Soon after, the night had fallen, painting the sky a canvas of inky blue dotted with a million shimmering stars. Dressed in a stylish, midnight-hued dress that clung to my curves in all the right places, I emerged from the bathroom. A gasp escaped Charlotte's lips, and even Sara, usually so composed, let out a surprised whistle. "Wow, Lils," Charlotte breathed, her eyes wide with admiration. "You look incredible!" Sara, her phone clutched in her hand, held it up to my face. On the screen, a video call connected me to the familiar faces of Percival, Quinn, and his husband. "Hey guys!" I greeted them, my voice filled with a genuine smile. "There she is!” Quinn exclaimed, his booming laugh filling the room. “Hey, kiddo" boomed Percival's voice, "Our own famous artist" Quinn chimed in, "You look stunning, honey! We can't wait to see you smash this exhibition!" His husband, a kind-looking man with warm brown eyes, offered a shy smile and a wave. "Good luck," he mouthed si
The salty breeze ruffled the pages of my book as I leaned back in the wicker chair, the sun already hidden, painting the sky with a darkness filled with stars. A contented sigh escaped my lips. It’s already been six months since Nicholas and I started over again which means dating for real like a normal couple. Both of us pushed our work stuff and it was one of the best decisions I made. Six months of travel, dates, adventures, and laughter-filled days. We'd tried everything from visiting ancient ruins in Greece to white-water rafting in New Zealand. Right now, we are in one of Nicholas's owned islands, perched beside me on the balcony of his secluded beach house, absorbed in his own book, a glass of amber whiskey swirling in his hand. I set my book down with a soft thud, the sound breaking the comfortable silence. "So, Nicholas," I began, his blue eyes locking onto mine as he glanced up. I directly asked the question that popped into my head, "Why are we still mates?" Surpris
Nicholas’s POV The air crackled with energy that buzzed right through me. It wasn't my own, though. Mine simmered low, a slow burn fueled by nervous excitement and a simmering pride. No, the nervous energy radiating like heat waves originated from the room itself, a collective held their breath as the music swelled and the double doors at the far end of the aisle creaked open. There she was. Lily. No, Florence. Not quite. Today, she was a vision in white, a goddess emerging from the sunlight streaming through the stained-glass windows. The years hadn't touched her, not a single cruel line etched onto that face that had haunted my dreams for so long. She is still that beautiful being in my eyes with her dark blonde hair and hazel eyes that were sparkling brightly at the moment. She was wearing a white gown and a white veil on her head while her hand was clasped on a bouquet made of Lily of the Valleys. I noticed a nervous tremor in the hand that gripped Percival's arm as his, a
Florence Another Swiftmane Pack member was killed by the intruders while I watched. As they ran and struggled for their lives, their horrifying screams reverberated in my ears. I felt the weight of the silver chains binding my wrists, ankles, and neck, rendering me immobile. My alpha and his luna had already perished during the attack. I didn't pity the pack, nor did I expect them to care about me. It was a transactional relationship—I had paid a substantial sum of money to their Alpha and Luna in exchange for their pack's acceptance of me. But because I didn't shift alongside them, they shunned me like an outcast. And I didn't care. Feeling safe was far more important to me than the insecurity of this pack. Let them assume I couldn't shift; they couldn't be further from the truth. However, addressing it was both pointless and advantageous for me. I had no desire to share my story or flaunt my wolf to these unworthy individuals. I remained in this pack because I hadn't found any o
I had spied on a lot of packs to know this a lot and had gone into their plans and works. In my work, I discovered one or two that were not involved in my mission. In my last mission, I was ordered to spy on the MADCREST PRIDE and apparently, that mission brought me to the list of most wanted persons in the werewolf community. And now I was meeting a real member of MADCREST PRIDE again, not just any member, but a real squad commander, probably because, according to the intel I learned during my mission, only squad leaders had their pack name tattooed on their bodies. It explains why my wolf had a hankering for blood from these men and was ready to come out. It becomes clearer as well how they do not smell differently when normal rogues have a bad odor radiating from their bodies. These dudes are a part of that deranged group. The one lingering question, though, was how Swiftmane Pack was involved in this group that made them attack the pack. Sara was harshly grabbed by the leader,
We fell silent once again. As our pack crumbled, the sounds coming from them grew fewer and softer. I turned to Sara and said, "I'm sorry about your pack." Sara shook her head, her voice filled with rage. "They deserved what was coming to them." I was taken aback by the intensity in her voice. "What do you mean?" "I don't know if this is true, but I heard Alpha Jason joined forces with a bunch of rogues. Some of our pack members have gone missing since then. I overheard him saying that sacrifices need to be made for a brighter future. I don't understand it, but it sounds off," Sara explained, biting her lower lip in thought. My anger flared at the revelation. Madcrest Pride was associated with Swiftmane Pack, led by Alpha Jason. "That f*cker," I hissed, the pieces fitting together. "He's a terrifying man," Sara chimed in. "There are people scarier than him, trust me. But at least that filthy wolf is dead now," I replied, my voice tight with determination. After two hours, Austin
I felt the space on my left bounce a little as I sat on the class-A couch, something I had first assumed the club could not afford given its location in the middle of the woods. It was my first time being here, but it wasn't my first time pretending to be a club employee. To complete the tasks assigned to me, I performed nearly all of the jobs that anyone could imagine at a bar. "Nervous?" a woman seated next to me asked with a charming accent. Her golden complexion, complementing her brown eyes, and her auburn curly hair that fell to her waist made her look stunning. She tapped her gold heels on the ground and said, "Yes," with all honesty. "It's normal because it's your first time setting foot here," the woman said, extending her hand. "I'm Lynne, by the way." "Florence," I said, taking her hand. Lynne grinned and said, "Such a wonderful name for a gorgeous face." I simply smiled, not trusting the words that came out of her mouth. I was aware of how I appeared and how, occasion
Later, we would be led along a corridor from behind the door until we arrived at the stage where we would be showing our bodies to be sold off to a beast and be a mistress for one month. And the money that would be placed on my head would be sent directly to Austin. He was one of the second on my list to kill, along with many others. But it's not like I would be under a man's control for a month. I would escape as soon as I got the chance. When I heard the door open once more to reveal Austin, I let out an exasperated breath and dragged my fingers through my hair. He brazenly swept his eyes over us while whistling, but we were too preoccupied with looking presentable to spare him a glance. Much he deserves. I knew he would visit. Heck, I even saw more of his men going in and out of this place yesterday and earlier. It was entirely plausible though because rogues felt safer in packs, especially in their cases where they were being hunted by a lot of werewolves right now. Austin's en