Liliana’s POVThe moment I step into the force field, an intense burning sensation sears through my skin, a fiery onslaught that feels like the very essence of my being is aflame.My muscles convulse, and I grit my teeth against the searing torment. The healing factor, ordinarily a beacon of resilience, now struggles to mend the wounds inflicted by the force field's malevolent energy. Each attempt at recovery is met with an unyielding force, pushing against my limits.It is as if every cell in my body rebels against the intrusion, fighting to resist the fatal grip of this hellish force field and it takes all my might to stop myself from fainting.Outside the castle, the atmosphere rumbles. Lightning rends the sky with its jagged fingers, illuminating the darkened clouds. Thunder roars in symphony with the raging storm, echoing the tempest I navigate. The forces of nature seem to mirror the celestial conflict within, an ominous backdrop to the struggle for survival playing out within t
Kaden’s POVI open my eyes to a meadow, a serene landscape painted with the soft hues of wildflowers. The gentle breeze whispers through the grass, and the air carries the sweet fragrance of nature. It is a tranquil haven, the view of it contrasting the chaotic world I left behind.But what is this place? Heaven? Or hell?I push myself up and rise from the flowers to find the warmth of the sunlight casting a golden glow over the meadow. Butterflies dance in the air and a distant murmur of a babbling brook complements the soothing ambiance.Okay….this definitely cannot be hell.My hand touches the grass beneath men they are soft and soothing to touch and I take in a deep breath. It is a moment of calm, a pause in the relentless storm that has marked my recent journey.My eyes roam the place meadow and settle on a woman by the stream. She is playing with the water, gently sploshing her hand back and forth in the stream. There seems to be no one else but her.I get up on my feet, noting
Liliana’s POVKaden.He is alive!My heart feels like it has been given a second chance.I reach out to touch his face, my hands trembling with a mixture of emotions."Kaden," I whisper, my voice shaky yet filled with joy. In that moment, everything else fades away, and it is just him and me.His gaze meets mine, and I see the flicker of recognition. There is a warmth in his eyes, a reassurance that we have weathered a storm together."Liliana," he says, the sound of my name on his lips balms my soul. The relief in his eyes mirrors my own.A smile forms on my lips through the tears. “I thought I had lost you."His hand finds mine, fingers intertwining, and I feel the strength in his touch. "You didn't lose me. I'm here."It is then that I know, deep within my heart, that I love him more than I realized. The air around us seems lighter and In this moment, amidst the fragility of life, the truth becomes crystal clear — he is the one my heart bleeds for, the one I cannot imagine a future
Liliana’s POV“Alpha, your mate is here to see you.”My heart skips a beat at Jonathan’s words and I quickly stand from my desk to smooth my dress.“How do I look?” I ask.Jonathan makes a face. “Do you really want to know?”I should never have asked him. Crumpling a paper in my hand, I throw it at him but another hand catches it and we both cock our heads to see the person materializing from behind Jonathan.“Landon, you’re early.” I break into a smile.Landon tips his head and strides in, his presence shifting the entire atmosphere. He reaches me and places a gentle kiss on my forehead and around us, the council members share chuckles, breaking the seriousness of the meeting.“Alpha Liliana, would you like us to step out of the meeting room and give you some space?” one of the elders asks, covering the smile on his lips with the palm of his hand.I look at him and feel my cheeks flush red. “No, no, we are fine. Landon, can you wait for me in the study and I will come –““Oh that won
Liliana's POVThe warmth of the morning sun spills onto my face. It is dawn, but I do not want to open my eyes. I am immersed in a comfort and safety I have never experienced before. This is the mate bond, and I long to forever sleep in this embrace.My mate, my childhood sweetheart, my Aden. We have been betrothed to each other since birth and last night, we celebrated my 21st birthday and finally mated.I inhale deeply and the masculine scent of pine, cedar and leather fills my senses, intoxicating me. It calls me back to slumber and I smile, ready to snuggle and fall back asleep. Wait. Pine, cedar and leather? Aden smells nothing like this! My eyes fly wide open and I see a man, strong and muscular holding me in his sleep. And all at once, memories flood my mind. Memories of last night. Fire burned within me and an all-consuming flame would have swallowed me whole if not for the man. He held me close, and only by staying near him could my soul be shielded from the fire.I k
Bella’s speech receives a thunderous applause that fills the hall.“Aden…” I turn to face him, only to see his eyes on Bella. There is a dreamlike smile on his face as if he is transfixed by her. And all around, murmurs of praise begin to rise, with heads nodding at the speech that spills out of Bella’s red-painted lips. The guests gush, saying they never realized how talented she was before. They praise her speech, proclaming how great it is.But it is not her speech. It is mine!Bella stole my speech! The speech that I had written, crafted, and worked painstakingly on day and night! And Bella had stolen my speech, word for word!“Why is she doing this? How can you allow this?! You know how hard I worked for this!” I ask in disbelief.Dad comes up to us, his eyes also on Bella. “Liliana, I don’t see how you worked for this, you went missing the night before the ceremony only to pop up mere minutes before the ceremony started. Luckily, we had Bella to stand in for you. And look, she
All my life, I had loved Bella as if she were my own sister, never once believing that she would betray me like this. But she has. And it hurts like hell.“Aden is my mate,” Bella says. Her confession stuns everyone. “I found out the truth a few months ago but I felt unworthy of Aden. I’m not like you, Liliana. I’m an orphan, not the heiress of Azure.” Tears stream down her face and she gently dabs them away with a tissue. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially not you, Liliana. I….I was willing to bear the pain all alone, all by myself.”Heat swells behind my eyes and when I blink, a tear slips down. Why didn’t Bella tell me this before? She knows how much I love her; she knows I would give Aden up in a heartbeat for her. “You didn’t have to drug me, I would have stepped back and let you have Aden,” I say, my voice breaking, but no one listens to me. Everyone gathers around Bella, showering her with words of praise for her sacrifice.“Oh Bella, my poor child,” dad says, giving
I trip over a stretched-out leg and fall to my knees. Bundles of freshly folded clothes spill all over the floor in the hallway. “Oops,” Bella says with a fake smile. “I didn’t see you there.” Giggles come from behind me. I tilt my head slightly to see the pack members snicker at me before sauntering away. It has been this way ever since that day. I am now reduced to a mere slave of Azure. Day in and day out, I wake up at the crack of dawn to cook, clean and work until long after everyone has gone to bed. “Come one, Bella. Let’s get ready for our engagement ceremony,” Aden says, placing a hand on Bella’s butt and sliding a hand under her skirt. She giggles, he laughs and starts kissing her. “Get a room you two,” I mutter under my breath as I start retrieving the clothes. Someone kicks the clothes out of my hands and growls,” What did you say?” It is one of Bella’s newly appointed minions, a bleached blonde with a nose ring and pink leotards. “Nothing.” I grit my teeth. Fighting