DAMIEN:"I don't know what to do with her," I lament, reeling in on the experience that occured here in my study with Riley. "She has rejected me twice. Twice, Xavier. At this point she's convinced that I'm shit. I'm sure that's the way she looks at me now."I'm tired. And thinking about everything was even more tiring. From being worried about her yesterday to now having to worry about her leaving me. It was too much."I need a drink," I state and then stand up from my seat to fetch a bottle of whiskey and wine glass which I left atop the shelf.Xavier speaks just after I pour myself a shot."That means one thing you know," he says.I sip from the glass. "What is that?""I'll have to be honest with you, Damien. You have to let her go. I don't think she deserves any of this happening to her."I scoff, taking another sip before setting the glass aside. "And then what happens after I do that? I just carry on with the burden of knowing I let my mate walk away from my life without so much

CARMELLA:The water trickled off my head and down into the bathtub which I lay inside naked. My mind keeps wandering to a distant place but the thought of knowing my position as Luna of the Dark Moon wasn't safe anymore kept bringing me back.I haven't been more scared of being the Luna than this. I wasn't even bothered when I got betrothed to Damien some years back all because he failed to show forth a fated mate.That was one of the riskiest decisions I ever took in my life— being with a man who didn't feel anything for me. However that decision wasn't enough to make me as scared as knowing I'm about to lose a position I've invested so much into over the years."What do I do, Nadia?" I asked my Gamma who was scrubbing my arm smoothly while I just sat there without moving an inch.This isn't her job. She shouldn't be in here with me. Rather it should be the maids. But lately I've been doing away with them because I wanted the most loyal person in this pack close to me everytime. At l

RILEY:"Where's Menya? I haven't seen her today," I ask Sansa about the other maid.From behind me, she says, "She's down with a fever, my lady. A rare one. But I'm sure she'll be up and ready to serve you once more from tomorrow."I pick out a wildflower, staring at it as if to study its makeup. But I wasn't able to gauge anything out of it."She doesn't have to rush. Tell her to take her time," I say to Sansa before turning around to see her nod in affirmation.The guards stationed at the entrance leading into the quarters simply stood at their positions like statues. It made me wonder if they were able to move a muscle at all because it looked very difficult to me."What can you tell me about Damien?" I ask Sansa right after I take my eyes off the guards."The Alpha?""Yes... Your Alpha.""I'm sorry but I can't, my lady," she says to which I frown at."Why?" I ask."We have specific instructions not to talk about the Alpha with you.""And who gave those instructions?""The Alpha."

DAMIEN: "Why did you do it? Even if we haven't reached an agreement, you should know not to touch her," I confronted Carmella inside her chambers the moment I heard about what transpired between her and Riley. "She disrespected me. Was I supposed to just stand and watch her run her mouth? I'm the Luna for crying out loud," she defends "And she's my guest who should be treated right." "Your guest? Or your human mate who doesn't know how to act accordingly? We'll be having my family here soon, Damien. Do you think it's okay when they arrive and find her lurking about? I had to do the right thing." "By hitting her?" "I owe you no explanation, Damien." "You had no right..." I pause, realizing I was about to snap. After exhaling to calm myself down, I say, "You shouldn't have hit her." "Well I did already," she says. "And I'll be glad to do it again." I could feel the tension rising in the room. It was too much. Too much for even me to handle. She wanted me to say foul things and a

RILEY:I'm surprised that I've lasted this long out here. Surprised that I haven't been found yet. It makes me wonder if they were even on the lookout for me at all.However, I'm beginning to think this was a bad idea. The more I venture into the woods, the more I find it tasking. I haven't even found a means of getting out of it. One that would help me figure my next line of action. Instead I keep going deeper and deeper.My legs were dog-tired from not resting them for hours. I just want to find a place to sit at this point but nowhere around is offering that kind of position for me.I stop walking to take a break. My legs could use a minute or two before they start working again."This was a really bad idea," I tell myself while I gasp for air. "I should have stayed back, hatched a better plan. I don't think I'm getting anywhere with this."I hated that the truth was right in my face. Hated even more that I was admitting it to myself. I felt like I wasn't doing anything right and t