DAMIAN.
I opened my eyes to the blinding white ceiling and sat up immediately before I was hit by a nauseating feeling and profound headache as though my head was being pounded on. All this because of that scumbag from yesterday.I gritted my teeth and shuffled out of bed. My head rang the moment I stepped my feet on the floor. It was as though something was different inside me. I just didn't know what it was yet. I passed out last night, as soon as I got home.I remembered my senses being so distorted that I even smelled a human in my home, although I knew that was impossible. That girl was making me feel things I hadn't felt in a long time. I sat at the edge of the bed and placed my hand on my chest to summon my wolf.I heard shrieking and snarling sounds in my head, and I knew what it meant. My wolf was weak and still hasn't recovered yet, but it gladdened by heart that he showed up yesterday and said a word, thanks to that fucking traitor.The sunlight slipped past the curtains, disturbing me way more than I wanted. I reached for the curtain and pulled it down, and the room fell into a cooler, darker shade. I'd come to and was now able to process the meeting from yesterday. Who was she?She blurted out a name to me yesterday. Caroline. Who was Caroline, and why does she have that face? Was it some kind of test!? I clutched my hand around the bedsheet and grasped it tightly, angrily. I was infuriated that I let her slip through my fingers yesterday.If she was here with that face? Does that mean everyone was, too? Even Amyra, my mate? Could she be here too? I ruffled my hair and exhaled a broken sigh, feeling more paranoia wash up inside of me. Was this what I came out of hiding for? To be tormented by my failure in the past.My heart pounded, and my brows drew together while I struggled with the puzzle pieces in my head. I had no clue what was going on. The only thing I was sure of was my undying hate for that creature and how much I wanted her to suffer.If the barely sane, old man hadn't walked in yesterday, I'd have taken her life, and if I saw her now, I was sure I wouldn't hesitate too, but first, she'd have to provide answers to my questions. I had a lot of those.I stood from the bed and made my way out of the room. It was still the early hours of morning, and I had to be present at the organization today to fully take over. I was hoping this desperate cry for help attracted the people I wanted it to.Maybe somehow, in this time and age, I reunite my pack members, and we can live as we should have.Maybe.As soon as I stepped foot in the corridor, I was hit by the same smell as yesterday. I chuckled wryly, convinced I was going crazy. That bitch really got to me yesterday, didn't she? The urge to rip her apart seemed to multiply.I rubbed my nose and prowled on while the scent grew more intense. It wasn't as bad as this yesterday. I took one more step and turned to the living room. My foot touched something soft and gluey.It felt disgusting against my skin, and I looked down at it, scrunching my nose. Behold, a half-eaten donut. Wha-But that wasn't all. There were bitsy bits of snacks everywhere, including their wrappers, and it made a trail all the way down to the living room. Damnit! I cussed, bewildered.My brows arched as I watched the once tidy and tiled floor be brutally mutilated with biscuit wrappers and large crumbs of chips.And cheese.And chocolateAnd empty cans of soft drinks. WHAT THE FUCK!? The one thing I hated the most after Minerva and humans was untidiness. It sure tipped me over the edge.My feet hadn't known this much suffering since the dark, old days, and the disgust that encompassed me almost had tears streaming down my face. I sniffled, and the human smell still lingered. Someone was here, or someone had been here.There was an empty bottle of gin on the couch, and as I walked closer, I heard a slow, strained body movement along with a small groan. For no reason at all did goosebumps scrub up my hands, and I was frozen for a moment.I'd been so close to humans that I'd begun to take a few of their attributes, like fear, surprise, and pain. The only thing I hadn't learnt to feel was happiness. I inhaled deeply and walked to where the sound came from.My jaw dropped— that's how they describe it. I meant, my mouth hung open in utter awe of the figures before me. Figures.Not one but two sleeping humans. There they were, just a few steps away from the door, sleeping so soundly. Two men. One in an unbelievable large comfort clothings and the other looking more official. And they were sprawled on the floor like dead bodies. What?Could this be…one of Alfred's workers? I was perplexed. Stunned. Angry and disgusted that within two days of my arrival in the USA, I already had a thousand reasons to have my peace threatened. How on earth!"Hey! You two!" I yelled, clapping both hands. "Get your filthy asses off my floor!"I didn't get a reaction at first. I rubbed my forehead, hating to have to yell like this. I'd always hated talking too loud or talking at all. "Get your asses out!""My father is a billionaire!" The man in the official fitting yelled out of his deep slumber with a gasp. He continued to pant and tugged at his tie as he came to, looking completely lost and flustered.He grabbed his forehead and felt it up. I couldn't even tell if he noticed my presence. "Damn, I drank too much, it hurts!" He exclaimed, and I contemplated slamming my fist into his fragile-looking jaw.The other man, whom I was convinced was dead, still slept face down.I cleared my throat, and he finally noticed me. "Oh my god!" He exclaimed as he jumped to his feet, wiping his hand on his black pants and stretching it out to me. "You must be Mr. Kincaid. I've heard so much about you."I eyed his hand and shifted my gaze back to his face without taking it. The lad seemed rather determined and reached for my hand, a genial smile etched on his face. "I know you must have heard a lot about me, too. It's a pleasure to meet you, sir!"Help me understand what was going on. I find two men deeply asleep on my living room floor, and not a single explanation was being offered. He made it seem like this wasn't the most awkward situation I'd ever found myself in."Who are you?" I pulled my hand away from his playful grip. It reeked of candy and alcohol. "What are you doing in my house?""Oh," he shrugged, smoothening his hair. "I'm Reiss. Alfred's grandson and your P.A to be. See? You know me." He clicked his tongue and winked.I winced, feeling my patience running out. Why would Alfred allow his teenage grandson to drink and crash in my house with, my theory, his dead best friend? I shook my head, "No, I don't know you, kid…""I'm twenty-two!" He protested before I could continue.I brushed it off and continued. "I only care about your grandfather. So carry your dead friend and go away."He looked back at the other guy. "What? That's your wife.""My wife?" I echoed, tasting the words. My wife. That was the most ridiculous thing I've uttered in such a long time. "What are you saying?""The lady—" his words hit stuck in his throat when the presumed dead body moved without flipping over.The person yawned and groaned while standing up slowly, "I told you drinking was a bad idea. I need to go now before morning comes…" They said.That voice. I recognized that voice, but I couldn't place my hand on it. In the blink of an eye, the creature was up, and they staggered slowly before turning to me. I watched her dark hair cascade down her shoulders as her eyes met mine, and time seemed to be still.My heartbeat quickened. It raced like crazy before I felt a sudden rush of energy descend over me, and my wolf growled internally, for the second time in forever."Minerva?" I winced as I called out, perplexed and shocked. Why was she in my house with this kid? How did she get in? Thousands of questions formed in my mind, and I wanted to reach for her and put her in her place.She was stunned and speechless, too, and she looked at me as though she looked death in the face. She looked less hideous than last night. No, there was no less hideous for someone like her. Minerva backed away slowly, widening those sea-blue orbs of hers. "Wait- let me explain!""She's not your wife?" Reiss turned to me, then to her. "You're not his wife? You said you were his wife!""When did I say that?" She barked at him, panting before her gaze fell back to me. She looked at me with eyes full of fear. "Look, Mr Beast-"Mr beast? I cocked my head. Did she name me that? I was running low on patience but thinking of how much of a hassle it'd be if I made Reise witness a murder. The best I could do was wait for her to talk without sending a knife through her throat."Sorry, sorry, Mr…Caid? Look, I don't know, man, I was on my own when this gentleman here found me and offered me a place to sleep last night…and we came in here. That's all that happened!" She explained, and her eyelids twitched.I could tell she was lying. A lot of thing about Minerva was so different. She no longer glared and held herself of high prestige as she did. The elegance she carried that drove men to her feet has severely diminished. Her pride and vainness was no longer there. All I could see standing before me was a lost, desperatechild.I didn't know why it scared me so much. Was this a joke? Something about reincarnation that I didn't know about? It was so unsettling, ng and I felt my stomach churn. I wanted to grab her and make her confess to me, but of course, Reiss."That's a lie! I remember…" Reiss' voice trailed off. "I remember walking in and finding her here! I thought she was your wife, and she said she was!""You fucking liar!" Minerva yelled back. "You brought me here. You were drunk as fuck, so what do you even remember!""I-" Reiss paused again. "You might be right. I got drunk and probably…messed up." He signed and looked up with teary eyes, throwing his arms in the air. "Stacey! I can't believe you ruined my life up until this moment!"I looked at Minerva, who somehow wanted me to believe she was Caroline. She shrugged, "Don't look at me, I don't know who the fuck is Stacy."Their madness was really beginning to get to me. I was confused and angry at the same time. "—who the hell is Stacey?" I barked.Reiss looked at me, teary-eyed. "My ex-girlfriend," He began to weep. "She broke up with me yesterday."What? "Why's that my business?""Because!" He paused and gasped for air. "She's the reason I messed up! I went to the bar and drank and-"Why was he crying so loudly!? I closed my eyes and sighed, utterly exhausted. "You know what? It's fine. As long as you two get out, It's all good!""Fine by me," Knock off, Minerva agreed. I still needed to make her suffer. I just didn't know how yet."I need a hug, big brother!" Reiss wept and threw himself in my hands."I'm not—" I was appalled, and right before I could push him off of me, I felt warm liquid trickling down my chest, the part where Reiss' head was currently placed."Oh damn!" Minerva gasped, eyeing my chest. "That's a lot of puke.""Did. You. Just—"ISHTAR."Oh, fuck!" Mr. Beast yelled and shoved Reiss off him. The scrawny lad staggered backwards and fell into the chair while I stood in awe, just a step away from the door.I'd been glancing at it to see how easy it'd be for me to open and spin out, never to look back, never to return. My backpack was where I wanted it to be, by my feet, and I could easily pick it up, but first, we needed to solve the problem at hand.The patch of green on Mr. Beast's white T-shirt was spreading rapidly, and he let out a strained, disgusted gasp as he tore it off without any hesitation. I'd never seen a person look so physically disturbed over something like that, and from what I'd noticed from their relationship, these two weren't close at all.Saying I was appalled wasn't nearly enough to describe the fear I was feeling. I had stupidly fallen asleep after the stranger named Reiss walked in and indulged me in this random discussion about his love life.The comfort was to die for, and because he
DAMIAN. A blackmail. Oh, pray tell, what could it be? I tightened my cuffs and leaned back against the chair immediately after the call, waiting to see the next weird experience I was about to encounter.It had just been three days, and I already had eight pages of frustration to write off in the walls of my mind. It made me miss being in hiding, but for the right cause, of course, I could handle it.A small moment passed, and my officer door swung open after a brief knock. I sat upright, my eyes locked on the door as I anticipated the person to walk through and whatever the hell they wanted to blackmail me with. I was very interested in this crime I committed.The receptionist stepped in first and gave way to the last person I expected. Minerva's vessel. What was her name again? Ishtar. I didn't even know why I believed that to be her real name. My throat tightened, and I tugged at my tie. I was beginning to get used to the surprise element that surrounded this creature. Didn't
ISHTARHe agreed.Mr Beast agreed for me to stay in his home, and I conceded so fast. I was gullible, I know, and the rest of the world probably thought of me as the most stupid person to exist, but really? Intelligence or acute thinking was for people who had something to lose.Not me. I didn't have a care in the world about what happened. Well, except for the idea of rape and gruesome murder, if those two were excluded, then I might as well do whatever the hell I wanted.What have I got to lose? I held his gaze as I stood before him, trying to contain the wave of fear mixed with happiness that churned inside of me. The thought of being in the warm, cozy mansion again owned me, and I believed that was the best thing that could happen to anyone.Even if he were going to end up killing me, then I'd ask him to give me three more days to live my life to the fullest. I was still in his office, red in the face with a pounding chest after he'd cupped my face, and I did everything in my powe
DAMIAN.Everything I wanted to say died on my tongue as I stared in disbelief, watching the dining party in my home, that I wasn't even invited to. It looked like a ceremony was going on, except it was just with two people. Reiss and some girl I didn't know about.How much more complicated was this going to get? I sneaked a glance at Ishtar and registered the surprised look on her face, too. At the same time, she looked at me, and I tore my gaze away immediately, shifting my focus back to Reiss, who didn't seem to notice that we were in.He finally did, and turned to me, gesturing for me to wait before he muttered something to the girl and hurried over. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he walked to us like he'd forgotten how to move his legs. I was already stressed enough from hearing Ishtar rant all the way inside the car. Why did I have to deal with Alfred's immature grandson, too? This wasn't the kind of break I'd hoped for. "Hi…" Reiss said, clasping his hands together
ISHTARWaking up on that bed with my entire body parts intact felt like the best thing that ever happened in years. No, it was the best thing that happened to me. I'd never felt more alive in my entire life. He didn't kill me overnight? That was fair. I'd slept last night as though it was the last time I was ever going to have that chance. It was registered at the back of my mind that the tables might turn, and I'd have a reason not to wake up the following day. I moaned as I stretched, stepping foot out of the bed.The first thing I did was get out of bed and take a long bath. It was very early, and the sun wasn't out yet, which gave me a chance to get things done. There wasn't much to do around the house; everything had been taken care of, but I made sure to clean a little more.A part of me was desperate to impress Damian for letting me stay. And what other way to prove to a person that you were an asset than to make them food? Personally, I'd willingly walk into a shady white va
DAMIAN. "I should have fought harder," I muttered to myself as I increased the acceleration. "I should have fought better and done something. No, I should have noticed!" I cried. "I should have seen that she was up to no good!" My vehicle stumbled through the road, and I continued to increase speed till the landscape became blurry. The bottle of scotch I'd gotten was the one thing next to me. The only thing that could help me subdue the pain I'd been cursed with. It was a full moon tonight. The night where I relived the excruciating pain of losing my mate. It had always happened like this— for as long as I could remember after Rebecca's death. This night felt different. I could feel the surge of energy in my bones, and I knew this night was here to torture me. I grabbed the bottle by its neck and gulped down its contents again. It was the second bottle I'd opened today, and it was beginning to take charge. I couldn't afford to actively face the pain of being ripped apart from the
ISHTAR. Stay. I need you. No one had ever said that to me before. His husky voice breezed into my ears and weakened my defense. I found myself thinking about the possibility of him meaning what he said. It was a long shot for a man who had lost his sanity countless times in one night. Still, my entire body ached with the need for him. It was an inexplicable yearning, but his touch did something to be. I felt my abdomen tighten as the fiery sensation owned me. I was pressed against his chest again, on the cold floor next to the door to his room. It felt nothing of that sort. In my mind, I was in heaven. I was held right by a man who knew how to keep a lady invested. I loved what it felt like to have my chest pressed against his and listen to our heartbeat sync. Damian's breathing, unlike how loud and shallow it was, had become gentler. I stroked his hair and patted his back like my life depended on it. For some reason, he'd been in so much. What had I gotten myself into? Reiss
DAMIAN.I messed up real bad, and I knew it. Last night brought out everything in me that I'd always wanted to hide. Why did I kiss her?Why did I tell her to stay? Even though I tried to lie to her that I didn't remember what happened, the memories plagued me, replaying over and over in the walls of my mind. I hadn't been able to get Ishtar out of my mind and what it felt like to be pressed against her body.Maybe I was reacting this way because I had been starved of a woman's touch after Rebecca died. That had to be the reason. My heart and my head pounded, and an unsettling feeling sat by me. I kept asking myself why I thought it was wise to let her stay.Minerva and I had a history before I found Rebecca to be my mate. It was the most messed up thing that happened, but those feelings died immediately after my wolf met with Rebecca and adored her. Could that be the reason I reacted that way?That was years ago. I tapped aggressively against the table, confused and angry. I kissed t