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
ISHTAR."He likes me. He likes me not. He likes me. He likes me not," I was way too busy mumbling to myself as I made my way to the baker's shop with Reiss."I can assure you, whoever it is, he probably doesn't like you if he had you this confused. People always try to show their feelings, just as you are right now."I frowned, picking the last flower petal that landed on 'he likes me not,' how disappointing. We were on the street, and the next thing I thought to do was find another flower and start again until it landed exactly where I wanted it to be."What if he's confused himself?" I asked Reiss, keeping my eyes in search of more flowers. "What if he's trying to decide just as I am? This person could actually like me but doesn't know how to explain his emotions.""You seem like the confused one here. Why would you even think so? Did they tell you that? And why do you suddenly like someone?" He pursed his lips before they parted open again. "You told me you'd never dated anyone y
DAMIAN.Endlessly recounting her, "Nobody loves you!" With tears in her eyes and a shaky voice wasn't exactly the best way to spend my day. I'd ask the workers to clean up the mess that Ishtar created, but it stuck with me like a bad dream. How did she know it was my birthday, and why did she think bringing me a cake was a wise thing to do?It was beginning to seem as though I'd been too nice to her, hence my reaction. It was born from a place of calculation and logic. Seeing as my mind was still suffering from lack of answers, it'd do anything to block out any more confusing situations, like the one she had created with Reiss.I wondered why Reiss was in on it. He was very different from his ancestors. I'd received a call from Alfred this morning to congratulate me on this bland day, too. I hadn't taken the time to thoroughly discuss how Reiss was going to become his successor.The last time we spoke of it, Alfred feared Reiss wasn't ready or mature enough to handle such truth. The