head with resignation.


    Folding my arms stubbornly above my chest, I say, ¡°I know for a fact that you will never let that happen. And even if I were to be sold, you would be my highest bidder.¡±


    He grins while snaking his arms around my waist and pulling me closer to him. Our noses brush as he presses his forehead to mine. ¡°You are so confident that you know me so well,¡± he whispers against my lips, and I catch his eyes darkening when they fall on my lips.


    ¡°I do,¡± I whisper to him, feeling the intensity between us. I inhale sharply when his lips capture mine in a sweet kiss. To my dismay, it does notst long before he pulls away and clears his throat.


    ¡°You have no idea how badly I want to rip all of this off you,¡± he says, and I shoot him a re. He sighs tiredly once he sees that there is no way I would ever let him do that. He squares his shoulders and says, ¡°Let¡¯s just get this meeting over with.¡±


    Now that I could agree with.


    He offers me his arm, and I dly take it. He leads me out of the room and down to the Audi waiting for us just outside. Once we are inside, we drive down to the venue at full speed.


    The alpha¡¯s forum was to be hosted in St. Louis¡¯s hotel conference room. I heard it belongs to one of the top alphas. The hotel was over thirty stories high and has one of the prettiest night views I have ever seen.


    When we arrive, a valet takes the keys from Alex. My mate walks around the car and helps me out of the car, taking me by the hand and leading me into the impressive building. We walk into the reception, where ady in a red suit is already waiting for us. ¡°Wee alpha Alexander and Luna Aira, it is a pleasure to have you here with us this evening. Please follow me.¡±


    She turns on her rather pointy heel and makes her way down the hall. Alex and I follow her, and the closer we get to the conference room, the more uneasy I feel. There was this pressing sensation, like a weight on my shoulders, that grew with every step I took.


    ¡°The meeting is being held in here,¡± thedy says, stopping right before the double doors at the end of the hall. Alex and I nod in appreciation, and she takes her leave.


    Alex looks down at me and squeezes my hand softly. ¡°Are you ready?¡± he asked, and I could do nothing but shrug.


    ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± is my answer, and he grins down at me.


    ¡°No matter the oue?¡± he asks, referring back to the conversation we had earlier back home.


    ¡°No matter the oue,¡± I repeated after him. I set my gaze forward, and we marched into the conference room together. The second we stepped in, I instantly wanted to run. The air was suffocating, and I have never been in a room where so much authority and power radiated.


    But then I remember exactly who I am and square my shoulders. I radiate a power even more menacing and frightening than theirs ever could. So I better act like it.


    There were nine alphas present, and each of them wore a suit that made them appear devilishly handsome. They sat together on a long table, and only one of them sat at the head. My guess is that it must be Alpha Louis, the owner of the hotel.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you graced us with your presence, Alexander. We were starting to think that you wouldn¡¯t show up,¡± Louis says, grinning through his rather thick stubble and dark brown eyes.


    Alex ces a hand above his chest and says, ¡°That would be quite rude of me. and besides, I wouldn¡¯t want to start a war.¡±


    Louis grins and points at the two empty seats on his left-hand side. ¡°Please do have a seat,¡± he says, and as we walk up to it, I notice that every eye of the alphas is trained on me.


    They were watching me, silently sizing me up and judging me. Most of them held disbelief, others held disgust, and some had wonder swirling within their eyes.


    We took our seats, and Louis addressed the board.


    ¡°Now that we are all present, This meeting can finally begin,¡± he announces before finally turning his full attention to me. There was something ominous about his brown eyes that made a shiver run up my spine. There was so much evil and so much greed in those eyes. It was almost as intense as Vincent¡¯s. ¡°Aira Kingston, is that right?¡± he asks, and I nod. ¡°Rumor has it that you have some special abilities or powers that can raise the dead; is that true?¡±


    I pause, wondering if I should tell them the truth or not. My eyes fell on Alex, who was watching me with kind eyes. He squeezes my hand in silent reassurance. It was his own little way of telling me whether I had told the truth or not. He would be there to support me.


    I suppose they are no longer keeping it a secret anymore. The cat is already out of the bag. What is done is done.


    ¡°It is only once I have actually brought the dead back to the living, and that is my mate, Alpha Alexander,¡± I announce, and some of the alphas begin to mutter amongst themselves. They all look at Alexander in amazement, watching him closely to be sure if what I was saying is actually the truth. But did they really have any way of knowing?


    ¡°Alexander, is this true?¡± Louis asks, and the question surprisingly upsets him.


    ¡°Are you calling my mate a liar?¡± Alex snaps, his canines elongating as the sharp tips protrude from his lips. Louis has a sly smirk on his lips and raises his hand in surrender.


    ¡°My apology,¡± he says before turning to me and saying. ¡°Please, do continue.¡±


    ¡°The rumors that have been spreading around originated from our men. We were visiting a morgue when we were attacked by rogues. Out of a fit of rage, Imanded the corpses to do my bidding. They were not exactly alive, but whatever I demanded that they would do, they would.¡± I finish, and the muttering only worsens.


    ¡°Impossible! I don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    ¡°She must be a witch!¡±


    ¡°How can someone as tiny and frail as her possibly possess such power?¡±


    Louis ms his fist on the table, and the force of it causes my heart to skip a couple of beats. ¡°Silence!¡± he roars, and the room grows silent. He turns to me and begins to stroke his jaw. ¡°But how may I ask if this is possible? I have never heard of such powers before.¡±


    ¡°Well, the truth is that the Kingston¡¯s are actually descendants of the moon goddess. If you can trace my family¡¯s history, you will see that there was no one in my family who possessed a wolf. We were all wolfless, and in exchange for that, the moon goddess blessed us with magical abilities, each of which differed from the others.¡± I exin, and Louis¡¯s eyes sh with amazement and curiosity.


    One of the alphas scoffed and said, ¡°Is that so? If they were so powerful, howe all of them were killed by mere animals?¡±Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I hesitate. My eyes lock with Alex¡¯s, who nods at me to tell them the truth.


    And I do. My voice does not shake, I do not stutter, and I show no hint of regret as I admit my greatest sin.


    ¡°That was just a cover story. I was the one who killed them all.¡±


    Silence.


    None of the alphas uttered a word; most of them looked at me with fear, while the others were clearly impressed.


    ¡°You ughtered your entire family? Now why on earth would you do that?¡±


    I square my shoulders, locking gazes with him, as I proudly admit. ¡°Because their greed did not let them see reason. They came after my power, my heritage, and my mate. Death was the path they had chosen for themselves.¡±


    The room grows silent once again. One of the alphas in the room breaks it by asking, ¡°Have the both of you mated yet?¡±


    My eyebrows furrow and I purse my lips; that was not the question I was expecting to be asked shortly after admitting to ughtering my family.


    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t,¡± I say, feeling a bit sad that Alex and I didn¡¯t do so during our vacation. I mean, it was the perfect opportunity, or maybe he just didn¡¯t want to¡­


    ¡°Good. The two of you must make sure you never mate,¡± he states, and I frown.


    ¡°And who are you to tell us what to do?¡± Alex snapped, and I could feel things slowly getting heated.


    ¡°Calm down, Alexander.¡± Louis says. ¡°Believe me when I say all of us havee here with only the best intentions. It is clear that your mate here is way too powerful to belong to only one pack; it would be unfair to us because she is basically an asset, a weapon. From what we can see, her emotions elerate her powers. If you and her mate were together, the bond between you two would be incredibly strong. And God forbid, if something were to happen to you, then she might as well be a ticking time bomb. Do you understand what we are trying to say here?¡±


    Alex and I shared a nce, and I smirked when I saw that we both harbored the same thoughts.


    I lean forward, making sure to draw out my words.


    ¡°You all can go to hell.¡±

 Chapter 77: Little bride

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°That is no way to speak in a room filled with alphas, dear,¡± Louis says, and I cringe at the endearment.


    ¡°And that is no way to speak to a woman that could end all of your lives in an instant,¡± I seethe through gritted teeth. Louis turns to Alex with a sigh.


    ¡°Alexander, please control your mate.¡±


    Alex, who has been watching the whole scene with narrowed eyes, simply says, ¡°How about you control your mouth instead?¡±


    Louis eyelid visibly twitched, and it became clear that his patience was already running thin. The alpha by his right leans forward and whispers something in his ear. When he pulls away, Louis is suddenly calm. As a matter of fact, he looks at the both of us with a wide, weing smile on his lips.


    ¡°You know what? This meeting is adjourned. We shall meet here same time tomorrow,¡± he says and the next second Alex rises to his feet and takes my hand. He leads me out of the room without uttering so much as another word.


    We make our way out of the hotel and he storms up to the valet. ¡°Give it to me!¡± Alex snaps at the poor man who hands him the keys with shaky hands. I mouth a ¡®sorry¡¯ to the petrified man as Alex pulls me down to the car.


    He opens the door for me, and I hop in. Once he shuts the door, he walks over to the driver side and slides in. The engine roars to life, and before we know it, we are on our way at full speed.


    I swallowed at the frightening speed at which he was driving.


    ¡°Alex, please slow down,¡± I say with a shaky voice, and that is when his eyes snap to mine. He sees the fear evident in my eyes and sighs. He slows down a bit, and I rx when we drive at a reasonable speed.


    I shoot Alex a side nce, and it is clear that he is upset. I try to think of a reason why he would possibly be mad. ¡°What is the matter?¡± I ask him, and he runs his hand through his hair before releasing a frustrated sigh.


    ¡°We never should havee to this meeting,¡± he starts, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of my head.


    ¡°Why? You said at the very beginning of the meeting that if you hadn¡¯t shown up, it would have served as a silent deration of war,¡± I remind him, and he kisses his teeth.


    ¡°Yes, I know, I know,¡± he says, the annoyance clear in his tone. There are so many things going through his mind that I ce my hand on his own on the gear.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Alex?¡± I ask softly.


    Alex¡¯s jaw visibly clenches. ¡°They are no different from your family. They are just greedy fools seeking power and wealth with your powers.¡±


    ¡°Well, clearly, they are never going to get it,¡± I tell him confidently, but judging by the way his fists clench the steering wheel, I can tell that there is something else that he isn¡¯t telling me. He was worried and scared. ¡°Alex,¡± I say softly, squeezing his hand on the gear. ¡°I am not the same confused woman my family manipted all those months ago. They use my desperation for family against me, but these guys have nothing against me. I won¡¯t be easily manipted again.¡±


    Alex¡¯s face visibly softens, and he says, ¡°I know.¡±


    The rest of the drive is spent in silence, but then a thoughtes to my mind. ¡°Did you know?¡± I ask him, and he looks at me with confusion.


    ¡°Did I know what?¡± he asks, taking a sharp turn down the street that led back to the pce.


    I swallow the bile that found its way to my throat and quietly ask, ¡°Did you know that mating me would make me a ticking time bomb? Is that why you haven¡¯t done it yet?¡±


    He steps harshly on the breaks, and our bodies jolt forward. I look at him with wide eyes, only to find his eyes on me.


    ¡°What? Of course, that is not why I haven¡¯t mated with you. The reason I haven¡¯t mated with you is because you kept dying. And that would have been agonizingly painful for me, whether you came back to life or not. The moment your heart stops, I will be submerged in terrible pain. And we both know the rate at which you were dying. If it had be more frequent, it would have killed me. And unlike you, I won¡¯t being back.¡±


    Guilt overtakes my heart, and I bow my head in shame. ¡°I am sorry, I just¡­¡± My voice breaks, and he silences me by taking my face in his hands and pressing his lips against mine. The kiss was aforting one; his lips were cold, but for some reason I liked it.


    His lips moved soothingly against mine, and hisrge hand caressed my face. When he pulls away, he ces another kiss at the top of my forehead. ¡°I have wanted to mate with you ever since the first day Iid my lips on yours. Never again will you think that I didn¡¯t want to. And besides, you had all this family drama going on; I didn¡¯t feel like it was the right time. I am sorry.¡±


    I sniffle a bit and say, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I understand.¡±


    For a moment, he doesn¡¯t say anything; he just sits there, staring deep into my eyes. Then he says something thatpletely catches me off guard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it tonight.¡±


    I blink up at him with surprise. ¡°Let¡¯s do what?¡±


    For the first time since I have known Alexander, there is a genuine excitement in his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get mated. Tonight.¡±


    I still found it hard to believe that I heard him properly. Is this really happening?Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But can we do that?¡± I ask him, and his deep chuckle fills my ears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡±


    ¡°But what about the alphas? They told us what would happen if we mated,¡± I remind him, and he scoffs.


    ¡°I realize now that whether we mate or not, if anything were to happen to either of us, it would hurt equally as much. So what¡¯s the point of not mating, then? Plus, I am at a point in my life where I would do anything to get closer to you,¡± he says, and his words bring tears to my eyes.


    ¡°Oh, Alexander,¡± is all I could say before wrapping my arms around him. ¡°I love you,¡± I whisper to him as I feel a tear trickle down my eye.


    ¡°I love you more, my queen.¡±


    I do not know how long we stayed wrapped in each other¡¯s arms, but when we finally pulled away, Alex took out his phone from his pocket. From what I could gather, he was calling the priestess and ordering that the preparation for the mating ceremony be done.


    My heart bubbled with excitement, and I felt like a little school girl again. When we arrived at the pce, Ca rushed to us and took me by the hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Alpha, I will make sure she is all dolled up and ready in no time,¡± Ca tells Alex, who just nods. I am not given the chance to get a word out before getting dragged into a room.


    ¡°Ca, slow down,¡± I say as I find it hard to keep up with her. We finally arrive in my room, and you can imagine my surprise when I find the room filled with makeup artists, hair stylists, and nail techs.


    The next two hours are spent getting dressed up for my mating ceremony, and I cannot believe that this is actually happening. Who would have thought that I would be ending this night with my very own mating ceremony?


    When they were all done performing their tasks, Ca gasped. ¡°My goodness, you look absolutely gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I say politely before turning to the mirror. I have to confirm her words myself, after all. True to her words, I really do look amazing. A tear trickles down my face as I take in my reflection. My white dress is sleeveless; it hugs my curves and flows all the way down to my feet.


    My vail is long and over eight feet long. My makeup is simple and beautiful, while my hair has been styled into a messy bun.


    It is just perfect.


    Ca stands by me, her smile reaching all the way to her ears. ¡°Ready to get mated, Luna Aira?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I sure am.¡±

 Chapter 78: The mating ceremony

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    It¡¯s a full moon tonight.


    The perfect night to get mated to the one I have been searching for. This must be added to one of the craziest things I have ever done. I never knew I would end the day getting married to Aira. Believe me when I say it is long overdue.


    Earlier in the car, when she looked at me, demanding to know why I hadn¡¯t mated her, it broke me. She looked at me like I did not want her, like I did not love her, like I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice this world for her.


    The truth of the matter is that I was scared. I was scared of getting mated to her.


    My feelings towards her will only intensify, and that is destructive enough already. I am afraid of what I will do or who I will be after I marry her. I am already a mad man whenever ites to her. What will be of me and the people around me after I mate with her?


    I was scared for the both of us. We are not a normal couple. I am a Lycan, and she is what? Part wolf? Part spiritual being? I did not care to know exactly who she was. The problem was the fact that we weren¡¯t a normal couple; things would be different for us.


    Whatever she feels, I will feel it too. And whatever I feel, she does as well, and that terrified the hell out of me. I did not want her to feel what I feel most of the time. It is agonizing and unbearable.


    But then again, I must admit that I am selfish. I cannot hold back any longer. I want to have her in every way possible. I want us to be truly one, just as it was destined for us to be. And with the council breathing down our necks and wanting to keep her as some sort of trophy or weapon, I cannot afford to prolong this any further.


    I stand at the altar with my hands sped in front of me. My foot tapped impatiently on the ground, and I checked the time on my watch for what felt like the millionth time. Where is she? I thought I was told that she was ready. Is she having second thoughts about mating with me?


    I wouldn¡¯t me her if she did. I wouldn¡¯t want you to mate with me either. Especially after all the pain and torment I have caused her. I should have known this was a bad idea. My lips part to inform the priestess to just go home when I see her.


    Dear God, I am the luckiest man in the world.


    She looks like a goddess walking down that aisle. From her hair down to her feet, she was absolutely magnificent. Her smile did something for me. Her eyes pinned me down to the spot, and I couldn¡¯t breathe. My chest tightened at the mere sight of her.


    I almost wanted to cry.


    With all the bad things I have done, I never thought that I would get to call a woman like her my mate. After the oracle told me where to find her, I was expecting someone with an ugly and low standard. I thought that the goddess would punish me by giving me a terrible mate.


    When I first set my eyes on her, I was furious. At the time, I thought it was because she was human. But now I know the real reason for my rage-it was the mere fact that I was undeserving of her.


    As she walks down the aisle with her best friend in hand, I make a silent vow. I will love and protect her until my dying breath.


    She joins me at the altar, and I take her hand in mine. Hers were so small; mine always wrapped around hers easily. And I loved it. This may sound crazy, but it gave me this sense of purpose, like I was born to love and protect her.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± I whisper to her, and her cheeks redden.


    ¡°And you look dashing,¡± she whispers back to me.


    We turn towards the priestess, and the moon shines brightly upon us as the wind blows softly. It was almost as though the presence of another powerful being was among us.


    We bow our heads and shut our eyes as the priestess begins the ritual. She utters a couple of spells and incantations before handing me a bowl and de.


    My eyes meet Aira¡¯s onest time, and I silently ask her if she is really sure about this. She nods in confirmation.


    I slit my hand and let my blood drip into the bowl. Once it is enough, I am handed a napkin before giving the bowl to Aira. She does the same and hands the bowl of our blood back to the priestess. She raises the bowl up to the moon and continues to speak in a foreignnguage.


    That is when something strange happens. Our blood is set aze.


    Aira gasps and takes a step back while my eyelids narrow. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask the priestess, who just smiles at me.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°In all my life of hosting mating ceremonies, I have never witnessed such a powerful bond. Your union has be just like this fire. Together, you both have be powerful and will set this world aze if anything is toe between you two,¡± she exins.


    Aira and I share a nce. My hands find hers once again, and we hold each other tightly. That sounds just about right. I will set out to do anything and everything to keep Aira with me. Nothing can tear us apart, not even the damn alpha council.


    The priestess utters a few more spells before turning to us. ¡°You may now mark each other.¡±


    Aira smiles with excitement. I wonder how she was going to mark me, seeing as she wasn¡¯t aplete wolf. At least that was what I thought until her eyes turned a striking shade of amber.


    Her teeth transform into canines, and she sinks them into the flesh between my neck and corbone. My eyes fall shut as pleasure envelopes me. I feel a part of myself seep into her. I couldn¡¯t exin it; it was like a ball of warmth leaving my body and going into hers. But just as quickly as the sensation cane, it was gone.


    She pulls her teeth out of me and takes a step back.


    Now it is my turn.


    I lengthen my canines and bring her closer to me. ¡°Try not to scream, baby girl,¡± I whisper in her ear before mping down on her flesh. Instead of a scream, she moans right in my ear.


    Our grip on each other tightens as her blood drops into my mouth. It was the sweetest thing I have ever tasted. Our grip on each other tightens, and the warmth I felt earlier returns. Only this time, it returned tenfold.


    When we pull away, I look into her eyes, and I am amazed.


    She looks ten times more beautiful to me.


    ¡°Congrattions; you both are now mated.¡±

 Chapter 79: An object of power

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°What have you done?!¡±


    Alex and I stand hand in hand before the council. The news of our mating ceremony has clearly reached all of them because they were all redder than tomatoes and had smokeing out of their ears. It was quiteical, if you ask me.


    ¡°We are mated now,¡± Alex says simply, and one of the alphas-I believe his name was Fernando-rises to his feet, baring his teeth.


    ¡°But we specifically told you not to! We warned you of the consequences!¡± The man snaps, and the action alone clearly pisses Alexander off. He stands before me protectively, growling like a beast and clenching his fist like he was ready to throw it in any of their faces.


    ¡°Our mating was long overdue, andst time I checked, neither she nor I were obligated to take orders from any of you. We are well aware of the consequences of our mating, and we are ready to take it head-on. We are ready; we are not scared cowards like the rest of you,¡± Alex says firmly, and the room grows silent.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Louis, who has been terribly silent throughout the whole meeting, massages the crease between his eyebrows. To my greatest surprise, he did not appear nearly as pissed as the others. As a matter of fact, he looked like he had expected us to do just this all along.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say anything about this, Louis?¡± one of the alphas who has also noticed Louis¡¯s silence says.


    Louis shrugs. ¡°Well, what exactly do you want me to do? What¡¯s done is done. There is nothing we can do about it,¡± he says calmly, and his words have my eyebrows shooting to the top of my forehead. I do not know why, but I had expected him to be the angriest of all of them.


    But his calmness is actually pretty scary.


    The alphas begin to mutter amongst themselves. ¡°You are right; we are just going to have to keep a close eye on her in the meantime.¡±


    The words that came from one of the alphas have my jaw dropping. I part my lips, ready to tell them that I do not need any of them watching me when another one speaks up.


    ¡°In the meantime, her powers could be of good use to us. We can run a few tests on her and see if it could be used to provide cures for fatal illnesses.¡±


    ¡°She could also be used to bring back some of our strongest soldiers; with her around, we will be unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°This is quite a lot of power we have in our hands; we are going to have to use it wisely. We do not want to get too carried away.¡±


    The more they spoke amongst themselves, the more horrified and offended I became. They spoke of me like I wasn¡¯t even in the room. like I was just some weapon and not a human with feelings and rights.


    Instinctively, I shrink back behind Alex, and he notices.


    That was when he really became angry.


    ¡°Enough!¡± he snaps, and the room instantly falls silent. ¡°What gave any of you the idea that her powers would be used however you wanted?¡± he growls.


    ¡°We have spoken about this before. It is unfair for you to possess a woman with such power. You ought to share it with the rest of us for the betterment of our packs as well. And it-¡±


    ¡°She is not an it!¡± Alex snaps in their faces, and their eyes widen slightly. From the corner of my eye, I can see his canines sticking out of his lips, and his left eye is now a striking shade of amber. His Lycan was threatening to be set free; it was Alex doing everything in his power to keep him in check.


    But if the alphas continue to speak like this, I do not think he would want to hold him back any longer.


    The air in the room seems to have seized; it bes incredibly hard to breathe. The tension was maddening, and it felt like someone had turned up the heat as well.


    ¡°You speak about her like she is some object! She is just like the rest of you, with a choice! If it seems unfair to you that she is my mate, then that is your fucking problem. Not ours,¡± Alex finishes, and one of them sighs, shaking his head with fatigue in his eyes.


    ¡°Alexander, please try to see the reason. If this had happened to any of us, then we would not even waste a second offering her power to the rest of us. We are a council and a team. We are family. We have all known each other since we were kids; it is not like we are strangers to you.¡±


    Another one of the alphas speaks up. ¡°Besides, we are not using her powers for selfish reasons. This is for the better.¡±


    ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t my choice to make.¡± Alex points this out before stepping back and standing by my side. All eyes fall on me, and I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t feel a bit intimidated right now. ¡°What do you want to do, Aira? Whatever your decision is, that is what will be done.¡±


    The room grows silent as they all wait for my response. The alphas look at me expectantly, hoping that I can see the reason for their cause. But unfortunately, I do not.


    So, I square my shoulders, take a deep breath, and say, ¡°I am a descendant of the moon goddess. One of two is left. She entrusted these powers to my family, and my family alone. But they became greedy and thirsty for more power. I will not let history repeat itself. Until I learn to fully control my powers, I will not be helping any of you or letting myself be turned into your test monkey.¡±


    Louis nods in understanding and says, ¡°That is fine; we will.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I cut him off before he could even finish his sentence. ¡°There is no we in this.¡± I pause and take Alex¡¯s hand in mine. ¡°Just us. My mate and I-no one else. No one will pressure me; no one will ask incessant questions; no one will speak of anything concerning my powers until I am ready.¡±


    ¡°Aira please-¡±


    ¡°You heard her,¡± Alex snarls. ¡°And mark my words, the next time any of you even think of referring to my mate as some kind of object again, I will promise you a death so painful that even the devil will weep.¡±

 Chapter 80: Lost control

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°You do know you have indirectly dered a war, right?¡±


    Alex smirks, gathering some arrows and cing them in the bag strapped around his torso. It was just yesterday that we left the council meeting after my deration. It was clear that none of the alphas were okay with our rather rude exit.


    I barely slept properlyst night. I kept getting this feeling that something terrible was about to happen. I have been getting that feeling ever since Ana died, and I was always right. Something bad always happened.


    I am sure the alphas won¡¯t let our defiance slide. I know Louis acted so coolst night, but I knew that the wheels in his head were turning. And they were turning super-fast.


    ¡°I am well aware, which is why we are going to train today.¡± He says it casually, and my eyebrows crease in confusion.


    ¡°Train?¡± I ask, and he nods. He takes my hand and leads me deeper into the woods, just right behind the pce. Wee to a stop, and my eyes fall on a bunny a few feet away from us. The poor creature has not yet noticed; it was too busy nibbling on some leaves.


    ¡°Yes, we are going to train. You need to learn to control your powers; once you have full control, no one can ever make you do what you don¡¯t want to,¡± he says, and my eyelids narrow. I sense a double meaning in his words.


    ¡°You mean I won¡¯t be easily manipted again?¡± I rephrase, and his shoulders slouch tiredly.


    ¡°No, Aira. If someone wants to truly manipte you, then it won¡¯t matter if you have full control over your powers or not. But like you said,st night might as well have been a silent deration of war. We need to be ready, and we need all the assets we can get,¡± he finishes, and I pull my wrist free from his grasp.


    His eyebrows crease, but it does not take him another minute to realize his mistake. Instantly, he tries to take my hand, but I take a step away from him before he can.


    ¡°An asset? That is what I am to you.¡± I ask him, and his expression falls t.


    ¡°You and I both know that is not all you are to me. I am not going to lie to you. Yes, it is pretty cool that I get the mate with supernatural powers, but that is not all you are to me. I have loved you long before we even knew you possessed such abilities. I just want you to train so that you don¡¯t lose control,¡± he exins, and my shoulders slouch.


    I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply. ¡°Fine, let us just get this done and dusted off already.¡± I say, and he sters a boyish smile on his face. He was very cute when he did that; it was hard to believe that he was the very same man who promised a painful death to alphas equally as powerful as himst night.


    ¡°Good,¡± he says, taking out an arrow from his sac and cing it on the bow.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask, wondering if ying archery was part of my training. He pulls back the bow, and my eyes widen when I realize what he is about to do. He offers me an evil smirk.


    ¡°Training.¡±


    A scream leaves my lips when the arrow cuts the air and pins the bunny down to the nearest tree, killing it in an instant. Tears well up in my eyes as my handse up to cover my agape mouth.


    Alex walks up to the dead creature casually and pulls his bloody arrow out of it. He picks up the creature and walks back to me. A screech leaves my lips when he brings the poor creature to me, and I take a step back.


    Alex chuckles, his eyes brimming with humor. ¡°You have been near countless dead bodies, and you are getting emotional over a damn rabbit.¡±


    I ce my hand over my chest, a tear slipping past my eye as I swallow the bile that has risen within my throat. ¡°That poor creature was innocent. It was just trying to enjoy its meal, and you killed it.¡±


    Alex sighs tiredly, almost as though what I was saying was rubbish and I was overreacting. ¡°It will continue to enjoy its meal if you bring it back to life.¡±


    My eyes widen, and they snap up to his. ¡°What did you just say?¡± I ask, wanting to believe that I had heard wrongly.


    Alex nods in silent confirmation. ¡°You heard me. You feel bad for the poor creature, right? then bring it back to life,¡± he says cruelly, cing the dead creature at my feet. He takes out another arrow, and what he says next causes a tornado of emotions to swirl within me. ¡°Bring it back to life, or I am going to kill every creature in these woods until you do.¡±


    ¡°Please do not do this,¡± I plead, feeling internal turmoil.


    ¡°You have ten minutes until I bring you another dead one,¡± Alex says. Finally, every trace of love in his voicepletely vanished, and it was like I was speaking to a stranger. He walks over to a tree and leans on it with his arms crossed over his chest.


    Crouching down before the bunny¡¯s corpse, I ce my hand gently above its wound and shut my eyes, trying to concentrate. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what I was doing. My mind travels back to the day I watched Alex die in my arms. I tried to recall those emotions I felt on that day; I tried to remember the process, but I just couldn¡¯t.


    I couldn¡¯t find any of those feelings inside of me right now.


    ¡°Alright, time is up,¡± Alex says, marching into the woods to kill more innocent animals.


    ¡°No, wait! Look, I have only brought one person back, and that was you. Perhaps it is only you I can bring back because you are my mate. Or maybe I was only given one shot at it; all I know is that it isn¡¯t working anymore,¡± I tell him, and Alex stares nkly at me.


    A moment of silence passes between us; neither one of us says a word. He walks up to me and crouches before me.


    ¡°You and I both know that isn¡¯t true. You have so much power; I always knew you did, ever since that night I found you in that graveyard.¡± Alex speaks slowly, then rises to his feet. He takes out another arrow and aims at something behind me. and then he lets go.


    My heart plummets to the pit of my stomach when I hear a thud. I shut my eyes, unable to look behind me. Who knows what poor creature he has killed now?


    Guilt gues my heart, and I bow my head.


    ¡°Keep trying. I know you can bring them all back.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    And that is what I do; I keep trying. For hours, I stayed crouched before this one little bunny, trying desperately to bring it back while Alex went on a killing spree.


    At this point, I am surrounded by hoards of animal corpses, and the scent of their blood pissed me off.


    ¡°Come on, Aira. I am running out of animals here. Do you want me to go to the zoo?¡±


    And that is when I snap.


    I shoot to my feet, and my eyes lock with his. He takes a step back.


    ¡°Do you think I am not trying? You think I am enjoying watching you kill all these poor creatures, or you think I like the fact that I am a useless vessel unable to control her powers while others seek to take advantage of me?¡± I snap, my voice sounding terribly far from what it usually sounds like.


    Alex¡¯s eyebrows crease and hurt whirls within his eyes. ¡°That is not what I want.¡±


    ¡°What you what?!¡± I cut him off. My eyelid twitches, and I want nothing more than to explode right now. ¡°You have no idea how much pressure I have been under these past few days, and I expected you as my mate to be the one to calm me down and be my sce. Yet here you are, making things even worse for me!¡±


    Alex takes a look around, and it is only then that I realize that the weather has changed drastically. It was almost like it had gone from spring to the dry season in seconds. The greens around us turned ck, the trees began to shed their leaves, and the wind that blew was terribly dry.


    ¡°Aira please-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I yell, not wanting to hear anything from anyone else. ¡°When I said I didn¡¯t want anyone to pressure me concerning my powers, I meant that for you as well. I will figure this all out on my own.¡±


    And with that said, I spin on my heel and leave.


    As I storm back into the pce, I pass by more dead animals than I could count. They weren¡¯t part of Alex¡¯s kill.


    Deep down, I knew they were mine.


    Once again, I had lost control.

 Chapter 81: Two boys on a playground

    Aira¡¯s POV


    A knockes from the door, but I make no effort to answer it. I could not feel a tug in my heart, so I knew it wasn¡¯t Alex. But to be honest, even if it were Alex, I wouldn¡¯t open it. I don¡¯t want to speak to anyone right now.


    I just wanted to be left alone.


    I was so sick and tired of everyone telling me what to do. Telling me what is best and how I should use my own power. It was pathetic.


    My mind reys those days when Ana and Jace tossed me out of my home. Then I remember the days when even Alex himself treated me so cruelly. Everyone once treated me so terribly, and now all of a sudden everyone gives a fuck about me because I have the power over life and death.


    A part of me knew that wasn¡¯t the case for Alex. Deep down, I knew he was just scared. Not of people using and manipting me; he knew that was no longer possible. No. What he was scared of was me losing control.


    He was scared that I would destroy everything and everyone if my feelings got out of hand.


    And he had every right to be scared.


    Earlier today, I killed an entire forest filled with woond animals just because I got upset. What would happen if I was near our people and I lost control? Will I be able to fix the damage so badly?


    My arms wrapped around my legs tighten, and I bury my face in between them. The knock on the door continues, and I was slowly starting to get annoyed. Until I heard the person¡¯s voice,.


    Ca.


    ¡°Aira, open up. I saw what you did outside; I am sorry. I know I shouldn¡¯t be eavesdropping, and you probably want to be alone. But I just want to make sure that you are okay. Please let me in.¡±


    But I don¡¯t.


    I don¡¯t move a muscle. I can¡¯t. Not because my anger extended to her; it could never. The truth is that deep down, I too was scared. I was terrified. If anything happened to her, I have no idea what I would do. I don¡¯t even know if I would be able to live with myself if I were the cause.


    She has been nothing but a true friend to me. A sister, in fact. She was always by my side, cheering me up and supporting me. She was the sister I always wished I had. And even though we weren¡¯t rted by blood, I love her just as much as I love my family.


    ¡°At least talk to me; let me hear your voice. Please, Aira,¡± Ca says softly, and I pinch my eyes shut. Two rivers flow through my eyes as my shoulders tremble greatly. I have no idea how long Iy on the bed with my hand around my knees. The world eventually grows silent, but I can¡¯t bring myself to move.


    I knew she was still at the other end; even though she remained silent, I could feel her.


    Thest thing I feel is a tear sliding down my cheek before the world grows dark.


    Why the hell am I here again?


    Who has summoned me here? I thought that now that my family is gone, I would never step foot into this realm ever again. But yet here I stand.


    I am in the middle of a park in the hot afternoon sun. Two boys busied themselves by ying on the swings and slides. They appeared to be around the age of seven.


    Apart from them, no one else was present at the park.


    I knew none of this was real. Not only because I don¡¯t remembering here, but because I have grown ustomed to the feeling of the spiritual realm.


    My eyes travel around the park, silently wondering who could have called me here. Usually, when I end up here, there is always a spirit that wants to speak to me. Could it be these two boys?


    Silently, I watch one of them pick up a ball and call to his friend excitedly. ¡°Jared! Look, I found the ball!¡±


    Jared, why do I feel like I have heard that name before?


    His friend has a smile that stretches all the way to his ears. He jumps with excitement as he says, ¡°Bring it over here!¡±


    The boy holding the ball runs past me and towards his friend. I do not know why I got this feeling of familiarity with that boy. I feel like I have met him somewhere, but where? If there is one thing I have learned about the spiritual realm, it is that I could be in the past, future, or even present.


    But the real question is, where am I currently?


    My attention returns to the boys as their yfulughter fills my ears. The both of them kick the ball all over the park, and something about their innocent y warms my heart.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Adorable, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    My heart nearly flies out of my chest as a scream leaves my lips. Spinning on my heel, Ie face-to-face with a woman that I am certain wasn¡¯t standing here a second ago. She smiles warmly at me.


    ¡°Forgive me for scaring you,¡± she says just as I ce my hand above my chest. I stared at the woman carefully. There is something about her dark eyes that seems oddly familiar. They were eyes I knew so well.


    I am certain this wasn¡¯t my mother.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask her, and her smile fades.


    ¡°That is not important right now,¡± she says, her voice drastically different from the first one she spoke to me with. ¡°There is a great eviling, one that you must end before it is toote.¡±


    You have got to be kidding me. Can¡¯t someone take a damn break in this lifetime?


    ¡°What evil are you talking about? Is it the alpha council?¡± I ask, and that is when I notice that she and the world around me are slowly starting to fade away.


    ¡°Jared,e back! I am sorry!¡±


    Spinning on my heel, my gaze falls on two teenagers. I didn¡¯t know how, but I just knew that they were the two kids from earlier. The scenario must have changed. Even though the boy had his back to me, I could tell that he was crying.


    And it hurt.


    ¡°You must decide the path you want to fight for. The good filled with hate, or the bad filled with love.¡±

 Chapter 82: Worrying apologies

    Aira¡¯s POV


    A gasp escapes my lips as I shoot up into a sitting position. Quickly, I wipe away the beads of sweat trickling down my face as my chest heaves up and down rapidly. My eyes search my surroundings frantically, and a breath of relief leaves my lips when I see that I am back in my room.


    I knew it was just a spirit jump and that none of it was real, but something about that woman¡¯s warning was incredibly rming. She never even told me who she was. Somehow, I got this feeling that we were connected yet unrted.


    Weird.


    She said something about an uing danger. I wish she was a bit more specific. Where or who was the dangering from? As far as I know, danger always equates to my family. Could it be Richard? Or someone else?


    God, this is all so confusing.


    Shooting to my feet, I catch my reflection in the mirror. I did not look good at all. There were bags beneath my eyes, and my skin was a lot paler. I resembled a ghost. Despite looking like this, all I wanted to do was tell Alex about my dream and have him engulf me in one of his big bear hugs.


    Alex¡­


    My mind reys ourst moment together, and guilt pangs at my heart. I really shouldn¡¯t have said all of that to him. He was only trying to help-in his own violent and brute way. I need to apologize.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I make my way to the door, and as soon as I throw it open, a body falls to my feet.


    Ca.


    My eyes widen as she twists and turns on the floor; her tired eyes lock with mine, and guilt gues my heart. ¡°Finally,¡± she mutters, jumping off the floor and dusting her body.


    She stretches her limbs in front of me as I search for the right words to say. I just can¡¯t help but stare at her in disbelief. ¡°You were out here all night?¡± is what I finally managed to say.


    ¡°Well, duh? You weren¡¯t saying anything all night, and I heard you crying. You were sad; I couldn¡¯t just leave you alone,¡± she says, and my eyes well up with tears. There is this warm sensation I get in my heart from her words.


    ¡°I am so sorry for worrying you,¡± I say, and she takes my hand in hers gently.


    She gives them a light squeeze and offers me a reassuring smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just want to make sure you are okay.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I whisper to her just before I feel this burning sensation at the top of my forehead. I lift my gaze to find Alex sitting on the floor right down the hall. He too has huge bags beneath his eyes, and my heart shatters into a million pieces as I realize that he was waiting out here as well.


    His eyes pin me to the spot. It was clear that he was upset with me, but he couldn¡¯t get any sleep.


    Ca¡¯s gaze shifts from me to Alex, sitting a few feet behind her. She clears her throat. ¡°Well then, I suppose it is about time that I take my leave.¡±


    She tries to pull away, but my grip on her hand tightens to stop her. ¡°Thank you, Ca. Really. You are a true blessing to me.¡±


    An unfamiliar emotion shes in her eyes, and I could have sworn tears threatened to break free. She clears her throat and blinks away whatever traces of tears threaten to spill. ¡°It¡¯s nothing; just take care of yourself, my super magical friend,¡± she teases, and I chuckle lightly.


    I watched her walk away until she waspletely out of sight. My attention returns to Alex, and I join him on the floor. For a moment, neither of us said anything. He just sits there, staring at the wall in front of us.


    ¡°I am sorry¡± are the words I use to break the silence. My heart shatters into a million pieces when he doesn¡¯t say anything. I swallow. ¡°I am sorry for snapping at you yesterday. I was just so tired and overwhelmed. And you kept going, killing all those poor animals like I wasn¡¯t doing my best.¡±


    Alex bows his head and releases a sigh. ¡°I knew you were trying. I was just being a dick,¡± he mutters before taking a deep breath. ¡°I am sorry too.¡±


    When he meets my eyes, I offer him a gentle smile. ¡°I promise I am going to find a way to control my powers, and then you won¡¯t have to worry about any of this. I promise.¡±


    His hand meets mine on myp, and he squeezes them lightly. ¡°We are going to find a way.¡±


    I really did hit the jackpot with my friend, didn¡¯t I?


    The next hour went by pretty quickly. Alex and I spent a couple of minutes on the floor talking about better ways I could learn to master my powers. After that, we prepared for the day, and he rushed off somewhere. I heard that it was another rogue attack.


    It saddened my heart to know that our people were getting ughtered and we still haven¡¯t found the culprit.


    ¡°I want toe with you,¡± I said after grabbing his wrist and stopping him from rushing off with the rest of the guards.


    Alex caressed my face and ced a kiss at the top of my forehead. ¡°I know, but it isn¡¯t safe for you out there.¡±


    ¡°Neither is it for you,¡± I counter, and a tired, frustrated sigh leaves his lips.


    ¡°The attack has already been done, okay? I just want to go check out the damage and search for possible leads on who could be responsible for all of this,¡± he said, but then I noticed he didn¡¯t meet my eyes when mentioning thest part.


    ¡°There is something you are not telling me,¡± I say, voicing out my thoughts.


    ¡°I think I know who is responsible for all of this,¡± he says, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of my forehead. ¡°But I am not sure; I need evidence before pointing fingers, especially at someone like my suspect.¡±


    ¡°Who do you suspect?¡± I ask him, and just before he can respond, one of the guardses in.


    ¡°Your highness, we have found more leads,¡± he says hurriedly, and Alex curses beneath his breath.


    ¡°I will talk to youter, okay? Be good for me. And no matter what, do not leave this house,¡± he says to me while walking further and further away until he ispletely out of sight.


    I decided to join Ca in the kitchen. She was making some macaroni and simultaneously ranting about how she thinks the person responsible is the spirit of my dead family. If she was right, then I would just be depressed. I thought I had gotten rid of them for good.


    But there was absolutely no way it was them. It just couldn¡¯t be.


    My mind travels back to myst time in the spirit realm. Some strange woman warned me of some uing danger. Did it have anything to do with the rogue attacks? It had to¡­


    ¡°Damn it, we are out of curry and chili!¡± Ca exims, pouting her lips. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. ¡°I can¡¯t make macaroni without them; they are essential ingredients. I really thought we had some left.¡±


    A thoughtes to my head, and I shoot to my feet. ¡°I will go down to the local market and get some.¡±


    Her eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. ¡°There is no way I am letting you go. It¡¯s too dangerous out there.¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, it¡¯s the local market three streets away. I will be in and out in seconds,¡± I tell her, but she doesn¡¯t seem too convinced.


    ¡°I wille with you.¡±


    ¡°No¡± is my instant response. She frowns. ¡°Just keep preparing the sauce, and I will be back with the chili and curry. The sooner this is done, the better. I am starving.¡±


    Ca sighs with defeat and then says, ¡°Fine. But be quick.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I say while heading out of the kitchen.


    I could have sworn I heard her mutter something in between the lines, ¡°Alpha is going to kill me.¡±


    My head shakes with disbelief as I step out of the pce. I was one of the strongest in this pack, yet they treat me like an egg. Unbelievable.


    As I make my way down to the gates, the guards look between themselves.


    ¡°I am going down to the local market. I will be back in a few minutes,¡± I tell them, but neither of them move an inch. cing my hands on my hips, I re up at them. ¡°Well? What are you waiting for?¡± They still do not move.


    My anger peaks, and a surge of power shoots through my veins. I take a step forward, and they take two back. My voice had changed and instantly evoked fear in the two men.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to stop me now, are you?¡±


    The men shake their heads negatively and rush to open the gates for me. A smirk lifts the corners of my lips.


    I love these powers.


    I really do not know what everyone was so worried about. It was just the market down the street. I will be in and out before they can even blink. Nothing bad is going to happen.


    Right?

 Chapter 83: Unknown savior

    Aira¡¯s POVContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I can¡¯t believe everyone tried to keep me away from such a beautiful day. Indeed, I have to be going out more; I can¡¯t allow myself to be locked up forever. Just take a look at how beautiful the weather is.


    The sun is warm and shines brightly above the earth. The sky was the prettiest shade of blue I have ever seen. The air was warm, and the people of the local market all had weing smiles on their faces as they traded amongst themselves.


    The air was fresh as well, filled with theughter of children and the quarrels of mothers. This is the environment I wanted to be in, not within the four walls of that empty pce, void of life.


    As I walked deeper into the market, I got warm greetings from the locals. ¡°Good morning, Luna. What are you looking for today?¡±


    ¡°Luna! Come buy from me!¡±


    ¡°Luna Aira, you look so beautiful!¡±


    I returned most of their words with warm smiles and gentle waves. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t have the time to exchange pleasantries with them. As much as I hate to admit it, I need to return to the pce before Alex returns.


    I have stressed that poor man out enough. At this rate, I am certain he must have high blood pressure because of me.


    My gaze falls on a cart filled with curry, and I walk up to it. The trader¡¯s eyes light up when he sees me walking towards him. He appears to be a man in his mid-twenties. He has brown, wavy hair, eyes that resemble chocte, and a smile as sweet as honey.


    When I stop at his cart, he perks up. ¡°Luna! It is an honor to have you. What would you like?¡±


    ¡°Just some curry. How much is it?¡± I ask him, and he shakes his head.


    ¡°You may have it for free,¡± he says, and my eyes widen a bit.


    ¡°Oh no, I couldn¡¯t possibly take it for free. That would be so wrong of me,¡± I tell him, but he is already putting some bottles of curry into a bag and packaging them up for me.


    ¡°And it would be wrong of me to collect money from the woman who has been risking her life to guide and protect this kingdom, my family, and me. Believe me, giving you this for free isn¡¯t even close to paying you back for what you have done for us,¡± he says, and my heart flutters from his words.


    ¡°Thank you. Your kindness is much appreciated,¡± I say before taking the bag from him.


    ¡°A pleasure.¡±


    I leave his cart and go in search of the chili. The eyes of the locals bore holes into every part of my body, and it leaves this invisible weight on my shoulders. Their whispers were inaudible, but I knew it was about me.


    I need to find this chili and get the hell out of here. Suddenly being out here feels terribly wrong. I have this diforting feeling that I am not supposed to be here. I should have listened to the others. I should have stayed at home.


    My feete to a halt when I stumble upon a wailing child. She appears to be between the ages of four and perhaps five. She is seated in the middle of the road, covered in dirt, and crying her eyes out. The sight broke me into a thousand pieces.


    ¡°Hey there, little one. Where is your mommy?¡± I ask her, crouching down by her side.


    A sob wracks her throat, and her little lip trembles. She points ahead and says, ¡°I can¡¯t find her.¡±


    My eyebrows furrow, and I follow her finger. Does she mean that her mother went that way? My eyes remain glued to the space in the distance. That area was quiet. Too quiet.


    And in a second, that is when I see it.


    Scooping the girl into my arms, I spin on my heel and yell, ¡°Everyone run!¡±


    I have never witnessed chaos erupt so fast in my life. What was once a happy trading environment is now a sea filled with corpses and the scent of blood. Rogues filed into the areas like bees, killing off everyone in their sight.


    The women ran with their children in their arms, and the men turned into their Lycan forms, holding them off for the children and women to get to safety. But they were outnumbered. The women and children made up the majority of the poption in the market. Our men were dropping like flies.


    My grip on the child tightens as I sprint to safety. The screams and cries of children instantly bring my feet to a halt. From the distance, a wolf sprinted towards three trembling children, and my heart nearly burst out of my chest.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Without thinking, I aim at the sprinting wolf and clench my fist, imagining the air around my hand to be his neck and clenching it with as much force as possible. The wolf¡¯s neck snaps to the side, and he falls lifelessly before the children.


    Their screams of horror fill my ears as I make my way up to them. Dropping the little girl in my hands, I gather them and say, ¡°Stay together, okay? It¡¯s all going to be fine.¡±


    I tell them, but they pay me no attention. Their eyes are trained on the massacre behind me. Their eyes are wider than saucers, brimming with tears and fear.


    ¡°Look out!¡± one of the boys yells, pointing at something behind me. Spinning on my heel, three rogues make their way to me, and I repeat my previous action, only this time with both hands. Unfortunately, I am only able to kill two of them.


    Before I can get to the third one, he pounces on me and sinks his canines into my shoulder. The scream that leaves my lips cuts through the air as pain engulfs my entire body. A secondter, the wolf pulls me off, and I sink to my knees.


    With teary eyes, I watch a tall figure rip the head off the wolf¡¯s body. The horrified screams of the children fill my ears, and I quickly turn to them, ignoring the pain on my bleeding shoulder.


    The two young girls had their eyes covered, but the boys watched everything with wide, horrified eyes. ¡°Cover your eyes!¡± I ordered them, but they didn¡¯t make a move; they were paralyzed to the spot with fear.


    My arms encircle all four of them protectively, and my body serves as a shield from the horrifying madness going on around us.


    The unknown man stands protectively above us, ripping through wolves like they were nothing but pieces of paper. And he did all of this in his human form. I have never witnessed such strength before in my life.


    What was he? A wolf? Or a Lycan?


    Even with his back to me, I could tell that he was a strong man. The muscles on his back were evident even through his ck shirt. His arms were muscr and covered with so many scars.


    So many stories¡­


    I am snapped out of my thoughts when two rogues sprint towards us. My grip on the children tightened as I prepared myself to sacrifice my body to protect these trembling little ones. But none of the rogues get to me.


    I watched with amazement as the unknown man grabbed both rogues by the throats with a speed I could notprehend and snapped their necks with such great strength. He did all of this with his back to me. I wanted to see his face so bad.


    Relief washes over me when Lycanse flooding into the area, Alex being one of them. They kill off most of the rogues, but only two make a break for it.


    Alex quickly returns to his human form, and that is when his eyes lock with mine. Then they fell on my bleeding shoulder.


    Never in my life have I seen so much rage.


    I swallow, tearing my gaze from his and returning it to my unknown savior. But he wasn¡¯t there.


    What the hell? He was standing there just a few seconds ago.


    I didn¡¯t even get the chance to thank him.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?!¡±


    Well, I suppose I have bigger things to worry about.

 Chapter 84: Roses and Blushes

    Aira¡¯s POV


    And I never heard the end of it.


    I did my best to zone out of Alexander¡¯s never-ending berating, but it was as good as impossible. His voice pierced right through my walls and went straight into my brain. I tried exining to him that it wasn¡¯t my intention to defy him, but he wouldn¡¯t even give me the chance to speak.


    Two nurses were tending to my wounds. I sat on a stretcher alongside some other victims who had their own nurses tending to them. Alex stood right in front of me, screaming at me like a damn banshee. At this point, I couldn¡¯t figure out which was worse.


    The pain from my wounds or Alex¡¯s words.


    ¡°Do you just want to be stubborn? Are you doing this intentionally? Or perhaps you have a death wish you never mentioned to me before. I just can¡¯t seem to understand why you must always wind yourself up in trouble. Do you enjoy making me suffer by putting yourself in situations like these? After everything I have done for you, you still¡­¡±


    Honestly, I could not listen anymore. He was not going to stop anytime soon. And honestly, I feared that if I listened to him more, I would end up in tears. I can¡¯t do that out here.


    I tried to focus on other things. Like the great damage surrounding us.


    There was blood everywhere.


    Wailing children, corpses, and injured men and women. There was so much sorrow. Medics, guards, and other helpers filed in to see what they could salvage. Caretakers gathered the crying children in a corner.


    It did not take a genius to know that most of them were now orphans. They had to witness such a massacre, and their parents were among the casualties. My only joy was that no child sustained even a scratch on their body. But this trauma would follow them forever.


    A sting I knew all too well came to my eyes, and my teeth clenched with rage. I will find out who was responsible for this. And I will make them suffer, even if it is thest thing I do on this earth. The damage they have done to these children will not go unpunished.


    ¡°Aira?¡±


    I am snapped out of my hateful thoughts by Alex¡¯s voice. My zed eyes met his, and to my greatest surprise, his eyes didn¡¯t hold even the slightest bit of anger as they did seconds ago. Now they were just thankful.


    The nurse patches up my shoulder and hurries off to the next patient. When she does, Alex takes me into his arms. His touch was gentle, and he made sure not to hold me so tightly so as not to cause me any pain.


    My face buried in his chest, and his scent fills me with an unexinablefort. My eyelids grow heavy, and I sink into him with ease. Hisrge hand caresses my hair as he nuzzles his nose into my hair.


    ¡°I am d you are safe.¡±


    And that is all it takes to break the dam.


    Tears spill out of my eyes like two rivers. They soak up his shirt, but he doesn¡¯t seem to mind. He just stood there, holding me tightly in his arms as I cried into his chest.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I promise I will find out who is responsible for all of this. And I will make them kneel before you and ask for your forgiveness.¡±


    I pull away from him a bit and utter words that I never once thought would leave my lips.


    ¡°And when they do, we will give them the most painful death ever known.¡±     It has been three days since the attack at the local market. If I thought Alex was being overprotective before, I was terribly wrong. Because now I can¡¯t even go to the damn bathroom without having guards follow my every move.


    It was so suffocating.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t have to follow me everywhere, you know? I am still in the pce. It¡¯s safe here,¡± I snap at them when Ie out into the garden for some fresh air, but they still waddle barely two inches away from me.


    The both of them look at themselves before turning to me. ¡°The alpha strictly ordered that we never let you out of our sight.¡±


    ¡°Well, now I am telling you that there is no need for that. I am more than capable of taking care of myself,¡± I inform them, cing my hands on my hips.


    Neither of them made a move.


    ¡°I am sorry, Luna. But we cannot do that. We respect you, but our loyalty lies with the alpha.¡±


    Ouch.


    A tired sigh leaves my lips as my shoulders slouch. I suppose this is going to be my life now. How sad.


    My gaze locks with the guards, but for only a second. ¡°We will be behind those trees. If you need anything, please let us know,¡± one of them says, and a smile lights up my face.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I tell them appreciatively, and they smile before walking off. Finally.


    I released a breath I did not even know I was holding. Atst, some alone time. I make my way deeper into the garden, the scent of the rose bushes filling my nose as the butterflies flutter past me.


    Once I feel like I am far enough from everyone, I stop at a rose bush. There is a butterfly with red pattern designs on its wings; it sits perfectly on the blossoming rose.


    A thought I never knew coulde into my mind shes. And when it does, I act on it.


    A chill creeps through my veins, and a blue mist leaves my body and seeps into the butterfly and rose bush before me. They all die.


    My eyes widen when all the roses around me whither and the butterfly falls lifelessly at my feet. My eyes widen, and regret instantly takes over. What have I done? Why would I want to kill such beautiful things?


    My knees meet the cold pavement floor, and I pick up the butterfly gently in my hands. Bringing it to my chest, I whisper a silent apology to it as a tear slips out of my eye. It drops on the pavement, and suddenly, a yellow mist erupts from the spot and fills the garden around me, bringing everything back to life.


    The roses bloomed even more than they had before, and my heart jumps when I feel a slight flutter in my hands.


    The butterfly¡¯s alive.


    Grateful tears spill out of my eyes as I say, ¡°Oh, thank goodness.¡±


    I release the little fe and watch it fly away, mesmerized by its beauty.


    ¡°You are getting stronger by the day, aren¡¯t you, little one?¡±


    A gasp leaves my lips as my head snaps to find Uncle Richard watching me with his hands behind his back. Rising to my feet, I dust myself off.


    ¡°Uncle Richard? What are you doing here?¡± I ask, not bothering to hide my surprise at his presence.


    He shrugs. ¡°I have been traveling aroundtely and thought that I should stop by to know how you are doing,¡± he says, and I nod slowly. ¡°I also heard that you and your mate have been facing some trouble. Random rogue attacks, is it?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± I exasperate, and a ghost of a smirk lifts his lips. But in a second, it vanishes.


    ¡°Well, that brings me to the real reason I am here. There is something I want to tell you: ¡±


    ¡°Wow! Look at all these roses. I never knew they had grown this big.¡±


    Uncle Richard and I¡¯s heads snap to find Ca walking down the pathway. She has a bright smile on her face and a skip in her step as she makes her way towards us. Her eyes fell on me, then on Richard; they lingered a bit longer on Richard¡¯s.


    For a moment, I almost thought I imagined the blush that creeped up her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, just passing through,¡± Ca says before walking right past us. I watch her until she ispletely out of sight.


    Then I turn to Uncle Richard and ask, ¡°So, what did you want to tell me?¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to have heard a word I said. His eyes remained glued to the spot Ca had disappeared into.


    ¡°Who was that?¡±

 Chapter 85: A face like that

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°That is my best friend. Her name is Ca.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes don¡¯t leave the spot where Ca once upied them, and my eyelids narrow with suspicion. He still doesn¡¯t meet my eyes when he asks, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you introduce me to her?¡±


    My eyebrows shoot to the top of my skull, and I rear my head back. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was supposed to; I guess it sort of skipped my mind.¡±


    He straightens up his shirt and squares his shoulders. ¡°Then I will have to do it myself then.¡±


    He heads down the path Ca had followed, and I watch him leave with disbelief. ¡°But what did you want to tell me?¡± I yell out to him, but he doesn¡¯t reply to me. A groan leaves my lips when he takes the turn and vanishes from my sight.


    What the hell was all that about?


    The rest of the day goes by pretty fast. My heart was saddened when Alex didn¡¯t return home on time. I wanted to wait up for him, but sleep had gotten the better of me. I could have sworn that I had felt the bed dip at some point during the night, but by the time I woke up, he was gone.


    And it went on like that for the next three days.


    It was safe to say that I was frustrated at this point. I know he was busy trying to find out who was responsible for those attacks, but it was no excuse not to make time for me and for us. I searched the pce the next day for him. I asked every guard and every maid.


    But they all gave me the same response.


    ¡°The alpha left really early this morning,¡± is what they would say.


    ¡°Well, do you mind telling me where he went? I want to go to him.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, but we cannot disclose that information to you.¡±


    I think that is when I lost my mind. I snapped at all of them, feeling insulted that everyone seemed to be hiding my mate from me. In reality, I knew they were only following his orders. But I missed him a lot.


    That night, I went to bed with a heavy heart. But I woke up with an even heavier one after the dream I had. It wasn¡¯t a full-blown dream. It was just a clip, a vision of just a few seconds. It was from that woman.


    The woman who summoned me thest time I was in the spirit realm. This time, we were surrounded by nothing but darkness. Her eyes are darker than ever now; they drilled straight into my soul, paralyzing me to the spot. She stands tall and confident before me, and I can¡¯t help but shake off this connection between us.


    Who is she?


    She uttered just three words to me before vanishing before my eyes.


    ¡°You must choose.¡±


    A gasp leaves my lips as I shoot out of bed. My eyes lock with another pair of dark eyes, the very same one that I had fallen in love with.


    ¡°I hear you have been looking for me,¡± Alex says with a sly smirk. I didn¡¯t know what the cause of my tears was this time; all I knew was that I wanted to hug him as tight as I could. And that is precisely what I did.


    Wrapping my arms around his torso, I bury my face into his chest and take in his masculine scent. ¡°I have missed you so much; don¡¯t disappear like that on me again.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± he says to me softly.


    I pull back a bit to get a good look at his face. His eyes were incredibly tired. There were faint bags beneath them, and the corners of his eyes were a bright shade of red. He really has been working tirelessly.


    ¡°Have you found any leads as to who could be responsible for these attacks?¡± I ask him, and his jaw clenches.


    ¡°It has to be one of the alphas. Who else could it be? We defied them, and now they are making our lives a living hell. Right now, all I need is the proof and to know who exactly it is so I can rip their heads off,¡± Alex growls.


    My head shakes with disbelief. He was always so aggressive.


    cing my hands on his shoulders, I say, ¡°You need to get some rest. You are clearly sleep-deprived.¡±


    He shakes his head in refusal. ¡°I am not sleepy.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well then, I suppose we should do something to tire you out.¡± I pause to think of the best possible way to do that. ¡°Let us take a walk into town.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I pout my lips. He responded to that a bit too quickly. ¡°Oh,e on, why not?¡±


    He raises a brow at me like I don¡¯t know his reason for doing that. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me that.¡±


    Folding my arms above my chest, my eyelids narrow to slits. ¡°You can¡¯t keep me locked in here forever.¡±


    ¡°I can and I will,¡± Alex says with finality, and I would be lying if I said that didn¡¯t turn me on.


    A resigned sigh leaves my lips as I drag my hand down my face. ¡°Come on, Alex. I am tired of being locked up in here; you have to let me out at some point.¡± I say, but he doesn¡¯t utter a word. ¡°We will be together all through. Nothing can possibly happen to me while I am with you, right?¡±


    His jaw tickles, but I can see the consideration in his eyes.


    I help him make his final decision by giving him the puppy dog eyes. ¡°Pretty please.¡±


    At first he stares at me nkly, but then he shuts his eyes and mutters something inaudibly beneath his breath.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he says after much grumbling, and I shoot to my feet with a cheer.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Hurriedly, I shower and change into a bright yellow sundress and hat. Once I am done putting on my favorite pair of white sandals, I join Alex downstairs. There are seven guards standing behind him, and my mouth falls slightly ajar.


    As though he could read my mind, Alex shrugs. ¡°What? They are just for precaution.¡±


    I roll my eyes, but I dare notin. At least I get to go out.


    Alex takes me by the hand and leads me out of the pce, with the guards following right behind us. From a distance, I could spot three marching ahead of us. I wanted to tell Alex that this was being a bit too much, but deep down, I knew he was actually trying to do this at a minimum.


    When we got into town, I was surprised to find some of our people with smiling faces. I thought that after what happened, there would be much gloom and sadness. The air wasn¡¯t the same as the other day I stepped out, but the mood wasn¡¯t as damp as I expected.


    Our people perked up even more when their eyes fell on Alex.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s Alpha Alexander!¡±


    ¡°Hello, Alpha Alexander!¡±


    Alex waved at them as they passed by. His expression remains stoic, but his eyes are kind. He was a charismatic leader, and the way he carried himself was so admirable.


    Our attention falls on Arnold walking up to us.


    ¡°Arnold, I didn¡¯t know you would be out here,¡± Alex says, and Arnold simply hums.


    ¡°Well, we have been following some leads on who could be responsible for these attacks,¡± Arnold says before shooting me a nce. ¡°May I please speak to you in private?¡±


    I reared my head, finding offense in his words. But then my gaze travels to a man standing behind Arnold. He has his back to us, but I could have sworn I recognized him somewhere.


    And that is when it clicks. It was him.


    The man who saved me and those kids on the day of the attack.


    Alex scowls. ¡°No. Whatever you have to tell me, you can say it in front of her.¡±


    cing my hand on Alex¡¯s chest, I say, ¡°Actually, that is fine. You guys go; I will be waiting here.¡±


    Alex is obviously shocked by my words, seeing as his eyebrows shot to the top of his head. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    I nod, shooting a quick nce at my unknown savior. He appears to be buying something from one of the local traders. He is making a payment.


    Shit. He is about to leave.


    ¡°Alright then. Don¡¯t move an inch, you hear me?¡± he says, and I nod, giving him a silent salute, which he chuckles at. Once he walks off with Arnold, my attention falls on the strange man. He was already walking away, so I had to speed walk to keep up with him.


    I did not mind if the guards were following me from a distance. I just really needed to thank him.


    ¡°Hey! Hold up! Sir?¡± I yell after him, but he doesn¡¯t stop. He walks on, and I notice that people became scarcer the more turns we took. Soon, I find myself catching up to him in an alley.


    ¡°Hey, wait up!¡± My hand wraps around his wrist, and he finally stops. My eyebrows crease. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    ¡°My apologies. I didn¡¯t realize it was me you had been speaking to.¡±


    Finally, he turns around, and I gasp at the sight of his face.


    Never in my life, not even in my dreams, could I have ever imagined a face like that.

 Chapter 86: Guilty suspicions

    Aira¡¯s POV


    He smiles at me.


    It was so kind and so warm; it was everything I least expected. After that day, I expected this man to be a brute. I expected him to give off an aggressive aura, but he doesn¡¯t. The strangest part about all of this was this sense of familiarity I got from his face.


    I have seen this face somewhere before.


    But where?


    Certainly, I would be able to remember encountering a man as beautiful as him. And I didn¡¯t mean feminine beauty; I don¡¯t know. His beauty was gently masculine.


    His chocte brown eyes were soft, but his jawline was sharper than any de I have ever seen. His nose and cheekbones were perfectly defined. And his hair-I have never seen anything like it before. It appeared to be something in between honey brown and gold.


    His gaze fell downward, and he appeared almost sheepish. I must have mistaken him; there is no way this is the same man who saved me the other day. But deep down, I knew he was. There was something about him-something different; perhaps it was his aura; it was calm yet chilling.


    ¡°It seems my face wasn¡¯t as you expected,¡± he says, a sly smirk lifting his lips.


    Those words snapped me out of whatever trance I had fallen into. Blinking rapidly at him, my mouth opens and falls shut severally, trying to think of how to respond to that.


    ¡°No, not at all. I mean, I was just taken off guard. I mean, you are really handsome. Like I mean, ¡±


    His light chuckles cut me off, and my cheeks grew heated. What was wrong with me? Why am I fumbling in front of this man?


    ¡°I know what you mean. And thank you very much for thepliment. I am ttered. You are a beautiful woman yourself,¡± he says, and I smile appreciatively at him.


    ¡°I just wanted to thank you so much for the other day. If it weren¡¯t for you, then I have no idea what would have be of me and those children,¡± I tell him right before I feel a tug in my chest. It was Alex; he was close by.


    The man perked up, looking over my shoulder to see where the sound of approaching footsteps came from. His eyes return to me, and he asks, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me; I was doing myself a favor as well,¡± he says, and my eyebrows pull together in confusion. Before I can ask him what it is, he quickly asks, ¡°How is your shoulder?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± I tap my shoulder to show him my improvement. ¡°It is a lot better, thank you. What is your name?¡±


    He parts his lips to speak, but the tug in my heart grows even more. Alex¡¯s presence bes more prominent, and his voice pierces through the air like a de. ¡°Aira!¡±


    Spinning on my heel, my eyes locked with his just as he turned the corner. His eyes are filled with so much rage. ¡°I thought I told you not to move!¡±


    A nervous smile lifts my lips as he storms up to me. ¡°Wait, Alex, I did it for a good reason. This man is the one that saved me on the day of the attack.¡±


    Alex stops midway and looks at me as though I were crazy. ¡°What man?¡±


    A frown pulls the corners of my lips, and I say, ¡°This man-¡±


    Spinning on my heel, I came to realize that the mysterious man was nowhere to be seen. How strange¡­


    I turn back to Alex and throw my hands in the air defensively. ¡°I swear he was standing right here a few minutes ago.¡±


    Alex rolls his eyes. ¡°You are probably seeing one of those ghost friends of yours; there was no one standing here with you. I keep telling you to not let this thing get a hold of you; learn to control it or it will lead you into danger.¡±


    My head shakes in refusal. ¡°I know what I am saying-he wasn¡¯t a ghost! He saved me and those children on the day of the attack! I swear that I am not making this stuff up.¡±


    A sigh leaves Alex¡¯s lips, and I know he is just about to tell me how crazy I am when something behind me catches his attention. He pales.


    Without uttering another word, he walks past me and picks something up from the floor. He stared at it with so much intensity that it was frightening. I looked over his shoulder to see that it was a golden crest with a dragon at its center.


    Where the hell did thate from?


    ¡°What is that?¡± I ask him, but Alex doesn¡¯t respond to my question. Instead, he clears his throat and stuffs it in his pocket.


    When he turns to me, his eyes have softened; as a matter of fact, they appear almost saddened. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± His hand wraps around my wrist and pulls me out of the alley. His steps were a bit too fast; it was almost as though he was doing everything in his power to get us out of there as soon as possible.


    ¡°Alex, are you okay?¡± I ask him as the rest of the guards join us to return to the pce. His grip on my wrist tightens a bit.


    ¡°I am fine.¡±


    We both knew that was a lie.


    What happened? His mood suddenly changed after seeing that damn crest. What did it mean?


    Perhaps I will ask him once we get to the pce.


    But the funny thing is, as soon as we got to the pce, Alex disappeared. He was nowhere to be seen. He rushed off somewhere with Arnold, and I never saw him again. And to make matters worse, he had even tightened security.


    I thought this walk would lighten him up, and he would loosen up a bit. How terribly wrong I was.


    The rest of the day goes by incredibly slowly. I decide to go in search of Ca, hoping she will keep mepany.


    Walking down the hallways, something catches my eye. It is Richard.


    What is he still doing here? I thought he would have left by now.


    He still hasn¡¯t noticed me, so I hide myself behind a statue so he doesn¡¯t. His eyes are narrowed to slits as he looks in every direction before taking out the dagger from his ck leather jacket. My eyes widen when he looks around onest time before stepping into the room.


    What in the world was he up to?


    Now that I think of it, wasn¡¯t it too much of a coincidence that he showed up the day after the attack? He said he was just traveling by. But it didn¡¯t make any sense, seeing as he only left a week ago.


    The voice of that unknown spirit shes through my mind.


    ¡°You must decide what you want to fight for. The good filled with hate, or the bad filled with love.¡±


    Could she have been talking about Richard? She had to be. All the arrows were pointing towards him at this point. I knew I made a mistake by letting him leave. I should have had my suspicions after he suddenly switched up on the rest of his siblings, and so easily too.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He might as well be worse than the rest of them. But I won¡¯t let that happen.


    I have to stop him before it is toote.


    Marching up to the room, I throw the door open without another thought. I had already mentally prepared myself to witness the most despicable scene known to mankind, but what was disyed before me was far beyond what I had expected.


    Roses.


    Large bouquet of roses.


    They filled the entire room.


    The bed and floor were covered in rose petals. Its scent was mixed with the sweet aroma of pastries and meatball sauce. That is when my eyes fell on Richard, standing in front of a small round table. There were two seats set out, each of them having a te of pasta in front of them with a candle lit in the center. There is also a cake in the middle. Richard was tying the handle of the knife with a bright red ribbon.


    Oh.


    So that was what it was for.


    Richard¡¯s eyes lock with mine, and the brightest smile I have ever seen on his lips lifts his lips. ¡°Aira, I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you here.¡±


    ¡°Clearly,¡± I mutter, taking another look around.


    A light, almost nervous chuckle leaves his lips as his hand climbs up to his nape. ¡°Yeah, I made this for Ca and me.¡± My eyebrows shoot to the top of my head with surprise. That exins his weird behavior the other day after seeing Ca.


    He likes her.


    Guilt instantly fills my heart. I can¡¯t believe I had doubted him.


    He continues, ¡°I wanted us to go to a restaurant for dinner, but since she isn¡¯t allowed to leave the pce, I thought I should do something for her here and now.¡±


    I ce my hand on my chest, right above my heart. ¡°That is so sweet of you. But you all should have asked me if you wanted to go out. I would have ced some guards on you guys. For the first time since I have known Richard, he actually appears bashful.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would let me go anywhere with her. I didn¡¯t feel you would trust me enough,¡± he says, and I am about to tell him that is not true, but I don¡¯t. Because he is right. Just a few seconds ago, I already imagined him plotting something evil when all he wanted was a romantic date with my friend.


    Richard has saved me once before; perhaps he does deserve my trust.


    ¡°The next time you wish to go out with her, let me know. I trust you,¡± I tell him earnestly, and an appreciative smile lifts his lips. But then I take a step towards him, and his smile drops. ¡°But make no mistake; if you hurt Ca, I will make you experience pain ten times worse.¡±


    Richard¡¯s eyes widen, but by only a fraction. There was a sh of fear in them, but as quickly as it came, it was gone.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    A knockes from the door, and I take it as my cue to leave. ¡°Have fun now,¡± I tell him before making my way to the door. When I open it, my eyes are graced with Ca. She is dressed in a deep blue short dress; it stops right above her knees and gives her skin an elegant glow. She had her make-up done lightly, and her hair was tied up in a loose bun. And when did she get this tall? Are those heels I see on her feet?


    It was as though I was staring at another woman.


    It was clear that she didn¡¯t expect to bump into me, judging by howrge her eyes became. ¡°Aira, I can exin.¡±


    I lift my hand to stop her from speaking any further. ¡°Enjoy your date; you will give me detailster. And I mean every detail.¡± I say thest part with emphasis, and her cheeks heat up.


    I step aside for her to step in. Richard¡¯s eyes glimmer as amazement fills them when he sees Ca.


    I was really wrong about him. But if he wasn¡¯t the one the spirit was warning me about, then who?

 Chapter 87: Never forgive

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Where the hell was this man?


    I am this close to screaming his name at the top of my lungs. There was something he wasn¡¯t telling me, and I am going to find out what it is today. Thest time I saw Alex was yesterday. I am sick and tired of his constant disappearance.


    He spoke of ghosts yesterday like he wasn¡¯t acting like one.


    I didn¡¯t even bother changing out of my nightgown as I marched down the halls with my arms swinging furiously at my sides. Despite my boiling rage, I do not let it overwhelm me. We all know what happens when it does.


    Instead, I concentrate enough to be able to track him down through our bond. He was in this pce; I knew he was. I could feel him.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I let our bond lead the way to him, and I found myself taking the path down to his office. So this is where he has been all this time? I am about to give this man a huge piece of my mind.


    The door is opened slightly, and I am able to take a peek inside. When my eyesnd on Alex, my feete to a halt. He is staring out the window, the golden crest we found yesterday held tightly in his hands.


    From his eyes, I could tell that he was lost in thought. But he was also sad. Greatly sad.


    ¡°It belonged to Jared.¡±


    My heart nearly flies out of my chest as I stumble a bit from surprise. Spinning on my heel, my eyes lock with Arnold¡¯s. My hand falls on my chest, over my pounding heart, as I take a few breaths to calm myself down.


    ¡°Arnold, you scared me,¡± I tell him, and he offers me a smile that does not reflect in his eyes.


    ¡°My apologies, Luna.¡±


    My attention returns to Alex, who still appears lost in thought. Jared, where have I heard that name before? ¡°Who is Jared?¡±


    ¡°Jared was an old friend of ours, a childhood friend, actually,¡± Arnold exins, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of my head. Now I remember where I heard that name before. That little boy in the spirit realm-does that mean the one who had his back to me was Alex?


    And that woman-the spirit that summoned me-who was she?


    A sharp pain strikes my head as all these thoughtse in at once; they were just too much. There were so many questions. Questions that I needed answers to.


    And Alex¡­ he once told me about a childhood friend of his who now hates him. A thoughtes to mind, rendering me utterly speechless. Could Jared have been the one who saved me that day? He had to be¡­


    That means he has returned.


    And it is clear that Alex did not look happy about it.


    Arnold speaks once again, his voice snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°He needs you now more than ever; be there for him. His heart has been carrying a guilt that I once thought would kill him until you came along. Only you can get that weight off him.¡±


    With that said, Arnold turns on his heel and leaves. I was sucking my bottom lip into my mouth. I give Alex another nce. Quietly, I step into his office, making my steps as silent as possible as I near him.


    I expected him to jump or be surprised when my arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind, but he didn¡¯t even move an inch. I frown. Seriously?


    ¡°You are supposed to be scared,¡± I say quietly, and he rolls his eyes.


    ¡°I heard youing from a mile away, including you and Arnold¡¯s conversation. You should work more on your stealth skills,¡± he points out, and this time I am the one rolling my eyes.


    ¡°You are just unnecessarily alert all the time,¡± I defend, and he tilts his head to shoot me a nce.


    ¡°Unnecessarily? That is the most necessary skill right now,¡± he states, and I couldn¡¯t agree more with him. His expression suddenly falls, and he looks away from me. ¡°He is back, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    My lips purse as my grip on him tightens. ¡°He saved me, Alex. We have to find a way to track him down and talk to him. I believe after all these years he has learned to forgive you.¡±


    Alex doesn¡¯t say a word for a moment. He just stares out the window, still deeply lost in thought. His eyelids narrow to slits. ¡°There are two things Jared and I had inmon when we were kids. One of them was our love for my mother. The other was our forever-burning hatred. We never forgive.¡±


    The second Alex finished speaking, the earth trembled beneath our feet. A loud boom nearly leaves me deaf and brings me to my knees.


    ¡°Aira!¡± Alex yells, wrapping his arms around me protectively as he brings me back to my feet. What is happening? Why is the scent of burning flesh and blood all over the ce? The gunshots, the screams, and the howls of our soldiers were everywhere.


    ¡°We are under attack, alpha!¡± Arnold says over the chaos:.


    ¡°Arnold, get her out of here; take the secret passageway,¡± Alexmands, and I look at him defiantly.


    ¡°No, I am not going anywhere without you!¡± I say as smoke fills every corner of his office.


    Alex looks at me apologetically, and his next words shatter my heart into a thousand pieces. ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    Before I knew what was going on, I was lifted off my feet by someone from behind, no doubt Arnold. A scream escapes my lips as I kick and scream at him to let me go, but his grip is too strong.


    He carried me out of the office on his shoulder, ignoring my screams and struggles as though they came from a child. My eyes lock with Alex¡¯s onest time, and he mouths an ¡®I love you¡¯ to me, but I didn¡¯t say it back.


    I don¡¯t know, but I just couldn¡¯t say it; saying it now felt like saying goodbye.


    And that is something I am not ready for. Not yet.

 Chapter 88: Monsters from the past

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    He was back.


    And he was back for revenge.


    I should have thought he would be back. What a fool I was. I should have thought of this earlier. It was foolish of me to think that he would disappear without making me suffer just as much as he did.


    The only problem was that I did suffer just as he did. But he did not believe that. The only way he would ever let me be is if we got along. And for that to happen, I will have to lose Aira.


    And I would rather die than let that happen.


    Shutting my eyes, I switch to my Lycan form. The next time I parted my eyelids, I was parting those of a beast. A roar that shakes the very foundations of the pce leaves my lips as I storm up to the root of the catastrophe.


    Smoke filled every corner of the throne room; it was hard to even breathe, talk, or even see. The rogues used this to their advantage; they lunged at my soldiers, biting through their flesh and killing most of them instantly.


    But one thing about my soldiers was that they were quick at adapting. They were quick to realize the enemy¡¯s n and became more vignt. Fighting and defending their queen to the best of their abilities.


    I would most likely never say this out loud, but I am very proud of them. I trained each and every one of them very well.


    They had their own fight to deal with, and I had mine.


    Tearing my gaze away, I set my sights ahead. The second I do, I see him. He has been watching me all along. The smoke shielded him, but just by his silhouette, I could tell that it was him. Even though it has been over a decade since Ist saw him, I could recognize him even from a mile away.


    ¡°Jared.¡±


    His name rolls off my tongue like a song and a curse. Even though I could not see his face, I could bet with everything in me that he had that cocky smirk on his lips. He always had it on his lips whenever he thought he had done something cool. Crazy lot.


    He pushes himself off the pir and walks up to me, stepping over the corpses of both his men and mine like they were torn pieces of paper without any meaning. The closer he got, the clearer his face became.


    There is a tornado of emotions spiraling within me as he stands before me with his hands in his pockets, a stoic expression on his face as he locks eyes with me. He was wearing a white button-up shirt that did not even have the slightest smudge on it.


    That was one of Jared¡¯s many mysterious talents. It could be raining mud outside, and he would still be able to keep his clothes crispy clean. But when there is a smudge on it, everyone should be scared.


    ¡°Alexander, long time no see,¡± he draws out. I do not show my shock at how deep and menacing his voice is now.


    ¡°What do you want, Jared?¡± I growled, snarling at him and bringing my canines to full disy. I should have known it would take a lot more than that to be able to scare a man like him.


    He still stands before me, unbothered, with his hands in his pockets. Tilting his head to the side, his eyebrows creased as though he were offended by my question. ¡°Is that anyway to speak to your long-lost best friend after all these years? I thought you would be a bit more excited to see me, to be honest.¡± He ces a hand above the spot where his heart ought to be, but I knew there was absolutely nothing there.


    Just a dark, never-ending, cold abyss.


    The corners of his lips twitch upwards as so much mischief swirls within his eyes. ¡°I am hurt.¡±


    The growl that leaves my lips is an irritated one. ¡°I asked you a fucking question. What the hell do you want? Why are you doing all of this?¡±


    Every hint of humor vanishes from his face and is reced by a deadly, serious one. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you have no idea what I am here for. I am here to make you suffer. I am here to make your life a living hell by taking away every single thing you hold dear. Your power, your people¡¯s respect, and, of course, your precious mate.¡±


    An enraged growl leaves my lips at the mention of my mate. I lunge at him without thinking, and he throws his head back, releasing augh filled with mockery.


    ¡°Oh, it seems like I have pushed a sensitive button now. That is good. All these years, I suffered after Sophia¡¯s death. Do you have any idea how aching it is to have to wake up every day knowing that you are going to spend the rest of your life without the woman you love most or even a sense ofpanionship? Well, no matter, I highly doubt you do. But you will in a matter of time.¡± Jared says, and that is when his eyes lock with something behind me. The corners of his lips lift into a wholesome smile as he waves at someone behind me.


    No.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Spinning on my heel, my eyes lock with Aira¡¯s.


    Her chest is heaving up and down, her hair a mess, and her eyes are frantically taking in the scene before her. How the hell did she get past Arnold? I swear I am going to kill him. She shouldn¡¯t be here; she shouldn¡¯t be anywhere near this bastard!


    ¡°Hello, Aira,¡± he says sweetly, making my teeth and fists clench with anger.


    Her eyebrows furrow as she squints her eyes at the man behind me. ¡°Jared?¡±


    What happens next happened all in under two seconds. One moment, seven wolves sprint towards Aira from behind; she hadn¡¯t noticed them yet. Quickly, I spring into action and sprint to her as fast as I can.


    But I do not get to her. I was so focused on the wolves on their way to harm her that I didn¡¯t notice the onesing for me.


    I am knocked down to my knees as two heavy wolves pounce on my bike and sink their canines into my shoulder; it was dangerously close to my neck. A roar leaves my lips as pain engulfs my entire body. They ripped at my flesh, and Aira¡¯s scream only worsened that pain.


    ¡°Alex!¡± She screams as a wolf bars his teeth at her, pinning her to the ground.


    Something snaps me in, and I loseplete control of myself. I manage to throw the wolves off my back., grabbing one of them by the throat and ripping its head off their shoulders. I make my way to Aira and do the same to the wolf above her before it dares to cause her any harm.


    But as soon as I do that, I am knocked down on my knees once again. More rogues mp down on my flesh, and I try to fight them off, but they are just too much. ck dots taint my vision, and I find myself growing weaker by the second.


    ¡°Enough!¡± A surge of power fills the room, and suddenly all the wolves tearing and biting at my flesh drop dead. I manage to lift my gaze to find Aira standing right above me, an ominous blue light radiating off her as she points at Jared. ¡°How could you?¡±


    From the corner of my eye, I could see that same cocky and unbothered smirk on Jared¡¯s lips. ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal, sweetheart. But I assure you, this is only the beginning. Until next time, Luna,¡± Jared says before turning his back to leave.


    ¡°There is no way in hell you would walk out of here so easily after everything you have done,¡± Meredith says, pointing a finger at Jared. Soon every dead creature, both wolf and Lycan, will charge at Jared.


    What I witnessed is something that ought to havee straight out of a horror movie.


    He ripped each and every one of them to shreds with his bear hands. His movements were so fast that I could barely even see them. The strength he possessed was one I had never seen before.


    To think he was doing all of this in his human form, his weakest form.


    He had gotten stronger-a lot stronger.


    He rips the head off of thest wolf and drops it leisurely on the floor. He shoots a horrified Aira a look over his shoulder and grins.


    ¡°Actually, I can.¡±


    And just like that, he was gone.


    ¡°Alex!¡±


    Airaes to my side just when the darkness finally engulfs me. I harbored only one thought in my mind as I sumbed to the darkness.


    That was not the man I once called my best friend; that was a beast.

 Chapter 89: Luna Elizandra

    Aira¡¯s POV


    We really must have terrible luck.


    It feels like we have been running from one enemy to another. First my sister and ex-boyfriend, then my family, and now Alex¡¯s best friend? Who is going to be next? The spirit of our great-grandmothers?


    I am so tired of all of this. Why can¡¯t we just have a happy ending? When will all this torment end?


    Right now, as I stared at my unconscious mate, my heart ached terribly. The doctor said he had lost a lot of blood and that it was a miracle that he was still alive. Those rogues bit right through him like he were some piece of meat served on a tter.


    They are all savages. I wish their deaths weren¡¯t so quick. I wish I could make them suffer just as much as he is. But it doesn¡¯t matter. What matters now is Alex. His injuries were so deep that I could even see some bones when Alex and the others rushed him to the infirmary.


    I could not help but wonder what I would do if Alex were to die again. Could I really bring him back? What if I couldn¡¯t? What would I do then?


    The tears that slipped past my eyes could not be helped. I wish we could go somewhere far from all this madness once and for all. I am tired of constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering who is going to be holding the next knife that would stab me in the back.


    ¡°Stop it, Luna.¡±


    My eyes snap to Arnold. He has been standing by the door, acting as a guard, even though we had three on the other side of the door. If I am being honest, I feltfort knowing that he was here. He was the only soldier whose strength I trusted.


    It was only for a moment, but I saw his fighting skills. They were incredible, almost as terrifying as Jared¡¯s.


    Arnold walks up to me; his features are stoic, but there is something swimming in his eyes that I cannot describe. He stops right in front of me and says, ¡°When the king is down, it is the queen¡¯s duty to stand in his stead. You can¡¯t be weak, especially at a time like this. Your people need you,¡± he pauses, his eyes falling on Alex. ¡°He needs you too. I am sure he wouldn¡¯t want to wake up and see you in tears.¡±


    ¡°Damn right, I don¡¯t.¡±


    A gasp leaves my lips as our heads snap to Alex. He is still lying on the bed, unmoving, but his eyes are slightly open. Quickly, I wipe my tears away and ster a smile on my face when his eyes lock with mine. He watched me for a moment, probably to be sure that it wasn¡¯t fake.


    It wasn¡¯t.


    This smile was a grateful one. I am d he is awake. I have always been scared that one day, after one of these attacks, he would shut his eyes and never open them again.


    I am d today is not the day.


    A groan leaves his lips as he tries to sit. Arnold and I appear by his sides and help him sit up. I ce some pillows on the headboard so he cany on it.


    ¡°How bad is the damage?¡± Alex asks Arnold.


    ¡°Um, not so bad; we lost about ten soldiers, but the majority are terribly wounded,¡± Arnold reports, and a frustrated sigh escapes Alex¡¯s mouth. His head falls back on the pillows, and the fatigue is evident in his eyes.


    ¡°We need to stop these attacks from happening. We can¡¯t be sitting here waiting for them toe for us again; I don¡¯t think this kingdom can handle more attacks like this,¡± I tell them, and Alex brings his hands to his face, rubbing them furiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s him, isn¡¯t it? Jared?¡± Arnold asks, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of my head.


    ¡°You know him?¡± I ask, shocked that he does.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°We all grew up together; the three of us were the best of friends as kids.¡± Arnold trails off.


    ¡°Well, now the bastard is back for revenge. He is back to destroy this kingdom and take Aira from me,¡± Alex says thest three words with a growl. It was clear what part of Jared¡¯s vengeance angered him more.


    Arnold strokes his chin slowly. ¡°When Jared left this kingdom, He had no one, and he is a lycan. These rogues¡­ they are wolves; he has most likely partnered with some elite rogue group or pack.¡±


    My eyes lock with Alex¡¯s, the both of us sharing a single thought.


    His ally must most likely be from the alpha council.


    ¡°I knew I should have killed all those bastards when I had the chance,¡± Alex mutters beneath his breath, and I look at him with horror.


    ¡°No, Alex. That would only lead to a bloody war, one that I am sure you do not want to go into. It will cost way too many lives,¡± I caution him, and his fiery eyes meet mine.


    ¡°And what is happening now, Aira? Is this war? Isn¡¯t it costing lives? You were there; you saw the horror in those children¡¯s eyes; you saw just how many of them have be orphans,¡± he states, and an ache struck my heart.


    ¡°It still doesn¡¯t feel right to use all of them when it could be just one or none of them responsible,¡± I say quietly, and Arnold nods in agreement.


    ¡°She is right, Alpha. Pointing fingers at a time like this will only do more harm than good,¡± Arnold says, and Alex¡¯s annoyance only increased.


    ¡°Then what are we going to do? Fuck! I wish we had some kind of warning,¡± Alex curses into his hand, and that is when something pops into my mind.


    ¡°Actually, we did.¡± I trail off, and both men look at me.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    A nervous smile lifts my lips, and I say, ¡°A spirit kind of warned me that something like this would happen.¡±


    The anger in Alex¡¯s eyes makes me flinch. He notices and shuts those furious eyes. He takes in a few calming breaths and says, ¡°And why did you not tell me?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°You always make my encounter with the spirits seem like child¡¯s y, like I was just making it up or something. I didn¡¯t see a point in telling you.¡±


    My words have clearly offended him, judging by the change in his expression.


    ¡°What did the spirit say? Did he give you any hint on who could be helping Jared?¡± Arnold asks.


    ¡°Actually, it was a she,¡± I correct, and their brows nearly touch their hairlines.


    ¡°A woman?¡± Alex asks, and I nod. His eyes met Arnold¡¯s, and it was almost as though they were having a silent conversation. Alex¡¯s attention returns to me, and he asks, ¡°What did the woman say? Describe everything. What did she look like?¡±


    His sudden interest in my trips to the spirit world frightens me, to say the least. But I do as he asks. ¡°Well, it was about three days ago. I just woke up at a yground and saw two boys ying with a ball. They were happy, and I remember one of them with dark hair called the other Jared, although I didn¡¯t exactly see the face of the other.¡± I pause and try to remember the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°And the woman? What did she look like? And what did she say?¡± Alex asks, and I do not think I have ever seen him this eager and curious.


    ¡°That spirit¡­ that woman¡­ she was absolutely breathtaking. She appeared to be in her early forties, but at the same time, she looked so young. She aged gracefully. Her eyes were darker than night, but her smile was brighter than the sun itself. She was about my height with dark hair too. She told me to choose a path. The good filled with hate, or the bad filled with love.¡±


    Silence.


    My gaze falls on Alex, and I am surprised by what I find. He has his lips sucked into his mouth, and if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would think that he was on the verge of tears.


    But just as soon as I notice them, he blinks them away and rises to his feet. He clears his throat and says, ¡°I think I know who can help us put an end to this.¡±


    And with that said, he walks out of the room. I look at Arnold inplete and utter confusion, but he too appears lost in thought.


    ¡°Arnold, what is going on?¡±


    ¡°That woman you saw was no random woman. That was Alex¡¯s mother. Luna Elizandra.¡±

 Chapter 90: The priest

    Aira¡¯s POV


    There is a part of the pce I have never been to yet.


    I always told myself that I would venture to that part of the pce, but with all this drama going on, I never thought of it. Once it wasn¡¯t a part of my route, I didn¡¯t bother to cross it.


    It was a whole other extension of the pce on the west side. Whenever I would take a peek at it, it was always deserted, like there was no one there. Like there was no life. I came to the conclusion that maybe the pce was just too big and there was no one staying at that part of it because it was quite far from the main entrance.


    Now I can see that I was terribly wrong.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I ask as Alex, Arnold, and I walk down the hall leading to the west wing. I did not know how to exin it, but the air here was awfully cold, the halls were silent, and there was this feeling I got as we walked deeper and deeper into the west wing.


    Alex doesn¡¯t answer my question; I don¡¯t think he even heard me. He has been staring off into the distance for quite some time. It was quite a wonder how his feet were even moving in a straight line. Or maybe he just wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk.


    I mean, it is not every day your matees into contact with your mother, who has been dead for over a decade.


    ¡°Remember when we found you? We told you that there was an oracle who told us where to find you,¡± Arnold exins instead. I nod slowly, remembering the night when Ana and Jace hired those hooligans to take my life.


    I hope they all have a special ce in hell.


    ¡°Well, our kingdom is actually a very spiritual one. We speak to the spirits whenever we need guidance through our royal priest,¡± Arnold pauses. What he says next causes my brows to shoot to the top of my head. ¡°Alex¡¯s dad.¡±


    I gulp. ¡°So, it is Alex¡¯s dad, the royal priest, that we are going to see now?¡± I ask, and Arnold nods. I do not know why, but I suddenly feel terribly nervous.


    It was only once that Alex  made mention of his dad. That was many months ago, on the night Alex and I had our first ever civilized talk. Ever since then, there has never been any mention of him after that. I remember Alex mentioning that he enjoyed staying on his own, but I have been here for months and have never once caught sight of the man.


    My attention returns to Alex; he still hasn¡¯t said a word. I squint my eyes at him. Even though I know it is impossible to see right through him and know what his exact thoughts are, it still wouldn¡¯t hurt to try. It bothered me so much that I couldn¡¯t at least find the right words tofort him.


    We came upon a great ck doo; it appeared to be over seven feet. There is this chill that crawls up my spine, and I just knew that there was a great source of powering from the other end. This must be it.


    Alex stood before the door, appearing hesitant. That is something I never knew he was capable of. Alex always seemed to know what he was doing and stood confidently on it. But now¡­


    ¡°Alex?¡± I call out to him.


    ¡°My father was never one who enjoyed ruling. He was always a deep man who loved to keep to himself. He did more meditation than he did ruling during his reign. It was my mother who supported him and helped him with his duties as the alpha. Some even considered her the alpha, not him. When she died, everything just fell apart. My father decided he no longer wished to be an alpha and that the spirits ordained him as a priest. The next day, I resumed my role as the alpha of this kingdom. It was hard to have to deal with my mother¡¯s death and have an entire nation¡¯s responsibilities dropped on my shoulders all in one day. I never wanted to speak to the coward. The only time he did speak to me was when he knew that the day in which I would find my mate had finally drawn near. And it did. That was thest time I spoke to him.¡± Alex finishes, and I ce my hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°You are sad,¡± I tell him, and he snorts.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t lie to me,¡± I remind him, and he clenches his chin. ¡°You don¡¯t have to speak to him if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing; it¡¯s not what I want that matters. It is what I have to do.¡±


    He pushes past the door, and Arnold and I share a nce. We step in right after him, and my jaw drops the second I do.


    I was expecting to find an old, wrinkly man who could barely even lift his head up. But the man sitting in this shrine was far from that. He was tall and muscrly built, and despite the gray strands on his head and chin, he still looked exceptionally breathtaking.


    Perhaps it was because Alex was basically his spitting image, just a younger version. The only difference between the father and son were their eyes. The priest had light, honey-brown eyes, while Alex is, as always, incredibly dark. Just like his mother¡¯s.


    ¡°About time you showed up,¡± the priest says before shifting his eyes to me. ¡°A pleasure to finally meet you, daughter-inw.¡±


    I parted my lips to respond, but Alex beat me to it. ¡°You are the one who didn¡¯t wish to see her or any of us.¡±


    ¡°I believe it goes both ways, Alexander,¡± the priest counters. He spoke so coolly without much emotion. I suppose he and Alex are simr in more ways than one. ¡°What do you want? I am sure you didn¡¯te here for a friendly visit.¡±


    ¡°I am sure a being as knowledgeable and wise as yourself knows that this kingdom is growing through some dark times,¡± Alex says, but the sarcasm in his tone is evident.


    ¡°Yes, I am also aware that it is going through some dark times due to the result of your foolishness,¡± the priest says, and my eyebrows shoot to the top of my head. I did not expect those to be his next words, nor did I know anyone was capable of speaking to Alex in such a manner.


    ¡°I didn¡¯te here to be reprimanded by a man who failed to be a father for three decades.¡± Alex says through gritted teeth, and for a second, something shes within the priest¡¯s eyes, something oddly simr to regret and guilt. ¡°I came to the pack priest for consultation. What can I do to stop him?¡±


    ¡°And find those who are supporting him,¡± Arnold adds.


    The priest doesn¡¯t utter another word to us. Instead, he shuts his eyes and begins to utter some incantations. He takes out some incense, and it fills the entire room, choking up my lungs. The priest continues to speak in anguage unknown to me and pours some ingredients into a bowl. He mixes it with his fingers before finally parting his eyelids.


    ¡°The spirits utter only two words concerning this predicament,¡± he says after a moment of silence. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, but a part of me just wished that there was some other way.


    I suppose I was wrong.


    ¡°Kill him.¡±

 Chapter 91: A trap and A goodbye

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    ¡°Once again, you have proven to be useless,¡± I growl. My fists ball at my sides as my canines sharpen. This priest showed no hint of fear, and that angered me more. He should fear me, my father or not; he is my subject.


    I don¡¯t know why everything about this man just enrages me. His face, his words, his voice, even his damn presence, angered me. It took every ounce of self-control I had in me not to pounce and rip his throat wide open.


    I don¡¯t know what part of me thought that he would be of any help. Maybe it was because he was thest person I knew Jared cared about; he respected this priest like his very own father. And to be honest, I almost thought that this priest loved him like a son.


    I guess I was wrong.


    ¡°Thanks for nothing.¡± Turning on my heel, I stormed out of the shrine. Before I ampletely out of hearing range, I hear him say something to Aira.


    ¡°This is going to be the hardest thing he has ever had to do. Please be with him.¡±


    Bullshit.


    I have killed countless foes before; Jared will be no different.


    I wait for Arnold join me in my office. When he does i give him one order.


    ¡°Find him.¡±


    Arnold nods in understanding before leaving my office. The door opens and shuts once again and a sigh leaves my lips, only one person would dare toe in without knocking first.


    ¡°I am not in the mood to talk now, Aira.¡±


    ¡°I think you are,¡± she says defiantly,ing to strand beside me. She takes a seat on my table and I can feel her eyes drilling holes into my skull. ¡°I think you need someone to talk to now more than ever.¡±


    Good God, why did she have to be so stubborn, and why now?


    ¡°I don¡¯t, Aira. What I need now is to find that bastard and rip his heart right out of his chest, because every second we waste here, we are putting our people and you in danger.¡± I snap, already annoyed that she couldn¡¯t see all of this.


    Calmly, she tilts her head to the side and says, ¡°You know what I think?¡± She asks, but I do not give her a verbal response. It doesn¡¯t stop her from replying to herself, however. ¡°I think you are upset because the spirits didn¡¯t give you any other option. You knew killing Jared was the best and only way to stop him. But you went to your father, thest man Jared respected, and the royal priest to help you find another solution. You were hoping to find his ally and kill him in order to leave Jared powerless and without any support.¡±


    Rising to my feet, Ie to stand between her legs. I ce both my hands on the edge of the table at her sides and crouch down until I am at the same eye level with her.


    Her eyes searched mine, her bottom lip in her mouth, and God, I just wanted to take them out and suck them forever.


    I ce my thumb on her chin and drag it slowly up and down her face. ¡°You have always been way too smart for your own good.¡± Pushing myself off the table, a knockes from the door, and I say, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opens, and one of my guards walks in with an envelope in his hands. ¡°This came for you, your majesty.¡±


    Nodding once, I take it from him and watch him excuse himself.


    ¡°Who is it from?¡± Aira asks, and I shrug.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± I say before taking out the letter inside and reading aloud.


    Want to put an end to this? Then you must choose the path that you wish to fight for. The good is filled with hate, and the bad is filled with love.


    -J.


    ¡°What the hell? This is the same thing your mother keeps saying to me. What does that even mean?¡± Aira asks as I slowly drop the letter.


    ¡°It¡¯s a part of a story my mother used to tell us when we were kids, and there is only one ce where she always told us that story.¡± I pause, shutting my eyes in irritation. I should have known my mother told me where to find Jared all this time ago. I should have known that would be where the coward would hide.


    Even in death, my mother has been more helpful to me than my father.


    ¡°I will be right back,¡± I growl before storming out of my office.


    Aira¡¯s little footsteps fill my ears, and I knew that her incessant curiosity wouldn¡¯t let me go without asking a million questions first.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wait, where are you going?¡± She asks as I make my way down to the weapon room. The guards bow in respect to us.


    ¡°Get Arnold; tell him to gather and arm the men. We are killing that bastard tonight,¡± is my order to one of the guards.


    ¡°Yes, alpha!¡± was his response before rushing off to do my bidding. I step into the weapon room, and Aira¡¯s gasp fills my ears.


    Oh, that¡¯s right. This is her first time being here.


    There are still so many rooms in this pce that she has yet to see. Maybe one of these days, when all of this madness has blown over, I will show her around. That is, if there is another day for the both of us.


    Each wall was covered with weapons, ranging from guns to knives to grenades, swords, bombs, and even bazookas. I arm myself, ignoring Aira¡¯s gaping figure beside me.


    When I am done, I step out of the room, and she is quick to follow me.


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t you think this could be a trap? I mean he is basically luring you out somewhere,¡± she says as she follows me down the hall and out of the pce. As i descend the stairs, my eyes fall on my men all armed to the teeth beside their vehicles.


    ¡°If it is then I will make sure to kill him in his very own trap.¡± I growl and before she can counter my words, Arnold walks up to me.


    ¡°The trucks and men are ready alpha. We are all just waiting for your word,¡± he says to me, and I nod.


    ¡°Arnold, I need you to stay here with Aira.¡±


    ¡°What? No. I aming with you,¡± the both of them say simultaneously. They shoot each other a side nce, surprised and partially disgusted by what just happened.


    ¡°Youring was never even a choice for you to make,¡± I say to Aira. Before she can counter me, I turn to Arnold and say, ¡°You are the only one I trust with Aira¡¯s safety. If anything happens while we are away, I want you to protect her at all costs.¡±


    ¡°I am right here, you know! And I can take care of myself,¡± Aira says, but neither of us pay her any attention.


    Arnold appears to not be okay with my decision, but despite that, he nods in understanding. ¡°I will protect her with my life,¡± he says, and I nod once in appreciation.


    Turning to Aira, I take her in my arms and ce a kiss on her forehead. I ce mine on hers and whisper. ¡°I love you.¡±


    Just when I am about to pull away, she grabs me by the wrist. When I turn to look at her, our lips seal, and a burst of electricity fills me. Our kiss is slow, passionate, and loving.


    It took everything in me not to take her by the waist and have my way with her right here and now.


    Sadly, she pulls away. And when she does, she pins me down with those intense eyes of hers.


    ¡°Promise you wille back to me.¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± I tell her, and she lets me go. It was almost physically painful to step away from her; every fiber of my being is screaming at me not to leave her. But she will never be safe with that maniac running around.


    I have to do this.


    I just hope I haven¡¯t made a promise I won¡¯t be able to keep.

 Chapter 92: Carla’s love

    Aira¡¯s POV


    This wasplete and utter madness.


    This was clearly a trap, and he knows it, yet he is walking right into it like he has nine lives. I bet he thinks he does after being killed once anding back to life. Cocky bastard.


    It has been ten minutes since Alex and his men left the yard, but I still have this uneasy feeling. I have been pacing back and forth on the front steps, and I was already feeling impatient. I mean, I know they can¡¯t finish the job in ten minutes, but it would be nice if they came back home about now.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold tonight, Luna. You need to go inside and keep warm; your pacing about out here isn¡¯t going to change anything,¡± Arnold says, and a sigh leaves my lips. He has been silently watching me since Alex left with the others. He was leaned up against a pir with his arms folded above his chest.


    I still do not make an attempt to go in. My eyes remained glued to the gate. His sigh fills my ears, followed by his nearing footsteps. A hand is ced on my shoulder, and my eyes lock with Arnold¡¯s.


    ¡°They will be back, Luna. I know both Alexander and Jared, and let me tell you, it doesn¡¯t matter how strong Jared may have gotten; the alpha is always one step ahead of him. Just at least go inside; I am not sure he would appreciate returning home to find you shivering and suffering from a cold,¡± Arnold says persistently, and I nod slowly in understanding, even though in reality I preferred to stay right here.


    I take onest nce at the gates before heading back inside. This unease I feel¡­ It is just too much. I need someone to speak to. Perhaps Ca will be able to take my mind off things.


    I make my way down to the maid¡¯s chambers, and the second I push the door open, I instantly regret it. Ca is perched atop my uncle with their hands all over each other. Their kiss was fast and sloppy. They barely had any clothes on; the only form of covering they had was their underwear.


    It takes them both a moment to notice me, and the second they do, they jump off each other. Ca hurriedly goes for her clothes; Uncle Richard, on the other hand, lies leisurely and shamelessly atop the bed.


    ¡°Aira, I am so sorry. I didn¡¯t know you would being. Ca stutters out, and I raise my hand to silence her.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I wille backter; it seems I am interrupting something,¡± I say, and Uncle Richard smiles gratefully at me, snaking his arm around Ca and pulling her back on the bed.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± he says, but Ca ps his arm away and rushes over to me, adjusting the straps of her dress on her hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. I was just about toe to see you. Let¡¯s go somewhere we can talk; there is so much I want to tell you,¡± Ca says, pulling me out of the maid chambers.


    Richard throws his arms in the air and exims, ¡°Hey! I want to join in on the gossip too.¡±


    That was thest thing we heard him say before stepping out of the room. Once Ca and I were further away from Richard¡¯s hearing range, we burst into a fit ofughter.


    ¡°You have no idea how long I have been trying to escape that man,¡± Ca says in between chuckles, and I shoot her a yful re.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you are not enjoying how he is all over you,¡± I tease her, and her cheeks turn two shades redder.


    ¡°I mean, it is okay,¡± she draws out, looking all cute and bashful.


    The smile that lifts my lips is genuine. It warmed my heart to see her like this. ¡°You love him, don¡¯t you?¡± I ask her, and she purses her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I think I do. I just know that what I feel for him, I have never felt for anyone before,¡± she says, and for a moment she appears deep in thought. She shakes her head as though she were trying to get rid of those thoughts. Then she says, ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s talk about you now. You didn¡¯t look quite happy when you walked through that door.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well, you know, Alex just went on a suicide mission; you know the usual,¡± I say with a nervousugh, but Ca only looks at me with concern.


    ¡°You are scared, aren¡¯t you?¡± She asks, and this time it is my turn to purse my lips.


    ¡°Of course I am,¡± I mutter, and she ces aforting hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°He is going to be fine, Aira. Trust the alpha; he is a smart man and knows what he is doing,¡± she says, but I still have a hard time believing her words. I do not know why I get this feeling that something is about to go terribly wrong.


    ¡°You know what? Why don¡¯t I make us some desert? We could watch a movie while we ate. You know to take our minds off everything and actually rx,¡± Ca suggests, and before I can respond, someone else does it for me.


    ¡°That sounds like a great idea!¡±


    Ca and I jump as Richardes from behind us and snakes his arms around our shoulders. Ca ces a hand on her chest and says, ¡°Good Lord, you scared me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, my love,¡± Richard says, and the endearment has my eyebrows touching my hairline. He ces a swift kiss on her lips and says, ¡°How about I help you in the kitchen?¡±


    ¡°I would love that,¡± Ca says before her eyes fall on me. ¡°Aira, are youing?¡±


    ¡°I will be down with you guys in a minute,¡± I tell her, and she nods before walking away with Richard. I watch the both of them until they arepletely out of sight.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Why did I still have this feeling like I wasn¡¯t alone?


    I really am getting paranoid.


    The second I turn on my heel, everything else happens in one second.


    I didn¡¯t get to see the person; all I know is that they wrapped their hand around my mouth. Something pierces my neck before I can react, and the world grows dark in an instant.

 Chapter 93: The distraction

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    My men and I search the parameter of the only ce the riddle would have told us to meet. The old town yground.


    That was the only ce it could be. That was the ce my mother, Jared, and I would walk to every Friday evening and y in. My mother would tell us all sorts of scary and romantic stories. Neither Jared nor I were fans of romance at the time, so we always pleaded with her to tell us scary stories.


    But there was only one romance story she said that both Jared and I loved dearly. The tale of


    It was the story of two brothers who fell for the same girl. One of the brothers was a well-known criminal, while the other was a noble. The criminal wouldmit all sorts of crimes for her, steal jewelry just to gift her, and vandalize public spaces by drawing her face and writing her name, along with other atrocities. The noble, on the other hand, personally believed he was infatuated with her. He loved to take her to parties and social events; she was more like arm candy to him, in my opinion.


    But the girl loved both men greatly, but she could only choose one.


    One night the two brothers got into a bloody fight; they were on the verge of murdering each other. Neither of them agreed to see reason. The thief dropped the gun he had, and the girl picked it up. She aimed at the two brothers, knowing that the bloodshed would only end if she shot one of them.


    That is where that phrase came from.


    ¡°You must choose the path you wish to fight for. The good filled with hate, or the bad filled with love.¡±


    But the bitch couldn¡¯t choose.


    So she shot herself instead.


    The brothers instantly stopped their fighting when they saw the girl was dead. The thief killed himself, and the noble married another woman three monthster. To me, it was pretty obvious which of the men loved the girl more from the beginning.


    But my belief was that the girl loved the noble and the thief loved the girl, and she didn¡¯t want to hurt his feelings by rejecting him. All this love and all this death¡­ it was crazy.


    The yground has been abandoned for decades; all the rides were rusty and in bad shape. Despite all of this, the ce still looked basically the same. But I have to admit that it lookedpletely different under the moonlight. We usuallye here during the hot afternoon.


    Where the hell are you, you sick bastard?


    My eyes are drawn to the cabin Jared would always go to hide whenever we would y hide and seek. As if I just knew that was where he would be, a dark figure slowlyes steps out of the darkness, and we all raise our weapons towards it.


    ¡°A stupid tale, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Jared¡¯s figurees into view and my eyelids narrow to slits. My men aim their weapons at him; some even turn into their Lycans, all ready to rip the bastard to shreds.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Jared¡¯s lips lift into a cunning smile, and he raises his hands in mocking surrender. ¡°Hey, hey. Easy now, I just want to talk to my old friend.¡± He pauses, and his eyes shift to my men before he adds, ¡°Alone.¡±


    I turn off the safety on my gun and aim the barrel right at the center of his skull. ¡°You lost your right to talk a long time ago.¡±


    Jared hikes his brow, amusement in his eyes, when he says, ¡°Oh, did I now?¡±


    The next thing I hear is a series of growls.


    Wolves.


    Hundreds of them creeped out from the shadows and surrounded us. We were outnumbered.


    My canines lengthen and sharpen with annoyance. Jared still has that cocky, amused smirk on his lips. It was almost as if he thought that I couldn¡¯t pull the trigger after his little backup arrived.


    He tilts his head to the side and says, ¡°I said I want to speak to you alone, and that is precisely what I am going to do.¡±


    In the next second, the ripping of flesh, screams, and growling fill the air along with the scent of blood. I shut my eyes, not wanting to witness the massacre going on behind me. Soon, the air grows silent, and my chin clenches from rage.


    ¡°You are going to suffer for all the lives you have taken,¡± I say through gritted teeth, and Jared lets out a bitterugh.


    ¡°And you are one to talk?¡± he spits out. Something about his words strikes a nerve in me, but I do not let it show. I would never dare show a hint of emotion in front of this bastard.


    ¡°So what now? What are you waiting for? Kill me already,¡± I growl at him, and he chuckles lightly.


    ¡°You really do think that low of me? I didn¡¯t bring you out here to kill you, old friend,¡± he pauses and clicks his tongue. ¡°Tell me¡­ I am sure you have told that gorgeous mate of yours about me. Did you tell her the full story, or was I right in assuming that you only told her the part concerning Sophia?¡±


    I don¡¯t say a word.


    Jared ps his hands, biting his tongue in what appears to be excitement. He encircles me, his eyes taking in my form with mockery and a mix of hatred.


    ¡°You really are a bastard. That poor girl doesn¡¯t even know what kind of monster she has to call a mate. But no matter, she will never get to know.¡±


    Something in me stops at hisst statement.


    Once again, his eyes sparkle with humor and excitement. ¡°Ah, you are catching on now, aren¡¯t you? Like I said, I won¡¯t kill you. I will make you suffer; I will make you lose everything you love. So no, I didn¡¯t bring you out here to kill you, but to kill her.¡±


    ¡°You bloody bastard!¡±


    I lunged at him, but before my hand could make contact with him, his wolves lunged at me. They w at me, but I tear them off me before they could leave any damage on me. All of this happened in under a matter of seconds, because when I look back, Jared is nowhere to be seen.


    Fuck!


    I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t realize this was nothing but a distraction!


    Quickly, I jump over the bodies of my dead soldiers and make my way back to the truck. Firing up the engine, I speed down the highway. When I make it back to the pce, my blood freezes in my veins.


    No.


    Where my pce once stood was now nothing but arge furnace of fire, the scent of burning flesh and blood engulfing the earth.

 Chapter 94: Last Family Sacrifice

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Five minutes earlier¡­


    The congestion in my lungs forces me awake. A series of coughs leaves my lips as my eyelids fly apart. A groan leaves my lips as I sit up; in a second, it feels like I have just been hit over the head with a hammer. The pain was immense; it nearly drove me to tears. It wasn¡¯t just my head; my entire body was engulfed in pain. Slowly, my hand goes up to my nape, and I touch it softly.


    What happened? Why am I on the floor?


    It takes me a moment to realize that I am lying on the floor in the hallway. Everywhere was engulfed in smoke, and I could feel a heat that could only be caused by one thing.


    Fire.


    Shit. Shit..


    I shift to my knees as another series of coughs escapes my lips. It was getting incredibly hard to see with all this smoke. Hell, I couldn¡¯t even breathe!


    ¡°Hello? Is anyone here? Please help me!¡± I say in between coughs, tears stinging my eyes as I try to crawl ahead. My bearings were all messed up, along with my brain. All I knew was that I had to get out of here.


    My cries are met with no response, and panic courses through my veins. I don¡¯t understand. How the hell did this happen?


    The memory of what happened before I lost consciousnesses flooding into my mind. Someone jumped me from behind¡­ and that was it? I thought I would be getting kidnapped, but I am still home. Could this have been an ambush? Is that why everyone is under fire? It had to be.


    I have to get out of here.


    But my limbs have grown incredibly weak. I can¡¯t bring myself to move any further. The smoke filled my lungs so much so that it hurt my head. Is this it for me?


    My arms and legs grow shaky, and I drop to the floor. The heat around me increases, and the creaking of wood fills my ears. I manage to lift my gaze to see a hellish fire dancing over the ceiling. This building was about to cave in.


    Suddenly, a pair of arms wrap around my shoulders and lift me to my feet. ¡°Come on, little one, let¡¯s go.¡± Uncle Richard¡¯s voice fills my ears and relief instantly washes over me.


    He throws my arm over his shoulder and wraps his around my waist. With his help, we are able to make it through the hallway and down the stairs. The exit was just a couple feet away from us; we are going to make it!


    At least, that was what I thought.


    As soon as we passed by the kitchen, a slight burst was heard, and a certain scent filled the air. Gas.


    Oh no.


    What happened next happened in a matter of seconds.


    My gaze locks with Richard, and he smiles sweetly at me. ¡°Tell her I love her, okay?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I scream, but it was toote.


    A burst of wind leaves his hands, throwing my body out of the house and through the exit with a speed I couldn¡¯tprehend. My body cuts through the air, tears in my eyes as my eyes locked with thest family member I had onest time.


    The second my back met the grass, a deafening explosion filled my ears. Smoke and fire take over the sky, and my heart plummets to my chest.


    I look back at the pce I just flew out of to see that it waspletely and utterly engulfed in mes. Tears sting my eyes, and the pain I prayed to never feel again takes over my heart.


    ¡°Richard!¡±


    My head snaps at the direction of Ca¡¯s voice. She was sprinting towards the fire.


    Quickly, I shoot to my feet and tackle her to the floor. Our bodiesnd with a hard thud, but it doesn¡¯t stop her from trying to fight me off. Tears I have never seen in her eyes trickle down her face as she kicks and screams.


    ¡°Let go of me! He is in there, please!¡± She screams and I pinch my eyes shut, angry and pained tears slipping past my eyelids.


    I ignored the pain her scratches and kicks inflicted on me and held her down. It takes her a moment, but she eventually stops. And when she does, I take her into my arms. I hold her tightly to my chest and let her sob.


    Her cries of pain, along with the scent of Uncle Richard¡¯s burning flesh and blood, will haunt me all the days of my life. I didn¡¯t even know when my own tears began to fall, but I made no effort to stop them.


    I look around thepound to see that most of the guards were either killed or knocked out. This was a nned attack. This is why they wanted Alex out of here; it was to divide defenses.


    So they could kill me.


    Uncle Richard sacrificed his life to save me.


    My bottom lip begins to tremble, but I bite it to stop myself. I am so tired of crying; I am so tired of being so weak all the time. Even with these damn powers, I couldn¡¯t still defend myself. Someone always had toe to my rescue. And now, because of this damn weakness, I lost thest person I had to call family.


    My grip on Ca tightens, and I hold her even closer to me. ¡°I swear I will find who did this. And I will make him kneel before you and beg for mercy,¡± I whisper to Ca, but she doesn¡¯t verbally respond. She just cries and cries to no end.


    The sound of approaching footsteps infiltrates my ears. I lift my gaze to see Alex sprinting towards me. The second his eyes fall on me, a wave of relief visibly washes over him. But that relief is soon reced with worry when he sees the rage and bloodlust in my eyes.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did you kill him?¡± is the first question I ask him. My voice doesn¡¯t even sound like mine. I suppose another piece of me died in that fire with Richard.


    Alex¡¯s silence was the only answer I needed.


    ¡°Good.¡±

 Chapter 95: Cold Hallways

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Say something to me, Aira,¡± Alex pleads.


    I hate hearing him sound so distraught, but unfortunately I felt the same way as well.


    As soon as Alex was able to revive the guards, at least the ones that were still alive, and thankfully Arnold was one of them, he moved us to another one of his properties. It was about an hour away from the former pce.


    Alex helped me into our new room, and I personally requested that Ca be moved to the room right next to mine. I can still hear her crying. It broke my heart even more.


    It has been exactly ten hours since the explosion, but the wound was still fresh. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything since we got here. What was there to say?


    Alex¡¯s eyes bore holes into my skin, but I still couldn¡¯t look at him. I was so mad at him, but deep down I knew it wasn¡¯t his fault. He left us behind to keep us safe, but Jared was one step ahead. He knew that was exactly what he would do and used it to his advantage. Instead of keeping us safe, we were only putting ourselves in more danger.


    ¡°I am so sorry I keep failing you. I didn¡¯t know this would happen. I-¡±


    ¡°I want his remains,¡± I cut him off, meeting his eyes for the first time since we arrived here. He looked so sad; it tore me in ways I couldn¡¯t exin.


    ¡°The guards are already on it. It will be here by this evening,¡± he says. That is right, it was already a new day. Alex¡¯s eyes remain on me when he asks, ¡°Should I make preparations for a burial?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please, I want it done this evening,¡± I croak out, and he nods slowly.


    His hand meets my clenched ones on the bed. He squeezes them softly, and I knew he did that as a silent reassurance. He ces a soft kiss on my forehead, and for a moment, it brought so much constion and warmth to my soul.


    But like I said, it was for only a moment.


    He pulls away from me and rises to his feet. I watch him walk out of the room, and the second he shuts the door, the dam I didn¡¯t even realize had several cracks broke. Bringing my knees to my chest, I cried until I could no longer breathe.


    Suddenly the guilt catches up to me. From the very first day I had set my eyes on Uncle Richard, I always knew he was different from the others. He kept to himself; he loved to read, and he wished to see the world.


    And he was going to, but he just had toe back because he was worried about me. And then he met Ca, and he fell in love. Love was what made him stay. And love was what killed him.


    I can¡¯t believe I ever doubted him.


    I am so sorry, Uncle Richard. I promise to avenge you.


    I have no idea at what point I had fallen asleep, but I sure as hell felt strange when I woke up. It felt like I wasn¡¯t even in my own body.


    A groan leaves my lips as my lungs scream for water. Where is the damn kitchen in this ce?


    My legs felt wobbly as I got off the bed. I make my way out of the room. It is now that I notice how incredibly eerie this new pce is. The walls were bloody red, and the halls were dimly lit. And for God¡¯s sake, isn¡¯t there a heater in here? Why is it so cold?


    ¡°Alex?¡± I call out, but I am met with a deathly silence. This hallway felt incredibly long¡­ and why was everywhere so quiet? Where was everyone?


    My feete to a halt in front of Ca¡¯s room. My knuckles meet the hardwood softly in a knock. ¡°Ca? May Ie in?¡± I ask, but there is no response.


    Quietly, I open the bed to find her sleeping on the bed. My heart broke at the sight of her swollen eyes and dried tears. It is quite relieving to see her sleep. At least now she may be granted some peace, even if it was just for a little while.


    I make sure to shut the door as quietly as possible. When I do, I clear my throat. Damn, I am so thirsty. I have to find this damn kitchen on my own.


    As I make my way down the incredibly long hall, I stop when the lights begin to flicker. Wow, so now the lighting is faulty? I need to speak to Alex about this. Honestly, I shouldn¡¯t be telling him about things like this. I am surprised he hasn¡¯t noticed; I thought he was the perfectionist among us.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    But then again, he has had quite a lot on his te recently.


    I continue to head down the hallway when the hair on my neck suddenly stands. I do not know why, but it feels as though I was being watched. Slowly, I turn on my heel.


    ¡°Hello? Is anyone there?¡± I call out, but I am met with no response. There is no one behind me either. I think I may need more sleep. I try to move, but for some reason I am frozen to the spot.


    Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I could actually feel someone breathing down my neck.


    My blood freezes in my veins, and my heart stops its beat. Summoning every ounce of courage in me, I spin around as fast as I can and raise my fist to strike whoever thought they could sneak up on me. But my hand freezes midair when I see who it is.


    It was at that moment that the whole world hade to a stop.


    The face in front of me was none other than my own. But at the same time, it wasn¡¯t.


    No.


    It can¡¯t be.


    ¡°Ana?¡±


    Her name left my lips like a whisper.


    My deceased sister had blood dripping down her face with a devilish smile stretching her lips.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± I scream as I take a step back. My back meets something hard, and a pair of arms wrap around my body. I instantly recognized who they belonged to.


    ¡°Aira! Aira, can you hear me?¡± I am spun around, and my eyes lock with Alex¡¯s. His eyes search mine frantically as my chest heaves up and down. ¡°Listen to me; whatever you are seeing isn¡¯t real. Do you understand me?¡±


    I try to look back, but he grabs my face, forcing me to focus my attention solely on him. His thumb caresses my cheek softly, calming the raging storm within me. ¡°You are safe, okay?¡±


    I swallowed the bile that had risen in my throat but somehow managed to nod. He takes me into his arms, and I sink into his warm embrace.


    My eyes travel back to the spot where Ana once stood. She was gone.


    I know I have felt fear before, but never like that.

 Chapter 96: Selfish mate

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The sun didn¡¯t shine today, not that I expected it to.


    This was the middle of autumn, yet the clouds were so gray, I could even feel the little droplets of water on my skin. But what I was feeling in my heart was far more concerning. After my encounter with Ana this morning¡­ or should I say Ana¡¯s ghost or whatever the hell that was, I was feeling rather strange.


    Like this growing chill within me, it was hard to exin.


    Perhaps it was just the shock of seeing her out of the blue like that. For a moment, while I stared into her eyes, it felt like she was there with me. Like she was still alive. As much as I missed her, that would be a nightmaree true if she still was.


    But that was impossible.


    Ana was dead; I watched her plummet thousands of feet into the ground; I watched her bones crush from the impact; I watched her corpse get lowered six feet beneath the earth¡¯s surface.


    The same way I am watching Uncle Richard¡¯s remains get lowered.


    Ca¡¯s sobs filled my ears, adding to the weight on my shoulders. The priest recited the prayers and sprayed the coffin with holy water. He bowed his head in respect to us and took his leave. Our men began to cover the casket with sand, and I watched every movement of theirs until they finished molding his gravestone.


    Ca falls to her knees, her hands wrapped around her stomach as she begins to utter some words to the gravestone. My feet moved back on their own; I suppose it would be better if I gave her some alone time.


    Never in my life have I seen Ca so pained. They only knew each other for a short time, but it was obvious that she loved Richard greatly.


    My gaze shifts to the gravestone, precisely to the spot where Uncle Richard¡¯s details were written. A single tear trickles down my cheek, but I quickly wipe it away.


    ¡°Rest easy, uncle.¡± Is what I say before leaving the scene? I make my way down to the car. My eyebrows crease when I do not find Alex standing with the rest of the guards. I could have sworn he came out here with us.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± I ask Arnold, and he points ahead. I follow his finger to find Alex standing in front of a gravestone. He had his hands sped in front of him and his head bowed in what almost appeared to be sorrow.


    My eyebrows crease with confusion. As I turn to Arnold, there is a silent question. That is when I notice the hint of sadness in Arnold¡¯s eyes as well.


    ¡°The explosion took every inch of the pce, Luna. Including the west wing.¡±


    No.


    My eyes widen as a pang strikes my chest. Quickly, I spin on my heel and sprint towards Alex.


    The guilt I felt as I made my way to him was suffocating.


    I am so selfish.


    Incredibly selfish.


    I med Alex for Uncle Richard¡¯s death, and he silently carried the burden. I never knew that he too had lost someone dear to him. No matter how strong or nonchnt he tried to act, I knew he still cared about his dad.


    I can¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t tell me. Oh, who am I kidding? I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t notice. I should have asked. I saw the tiredness and grief in his eyes, but I ignored it. I misinterpreted it for guilt because I med him for Richard¡¯s mate.


    Some mate I am.


    He turns to me when I close in on him. My steps slow down when my eyes lock with his blood-shut eyes. I don¡¯t know why, but the sight instantly brings tears to my eyes.


    ¡°Oh, Alex,¡± I say, wrapping my arms around him, and his body grows rigid for a moment. Soon he adjusts to me and reciprocates my hug. He nuzzles his head into my neck, and a pang strikes my heart when he releases a shaky breath.


    He had been crying.


    ¡°What are you doing here? You are supposed to be with Ca by your uncle¡¯s grave,¡± he croaks out, and I hold him tighter.


    ¡°I am supposed to be right here. By your side,¡± I whisper to him, my hand snaking up to his hair and ruffling it to bring him some form offort.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I found it hard to believe those words had actually escaped Alex¡¯s lips. It was so strange hearing ite from him; I loved it.


    I don¡¯t know how long we stand there in front of his father¡¯s gravestone, and I did not care. I would stay here the whole day with him if I had to. In my opinion, things ended a bit too soon, if you ask me.


    The sound of approaching footsteps fills the air, and Alex quickly regains hisposure. In a matter of a second, he was back to his cold, stoic self. He released me from the hug, but our hands remained sped. He turned to find Arnold walking up to us.


    ¡°We are ready to go home, Alpha.¡±


    My blood runs cold at the mention of home.


    That ce was anything but my home. After my encounter with Ana¡­ or what I thought was her, I had a very bad feeling about that ce. But deep down, I knew the new pce had nothing to do with it. But what else could it be?


    Alex nods once, his grip on my hand tightening. ¡°Is Ca in the car?¡± is the first question he asks, and my heart warms at his thoughtfulness.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡± Arnold answers.


    ¡°Okay. We will be down in a moment,¡± Alex says, and Arnold bows before taking his leave. The second I am certain he is far from hearing range, I turn to Alex with fearful eyes.


    ¡°I think we should move to another pce.¡±


    Alex raises his brow slowly. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s haunted,¡± I whisper to him, and Alex lets out a sigh. It was at that moment that his fatigue became evident to me. He massaged the crease between his brows and took a deep breath.


    ¡°You have beenmunicating with spirits for months now. And now you think the pce we moved to is haunted?¡±


    Okay, now I realize how dumb that might sound.


    ¡°But wait. This isn¡¯t just any spirit! I saw Ana.¡±


    Alex¡¯s features overtake with horror. ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°See? It¡¯s concerning,¡± I point out, and he strokes his chin. He takes me by the hand with his other one, and we head towards our vehicle.


    ¡°Spirits usually summon you, don¡¯t they? I don¡¯t think it has anything to do with the pce. I think she might just want to talk to you,¡± he says, and my lips seal shut. He stops walking and ces both of his hands on my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk to her. Remember that she is nothing more than just a spirit. She can¡¯t harm you.¡±


    I wish I could believe that.

 Chapter 97: A refreshing addition

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I knock softly on the hardwood, patiently waiting for Ca¡¯s response.


    ¡°Come in,¡± came her subtle voice.


    I turn the handle gently and push the door open. She is seated upright on the bed with her hands sped atop her thighs. Something in me broke at the sight of her. There was still a tremble to her bottom lip, a redness mixed with sorrow in her eyes as well.


    ¡°Oh,e here,¡± I said, walking up to her with open arms. I engulf her in a warm hug, and she buries her face in my chest. I expected her to cry, but she didn¡¯t. And not to mention that our hug was a bit shorter than I had anticipated.


    When she pulls away, there is a hollowness in her eyes, one that I did not like.


    ¡°How are you holding up?¡± I ask her after a moment of silence and she shrugs.


    Her hand goes down to her stomach and she says, ¡°I have been feeling a bit queasy. I have been having this urge to throw up for a while.¡±


    cing the back of my palm on her neck to feel her temperature, I scowl. ¡°You are burning up,¡± I say before rising to my feet. ¡°Wait, I am going to call the doctor.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t say anything as I step out of the room. In a few minutes, I returned with the pack doctor, but Ca was no longer on the bed. The sound of someone hurling fills my ears, and I bolted straight for the bathroom.


    My eyes fell on Ca bent over the toilet seat, pouring out the contents of her guts. Ie to her side and help her pull her hair up. I wait patiently for her to finish before helping her off the floor.


    When we return to the bedroom the doctor narrows her eyelids and I see the suspicion in her eyes. I help Ca to the bed and once I am certain she isfortable, I step back and run my hand through my hair.


    ¡°See? I don¡¯t know what is wrong with her. Maybe you ate something wrong?¡± I suggest and Ca shakes her head slowly.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t really eaten much since¡­ the incident,¡± she says and my lips purse at the mention of the ¡®incident.¡¯ The doctor offers me a warm, reassuring smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will find out what is wrong with her,¡± the doctor said with determination before getting straight to work. She analyzes parts of Ca and runs various tests on her.


    When she is done, she has one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen. And it annoys me. My blood boils and my fists ball at my sides.


    ¡°What is so amusing? Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s in pain?¡± I snap, and Ca touches my hand softly, silently telling me to calm down.


    ¡°Trust me, her pain is about to turn into joy with the news I have.¡±


    Her words peaked Ca¡¯s and my attention. Curiosity gets the better of me as I lean forward with a hiked brow.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I ask, and the doctor turns to Ca.


    ¡°Congrattions, ma¡¯am. You¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    And then Ca fainted.


    A screech leaves my lips as I rush over to Ca¡¯s side. I shake her body gently, but she doesn¡¯t open her eyes.


    The doctor hands me a bottle of water and says, ¡°Here sprinkle this on her face.¡±


    Taking the bottle from her hand, I do just that. I make sure the droplets are light as I sprinkle it over her face.


    Relief washes over me as her eyelids flutter open. Ca lets out a groan as I help her sit up.


    ¡°Easy now,¡± I said as I helped her steady herself.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she asks, cing a hand on her head.


    I take a seat in front of her and ce my hand on her shoulder gently. ¡°Ca, first I need you to calm down; take a deep breath,¡± I tell her, and she does exactly that.


    Who am I kidding? That is what I do too.


    I mean, here I was thinking that I had lost thest member of my family. And here Ca is carrying them.


    I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at this point.


    But this is not about me right now.


    ¡°You are pregnant, Ca. You have a mini-richard growing inside of you,¡± I say, a small joy gracing my lips.


    Tears well up in her eyes, along with a million emotions. Her eyes pinch shut and her shoulders begin to tremble.


    Instantly, I take her into my arms and engulf her in a tight, reassuring hug.


    She sobs into my arms, and I let her. I give the nurse a silent signal for her to leave, and she nods in understanding.


    Quietly, she packs up her bags and leaves.


    I pull Ca away from me and cup her cheeks.


    ¡°Listen to me, Ca. I swear that this child is going to be the greatest blessing in our lives. Nothing bad will befall you or this child; I will protect you both with my lives, I swear it,¡± I say, and she smiles through her tears.


    ¡°Thank you, Aira,¡± she says, and I take her back into my arms.


    The universe really does work in mysterious ways. Just when I thought the world was crumbling before my eyes. He sends me another blessing.


    I really am a lucky girl.     How the hell did I get here?


    I¡¯m standing in the middle of this incredibly creepy hallway again. Once again, the lights are incredibly dim.


    I can¡¯t even see anything ahead.


    A chill crawls up my spine, and the memory of thest time I felt this wayes flooding in.


    ¡°Ana? Are you here?¡± I call out, and I hate the tremble in my voice. I can¡¯t believe that I am scared of a ghost.


    I have to remember Alex¡¯s words.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I don¡¯t have to talk to her if I don¡¯t want to. She can¡¯t hurt me.


    With that thought in mind, I take a shaky step forward. Goosebumps erupt across my skin, and a mini fog leaves my lips.


    I rub my arms as a way to bring myself some form offort and warmth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you, Ana! I killed you one, and I can kill you again!¡± I yell out, and my voice bounces on the walls, echoing back to me.


    Those words¡­ It felt so wrong to say such a thing. Maybe it was because it wasn¡¯t something I was proud to admit.


    My countenance falls along with my shoulders. I whisper, ¡°And I will be consumed with regret all over again.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    As soon as that voice infiltrated my ears, I stopped breathing.


    That voice didn¡¯t belong to Ana.


    Standing right behind me is a man with parts of his torso torn out. Despite that, he had a devilish smirk on his lips.


    Vincent.

 Chapter 98: The alpha’s confession

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    Never in my life have I been woken up by screaming. And it just had toe from the one person I never wanted to hear it from. It was worse than being woken up from a nightmare.


    A million thoughts rushed into my mind as I jolted awake. For the first time in a while, I felt something terribly simr to fear. The first question that popped into my mind was, Where is she?


    Was she in danger?


    Was she being taken away?


    Was something hurting her?


    This and a million other thoughts crossed my mind in a second. But then my eyes finally fall on her, and I am somewhat relieved. At least she is still here in one piece.


    Physically at least.


    It was clear she was having a mental breakdown.


    Her chest heaved up and down, beads of sweat cascading down her perfectly sculpted face. There is a tremble in her lips and fear in her eyes. It appears she must have had a nightmare.


    A sigh leaves my lips as I take her into my arms. Her body trembles greatly against mine, and I tighten my grip on her. My hand caresses her hair gently as I shush her softly. The sob that wracked her throat did something to me. I hated seeing her like this; I hated seeing her in so much pain.


    I just wish I could take it away. I just wish I could transfer it to myself instead. She didn¡¯t deserve this; she didn¡¯t deserve any of this.


    She was so pure, so innocent.


    Aira was filled with so much good.


    I deserved it though. I havemitted so many atrocities and crimes, all because I had the power to. I didn¡¯t deserve to sleep peacefully while she couldn¡¯t.


    Could this be a punishment for being my mate? And was this my punishment for my sins? Having to watch my mate go through so much pain and mental torture was absolutely grievous.


    ¡°Ssh, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here,¡± I say to her softly. I had never been one to console someone; I was actually used to doing the opposite. I was usually the reason people needed to be consoled. But this¡­ it came so naturally to me.


    It felt so strange.


    I begin to whisper sweet nothings to her until she calms down. Her body rxed against mine, and I said a silent thanks to the moon goddess.


    And then I dare to ask, ¡°What happened? What did you see?¡±


    For a moment she didn¡¯t utter a word; she remained deathly silent. I was starting to think that maybe she didn¡¯t hear me.


    But then she replies in such a quiet and subtle voice.


    ¡°Vincent.¡±


    What the hell?


    Why are members of her dead family suddenly showing up? Could this have something to do with her uncle¡¯s death? I mean, he was thest living member of her family, and I have to remember that they¡¯re not any ordinary family. They are descendants of the goddess herself.


    Perhaps the fact that they are basically getting wiped out is triggering something in the ancestral in? I really don¡¯t know.


    It¡¯s such a shame, da-I mean, the royal priest and Moriah weren¡¯t here.


    Perhaps we would have to pay a visit to the witches. But that is ater problem. Right now I need to make Aira feel better. Her being this way was more than enough torture for the both of us already.


    ¡°I used to have nightmares too, you know? As a kid, I would always dream of being a terrible alpha. Back then, being alpha was my biggest dream. I feared that I would suck at it and everyone would hate me.¡± I pause. As the memory of that little boyes flooding into my mind.


    The little boy that was once filled with so much joy, happiness, and light. He wanted to please the world and make it a better ce.


    That is one thing Jared didn¡¯t understand after that day the rogues attacked.


    That little boy died alongside his mother that day.


    ¡°Jared, he was always the first person I would run to and talk to about my dreams. He would alwaysfort me and tell me my mind was simply ying tricks on me. And I believed him; little did he know that those dreams were a revtion. I became the one thing I feared. A king hated by his people and brings misery wherever he goes,¡± I finish, and I can feel Aira¡¯s eyes on me.


    ¡°That is not true,¡± she says, and I don¡¯t bother to argue with her. That was one thing about Aira; once she was convinced she was right, nothing and no one could tell her otherwise.


    The room grows silent, and I knew that both of our hearts were heavy. I am supposed to beforting here, yet I burden her with the tragic memories from my past.


    Some mate I am.


    ¡°There is something I need to tell you,¡± I say, and she perks up.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about Sophia,¡± I say, and her brows knit together. ¡°I may have left out some parts.¡±


    The air was deathly still, and for a moment I feel as though I have made a mistake in bringing this up, but this had to be done.


    ¡°Alex, what did you do?¡± She asks slowly, and I purse my lips, thinking of a subtle way to say this, but there was no other way.


    ¡°When I noticed Jared was starting to show her more attention than me, I got so angry. I just wanted to get rid of her at all costs. So one day she wanted to make dinner for us all. I yed with the gas pipes in the kitchen and¡±


    I paused when the horror in her eyes grew immensely. I guess now she sees exactly the kind of monster she has to call a mate.


    ¡°Oh my God,¡± she gasps, covering her mouth with her hand.


    ¡°But Jared scented the gas long before she did. The explosion wasn¡¯t big because not much gas had leaked out, but it still left many scars on his body; it nearly killed him.¡± I say, and Aira¡¯s head falls to her hands. ¡°Do you know that the day I told Jared about it, he forgave me? I didn¡¯t expect him to, but he did.¡±


    Aira¡¯s eyes snap to mine, and the rage in them terrifies me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one that told me that the both of you don¡¯t believe in forgiveness? That you guys only believe in getting even? Well, news sh, he has gotten even. He killed my uncle in that same fashion. We were so close; we were just about to make it out, but he threw me out of the house the second he scented the gas. Jared is never going to stop until he gets even!¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    She sobbed into her hands, and the sight tore me to shreds.


    My voice didn¡¯t even sound like mine anymore when I said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She still kept on crying.


    I just wanted to rip myself apart at this point.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you have to go through all of this because of me,¡± I say even quieter.


    She wipes her tears away and takes in a deep breath to calm herself down. ¡°You have also been through a lot for me; I just hate that others like Ca and Richard have to go through all this as well,¡± she says, and the room grows quiet for a moment. ¡°You don¡¯t want to kill him, do you?¡±


    That was a question I didn¡¯t even need to ponder on.


    ¡°I have to.¡±


    I know that Jared was too far gone to even consider forgiveness and moving forward. One of us had to die in order for this to end, and it sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to be me.


    A sigh leaves Aira¡¯s lips, snapping me out of my thoughts. She runs her hands through her hair tiredly, and that is when I get a good view of her face.


    She was tired. Extremely.


    ¡°I just wish there was a way to get rid of these damn spirits terrorizing me, or they could at least make themselves useful by helping us out,¡± Aira says with a frustrated groan.


    It was at that moment that an idea popped into my head.


    ¡°I know one spirit that would help us out.¡±

 Chapter 99: A chat with mother dearest

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°I can¡¯t summon your mother, Alex.¡±


    ¡°Why not? You have done it once before with other spirits,¡± he says with a pout. It is at that moment that I realize that he might actually want to speak to his mother; it may not be directly, but through me he could.


    A sigh leaves my lips as I slouch my shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a whole lot from me, especially if the spirit doesn¡¯t want to be reached.¡±


    As soon as those words leave my lips, I instantly regret them. Hurt shes through his eyes before he tears his gaze away from mine and clears his throat.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. She probably doesn¡¯t want to be a part of any of this.¡±


    If I didn¡¯t know better, I almost would have thought he was on the verge of tears with the way he kept blinking.


    ¡°You better give me a treat when all of this is over. A big one,¡± I demand, and he has the audacity to salute me.


    ¡°Whatever you wish, ma¡¯am,¡± he says yfully, and I roll my eyes before lying back down on the bed. I shut my eyes and try to picture Elizandra¡¯s face.


    A few minutes pass, but nothinges to me. When I reopen my eyes, I am met with Alex¡¯s anticipating ones. I don¡¯t think I have ever seen him so eager in my entire life.


    And this wasn¡¯t just about Alex; this was about me too. This was about the fate of our entire kingdom.


    So with much more determination, I shut my eyes and deepened my concentration. It feels as though my body and the world around me begin to disappear. Her face was nothing but a dark, shadowy figure, but soon it began to clear up.


    Her goddess-like facees into full view as we both stand in the midst of darkness.


    ¡°Luna Elizandra, I need to speak to you,¡± I say, and the corners of her lips twitch slightly upward.


    ¡°I am no longer the owner of that title,¡± she says. I tried to meet her eyes but I couldn¡¯t. Those eyes¡­ The very same ones she gave Alex are one of the prettiest I have ever seen.


    Elizandra tilted her head to the side and asked, ¡°You are unable to look at me. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Because I have failed you. It seems I¡¯m the one who is bringing all this pain and suffering to yournd, and I am unable to stop it. I am sorry,¡± I say, my heart filled with remorse.


    To my surprise, Elizandra lets out a heartyugh.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, you are adorable. I see why Alexander is so madly in love with you,¡± she says, and I turn bashful. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about, my darling. I have been watching my son ever since the day of my death, and let me tell you, I have never seen him so happy the way he is when with you. You turn him into someone I recognize; you are turning him into the son I raised.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t exin it, but a sense of pride washed over me.


    ¡°What can we do to stop Jared?¡± I ask her and her countenance falls.


    ¡°I believe my husband has already told you what needs to be done. Thank you all for sending him back to me. I have missed him a lot.¡±


    Thatst statement left mepletely speechless.


    ¡°Um, sorry about that.¡±


    Her smile almost touched her ears when she said, ¡°Don¡¯t be; like I said, I have missed him.¡±


    I¡¯m not going to lie, Elizandra is a bit creepy.


    Ugh, focus, Aira!


    ¡°We can¡¯t just kill Jared. He has a pack of rogues always with him, and they are quite numerous, might I add. If there is a way we can catch him alone or get the rogues to stop working for him or something,¡± I suggest, and her brow hikes a bit.


    ¡°And what makes you think I have the answer you seek?¡± She asks, and I am left utterly speechless.


    ¡°I thought you would know,¡± I say, and her eyes soften.


    ¡°Come, let me show you something.¡± She turns her back on me and begins to walk forward. Suddenly the darkness around us vanishes, and we are standing in the middle of a grand hallway.


    But not just any hallway; I recognize it as one of the passageways in the first pce. Things looked exactly the same, yet different. Everything was cleaner, newer.


    ¡°Jared! Jared, where are you, buddy?¡±


    Buddy?


    A little boy who I instantly recognize as Alex runs past us. He appeared to be around the tender age of nine. There was so much light and innocence in his eyes, I almost started to wonder if maybe I was wrong. This could be someone else.


    But I knew it was him.


    I will always recognize Alex, whether it is ten years earlier or ten yearster.


    He runs up to another boy with honey brown hair, no doubt Jared.


    The brte has a bouquet of flowers in his hands, and he was looking quite dashing in his little suit, if you ask. Alexander didn¡¯t seem to think so though.


    A frown takes over his features; the joy and excitementpletely vanish when his gaze falls on the flowers in his friend¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Why are you dressed up so fancy?¡± little Alex asks.


    ¡°I am going to ask Sophia to go to the dance with me; it¡¯s today, remember?¡± Jared asks, but Alex doesn¡¯t say a word. ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t know. You are homeschooled.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! You promised to y with me today!¡± Alex snaps, and Jared sighs.


    ¡°We can y any other day, okay? This is important.¡±


    Little Alex folds his arms in front of his chest and pout.


    So adorable.


    ¡°You mean she is more important than me.¡±


    ¡°That is not what I said,¡± Jared says before facepalming himself. ¡°I have to go now, I will talk to youtwr buddy.¡±


    Jared walks away and I am in utter shock when Alex begins to cry. I don¡¯t care how old he is, Alex crying was a sight I never thought I would be able to see.


    The scene changes to the entrance of the pce. Alex is standing with his hands folded in front of his chest as he is leaned against the doorframe watching Jared y with Sophia.


    My heart aches for him.


    He¡¯s just a kid that lost his best friend to a girl.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Alpha Louis Smith. He is the one supplying rogues to Jared,¡± Elizandra finally reveals.


    ¡°Louis? But Louis is an alpha. These wolves are rogues,¡± I state, and she nods in confirmation.


    ¡°Yes, he is. He also has thergest number of rigues captive; he offers to let them and their loved ones go after helping Jared out on attacks. Little do those poor creatures know that they were walking straight into an execution,¡± Elizandra says, and I shake my head in disbelief.


    I have to admit, Louis was quite smart. He sent out rogues that were desperate for freedom instead of his own soldiers; that way no one would ever suspect him.


    Sneaky ass bastard.


    ¡°But there is no way for us to prove this. I can¡¯t just start pointing fingers without evidence,¡± I say, and she hums.


    She walks up to the little version of her son and caresses his hair softly. His eyes are still fixated on Sophia and Jared; he doesn¡¯t even notice us.


    I don¡¯t think he could.


    ¡°No, there is no evidence. But you can get him to admit it or stop helping Jared entirely,¡± she says, and my curiosity gets the best of me.


    ¡°How? He would never do that,¡± I state with confidence, and Elizandra nods in agreement.


    ¡°True, but you can ckmail him,¡± Elizandra says, pinching her son¡¯s cheek sweetly. It is only then that I notice the amount of love and admiration she had in her eyes.


    She missed him.


    She continues, ¡°Isabe Cohort, that is the name of his mistress. They met in a hotel named the Dome. You can get the security footage of them together. Threaten to show it to his wife, Caitlyn.¡±


    My eyes were practically as wide as saucers.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Just ckmail him with security footage?¡± I ask, feeling the urge to m my face against the wall.


    ¡°Believe me dear, Alpha Louis treasures his wife more than anyone or anything in this world. He would go to war for her,¡± Elizandra says softly, pouting her lips as she watched her son walk away sadly.


    I scowl at her words and ask, ¡°Then why would he cheat?¡±


    Elizandra shrugs, ¡°People make mistakes.¡±


    Stupid ones.


    I just hope this works.


    ¡°Please tell Alex I love him. And that there was absolutely nothing to forgive. I always knew he made a mistake.¡±


    Her words bring a smile to my lips and relief to my heart. ¡°I most certainly will. Thank you, Elizandra.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, Luna Aira,¡± she says, and her words make my heart flutter. ¡°Until we meet again.¡±


    My eyelids fly apart, and the first thing I am met with is Alex¡¯s waiting ones.


    ¡°Well? Did you see her? What did she say?¡± He asks eagerly. And for a moment, I see that little boy again. He is still in there.


    ¡°She loves you.¡±

 Chapter 100: A scary mate

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Well, this is a rather unpleasant visit,¡± Louis says as Alex and I barge into his office. He drops the documents in his hands and gives us his full attention. ¡°How did you get past my guards?¡± he demands, and Alex lets out a sarcastic snort.


    ¡°For someone who is aiding an enemy of mine, you sure have a weak defense,¡± Alex says, and Louis feigns a bewildered expression.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡±


    Alex doesn¡¯t give him the chance to finish his statement before mming his fist on the table. The force of his fist causes a series of cracks to stretch across the table.


    Louis takes a deep breath, and his eyelids fall shut. It was clear our presence was already an irritation to him. Now we are damaging his property.


    How humorous.


    ¡°This table was imported from Germany. You are going to pay for that,¡± Louis seethes, and I am surprised at how he could keep calm despite his clear anger from our presence.


    Alex growls and applies more pressure to his fist. The cracking of wood fills the air, and the damage on the table spreads further.


    For a moment, a sh of fear appears in Louis¡¯s eyes when he sees the bloodlust in Alex¡¯s eyes.


    That was the thing about Alexander: no matter how powerful you may be, you will; actually, you must cower at Alexander¡¯s rage.


    ¡°If anyone is going to pay for anything, it will be you. You have been giving Jared alphas to reign terror all over my kingdom. Stop it. Now.¡±


    Silence.


    The tension in the air was suffocating as the two alphas had their mini-stare off. And just like that, Louis throws his head back and lets out an unholyugh.


    ¡°Oh my goodness. You didn¡¯t tell me that you came here to entertain me. Well, you are always wee, but please, you really could have done this without damaging my table,¡± Louis says, and his words only angered Alex more.


    In a second, Alex has his hand wrapped around Louis¡¯s next. Louis wasted no time in reciprocating Alex¡¯s actions, and the two of them were up in each other¡¯s faces.


    Their growls were animalistic and frightening; even though I was not at the receiving end of any of the alpha¡¯s rage, I still had this incredible urge to break down and cry.


    ¡°Aira dear, it seems your mate has lost his mind. Do well to call him to order; otherwise, I would be forced to make you witness a gruesome murder,¡± Louis says to me.


    ¡°Cut the crap, Louis. Admit that you are the one supplying Jared with rogues, and we won¡¯t be forced to take extreme measures,¡± I announce, and his venomous eyes snap to mine.


    Subconsciously, I take a step back at the sight of him. The white in his eyes haspletely vanished and is now an evil shade of ck. His irises were no longer brown but a sharp shade of amber.


    It was his wolf, and he was not happy one bit.


    ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are looking at?!¡± Alex snaps when Louis shifts his gaze to me.


    Louis returns his attention to the man who has his hand wrapped around his throat, and an annoyed sigh leaves my lips.


    ¡°Enough! Both of you!¡± I snap, but neither of them moves an inch. My eyelids narrow to slits, and I shoot my mate a daring re.


    He sighs and lets go of Louis. It takes the bastard a moment, but he releases Alex as well.


    Louis takes a step back and dusts his suit before taking his seat behind his desk.


    ¡°Good, now we can speak like civilized people,¡± I say and shift my gaze to Alex.


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    And he does.


    Louis raises a brow in surprise but doesn¡¯t say a word. I settle down on the chair next to Alex¡¯s and give Louis my full attention.


    He is stroking his chin behind his desk, his eyes fixated on me as they held so much wonder and curiosity. ¡°You said I would force you to take extreme measures. What would that be if I might ask?¡±


    A tight smile stretches my lips as I dip my hand into my purse and search for my phone. ¡°I am d you asked.¡±


    Once I retrieve the phone, I y the security footage we had gotten from the dome.


    Louis pales.


    He looked as if he had seen a ghost. A bead of sweat trickles down his temple as he watches the entire video of him making love to his mistress y before his very eyes.


    Their moans filled the entire office, and Alex looked as though he would rather be anywhere else than here.


    When the video finishes ying, I put my phone back in my purse as Louis ponders over what he just witnessed.


    And then I dare to ask, ¡°I wonder how Caitlyn would feel after watching you sleep with the very same woman she was insecure about during your rtionship with her. I hear she once burst into tears the day a rumor of you and Isabe being seen together spread. This video would just tear her apart. All these years of marriage were nothing but a lie,¡± I say sarcastically, pretending to be filled with disappointment.


    There is a fire that erupts in Louis¡¯s eyes as he bares his teeth at me. ¡°Youe to my house, my territory, and threaten to ruin my marriage. Do you really think I would let you walk out of here alive?¡±


    This time Alex speaks up.


    ¡°I know you aren¡¯t that stupid. My people and everyone know that we are here; if we don¡¯t walk out of here alive, then you will only be dering a war; you know you won¡¯t be able to win between our two packs,¡± Alex says confidently, and I wonder if he is aware that he is only adding fuel to the fire. He continues, ¡°Not to mention that I have gotten someone to send this video to Caitlyn if we don¡¯t walk out of here in the next,¡± Alex pauses to check the time on his watch. ¡°Seven minutes.¡±


    Louis opens his mouth to speak, but Alex doesn¡¯t let him.


    ¡°And any other day, if something happens to us at any point in time, then that video will still very much be sent to Caitlyn.¡±


    Those are the words that have Louis¡¯s jaw on the floor.


    ¡°How is that even fair? What if I am not the one responsible for your deaths?¡± he asks, and a satisfied smile creeps up our lips.


    ¡°Then I suppose you are just going to have to be our ally.¡± I say and lean forward a bit. ¡°But that is not all you are going to have to admit. You are helping Jared by supplying him with the rogues you have been capturing over the years and supplying us with the soldiers we would need to better our defenses and defeat Jared.¡±


    For a moment, Louis doesn¡¯t utter a word; he just stares at me like there was more to the story.


    Much more.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Yes, I have been helping Jared; I mean, after you tantly refused to render your powers for the better of our collective packs, I had to find some way to make you suffer.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even get the chance to blink before Alex had shot to his feet and lunged at Louis.


    ¡°Alex! No!¡± I snapped just before he could get a hold of Louis.


    He doesn¡¯t touch him, but he doesn¡¯t sit back down either.


    ¡°You selfish bastard, do you realize how many of my people died because of you? How many children did you make orphans? How many of them you have traumatized?¡±


    Louis doesn¡¯t appear fazed at all by Alex¡¯s words. His expression remains stoic and nonchnt.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I am sure they will heal.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you will heal from this,¡± Alex says with gritted teeth. He lunges out for Louis, and that is when I snap.


    ¡°Enough Alexander!¡± I growl, and his hand freezes halfway. His wide eyes filled with surprise shifted to me. Louis appears equally taken aback by my outburst. ¡°We do not need your pity. I, for one, am already well aware that you are nothing more than a heartless cheating scoundrel. Tell me where Jared is.¡± I demand, and he doesn¡¯t say a word.


    A purple mist erupts from my body, and I could feel the warmth in me creeping out from the inside out. It takes me a moment to realize that the animal-like growl shaking the walls of this office came from me.


    Horror washes over Louis and he raises his hands in surrender. ¡°I swear I don¡¯t know! He only calls me with a private number when he wants me to give him more rogues!¡±


    My eyelids narrowed to slits, and I swear his body began to tremble with fear.


    ¡°I swear on Caitlyn that I am telling the truth!¡± he screeched.


    ¡°The next time he calls, act normal and tell him that the rogues are on their way. But instead of sending him rogues, you send us instead.¡± I pause and lean towards him. ¡°And don¡¯t even try to set us up. Or I swear that video will not only be sent to Caitlyn, but she will spend herst moments on earth knowing that she has a useless cheater for a husband. Do you understand me?¡±


    Louis gulps. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Rising to my full height, I say, ¡°Good. I wish I could say it was a pleasure chatting with you.¡±


    With that said, I turn on my heel and walk out of the pce.


    On my way out, I heard Louis say to Alex, ¡°That is one scary mate you have there.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±

 Chapter 101: A picnic with the dead

    Aira¡¯s POV


    My arms are folded above my chest as I stay leaned up against the doorframe. I was on the balcony, overseeing the entire pcepound. The air was still cold, but the rising sun brought it a little warmth, which grew by the minute.


    It has been three days since Alex and I paid Louis a little surprise visit. And surprisingly, he stayed true to his word and supplied us with a hundred of his best soldiers. And with Alex¡¯s new recruits, it was safe to say that our kingdom was as good as armed.


    Our soldiers were parading the whole kingdom, and we had ced some security at our borders to inform us of any approaching rogues.


    Jared would never take us by surprise again, and if he was stupid enough to try it, he would be walking straight into his own execution. He will not get away with his crimes. Not again.


    My mind would asionally rey myst moment with Elizandra; she genuinely looked saddened by the path Jared had taken. It was such a shame that his crimes were way too grave for a prison sentence. He had to pay with his life.


    My lips part and a long yawn escapes my lips.


    ¡°You left bed early,¡± says a voice I knew all too well. It came from behind me, so I didn¡¯t bother to look at him. His approaching footsteps fill my ears until he is standing right by my side on the balcony.


    I rest my head on the doorframe, tightening the grip I had on myself. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± I say quietly, and he hums.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been able to sleep in three days,¡± he says, and my eyes snap to his in surprise. I had no idea that he was aware of that. This morning was my first time leaving the bedroom, but the other two nights I justid in bed staring at the ceiling. I genuinely thought he was sound asleep.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would notice,¡± I whisper, and he scoffs.


    ¡°You must really think low of me; you think you can hide anything from me, especially something like this from me. How can I not possibly sense that my mate is troubled when sleeping beside me?¡± He asks, and I stay silent. I didn¡¯t know what to say to that. So he continues by asking. ¡°Do you still see them? Your family?¡±


    My eyelids fell shut, and for a moment it felt as though I was on the verge of getting even a wink of sleep. That is when it starts¡­ the voices.


    ¡°I aming for you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t run from me.¡±


    ¡°I will kill you.¡±


    My eyelids fly apart, and my eyes grow wider than saucers. Alex watches me carefully, waiting for me to respond to his question.


    ¡°Yes. Whenever I would shut my eyes or even think of sleeping, I would start to hear and see them,¡± I admit tiredly, and Alex purses his lips.


    ¡°We need to go see the witches and tell them about this. Perhaps they could offer us a solution,¡± Alex suggests, and just when I part my lips to reply, Arnold joins us.


    ¡°Good morning, Luna, alpha.¡± He says to both of us, and we acknowledge his greeting with a nod. ¡°We just received a call from Alpha Louis. He informed us that Jared has contacted him and requested some rogues. The meeting ce is Saint Salvadore Street behind the old ceramic factory at nine p. m. tonight,¡± he informs us, and Alex and I share a nce.


    ¡°Send two guards to the area by five to scout the area for any suspicious movement or activity; we need to be certain that we won¡¯t be walking into another trap. And in the meantime, ready the men and weapons. If Jared really is going to be there, then we better prepare ourselves for the war that is about to go down,¡± Alex tells Arnold, who just nods in understanding.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He bows his head in submission before taking his leave.


    I return my attention to the outside world. My eyes fall on the orange like the sun creeping over the horizon; the warm air fanned our skin and caressed our hair softly. The sight is supposed to befort and serenity, but it only brought me irritation and nausea.


    Something in the courtyard catches my attention, and it turns out to be someone. Ca.


    She is wearing a yellow sundress and has her hair down. She is walking into the courtyard with a basket in her hand, and my curiosity gets the better of me. Alex follows my line of vision, and we watch Ca from the balcony.


    Once she feels she has found the perfect stop beside an old oak tree, she takes a look around. My eyebrows shoot to the top of my head when she sets the basket on the grass and takes out a nket. She spreads it across the grass and sets out two tes.


    That¡¯s strange. Is she having a visitor or something?


    She ces some fruits on both tes and takes out a single red rose. She inhales its sweet scent and ces it beside her guest¡¯s te.


    ¡°I guess Ca has made a new friend,¡± Alex says beside me, and I remain quiet. That was strange, Ca was balling her eyes out when I passed by her room this morning. And now she is having a mini-pic with someone?


    But that is when I see something that breaks my heart into a thousand pieces.


    She takes out a mini portrait from the basket and ces it behind her visitor¡¯s te. When I squint my eyes, a pang strikes my heart when I see that it is a picture of my uncle Richard.


    Ca settles down on the nket and takes a bite out of her apple. And then she starts to talk to the picture, and I mean, have a full conversation with it.


    The sight was both beautiful and sad.


    ¡°Promise me something, Alex,¡± I say quietly, and his eyes shift to me. ¡°Promise me Jared will die tonight.¡±


    For a moment, he doesn¡¯t say anything, and I fear that would be a promise he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep. But that was until he said,


    ¡°I promise.¡±

 Chapter 102: Jared’s surprise

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The moon was full tonight, strangely full. It also appeared bigger than usual, and I loved it. Something about the sight brought such a soothing sensation through my body.


    It is such a shame that such a cool and serene night was going to end in such massive bloodshed.


    The guards Arnold had sent to the location have given us positive feedback. There were no signs of any suspicious movement, and at exactly 8:30 they had caught sight of Jared. Part of me wanted to order them to use a sniper and take him out immediately, but I had to consider Alex¡¯s feelings in all of this.


    I knew he wanted to be present to witness the death of the man he once called his best friend.


    All the guards, both Louis¡¯s and ours, were out in the courtyard arming themselves to the teeth. They were also loading up the trucks with all sorts of weapons. One would think that we were going in for war, but no. This was all for just one man.


    ¡°Do we really need all of this? I think ten armed men would be enough,¡± I tell Alex, who instantly shakes his head in refusal.


    ¡°You saw Jared fight the other day; he was a one-man army. He is fast, and he is insanely strong. We need to counter his attacks with an even bigger army, no matter how fast or strong he was. He was just one man,¡± Alex exined, and I didn¡¯t say anything after that.


    I walked up to one of the guards and told them to hand me a bulletproof vest. His eyebrows nearly touch his hairline, but he doesn¡¯t dare question. I also help myself to a gun, a pack full of bullets and grenades.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± Alex demands, walking up to us. I shoot him a look that says what I am doing should be obvious.


    ¡°I am arming myself obviously,¡± I tell him, and he frowns disapprovingly.


    ¡°You are noting with us,¡± he says, and that is when I angle my body to face him entirely. Something in me snaps, and that sensation returns. The dark mists begin to evaporate from my body as I take a step forward.


    And to everyone¡¯s surprise, he takes a step back.


    The great alpha Alexander was scared.


    Good. He should be.


    ¡°I would like to see you stop me,¡± I say in a voice that didn¡¯t sound like mine in anyway. From the corner of my eye I saw the guards whisper amongst themselves.


    Alex¡¯s jaw clenches, and the fear in his eyes transforms to anger, but it dims back down in a second. He takes a deep breath, and his countenance calms down. ¡°It¡¯s not safe, Aira.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten thest time you said those words to me? That it won¡¯t be safe if Ie with you?¡± I ask him, and that is when he sighs in defeat.


    ¡°Fine. But you better stay by my side at all times; if things start to get messy, stay behind me no matter what. I can¡¯t be fighting for my life and yours as well. One of us will surely die, and it will most likely be me,¡± Alex says, and I shake my head in disbelief.


    ¡°No one other than Jared is dying tonight. He can¡¯t take on all of this on his own,¡± I say, then take his hand in mine. ¡°We have won, Alex.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    It is clear that he didn¡¯t believe my words, but he didn¡¯t say anything to counter me; he knew that nothing he said could change my mind.


    My attention shifts to the stairs, and my eyes fall on Ca descending them. She walks up to me and embraces me in a warm hug.


    I hug her back in a second, sinking my nose into her nape and engulfing her sweet scent. It was strange that I didn¡¯t even know how much I needed this hug.


    Ca¡¯s voice is low, but her words and conviction are strong when she says, ¡°Pleasee back home. This baby can¡¯t grow up without a father and aunt.¡±


    My grip on her tightens, and I say, ¡°I promise I will be back.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± Alex asks as we pull away. Ca and I burst outughing.


    ¡°Yes, he needs his uncle too,¡± Ca says with a slight roll of her eyes. It lightens my heart to see her smiling after everything. No matter how small it was.


    Ca waves us all goodbye as we get into our very trucks. I stay in the back seat with a few guards while Alex takes the front passenger seat. The guard fired up the engine along with the rest of them, and soon we were driving down to the location.


    It takes us fifteen minutes to arrive there. The trucks slow down and park in an alley nearby. Alex gets out with the rest of the guards. Hees up to the door and looks at me almost pleadingly.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I forgot to mention: if we go in there and this turns out to be some kind of trap. I am going to create a path, and you will run. And please don¡¯t look back again,¡± he says, referring to that day at the cemetery where I couldn¡¯t just abandon him.


    ¡°You know that isn¡¯t possible. If things go sideways, then we would all die together. It is as simple as that,¡± I say with finality.


    ¡°Remember you made a promise to a child.¡± He states, and those words strike a nerve in me, rendering me speechless. ¡°You can¡¯t go back on your word, understand?¡± he asks, and even though I hesitate, I still nod in understanding.


    Alex leans in and ces a long, loving kiss on my forehead; when he pulls away, he ces his head on mine. ¡°God, I love you so much,¡± he whispers, and something about the way he said that made me believe that he meant every word.


    ¡°I love you too.¡±


    When we finally pull away, we join the rest of the guards. Alex addresses them, ¡°Alright, listen up! The person we are about to face is no ordinary wolf or lycan. He is a beast. Teared countless wolves to shred with his bare hands. Which is why I order you all not to go into close contact with him. Immobilize him with your weapons, but do not kill him!¡± He pauses, then turns off the safety of his gun. ¡°He is mine to kill. Do you all understand?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, alpha!¡± the men roar out in unison.


    ¡°Let¡¯s light up the ce then,¡± Alex says, and it was as though they had nned out their formation because they all took their ces ahead, behind, and both of our sides. ¡°Stay by Aira¡¯s left; cover her at all costs,¡± Alex said to Arnold.


    He nods in obedience and says, ¡°I will protect her with my life.¡±


    We marched into the factory, and I had to say that everywhere was rather dimly lit. The air was damp, and most of the machines were covered in thickyers of dust. Alex made a hand signal that told a fraction of the guards to split us and search the parameter.


    We went deeper into the facility, and my eyes traveled in every direction in search for any sign of Jared. Something did not feel right.


    Wee to what appears to be the center of the factory, and the men that had split from us joined in as well.


    ¡°There is no one here, Alpha,¡± one of the men says just before something drops on his face.


    My heart froze at the sight of it.


    Blood.


    Our heads tilted upwards, and my hand pped over my gaping mouth at the sight above us.


    Two severed heads were lifted up in the air.


    The heads of Louis and a woman who I assume to be Caitlyn. There was a note pinned to the middle of Louis¡¯s head.


    NICE TRY.


    ¡°Bloody bastard!¡± Alex curses beneath his breath.


    ¡°Now that is not nice, now is it?¡±


    Every ounce of blood in my body froze at the sound of that voice. Our heads snapped up to the balcony overseeing the entire factory to find the man whom we had been searching for.


    Jared.


    And the weapon in his hands caused all the color on my body to drain.


    A bazooka.


    And it was aimed at all of us.


    Was he mad? He was going to bring this entire ce to the ground!


    He clicks his tongue and tilts his head to the side; madness in his eyes remains evident. ¡°But then again, you have never been a nice person.¡± His eyes shift to me, and a shudder goes down my spine. ¡°Hello, Aira.¡±


    ¡°Go to hell,¡± I see, and he lets out a menacing chuckle.


    ¡°I fear that is going to be you, dear. Don¡¯t worry, I will send Ca your regards.¡±


    The second those words leave his lips, something in me snaps, but it was toote for me to react. What happened next was all a blur; all I heard was Alex scream my name before a deafening explosion filled the earth.


    And then, it all went dark.

 Chapter 103: Demons of hell

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    That fucking bastard.


    I knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Jared was smart, incredibly smart. He knew Louis would have turned against him at some point; it is such a shame that his wife had to be at the receiving end for her husband¡¯s poor decisions. I am certain that Louis must have suffered greatly before he died. He most likely tortured his wife right in front of him before watching him decapitate her.


    I know that is what I would do. I almost felt sorry for the bastard.


    Perhaps in his next life he would know better than to side with a lunatic like Jared.


    A groan leaves my lips as an ache overtakes my entire body. A burning heat engulfs my entire body, and for a moment I started to think that I had been set aze.


    My eyelids flutter open, but they grow wider than saucers when I take a look at the world around me. It was a miracle that I had not been set on fire because everything else was. Every machine and even the bodies of my men all burned to ashes around me.


    But none of them mattered.


    Where is she?


    My eyes search frantically for Aira and the relief that washes over me when I find her right beneath me. I must have used my body to shield hers. Her eyes were shut and her body was covered. I found relief in the constant rising and falling of her chest. She was still alive.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Oh, thank goodness.


    I searched every inch of her body for any injury she might have sustained from the st, but there was none. There wasn¡¯t even any scratch on me either. How was that even possible?


    When I saw that bazooka in Jared¡¯s hands, all I could think about was how I could get Aira out of the way in time. I didn¡¯t care about anything or anyone else, not even myself. She was all that truly mattered.


    But how did the explosion not get to us?


    We were in the middle, yet all our men were dead.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t shoot at you guys; I just blew up one of the machines close to you guys. All this,¡± he gestures to the dead bodies around us. ¡°I did myself, with my bare hands.¡±


    My head snaps up to find the bastard standing right above us. He was not only fast but incredibly stealthy; I didn¡¯t even notice himing.


    My jaw clenches, and I hate this. I hate everything. I never should have brought Aira here. I should have ced more security at home and left her there. Now all these bastards were burning to ashes, and they couldn¡¯t even do their damn job, which was to protect my mate at all costs.


    But who am I kidding? No one was charged with the responsibility of protecting their mate other than me. And that is what I am going to do.


    I better die at the end of this all; there was no way I would be able to live with myself after this day.


    My grip on Aira tightens, and I utter a word that I never thought I was capable of saying to anyone except Aira. ¡°Please.¡±


    Jared¡¯s eyebrows meet his hairline. A sadistic smile lifts his lips, and he leans in to hear me better. ¡°I am sorry, what did you say?¡± he asks with mockery mixed in his tone.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill her,¡± I borate, and he feigns a pout.


    ¡°Oh my, this is quite touching and surprising. I have waited for years for this day to see you defeated and hopeless as you begged for mercy. I knew you would never beg when it came to your own life; it was a gamble, but I knew that one day you would fall in love. I knew that one day there would be a life that you woulde to actually cherish. And look at you now,pletely and utterly broken. It is like a dreame true,¡± Jared says with the widest smile I have ever seen on his face.


    ¡°You are right. I have found someone that actually mattered after my mother died, after Sophia.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare mention her name!¡± Jared roars, and before I could get the chance to even blink, he takes out a dagger and embeds it in my abdomen.


    Pain bursts throughout my body, and a metallic liquid oozes out of my mouth. My hand goes up to the dagger¡¯s handle, and I pull the weapon out of my abdomen. A pained groan leaves my lips as I try to curtail the pain.


    ¡°You really are pathetic,¡± Jared seethes as he looks down at me with a zing hatred.


    ¡°I know,¡± I manage to say, ignoring the maddening pain that consumed me. ¡°But she isn¡¯t. She is pure. I am sorry for what I had done to Sophia and her mother. I know that my apology would mean nothing to you after all these years, but please, for the sake of the friendship we once shared, dont harm Aira. You are better than this; you are better than me.¡±


    Silence.


    Jared didn¡¯t utter a word as he stared down at me. Instead, he takes out his gun and turns off the safety. ¡°You are right, I am better than you.¡±


    He aims the barrel of his weapon at my head and says, ¡°Which is why I am not going to subject you to the same torture you subjected me to. I won¡¯t let you live a second without your mate. Which is why I will kill you first and then her. Who knows, I might even have a little fun with her before I do.¡±


    Every ounce ofmon sense left my body at that moment. All I wanted to do was rip his head off before he could even think ofying his hands on Aira. But then a small tug stops me from pouncing on him.


    ¡°Anyst words, old friend?¡± Jared asked me, and a smirk lifted my lips.


    ¡°I wish you the best in your endeavors,¡± I say, and he appears horrified by my words. That was before I added, ¡°Because my mate is like no other to exist.¡±


    Jared grows pale as his eyes fall to Aira¡¯s glowing ones.


    ¡°I said,¡± Aira starts, her voice sounding like that of an angry God. ¡°Go to hell!¡±


    I watched with amazement as the earth beneath Jared¡¯s feet began to sink him in. Hands emerge from the earth and drag him down to the earth¡¯s core.


    He was knee deep when panic washed over him. He aimed his gun at Aira instead, but before he could pull the trigger, I snatched the gun from him. But he gets a hold of my shirt instead.


    ¡°If I go down, then you go down with me!¡± Jared roars in my face as he gets swallowed up to his stomach.


    ¡°Think again, you bastard,¡± Aira seethes before shooting up to her feet. The rage in her eyes was terrifying, even to me. ¡°This is for my uncle,¡± she says, and to my horror, she takes out the dagger from my back pocket and severs Jared¡¯s hand.


    His roar of pain fills the earth, and at this point he was already shoulders deep into the earth.


    That is when I saw it.


    That is when I saw his pain.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair; I just wanted justice,¡± are hisst words before he is finally consumed by the demons of the underworld.


    Silence.


    There was no sound to be heard other than the cackling of fire around us.


    I felt something wet slide down my cheek, and I curse beneath my breath when I realize what it is. Angrily, I wipe it away and I feel Aira¡¯s eyes on me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± I say solemnly, but she grabs me by the hand.


    ¡°Wait. There is something I want you to see.¡±

 Chapter 104: To revenge and to avenge

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The world was white. It was void of any object, any creature, and of any emotion.


    My grip on Alex¡¯s hand loosens, but he doesn¡¯t let go of me; in fact, his grip was the one that tightened as his eyes looked around frantically. His eyebrows were knitted together as he took in our in surroundings with bewilderment.


    ¡°What is this? Where the hell are we?¡± He demands, and I give him a subtle smile.


    ¡°We are in the spirit realm,¡± I tell him, and he only stares at me, almost like he was waiting for me to get serious and tell him the truth. But once he sees that I am not joking in any way, his eyes nearly pop out of his head.


    ¡°What the hell? I thought you were the only one that coulde here,¡± he says, and I nod in agreement.


    ¡°Yes, I thought so too. To be honest, I didn¡¯t really think this would work,¡± I admit, and he scowls at me.


    ¡°So, what made you think this would actually work?¡± He asks me, and I shrug.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would. I just knew that you really needed to see someone; I knew that you needed this. So, I put all of my energy into transporting you here,¡± I exin to him, and the shock in his eyes is evident. Believe me, I am equally as shocked with myself as well.


    I don¡¯t know what had gotten over me when I woke up to find Jared aiming a gun at my mate and ready to blow his brains out. It was like this strange burst of power suddenly coursed through me; it made me feel powerful, like I could do anything.


    And I could.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The look Alex had on his face as Jared was getting pulled down to the earth¡¯s core with tears in his eyes, it hurt me. I knew he never wanted it to end like this, so it wasn¡¯t going to. He could see his best friend one more time, but firstly, there is someone more important he had to say a proper goodbye to first.


    ¡°So why did you bring me here?¡± He asks; the fatigue in his eyes was evident as he ran a hand through his hair.


    ¡°There is someone that I thought you would like to see onest time before we could finally close this Chapter.¡± I tell him, and his eyebrows crease.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Instead of giving him a verbal response, my gaze shifts to the woman standing behind him. Alex is quick to notice, and he spins on his hell to know who I was looking at.


    He grew paler than a ghost.


    The sight disyed before me warmed my heart in more ways than one. For the first time since I met Alex, I saw a vulnerability that I never knew he possessed.


    Suddenly that heartless, ruthless king that terrorized the lives of many transformed back into that innocent, heartbroken boy that missed his mother.


    Tears streamed down his cold skin as he looked at his mother with disbelief.


    Elizandra smiled warmly at her son and opened her arms up for him. ¡°Come here,¡± she says, and Alex wasted no time in running into his mother¡¯s arms. A tear slithered down my cheek as I watched him sob into the arms of the woman he never thought he would see again.


    ¡°Mom,¡± he says in a shattered voice, and I knew that unhealed part of him was finally out. He finally disyed it. All those years he acted strong and avoided showing any hint of emotion, all while hiding his pain; he poured it all out now.


    Elizandra ruffles her son¡¯s hair and shushes him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, little one. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry. I am so sorry, mother. Please forgive me,¡± Alex sobbed, and Elizandra shushes him once again.


    ¡°I know it wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± she says softly, and Alex shakes his head in refusal.


    ¡°But if I had just said something, then maybe you guys would have gotten into another car, or maybe you guys wouldn¡¯t have gone into town at all; maybe you still would have been here,¡± Alex says as Elizandra wipes his tears away.


    ¡°You were just a child that wanted to y with his best friend.¡±


    Alex bows his head as he lets her words register in his mind. He doesn¡¯t say anything for some time, but soon he says, ¡°I am sorry I haven¡¯t begun what you wanted me to be.¡±


    Elizandra purses her lips and shrugs. ¡°Yes, it is true that you have lost your way, but I have always been one to believe in redemption. And thankfully you have the perfect mate to help you with that.¡±


    The both of them turn to look at me, and I give an awkward wave. My heart flutters when Alex smiles at me; it wasn¡¯t just any ordinary smile. It was one of gratitude.


    ¡°And besides, I don¡¯t think I am the one who needs to hear your apology,¡± Elizandra adds before stepping away to reveal someone standing behind her.


    Jared.


    His eyes widen once they lock with Alex¡¯s. Anger shes within his eyes, and he wastes no time before lunging at Alex, but Elizandra steps in between them, and he freezes on the spot. He stares at her with disbelief.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, how are you here?¡± He asks, the shock evident through his voice.


    Elizandra ces a gentle hand on his cheek and says, ¡°It¡¯s over, my boy. You are dead.¡±


    Sadness overtakes Jared as his raised fists lower and his shoulders slouch. ¡°Oh,¡± is all he could say as he let her words register in his mind. ¡°I just wanted to avenge you guys,¡± he whispered lowly, and Elizandra nodded.


    ¡°I know, sweet child, but revenge and to avenge are not the same,¡± Elizandra says, and Jared shoots Alex a nce.


    He shuts his eyes and whispers, ¡°I am sorry.¡± It was clear that those words were directed at Alex.


    He walks up to his best friend, and the two men stare at each other with hard eyes, with Elizandra standing in between them. And then they do the one thing that I never thought I would get to witness them do.


    They hug.


    It was a hard bro hug that said many things their lips could never.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, brother,¡± Alex whispers before pulling away from him. I walk up to him and he takes my hand in his.


    Jared smiles subtly and says, ¡°I guess you finally got your happily ever after.¡± He says, and I nod.


    ¡°So did you,¡± I say, and he looks at me with perplexity. Until a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. He spins on his heel, and the woman standing behind him nearly brought Jared to his knees.


    ¡°Sophia.¡±


    My eyes nearly pop out of my head as he whispers that name. The girl had brilliant blue eyes and golden locks; she was gorgeous. She wraps her arms around Jared¡¯s torso and presses her head to his chest. ¡°I missed you,¡± she whispers, and that is when a tear slithers down Jared¡¯s face.


    He shoots me a nce and whispers, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I give him a single nod, and a tingly sensation shoots up my arm. I look at them to find my arms and lower body slowly disappearing along with Alex¡¯s.


    It was time to leave.


    ¡°Until we meet again, brother,¡± Alex says, and for a moment panic fills Jared¡¯s eyes.


    He lunges at us with desperation in his eyes, ¡°Wait!¡±


    But it was toote. We were already gone.


    Our time was up.

 Chapter 105: Far from happily ever after

    Alexander¡¯s POV


    I wish I could have stayed longer.


    There were so many things I wanted to say to my mom, Jared, and even Sophia. I wanted us to go back to being the family we were once a time ago. But I knew that would be a lot to ask, especially seeing as the moment we returned to reality, Aira lost consciousness in my arms.


    ¡°Aira!¡±


    My reflexes sprung into action, and I took her into my arms. Panic courses through my veins once I see how pale she has be. I am so damn foolish. I spent so much time in that realm that I didn¡¯t consider how much energy it was taking from her.


    I tapped her cheek lightly and called out her name severally, but she made no sign of awaking. Damn it, Aira.


    She had absolutely no reason for taking me to that world; now she has drained herself damn too much.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    My eyes snap up to find Arnold limping up to us. His left eye was swollen shut and purple; there were several trails of blood trickling down his head, and his clothes were covered in blood and dirt. My eyebrows knit together when I see him, and I am curious as to how he must be alive.


    As though he must have read my mind, he said, ¡°Jared just beat me up really bad. I think because of our history he didn¡¯t want to kill me; I really did think he would, but he just knocked me out.¡±


    My eyelids narrow to slits, and I am about to ask him more questions when Meredith¡¯s weight on my arms grows a bit. None of these matters right now; getting her home and making sure she wakes up was all that mattered.


    I scooped her into my arms and rose to my feet. ¡°You can drive with that eye, right?¡± I ask him as I make my way out of the facility, walking over the burnt bodies of our men. Arnold was limping behind me, desperately trying to catch up to my horrifying speed.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± he says, and I let out a grunt.


    ¡°Good.¡± I say as we make our way to one of the trucks. He helps me open the door, and I step into the back with Meredith in my arms. Despite his injuries, Arnold gets behind the wheel and speeds back to the pce. As soon as the cares to a stop, I carry her back into the infirmary.


    I pass by Ca, whose eyes widen when she sees Meredith lying unconscious in my arms. She shields her mouth with her hand as she follows me to the infirmary. ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    ¡°She just passed out. She must have overexerted herself,¡± I say just before stepping into the infirmary. I ce her on the stretcher, and the doctors start to examine her.


    ¡°Alpha, you are going to have to leave.¡± The doctor doesn¡¯t even finish his sentence before I growl in his face. He takes a step back and shifts his gaze to Ca; he looks at her pleadingly, and she nods in silent understanding.


    She leaves, and I fold my arms above my chest. There is no way I am leaving her.


    I watch them examine, paying most of my attention to her face, waiting patiently for her to open those pretty eyes of hers.


    Please wake up.


    And to my greatest surprise, she does. Her eyes lock with mine, and for a moment I wonder if she might have heard my thoughts. Quickly, I walk up to her side and caress her hair gently. She smiles softly at me, and her smile is tired when she says, ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    The doctor finishes his examination andes up to me. ¡°Everything seems perfectly fine to me. She must have just used up all of her energy. She will be fine if she just gets enough rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you may leave,¡± I say, waving dismissively at the doctor. Aira ps my arm, and I sigh before adding, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s eyes widen by a fraction; it was clear that was thest thing he had expected me to say. That was thest thing anyone in this kingdom would ever expect to hear from me. I am shocked when I see his eyes zed over and he smiles a bit.


    ¡°It was my pleasure, Alpha,¡± he says, then takes his leave.


    ¡°You see why I say you have to be a lot nicer to your subjects; a little appreciation would go a long way for you,¡± Aira says, and I roll my eyes at her. She just regained consciousness, and the first thing she thought to do was nag me.


    A sigh leaves my lips, and I scoop her into my arms. I hold her tightly against me and nuzzle myself into her nape. Her body was stiff, which was a clear indication that she did not expect me to do that. But I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°I am just d you are okay,¡± I whisper to her, and that is when her body rxes. Her fingers find their way to my hair, and she holds me softly.


    ¡°So am I.¡±


    When I pulled away from her, she ced a gentle kiss on the bridge of my nose, but that wasn¡¯t enough for me. I wanted her. I needed her.


    I take her lips in mine, and we kiss each other hungrily. She moans into the kiss, and her hand tightens on my hair. Iy her back down on the bed gently and deepened our kiss. Her hands hurriedly go to my buttons, and she undoes them.


    She pushed my shirt off my torso before going to undo my belt. My pants slide down my legs along with my briefs, and my hard memberes into view. She bends over to take me into her mouth, and the second her tongue makes contact with my tip, I feel nothing but pure bliss.


    ¡°Oh good God,¡± I moan out as she slides my entire length into her mouth. My hand finds its way to her hair, and I grip the delicate strands softly. I guided her against me, but in reality she was moving at her own pace, which was absolutely perfect.


    She swirled her tongue around my tip, sucked it, and yed with my balls. It was the best feeling in the world. Just when I feel myself twitch inside her, I pull her away.


    She frowns when I pull her back into a sitting position. ¡°You are the one that needs to be pleased, not me. You saved me; you are the hero,¡± I rasp and drop a swift kiss on her pretty lips. ¡°Let me make you feel good.¡±


    She bites her bottom lip, her beady eyes staring deep into my soul in ways that I couldn¡¯t even exin. She nods, and my hands find their way to the tips of her shirt. I pull her shirt over her head and unsp her bra. Her perky boobse into full view, and I drool at the beautiful sight.


    Itch my mouth onto her hard nipple and y with the nub with my tongue. Her head falls back as she lets out a long and throaty moan. I y with her twin with my fingers, pinching and pulling it softly, which causes her moans to increase.


    My other hand goes down to her pants, and I undo her buttons. I leave her breasts and focus on taking her pants off. Our eye contact never breaks as I pull the hard material down her legs. Her wetness is evident from the stain on her pants; the scent arouses me more.


    ¡°I am so sorry for this,¡± I tell her, and her brows crease with confusion. But she soon gets the hint when I go down on her and tear her pants to shreds. Her gasps fill my ears, and I knew she was just about toin, but I did not give her the chance to before positioning my head between her legs. I take her wet folds into my mouth and slide my tongue gently over them.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh holy fuck,¡± she moans, spreading her legs even more for me to give me more ess.


    I continue to y with her folds with my tongue, proceeding to add my fingers to the assault. Her fingers intertwine with my hair, and she pulls them harshly, pressing me even more to her. It was her way of silently telling me to go on.


    But I needed words.


    I slip two fingers into her, and she throws her head back, letting out a long moan. ¡°Oh fuck! Yes, please!¡± she says, which makes me quicken my pace. Her walls clench around my fingers and her legs begin to tremble. She was close, I could tell.


    That was when I pulled away from her.


    The sound that leaves her lips was like that of a child who just got their favorite candy snatched out of their hands.


    I do my best not to chuckle as I position myself in between her legs. My tip rubs around her wet, soft pussy, and the desire and lust in her eyes were like none I have ever seen before.


    ¡°Are you sure you are ready for this baby girl? I rasp against her lips, and she nods. ¡°I need words.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, please, I am ready,¡± she rushes out, showing just how eager she is to have me inside of her.


    But I couldn¡¯t give it to her that easily. I had to make her beg for it. ¡°How bad do you want it, baby girl?¡±


    I nearly burst outughing at her facial expression. ¡°Fuck yes, I want you! I need you! Please!¡±


    It was when I saw that she was on the verge of tears that I pushed my entire length into her at once. Her mouth falls open, and her eyes roll to the back of her head.


    Her walls adjusted to my size, clenching around me as I moved in and out of her slowly.


    ¡°Oh fuck yes, just like that,¡± she moans out, and something about the way she speaks with my dick inside her just turned me on even more. It was at that moment that I took my time to admire just how beautiful and delicate she is. It amazed me just how strong she was; despite everything, she was still so¡­ perfect.


    She was pure.


    I really am a lucky bastard, aren¡¯t I?


    My thrusts quicken, and the stretcher begins to screech beneath us.


    ¡°Fuck, Alex, I am about to cum!¡± she says as her walls clench even more around me.


    ¡°Mae too,¡± I grunt, and a few thrusts in, we reach our climax together. My dick grows weak inside her, and her body copses on the bed beneath us.


    Our pants were the only sound in the entire room, and I brought my face to hers. Our noses were just mere inches away; they brushed each other as our breaths fanned each other.


    ¡°Guess what?¡± I ask her in between pants, and she smirks tiredly at me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    Her cheeks grow three shades redder, and she bites her bottom lip. ¡°I love you too, more than you will ever know.¡±


    I wish I could say that this was the beginning of our happily ever after, but something told me that we were far from that.

 Chapter 106: Silent anger

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Ca¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears as she held onto me tightly. I can see the eagerness, the hope, and the curiosity all swirling within her eyes as she said, ¡°Tell me it is done; please tell me he is gone.¡±


    A small smile lifts the corners of my lips as I nod slowly, ¡°Yes, Jared is gone and will no longer be a problem to us. I took him straight down to hell. Literally.¡±


    A sigh of relief leaves her lips and her shoulders slouch. The relief in her eyes was grand, and I shot Alex a nce, who did his best to conceal the fact that he did not appreciate Ca¡¯s relief. I, Alex, Arnold, and Ca are all seated in the living room; I called for all of us to be here.


    Not for any specific reason though, just to see that everyone was all good and healthy. The storm has finally passed.


    ¡°Thank goodness, I pray he is burning in the hottest, darkest parts of hell,¡± Ca says, oblivious to Alex¡¯s difort.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t exactly a bad guy, Ca. He was just hurt.¡± I say, and as soon as those words leave my lips, she looks at me like I have been possessed.


    ¡°How could you possibly even say that? People get hurt every day, but you don¡¯t see them going on a killing spree. Because of him, countless children have been orphaned and traumatized. It is because of him that my child is going to grow up fatherless, so please do not tell me that he wasn¡¯t a bad guy because he was. And I wish him nothing but pain and suffering for all eternity.¡±


    Silence.


    Well, this is quite awkward.


    Alex clears his throat, and all eyes snap to him. He rises to his feet, and fear grips my heart as I await to hear what he has to say. I silently pray that he doesn¡¯t say anything to trigger Ca; thest thing I want is a fight between the two people I care about the most.


    But that was far from the case. The words that leave Alex¡¯s lips were thest thing I had expected to hear from him, especially at a time like this.


    ¡°Well, then this calls for a celebration. Finally, our enemies are gone, and we can finally kick back and rx.¡±


    I blinked up at him with surprise while Ca and Arnold jumped at the idea.


    ¡°Heck yeah, let¡¯s go clubbing!¡± Ca suggests, and I turn to her with horror written all over my face.


    ¡°You are pregnant, Ca,¡± I remind her, and she looks at me in a way that suggests that she doesn¡¯t see my point.


    ¡°And so, what? Just because I am pregnant doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have the right to have fun. Besides, I promise not to drink too much; I just want to dance and be free.¡± she pauses, her cheeks turning a few shades redder as she admits, ¡°Besides, I have never actually been to a club. Richard promised to take me to one, but¡­ well, you know shit happens, i guess.¡±


    Damn it.


    ¡°Fine. Clubbing it is,¡± I say, and she jumps up and down, pping her hands together with that big smile on her face. She resembled a child as she did that. I refused to believe that this was the same person that had endured all this pain. She was strong. Nothing could take away her innocence.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Alex cuts in, looking down at me disapprovingly. ¡°When i said that this calls for a celebration i meant within these four walls where it is safe.¡±


    ¡°Safe from what?¡± I ask, tilting my head to the side and looking up at him questioningly. ¡°There is nothing and no one that can harm us now. All our enemies are gone. We have lived in fear for too long. It is time to actually go out without having to look over our shoulder every five seconds. It is time to have fun.¡±


    ¡°I believe she is right,¡± Arnold says, speaking for the first time since this whole gathering started. ¡°Guards have been parading the city for the past few days, and there has been no sign of any suspicious movement. The storm has passed, your majesty.¡±


    For a moment, Alex doesn¡¯t say a word. His jaw clenches, and he clicks his tongue; I could tell that he was deep in thought. until I held his hand and said, ¡°Please.¡±


    He shuts his eyes and sighs in defeat. ¡°Fine.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    A smile lifts my countenance, and I stand on my toes before cing a kiss on his cheek. I could have sworn I caught his cheeks turning a shade oinker after that, but his cold demeanor made it hard for anyone to notice. But I did.


    I take Ca by the hand and lead her out of the room and into mine. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to wear,¡± Ca says, cing her hand on her head as she thought deeply. A devious smirk stretches my lips as I open up my cupboard. Her eyes grow wider than saucers, and her jaw drops. ¡°I have never seen you wear any of these,¡± she says as she stares at the slutty dresses in my drawer with disbelief.


    ¡°I got them when I first went on that trip to the city. Alex isn¡¯t even aware of them; I have been waiting for the right moment to wear them, but the opportunity never came¡­ until today,¡± I say, smiling proudly at my collection of dresses. They ranged from all categories of slutty; they came in different colors too.


    There was one I have been longing to wear forever. And tonight was my chance.


    ¡°Well then, I suppose it is time to finally start living our age,¡± Ca says, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    In the next two hours, a knockes from the door, and I sigh. ¡°Come in,¡± I say, and not less than a fraction of a secondter, an impatient Alex storms in.


    ¡°How long will it take you guys to-¡±


    His words die in my throat when his eyes lock with mine. They travel down my body, and the lust and desire in his eyes were like nothing I have ever seen before.


    But that lust and anger soon transformed to rage as his fists clench and a growl rumbles off his chest. ¡°No.¡±


    My brow hikes with a question. ¡°What do you mean, no?¡±


    ¡°You are not wearing that to go anywhere,¡± he says with authority, and I take a look at my outfit once again.


    I am wearing a ck leather dress that was long enough to cover my ass and nothing else. My back was fully exposed, and my hair had been tied up into a high ponytail. My make-up was smoky and seductive, and I felt two inches taller; I suppose that was thanks to the stiletto heels.


    Ca stood by my side wearing a simr dress, but hers stopped at her midthigh. Her dress was long sleeves, and she left her hair down, wearing a pair of red heels to match her dress and make-up.


    I walked up to Alex, swaying my hips from side to side with a seductive smirk on my lips. Once again, the lust returned to his eyes, and I knew he was not pouncing on me right now because of Ca.


    I stopped only when our chests touched and our faces were barely an inch apart from each other¡¯s. I swear I could feel the pounding of his heart against his ribcage.


    I brought my face closer to his; our lips brushed, and the darkness in his eyes was immense.


    That is when I said, ¡°I would like to see you stop me.¡±


    I sidestep him and walk out of the room, the sound of his enraged growl filling me with the confidence I needed to get through the night.


    Tonight was going to be quite fun.

 Chapter 107: The storm within me

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Sweat, booze, and sin.


    It filled the air like a toxin, filling my lungs. I sat with Alex by the bar as the loud music sted our eardrums. I took another shot of vodka down, and Alex gave me a worried look.


    ¡°That is your seventh shot, Aira; you need to take it easy,¡± he says, and I look at him with hooded eyes.


    I don¡¯t know what had gotten into me when I pushed his shoulder and let out augh. ¡°You are such a parent. Rx and have fun; when was thest time you actually had some fun?¡± I ask him, and instead of replying to me, he shakes his head with disapproval and takes down his second shot of whiskey.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    Ca and Arnold were sitting by our sides, watching the people on the dance floor grind and dance against themselves. I catch the longing look on Ca¡¯s face, so I hop off my stool and take her by the hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s dance!¡± I tell her as I pull her to the dance floor, but she tries to resist me.


    ¡°Oh, but I can¡¯t dance, Aira,¡± she tells me, and an unnecessarily wide smile lifts my lips.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! I can¡¯t either! Just go with the flow!¡± I yell loud enough so she can hear me over the loud music. Once we are at the center of the dance floor, I let go of her and begin to move my body to the beat.


    It was at that moment that I started to feel the effects of the alcohol. The world blurred before me, and the feeling I got was so soothing; I loved it. My body moved to the beat, and my hands moved against my body almost seductively.


    It was strange, but I felt as though there was something coursing through my veins; it brought this sensation-one that I had never felt before. I continue to dance, and my eyes lock with Alex¡¯s. His eyes had darkened with lust; they traveled up and down my body hungrily, and I loved how he lusted over me.


    A man steps in between us, blocking my view of Alex. He was a tall man, probably six feet and two inches. He might be the same height as Alex; I don¡¯t know. I am not entirely sure; everything and everyone was just blurry right now. He had ck hair and deep blue eyes; the corners were red, and it was clear that he was intoxicated.


    He smiled at me wryly, and his drunken eyes trailed up and down my body. The hunger in his eyes made my skin crawl. His tongue slid over his bottom lip as he took in my body. When his eyes met mine, he slurred. ¡°hey beautiful. Care to dance?¡± he asks.


    I give him another once over; this man could barely stand on his two feet. I managed to get a glimpse of Alex over his shoulder, and the rage on his face wasical. I do not know why, but I loved it too; I wanted to see how mad I could make him.


    So I say, ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    The second those words leave my lips, he is on me. His hands snake around my waist and grab my ass before I could evenprehend what was happening. A gasp leaves my lips as he squeezes my ass and nuzzles his nose into my neck.


    He starts to move to the beat and presses his hard member to my inner thigh. That is when I decided I had had enough. I tried to push him off me, but he wouldn¡¯t budge. Before I could even part my lips to tell him to get off me, he yanked off me, and the crashing of wood was heard.


    Alex is standing with his back to me, his shoulders heaving up and down with rage. My gaze shifts to the man who had been all touchy with me; he was now on his back above a broken table.


    ¡°What the hell, man? What did you do that for?¡± he asks, shooting back on his feet. He tried to shove Alex, but he grabbed his wrist before it could even touch him. The cracking of bones followed by his screams went over the music and caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    Alex still doesn¡¯t let go of the guy, and that is when guilt starts to get the better of me. I ce my hand on Alex¡¯s shoulder and say with a stern voice, ¡°Alex, that is not enough!¡±


    He doesn¡¯t listen to me. Instead, he throws a sharp blow to the man¡¯s nose and knocks him back down on his back with a possibly fractured nose. Alex tries to get on top of him but I stand between him and the man.


    ¡°I said that is enough!¡±


    His eyelids narrowed to slits, and his growl was louder than the music. ¡°Why are you protecting him?¡±


    Before I can even reply to him. The guy shoots to his feet and looks at the both of us with horror, ¡°You all are crazy!¡±


    I spin on my heel and try to ask, ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    I take a step towards him, and he stumbles backwards. ¡°Stay away from me!¡± he screams and bolts out of the club, cutting through the audience. My fists ball at my sides, and I spin around to face Alex.


    ¡°What the hell is your problem? Why do you have to ruin everything?¡±


    He counters me with an equally infuriated re and steps up to me. At this point our chests were touching and the music had stopped; everyone was watching us, but that was the least of our concerns at this point.


    ¡°Am I  the one who ruins everything? Are you trying to tell me that you were enjoying the way he was touching you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I wasn¡¯t, but you didn¡¯t have to cause such a scene!¡±


    He shakes his head with disbelief and grabs my wristy. ¡°That¡¯s it; we are leaving.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what had gotten over me, but the strength I had used to yank my wrist free shocked both Alex and me. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I am not going anywhere with you!¡±


    Spinning on my heel, I stormed out of the club, and the audience made a path for me. Alex¡¯s infuriated growl bounces off the walls and follows me out of the club.


    I make my way out into the outside world, and the dark midnight skyes into view. The moon is hoisted high and above me as the cold wind ps my skin.


    I lose my footing and stumble a bit. The world was spinning at this point. My heart and head were both pounding, and that strange sensation I got started all over again. I make my way into the parking lot, and someone bumps into me.


    ¡°Watch where you are going, bitch!¡±


    Something in me snaps as the harsh voice of a woman fills my ears.


    A growl escapes my lips, and I turn to her. It feels as though all the blood in my veins has been set aze and a wild animal has been released. The woman stumbles back andnds on her ass, her eyes wider than saucers as terror swirled within them.


    She looked up at me like I was a monster.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    The voice wasn¡¯t mine; it was so unfamiliar, but I knew it hade from me.


    She lets out a petrified scream and runs as fast as she can away from me.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t you look quite familiar?¡±


    My blood runs cold at the sound of that familiar voice. I spin around toe face to face with a spirit I thought I would never see again. Ana.


    She has an evil smirk on her lips. ¡°You are starting to look just like me. I thought you were the good sister.¡±


    I shake my head in disbelief, taking a step back as I repeatedly chant to myself that she is not real. None of this was real.


    ¡°I am nothing like you,¡± I whisper, taking another step back, only this time something makes contact with my back.


    ¡°You can hide all you want,¡± I scream at the sound of that voice and stumble away from the person I had bumped into. My heart pounds wildly against my chest as my eyes lock with Vincent¡¯s. He had a devious grin on his lips as he asked, ¡°Shocked to see me, dear niece?¡±


    I try to put as much distance between myself and the both of them, but another voicees from behind me.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hide who you truly are.¡±


    Mya.


    ¡°You are evil.¡±


    Damon.


    ¡°You only want power and others to bow before you.¡±


    Mason.


    ¡°You are just like the rest of us. ept it!¡±


    Betty.


    I shook my head in denial as they all surrounded me; their chants went straight through my ears and pierced my brain.


    No. I am nothing like them; what they were saying were all lies.


    ¡°Stuy away from me!¡±


    A burst of power leaves my body, pushing everything around me at least ten feet away from me. Cars andmpposts went flying all directions, and a blue light surrounds me.


    ¡°Aira!¡±


    Suddenly the spirits disappear, and that is when my eyes lock with a worried Alex. He was with Ca and Arnold, who watched me with amazement.


    The power bursting through my pores was so great, I felt it all the way down to my bones. It hurts; it was so overwhelming. I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Tears well up in my eyes, and I just wanted it all to stop. ¡°Alex, please, it hurts!¡±


    Something visibly snaps in Alex, and he runs towards me. He hisses when hees within the ten-foot circle and takes a step back. He retracts his hand, and my eyes widen when blood starts to trickle down it.


    He can¡¯t get close to me.


    The sight of Alex¡¯s blood does something to me, and tears stream down my cheeks. The voices of my deceased family start to fill my ears, only strengthening the power bursting out of me. Alex stumbles back as the circle grows.


    Thunder and lightning strike the earth, and a monstrous wind begins to blow.


    ¡°Aira, please try to get a hold of yourself; try to calm down!¡± Ca yells, but I shake my head negatively. Alex suddenly runs off somewhere, and everything worsens. My hands fly up to cover my ears. It was too loud; the world was just too loud. ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t!¡±


    It was faint, but I heard it.


    Alex¡¯s voice. It hade from right behind me.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he whispers, and I spin around. My eyes lock with his, but for only a second before the world grows dark.


    Finally, there was peace.

 Chapter 108: A second chance

    Aira¡¯s POVContent is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    A groan leaves my lips as an ache overtakes my entire body. Slowly I return to the conscious world, and the ache only worsens. My eyelids flutter as they open up slowly. There was a bright light hovering above me, which made me shut my eyes.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± a soft masculine voice says, and before the nights are turned off. My eyes open up and lock with Alex¡¯s. He sits beside me on the bed and watches me cautiously. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asks.


    ¡°My body aches a bit,¡± I pause as my hands go up to my head, and I am shocked when theye in contact with something hard rather than skin. It takes me a moment, but then I realize that it is a bandage wrapped around my head.


    What? How the hell did that get there?


    Suddenly the memory of what had happened before it all went darkes flooding back in. Alex beating up that creepy guy, our argument, then I bumped into some woman and scared her off, then I started seeing my dead family, and then I lost control.


    Thest thing I remember was Alex¡¯s voice. He was apologizing before it all went dark.


    My eyes widen when I finally connect the dots, and I look at Alex withplete horror. ¡°You threw a rock at me?¡± I ask him, and he looks at me sheepishly.


    ¡°I am sorry. I knew the only way to stop that was by knocking you out. and I couldn¡¯t get close, so I had to¡­ yes, I threw a rock at you.¡± He finishes, and my eyes narrow to slits. ¡°I promise it won¡¯t leave a scar; believe me, that is thest thing I want,¡± he finishes, and I let out a sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I understand you did what you had to,¡± I admit, trying to sit up. He helps me up and ces a pillow against the headboard so I can rest my back on it. Once I am settled, a moment of silence passes between us.


    ¡°What happened back there?¡± he finally asks me, and I let out a sigh.


    ¡°I have no idea. I had this weird feeling after I took the alcohol, and everything just escted after that fight with you in the bar. I just lost control from there. I bumped into a woman at the parking lot, and she started screaming, and that was when my powers went haywire,¡± I admit, and he began to stroke his chin.


    ¡°Do you agree with me now that we need to go visit the witches now?¡± he asks, and I nod in silence. He ces a hand atop my head and caresses it softly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am only doing this so that we can get to the bottom of this and find a solution as soon as possible,¡± he pauses, and his eyes search mine. ¡°I can¡¯t watch you go through that pain again.¡±


    Something warm touches my heart, and I swear I have never felt anything like this before. I could tell that he actually meant it.


    He presses a kiss on top of my forehead before rising to his feet and taking me by the hand. He leads me out of the room, and we meet Arnold as we head downstairs. Alex gives him the order to tell some of our guards to escort us before taking me out of the pce.


    Our car is waiting for us just outside the front porch. Shortly after, two more vehiclese up behind it just as we descend the stairs. I assume that they must be the guards Alex had summoned for. Well, aren¡¯t they fast?


    Alex helps me into the car and rushes over to the driver¡¯s side. He steps on the engine, and we are driving down to the witch¡¯s coven. I take a nce behind us and back at Alex.


    ¡°Is there a need for this many guards? It¡¯s not like anyone is going to attack us or something,¡± I say, and Alex¡¯s grip on the wheel tightens. He shoots me a side nce before replying.


    ¡°It is better to be safe than sorry,¡± he said lowly, and my eyes narrowed into slits. I did not know why I felt there was a double meaning to that.


    I don¡¯t know why I felt like I was the danger. Maybe it was because I am.


    The rest of the ride is spent in silence. We drove out into the middle of the woods before parking the car as far as it could go. We had to walk the rest of the way on foot. The guards came down as well.


    As we headed deeper and deeper into the forest, we passed a few locals who I was quite certain were witches. They smiled warmly at us, or should I say me in particr?


    As we came up to Moriah¡¯s hut, which is now Sasha¡¯s, I was struck with sadness. I still found it hard to believe that she was no longer the leader of the witch coven; I found it hard to believe that she was just¡­ gone.


    She was the most powerful witch I had ever seen. I still found it hard to believe that she had passed down her power to me, coupled with my ancestral background. Could it be a power overdrive?


    Sasha steps out of the hut, and her eyes lock with mine. A bright smile lifts her lips, and she says, ¡°I heard you wereing when you passed the bounty. Come to take your rightful ce as our leader?¡± she asks, and I shake my head no.


    ¡°No, I am never doing that,¡± I say with a lightugh as Alexes to stand beside me.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Sasha says with a small pout. ¡°Well, anytime you change your mind, you are free to always take your rightful ce,¡± she adds, and I smile at her gratefulness. ¡°So what are you here for then?¡±


    ¡°There is a problem; I am losing control of my powers. I kept seeing the spirits of my dead family, and I was tossing cars andmpposts with my mind. And the weather was changing too. I tried to stop it¡­ but I just couldn¡¯t,¡± I exin, and Sasha looks at me with narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Come inside,¡± she says before turning her back on me and walking back into the hut. I look at Alex and take him by the hand before leading him inside.


    ¡°Are you sure I shoulde with you?¡± he whispers to me just before we step in.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want anyone else by my side,¡± I admit, and his grip on my hand tightens a bit. We step into the hut, and Sasha gestures to the mat on the floor.


    ¡°Lay down,¡± she says, and I do so. Alex tries to let go of me, but I do not let go of him. I pull him down, and he sits beside me on the mat with his legs crossed out in front of him. Sasha sits by the other side of the mat and brings a few herbs and sprinkles them over my body.


    She outstretches her hand over my body and begins to chant in a foreignnguage. Her eyes glow immensely, and soon so does my body and hers. A cold sensation courses through my veins, and my grip on Alex¡¯s hand tightens. He runs his thumb over the back of my palm as a way of bringing some form offort.


    The chanting and glowsted for at least two minutes before it finally came to an end.


    Sasha had grown incredibly pale now, and she looked as though she had seen a ghost. She looked genuinely terrified.


    ¡°What is it? What is causing all of this?¡± I ask her, and she gulps before looking at me.


    ¡°A child.¡± She says, and my blood freezes in my veins. ¡°Youe from a long line of powerful individuals, each descendant of the moon goddess, and not to mention that you have been granted the gift of power over life and death. This child¡­ it is interrupting the bnce; it is blurring the lines between the dead and the living.¡±


    My eyebrows furrow with confusion, and I found it hard to believe any of this was true. I couldn¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°How is Ca¡¯s child blurring the lines between life and death?¡± I ask her, and she gives me a deadpan look.


    ¡°You are pregnant, Aira. It is your child who is blurring the lines.¡±


    Silence.


    I am pregnant again.


    My eyes lock with Alex, who appears equally as shocked. But I still see the hint of joy within his eyes-such exciting news.


    ¡°So what does this mean if it is this child that is blurring the lines of life and death? Does that mean she will keep seeing the spirits of her dead family forever?¡± Alex asks her, and Sasha shakes her head negatively.


    ¡°No. There are only two oues: she terminates the pregnancy. ¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°Over my dead body.¡±


    I love the way Alex and I were on the same page with this. I have lost a child once; I am not losing another. ¡°What is the other option?¡± I ask, and she lets out a sigh.


    ¡°You have the baby,¡± she says, and I let out a sigh of relief. That means I will have to endure about eight more months of this; it would be hell, but it would all be worth it for my little angel.


    I was filled with hope. Until she said,


    ¡°But if that child is born, then every creature that has ever fallen by the hands of both mother and father will return to life.¡±

 Chapter 109: Nightmares and wailing

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Why do I have the worst luck?


    Why did bad things always happen to me? Just what have I done to deserve so much pain and suffering in my life? Whenever it seems I have gotten the chance to be happy, even if it was for just a second, something or someonees in to ruin it.


    It seemed the universe was against my happiness. Would something terrible happen to the world if I am happy? Was I born to live a life of misery and pain? I should have just died at birth if that was the case.


    I never should have been born.


    This child wasn¡¯t even born yet, and yet such a terrible curse has been ced on its life. But I will be damned if I let anyone or anything hurt my child again. I couldn¡¯t protect myst one, and it will hunt me forever; the guilt will forever eat me up all the days of my life.


    But maybe I could redeem myself; it will not take away the pain, but it will liberate me a bit. I will protect this child with my life; I will fight for them until my dying breath.


    So, I ran.


    That is why I ran.


    As soon as those words left Sasha¡¯s lips, I bolted out of the hut as fast as I could. I didn¡¯t know where I was going; I didn¡¯t have any n whatsoever; I just had to get away. Maybe if I went somewhere far away, a different continent, changed identities, and started a new life, maybe if I went somewhere far from all this madness, then maybe just maybe we might get to live in peace.


    I made a mistake thest time I fled from Jace; I didn¡¯t go far enough, and that was because I didn¡¯t have the money. He and my sister took everything from me, but now I have the means. I have the money, and I have the power to get as far away from here as possible.


    I will give myself a new identity, I will get protection, and I will do anything to keep this baby. They should not have to die just because they are mine.


    I ran past many of the locals with tears streaming down my face. For a fraction of a second, I could catch their worried looks, and a few even tried to stop me to ask if I was alright. But I wouldn¡¯t stop for them; I just ran. I ran as fast as I could, and I did not look back.


    My ears picked up on the sound of running footsteps gaining on me. I didn¡¯t need to look back to know who it was.


    ¡°Aira,e back! Stop running!¡± Alex yells, but I do not listen to him. I kept running, but I should have known it was futile. He outran me in a second, blocking my path with his rather huge body. His eyes locked with mine as my chest heaved up and down.


    There wasn¡¯t even a bead of sweat on his face, and he wasn¡¯t struggling to catch his breath the way I was. It made me realize just how much stronger he was than me physically.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± he asks calmly, and I purse my lips.


    ¡°I need to get as far away from here as possible. Start a new life somewhere far away, change identities, and live with tons of security. I can do it; I have the money,¡± I say quickly and out of breath.


    Alex just watched me with his cold, dark eyes, and what he says next brings tears to my eyes. ¡°And me? Was I a part of your getaway n?¡± He asks, and my bottom lip begins to tremble. He closes the distance between us and takes my chin in between his fingers.


    A tear slides down my face as I admit, ¡°I can¡¯t lose another child, Alex. I just can¡¯t. My heart won¡¯t be able to take it.¡±


    Alex shushes me by cing another kiss on my lips. ¡°I know, we are not losing our baby, okay? We will find a solution. I promise.¡±


    ¡°And what if there isn¡¯t one? What if the birth of our baby will bring back every one of our enemies?¡± I ask him, fear gripping my heart at the mere thought of Ana and Jaceing back into my life.


    ¡°Then I will kill them all over again.¡±


    The scary part about that wasn¡¯t that I believed him, but that he might follow them down to hell too.


    I am unable to utter any more words. He suggests taking me back home, and I quietly agree. The trip back home was spent in silence. My mind kept reying what Sasha said, and my grip on my stomach tightened.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    When we finally returned home, I went straight up to my room. My entire mood has been ruined. I just wanted to be left alone. There were times I would hear the door open, and I knew it was Alex trying to check up on me to know if I was okay. When night fell, she crawled into bed with me subtly; he wrapped his arms around me and ced his hand around my stomach.


    That was the closest thing I had tofort. My fatigue finally began to settle in, and I drowned into a dark abyss.


    Where am I? Why is everywhere so dark? And why is it so cold?


    I had over a million questions as I looked around this dark abyss. There was something different about this ce, something odd. I knew it wasn¡¯t the spirit realm because I was always surrounded by a bright white light. But here there was nothing but pure darkness.


    Perhaps this was a dream. It had to be.


    The wailing of a child fills my ears, and my heart drops to the pit of my stomach. It came from right behind me, but I was too scared to turn around. But I knew I had to; something was prompting me to.


    So I did turn.


    Oh, how I wish I had listened to my gut feeling and never turned around. Because the sight before me will be one that will haunt me forever.


    The wailing child was lying at my feet, surrounded and covered by blood. The child didn¡¯t appear to be up to three months old; he was so small, so innocent. And he was in pain.


    On instinct, I tried to reach out to help the poor little one, but the closer I got, the more his cries increased and he bled more. That was when I realized I was the problem. I was the one hurting the child.


    I was hurting my child.


    I am the problem.


    Suddenly the child¡¯s cries seized, and I dared to look back down. The child was no longer moving. He justid there in a pool of blood,pletely pale. A son wracked my throat when I realized the child was no longer breathing.


    ¡°No!¡±


    I shot out of bed with a speed that was sure to have killed me. I look around desperately with my chest heaving up and down.


    ¡°Aira, calm down. Nothing is happening; rx!¡± Alex says by my side. My eyes meet his then to the room in general. My eyes widen at the sight. The wardrobes, the curtains, and the shattered ss all littered the floor. The only thing standing where it ought to be was the bed.


    Did I do all of this?


    Alex ces his hands on my face, and that is all it takes to have me bursting out in tears. My shoulders shook as a loud wail left my lips. Quickly I am taken into Alex¡¯s arms. I sink into him and bury my sweat- and tear-covered face into his chest.


    He caresses my hair gently, whispering sweet nothings to me so I can calm down.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± I whisper when my cries finally stop.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be,¡± he says to me softly, and my grip on him tightens. His scent fills my nostril, giving me this great and unexinablefort.


    ¡°Do you see why I need to get out of here? I have no control of my powers; I am going to bring this ce to the ground,¡± I say as I take a look over his shoulder at the damage I had done.


    I am surprised when his chuckle fills my ears. His hand moves in a soothing motion on my back when he says, ¡°If you bring this pce down. I will build it back up again. I will keep building it up for as long as I live. But you are going nowhere.¡±


    This man really was crazy. I suppose that is one of the thousand reasons why I love him.


    I do not know at what point I had fallen asleep, but as crazy as it may sound, that might as well have been the most peaceful night¡¯s rest I have had in a long time. It amazed me how Alex could turn one of the most terrifying nights of my life into my best ones.

 Chapter 110: A blessing and a curse

    Aira¡¯s POV


    ¡°Oh, this is so exciting! I can¡¯t believe that we are both pregnant at the same time! I think we should give birth on the same day! Let¡¯s give birth on the same day; our children will be like twins!¡±


    I do not know why, but those words terrified me more than anything in this world.


    It was clear as day that Ca¡¯s intentions were pure, but I would rather not repeat history. Ana and I were treated like twins when in reality we were just cousins. And in a way, our kids are cousins as well; it would be like repeating history all over again.


    The thought of that just sent an ufortable shiver down my spine.


    Despite my difort, I manage to ster a smile on my face and say, ¡°Well, it is not exactly something we can control. Whenever our water breaks, we have no choice but to give birth, and I highly doubt it would be on the same day. I feel like yours is much older than mine.¡±


    Ca pouts and ces her chin on her palm. When I woke up this morning, I was surprised to find everythingpletely arranged; even the mirror I had shattered had already been reced. It was almost likest night never happened.


    Ca and I were both lying in bed; I was on my back while she was lying on her stomach. I was surprised when she came to visit me and had already heard the news. I am sure Alex had told her and sent her to cheer me up.


    Yeah, it did sound something like he would do.


    ¡°I think we should go for an ultrasound, so we know just how far along we are. I really do want us to give birth on the same day. I always wanted twins; I can see it now; my kid and yours are going to be the best friends! They will love each other to no bounds. They will have the special bond of twins,¡± she says with a squeal, pping her hands with so much excitement.


    She was yet to realize my change in mood until I said, ¡°Not all twins have that bond. Some grow up to be enemies from birth; they may have a great hatred for one another. It is not easy having to share everything-parents, birthdays, toys-and they have to dress alike. And you have to give the both of them equal attention. If one notices for even a moment that they are treated less than the other, then that will build a great resentment between them. Being a twin¡­ is more of a curse than it is a blessing.¡±


    Silence.


    Ca looked at me with wide, horrified eyes. It takes her a moment before realization finally dawns on her. ¡°Aira, I am so sorry. I forgot you are a twin yourself.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could forget too,¡± I mutter, casting my gaze to my hands on my stomach.


    For a moment there was silence until Ca decided to break it by saying, ¡°Well, it won¡¯t stop our kids from being the best of friends. Twins or not.¡± She says, and I let out a sigh.


    ¡°I hope so.¡±


    Ca hops off the bed with much energy and light in her. ¡°I know exactly what can cheer you up! A pic, just you and me. What do you think?¡±


    Honestly, I wanted to turn her down. But the excitement and hope she had in her eyes made me consider otherwise. ¡°Sounds like a great idea,¡± I lie, and she jumps up and down with excitement.


    ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t worry, I am certain that you are going to like it. A little sit-out in nature with good food and a good friend can and will always cheer you up. I will go get everything ready; it shouldn¡¯t take more than an hour. Don¡¯t be a stranger now,¡± she says, waving me goodbye.


    The second she shuts the door behind her, the room falls into a deafening silence. Subconsciously, my hand goes around my stomach, and I let out a sigh. I have no idea how long Iy like that in bed; I don¡¯t know how much time has passed, but if there was one thing, I knew for sure. I didn¡¯t want to be disturbed.


    My eyelids begin to flutter shut, and just when it feels like I am about to fall asleep, I hear some shuffling from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Ca? Is that you?¡± I ask loud enough for the person on the other side to hear, but there is no response. A sigh leaves my lips as I get to my feet and make my way down to the door.


    ¡°Alex, is that you?¡± I ask it even though I knew it was a stupid question; I knew it wasn¡¯t him. It couldn¡¯t be him; if it was, then I most definitely would have sensed him.


    My feete to a stop right in front of the door, and I suddenly get this bad feeling. I picked the dagger hidden in the drawer, gripping the handle as tight as I could before I asked once again. ¡°Who is there?!¡±


    I was met with no response. I ce my hand on my stomach protectively before turning the handle and stepping into the hallway. I am shocked when I find no one there.


    My head shakes with disbelief as I let out a relieved breath. I suppose I am bing quite paranoid. These nightmares and what Sasha said are getting to my head.


    Just when I turn to head back into the room, a scream leaves my lips as Ie face to face with my greatest nightmare.


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t want my niece to be a twin, sister?¡±


    I press my hands to my ears and scream, ¡°Get out of my head, you bitch!¡±


    No matter how tightly I shut my ears, her voice was still loud and audible. ¡°But why do you want my niece to be a twin? Are you scared that she would be a lot more like me or you? I think she would be like me,¡± Ana says, and I let out an outraged growl.


    ¡°My child will be nothing like you! Get out of my head!¡± I scream at the top of my lungs. I just want her gone. That is when my grip on the handle of my weapon tightens, and I embed it in where I believe in her heart.


    Her choke fills my ears, and I can feel her blood flow down my hands. But wait a minute, Ana is a ghost. I am not supposed to feel her blood; she isn¡¯t supposed to be choking.


    Slowly, I peel my eyes open to find the woman standing before me wasn¡¯t Ana but Ca.


    My blood runs cold, and a scream of regret leaves my lips as I pull out the dagger embedded in her chest. Her knees give in, but I lunge out just in time to catch her. ¡°Ca! No please!¡±


    Tears stream down my cheeks like a waterfall as I press my hands on her gaping wound. Her blood covers my hand and the majority of her dress. Slowly she starts to lose her color, and her eyes grow void of life.


    ¡°No!¡± I scream, and something simr to a light blue mist leaves my skin and seeps into her pores. In an instant, the color returns to her skin, and she takes in a deep breath. Shock is written all over her face and mine when she stops bleeding. Actually, her wounds close uppletely, almost like nothing had happened in the first ce.


    Her hand goes up to the spot where I stabbed her, and she touches the area like she couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened either. ¡°Well, that is what i call a near death experience.¡±


    A sob wracks my throat as I wrap my arms around her and pull her to me.


    It was at that moment that I was thankful for my powers. If I didn¡¯t have them, then I would have lost Ca forever. I do not think that I would be able to live with myself if anything happened to her because of me.


    I suppose these powers really are a blessing and a curse.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 111: Steamy promises

    Alex¡¯s POV


    Her eyes widen with surprise as I step right through the door. I can¡¯t believe she was actually surprised that I found her. I mean, what did she think? That she could hide in her ownpany forever?Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    The second the news of what she had done to Ca reached me, I instantly sought to find her. But she was nowhere to be found. I asked Ca about her whereabouts, and all she could tell me was, ¡°I don¡¯t know; after she stabbed me, she just made sure I was okay before disappearing.¡±


    I looked at her cautiously before asking, ¡°Are you sure you are okay?¡±


    she shrugs.  ¡°Yeah, I think so. I mean, one moment I was being grasped by the cold hands of death, and the next I was just¡­ fine. It was scary but relieving at the same time,¡± she paused and sucked her bottom lip into my mouth. ¡°I do not know what is going on with Aira. She is spiraling; I can¡¯t tell if it was her powers that nearly killed me or brought me back. Please help her.¡±


    I nod in agreement and say, ¡°I will. You don¡¯t have to be worried about that. You, on the other hand,¡± I point at her, slowly backing away to begin my search for her. ¡°Go get yourself properly checked by the doctor and ensure that you are actually okay. You and the baby.¡±


    She nods in agreement before I turn my back on her to go in search for Aira. I could tell from the very second that she was no longer within the four walls of this pce. I couldn¡¯t sense her anywhere. I knew after what she had done to Ca she would be drowning in guilt and regret.


    I decided to give her space; I knew she needed time for herself, and thanks to our mate bond, I could sense whether she was in danger or not. But I didn¡¯t know she would want to iste herself for three whole days!


    For three days, I didn¡¯t get a glimpse of her, and it scared me. Every night I kept contemting whether or not I should go look for her or if I should give her more time. But after these three days, I am convinced that she has had more than enough time. And besides, I want my mate back. I miss her.


    While I searched for her, I didn¡¯t know exactly where to find her or where I was going. I mainly relied on my Lycan to track her down. And he did.


    In her very own office. Who would have thought this would be the ce she woulde to hide? The second I stepped into the establishment, all eyes were on me. Nobody dared to stop me, and that was because they all knew who I was. Not because I was the CEO¡¯s mate, but because of who I was before I even met her.


    And I can easily go back to that same person if anyone dared get in my way.


    I stepped into her office, and her eyes grew wider than saucers. She adjusted her suit jacket and corset, and I had to control myself at the sight of her. She looked absolutely breathtaking sitting behind that desk with her legs crossed and going through some documents.


    She dropped the paper and cleared her throat. ¡°Alexander, I didn¡¯t know you would be visiting.¡±


    My eyelids narrow to slits as I take a seat in front of her desk. ¡°Who the fuck are you calling Alexander?¡± Her cheeks grow a shade redder, and she looks away from me without replying. So I say, ¡°You haven¡¯te home in three days.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± is her vague response, which pisses me off more than it should.


    ¡°So when are you going toe back home?¡± I ask her, and she lets out an exaggerated breath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; I have quite a lot of work here,¡± she says, and I can¡¯t believe that she actually takes me for a fool.


    ¡°Bullshit. You and I know that you have the best staff that can handle anything and everything for you. You just don¡¯t want toe home,¡± I state, and she doesn¡¯t even attempt to argue with me. There is a moment of silence between us. She stares down at the documents absentmindedly, and I can see the million thoughts swirling within her mind.


    ¡°Ca is fine, Aira. Pleasee home,¡± I say softly. I can¡¯t have her here and be back at the pce; it will tear me apart and thwart my concentration. I need to be at my kingdom, and my kingdom needs its luna.


    Tears well up in her eyes, and she lets out a shaky breath. ¡°I can¡¯t. It was a miracle that I was able to heal her on time; I can¡¯t guarantee that I will be able to do that again. If Ca and her child do, then I won¡¯t be able to live with myself.¡±


    ¡°And do you think being here will guarantee that you won¡¯t hurt anyone again?¡± I ask her, and she remains silent. Not because she couldn¡¯t answer me, but because she was too shamed to say it out. But that was the thing about Aira; she was transparent. I could see right through her. Everything she tried to hide from me was already out in the open before me.


    That was the special perks of a mate bond. Her thoughts were my thoughts, her feelings were my feelings, her pain, and every emotion was mine as well. And vice versa.


    ¡°You don¡¯t care if anything happens to them,¡± I state confidently, and her eyes widen slightly with surprise. I continue, ¡°You dont care if you bring this ce to the ground, even with everyone inside, because you dont care for them as much as you care for us, right?¡±


    She tears her gaze away from mine and says through gritted teeth, ¡°You do not know what you are talking about. I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt anyone.¡±


    I get off my chair and walk around her table, stopping by her side and taking her by the hand. I lift her up to her feet, and our chests touch. Her eyes stare deeply into mine as I take her chin in between my fingers. ¡°You know, just as much as you have had an impact on me, I have had an impact on you. You know you can¡¯t run from me; you can¡¯t take my child away from me, so you go somewhere close, somewhere within range, and far from the people you hold dear. And then you act like everything is okay, so people don¡¯t see that you are slowly breaking inside.¡±


    Tears swirl within her eyes, and she lets out a sob. As soon as that sound infiltrates my ears, I hold her closely to me and shush her. She cries into my chest as I caress her hair; the tightness in her chest and the ache in her heart-I could feel it all.


    I wish I could take it all away.


    I wish only I could bear the pain. I hated seeing her this way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anyone, Alex, I swear,¡± she says in between sobs and hums.


    ¡°I know.¡± I pull her away a bit to get a look at her face. With my thumbs, I wipe away her tears and say, ¡°And I am going to make sure that you don¡¯t. We will figure out a way to control these powers of yours, but I can¡¯t do that if you keep running away from me.¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± she admits, shutting her eyes and letting another tear slide down her face.


    Once I wipe it away, I nudge her so she looks at me. ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t run away again. Promise me that you won¡¯t run from the spirits; you will stand strong, find solutions, focus on the positive side, and face all obstacles head-on. Can you promise me that?¡±


    She lets out a dryugh, and I am d that I was able to bring a smile to her face, even if it was faint. ¡°That is quite a lot to promise,¡± she jokes, but then says, ¡°I promise.¡±


    The kiss I ce at the top of her forehead is prolonged. I just loved being near her, having her so close to me, and filling my lungs with her scent. I do not think she will ever know just how much I love her.


    ¡°That¡¯s my queen.¡± I rasp, and she smiles sweetly at me. My gaze fell to her pink cherry lips, and I wanted to taste them so bad. I suppose this isn¡¯t the right time for that.


    I need to put some distance between us; being this close to her wasn¡¯t good for this situation.


    I try to take a step back, but I am overtaken by surprise when she wraps her arms around my shoulders and presses a kiss to my lips. My body instantly responds to her, and I kiss her back.


    Her lips take just like strawberry, so sweet. My hands found their way to her hips, and I pulled her closer to me. She moans into the kiss, and my member twitches at the sound. The kiss deepens, and the back of her legs meet the edge of her table.


    My teeth mp down on her bottom lip, and I pull it softly. When I let go of her, I rasp, ¡°You have no idea how much I have missed you these past three days.¡±


    She looks up at me with those seductive eyes and says, ¡°You are the one who waited so long; I have been waiting for you toe find me.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I tease, spinning her around and causing a gasp to leave her mouth. Her palms fall t on the table, and her ass meets my hard member through our pants. ¡°I am going to make you wish I never did.¡±


    In a matter of seconds. I was pulling her zer down her arms and undoing the straps of her corset. Her breasts spring free, and I do not give her time to recover before loosening her pants. They pool around her feet, and her glorious body stands bare before me.


    I almost salivate at the sight of her. Every curve, every edge, every freckle, and every feature of hers was to be worshiped.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± I whisper, and her cheeks turn a bright shade of pink. cing a kiss on her lips, I push her gently down on the table. Sheys on her back before me, her legs apart and her soaking middle on full disy for me.


    I growled at the sight.


    Slowly, I go down on her, sliding my tongue over her vertical lips. Her moans were like music to my ears, and her wetness was like syrup on my tongue.


    ¡°Fuck, you taste so good,¡± I moan against her pussycat, gripping both her thighs and pulling her even closer to my mouth. My tongue wiggles around her clitters, and she arcs her back, her moans getting louder by the second.


    I couldn¡¯t take it any more; I needed to be inside her.


    So I take out my member and rub the tip around her wet pussy. ¡°You want it?¡± I ask, and she bites her bottom lip in anticipation. She nods in confirmation, and the look I gave her told her that I would not be epting that.


    So she says, ¡°Yes, please; I need you.¡±


    That was all I needed to hear before sliding my member fully into her. We release a long breath at the same time, getting consumed by the feeling of one another. Her walls clenched around me, sending a tingly sensation across my body.


    Slowly, I begin to thrust into her. Her body bounces in response to my thrusts, and her table begins to creak and shake as I quicken my pace. My eyes fall to her round boobs bobbing up and down as my thrusts quicken. I grab them and squeeze them harshly, ying and pinching her nipples.


    Her body arcs against me, and I have never seen anything so sexy.


    ¡°Ah yes, just like that!¡± She prompts me further, and her words turn me on even more. My eyes fall shut as I relish in this feeling that she gave me.


    My dick twitched in her, and I felt her walls clench even more around me. Three more thrusts in, and we both reached our climax; our pants filled the office, and her hooded eyes met mine.


    ¡°I love you¡± are the words that leave my lips on instinct. Ie down on her until our lips brush. ¡°I will protect you and this child until my dying breath.¡±


    And that was a promise I intended to keep.

 Chapter 112: My real sister

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Well, that was most certainly exhrating.


    I knew Alex would find me sooner orter, but I never thought our encounter would be so¡­ intense. Not that I amining though.


    And my god, did this man have a way with words? I can¡¯t believe how easily I gave in to him. After what I had done to Ca, I had sworn that I wouldn¡¯t be anywhere near her or even Alex. What happened back there will forever haunt me all the days of my life.


    I could have sworn that I had stabbed Ana, and even though I knew she was a spirit and couldn¡¯t hurt me, I didn¡¯t expect the person standing before me to be Ca. And who is to say that I won¡¯t hurt anyone again? What if I am unable to recognize the people around me and mistake them for the monsters of my past?


    What if I hurt someone again? And what if I am unable to heal them?


    Good lord, all these questions were hurting my brain. I do not know why my pregnancy period had to be so agonizing. Other women experienced morning sickness and cravings. Yet here I am battling with spirits and stabbing the people that care about me.


    I would never admit this out loud, but this was all worth it if it meant I could finally have my little angel. I do not care how many more spirits I have to face; I do not care if all my enemies resurrect from the dead. I would kill them all over again.


    But it was easier said than done, right? Yeah, I thought so too.


    And this fear I had whenever I encountered¡­ It was paralyzing. I couldn¡¯t even move whenever they woulde face to face with me. How the hell do I intend to kill them all again if they actually return to life?


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    My thoughts are cut short, and my attention shifts to Alex, who has been shooting me a side nce. I thought he would be more focused on the road than on me, but judging by the way he was looking at me, it was clear that he had noticed my silence for a while now. Why do I get the feeling he might have been talking to me?


    ¡°Stop what?¡± I ask him.


    ¡°Thinking so much. You are going to give yourself wrinkles,¡± he states, and I roll my eyes before shooting him a yful re.


    ¡°You would still love me even if I had wrinkles,¡± I point out, and he purses his lips before nodding in agreement.


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now let me continue my thinking,¡± I say, then sink into my seat. A moment of silence passes between us, and he dips his hand into his pocket before taking out a penny and handing it to me.


    I stare at it with confusion written all over my face and I ask, ¡°What is this for?¡±


    ¡°A penny for your thoughts,¡± he says, and I internally scream. God, what the hell was wrong with this man?


    Why was he being so damn sweet?


    A sigh leaves my lips, and I wrap my hands around myself. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I am going to face Ca; she probably hates me right now. And her baby¡­¡±


    ¡°Her baby is fine, Aira. You healed her in a way that seemed like nothing happened at all,¡± he says, but I still wasn¡¯t convinced.


    ¡°What if she is scared of me now?¡± I ask, and he grows silent for a moment. His silence was the only answer I needed. ¡°This is a bad idea; I shouldn¡¯t be going back home.¡±


    His grip on the steering wheel tightened, and I knew my words must have struck a nerve: ¡°There is no guarantee that she might not be afraid of you right now. But that is not enough reason for you not to stay in your own pce. If she isn¡¯tfortable with you around her, then she will pack her bags and go somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Alex-¡±


    ¡°That is final, Aira!¡± he snaps, and my lips seal shut. ¡°You are not leaving my sight under any circumstances. You are carrying my child for God¡¯s sake. You shouldn¡¯t even be stressed like this; if I notice even the slightest tension between you and Ca or anyone in general, then I will have them pack. You don¡¯t need all this,¡± he mutters thest part beneath his breath, and my heart flutters a bit.


    It was at that moment that I noticed the fatigue in his eyes. I suppose that all of this is equally stressing him out too.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    But there was no way in hell I was going to get Ca kicked out. What Alex doesn¡¯t seem to remember is that she is carrying my blood. My cousin.


    The rest of the ride is spent in silence. I yed with my thumbs on myp as we drove down to the pce. When we finally arrived, it felt as though my heart had turned into a drum set. It pounded harder than ever before.


    I kept wondering what now? How will Ca treat me after I nearly killed her and her child? She probably wants nothing to do with me. Or so I thought.


    The second I stepped out of the car, a loud squeal filled the air. I barely turn around fully before I am being tackled by a pair of arms squeezing the life out of me. My eyebrows shoot to my hairline, and my eyes widen slightly.


    I have imagined Ca¡¯s every reaction but this one. This was not what I had expected.


    ¡°Oh, thank goodness you are back! I was starting to get worried. Where did you disappear to? Don¡¯t do that again!¡± She scolds me as she pulls away, and I couldn¡¯t do anything but blink up at her with surprise.


    ¡°I¡­ I thought you hated me,¡± I stuttered, and she looks at me with disbelief.


    ¡°What? I can never hate you. Never. I knew it was a mistake, and besides, you brought me back. So there is nothing to feel bad about,¡± she says so easily and tears well up in my eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Ca,¡± I say, and she waves her hand dismissively.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she says, then takes me by my hands and leads me inside. ¡°Now can we do the ultrasound?¡± she asks.


    ¡°You mean you have not done it since?¡± I ask her, and she shakes her head no.


    ¡°Why would I? We agreed to do it together. I have been waiting for you,¡± she says, and my heart warms at her words. I was wrong; I haven¡¯t just found a friend in Ca; I have found a sister.


    My real one.


    I look back at Alex, who has a look that screamed I told you so. I shoot him a grateful smile before disappearing behind the door.


    Ca and I made our way to the infirmary and got the ultrasound done. It turned out that we were both within our first trimester. Ca was six weeks gone while I was four.


    ¡°There is a possibility you both might give birth within the same day,¡± the doctor says after reading out his reports. While Ca had an excited smile, I couldn¡¯t help the worry that gued my heart.


    I did not have a good feeling about another set of twinsing into this family.

 Chapter 113: A better father

    Aira¡¯s POV


    SEVEN MONTHS LATER¡­


    It was getting really hard to get up these days. At this point, I think I will ask Alex to get me a wheelchair and a personal butler; all this walking around was bing quite stressful.


    My hand subconsciously goes over my round belly, and a smile creeps up my lips. This has be a habit of mine. Every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to bed, I always touch my belly. Even at random moments of the day, my hand always went to my growing child.


    Just two more months left, and I get to finally meet you, my beautiful angel.


    I honestly couldn¡¯t wait. Every day I wake up, I am filled with an excitement that is greater than the one from the day before. Ever since Alex brought me back to the pce, things have been going incredibly smoothly.


    I no longer had encounters with my dead family members, or any spirit for that matter. Everything has been going pretty well. I started to have the symptoms of a normal pregnancy; I would wake up with morning sickness, and Alex would bring me a nice hot breakfast. I often vomited and had headaches; I also easily got irritated too.


    But I would choose this to wake up to the deranged faces of the dead.


    Throwing my feet off the bed, a scowl pulls my lips as I take a look around the room. Alex is nowhere to be found. Where has he gone? He knows how much I hate waking up without having him by my side.


    It upsets the baby.


    I am going to give him an earful once I get a hold of him.


    Making my way out of our room and down the hall, I pass by a couple guards who bow at me in respect. I offer them a kind smile as I track Alex down with our bond. My feet move on their own ord, and I find myself going to the room just two doors away from our room.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    It¡¯s funny how I have never stepped foot into this room before. Actually, there are many rooms I have never stepped foot in before. I really do need to do some exploring, but not now. Maybe when the baby is old enough. We will explore it together. Hehe.


    I push open the door, and the scent of fresh paint fills my nostrils. The room was clearly freshly painted; it was a turquoise green color. The floorboards have been freshly polished, and the ceiling was decorated in a way that made it look like I was gazing into heaven.


    The room waspletely empty; there was nothing but my mate sitting at the center of the room with a book in his hands. He was so engrossed in it that he was yet to notice my presence. I make sure my steps aren¡¯t heard as I near him.


    Craning my neck, I try to get a glimpse of what he was reading that captured his interest. He was in Chapter five of the book, and the title had me bursting out withughter.


    How do you feed pregnant women so they can stay full for a long time?


    ¡°You aren¡¯t exactly good at sneaking up, you know?¡± Alex asks, his eyes still trained on the pages. A sigh leaves my lips, and my shoulders slouch.


    ¡°You left the bed. You know I hate waking up alone,¡± I mutter, and he instantly shuts the book and shoots to his feet.


    ¡°I know, and I am sorry. You slept by tenst night; you don¡¯t usually wake up until eight, so I thought I could get some reading done before you wake up,¡± he exins, and I find it heartwarming and concerning that he was that observant.


    And he was right; I did wake up earlier than usual; I am still tired. ¡°I only woke up because you weren¡¯t in bed,¡± I state, and he purses my lips.


    ¡°My apologies, my love,¡± he says, and my heart flutters at the endearment. A squeal leaves my lips as he goes down to pick me up in his arms. Wrapping my arms around his neck, Iugh as he takes me back to the room and ces me back on the bed.


    His lips press on the top of my head, and I let out a content sigh. He goes to my feet and ces them on his thighs. And to my greatest surprise, he starts to massage them. Damn, why did that feel so good?


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I ask him, sinking deeper into the bed.


    ¡°I read this is the best way to bring you the mostfort and ease you off your stress.¡± He pauses, and for a moment he looks rather uncertain, then he asks, ¡°Is it working?¡±


    I nod and let out a sigh of contentment as my muscles ease off. I feel myself slowly drift back into slumber when a thought has me sitting up abruptly. His eyes lock with mine, and worry swirls within his as he asks, ¡°Wait, why were you in that room reading that book?¡±


    ¡°Well, I thought I should do better by you. I need to learn how to be a better husband and father to you and our child,¡± he says, and I find myself smiling from his words.


    ¡°You are going to be a wonderful father, Alex. And you are already an amazing husband to me; I couldn¡¯t ask for anyone better; you don¡¯t need a book to teach you anything,¡± I tell him, and he grins up at me.


    Oh dear Goddess, please grant my child their father¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to know,¡± he says, and I nod in understanding.


    ¡°And the room?¡± I ask, and he looks at me like the answer to that question was obvious.


    ¡°Is our child¡¯s?¡± he says, and my eyes widen with surprise. ¡°I was going to wait till we found out the gender before painting it, but I thought of something a bit more unisexual.¡± He pauses to purse his lips and looks up at me with uncertainty. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asks cutely.


    ¡°I love it,¡± I tell him, and he visibly rxes. ¡°It¡¯s a girl, by the way.¡±


    Alex¡¯s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline, and he asks, ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    My mind reys thest time I met with Ana¡¯s ghost. She kept referring to my child as a girl; I do not know; I always believed that I was having a girl after that.


    Instead of telling Alex this, I simply shrug and say, ¡°I just do.¡±


    ¡°We can find out the gender now, right?¡± he asks, and I nod. ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you confirmed?¡±


    Sucking my bottom lip into my mouth, I think about that question deeply. ¡°I don¡¯t know; I just really believe it is a girl.¡±


    Alex lets out a sigh and picks me up from the bed and leads me out of the room. ¡°Where are you taking me now?¡± I ask as I wrap my arms around his neck.


    ¡°To get an ultrasound and confirm my child¡¯s gender. I need to start making proper preparations; there isn¡¯t much time, you know.¡± He asks, and I found the urgency in his voice adorable. I love how invested he was when it came to our child.


    I do not bother to fight him off on this, so I let him carry me all the way down to the infirmary. We passed by several guards and maids; they watched us with envious and longing looks as their once most cold-hearted alpha carried his mate down the halls lovingly in his arms.


    When we finally got to the infirmary, Alex¡¯s first and only words to the doctor were, ¡°Run an ultrasound on her. I want to know the gender.¡±


    The doctor nods once before getting to work on the machines. Iy on the stretcher with my belly on full disy. He applies something like jelly on my stomach, which makes me giggle. ¡°That tickles,¡± I state, and Alex shakes his head at my childishness.


    The doctor had a faint smile on his lips as he began to run his tools around my stomach.


    A hand picks mine up and squeezes it softly. Turning my head, I find Alex with his eyes focused on the screen in front of us. He was waiting anxiously. We both were.


    I turn my attention to the screen, and there she is. My little baby.


    The pounding of her little heart fills the room, and I am instantly driven to tears.


    ¡°She is so small,¡± I say as a whisper as I gaze at her little form. With teary eyes, I look at Alex once more to be sure he was seeing the same thing I was seeing.


    He was mesmerized.


    ¡°It¡¯s a girl,¡± the doctor announces, and Alex¡¯s eyes widen before meeting mine.


    ¡°Told you.¡±

 Chapter 114: A friend

    Alex¡¯s POV


    One monthter¡­


    Who knew having a pregnant mate would be more stressful on the man than it was on the woman? Now do not get me wrong, I know Aira is going through all these hormonal and body changes. She has morning sickness; her body doesn¡¯t feel like hers, and she feels like shit most of the time.


    But good lord, everything she felt, she poured it out on me tenfold. When she couldn¡¯t sleep, I couldn¡¯t sleep; I had to massage and caress her until she fell asleep. And just when my eyes would fall shut, she would wake up again craving the most ridiculous.


    How the hell am I supposed to have shrimp delivered all the way from Japan in an hour? I had to order it from one of the restaurants down town and change thebel. And that was not all; she craved outrageous things during random moments in the day.


    And what made it worse was she wouldn¡¯t even finish it. She would only take a bite out of it and say she isn¡¯t interested anymore. Then she would demand something else.


    Her cravings got worse by the day.


    And today has to be by far the worst. She didn¡¯t crave food across the continent this time. No, what she wanted was something far worse. She wanted food prepared by me.


    Pasta and meatball sauce, to be precise. How the hell am I supposed to do that? I barely know how to do anything in the kitchen.


    ¡°Can we just order? I promise you that Romeo¡¯s has the best pasta in town. I might end up preparing poison for you; please let me order,¡± I practically begged her, but then she growled at me.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I mean imagine that. My own mate, Aira, is growling at me. I honestly never thought I would see the day.


    ¡°The baby doesn¡¯t want to eat food cooked by a stranger. She is sick of it. She wants food prepared by her father,¡± and as though the universe were against me, it was at that moment Aira¡¯s stomach grumbled. ¡°See? Hurry up! We are hungry.¡±


    ¡°Aira, please don¡¯t do this to me,¡± I plead with her once again, and she proceeds to roll her eyes.


    ¡°Why do you say it like I am punishing you? Stop being so dramatic. It is not that hard; it¡¯s just pasta. Now get cooking before your child and I die of hunger,¡± she exims, and I let out a sigh before hopping off the bed and doing as I am told.


    To think that she just had a whole casserole thirty minutes ago. How the hell was the dramatic one?


    As soon as I step into the kitchen, the maids turn to me with wide eyes. ¡°Your majesty, how may we be of service to you?¡± they ask, and my eyelids narrow to slits.


    I am tempted to tell them to prepare the damn pasta instead, but I knew better than to take Aira for a fool. She knew how their food tasted, and besides as stupid as it may sound i believe what she told me.


    What if my daughter did want to taste my food¡­?


    I need to do this on my own.


    ¡°Leave,¡± I ordered them all, and they looked at me like confused fools. ¡°Are you all deaf? I said leave!¡±


    Quickly, they scurry out of the kitchen and leave me be. I take in a deep breath and pinch the bridge of my nose.


    The things this woman makes me do.


    Ten minutes pass, and I finish my tutorial video on how to make pasta and meatball sauce before getting started. I am almost done when a loud, gravitating voice fills the kitchen air. ¡°Are you done yet? We are dying over here!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still working on it,¡± I grumble, doing my best to hide my agitation. Thest time I even raised my voice slightly, she started bawling her eyes out. I don¡¯t think I can handle that happening again. I just have to control myself.


    Why won¡¯t this damn pasta get done already?


    ¡°Wow, what smells so good?¡± came Ca¡¯s voice as she stepped into the kitchen. She is at least three times bigger than eight months ago. Her belly protruded in a way that had her arching backwards in order to carry the weight.


    I am surprised her water has not broken yet. She was meant to be due about two weeks ago.


    ¡°Alex is cooking pasta and meatball sauce,¡± Aira tells her friend.


    Ca ps with much excitement and says, ¡°Oh, thank goodness. I am starving; is it done yet?¡± She asks me, and that is when something in me snaps. Just who did these women think they were talking to? I am a king! Not a damn chef.


    I have no idea what had gotten into me when I said, ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are asking that, maid?¡±


    The second those words leave my lips, I instantly regret them. The look Aira shoots me could kill if it could, but I was more concerned about the tears welling in Ca¡¯s eyes. She tears her gaze away from me and gulps loudly, trying her best to blink away her tears.


    Oh no. What have I done?


    ¡°Ca, I-¡±


    ¡°Forgive me your majesty. I have forgotten my ce; I will find something else to eat. Excuse me,¡± she says quietly before making her way out of the kitchen.


    Aira res at me before folding her arms above her chest. ¡°I hope you are proud of yourself,¡± she spits at me, and I pout.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it; I just snapped. You know I am not nice when I am under tension,¡± I try to exin, but Aira holds her hand up to silence. Just look at me, getting silenced by a woman.


    If someone had told me this would happen a year ago, I probably would have had them executed.


    ¡°I do not want to hear your excuses. Fix this and fix it fast.¡± Aira demands, turning her back on me and saying something that made me nearly lose my mind. ¡°By the way, I have lost my appetite.¡±


    And then she walks away.


    I standpletely dumbfounded in the kitchen with the damndle in my hands. Once again, I take a deep breath and count to ten. As soon as I turn off the stove, I search the pce for Ca.


    It takes a while, but I eventually find her seated on the balcony with her back to me. Her shoulder shook as her sobs cut through the air.


    Guilt gues my heart, and my mouth opens and shudders like a fish out of water. I always thought that Aira would be the only person to make me feel this way, but I was wrong. Over the past year, I have grown rather attached to Ca. She is the closest thing I could call to a female friend.


    Apart from Aira and my mother, I hated all women. But somehow, I have grown to see Ca as my friend.


    And it made me feel strange to see her in tears.


    As I step closer to her, I am able to make out an object in her hands. Squinting my eyes, I recognize the object as a picture. A picture of her beloved. Aira¡¯s uncle. A word sensation courses through my chest, and I suddenly feel incredibly ufortable here. I was not good atforting people; I was usually the reason they neededforting.


    I suppose both scenarios could be applied to this situation.


    ¡°I miss you. I miss you so much. Why did you have to leave me all alone? Why did you have to leave me?¡± Ca sobs, clenching the picture even tighter to her chest.


    ¡®With him¡¯, was the part she failed to add. Why did he leave her with me?


    Shutting my eyes, a thoughtes to mind before I finally walk up to her and take a seat beside her. The second she notices me, she wipes her tears away so fast. She did so like I would punish her for crying.


    I am not going to lie; the man I wasst year would have punished her if even a drop of her tears touched my floors. But not anymore. Come to think of it, I do not think I have punished anyone within the past nine months. Good god, what is Aira doing to me? I am slowly losing my touch.


    But that doesn¡¯t matter right now.


    ¡°I am sorry, your majesty. I didn¡¯t know that you would be here. I will leave,¡± she says, hurriedly getting to her feet, but I grab her by the wrist and pull her back down, much to her surprise.


    ¡°I came here to speak to you,¡± I inform her, and her mouth forms an O shape.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    An awkward silence passes between us after I massage the crease that formed between my eyebrows. I can¡¯t believe I am about to say this, but, ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    Ca appears equally as shocked by my words. She blinks away her shock then says, ¡°You do not have to apologize, your majesty. You were right; I am nobody but a maid, and I had absolutely no right to ask that of you.¡±


    My eyes lock with Ca¡¯s, and I mean every word that leaves my lips. ¡°First of all, stop referring to me as ¡®your majesty¡¯. Like I said, I was wrong. You are more than just a maid; you have be family, and not because you are carrying Aira¡¯s cousin; you have be quite close to me, and I am a fool for saying what I did earlier.¡±


    Once again, tears well up in her eyes, and panic washes over me. What did I say now? I dont want her to cry if she starts crying and Aira finds out she is going to kill me. Good God, why are these pregnant women so damn emotional?


    ¡°Thank you, your ma-I mean, Alex,¡± she corrects herself, and I smile appreciatively at her.


    I rise to my feet and state,¡±And you were wrong. You are not alone. Richard might not be here, but I am. I may not be able to fill the hole he left in your heart, but I promise to be there for both you and your kid. They will never search for a father for as long as I am alive.¡±


    Ca ces her hand above her chest and looks up at me in a way that makes me feel squeamish. Okay, things are getting a bit too emotional.


    ¡°We are lucky to have you, Alex. I know that we are both safe with you around. We all are, and that is why you are our alpha,¡± she says, and her words touch a particr spot in my heart.


    That is why I am alpha, huh?


    A smirk lifts the corner of my lips as I stretch my hand for her to take. ¡°Come on, lets get you some pasta to eat,¡± I say and let out augh.


    She takes my hand, and I help her up to her feet. The next thing I know, she is letting out a scream and grasping her stomach. She doubles over and lets out another scream.


    ¡°Ca! What¡¯s the matter? Talk to me!¡± I say frantically, inspecting her to know the cause of her pain. That is when I notice the water pooling around her feet.


    Oh no.


    It¡¯s time.

 Chapter 115: The birth

    Aira¡¯s POV


    Five minutes earlier¡­


    I watch from a distance as Alex speaks to Ca. There is a softness in his eyes that made me a bit envious, but I am d he was being a lot nicer to her now.


    But now what do I do?


    A sigh leaves my lips as I take a look around. My gaze falls on Arnold walking by, and my eyebrows furrow with confusion. He has been quite scarce these past couple of months. I suppose I could use him to keep myself busy until Alex is done with Ca.


    ¡°Hey Arnold!¡± I call out, and his feete to a halt. His gaze falls on me, and his eyes soften slightly.


    ¡°Luna, you look well,¡± he says in a way that leaves me concerned. He sounded so empty and hollow. Now that I take a better look at him, he was incredibly palepared to thest time I saw him.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ and you don¡¯t. Are you okay?¡± I ask him, and he runs his fingers through his hair.


    ¡°I am just dealing with a lot of stress from work,¡± he admits, and I frown.


    ¡°Then take a damn break. My goodness, Alex has you working like a dog. I haven¡¯t seen you these past seven months,¡± I tell him, and he nods in agreement.


    ¡°Yeah, I have been traveling as a representative of our pack. It was meant to be Alex, but since you both are expecting a child, he knows that he can¡¯t leave your side. And it isn¡¯t advisable to have you travel around during this time,¡± he exins, but I still didn¡¯t see his point.


    ¡°That is no excuse to have you working like an animal. I am going to speak to him. You need to go on a leave; take a load off. Rx. Possibly go on a vacation. Honestly, since the day I met you, all you do is work. It¡¯s not healthy,¡± I scold, and he smiles tiredly at me. The size of his eyebags was also awful.


    This is honestly no way to live.


    ¡°I appreciate your concern, Luna. But believe me when I say I actually like being this busy,¡± he says, and I rearrange my head back.


    ¡°Why? You are clearly on the verge of falling terribly ill. Just take a break, even if it is just a month,¡± I tell him, and he shakes his head in refusal.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I do not want to. If I am idle, then my thoughts might return,¡± he says, and my curiosity gets the better of me.


    ¡°What thoughts are you talking about?¡± I ask, and he sighs.


    ¡°Please do not worry about it. I just really like to keep myself busy,¡± he says, then checks his watch for the time. ¡°Speaking of which I have some matters I need to attend to, so-¡±


    He tries to walk away from me, but I grab his wrist with a strength that surprises the both of us. ¡°I am the luna; there is nothing more important than a meeting with me.¡±


    My words surprise him, and his eyebrows shoot all the way to his hairline. He clears his throat and stands erect. ¡°You are right. Forgive me.¡±


    I let go of him and folded my arms above my chest. ¡°What thoughts were you talking about?¡±


    He sighs, and his hand goes up to his nape. ¡°You are quite persistent, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and so is my baby. She tells me what to do now,¡± I say, and he chuckles lightly.


    ¡°Of course, how could I possibly refuse the princess? How rude of me,¡± he says, cing his hand above his chest to show his apology. ¡°The thing is, I envy you and the alpha¡¯s love story; it makes me think of my mate.¡±


    My eyes widened slightly with surprise. ¡°You have a mate?¡± I ask him. I have never seen Arnold anywhere near a woman before.


    ¡°Had. She is dead.¡±


    My hand flies up to my mouth, and suddenly I feel terrible for making him talk about this. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I whisper just before a strange sensation courses between my legs.


    What the hell?


    ¡°It¡¯s actually quite fine. I have learned to cope by burying myself with work,¡± he reveals, and my heart cries out for him. That is not exactly a healthy way to grieve. I am just about to ask him how his mate died when a sharp pain strikes my abdomen.


    Suddenly I feel some sort of liquid flowing down my legs. Don¡¯t tell me I peed on myself now, did I?


    ¡°Luna, are you alright?¡± Arnold asks, and just before I can respond to him, another sharp pain shoots up my abdomen, making my knees grow weak.


    I nearly fell to my knees if it wasn¡¯t for Arnold¡¯s quick reflexes. He takes me into his arms, and that is when I feel. My baby.


    She ising.


    ¡°Someone call the alpha!¡± Arnold yells at the top of his voice, loud enough for the guards nearby to hear and do as they were told.


    Arnold scoops me into his arms and takes me straight into the infirmary. Just as we got to the infirmary, my gaze fell on Alex. He has a groaning Ca in his arms, and that is when I notice the wetness between her legs.


    Oh no.


    This can¡¯t be happening. We cannot be having our babies on the same day.


    Oh Goddess, why?


    Alex¡¯s eyes fall on Arnold, then on me, then on Arnold, and then to his hands around me. The growl that rumbled off his chest shook the walls around us. Alex doesn¡¯t mutter a word before kicking the door to the infirmary open and stepping in with Ca in his arms.


    I do not know why that hurt so much.


    Seeing him with another woman in his arms. I know it was Ca, and she was in desperate need of him right now, but so was I.


    Arnold takes me into the infirmary and ces me on the stretcher beside Ca¡¯s. The second he does, Alexes to his side and says, ¡°Go to Ca.¡±


    Arnold doesn¡¯t bother to argue and just silently does as he is told.


    Alexes to stand by my side; he takes my hand gently in his and ces a loving kiss on my knuckles. ¡°I am here, my love.¡±


    Suddenly all the doubt and fear I had was washed away.


    ¡°Oh dear.¡±


    My gaze falls on the doctor, who looks between Ca and me in confusion. He looks torn, and Alex steps up. ¡°Just tell me what to do; you can focus on Ca.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I ask, feeling panic wash over me. I try to sit up, but another sharp pain attacks my abdomen, causing me to sit back down and let out a scream.


    ¡°Sorry, love, you are just going to have to trust me on this one,¡± Alex says, and the rest of his discussion with the doctor is unknown to me. I was just too focused on the pain coursing through my stomach and legs.


    Alex takes his position between my legs and nods at me to start pushing. And that is what I do.


    My screams and groans mix with Ca¡¯s. Beads of sweat travel down my head to my neck, and it feels like an eternity before Alex says, ¡°I can see her head;e on, baby, you are almost there. Bring my little girl to me.¡±


    Something about Alex¡¯s statement filled me with a sensation I couldn¡¯t quiteprehend. Shortly after, the blessed sound of a wailing child fills the air. For a moment, I was filled with happiness. But it vanished just as quickly as it came.


    It was Ca¡¯s baby, not mine.


    ¡°Oh, look at my little angel,¡± Ca says, a bright smile on her sweaty face as Arnold handed her child to her. ¡°It¡¯s a girl,¡± she says before meeting my eyes with a grateful smile.


    ¡°Aira,¡± Alex says, calling me back to the present. ¡°Come on, you are almost there. I need you to push with everything you have got, okay?¡±


    I nod in understanding and do as I am told. I pushed harder and harder; at some point I found it hard to breathe. ¡°Just one more push.¡±


    A scream cuts through my throat as I give it myst push. And that is when I finally hear it. The cries of a child.


    My body copses on the bed, and ck dots taint my vision. I felt myself slowly begin to lose consciousness. But before I do, I manage to shoot Alex a nce. The look on his face had me scared.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy.¡±


    The second those words leave his lips, that is when darkness engulfs me.


    I should have known better than to let Ana fool me. She has and always will be a liar. I suppose that is why she stood at the corner, grinning deviously as she watched me fall into a bottomless pit of darkness.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 116: The naming

    Aira¡¯s POV


    My head tilts to the side with amazement, and so does Ca¡¯s. The both of us stand above the crib holding our children in silence. Arnold and Alex had left as well as the doctor¡¯s; it was just Ca, our babies, and me.


    My entire attention is on my sun. He is quite squeamish. His limbs kept moving in all directions, and his mouth kept opening and shutting, revealing his teethless mouth. The scent of newborn babies fills the room, filling me with this odd sense offort.


    I couldn¡¯t tell exactly who my son resembled-if it was Alex or me. He looked like the perfect mix of the both of us; our genes really did fight for dominance in this battle. But I suppose I will know who really won when he opens his eyes. He hasn¡¯t opened his eyes yet.


    My attention shifts to Ca¡¯s girl. She was absolutely beautiful. She was a spitting image of Ca; Richard¡¯s genes didn¡¯t even try at all. But she did have Richard¡¯s eyes, that was for sure.


    ¡°They are so¡­ small,¡± Ca says, breaking the deafening silence that gued the room. ¡°I thought the ultrasound said you are having a girl.¡±


    ¡°That is what I thought as well,¡± I sigh, but then a grateful smile lifts my lips. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that he is here now. Healthy and alive.¡±


    ¡°That is true. And he is very handsome. I am sure he is going to break quite a lot of hearts,¡± Ca jokes, which makes me chuckle.


    ¡°You never checked the gender of your baby; why?¡± I finally ask her, and she shrugs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I wanted it to be a surprise,¡± she says. And a surprise it was; even I that checked the gender got a surprise myself. The door opens just as Alex walks in. He frowns at me when he sees me standing.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing out of bed? You should be lying down,¡± he scolds me, and I roll my eyes.


    ¡°I am fine, Alex. I feel no pain at all, and neither does Ca,¡± I say, and his eyes shift to Ca, who is still staring at her little girl,pletely mesmerized. Alex¡¯s dark eyes shift to our son, and I see something sh within his eyes. For a moment, I almost thought he was going to cry; the joy on his face was iparable to the ones I have seen.


    He tears his gaze away from our son and clears his throat. ¡°As always, you are stubborn.¡± There is a moment of silence between us before he finally turns to Ca. ¡°Congrattions, Ca.¡±


    She smiles at him in appreciation and says, ¡°Congrattions to you as well, Alpha.¡± Your son is quite charming; he is going to be quite the heartbreaker.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, and I am sure your daughter will have the eye of every boy in town,¡± Alex sighs and shakes his head. ¡°It is going to be a hassle keeping them all away from her, but I will keep on doing it until she is twenty-five years old. Perhaps by then she will be mature enough to have her first boyfriend.¡±


    Ca and I¡¯s mouth had fallen ajar, and we shared a nce. I do not know why I felt more pity for her daughter than our son Alex, who is going to be quite the overprotective dad.


    Ca and I share a nce and burst outughing. Alex frowns, but we dare not say anything to counter him. He became a father to two angels on the same day; he had the right to make some ground rules. Even though we all knew that none of us were going to abide by it.


    ¡°What are you going to name her?¡± Alex asks Ca, and I wait in anticipation for the name she had chosen for her child.


    There is a hint of sadness in Ca¡¯s eyes as she says, ¡°I had actually been hoping to have a boy so I could name him after his father. But since it is a girl, I have decided to name her something that means strong and noble. I will call her Adira.¡±


    ¡°That is such a beautiful name,¡± I tell her honestly before shifting my attention to her daughter. ¡°Wee to the world, Adira.¡±


    And then she does something that instantly warms my heart and makes me fall in love with her in a second. She smiles at me.


    ¡°Aww,¡± my heart melts at the sight as I ce my hand over my chest. Adira shows off her teethless gums, and her dimples pop out. Her eyes sparkled with so much innocence and light. I swore to keep it that way for as long as I lived.


    ¡°And what about you guys? What will you name him?¡± Ca asks, nudging her chin towards our son.


    Alexes to stand by my side and he takes my hand in his. ¡°Actually, we have thought of baby names long before we even knew of the gender of our baby. I thought we would be having a girl, so I would have named her Audrey. But I knew that if there was even the slightest chance that my child would turn out to be a boy, Then I would name him after the man who has saved my life twice.¡±


    Grateful tears swell in Ca¡¯s eyes. She grins and turns to our son. ¡°Wee to the world, Prince Richard.¡±


    Unlike Adira, Richard didn¡¯t smile. Instead, he did something far more charming.


    He smirked.


    It was slight, but it was there. He really is his father¡¯s son.


    Alex ps his hands together and says, ¡°Alright, I think Adira and Richard are tired of staying in the infirmary.¡±


    ¡°Ah right,¡± I say before picking up Richard. I held him like an egg, like he was precious cargo. And that was because he was.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He was so small in my arms, I feared that he would slip through my arms. Oh Lord, I have only been a mother for an hour, and I was already doing a horrible job.


    Ca takes Adira perfectly into her arms, and I envy how she is so good at it. She starts to leave the room when Alex stops her by asking. ¡°Where do you think you are going?¡±


    ¡°To my chambers,¡± Ca replies slowly with her eyebrows creased; it seemed like an obvious answer.


    ¡°With my niece? No, you are not. Come with me,¡± he says before leaving the room. Ca shoots me a questioning look, and I shrug.


    ¡°I do not know what is going on either,¡± I tell her. We follow Alex to the room beside Richard¡¯s, and I am in awe by what I find. Another baby room. It is simr to Richard¡¯s room; the only difference was that there was arger bed right next to the crib.


    The room was filled with toys and gizmos, and the ceiling was decorated in a way that made it seem one was staring straight into the heavens.


    ¡°From henceforth, this will be you and Adira¡¯s room. When she grows older, I will give you a room of your own if you wish,¡± Alex says, and my heart warms at his words. I loved this side of him. The kind and considerate side.


    ¡°Thank you, my friend,¡± Ca says, and I just want to scream with excitement.


    ¡°No need to thank me. It is my duty,¡± Alex says before cing his hand on the small of my back. ¡°We will live with you to have your time with Adira; we will be in the other room,¡± he informs Ca, and she nods.


    We leave the room and head straight into Richard¡¯s room. ¡°That was sweet of you, you know?¡± I tell Alex, who just shrugs.


    ¡°It was nothing. What kind of alpha would I be if I let a nursing mother return to the maid¡¯s chambers with her child? It is improper,¡± Alex says, but I shoot him a yful re.


    ¡°You and I both know that wasn¡¯t the reason you did this,¡± I pause just as he opens the door for me to step in with our son. ¡°You did this because you are changing. You are no longer that heartless king I knew two years ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am. I just learned how and what to love. Doesn¡¯t mean it is applicable to everyone,¡± he tells me, and I purse my lips and hum. I suppose that is true. I remember him brutally torturing a prisoner in the dungeons about three months ago.


    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was him doing the dirty work in particr, but I could hear the probably dead fe¡¯s screams. I need to speak to him about that.


    I do not want such activities taking ce anywhere near Richard. I ce him in his crib and stare at his sleeping form with much adoration.


    ¡°We are moving this crib to our room. He is too young to be sleeping alone,¡± I state, and Alex nods in agreement.


    ¡°Already thought of that. There is a crib waiting for us in our room as we speak,¡± he reveals, and my brows hike a bit.


    ¡°Well, it seems everyone is ready for this parenting journey except me,¡± I mutter, and Alex chuckles lightly. He stands behind me and wraps his arms around my waist.


    He ces his chin on my shoulder and says, ¡°I know you will do a great job. You already mother the rest of us; you will have no trouble with him.¡±


    I manage to give a lopsided smile, and the room falls into a deep silence. Alex and I stare at our son in silence, and that is when my mind travels back to the moment I pushed him out of me.


    I could have sworn that I had seen Ana¡­


    I haven¡¯t seen any of those damn spirits in months. I thought they all would have left me alone by now.


    That is when Sasha¡¯s wordse flooding back into my mind. And a shiver goes down my spine.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alex asks, clearly sensing my change in demeanor.


    I gulp, my voice lower than usual as I ask, ¡°Do you think the prophecy woulde to reality?¡± I ask him, and for a moment he grows silent. His hands wrapped around my waist tightens.


    He was scared.


    There are very few points in my life where I have witnessed Alex get scared. And those times were when I was on the brink of death.


    His words contradict his bodynguage, and I knew he was only being this way because he didn¡¯t want to get me worried. ¡°Stop it, Aira. Look at this kid; does he look like someone that could bring the rebirth of the dead?¡±


    My gaze falls on Richard, and my heart skips a beat when he does something I will never forget. Not for as long as I live.


    He opens his eyes and smiles at me.


    He didn¡¯t have Alex¡¯s eyes. He had mine.


    That alone should serve as an answer to Alex¡¯s question.


    Josie 117

 Chapter 117

    Aira¡¯s POV


    One yearter¡­


    ¡°For the sake of the goddess! Who put these balloons here?!¡± I snap as I angrily pull down the balloons by the front door. I grumble beneath my breath as I pop each and every one of them and take the ribbons on with me.


    A groan leaves my lisp as I wipe the bead of sweat from the top of my head. ¡°What part of this is a surprise party do you people not get? They are not supposed to have a clue until they see a cake! Do I really have to do everything myself?¡±


    At the end of my speech, I was basically roaring. The servants looked at me with absolute horror as they scurried to take down the decorations.


    Richard and Adira aren¡¯t supposed to know that we are throwing a party for them until they step into the living room and see their cakes. Not before. The n was that they would go to the park with Ca and have some y time. And then when they get back they will be surprised precisely in the living room. Not before and certainly nowhere else.


    I step into the living room, and my gaze falls on the cake. The caterers stand erect as I begin to inspect the cake. Everything needs to be perfect!


    I circle the pink and blue cakes with narrowed eyes, inspecting every detail. They were both threeyers tall, and I have their names boldly written on the top. I was just about to approve the cake when I noticed a smudge on Adira¡¯s cake.


    The growl that leaves my lips was enough to shake the very foundation of this pce. All the color drains from the caterers¡¯ face, and I point at the smudge. ¡°What is this?¡± I roar, and they tremble before me.


    The head caterer even goes down on his knees as he apologizes for his mistake. ¡°Forgive me your majesty. I shall fix that up right away.¡± She says, and I grumble.


    ¡°Well, hurry up. They are going to be home any moment from now,¡± I mutter before storming out of the living room and heading straight to the kitchen. I need to make sure the food is perfect as well. Goodness gracious, where the hell was Alex?


    The second thought that popped up in my mind, I turned the corner, and my body collided with a hard one. I take a step back to lock eyes with devil himself.


    Alex stands before me, looking as handsome and ravishing as always. He had grown a bit older over the past two years I have known him. He has some stubble growing around his lower face, and I do not think he has had a proper haircut in months.


    Not that I amining though. He looks good enough to eat. Those beautiful lips of his surrounded by stubble-I wonder how they would feel while he sucked my


    Not the time, Aira! Snap out of it!


    cing my hands on my hips, I re at him. He doesn¡¯t say anything as he takes in my facial expression. His handse up to my face, and I am confused until he lifts the corners of my lips into a smile.


    ¡°There, much better,¡± he says, and I roll my eyes before pping his hands away.


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± I ask him, and he sighs.


    ¡°Taking care of the entertainment. I told you I would handle it,¡± he says, and I sigh.


    ¡°Well, you could help with other things. I have so much on my te and¡±


    My voice dies in my throat as the sound of a car driving into thepound fills my ears. ¡°Oh no, they are here! Is it two o¡¯clock already?¡± I ask, running my hand down my face.


    ¡°It¡¯s three, Aira,¡± Alex states simply, and I groan. ¡°Rx; everything is ready. Everything is perfect.¡±


    Alex ces his hands on my shoulders, and I shake my head in disagreement. ¡°This is their first birthday, Alex.¡±


    ¡°I know, and you have done a wonderful job; they are going to love it. I promise,¡± he tells me, and I smile softly.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s go hide.¡± He tells me, taking my hand and leading me back to the living room. Everyone takes their ces behind the couches, and we listen closely for their footsteps.


    ¡°Wow! Cake!¡±


    The second we hear Adira¡¯s voice, we all jump out and scream, ¡°Surprise!¡±


    My little babiese into full view, and my heart is full. Adira has grown to be the spitting image of Ca, and my son, who I once thought was a mixture of both Alex and me, has now decided to favor his father more. He took everything from


    Adira¡¯s eyes were filled with joy and excitement as she squealed; she jumped up and down while pping. And then Richard, my little prince, had a smile on his face, but he didn¡¯t show as much excitement as Adira.


    Ca smiles from behind them, taking a look around as I ran up to them and gave them both a bone-crushing hug.


    ¡°Happy birthday, my darlings!¡± I tell them before cing a kiss on both of their cheeks.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± they reply in unison.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can we cut our cake now?¡± Adira asks, smiling dreamily at her orange cake.


    ¡°No, not yet. You all need to shower and change so we can take pictures. After that, then we can cut the cake,¡± I tell them, and Adira pouts her lips. Richard seemed fine either way. That was one thing I didn¡¯t know whether to feel concerned or happy about with my son.


    He was always so fine with everything. He hardly ever cried, only when he was hungry. He didn¡¯t even struggle for things like toys and things with Adira. Once he saw she wanted it, he just gave it to her willingly.


    He was so¡­ mature for his age.


    It was scary.


    A maides in and takes the both of them away before I turn my attention to Ca. ¡°How was the walk?¡±


    She shrugs then says, ¡°It was alright. They yed on the swings and slides, and then we got some ice cream. They also made new friends.¡±


    The look I shoot at her instantly makes her rephrase her sentence. ¡°I mean, Adira made some new friends.¡±


    As expected.


    Richard was a quiet kid. He found it hard to talk to anyone apart from me and Adira. He said very few words to Ca.


    And I could count the number of times he has actually spoken to his own father. It freaked me out, and I even had us consult a doctor about it. We had him examined for any physical or neurological problems.


    It turns out he was just fine.


    Being quiet and reserved was just his nature, and I fully loved and epted him the way he was.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked Ca, who appeared to be quite distant.


    ¡°Yeah, I am fine. It¡¯s just that while at the park I felt like we were being watched,¡± she says, and my eyelids narrow.


    ¡°What do you mean you felt like you were being watched? Did you see anyone watching you?¡± I ask her, and she doesn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing; maybe it¡¯s all just in my head,¡± she says, then sters a smile on her lips.


    cing my hand on her shoulder, I say, ¡°This party has been on our minds for the past couple of weeks. You are probably just stressed out. You don¡¯t have to worry; we are protected. Heavily, for that matter. And today is supposed to be a day of celebration; it¡¯s our baby¡¯s first birthday. A year ago we gave birth to the greatest blessings of our lives. Don¡¯t let anything ruin this day for you. You have no need to be scared or worried, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are right. How stupid of me,¡± she chuckles lightly before taking a look at herself. ¡°I better go change.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should. It¡¯s almost time to cut the cake,¡± I inform her, and she hurries off to change.


    A few minutester, Adira and Richard return to us looking as beautiful as ever. Richard was wearing an all-ck suit and a bow tie. His hair was perfectly styled, and there was a single rose pinned to his suit jacket.


    Oh, what a handsome boy he is!


    Pride swelled within me as I watched my son take Adira by the hand and lead her to her own cake. She was wearing a white ball gown that made her look nothing short of a princess.


    The both of them take their ces behind their cakes, and I check the time on my watch before searching the room for Ca.


    Where is she?


    ¡°Where is my mummy?¡± Adira asks, and I put up a smile for her.


    ¡°She ising; she just went to go change,¡± I told her, and she pouted her little lips.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry; she will be down any minute from now. Right now, just take pictures with your cake, okay?¡± I tell her softly, and she nods.


    The photographers took their positions and waited for the go-ahead to start taking pictures.


    And I give it to them.


    Adira put up the brightest smile on her face while Richard maintained one pose. Once they were both done taking pictures individually, they took some together.


    Adira hugged Richard with so much love, and I am surprised when he reciprocates. This has to be the most emotion I have witnessed him disy.


    It was a moment I would cherish forever.


    Once they were done taking their pictures, Alex and I joined in.


    That is when Adira¡¯s smile began to fade.


    ¡°Mummy,¡± she mutters, and I sigh. Where was she? I thought the both of us agreed on the outfit we would wear today justst night.


    ¡°Come on, Princess Adira, smile for us,¡± one of the photographers says, but Adira does not oblige.


    The photographers didn¡¯t have to say anything, but from the nces they shot one another, I could tell the pictures weren¡¯ting out nicely.


    ¡°I am going to go get mummy,¡± Adira says before leaving the living room.


    ¡°I will be back; you and Richard take some pictures in the meantime,¡± I tell Alex, who nods once as a reply.


    I go after Adira, and I find her knocking on Ca¡¯s door. ¡°Mummy? Are you in there?¡± She asks, but there is no response.


    That is strange. She is supposed to be here. Where else could she have gone?


    Adira is about to open the door, but then I stop her.


    ¡°Let me; she is probably still getting dressed.¡± I tell her, and she nods before stepping aside for me to enter.


    As soon as I step in, my worldes to a halt.


    The metallic scent of blood hits my nostrils before I even get to see the gruesome sight before.


    My best friend.


    No. My sister was pinned to the wall by knives sticking out of her limbs. Her throat had been split wide open, and one of her eyes had been gouged out.


    I wanted to scream, but Adira was just right behind me.


    A tear slips past my eye as my bottom lips tremble. Shifting my gaze to the words written with her blood, I knew that war had just been waged on my child¡¯s birthday.


    I AM YOUR ONLY SISTER!


    Ana was back.


    Quietly, I wipe my tears away and step out of the room. stering a smile on my face, I meet Adira¡¯s waiting eyes and lie to her for the first time.


    ¡°She¡¯s not in there, sweetheart. I am sure she has gone back to the party;e on, let¡¯s go,¡± I say quickly before taking her by the hand and leading her back to the living room.


    I need to get to Alex.


    We were under attack.

 Chapter 118: When the family gets together

    Alex¡¯s POV


    I never would have asked for a DNA test.


    Richard was just like me, and it bothered me to no end. I wanted him to be just like his momma. Kind, caring, bubbly.


    You know, act like a kid.


    For the sake of the goddess, he was just a year old, and he was just so serious all the time.


    My mother once told me that before Jared came into the pce, that was exactly how I was. Calm, collected, and barely said two words to anyone in a month.


    But then Jared came along, and my life, even if it was just for a little while, got brighter.


    Richard had Adira, and she was basically his sister. It was clear from the moment they were born that they would be inseparable. She was the only one who brought out the happy side of him.


    And I envied her for that.


    I would never admit it out loud, but oftentimes I would find myself wishing for those moments of vulnerability with my son.


    I never thought I would get to hear myself say that.


    But like I said, he is just a kid. He doesn¡¯t need to be this serious for any reason.


    We stand next to each other, and I take his tiny hand in my soft one to steady him. He was so smallpared to me.


    When we were done taking our rather awkward pictures, he looked up at me for the first time. I find myself anticipating what it is he had to say.


    ¡°Where is Mummy?¡±


    Of course that is what he would ask.


    ¡°She should be back by now.¡± I trail off, and he doesn¡¯t say another word to me before going to search for his mother.


    ¡°Wait up little dude,¡± I say before going after him. As we make our way through the halls, my ears pick up on the awkward silence. There were barely any guards around.


    Something did not feel right.


    ¡°Mummy!¡± Richard yells with excitement and relief before running towards her as fast as he could with his little legs. My eyes first fall on the faint blood stain in her hands before meeting her eyes.


    It can¡¯t be.


    ¡°When did you change your clothes, mummy?¡±


    Oh no.


    ¡°Richard stop!¡± I yell, and Richard¡¯s feete to a halt just as Ana takes out a dagger from her pocket and charges towards Richard. My feet kicked into action, and it was a race between Ana and me on who could get to Richard first.


    ¡°Run Richard! Run!¡± I yell, but his little legs are still frozen to the spot in fear. He was trembling.


    No, no!


    ¡°Mummy?¡± Richard asks once again, his voice so small and filled with confusion and fear. Ana gained on him, and before I knew it, she was bringing down her dagger on my son.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Suddenly Richard¡¯s body goes flying across the room and straight into my arms before the tip of the weapon could touch him.


    Aira stands right behind her deranged sister with her hand outstretched, aiming at the spot where Richard once stood.


    ¡°You,¡± Aira seethes, her teeth gritting as she stared at her sister with nothing butplete and utter hatred.


    I can¡¯t believe it. The prophecy was true.


    Richard¡¯s birth really did bring them back.


    Ana stands before us in ck tights and shirts. She has her hair down, and that maniacal smile still ys on her lips.


    ¡°Hello there, sister! How has it been?¡± Ana asks with a loyd voice, not bothering to hide the madness in her eyes.


    Richard holds on to me tightly as he buries his face into my chest. ¡°Dad, why are there two mummies, and why is one of them so scary?¡± My son asks, and I shush him.


    ¡°The scary one isn¡¯t your mother. Just close your ears and eyes, okay? Everything is going to be fine,¡± I reassure him, and despite how much he was trembling, he managed to nod and do as I say.


    Ana¡¯s shoulders shake as she lets out a derangedugh. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this just cute? Brother-inw, I didn¡¯t know you could be so sweet. Thest time I saw you, you were nothing but a brute asshole.¡± She pauses to shoot Aira azy grin while twirling the weapon in her hands.


    ¡°What do you want, Ana?¡± I ask through gritted teeth, and she ces a hand over her chest, pretending to be hurt.


    ¡°I first came to attend my little nephew¡¯s first birthday; I am sure you haven¡¯t told him about me. So I just came to introduce myself,¡± Ana says, then takes a step towards us, but I take out the dagger from my back pocket and point it at her.


    ¡°Stay away from my son,¡± I say through gritted teeth, and her smile stretcheszily to her ears.


    ¡°I would like to see you stop me,¡± she growls. Before she can take another step, Aira¡¯s voice cuts through the air.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    ¡°I have killed you once before, and I can definitely do it again, Ana. Only this time I won¡¯t feel so remorseful about it.¡±


    Those words make Ana put her full attention on her sister. Craning her neck to the side, she says, ¡°That is true. But let me see you stop us all.¡±


    Suddenly a powerful wind blows, and I am confused as to how such can take ce inside. Every door and every window ms shut; their loud bangs cause Adira to scream and press herself to Aira.


    Aira holds her protectively while I hold onto Richard. A strange feeling courses up my veins and spine.


    That is when it became hard to breathe. There was this strange and dominating presence, and it didn¡¯t juste from one person.


    Aira and I share a nce, and our eyes widen when the realization dawns on the both of us.


    They were all here.


    Mya and Betty appear by my side just as Vincent, Damon, and Mason appear by Aira¡¯s.


    Aira¡¯s eyes don¡¯t leave mine, and I can see the fear in her eyes as her grip on Adira tightens.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this a lovely family reunion?¡±

 Chapter 119: The Brave and Strong

    Richard¡¯s POV


    I am not sure I am having fun anymore.


    This is not fun; this is scary. Is this how all birthdays are?


    I didn¡¯t want to celebrate my birthday, and because of this, I never want to celebrate any more. Why are there so many scary people? And why does this scarydy look just like my mummy? She wanted to use that knife on me, and I am sure it would have been very painful.


    But then I went flying into Daddy¡¯s arms. I didn¡¯t know I could fly.


    I wonder if I could make myself, Mummy, Daddy, and Adira fly out of here. Everyone was so scared, and it was because of these strange people. I just want them to go away.


    I never wanted a party; I just wanted to spend today with Mummy and Adira, and maybe Daddy. He was scary sometimes, but I did like staying with him; he liked talking to me and was nice to me. But I see the way he treated other people, and it wasn¡¯t nice at all.


    I will never forget the night. Adira and I wanted a ss of water, and she was too scared to go downstairs alone. So I went to get some for us instead. Before I got to the kitchen, I heard this strange noise, and it was very scary.


    I wanted to run back to my room, but I also wanted to know who was making that scary sound. It sounded like the person was in pain. Maybe I could have helped them or called Mummy to help them. So I went to search for the person screaming.


    It came from the scary hallway. Mummy and Daddy told Adira and me to never go down. I wanted to turn back again, but the person¡¯s scream got so loud it made me cry. But Aunt Ca always said I was a brave boy and that I was very strong.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.


    She said I could do things other people couldn¡¯t and that I was special. So I thought that I could do it. I thought I could help the person in pain. I was brave; I didn¡¯t need to be scared. So I went down the dark and scary hallway. The screaming came from a big metal door.


    I was still feeling a bit scared, so I opened the door quietly, and what I saw made me cry. It was Daddy; he looked like a monster. The type Aunt Ca used to talk about in the stories. He was covered in sweat, blood, and dirt.


    But I do not think the blood was his because he looked just fine. Then I saw the man on the chair crying. He didn¡¯t have an eye, and he was covered in so much blood. He was crying and begging Daddy to stop hurting him, but daddy didn¡¯t stop. Daddy told him to be quiet, but he just kept on screaming. Then Daddy kept using that big knife on him until the man kept quiet.


    I guess he finally decided to listen to Daddy.


    But that still wasn¡¯t very nice.


    I knew Daddy would be angry at me if he saw me there, so I ran back to my room, after getting Adira her water, of course. I wasn¡¯t thirsty anymore.


    I never told anyone about what I saw that night. I just saw Daddy as a meanie and stopped talking to him. I didn¡¯t like him very much, even though he was still very nice to me.


    But today, I held on to him so tight as I cried. I have never wanted to be so close to him as I am right now.


    Daddy told me to cover my eyes and ears, but I would sometimes take a peek, and my hands on my ears weren¡¯t that tight, so I could still hear what they were saying. The scary people were still there, and they were taking Adira away from Mummy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch her, you monsters!¡± Mummy screams, and I hated it. She had tears in her eyes, and I didn¡¯t like it. I have never seen Mummy cry before; it made me want to cry.


    Why are these scary people doing this? I just wanted them to go away. I didn¡¯t like them. Not one bit.


    ¡°I will rip your hand off if you touch my son!¡± Daddy yells, and then Mummy starts screaming. One of the scary men had his hand around Mummy¡¯s throat. He was holding her very tight, and it looked like she was in a lot of pain.


    ¡°Give us the boy or I will snap her neck right in front of you and your children!¡± the man holding Mummy¡¯s neck said.


    He will snap Mummy¡¯s neck. That is not nice! Why would they do such a thing?


    One of the scarydies takes me from Daddy, but I still hold onto his shirt. I didn¡¯t like crying, but I did this time. Aunt Ca always told me I was strong, and strong people didn¡¯t cry. But I didn¡¯t feel so strong right now. I was scared. I just wanted things to go back to how they were. I didn¡¯t like any of this.


    ¡°No! I want to stay with Daddy!¡± I scream as the woman tears me away from Daddy, who just let go of me. He kept telling me he is sorry and that everything will be okay, but it didn¡¯t feel like everything was okay. ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to leave Daddy!¡± I scream, and then she hits my head.


    It hurts.


    It hurts really bad.


    I opened my mouth and let out a cry. A scary sound suddenly fills the room, and I have heard something like it once before on the television. It was what angry beasts sounded like. But where did ite from?


    Someone spoke, and it sounded like mummy, but at the same time it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°How dare youy your hands on my son!¡±


    Mummy¡¯s eyes started to glow, and it was so cool. I have never seen anything like it before. I didn¡¯t know she could do it. Soon the rest of her body started glowing, and she looked like a superhero.


    It became very windy too.


    But then the man holding Mummy¡¯s throat stabs her with a needle! It looked like one the doctor usually had whenever Adira was feeling sick. I never got sick. Like Aunt Ca said, I was a strong boy. Where is she now? I thought Mummy and Adira went to look for her.


    I wish she was here to help.


    Mummy¡¯s eyes and body stopped glowing. She also stopped moving.


    I didn¡¯t like it. I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°What did you meanies do to my mummy?¡± I ask thedy holding me, but she smacks me again. It hurt so bad. The tears that filled my eyes were hot, and it hurt my eyes. It hurt a lot.


    ¡°Be quiet!¡± She screams at me.


    I hated her.


    ¡°Go away!¡± I scream as loud as I can, and the scariest thing happens.


    The second I screamed her head flew away from her body. And then her body fell on the fall.


    Everyone was quiet; they all looked at me like I was the monster.


    ¡°How did you do that, Richard?¡± Adira asks with her eyes so wide. She looked at me like I was a hero. I think this is why Aunt Ca always told me I was strong and special.


    So I could protect Adira. I am her hero.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, looking at thedy¡¯s body and her head on the other side of the room.


    Creepy.


    ¡°Close your eyes, Richard!¡± Daddy yelled at me, but I didn¡¯t. Why will I close my eyes when all the scary-looking people areing after me?


    ¡°Kill him!¡±


    ¡°Richard run!¡± Daddy said, but I didn¡¯t want.


    ¡°No, I am not going to run! Aunty Ca said I am brave and strong. And brave and strong people don¡¯t run!¡±


    I can do this.


    I won¡¯t let these people make Mummy sad again.

 Chapter 120: And burn you shall

    Aira¡¯s POV


    I felt so weak. I hated it.


    This was not the time to be weak. My family needed me. My children needed me.


    My heart still ached heavily from what Ana had done to Ca. I just wanted to rip her head off her shoulders; she took away one of the most precious gifts I had in my life. Ca was everything Ana wasn¡¯t.


    And I just know Ana knew it. That is why she took Ca from me first.


    I won¡¯t let her take anyone else again. I just wish I could get my hands on her. I hate how she sat so leisurely on top of a sculpture, enjoying the torment she was inflicting on my family. I can¡¯t believe what Richard had done; he blew off Mya¡¯s head with his scream.


    He must have the power of sound. How convenient considering he barely spoke. I have tried several times to figure out his power, but then I remembered I didn¡¯t even know I had powers until two years ago, when they began to manifest. So, I knew it would take time until his started manifesting.


    I suppose I was wrong.


    I wanted to tell him to shut his eyes; he must be so scared after witnessing such a gruesome sight. He must be terribly confused too. My poor baby.


    I need to get off this damn floor. God damn it, what did Vincent inject me with?


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother; you are as good as paralyzed. It took us a year to prepare this elixir, but we finally found the perfectbinations to render you immobile and null your powers,¡± Vincent says from above, and I snarl at him. He takes out another syringe containing the same elixir and stares at it before looking at my son. ¡°Now we just have to inject this brat with it too.¡±


    ¡°We should just kill him,¡± Ana says simply as she hops of the sculpture. The second those words leave her lips, a groan leaves my lips, and I gain some sensation in my fingers. I do not care what stupid elixir they injected me with. I have to fight it.


    I need to protect my boy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch my son,¡± I say through gritted teeth. Ana and Vincent look at me, and the girl I once called my sister rolls her eyes in annoyance.


    ¡°Inject more of that into her. She shouldn¡¯t even be able to talk. All she has to do isy pretty and watch me rip every single one of her loved ones to shreds,¡± Ana says, and Vincent nods in obedience. ¡®


    As he crouches down to inject me with more of that godforsaken abomination, I see, ¡°Just look at you taking orders from a girl. You really must have grown quite soft in hell.¡±


    A loud p is heard, and my cheek feels as though it had been set on fire.


    ¡°You bastard! I will rip that damn arm of yours off again with my bare hands,¡± Alex snarls, and my teary eyes meet his. Damon and Mason were both holding him down with chains.


    Vincent rolls his eyes before injecting me with the elixir. ¡°Good Lord, you all make a hell lot of noise.¡± He says before rising to his feet. ¡°What are we going to do with the little bastard? Just one scream, and we all go bye-bye.¡±


    Ana strokes her chin as she eyes my son evilly. I had this incredible urge to gouge her eyes out.


    Richard stood on his own, and it drove me crazy knowing that the damn door is right behind him. Why won¡¯t he just run? Why did he have to act brave today? Good God he is only one.


    Ana snaps her fingers and walks up to Betty. ¡°You can control blood cant you?¡± she asks Betty, who nods. The smile my sister has on her lips leaves me with a terrible feeling. One that made my skin crawl. She points a finger at Richard and says, ¡°I want you to set his blood on fire. We will watch the twerp burn from the inside out.


    No!


    ¡°No!¡± Alex screams at the same time I would have. I screamed at my body to move, to do something. All I could do was cry.


    Betty aims her hands at my son, and that is when I regain sensation on my arm once again. But I won¡¯t make it in time.


    Moon Goddess, please!


    Suddenly a daggeres flying right past Richard. It cuts through the air and embeds in Betty¡¯s throat. Instantly, her knees meet the tile floor as her choke fills the air. Her hand goes up to her neck to stop the bleeding, but she only chokes on her own blood.


    And just in a matter of a second, she is nothing but a corpse lying in a pool of her own blood.


    The sound of approaching footsteps fills the air, and I lift my head a bit to catch a silhouette of a man standing behind Richard. The figurees into light, and a smile lifts Alex and I¡¯s lips.


    Jared.


    ¡°You all aren¡¯t being quite nice to our nephew,¡± he says before smirking devilishly. ¡°And I don¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is this fool? Get rid of him,¡± Ana says dismissively, turning her back on Jared before returning to her spot on the sculpture.


    Vincent nods at Damon, and he takes it as his cue to attack Jared.


    What a foolish decision that was.


    A burst of fire shoots from Damon¡¯s fingertips, but Jared is able to dodge it, picking up Richard and rolling away from the fiery mes. The snapping of chains is heard followed by the choking of a man.


    Alex had used Jared as a distraction as he rose to his feet and used the chains binding him to wrap around Mason¡¯s neck. Before the poor guy could fight back, Alex had used all of his strength into tightening the chain, severing his head right off his body.


    The second Mason¡¯s body copses to the bloody floor, Alex is back on his knees as he lets out a pained roar.


    ¡°You have no idea how satisfying it is to finally do this.¡±


    My eyes widen slightly as Jacees into view. He sneers at Alex as he drives his de even deeper into Alex¡¯s spine. I could feel his pain through our bond, and it was maddening.


    Adira¡¯s screams filled my ears, and my eyes fell on her as Vincent picked her up.


    ¡°No! Aunt Aira! Uncle Alex!¡± Adira screams for us, and Alex groans, trying to fight against Jace, but the bastard doesn¡¯t take it easy on him.


    ¡°Ah, ah. I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. You might end up paralyzing yourself and remembering,¡± Jace paused, stopping to bring his lips to Alex¡¯s ears. ¡°This is a sensitive spot. It is scraping your spine, the core of your lycan. So whatever you feel, she feels.¡±


    Alex¡¯s eyes meet mine, and once he sees the tears in my eyes, he stops struggling. Completely.


    I wanted to tell him to keep fighting. Our children were in danger.


    Keep fighting you idiot.


    A groan leaves my lips as Ana picks me up by the throat and pins me to the wall with a strength I never knew she possessed.


    ¡°Okay, I have had enough! Just kill them all!¡± Ana orders. Vincent, Jace, and Damon nodded in agreement. ¡°Enjoy the show, sister.¡±


    Vincent wrapped his arm around Adira¡¯s head just as Jace took out another dagger and aimed it at Alex¡¯s head. Damon takes in a deep breath, stretching his hand out at Jared and Richard, ready to unleash mes not even hell has seen before.


    My family was about to be wiped out before my eyes.


    No!


    The world grows silent, and Ana¡¯s smile fades. She lets go of my neck and takes a step back, looking at her trembling hands and then at me.


    ¡°What¡­ What is happening to me?¡± She asks, trying to regain control of her hands.


    The voice that leaves my lips didn¡¯t belong to me but to a powerful being. One who would rather die than let anyone hurt her family.


    ¡°You seem to have forgotten, dear sister.¡± I lean closer to her and whisper, ¡°I am the queen of both living and dead.¡±


    A tear slides down Ana¡¯s cheek just as I lift my hand skyward. The second I clench my fists, time returns. Vincent releases Adira, and Jace pulls the knife out of Alex¡¯s back. All four of them walk up to the center of the room, trying to regain control of their bodies.


    But the power coursing through my veins was too strong, even for me. I have never felt so much rage and hatred towards anyone in my life.


    I just wanted them all to go to hell and burn for all eternity.


    And burn they will.


    Ana¡¯s eyes locked with mine; she knew what wasing next.


    ¡°I will see you in hell, sister.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Is my response cold.


    Twisting my hand in the air, Damon¡¯s mes consumed them all. They wanted to scream out, but I clenched my fist, shutting their lips so they could burn to ashes in silence.


    They have traumatized my family enough.


    The smell of burning flesh and blood filled the air, and I watched them all burn until they were nothing but bones.


    ¡°Aunt Aira, did you do that?¡± Adira asks, staring up at me with amazement, and I clench my teeth.


    I am going to have to find a way to wipe their memories; there is no way this is going to be their memory of their first birthday.


    I kneel before Adira and inspect her body for any injuries. ¡°Sweetheart, are you okay?¡± I ask her, and she nods.


    ¡°I am fine. But Uncle Alex doesn¡¯t seem alright,¡± she says, and my head snaps to Alex, who wasying in a pool of blood on the floor.


    ¡°Alex!¡± I scream, running to his side and taking him into my arms. Blood poured out of his mouth, and he was paler than a ghost. ¡°Alex,e on! Stay with me, please.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    His eyes flutter open, but I knew he was fighting to stay awake. His voice was faint; it came as a croak. With a shaky hand, he lifts his finger and points to somewhere in the distance. ¡°Richard¡­¡±


    My head snaps up, and my blood runs cold at the sight ahead of me.


    Jaredy on the floor with his throat slit open.


    But Richard was gone.


    Alex coughs out more blood, and my teary eyes fall on him. ¡°Find our son,¡± he croaks out as his eyes begin to flutter shut.


    Shaking my head in refusal, I hold him closely to me. ¡°No, I can¡¯t lose you! Please!¡±


    ¡°You will lose me forever¡­ if anything happens to our son.¡± He chokes out, spilling out more blood from his lips. I was hesitant; if I leave him now, then he will¡­


    No. Please no.


    As though he could read my thoughts, Alex said, ¡°You have brought me back once; I know you can do it again. Now go.¡±


    Wiping the tears off my eyes, I rise to my feet with a heavy heart. But it shatters into a thousand pieces because I knew that I had left a corpse.

 Chapter 121: Princess of the living and dead

    Aira¡¯s POV


    The moon was full.


    The wind was cold; it blew my hair softly as my bare feet continuously made contact with the grass. I didn¡¯t know where I was going; my feet only moved on their own ord.


    Ever since Richard was born, I had this natural GPS inbuilt in me that was able to track him down. No matter how far he may be, I would always find him. But he hadn¡¯t gone that far. He was still in thepound.


    In the garden, to be precise.


    The further I go into the garden, the more prominent his presence bes. My eyes fall on him standing beside the fountain with his hands covering his face. When he brings his hands down, his teary eyes meet mine.


    ¡°Mummy, watch out!¡± he yells at me, and my eyebrows furrow with confusion. That is when I notice a presence behind me. On instinct, my body swerves to the side, and not more than a secondter, a de swiped through the ce I once stood.


    My eyes lock with Arnold, and I blink up at him in confusion.


    ¡°Arnold, what are you doing here? I thought you had gone on another meeting,¡± I said, taking a step away from him and inching towards my son protectively.


    Arnold shakes his head in disbelief then says, ¡°You really are a damn fool. But I do not me you; I me that mate of yours. Thank goodness he is finally dead. It means now I can rule.¡±


    The growl that leaves my lips was menacing. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. He is your friend; why would you do this?¡±


    ¡°Friend? That bastard didn¡¯t consider me his friend. All he ever cared about was Jared. And ever since Jared died, he didn¡¯t care about anything or anyone. Not even his own kingdom. I have been the one ruling this kingdom; if it wasn¡¯t for me, this entirend would have burned to ashes long ago. And yet they still call him Alpha.¡± Arnold finishes letting out a snort.


    ¡°So that is why you did all of this? For power?¡± I ask, not bothering to hide the disgust in my voice.


    Arnold¡¯s face softens a bit, and he says, ¡°Not exactly. I did it because he is undeserving of it. He has brought so much pain and torture upon the people of thisnd. It is absolutely unforgiveable; he doesn¡¯t deserve to live happily with his family. He doesn¡¯t have the right to celebrate birthdays like he hadn¡¯t taken the lives of many innocent people. It is a shame a woman with a heart as pure as yours had to be mated to such a beast,¡± he finishes, and my eyes narrow to slits.


    It still didn¡¯t make any sense; none of this did. I knew Arnold was always reserved and diligent when it came to work. So why? Why would he do this?


    There once was a point in my life when I would have considered him my friend. But he just disappeared the day Richard was born.


    The day Richard was born¡­


    ¡°You have a mate?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Had. She is dead.¡±


    I never did get to ask him how she died. My eyes fall shut, and a sigh leaves my lips as the night wind howls. ¡°Jared was not the only one that suffered from Alex¡¯s cruelty, was he?¡±


    ¡°It seems you are finally understanding things. Jared was a lunatic from day one; it was clear that Sophia¡¯s death was an ident. But my mate, my precious Lucinda, was killed with his own two hands. The day I found Lucinda was the best day of my life; I instantly brought her back to the pce to live with me.¡± Arnold pauses, and that is when I see the tears welling up in his eyes.


    ¡°I just left for her a few minutes. I wanted to find Alexander to share the good news with him, but he found her first. When I returned to Lucinda, her neck had already been snapped.¡± Arnold furiously wipes his tears away from his eyes and then says, ¡°And do you know why he did that? Because she bumped into him.¡±


    A tear trickles down my cheek as I try to imagine Arnold¡¯s pain. I didn¡¯t even know what words I could say tofort him. That was the most painful part about all of this. I was well aware that Alex was a monster, and I epted him for who he was. But I forgot that many others would never ept him.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± is all I could tell him, and he purses his lips.


    ¡°The bastard was still in the room. He just waved his hand dismissively and told me to get rid of the body. My mate¡¯s killer told me to dispose of her body.¡± He took a deep breath and wiped what was left of his tears away. ¡°It was at that moment that I knew his reign muste to an end. I couldn¡¯t go head-on with him; Alexander is not only crazy, but he is also insanely overpowered. I knew I had to wait for the right moment. When he died in the hands of your family, I was ted. But then you brought him back. That is when I knew who the real problem was.¡± He paused, and my eyebrows knitted in confusion. ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± I ask, rearing my head back as my eyebrows touched my hairline.


    ¡°You are an angel, and he is a beast. And with powers like yours, I can¡¯t let you bring such a beast back to this earth,¡± he says, and I take a step back when he takes one towards me.


    Richard hides himself behind me. Holding onto my dress as tightly as he could.


    ¡°What are you doing? Stay back!¡± I yell, raising my hand to him, but then he takes out a blue orb that glimmers beneath the moonlight. It left me utterly mesmerized. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°You dont think I have been nothing but an errand these past few years. You really underestimate me, darling. I have taken my time to gather the right ingredients to create this orb. The orb that will take your power and transfer it to its holder.¡± He exins, and I shake my head slowly in denial.


    ¡°No, there is no way that thing is going to work,¡± I say, and he smirks, holding the orb out to me.


    ¡°I guess we are just going to have to find out.¡±


    My eyes widen, and I turn to my son and say, ¡°I am going to need you to run now, sweetheart.¡±


    He shakes his head in refusal and says, ¡°No, mummy. I don¡¯t want to leave you.¡±


    I ruffle his hair and say, ¡°You aren¡¯t leaving me; I will be right behind you. Just go find Adira and go somewhere face, okay?¡±


    ¡°Do you promise?¡± he asks me, and I nod.


    ¡°I promise,¡± I say and ce a kiss on his forehead. ¡°Now go.¡±


    He kicks his feet and runs ack into the pce; it hurt my heart to know that he is going to have to see his father¡¯s bodyying there. But even in death, I trust Alex to keep our son safe.


    Arnold ces a hand on his chest and says, ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t that adorable. Do not worry; I promise to raise him right, like a king ought to be. And not like a crazy lunatic like your mate. May he rest in peace.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°The only one who will be resting in peace will be you,¡± I see, and heughs.


    ¡°Ah, so full hope. That is one thing I always admired about you, Luna. It really was a pleasure to get to know someone like you,¡± he says, and I offer him a tight smile.


    ¡°Wish I could say the same,¡± I tell him before flicking my fingers. Instantly, the weather changes into a stormy one. Hands emerge from the earth to drag him straight to hell like I had done to Jared, but as quickly as they came, they disappeared.


    A bright light bursts from the orb and seeps straight into my heart. My breath gets knocked out of my lungs, and I find myself paralyzed to the spot. I couldn¡¯t move. A mystical blue light leaves me and gets sucked into the orb. I started to feel lighter, and I knew that I was losing everything.


    Both my powers and Moriah¡¯s.


    I tried to fight it; I tried to run.


    As much as these powers have brought me more harm than good. I didn¡¯t want to let go of them just yet, or ever. They were a part of who I am.


    I stare at the orb taking my powers away, and I notice a faint crack by the edge of it. It grew bigger and bigger by the second. Arnold was still yet to notice it.


    That is when an idea pops into my mind, and I decided to take a wild gamble.


    I decided to let go of it. I didn¡¯t fight it.


    I let the orbs absorb my powers, and with every second that passed, the emptier I became. Once the light had seized, my knees met the cold grass.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine. It is finally mine!¡± The orb illuminates a blinding light, and I watch my powers transfer into Arnold until it finally seized. ¡°Finally, I can bring Lucinda back,¡± he says while flexing his fingers. And then his eyes fell on me. He smiled cruelly at me, and for a moment, I didn¡¯t recognize the man standing in front of me.


    He outstretches his hand towards me and says, ¡°But first, I need to rid thisnd of creatures such as you.¡±


    I see it in his eyes-his intent to kill. But what he doesn¡¯t know is that it took me months to be able to control my powers. The powers that were harvested within me were the powers I was born with.


    Arnold grows pale and suddenly retracts his hand. He groans, and his body starts to turn a bright shade of red.


    ¡°What is happening to me?¡± he asks as burns start to appear on parts of his body.


    I shrug as I rise to my feet. ¡°Your body can¡¯t handle the power; you are self-destructing,¡± I exin, and he shakes his head in refusal.


    ¡°No. This can¡¯t be happening! Take it back! Take it back now! He orders the orb, but then it shatters into a hundred pieces in his hands. ¡°No!¡± he screams before getting on his knees.


    Steam started to seep out of his pores, and he grew redder than blood. His eyes lock with mine, and I say, ¡°Goodbye, Arnold.¡±


    He burst into mes before me, his screams mixing into the night air as he burned to ashes. The blue light mixed with the smoke and seeped back into my chest.


    But then there was an even brighter light that caught my attention. It came from the pce.


    Richard.


    I sprint back to the pce as fast as my legs could carry me. ¡°Richard! Adira!¡± I yell as I make my way into the pce. My feete to a halt as I see the kids hugging a man tightly. And it wasn¡¯t just any man.


    ¡°Alex,¡± I whisper his name as a tear trickles down my eyes. His dark eyes meet mine, and I cannot even begin to exin the joy his smile brought me. I run up to them and wrap my arms around all three of them. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you are here. All good as new,¡± I ask, inspecting every inch of his body.


    ¡°Well, you may be the queen of the living and dead. But it turns out that we have a princess too,¡± he says, tapping Adira¡¯s head lightly.


    No way.


    Tears well up in my eyes as I hug all three of them even tighter. It was a miracle that even in the mist of all these corpses, my family was still together.plete.


    I couldn¡¯t ask for anything more.


    ¨CEnd¨C


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