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1,313,627	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1313809}'	No	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	441984038350028	❤️😍What happens next👉Click Here to read on👉	I am so excited. It is the prom night of my last year in high school. "You grow up so fast, my baby is 18." Mom said as she took pictures of me in my prom dress. "Mom enough with the pictures, please," I begged her. Mom laid down the camera and came to hug me. “Even though I was so proud of you for achieving this scholarship I always worried about how they would treat you in that private school.” She said as she brushed my curls. "Well I didn't really care about fitting in, I was there to learn, to get opportunities for college. But I managed to make a friend or two."And that friend that's taking you to prom, is there any chance he will become a boyfriend in the future?" As close as I am with Mom I never really talked to her about Domenic. "Don't you need to go to work now Mom?" I try to turn the conversation. "Uhh the old change the topic scheme, fine fine I'm leaving but I will want a lot of pictures and a lot of details." She kissed me on the cheek before leaving my bedroom. I looked at myself in the mirror before sitting on my bed. Domenic will be here any minute, this will be the first time he will come to my house, normally we always hang out at the park or the library. At first, I couldn't even believe that one of the hottest and richest guys at the school had taken an interest in me. And I could have never imagined just how kind and gentle he was. As the doorbell rang I rushed to open the door. Domenic was there wearing a suit. His dark blondish hair was nicely styled, and when he smiled you could see the dimples in his cheeks. His full li-ps in a crooked smile and his eyes had a mix of hazel green with a touch of blue. In his hands a box with an orchid corsage. "Wow, you look ... beautiful Autumn." He said as he walked in. "This is for you. I remembered orchids were your favorite." "Thank you, and you look very handsome yourself." I smiled trying to cover up my nervousness. "So this is your house," Domenic said. "Yes, compared to your house this must seem like nothing to you." I pointed to my surroundings. "No not at all, it seems very warm, homey." Yes, I really was. "So are we going?" I asked. "There is no hurry, why don't you show me your room." My room. "My room?" My thoughts came out of my mouth. "If that's ok with you." He said as he caressed my cheeks. "No, sure. It's upstairs." I led the way and he followed me. Once inside my room, Domenic spun me around against my door and kissed me as his hands came around my waist. As always he took my breath away, heat permeated my body and I clung to him like my life depended on it. His kiss left my mouth and continued down my neck as I tried to muffle your moans. It wasn't until his hand tugged at the zipper of my dress that my eyes opened in surprise. He backed up and looked me in the eyes. "Do you trust me, Autumn?" I knew what he was asking me. And the answer was yes, I trust him. So much that I'm ready to give myself to him, for the first time in my life, because I love him. I wasn't able to speak so I simply nodded my head as I looked him in the eyes. He took my hand and led me to my bed. Domenic brushed my hair aside as he went to unzip my dress. I could feel his thumb sliding down my spine as he kissed my neck. At the sound of my dress falling to the floor my eyes instantly shut as my hands went to cover my front body. No guy has ever seen me like this. "Shhh, open your eyes gorgeous. Let me look at your eyes." And so I did, he gave me one more kiss before laying me down on the bed. I watched him take his clothes off revealing his strong shoulders and hard shoulder. He came over my body like a lion preying on his prey, his weight crushed on me while his warmth and smell surrounded me. I never imagined making love for the first time would be so intense and pass-ionate. At first, it hurt, and when I saw his eyes fly open I knew he understood it. His response was to bury himself in my skin as we both came soon to the glory. As he rolled over I tried to lay my head on his arm but Domenic sat up and rested on my headboard. "You never told me it was your first time." He said with a weird look on his face. "I didn't think it matters, do you?" I asked him when all of a sudden I heard voices coming from downstairs. I jumped off the bed and put my underwear on, Domenic however was calm and slowly putting his clothes on when the door of my room opened and a bunch of guys barged in. "I guess Nick won the bet after all." Said one of the guys as I tried to cover myself with my dress. "Domenic, what are they doing here, what is he talking about?" "Ohh tell her Nick." Said the guy as they were all laughing. Domenic simply put on his pants and his shirt before walking closer to me with a look in his eyes I never saw before. "No hard feelings gorgeous, but this thing between us is not going to work." My brain was having a hard time processing what was happening. "Look at her face, I think we are gonna have to spell it out for her." The guy as he came closer to me. "We made a bet he couldn't pop your cherry, but he proved us wrong." I looked at Domenic, waiting for him to tell me this was just a joke. "Why?" I asked as tears filled my eyes. "Don't ask me that, gorgeous. You could have said no, really you have yourself to blame." Domenic said before grabbing his suit and leaving my room as the rest followed him. I just dropped on the floor like an apple fell from the tree. Never in my whole life have I felt a pain so big that prevented me from breathing. I barely managed to come to the bathroom where I sat under hot water for hours frantically rubbing my body as the running water muffled my cries. Chapter 2 All of a sudden I was woken up by the sound of my alarm clock. I can't believe that nightmare is back, I was doing so good. Why was it back now? I rushed to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, it's been more than ten years since that night yet I still can't forget about it. The nightmare always seems to find me. I got dressed quickly and got ready for work. Luckily I don't live far away, living above where you work has some privileges. The first two floors are my library cafe, I have to say I'm proud of myself for what I created. It's a perfect place to enjoy a good book or work on paper while the aroma of freshly brewed coffee accompanies you while sharing a conversation with a friend. The third floor I made into my apartment, I still own my mother's house but since her passing, I just kind of stay here.I got downstairs just as Jess, the girl who works for me opened the cafe. "Morning boss." She said as she put her apron on. "Morning Jess, can you please prepare the last night takings I'm gonna need it to finish the accounts. End of the month and all, you know." I say as I grab my yoga mat. "Sure, you are starting yoga?" She asked pointing to the mat. "Yep. Please put the reserved sign on the table with the couch for Joshua." As the first customers showed up I left for the yoga studio. I got there just as the rest of the woman were putting down their mats and chatting. I went to my corner and put my mat down. "It's a bit uncomfortable when you come here without a friend, feels like the first day of school all over again."A blond woman said to me as she came closer. "Yes, it is." I say as she puts her mat next to mine. She appeared to be somewhere between twenty-four and twenty-six more or less, and there was something about her eyes that seemed familiar. "I hope you don't mind." "Ohh no, go ahead at least I'll have someone to chat with. I'm Autumn." I say as I extend my hand. "This union has to be the work of the universe, I'm Summer." She said as she shook my hand. I don't know why but I have a feeling we will great friends. For the last three weeks, me and Summer hung out a lot, she is funny and very cheerful. The business is going great the only thing always ruining my mood is a persistent man trying to purchase my building. He comes back every time with a better offer but the answer is always the same. One big NO. I got this building from my mother, and she got it from her father. For years it was abandoned until I decided to do something with it. With my business degree, I could have worked for someone but this place was calling for me. "I love this place, Autumn. Can I post it on my i*a?" Summer said as she drank her coffee latte. "I'm surprised you already didn't." We laughed as I watched a man in a suit come into the cafe. I thought that the shark had returned but the man took a seat at the table with another man. "Thank God." I say. "What?" Summer asked. "There is this man that comes here lately, he wants this place and obviously doesn't understand no for an answer.” "If you have any problem just tell me, I can ask my dad for a favor." You would think Summer is just another rich daddy girl but she is really sweet. "Thank you, Summer but I have it under control." "Hey did you get me that book we talked about?" Summer asked. "Oh yes, let me run upstairs and grab it." I ran upstairs to get the book and as I was returning I saw from the stairs a man talking with Summer. Something about him was so familiar to me so I slowly descended the stairs and listened to their conversation. "What are you doing here brother?" Summer asked surprised, I couldn't see his face his back was turned to me. "Well, my assistant couldn't close a simple contract with the old lady who owns this building so I had to come myself." His voice, I know that voice. It can't be. Chapter 3 That voice, it cant be him. "What old lady?" Summer asked him. He opened a file he had in his hands. "Sarah James." My mother. "My brother, you are very misinformed. I know the owner of this place." Summer looked in my direction. "Autumn come to meet my brother, Domenic this is Autumn." When he turned around, I... I thought my world shattered all over again. At least he looked as shocked as me while Summer just stared at us. "Autumn, are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost." Summer asked me. "Autumn." Domenic said my name. He looked older yes, but more handsome than ever. "As it turned out my brother is the shark that wants to purchase this place." Summer smacked him on the shoulder. "Your brother? You are a Davis Jones?" I asked shocked, she said she was Summer Danes. "Yes, wait you two know each other?" Do we know each other? No, we don't. The man that I knew never existed. I'm going to be sick. "We went to the same high school." Domenic said. His voice made me more sick by the minute. I tried to dismiss him as much as possible, not wanting to look at him I concentrated on Summer. "So how we met, how we became friends was just a ruse so I would easily accept to se-ll to your brother?" She looked as if I just slapped her. "No, of course not. How could you think that?" Summer said as she looked between Domenic and me again as if she suspected there was bad blood between us. "Autumn." Domenic said again, he even went so far as to try to touch me. I flinched back so hard I almost fell over. "Get out. Both of you, out." I say as I fought so hard to not let tears fill my eyes. "Hey let's talk it out." Summer said. "There is nothing to talk about, I will never give this place to you. So I would suggest you forget this address and me altogether." I'm starting to shake. No Autumn, hang in there just a minute longer. "Autumn please..." "Out." Domenic tried to talk to me but I cut him off. I can't listen to his voice, it torments me. Summer grabbed Dominic's hand and nudged him back, but he looked stuck in place. I can't take it anymore, I can't look or listen to him. I turned around and practically went flying up the stairs, I bearly made it to the toilet where my stomach betrayed me. The memories started to flood me, every smell, every touch, the spoken words and promises. The betrail and broken trust. I never went to my prom, that night I spent washing myself over and over again trying to erase his touch on my skin. I never slept on that bed again. For the first time in my life, I lied to my mother. I told her I felt sick to my stomach last minute and that's why I didn't go. I hoped I would never see him again. A few days passed and just as I was starting to glue myself back together from the shock Summer appeared at my door. I tried to dismiss her but she got into my face. "I don't know what kind of history you have with my brother and I don't care. I just came to tell you I think what you are doing to me is unjust. First of all, we meet by accident ok. Second, when did I ever talk to you about you salling this place? You throw me out, do you know how that made me feel..." "I..." I tried to interrupt her. "No, I'm talking. As you see I don't have many friends, and in the brief time we got to know each other I grew very fond of you. Whatever Nicky did to you in the past was not my fault, so don't take it out on me. Because I really miss you." I stayed silent, not sure if she was finished. She did have a point. "Well say something." She tells me. As much as I hate it she is right, and I kind of missed her too. So instead of saying anything I gave her a hug which she returned. "I'm sorry, I missed you too." "That's more like it." She said. We went upstairs from the cafe to talk more privately. I made us some coffee and we sat in my living room. "I said to myself I wouldn't ask but... what is the dea-l with you and Nicky?" I find it funny she calls him Nicky. "Did you ask him?" I say. "Well that night he didn't come home, but I asked him the next day and he didn't want to talk about it. Not a word." No surprise there. "Did you guys date?" Summer asked and my eyes must of give the jackpot alarm. "Oh, you did. And judging from your reaction it ended badly." I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. "Sorry Summer but I don't want to talk about it. Now or ever." "Sure, and just so you know I told him to give up on this place." Of course she did. "Thank you Summer." I say, for a second there we stay in an awkward situation. Not really sure what to say. "I don't want things to be weird between us Autumn, we will continue our friendship as it was. And if you do not want to see my brother I will always respect that." She reassured me, and honestly, I did believe her. "You are right, and I am sorry for how I treated you. The situation caught me off guard but I was in no right to take it out on you." She smiled as she tapped my hand. "No worries, hey I need to run now but how about we have dinner later?" Summer said as she got up. "Sure, just text me the time and address, and I'll meet you there.” Chapter 4 We said goodbye and I went the rest of my day feeling a lot better about the situation between me and Summer. Later she sent me a text about where we were gonna meet up, It's a good thing I looked at the restaurant before going otherwise I would have come in jeans. I put on my green dress that suited my eyes and looked lovely with my chocolate brown curly hair. I got there a bit early and while I waiting I scrolled on my phone until I sensed Summer sat down at the table. "Took you long enough." I said as I set my phone down, but when I looked up I saw Domenic sitting in front of me. "First of all Summer has nothing to do with this, she is coming I just told her driver to take a few wrong turns. She wouldn't corner you like this." Stay calm Autumn, you already gave him the satisfaction of seeing you affected by his presence. "She wouldn't, but obviously you would." I said as I took a sip of water, my throat suddenly felt as dry as a desert. He scratched his beard and tugged at his ear, it was a habit he had when we were dating. He always did that when he was overthinking. "You look gorgeous Autumn, the years have suited you." Gorgeous, he always referred to me as gorgeous. "What do you want Mr.Davis?" His eyes slightly widened in shock. "Mr.Davis? I think we know each other enough to leave such formalities aside." The audacity of this man. Just breathe Autumn, stay calm and drink wine. Crap I don't have any wine yet. "I don't know you, Mr.Davis. I never did, the man I thought I knew never existed he was simply an illusion. One that was shattered in the most painful way. You Mr. Davis are simply a man who wants to get my property, one I already made clear I had no intention of se-lling." Huhh water, water I need water. I gracefully emptied my glass. Domenic's eyes never left mine as he took a sip of water himself. "I gave up on owning it the second I saw you, and besides Summer threatened to destroy my collectibles if I tried." I laughed, I didn't mean to, but I did. And he smiled. I imagined that from afar we looked like two normal people about to have dinner when the truth was so far from it. "I wanted to thank you... for not telling Summer about... about what I did." He can't even say it. "What makes you think I didn't?" I arched my eyebrow at him. "Because Summer has no filter, and she does not lie. When she talked to me she did it like she always does, meaning she does not know." I can see it matters a lot to him what Summer thinks of him. "I have to be honest with you. Since I saw you I haven't been able to stop thinking about you Autumn." I roll my eyes at him. "I feel we have a lot to talk about, please have lunch with me tomorrow." "You really have the audacity to ask me to have lunch with you? Like we are old friends catching up, you have no shame." I grabbed my bag and got up just as Summer walked in, she looked mad. "I'm so sorry I had nothing to do with this." She rushed to explain. "It's ok, I know," I say as Domenic gets up. "What is the matter with you Nicky?" Summer asked him. "I'm leaving now, we'll talk tomorrow." He said it in a way it was unsure who he said it to. But it better not be me. The rest of the night Summer kept apologizing for her brother's intrusion while I reassured her it was fine as long it didn't happen again. But something I saw in Domenic's eyes told me that wouldn't be the case. The next day Summer and I went to yoga as usual, and then we had brunch before I had to return to the cafe. When I got there he was already waiting. Sitting in the back corner drinking coffee. When our eyes met he slowly put down the mug and then started to walk towards me. My silly legs didn't listen when the brain said to run. "What are you doing here Mr.Davis? I thought I made myself clear." I say as I mark the distance between us. "I just want to talk to you Autumn." God, dig a hole and bury him in it. "We have nothing to talk about Mr.Davis." I say as I make my way to the other side of the bar. "Can you stop calling me Mr.Davis?" It irritates him, I like it. "Will you just go have lunch with me?" He asked as he leaned over the bar. With the cafe door open and the wind blowing, the smell of his cologne traveled all the way to me. "No, I won't Mr.Davis, now please leave my cafe. Don't make me call your sister." He smiled at that. "I don't know how much you remember about me but I can be very persistent when I want something." Meaning??? "Meaning?" I say as calmly as possible. He leaned over the bar and looked me straight in the eyes with determination. "Meaning I won't give up. Meaning you will have me here every day until you say yes." And with that, Domenic grabbed his briefcase and left, but this was far from over. And so he came back the next day, and he asked me to lunch and I said no. He came the day after that, his question the same as was my answer. The third day he came Summer was here and he had a bump on his forehead. Apparently, she threw the TV remote at him. Today he didn't come, instead, he sent flowers. Orcuieds. The note said "Gorgeous! Lunch?" A man of few words. "I know I promised I wouldn't interfere, but maybe if you say yes he will leave you alone. Besides it's a lunch, not a dinner date." Said Summer as she flipped the pages of the magazine. "You are right." I say and she immediately looks up. "You promised you'd stay out of it." I smiled at her. "I know I just can't stand him anymore, he is driving me crazy." She says as a message comes to my phone. "Did you like the flowers? Domenic." "You gave him my phone number?" I say as I put the phone in her face. "No, he took it out of my phone. I swear." I text him back. "NO." Too subtle, maybe I needed to put an exclamation point. Chapter 5 I tried to go by my days not thinking about him. But it wasn't easy. All of a sudden I even dreamed about him. The tipping point for me was when I came home to find a basket full of sweets I used to love, records of the music I used to listen to, a copy of my favorite book, and my old perfume. The rage suddenly grew inside my body, my heart was beating like crazy while I took my phone and called Summer. "Where the hel is your brother?" "At this time he is at work, why?" She asked intrigued. "Just send me the address, I'll explain later. And don't tell him I'm coming." I grabbed the basket and made my way to his workplace. Apparently, Summer called and let the security know I was coming so they let me in. His secretary on the other hand wasn't so welcoming, but I pushed past her into his office. "I'm so sorry Mr.Davis I tried to stop her." She apologized. "It's alright Melody, you can leave." He said as he got up from his chair. Danm, why does he have to look so hot in that gray three-piece suit? "What is this?" I asked him as I pointed to the basket. "Autumn, I just wanted to show you I still think about you." He said as he came closer. "The truth is I was never able to forget about you." Domenic stood in front of me, his eyes searching mine. "I forgot about you a long time ago and I have no desire for a rehash." I say as stand strong. "You are lying Autumn, you still get that wrinkle on your nose when you lie," He pointed to my nose. He annoyed me so much I grabbed the perfume from the basket and threw it at him. He dodged it and it shattered into a million pieces on the floor spreading the smell all over his office. "You don't know me Mr.Davis, and I demand you stop this nonsense." My hands started shaking and my heart began to rise to my throat. "I do know you, gorgeous, and because I know you I also know that earning your forgiveness is going to be a big task." My forgiveness. He wanted my forgiveness?!! "You want my forgiveness, why? So you can ease your conscience, Mr.Davis." That made him take his eyes off mine and give me the strength I needed. "No, you can't have my forgiveness, Domenic. I'd rather you take that burden with you on your way to hel." I say as I drop the basket by his feet before turning around ready to leave. I was almost at the door when I was suddenly pulled back and crushed between the wall and his body. "What are you doing? Let me go." I told him as I tried to get myself from his hands. His response was to kiss me, Kiss me like he used to, maybe even better. My body relaxed into his like it was muscle memory because my body knew how he hugged me, how he touched me, the way he kissed me. But my brain knew the pain he caused, so I found it in my self to push him back and tried to make my way to the door. He pulled me back one more time, his face inches from mine. His hands were on my cheeks as he looked me in the eyes and said. "You loved me once, you will love me again." And I knew this was only the beginning. "What is going on here?" We both turned to face the door where Summer was standing looking at us. I backed up as Domenic dropped his hands from me. "And what is this smell, you really need to open a window." She said as she strolled into the office. "Are you ok?" She asked me. "I'm fine, I just came here to make some things clear with Mr.Davis. I'm leaving now." I say as I share one last look with Domenic. "Wait for me downstairs, I'll drive you," Summer offered. "Yeah, sure." When I got outside I took a sit at the bench while I tried to process what just happened upstairs. A moment of weakness I can't repeat. I need my life to go back to how it was before he came back. But Summer, I can't be unjust to Summer. Speaking of which, here she comes. "Hey, you could have waited in the car." She said as her driver opened the door. "It's fine, I needed the fresh air." "Fresh air by the New Yorks sidewalk? Honey, I need to take you to the Hamptons ASAP." She said as we got into the car. "Are you ok? I mean Nicky didn't say anything but it was obvious there was tension there." No Im not ok. "I'm fine Summer, don't worry about it." Let me worry about it. I think to myself as I smile at her. "Uhh, the fact that I do not know what happened between the two of you will drive me crazy." Summer said as she tossed her phone by her side. "I won't put you in the middle of this Summer. You are my friend and I'll leave you out of this drama. I can handle it." I reassured her. "I don't know what's worse, not knowing and wondering. Or the fear that the truth is too horrible to bear." And that is exactly why I will never tell you. Chapter 6 Two weeks have passed and sure enough, Domenic has kept insisting on talking to me. He didn't come in person every time but the flowers have kept coming in every day. "Dinner?" was the only thing written on the card today. The card I threw away and the flowers I gave to Ms, Robin, it would be a shame to throw them into the trash. "Do you wanna do something tonight? See a movie or something?" I asked Summer. "Ohh I can't tonight. I have a date?" She said happily. "With whom?" I asked as I put down a cup and threw a rag on the counter. "A guy I meet online." "Why are you meeting people online? You are Summer Davis Jones for God's sake, men are literally chasing you." I say in disbelief. "That is because they are after the Davis Jones part, not the Summer part." I can't relate to that problem but I can understand. "And this guy isn't?" "Well, he is meeting Summer Danes, so…” Ohh I almost forgot about the last name trick she uses. "Right, that word game you play with your last name. I have to say very clever on your part." I say as a big group of people come into the cafe. "If business keeps up like this soon I'll have to expand," I say as Summer smiles suspiciously. "What did you do?" I ask her. "I may have tweeted and shared on my I*a that this is the it place to be, and I may have said that Sophie Chapelle will be signing her new book here." What? "Summer but that is a lie, I don't know Sophie Chapelle." I say as more people come in. "But I do, and she agreed to do this as a little favor for me. She will be here at five. I told Jess to reserve the sofa for her." Oh my God. "I can't believe you did that. Thank you so much Summer, it means the world to me." "Hey don't mention it, friends should support friends. You would do the same for me." I don't have the resources or the connections she has but yes I would do the same. "Well if you ever need me to do something for you just say the word." To that, she looked at me with a soft look on her face. "I would love it if you and my brother could coexist in the same place so that I could have two people I love always by my side." I think my face said it all. "Ok I'm off now, you will tell me all about it, and don't forget to take pictures." She said as she hopped off the chair and left. Man, you got to love her. Sure enough by five pm, this place was so full a toothpick wouldn't even fit it. Summer even sent cases of vine to the cafe, and personnel with glasses and everything. I mean fcking Sophie Chapelle was here, at my cafe. Signing her new book. I devoured her every book, they were my therapy. The fact that Summer wasn't here was a shame. By eight pm the cafe still very much resembled a club, I had an urgent need to restock everything. It was crazy. I managed to get my signed copy of the book and when I went to take a picture of it with my phone I had a call from Summer. I went outside so I would be able to hear her from all the noise outside. As soon as I answered I heard her panicked voice. "Autumn." Something was off. "Summer are you ok?" I asked frantically "Something is not right with this guy Autumn. We met at the restaurant and everything was fine then he asked me if I wanted to go see this new art exhibit and I said yes. But this place is strange Autumn, I just left at the back door... Aaaaaahh!!!" My blood froze as I heard Summer scream. "Summer! Summer can you hear me? Summer." The call ended I was left standing. What do I do? Before I even realized my legs led me to a street corner where I fetched a taxi. If there was someone who had resources and people in the right places to find Summer, it was Domenic. I had to go to his office, Summer said once he had a habit of working late so this is where he should be.I got to his building at the same time he was coming out with a man walking behind him. He looked so surprised to see me running towards him. "Autumn." Domenic said with a smile on his face. He really needs to read people's facial expressions better. "Domenic, Summer... Something happened to Summer." I managed to say as I caught my breath. "What are you talking about Autumn? Where is Summer?" He instantly went into panic mode. "She had a date tonight but she called me saying something was off about the guy and that she was leaving but then I heard her scream and the call ended. You have to find her Domenic." I tried to explain the best I could. "Call the head of security, I want them to locate Summer now!" Domenic said to the man behind him. "Can I have your phone miss, it was the last one to have contact with." The man said to me. "Of course, take it. Just find her." He took the phone out of my hand and they walked back into the building and I followed them. We walked into a big room filled with computers and devices where they connected my phone to their software. Domenic was understandably upset, his body was shaking while his eyes traveled from one monitor to another. I felt an urge to touch him, to comfort him but no. I can't. I have to resist, this isn't about him. It's about Summer. "What is happening, did you find her?" They looked at the screen until a red dot appeared on the map. "We have her." The man yelled and they ran outside where a group of armed men were waiting. "You take her home." Domenic said to one of his men. "I'm coming with you, I'm not going anywhere until I see Summer." I say as I push past him and get in his car. Without wasting any more time Domenic got in the car and we started driving.	LEARN_MORE	https://redtgb.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10878&u	250753834794512	Read freely	https://facebook.com/61557986570531	8	0	0	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Learn More	Read freely	120210928905690196	redtgb.com		NONE	dco		https://redtgb.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10878&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}	2024-04-17 06:22	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436349435_746967717583670_5125952367064403741_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7GV9fyIFUx0Ab66OU7r&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDxK6UDobxVlL_MP0nsgPbGqjT2JKt-LDw18jRBa1CQoQ&oe=6628DF81	person_profile	Read freely	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436342709_1144189033263591_1426169214121376259_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4HbSAWqxNG8Ab5yjsvP&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfB3D_yc8qlirDPeVsua1b2pzUe1E4LsQW9kX5MDpzYExw&oe=6628BFFA	3	Read freely	2024-04-19 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,009	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1312018}'	No	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	433851832514250	1 + 1 FREE (STOCK CLEARANCE) 🚨	RECEIVE A FREE PAIR OF BAREFOOT SHOES! 😍<br /> <br /> ✅ Barefoot shoes for a natural gait<br /> ✅ Suitable for all feet<br /> ✅ Immediate pain relief<br /> <br /> 🇺🇸 Free shipping in the US<br /> ➡️ <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.barekick.com%2Fproducts%2Fexplorer-offer&h=AT2kXKlOtEA3xEdijQvWjTClf0gT-CLg2xf0p0quYwfDRuqLtDClRg9vbXmlO_sm5xcgI0-tWwfpFKd94h-eytvcGnkZ9vEnx6wLMbbvQB_XMKZvD0sR-BdtIjt8DCKY3dAm-Gq9xOhJ6hPbaQ4-ppb6_uv-cxtq99VpXa7ea-g" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">www.barekick.com/products/explorer-offer</a>	SHOP_NOW	https://www.barekick.com/products/explorer-offer	198403916683652	Barekick	https://facebook.com/barekick	1,602	1	2,768,031,353,350,852	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Shop now	Barekick	120210421450490230	barekick.com		NONE	image	37,252+ Happy Customers!	https://www.barekick.com/products/explorer-offer	2024-04-11 07:15	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434035911_1078711730075412_1345385782503023554_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2ZdQiPSYkyYAb60y_dI&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCC2jwdf1moV0aXOkH5Hr8EAAXUwHF5ArUulAByl_pGXQ&oe=6628F22C	person_profile	Barekick	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434449849_1635961720525133_1100579637977196179_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fVCo_uGWMDQAb70Kcj4&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDD2yhv1dLs3K5OD0AV6zpv_LeYMQ4JViLRSaOq9hZD9A&oe=6628DA99	3	Barekick	2024-04-11 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,849	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1312816}'	Yes	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	954701896235063	Two Tone Interwine Titanium Steel Couple Rings	Love your mom and give your mother a special gift💏 ✅Any order 10%off & more promotions enjoy now Shop Now👉:http://italojewelry.io/Cwo Free shipping & 60-day return🛩	SHOP_NOW	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-two-tone-interw	1452918118133977	Italo Jewelry	https://facebook.com/italojewelry	68,175	0	0	2024-04-18 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Shop Now	Italo Jewelry	120209639585050608	italojewelry.com	3225	NONE	dpa	🌻One Year Warranty & 60-day Return	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-two-tone-interwine-created-white-sapphire-titanium-steel-couple-rings-251002.html	2024-04-11 22:38	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437736558_361650870209619_6784006538889635322_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qtg-3IndwicAb5ud54O&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBwUvy-1ac51xMYDIN_uUfniewoSkuoQLEjaUio9h38xQ&oe=6628C155	person_profile	Italo Jewelry	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435703002_433915545676185_1882012762919443725_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2a7JozJpxugAb7yKQ18&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfA_l0TKC0-9uTWu9fBfoLsGbwinv9X8Ko-H8ASz9qrNXQ&oe=6628EF6E	3	Italo Jewelry	2024-04-18 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,727	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	Yes	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	365375423135253	Message us ➡️	Are you on SSI? You can qualify for low-cost internet in your area! Switch to FreeConnect and get matched with the most affordable internet option near you.	MESSAGE_PAGE		123493340662040	FreeConnect.us	https://facebook.com/FreeConnect.us	1,335	1	1,915,926,142,199,476	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Send Message	FreeConnect.us	120208918687000344			NONE	dco	{{product.description}}		2024-04-11 13:47	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435462649_391076760437637_7751704178288668374_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sW-3y12VdtgAb7SisP1&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBN5EQvXPrWXjag71Dh1YLxpommkiJnyo4qo12MEExNaQ&oe=6628CDF2	person_profile	FreeConnect.us	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437361083_960358608949939_7472494594109110531_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kGLQDJAhdJAAb4_KJLL&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCiikYjJ0AkeFTwz1_dJ6L0jSY5voeHHswqlyUo8vkQxg&oe=6628E6A4	3	FreeConnect.us	2024-04-19 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,910	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	Yes	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	1157530255148902	Italo Simple Classic Titanium Steel Men's Wedding Band	Mother's Day Pre-sale is Coming💏 ✅Any order 10%off & more promotions enjoy now Shop Now👉:http://italojewelry.io/Cwo Free shipping & 60-day return🛩	SHOP_NOW	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-simple-classic-	1452918118133977	Italo Jewelry	https://facebook.com/italojewelry	68,175	0	0	2024-04-18 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Shop Now	Italo Jewelry	120209460589080608	italojewelry.com	3216	NONE	dpa	🌻One Year Warranty & 60-day Return	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-simple-classic-titanium-steel-men-s-wedding-band-241003.html	2024-04-08 02:46	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434998877_900458068544610_7365803086945359661_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=kFgdhGjApIkAb5lLXSa&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCFfHXvO8f9Kqq9e4nv_O_Qqh4KdsnNfBqCknlSKcsHqw&oe=6628CD68	person_profile	Italo Jewelry	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434683289_970005554751317_8453340929182466375_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=L-jm2CTz07sAb5xBvzP&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfC-wW1hTAAFTz3SzB74xgA9vrSBQgVQYfJTGQVVRKV_rg&oe=6628D03F	3	Italo Jewelry	2024-04-18 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,509	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	Yes	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	332300372809650	Italo Detachable Cross Design Titanium Steel Men's Wedding Band	Mother's Day Pre-sale is Coming🎁 ✅Any order 10%off & more promotions enjoy now Shop Now👉:http://italojewelry.io/Cwo Free shipping & 60-day return🛩	SHOP_NOW	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-detachable-cros	1452918118133977	Italo Jewelry	https://facebook.com/italojewelry	68,175	0	0	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Shop Now	Italo Jewelry	120209503006240608	italojewelry.com	3216	NONE	dpa	🔥One Year Warranty & 60-day Return	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-detachable-cross-design-titanium-steel-men-s-wedding-band-241001.html	2024-04-08 21:28	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/432307858_450032057449376_2894924019039916887_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=CorMBdMZ2RUAb6_IUPu&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCJCAym90SKFjsFuXI8XLXeIltkjpitQ0aR2zTp5CisSA&oe=6628DC6A	person_profile	Italo Jewelry	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435186662_442968921427316_2504921454348733870_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1OPohWkKGcIAb6vPhDY&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDopMy7idNLzkZ1gyTjDozdIMfaVvDlP-kSb-WeH0ub5w&oe=6628D637	3	Italo Jewelry	2024-04-18 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,313,809	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	Yes	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	1784842152015343	❤️😍What happens next👉Click Here to read on👉	As always he took my breath away, heat permeated my body and I clung to him like my life depended on it. His kiss left my mouth and continued down my neck. "Do you trust me, Autumn?" Domenic asked. I knew what he was asking me. And the answer was yes, I trust him. So much that I'm ready to give myself to him, for the first time in my life, because I love him. He came over my body like a lion preying on his prey, his weight crushed on me while his warmth surrounded me. I never imagined making love for the first time would be so intense and pa-ssionate. As he rolled over I tried to lay my head on his front body but Domenic sat up. "You never told me it was your first time." He said with a weird look on his face. "I didn't think it matters, do you?" I asked him when all of a sudden I heard voices coming from downstairs. I jumped off the bed and put my underwear on, Domenic however was calm when the door of my room opened and a bunch of guys barged in. "I guess Nick won the bet after all." Said one of the guys. "Domenic, what are they doing here, what is he talking about?" "Oh tell her Nick." Said the guy as they were all laughing. Domenic simply put on his pants and his shirt before walking closer to me with a look in his eyes I never saw before. "No hard feelings gorgeous, but this thing between us is not going to work." My brain was having a hard time processing what he said. “I think we are gonna have to spell it out for her." The guy added. "We made a bet he couldn't pop your cherry, but he proved us wrong." I felt like my life was turning into hel as tears filled my eyes. ***** 3 years later. All of a sudden I was woken up by the sound of my alarm clock. I can't believe that nightmare is back! The business is going great the only thing always ruining my mood is a persistent man trying to purchase my building. I ran downstairs as I saw a man talking with Summer, my besty. Something about him was so familiar to me so I listened to their conversation quietly. "What are you doing here?" Summer asked. "Well, my assistant couldn't close a simple contract with the woman who owns this building so I had to come myself." His voice, I know that voice. It can't be.	LEARN_MORE	https://redtgb.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10878&u	250753834794512	Read freely	https://facebook.com/61557986570531	8	0	0	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Learn More	Read freely	120210928905340196	redtgb.com		NONE	dco		https://redtgb.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10878&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}	2024-04-17 06:22	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436431744_1105189197416369_132245107690223585_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AxLkIz-L3NwAb4FcDpy&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBYE9Vwy436q1uxiDDBGNP4Mj3DLWRz-0IzKGylfhfcWA&oe=6628E2A7	person_profile	Read freely	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436316645_798931224988494_4004557736588660334_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BHXmg2fgOJgAb6yaSEr&_nc_oc=Adg-LzpUAzkXgzvO7UT3gNgvNECQY3E-S-K3xTrlZ51gSkW41ZDrhN8LMNlxcYT2gMk&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfAo8_A5rQR74DyvVUhJ2H5FGqCvhfqNVsxui_mAdAbOyw&oe=6628E93B	3	Read freely	2024-04-19 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,848	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1312816}'	Yes	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	954701896235063	Two Tone Interwine Titanium Steel Couple Rings	Love your mom and give your mother a special gift💏 ✅Any order 10%off & more promotions enjoy now Shop Now👉:http://italojewelry.io/Cwo Free shipping & 60-day return🛩	SHOP_NOW	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-two-tone-interw	1452918118133977	Italo Jewelry	https://facebook.com/italojewelry	68,175	0	0	2024-04-18 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Shop Now	Italo Jewelry	120209639585050608	italojewelry.com	3225	NONE	dpa	🌻One Year Warranty & 60-day Return	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-two-tone-interwine-created-white-sapphire-titanium-steel-couple-rings-251002.html	2024-04-11 22:38	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437736558_361650870209619_6784006538889635322_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qtg-3IndwicAb5ud54O&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBwUvy-1ac51xMYDIN_uUfniewoSkuoQLEjaUio9h38xQ&oe=6628C155	person_profile	Italo Jewelry	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435703002_433915545676185_1882012762919443725_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2a7JozJpxugAb7yKQ18&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfA_l0TKC0-9uTWu9fBfoLsGbwinv9X8Ko-H8ASz9qrNXQ&oe=6628EF6E	3	Italo Jewelry	2024-04-18 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,313,507	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1313506}'	No	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	1159909268750402	❤️😍What happens next👉Click Here to read on👉	Ava POV On New Year’s Eve, I found out my dear husband and supposed best friend were having an affair. The evening started well enough, though looking back I’m not sure how I was so blind. I remember walking down the gray-on-blue hallway to Ethan’s hotel room while looking forward to surprising my mate on his business trip and making some happy memories, the kind that had been scarce with us lately. I was really hoping Ethan would be glad to see me. I thought we might resume our discussion of having children. At thirty-five, I was still in my prime for such things, but time was getting on. Ethan was only two years from forty himself. I put on my brightest smile and knocked on the double doors of Room 1893. The door swung open to reveal Ethan wearing nothing but a white, hotel bathrobe and an expression of anxious surprise. Keeping my smile, I looked down at his exposed neck and collarbones, ready to make a joke about his answering the door looking like that, when I heard a woman’s voice call out. “What’s wrong, dear?” Olivia, I thought, and my stomach went cold while my face flamed red hot. “What in the world?” I demanded, shoving past my husband and a cloak of Olivia’s perfume she was wearing. Inside the decidedly luxurious suite, I saw an opened bottle of champagne and two crystal flutes, clothing scattered about the room, and, yes, a pair of Olivia’s signature, red-soled expensive pumps on the floor near the blue velvet sofa. Olivia walked out of the bedroom wearing nothing but a white sheet wrapped around her sari-style, and all I could do was stare at her. She had always been so much prettier than I was, and now so many years my junior at twenty-eight with flawless skin and thick blond hair. I had always thought of her as my adorable little sister. So, what was she doing here with my husband? “Ava,” she said, her voice and expression sneering. I felt my heart start to pound. I turned to Ethan, who looked a little frightened. But then his perfectly dimpled chin went up. He steadied those broad shoulders I’d long admired, and his wedding ring disappeared into his dark hair along with the fingers of his left hand. “I realize how this looks, and I’m sorry,” he said. “I assure you this began with an attraction we both tried to fight. Neither of us is to blame for—” “That’s not true,” Olivia said. “You’ve taken everything from me, and now I’m taking it back.” “What do you mean?” I shook my head, feeling dizzy. “We are friends. I would never take anything from you.” “I am the daughter of the late Alpha Adam,” she snapped, her eyes glittering with a hate so thick I could feel it pressing against me like some unclean beast. “But you! Acting as the Beta’s wife like you were my mother, making everyone think you’re some saint while they ignored me, and marrying the man who should have been mine from the beginning.” I was so confused. I never realized Olivia was interested in Ethan, who was ten years older than she was. I also thought Olivia didn’t care about anything that wasn’t shopping or going out with friends. The few times I had tried to talk with her about pack affairs, Olivia looked positively bored. I tried to explain what I could. “Ethan and I only took on the pack’s administrative duties because Chris left. You had no desire to rule our pack. You told me it was too much trouble.” “I said that as a child!” she growled. “Now I want to be Luna.” “I don’t understand,” I said, working hard not to cry, not yet. “Your brother is coming back soon. He holds the Moonstone and will take over as Alpha. You can’t marry your brother. You can’t be Luna.” “You are so silly,” Olivia said with a laugh. “Chris left years ago and has no intention of keeping the Moonstone. Now Ethan and I will be the Alpha and Luna.” Helpless, I looked at my husband. His face was now oddly blank, and he shrugged. “Olivia has convinced Chris not to inherit a title he’s never wanted. As Olivia’s mate, I will rule the pack with her.” “Never wanted?” I looked back at Olivia. “Just because he’s been studying abroad—” “Chris was never going to be Alpha,” Olivia snapped. “Chris has found all the success he wants in the Human World, while the rest of us bring Moonstone Pack to its full dominance.” I tried to process everything. Ethan said, “Tomorrow, Chris will give me the Moonstone. We’ll set him up with whatever financial means and apolitical title he prefers, and with my new mate, I will become the Alpha of Moonstone Pack, and Olivia will be Luna.” “But why?” I could only ask, my voice very small. “If you loved Olivia more than you loved me, why would you marry me in the first place?” His expression momentarily softened. “I am sorry, Ava. We had something meaningful together, but I could never be Alpha while married to you. Surely, you can see what I have done for the pack. I deserve this.” My mouth fell open. I wanted to ask, “What about me?” I thought of the years we’d been waiting for Chris to return and claim his place without a real position in the pack, and without any real love, I was starting to realize, not if he could act like this. At that moment, I resented not only Ethan and Olivia for being like this, but also Chris, the boy I had helped raise along with his sister. I envisioned the young and skinny fifteen-year-old who had left the island with his favorite tutors over a decade ago. Why hadn’t he stayed and taken up our Moonstone Pack like he was supposed to? My mental image of Chris was replaced by the bright, callous sight of Olivia, standing there with triumph in her bright green eyes. Was this truly the girl who had been my friend? Years of helping to raise her, of looking out for her, of taking care of her, and now this? Olivia turned on Ethan. “Now, do what you agreed to do. Break your bond with Ava and prepare yourself to bond with me.” She looked back at me. “I want to see you do it.” “Surely, tomorrow would be better,” Ethan objected faintly. “The pain involved—” “Break it now!” Again, I saw a glimmer of fear in Ethan’s eyes, but it was quickly gone. Then he steadied himself, looking at me coldly. He brought up his hands, closing his eyes to pull the power to the forefront of his mind, and then opened now-blazing eyes to intone, “You are no longer mine. I am no longer yours. We are nothing to each other. The bond is broken.” Pain like I’d never felt before flooded my mind, and the world went dark. At that moment, I felt I had been abandoned by the world. Until the most unexpected people came to my rescue. Chapter 2 Ava POV I woke up to find myself lying on the sidewalk at the entrance of the hotel, discarded like a vagrant and chilled to the bone with a throbbing headache. I was almost completely numb, but I somehow could still feel pieces of the broken bond with Ethan inside me, slicing at my heart and stomach like shards of glass. A few people passing by gave me odd looks, the way Humans do. That’s right. I was in the Human World. I couldn’t even go home at this moment. There was a sea strait in between the Human World and Werewolf Territory. Ethan said he had to spend his New Year's Eve here because of some business with humans. So I was here for Ethan tonight on a ferry. Now I needed to wait for the first ferry tomorrow to go back to my home. I managed to sit up, and then, very slowly, I stood. I put my right hand against the metal frame of the hotel’s front door and let my head fall forward. The pressure behind my eyes beat in time with my heart, and I felt vaguely betrayed that it was still working, still pumping blood to a body that felt damaged beyond repair. I looked around. The street was a skyscape of colored lights. Christmas and New Year’s decorations merrily colored the thin layer of white snow on the sidewalks and streets. I scowled at it all for being so cheerful and looked down for my bag. There. As I unsteadily reached for my bag, I saw that my wedding ring was missing from my finger. Olivia must have taken it from my unconscious body like a grave robber, and the image that thought brought to mind almost made me vomit. After putting the strap of my bag over my shoulder, I leaned back against the entrance and let my head rest against the freezing gold-colored plate. It eased my headache slightly. Better yet, right across the street squatted a bar: all cozy wood, leaded glass, and neon signs promising IPAs and rum. I knew I should probably find myself a hotel room first. However, betrayed by my husband and best friend on a cold New Year’s Eve, I couldn’t resist a drink from a warm bar like this. I made it to the doorway, and a tall young man brushed past me. He smelled like expensive cologne, and something oddly familiar struck me about his stance and smooth blond hair. I looked up, but he was a stranger. His green eyes softly met my gaze, taking in my tear-streaked face. Snorting at his pity, I turned away and strode up to the uncrowded bar. The bartender, a well-groomed young man with colorful tattoos up and down his toned arms, nodded at me and put down a coaster as I took my place on a barstool. “Blue Sapphire on the rocks with lime,” I ordered, noticing the place was quiet for New Year’s Eve. There were only two other patrons at the bar, all nursing their drinks, and a few couples at the scattered tables. By the time the bartender returned with my drink, I was staring at my bare finger and trying to figure out my new life. What was my future without Ethan in it? Without Olivia? The thought of losing them hurt equally, as did my rage at their betrayal. I was blaming him, but had I ever loved Ethan, really, if I could feel that way? I certainly thought I had. I sipped my drink, which went so warmly down my throat. “Blue Sapphire on the rocks with lime,” said a man’s deep voice as the young man from the doorway took a seat to my right. Huh. I thought he’d been on his way out. Again, I looked up to meet his green eyes and was struck by how familiar he seemed. “Hope you don’t mind,” he said with a calm smile. “It sounded so good when you ordered it. I thought I’d have the same.” The sense of familiarity intensified. “Have we met before?” His smile broadened, and I realized it had sounded like a come-on. “Are you a Human who lives around?” Embarrassed, I asked quickly to change the topic. “I’m a Werewolf.” “Oh.” I was surprised. It was rare to see another Werewolf wandering alone in the human world on New Year’s Eve. "Are you going home to visit family for the holidays?” “I haven’t been home for a long time. I prefer living here by myself in the human world,” he said, smiling as the bartender gave him his drink. He looked at it for a moment, took a sip, nodded, and set it back on the bar. “But I will go home tomorrow.” I guess he was one of those young Werewolves who decided to stay in the Human World, like Chris. “I have some family business to attend to,” he said next. He looked over at me, and the lights hanging over the bar cut into his high cheekbones and across his straight nose. He had pale, soft-looking skin, and I wondered what he’d look like in his fur. “It isn’t something I’m looking forward to,” he admitted. “But if you don’t mind my saying, I’m guessing it’s not as bad as what you’ve been through today.” I was oddly charmed at his directness after the day’s lies and betrayals. “Betrayal?” he asked. His eyes were curious and kind even as I realized I’d voiced the thought aloud. I shrugged, realizing the pain was already a little less, though because of the booze or the company, I wasn’t sure. “I’ve been mated for years to a man I have to accept never really cared about me.” I held up my bare finger and showed off its little tan line from the ring. “Seems he prefers my best friend. Ex-best friend.” “Sounds like he had a lousy taste,” the man said quietly, and though it was obviously a quip of off-hand charm, I felt my eyes pickle. I shook my head. “She’s beautiful and young. His preferring her to me actually makes sense. I just never thought he could discard our mate bond so easily.” I rubbed my forehead, which still ached, and smiled over at the man wearily. Without really thinking about it, I found I was filling in a few of the details including the bottle of champagne for two and Olivia’s comment about taking her life. To my surprise, he started looking angry. “Are you saying your husband broke your bond? Just like that?” I nodded, a little worried about his vehemence. But his eyes turned soft again, this time with wonder. “And here you are, still standing. You must really be strong, enduring something like that and not having to spend the next week in bed.” I shrugged. “I fainted. Woke up outside the hotel. Dumped like a bag of potatoes.” I downed the rest of my drink and signaled the bartender for another. “Incredible,” he said, shaking his head. “Your exes are both idiots.” My mouth opened to thank him and tasted salt as a tear rolled over my top lip onto my tongue. His eyes followed its trail, and his gentle fingers brushed the wetness away. I closed my eyes, but the tears didn’t stop. Despite the fact I was talking to the most attractive man I’d ever met, I felt wretched and haggard, empty and brittle. An odd warmth came to my cheeks, and I opened my damp eyes to see the man’s face was only an inch away from my own. He paused, then closed the distance with a gentle kiss that made me gasp. Unlike Ethan’s commanding and aggressive kisses, this kiss offered deep comfort and such plain, honest-seeming desire I almost couldn’t think. I felt the day blur in my mind, and I welcomed it. But a still-active part of my brain noticed something else in the kiss. For all their sweetness, his lips were just a little uncertain, and I pulled back. “How old are you?” I asked. He pulled back as well, looking down at his drink. “Twenty-five,” he said almost defensively. “Oh, my Goddess,” I grunted. First I got my bond broken, and now I was kissing a kiddo? Could the day get any more mortifying? I looked at him and just said, “This isn’t going to work out.” I reach for my bag hanging from the back of my barstool. If the young man had grabbed me, I would have pulled away, but the hand that touched my wrist was so soft, even tentative. “I’d like to make you forget about your lousy day,” he said with a little smile on his full, pink lips that did something to my stomach. “I should go home.” Then I remembered I didn’t have one anymore. Would I get to keep the house while Ethan moved into the Alpha’s manor with Olivia? I looked up into those green eyes and shrugged. “I have nowhere to go.” “That’s not true,” he said meaningfully. “You’re not making this easy,” I complained. “Good.” He looked down at my ring-less hand. “You accepted their betrayal. Why reject comfort if I can offer it?” Too young for me or not, the man had a point. This time, I kissed him. Chapter 3 Ava POV The young man held my hand on the ride to his place. We didn’t talk much. I couldn’t help thinking that if we talked, we’d have to deal with the fact we hadn’t shared much in the way of personal information such as names. I felt a little talked-out, actually, and not sharing phone numbers or even pack affiliations kept it completely clear this wasn’t about starting up a relationship. I was hurting, but looking into his lovely eyes and thinking about what those lips could do to me was more than distracting. We were so in sync, in fact, that after he opened the door with a key card and a tender smile, we were kissing again even as we walked over the threshold. It did feel like a fancy place for such a young man, but I didn’t have too much attention to spare for the room. I was right about his lips. They felt as wonderful on my neck and shoulders as they did on my stomach and lower down. He kissed me while taking off our clothes with only a little fumbling. I realized I was glad he wasn’t perfectly coordinated. He was so lovely—and young!—I was intimidated enough already. Very soon, we were stretched out together on the clean white sheets. His hands were warm and soft, and I felt precious and cherished and more excited by his body than I had for a very long time. He brought me up in a slow, steady spiral. When I clenched down around him, I had tears of release in my eyes. “I’ve wanted this since . . .” I heard him murmuring. “What?” I asked, not sure if I heard him clearly. That was when the sound of New Year’s bells rang in my ears. “I said, Happy New Year, love.” He’d started calling me that not long after we got to the room. I didn’t mind. We both knew how he meant it, and it beat the heck out of “baby” or something like that. “Happy New Year,” I said back to him. Sunlight peeking through the gaps in the curtain woke me up, and at first, all I thought about was my aching head. Squinting, I took in the room, the bed, and the man’s arm wrapped around my waist. I lay there waiting to feel guilty for having spent the night with a man ten years younger than I was, but I didn’t. It had hurt no one, and the lovely young man had been right. I’d been betrayed, made to feel worthless and “used up.” Now, I just felt grief, and that was something I knew about and could face. I still had a nightmare or two left in me, but I felt much better than I would have after spending the night alone. I got out of bed without waking him and read 8 a.m. on the clock by the bed. I quickly got my clothes on, and then shut the door behind me without a sound. I thought about leaving him a note, but at his age, the night had doubtlessly meant nothing more to him than some sweet fun. I had more important things to worry about. I just caught the 9 a.m. ferry, a simple steel-hulled boat, across the straight back to Werewolf Territory, which meant I needed to have some sort of idea of what to do with myself when we would dock at 11 a.m. In fact, I needed to figure out pretty much everything. As wife to the pack’s acting beta, I had been in a position to address some things that needed to change. Unlike Alpha Chris, I couldn’t help adding in my head. He’d disliked our ways so much he’d run off. I had thought it was to learn things he could bring back home, but now I knew it was for his own good. I thought again of the sweet child Chris had been, and I mourned him along with the rest. The lure of the more modern Human World had drawn him away from the rich heritage of our territory with its fresh air and rich resources, both natural and beyond. I had been glad to promise my father and the late Alpha Adam I would always protect the island. But how could I do that now? Would I be able to work with Ethan and Olivia at all? What were their plans for me? The sun was high in a bright blue sky when we reached Moonstone Pack’s dock, a spot of technology among the lush foliage of the island. I and the dozen others with me on the boat lined up to show our arms to the pier guards. I looked down at my glowing moonstone tattoo, feeling grounded by the small magic of the ink milked from a flower that grew only on the island. Humans who had seen my tattoo thought it had been done with luminous paint. Except for the rare Human mates who were allowed to know the island’s secrets—some of them—their kind couldn’t appreciate how brightly the tattoo would glow when the moon was full or what the runes in the design meant about my own skills, including a mastery of the mind-link that bound me to my brethren. Most modern Werewolves, even in the Moonstone Pack and much to the distain of the Elders, just use Smartphones these days to keep in touch. The guards nodded me through, and soon I was walking up the path to town skirting around the parking lot. My home, or what had been my home, wasn’t far. For a moment, I pushed all worries from my mind and basked in the welcome of the tall green trees and swaying blue grasses that lined the path. The softness in the air made me think of the young man I’d taken to bed last night, and I actually smiled. I decided I would go to the Elders first. They should know that Ethan rejected me yesterday and decided to bond with Olivia. My phone buzzed, and I pulled it from my bag to see a text from Ethan: The Square, noon, mandatory attendance for Moonstone Pack decree. I snorted, realizing how much it irritated me when Ethan sent messages like that. A “decree”? Had he always been so officious? I reached the Square twenty minutes later; it was already crowded with people drinking coffee or tea as they stood around the brazier in the Square’s center, burning brightly even on such a warm day. I took some coffee from a stand with thanks for the young omega working there. She seemed stunned at the courtesy, and I felt my usual anger for the omega slavery the pack still practiced. The sun was warm, not hot, and everyone was curious about what Ethan wanted. Several Wolves approached me to ask for news. At first I was at a loss. Then I decided Ethan could explain everything. In the meantime, I enjoyed the friendly smiles and the knowledge that I was cared for by my pack, if not by my ex-husband or former best friend. A bell rang out, and everyone turned to the circular portico of City Hall. Ethan and Olivia stood there looking fierce and regal, and though I tried to hate them, I couldn’t just turn off my concerns after so many years. It took my spotting the wedding rings on their fingers to feel the true depth of their betrayal, and it was an iron weight pressing down on my body. “Moonstone Pack!” Ethan called out. “To best serve you as future Alpha, I have broken my bond with Ava and am now married to the future Luna of our pack, Olivia!” There was a stunned silence in the crowd, and many turned to look at me. I kept my face blank and my chin up. The mug of coffee burned my now-chilled hand. “But we will not be turning Ava from our house!” Olivia declared, and I felt a moment of hope. The said announced, “She will always have a place in our household!” That hopeful spark turned ice cold while several in the crowd began to mutter angrily. Olivia would never have misspoken that word, “household,” on accident. She and Ethan were claiming me as their omega house slave. Chapter 4 Ava POV Yes, omegas were slaves. This was an outdated social class still existing in Wolf Territory Alphas and Lunas could easily make any werewolf citizen into an omega as a punishment. After that, the kids of these omegas would continue to be omegas and served as slaves. I did nothing wrong, and now I was going to be punished by the one who had wronged me. Though it wasn’t a psychic shock this time, the pain of realizing what my ex-husband and friend wanted from me now pierced my mind and body, leaving me weak. I felt a hand on my arm and turned to see a good friend of mine, Beatrice, standing nearby and looking at me with concern. “Ava?” she whispered, reminding me of school days when we had whispered secrets to each other when the teacher’s back was turned. “What is this?” Before I could answer, Olivia continued, “Later today, my brother, Chris, who left us ten years ago to find his life in the Human World, will return to transfer ownership of the Moonstone to my husband, Ethan. With that, my husband and I will take our rightful places as Pack Alpha and Luna.” “What’s going on here?” Beatrice demanded, her hand still cupping my elbow and her bright red hair helping others locate the source of her voice. “You can’t just decide you’re going to lead this pack!” rang out the voice of a man I didn’t recognize. “This isn’t how things are done!” shouted Juniper, daughter of Elder Degas. She was a mother of three I’d worked with on a daycare program. I looked up but couldn’t see her in the crowd, and now several people were complaining. Ethan stepped forward in the black ceremonial garb of a pack Alpha and held his hands out and down. His black cape swept the ground as he moved, and I realized he had a proud contentment on his face I had never seen before. The crowd quieted. “Olivia and I have been chosen by her brother, Chris, to lead Moonstone Pack. She is the daughter of the late Alpha Adam. As her husband, I assure you, this is how things have been done for centuries. We will have order here. “I know Ava has made herself seem like a good leader to you,” Olivia said next, looking like she didn’t appreciate Ethan’s interruption of her moment. “But she has lied to you and manipulated her way into your hearts. Consider this: she is now rejected and unbonded! It is only right that she serve the ruling family.” “Go back to the Human World and buy some shoes!” Beatrice shouted, making some Wolves around us laugh in scorn. “Yes! Leave pack leadership to the leaders!” a new voice called, strong and authoritative. I saw Leonard step forward, tall and sturdy, his arms crossed over a barrel chest. As the owner of the largest farm in Moonstone Pack, he commanded instant respect, and many turned to acknowledge him. “You have no experience, no position in Pack matters” he continued. “You’ve never even held a job. What do you know of the Pack’s needs?” Olivia’s cheeks flamed bright red, and that look of hatred I knew from the night before returned to her eyes as she glared first at Leonard, then at me. I moved in front of Beatrice instinctively, pulling my arm from her grip. “You’re right!” Olivia shouted, silencing the crowd. “Ava does not deserve an honored place in our household! She has turned the pack against the daughter of our late Alpha Adam.” She held out her arms. “Ava’s punishment is clear!” While I and many other people stared in astonishment, Olivia ran down the stairs of the portico, her long dress flashing bright green in the sunlight while her white robe billowed around her, and strode to the flames of the brazier. People backed away as she took a red-hot poker from the flames and held it up. “In accordance with Moonstone Pack’s intolerance of treason, Ava is to be banished!” She then turned to two omega guards I hadn’t noticed before, who turned and began walking toward me. For a moment, I felt like I was in a movie while two omega goons from Central Casting were coming to arrest me. I looked into their blank faces and over their wrestler-like physiques and felt my blood pounding in my ears as I realized Olivia’s intent. She was going to remove my pack tattoo and expel me from the pack forever! I backed away, only to realize how thickly the crowd had gathered behind me. There was nowhere for me to run. “Olivia!” I shouted into her venom-filled face. “Don’t do this, please!” My left hand wrapped around my right forearm, covering the tattoo that marked my place in the pack. Beatrice and others were shouting, but the guards had reached me and took my arms in their hands, revealing the tattoo to the sun and to Olivia as she approached me, poker held high. “Hold her down!” she commanded, and the crowd began to shout now that this was wrong and not how things were done. While burning off one’s pack markings as a sign of exile was the punishment for treason, that happened after a trial and was done carefully in the clinic to prevent infection. It was meant as exile, not torture or a death sentence. The guards shoved me to the ground where I landed on my bag as their hands held me down by the shoulders and feet. I was trapped, vulnerable, and getting close to hysteria. My view was blocked, and Leonard was standing there between me and Olivia. “You can’t do this!” he objected. “You have no right!” “If you want to protect her so badly,” Olivia sneered, “you can leave the pack with the traitor!” Looking up, I wondered how I could ever have thought this Wolf was a sweet, somewhat silly girl. I realized the woman with a branding iron in her hand, eyes flashing with triumph and scorn, was the real Olivia. Again, more than anger, I felt grief. The crowd hushed as they realized they could actually do nothing to stand against the future pack Luna. Olivia stood over me now, smiling proudly. “You see?” she asked me, and her voice had gone oddly quiet. “No one can disagree with the Luna’s judgment.” The poker started to descend toward my exposed arm. I could actually feel its heat. “And what if I disagree?” asked a calm, familiar voice that I knew had no place in this nightmare. Olivia spun around, almost swatting a woman standing near us with her burning poker. The woman leaped back, and the crowd parted slightly to reveal a tall, blond man standing there, arms hanging almost casually at his sides. I recognized that impossibly handsome face instantly. “Chris?” Olivia asked. Oh Goddess. No wonder he had seemed familiar last night with his blond hair and green eyes. The young man standing there was Olivia’s brother and the supposed Alpha of the Moonstone Pack.	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1,313,853	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1313861}'	Yes	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	449376684318293	❤️😍What happens next👉Click Here to read on👉	[Xanthea Plath] I limped into the graveyard, clutching my broken arm with the other hand. Blood mixed in the rain trailed down from my shoulder to my elbow, down my wrists, making its way to my hand that clutched the small bouquet of forget-me-not flowers. Every flower of the bouquet was crushed and marred with blood-stains. The blue ribbon that once tied the flowers together was long lost. The white gown, soaked by the downpour, hugged my body as if it sought to suffocate me. Inked scarlet, its hem absorbed the black tint of the ground as it glissaded over the sharp blades of overgrown grass. Today was my mother’s twenty-third death anniversary and my twenty-third birthday. I forced another step on the muddy grounds of the graveyard with my sprained leg. A thick curtain of rain obscured my already blurry vision. Streaks of rain trailed down my cracked glasses that hung loosely on my nose. Panting, I dragged myself closer and closer to my mother’s grave. Perhaps it was the tears in my eyes, or perhaps it was the rainwater tracing its way down my face. The only sensation that wasn’t a struggle was feeling the coldness of the rain being absorbed against my feverish skin. My ribs hurt with every breath. ‘No matter how much of a struggle it is to breathe, you never stop breathing. Because you know the struggles are only temporary. What’s permanent is life that death has not yet kissed.’ My mother’s words echoed in my head. I gritted my teeth, taking a deep breath even when it hurt. Tears stung into my eyes. I found my mother’s gravestone. Freya Plath And below her name carved on the white marble gravestone was the epitaph — “Forget me not.” I didn’t need much effort as I sank to my bruised knees and offered the blood-stained flowers to my mother’s memory. I bowed, and finally broke into tears. The flood of emotions that had sustained me through the harrowing journey finally snapped. I had never met my mother when she was alive, but now she lived through me. And through her diaries, she had come alive to me. My heart filled with an unfathomable warmth and the utmost respect when I thought of her. I knew her closer than any daughter would have ever known their mother. I knew her like a friend, like a secret keeper, like an equal. Through her words, I knew her heart and now it feels as though my heart had been replaced by hers, filled with her smiles and laughter that I never got to see or hear. Yet I felt them all so closely, it hurt. I fell in love with everything this woman was and everything she could have become only if the alpha’s eyes didn’t fall on her. My mother was an omega, just like me. It was a world of cruel hierarchy, where the alpha commands over all the dreams of everyone in the pack. Under his command, an omega wasn’t allowed to dream of anything greater than their rank granted. Our value was confined and limited to serving the ones who held the higher ranks. But my mother dared to dream. She dared to have wings to fly high and higher were her ambitions. So high it seemed impossible for an omega to achieve in this world of power, ranks, and politics. Her wings that I broke by coming to life. Because after that, my mother’s eyes were too lifeless to dream anymore. So I replaced my eyes with hers, transplanted her dreams into the sole reason for my existence. And now, if I am not her dreams, her words, her ideals, I don’t know who I am. They say you can’t miss a person you’ve never met, but I miss every second of my life as I imagine how my life would have been if she were still alive. Maybe my bones would have broken less, perhaps I would have lesser scars. Perhaps then I wouldn’t be so lonely. Perhaps I’d know what love felt like. But my mother passed away during the delivery and so the illegitimate daughter of Alpha Valdimir Virgo was born of an extra-marital affair. Obviously, everyone in the palace hated me. Maybe things would have been different if I inherited my father’s alpha genes. But I was grateful that I didn’t. I’d rather have a strong mind and a warm heart than brute strength and a cold ego. More than anyone else, I was an eyesore for Luna Meesa Virgo. She couldn’t tolerate the mere sight of me. She wanted to throw me out of the palace the moment I was born, but Alpha kept me in the palace until I turned eighteen and then he asked me to leave. I shifted into a small house that my mother owned, which itself was an exceptional feat for an omega, since most couldn’t afford it. They lived in either the servant quarters or in the shabby slums. I didn’t even know how badly those eighteen years of my life had broken me. But after beginning an independent life in my mother’s home, I started healing. My mother worked as a florist in the royal palace. She loved her job of cultivating flowers and medicinal plants. Her knowledge in herbology surpassed every book I’ve read so far. She wasn’t just cultivating, but creating new varieties, new species. She mentioned it all in her journals, diaries and books, the legacy she left behind for me. Alpha now had an heir to the throne, twenty-two-year-old Nikolai Virgo, the crown prince. And a legitimate daughter, nineteen years old Nathalia Virgo. Both of them were born with true alpha genes. I received monthly maintenance bills from him, but I never used that. Ever since I left the palace, I have worked to support myself and my studies. I didn’t want anything to do with the royal family or its people. I had been preparing for the International Medical Entrance Exams for years. After qualifying for that exam, I was planning to leave the pack for good. Or that’s what I thought. The entrance exams were tomorrow. “They knew, mom. Luna knew how important this exam was for me. That is why they did this to me…” I broke down into sobs. “How do I write the exams with a broken hand?” Chapter 2 Earlier that day… [Xanthea] I left my apartment in the afternoon when the sun gently hid behind the mammatus clouds. I grew Forget-me-nots the whole year for my mother’s death anniversary. Picking some of the most vibrant flowers, I tied them in a blue ribbon. I put on the best formal decent gown I had and set off for the graveyard. I got down from the bus a stop before my actual stop because the roads ahead were out of bounds for the public. There was some inter-pack car drifting competition organised by Nikolai. I knew I had to hurry before the event began, so I decided to walk to the graveyard since it wasn’t too far. The road was the fastest way, but maybe I shouldn’t have taken the road. * I had walked a few metres ahead on the road when I heard the roaring of engines and several cars zoomed past me at a speed that made them look like mere glowing lights flying by. One of those cars stopped at some distance and started driving in reverse. It was a brand new grey supra. Lowering my gaze, I increased my pace. “Want a lift, sis?” Nikolai put his elbow on the window, patting his car. He drove the car slowly, matching my pace. “You know, an omega shouldn’t be here at this hour. Alphas from all the packs will be here tonight. What if someone kidnaps you? Or does something worse?” A shrill laughter came from the passenger seat. “Come on, brother! They might just run their cars over her face. How could someone look at such an abomination and not want to crush it?” Nathalia sniggered, rolling the chewing gum. “Now. Now. Lia. Don’t be so harsh, or she’ll start crying again. Like good old days,” Nikolai stopped the car. They exchanged some glances, and stepped out of the car. Keeping my eyes low, I tensed up when they approached me. Clenching the forget-me-nots, I hid them in my gown’s fabric. “How rude of you? Ever since you left the palace, you didn’t even come to visit us once. How ungrateful can you get?” Nathalia hit my shoulder, and I stumbled back. “Woah! Calm down. It’s been a while since we saw her. Go easy on her,” Nikolai’s gaze darkened as it ran over me. I clenched my trembling fist. “Going on a date, sis?” I shuddered as his aura thickened. The threat behind his words held me in a chokehold. “Then where are you going with flowers in your hand and dressed so prettily? You might not be living with us anymore, but you are, unfortunately, linked with the royal family. And if you were to stain our reputation, then as you brother, it’d be my responsibility to put you in your place?” He growled, towering over me, and I cowered. I shook my head. “I-I was… going to visit my mother's grave. It’s her death anniversary t-today,” I stammered. There was a sudden shift in his darkening aura. “Oh! It is indeed your birthday today. Happy birthday, sis!” I flinched when Nikolai reached out to my shoulder. “Oh, come on. We’re family, sis. And until you were doing something that you shouldn’t be doing, I would never hurt you. Ok! As a birthday gift, let me give you a ride to the graveyard. These roads will turn scary soon. Cars will run wild here. I don’t want you to get hurt badly.” Nikolai turned to Nathalia. “Lia, you can join Karl in his car, right?” Nathalia gave me a smirk and nodded. “Of course.” “Hop on, sis!” He opened the car door for me. “It’s our omega mother’s death anniversary. Let me correct my mistake and drop you safely to the graveyard. I know a shortcut. Come on! Get in! It’s a dangerous road ahead.” Nathalia scoffed with a menacing smirk crossing her face. “I’ll keep a watch from behind.” Another car stopped, and Nathalia got into it. Nothing they had ever done to me had ever led to anything good for me. I had been an eyesore, proof of Alpha’s infidelity. So, luna had always done everything she could to keep reminding me how illegitimate, unwanted and burdensome I truly was. She had taken every chance to hurt me in all the ways she could. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. And luna’s biggest weapons to inflict all that pain on me had been Nikolai and Nathalia. “Get in, sis. Trust me, I am truly concerned about you,” Nikolai yelled as several cars zoomed right across the road. “Father will be upset if you get hurt or some random car hits you. Ever since you left the palace, we rarely meet. Let’s catch up.” I should have run the other way, but several cars stopped by. Boys and girls took out their head out, laughing and giggling. Nikolai seized my hand in a bruising grip, and I yelped slightly. “You don’t plan to embarrass me before those insects, do you?” He spoke through his gritted teeth. “Be my good doll like you’ve always been and get in while I am still being nice.” He hissed. Blinking back the mist in my eyes, I got in his car. The foreboding screamed at me to not get in his car, but he had left me no other option. “Put on the seat belt,” Nikolai said with a dark smirk cutting through his face. I fumbled with the seatbelt, but put it on. In a matter of a few seconds, I was tightly clutching on the seatbelt, trying my best not to crush the flowers. The car was racing at its extreme limit. I looked at Nikolai, who seemed to be enjoying himself handling the steering wheel deftly, making his car drift on the road. The car turned in circles with the rest of the cars and there were moments almost every second that I thought the car was going to crash into the others. Nikolai laughed. I shut my eyes tightly. “Sis! Open your eyes! I am going through all this trouble for you! Enjoy!” “Wooohooo~~~” Nathalia hooted, taking half her torso out of the car’s window that drifted into circles right behind Nikolai’s car. She shot fireworks into the sky and several other cars followed the suit. Soon, enormous flags of several packs fluttered in the car as their cars flew by. The rear wheels of almost all those cars were hidden in the fog created by the drifting tires on the road. “P-please slow down…” my words trembled. “What? I couldn’t hear you, sis! Say that louder!” Nikolai mused as raced the car towards a steep curve. Covering my face with my hands, I shut my eyes tightly. He drifted the cars along the curve, and I was pressed against the seat. “Let me out!” I screamed, panting. “Please, let me out!” Nikolai gave me a hostile side look as he sped, tearing against the winds. “With pleasure, sis…” he smirked, unbuckling my seatbelt. The door opened on my side and before I could realise, he pushed me out of the speeding car. My right hand and left leg crashed against the road before I rolled and skidded on the black road. A sharp pain numbed me before I completely blacked out for a few seconds from the impact. The road and cut through my skin like a blade until the world finally stopped spinning. I laid on the road for I don’t know how long, but in the daze, I remember crawling towards the Forget-me-nots when Nathalia’s car zoomed inches away from my hand, crushing the flowers. Her laughter thinned as her car, and Nikolai’s car drifted in circles all around me. Now and then, Nikolai’s car would zoom right past me and I would try to avoid coming under the tires by rolling over. “Please… stop…” I shivered badly. “I am sorry. I am sorry…” “You should be sorry!” Nathalia spat. “Sorry for being born! You should have expired with your mother!” “No Lia! Had she expired, we wouldn’t have such a great toy to play with. Let’s play a little more. Let’s see how well my car’s brakes are. Stay where you are, sis! And pray the car doesn’t drift over you, ha-ha. I am going to do a small experiment! Everyone back off!” Nikolai roared, and all the cars circling around me emptied the road around me. Nikolai reversed his car until he was almost out of my sight. Crawling to the Forget-me-nots, I picked them up and then put on my cracked glasses. I had to get out of that place. The roar of the car’s engine haunted the road as the headlight flashed right into my eyes, blinding me. Nikolai accelerated the car right towards me. My hand clutching the flowers fell limply to my side. My heart gave a painful throb, and I knew what raced towards me was my death. The car came closer and closer and— Screech! Chapter 3 [Xanthea] The engine gave out a majestic roar as an unknown car drifted right between me and Nikolai’s car. A screech of the tires against the asphalt, left behind bold tire marks on the road. Then the car raced right at Nikolai’s car. I gasped as my heart pounded horrifyingly at the sight. Two other cars zoomed in, flanking Nikolai’s car from the rear. The three cars trapping Nikolai’s car decelerated until all the four cars came to a stop. The rev of their engines rattled me to my bones. The loud thunder cracked in the dark cloudy sky, snapping me out of my paralysis. I scrambled to my shaking legs. Limping, I tried to get away from all of them as far away as I could get. Nathalia glared at me, but the crowd rushed towards the four cars. Using the other as a facade, I tore through the crowd. I hadn’t even covered halfway to the graveyard when it started pouring down. By the time I was in the graveyard, I struggled to breathe. The numbness made the pain stand out even more. The cold of the rain caressed the pain throbbing in every inch of my body. As if through the rain, my mother was telling me to pull myself together and keep moving forward. ‘It is in times like this the conviction of one’s dreams is tested and it is the turning point in one’s life. What you decide at that moment either makes you or breaks you.’ My mother’s words came to me and I don’t know how, but I pulled myself to the hospital. For the first time in my life, I used the bills Alpha had been sending to get myself treated as best as the hospital could offer. The x-rays showed my ulna was broken and there was a hairline fracture in my wrist. It would take at least a week to heal with the best medication available. Alpha’s healed faster, but omegas had weaker healing abilities. There was no miracle I could perform to heal my hand, so while I stayed in the hospital that night, I practised bubbling the circles with my left hand. During the exams we gave our answers by bubbling the one of four option bubbles which we believe to be the correct answer to the question. After the night’s practice, I was able to bubble the circles. The next morning, I left the hospital and took a taxi back home with my plastered hand. The doctors said I should rest for at least a week for proper healing. But I convinced them to prescribe me some best painkillers to get me through the day. I was working completely on painkillers. I just had to go through this day and the exam. After that, I could finally rest a little after four years of working tirelessly. The exams would start in the afternoon. I reached the centre an hour before. The organisers of the exams asked about my hand and all I told them was I met with an accident. It was a three-hour exam with all objective type questions. One out of the four options was right. One hour into the exams and I was struggling with my broken hand and left hand. Two hours and I was halfway through the questions. The effect of the painkiller was fading away. I solved questions through the pain. The organiser strolled to me. She leaned in and whispered. “Please come with me outside,” she said. “Out? But I still have one hour—” “Please, just come out. You are not eligible to give this exam anymore.” I froze at her words. At that moment, it felt like my entire world had come crashing down. “W-what? But why? I filled everything—” “Please, just come out with me. Don’t disturb the other candidates.” I bit back my tears. “I will. Please, just let me complete this exam. This really means everything to me. Please?” “I am sorry, but we have a direct instruction from luna. His highness, the crown prince, is here to take you. We are extremely sorry, but there’s nothing we can do.” My heart dropped as soon as I heard Nikolai was there. “P-please…” I begged. “Just half an hour. I am begging you. Please…” My heart thundered as if it would break all my ribs. She gave me an apologetic look. “What’s taking so long?” Nikolai stormed into the room. Paralyzed, I widened my eyes. Tears welled up in my eyes. My stomach twisted and dropped with every step he took. He stopped near my table and winced at the question paper and answer sheet. He smirked as he leaned on the table and whispered, “Were you preparing to run away from the pack again, sis? You found a legal way this time, didn’t you?” “Please. Please don’t take this away from me,” I gasped, as tears trailed down my frozen eyes. “Please. I’ll do everything you say, just let me… ah!” He grabbed my upper arm and, with brute strength, pulled me to my feet. “I am extremely sorry for disturbing you guys. As you can see, my sister is hurt and we are extremely worried about her wellbeing. That is why my mother asked me to get her back to the palace. My naïve sister doesn’t know what’s good for her and what’s not. I apologise for the disturbance she caused.” I struggled when he yanked me closer, whispering against my ear, “stop! Or I will break every bone in your body.” “Please. I am sorry. I promise I will do better.” Even though I knew it was useless, I tried to talk to him as he dragged me through the empty hallways of the college and threw me in his car. I pressed my hand against the glass as he slammed the door on my face. “Please, Nikolai! Please, just half an hour. Just give me half an hour. I promise I will come with you wherever you want.” I wasn’t begging; I was desperate. He got in the driver’s seat and I clutched his hand before he could start the car, “please Nikolai. Please, just once! I have never asked for anything. Just once, give me a little time. Let me complete my exams. Please.” I bowed in front of him. “Breaking your hand wasn’t enough. Should have broken your legs as well. Ugh! But mother said not to hurt you today!” He hit the steering wheel. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed my cheeks. “Don’t you understand, sis? You are not even allowed to breathe if we don’t approve of it. You thought you could give this exam without us noticing?” I yelped as he grabbed my hair. Pain throbbed through my head. “Don’t you remember your promise? You said you would be my obedient doll. What’s with this defiance? I am already frustrated. Don’t get on my nerves anymore. I came all the way here to pick you. You don’t appreciate it even a bit, do you?” He left my hair. I clenched my jaws, trying to remain as silent as I could. Pinning me against my seat, he put the seatbelt across me. Nikolai started the car and drove it out of the college. I watched the college go farther and farther away from me and so did everything I was living for. “I am warning you, if you tell anything about this broken hand to father, I will make it worse!” “AHH!” I muffled my cry as he clenched my plastered hand. “Now, sit like a good girl and no more crying. Although I love the way you look when you cry, you need to look the best tonight. A family dinner and there will be very important guests. So mother wants me to make sure you are in your best behaviour.” Chapter 4 [Xanthea] The maids gingerly removed the plaster from my hand and wrapped it in fresh elastic bandages. I sat in front of the ornate dressing table with shut eyes. I didn’t want to look at myself, not when Nikolai’s unsettling gaze scorched disgustingly over me. I wore a thin, white undergown that concealed nothing. It clung to my body, revealing far more than I was comfortable with. A sick churn bubbled up in my stomach with apprehension when he approached the dressing table, asking the maids to leave. I clenched the gown over my knees into my fists. He placed his hand on my shoulder, the searing warmth of his palm sinking into my bare skin. I tensed up, bringing my shoulders closer to my neck when he leaned closer to my ears. “Now, wouldn’t you look prettier with this piece of cloth off you, my pretty doll?” My fists trembled as he slipped the sleeve of the undergown down my shoulder. He took a sharp breath with a chuckle, distancing himself from me. “Look at you tremble, sis! What did you think I’d do? I am your half-brother. Come on! How disgusting can your thoughts get? I was just joking with you. Take these painkillers and be on your best behaviour, sis. I am not joking when I say these are important guests,” he said. His hand slid over my fist. “Take these painkillers. Trust me, I am only trying to help you. It might be a long night for you,” Nikolai forced open my fist and put the painkillers in my palm. “Here’s your water. I know you won’t be able to hold with your right hand. Let me help you drink.” I stared at the pills in my palms. Shutting my eyes, I swallowed them, allowing Nikolai to help me drink the water. “Good doll,” he said, running his thumb across my chin, wiping off the water. “If you were this obedient all the time, I wouldn’t have to go through all the trouble you force me through. The maids will now dress you up.” He left and the maids soon walked into the room when I finally looked at myself in the mirror… The bridal veil ran down from my hair all the way to the floor across the gown. The one who looked back from the reflection was a pretty bride dressed in a lavish full sleeved, off-shoulder, revealing white wedding gown, just like a doll. I guess that’s what I was always supposed to be. A doll for someone to dress up. A doll who had no mind of her own, the one who had no luxury to dream or think for herself. I was always supposed to listen to others and have no opinion of my own. That’s what omegas have always been. I lowered my gaze. I didn’t even want to look at the one standing in the mirror. My stomach convoluted with foreboding and apprehension. Why was I dressed like a bride? What was going on? What exactly was going to happen to me? What did Nikolai mean when he said it would be a long night for me? The door opened, and someone walked in. From the sound of heels striking the marble, I knew it was my stepmother, Luna Meesa Virgo. I held my gaze low as she took me in. “She looks perfect. Bring her when I call,” she talked to the maids and left. I had a powerful urge to ask her why I was wearing a wedding gown, but I knew it was better to let things unfold according to them than to question or fight them. I slumped back on the white and golden couch. My heart thumped louder with every ticking of the clock. Hours later, something happened that had never happened before. Alpha Valdimir walked into my room, and I instantly sprang to my feet. It felt like blood had drained off my body as he stood near me. But at the same time, I was a little hopeful about something. I didn’t know what I hoped for from him, but it was all in vain. In the twenty-three years of my life, this was the third time I was standing face to face with him. He was never cold to me or hostile like Luna Meesa, Nathalia and Nikolai. But he was never warm either. He was my father, but we were complete strangers. I bowed, keeping my gaze low. He contemplated me for a while before he spoke. “You are… getting married to the…” he gritted his jaws then continued. “… to the triplet Alphas of the Infernal pack tonight,” he said in his usual calm voice and a hint of hesitation. My breaths had stalled as the meaning of his words sank in. “I thought it was… important that you know and understand… the situation. The Alpha King has chosen our pack this year to make the offering to the demon lords. I had no choice, Thea. Nathalia is too young. The fate of our pack is… now in your hands. As your father, I don’t want this to happen to you—” “Please leave,” my voice trembled as I turned away from him. Tears brimmed in my eyes. “Thea…” Pain knotted into my body. “An alpha is offering an omega from his pack to the demon lords to protect his pack and his people. There’s nothing more to this situation, your highness. You could have sent your servant to relay the message like you always did. It’s not like you ever considered me as your daughter. And if by any odd chance you feel guilty, then think yourself forgiven, for I never expected anything from you.” The bitterness mixed with fear and pain made me speak words that I never could have dared say to him otherwise. And I instantly regretting letting my inner thoughts come to life in front of him. I don’t think he was there to say a sorry. Maybe he was there to warn me or tell me to behave myself. He let out an exasperated sigh. “Is there anything I can do for you?” Tears trailed down my eyes. “I am sorry, Thea. All of this happened so suddenly since yesterday, even I don’t understand how things led to this. It’s Alpha King’s instruction. So, I hope you understand the gravity of this situation.” Of course, I knew what it meant to be offered to the Triplets. I knew how serious the situation was. Now that I knew the reason for wearing the wedding gown, its fabric felt like molten silver on my skin. I was being offered to the Triplet alphas. There were three Pack Realms in this world — the Earthly Packs realm, the Celestial pack realm, and then the most dreaded pack ever, the Infernal pack realm. The Celestial pack was known as the purest pack and was ruled by the Moon Goddess herself. It consisted of immortal werewolves, descendants of the angel, dragon, or god races. The Earthly packs relied heavily on the blessings of the Celestial pack, which was believed to be a pack hidden in the sky. The Earthly packs realm consisted of the twelve werewolf packs inhabiting mortal werewolves. The Virgo pack, my pack, was one of the Earthly packs. Each pack was ruled by an alpha and the Alpha King ruled over all the twelve alphas. He was also known as the Alpha of the Alphas and he was responsible for maintaining peace with the Celestial pack and the Infernal pack. The Infernal pack was infamously known as the pack of the underworld, and it was ruled by the triplet alphas or the demon lords. The Infernal pack was also inhabited by the immortal werewolves, but they were all descendants of the evil, the demons, the curses, the banished and the ones who turned rogue. No one knew why, but it started three years ago. Every year, the Alpha King chose an Earthly pack to make an offering to the Triplet alphas of the Infernal pack. From what everyone believed, offering the demon lords a bride of royal blood every year was the only way to maintain peace between the Earthly packs and the Infernal pack. No one knows what happens to the brides in the Infernal pack. But by the end of the one year time, all those brides from all the Earthly packs were found expired in the most gruesome way and hung outside the royal palaces if the packs they belonged to. The triplet alphas took over those fallen packs and ever since, their inhabitants live at their mercy. I gulped hard, trying to manage my breathlessness. But everything was turning dark in front of my eyes. I held my head. Cold fear rattling through my bones as I imagined myself meeting the same gruesome end. Until today, three brides have been offered to them and no bride had survived those ruthless alphas. All of them were alpha blood. I was an omega. I wouldn’t survive a day— “Thea!” Alpha held me before I slumped to the floor. A cry escaped out when he held my broken hand. I instantly withdrew my hand from him. He tensed his brows. “Thea, are you hurt?” I restlessly looked around the floor and shook my head. He seized my hand, making me wince. He made me sit on the couch while he sat beside me. He lifted the sleeve of my broken hand. His furrow deepened when he saw the bandages wrapped around my arms. “How did this happen?” He asked. Nikolai’s warning rang in my head. “Alpha!” I heard Luna Meesa’s panic-stricken voice as she stormed into the room. Catching her breath, her wide eyes fell on my hand and then at Alpha. Rage flashed in her eyes as she glared at me. “Did you know she was hurt?” Alpha asked and Luna Meesa’s aura instantly shifted. “She’s hurt?” she strutted towards me. “I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt when I asked you before?” “What happened, Thea?” Alpha turned to me. My breaths sped up; tears streamed down my eyes. Luna grabbed my shoulder. I suppressed a wince. “Yes, sweety. What happened? Tell your father, how did you get hurt?” Her tone was sweet to ears who didn’t know the threat lurking behind that sweetness. Sniffling, I said. “I-I… fell… from the stairs.” “Oh my! That is I didn’t like the idea of her shifting to Freya’s house. She’s all alone there and you know she never shares anything with us. She doesn’t even consider us a family. Or else she would have told me,” Luna Meesa said. There was a knock at the door and the royal doctor walked in. Luna Meesa glared at me and then at Alpha, looking as shocked as I was. Alpha got up from the couch as the doctor examined me thoroughly. He told father about my broken hand and sprained ankles. “Father…” Nikolai walked into the room. “Is Alpha King here to take her?” Father asked, facing him. Before offering the bride to the Triplet Alphas, the Alpha King collected the brides himself and then took her to his kingdom from where she was sent to the Infernal pack. “No,” his stern voice hinted of fear. “They are here…” he panted anxiously. “The demon lords are here themselves.” Blood froze in my veins. Doctor and Alpha blocked Nikolai from my vision. But I wished he said he was joking even when I knew he wasn’t. “They sent a messenger. They’ll be here by midnight,” Nikolai said. “Call an immediate meeting in the court,” Alpha said and Nikolai hurried out of the room. Turning towards Luna, Alpha said. “Get Nathalia ready for the offering. Thea can’t marry the Triplets in this condition.” Chapter 5 [Xanthea] Luna Meesa’s face lost all color. “What? Alpha…” He raised his hand, silencing her. “We don’t have time for arguments. It’s an instruction and I expect you to follow it.” With that, he left the room. Luna Meesa shot me an outraged gaze. She flounced in front of me and slapped me across my face. The stinging pain pulsed through my cheek like a thousand needles, overwhelming my senses. “Are you happy now?” She snarled at me. “You’ve finally destroyed my family! You and your filthy blooded mother!” I peered blankly at the floor. A mix of emotions crashed upon me, strangling my heart with their unforgiving claws. Her grip tightened on my broken arm as I stifled my cries into mere whimpers. For the first time in my life, I felt as if I deserved the pain. The royal doctor lowered his gaze. It was nothing new for him. After all, he was the one to heal me for eighteen years after every time they broke me. He never asked about my wounds. All he did was treat me, keeping silent just like today. She grabbed my cheeks with her other hand, her nails dug into my cheeks. My eyes stung with tears at the pain. I clenched my jaws to arrest the sob. “Useless and burdensome, as you always were…” “Mother!” Nathalia burst into the room, breaking into tears. “I don’t want to marry them! Mother, please do something!” I had expected Nathalia to unleash her anger on me, but she clung to Luna, sobbing bitterly. We shared the same fear in that moment and maybe that was what bound us. Nothing really matters when you can see your death right on your doorstep. Especially not when death was coming to marry you and take you away to the underworld as an offering. Another agonizing hour passed, with Nathalia’s sobs and cries echoing the fatal silence of the palace. She was in another room, but I could hear her painful cries all the way to my room. I didn’t know what the royal doctor had injected into my hand, but the pain had lessened. I gently cradled my broken hand, wanting to feel relief, but restlessness gnawed at me with every passing second. The air inside and around the palace was thick with a kind of fear that came with the threat of an impending tsunami. A fear of destruction with no escape. All we could do was let the tsunami pass and hope to still be alive once it had. I was left alone in the room, forgotten now that everyone’s attention was on Nathalia. The sound of the clock had become much more pronounced and so did the hurried footsteps in the corridors. I rose from the bed and paced near the dressing table, fidgeting with my hands as restlessness grew wilder. I wanted to go back home to my mother, her diaries. Maybe then I would find some courage. My head snapped up as my room door creaked open. This is what I feared the most. He is going to be mad again! He'll hurt me again. With bated breath, I looked at Nikolai, who wore a deep frown when he walked into the room. But his face turned impassive as he took me in. His eyes widened in a daze as his gaze traveled down my body to my wedding gown, lingering on each detail. My heart hammered against my ribs. “I didn’t tell Alpha about my arm. I promise. He… sort of… found out on his own. I didn’t tell him anything about you or the car thing…” I spoke in a breath, well aware of what was coming regardless of my words. He wasn't going to trust me. He stepped closer and I shut my eyes, my body trembling. He is going to hit me… But he stopped. I glanced at him, confused. His gaze flickered briefly to my body, with a sneer he gritted his teeth and stormed out of the room without a word. I took a quick gulp. What just happened? The voices in the corridors grew louder and more rushed. So did my heartbeats. I looked at the watch. It was ten minutes to midnight. I could no longer sit back in that room. I walked out of the room. Walking some distance in the corridor, I heard Nathalia whimpers. “Brother please. Do something. Please… they’ll destroy me. You know them, they are devils,” Nathalia clutched Nikolai’s hand, pleading. She was dressed in a sparkly white wedding gown, adorned in the best of diamonds. Something she always flaunted, something that no longer held value. I lowered my gaze. At least there was someone she could plead with. I would have to bear it silently. A knot formed in my heart, tightening with Nathalia’s cry for help. “They are in the pack, you should… prepare yourself, Lia. Stop crying. You need to look… good for them,” Nikolai said, clenching his jaws. An unfamiliar powerlessness lingered in his eyes. Nathalia broke into silent sobs. She had been crying for hours now. Her eyes were red, her voice hoarse, but she kept pleading sometimes with Luna, sometimes with Nikolai. Both of them could only listen. “It’s all my mistake.” Nathalia slumped against the wall. “It’s karma. That is why this is happening. It’s all my fault. I broke her hand. It was my idea…” I widened my eyes, feeling a strangling pain throb in my heart at her words. “I am the one to blame. It’s all my fault…” she slumped against the doorframe. As the clock struck midnight, the main clock chimed loudly. Nathalia’s eyes widened, tears streaming down incessantly. “No, no.” She ran into her room, slamming the door behind her. A sudden gravity filled the palace as the air crackled with power and dominance. The demon lords, the triplets, had arrived. Nikolai kicked on her door. “Lia! Open the door! Lia! Don’t do this!” He mumbled, hitting the wall helplessly. For a moment, he remained calm, probably mind linking with the Alpha. Then, with a forceful push, he opened the door and dragged Nathalia out. She was no longer screaming. Suppressed sobs were the only sound. I watched it all hiding behind the wall. Nathalia’s teary gaze met mine before she was dragged away, and her face kept flashing in my eyes as if it might remain imprinted in my mind forever. I pressed my hands over my face, breaking into tears. Leaning my head against the wall, I slumped to the floor. Holding my aching head in my hands, I cried until I could no longer fight the weight of my own conscience. With the support of the wall, I got up. Lifting the hem of my wedding gown, I ran as fast as I could with my sprained ankles in the empty corridors of the palace. Everyone had gathered in the ballroom for the marriage ceremony. Even the maids were nowhere to be seen. I ran through the web of corridors, finally stopping when I reached the backdoor of the ballroom. That was the place from where the bride would walked to the hall. I could feel the heavy aura lurk in the air. Panting, I hesitated for a moment before finally making up my mind. I saw Alpha waiting with sobbing Nathalia, hidden in the darkness. I didn’t dare glimpse whatever ceremony was going on in the ballroom. The ballroom had been hastily decorated for the marriage ceremony, yet it looked gothically beautiful. Dark clouds rumbled in the sky with thunder and lightning, adding to the frenzied ambiance. The crowd surrounding Nathalia parted to make way for me. Luna Meesa’s bleary gaze fell on me, but she didn’t react with hostility as usual. I stepped closer to them. Nikolai blocked my path to Alpha and Nathalia. “What are you doing here?” He spoke through gritted teeth. “Came here to enjoy our suffering?” I met his eyes, my voice unwavering. “Only you can find happiness in someone else’s suffering, not me.” Nikolai frowned; rage dimmed in his eyes with a glimpse of tears. I passed by him and everyone else until I was face to face with Nathalia and Alpha. I looked into Alpha’s eyes. “I offer myself to the demon lords. Please let Nathalia go,” I said. The crowd seemed to gasp in unison. Nathalia stared at me in shock. “Now comes the bride with Alpha Valdimir,” a voice echoed from within the ballroom. Everyone stood frozen until Luna Meesa yanked Nathalia away from Alpha. “Thea… daughter…” Alpha looked at me, his eyes unreadably warm. Raising my hand over my head, I pulled down the veil over my face. Lifting my right hand as high as I could, I placed my hand over Alpha’s arm. Alpha didn’t say another word. I had nothing to lose, and my death would be no one’s loss. I never had a family. No one would cry at my death. I would no longer be the reason for someone’s pain. If I was lucky, I might meet my mother. Maybe then I could apologise properly for disappointing her. In the end, I couldn’t fulfil her dreams. The very day I had already lost everything that meant something to me. ‘You can live with regrets, but guilt… it disturbs you every day you live.’ Mother’s words flashed in my head. Nathalia stumbled to me, proffering the bouquet of Forget-me-nots in my hand with her trembling hands. She dropped her gaze when I looked at her through the veil as I took the bouquet from her hand. I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply as the lights fell on me. Alpha held my hand gently as we strutted down the aisle. The ballroom filled with decent claps. My gaze remained fixed on the red carpet beneath my feet. My steps faltered halfway to the altar. A dark stain crawled from the hem of my gown all the way up to the fabric, turning the white wedding gown into a black gown. Even the veil over my face had turned black. A shudder ran down my spine as the Forget-me-nots in my hands turned into a bouquet of red spider lilies. I almost dropped the bouquet, my heart heaving faster. Steeling my heart and tightening my grip around the bouquet of spider lilies, I made my way to the altar. Alpha let go of my hand at the foot of the altar. Three figures stood on the altar. Chapter 6 [Xanthea] Squalls gushed into the ballroom, announcing the arrival of a storm. I stood near the foot of the altar as they swirled around me. A quiet gasp escaped out when a swift wind fluttered my veil off my face. Entangling with a strands of hair, the winds tucked them behind my ear. My breaths shivered when I realized it wasn’t the air that brushed past my cheeks. Goosebumps ran all over my body as another zephyr caressed my neck. I let out a silent, shaking breath. ‘Sweet.’ A whisper kissed my ear. I gulped hard. Seconds felt like an eternity as I lifted my eyelids. Maybe those seconds were enchanted, or maybe my existence had come to a halt. But something surreal lingered in the distance between us when my eyes locked with the three demon lords. I half-gasped and half-gaped at the three of them. My heart pounded faster and faster as the three of them gazed back at me with their dark and cold eyes, holding the mystery of the night. The power they emitted was so overwhelming it made my existence seem insignificant. They were dressed in shades of gray and black three-piece suits that hugged their well-built and tall frames in all the right places, highlighting their chiseled features that only enhanced their otherworldly sinful charms. Their sharp jawlines and palely charismatic faces drew me into a blank space and their alluring eyes trapped me in an abyss. I could feel my fear amplifying with every heartbeat. Danger lurked in their eyes and it appeared they had already possessed my heart, my body, and my soul. There was no escaping them, but I wasn’t sure how long I would survive them. Or maybe there was no survival in this marriage at all. There was only surrendering. Surrendering my life, my fate and my destiny to them. As long as I surrendered to the three of them, I might survive. “Requesting the bride on the altar.” The voice of the man, dressed in a hooded black robe from head to toe, brought me out of the triplet’s bewitchment. Stalling my breaths, I gingerly walked up to the altar. It felt as if, even if I breathed the wrong way, they would break me apart. I didn’t dare look at any of them again. There was no priest on the altar, but a sorcerer. In fact, there was no one anywhere close to the altar. I glanced at Alpha, who peered at the triplets, then lowered his gaze when he looked at me. My breath hitched as a shudder ran through my body when one triplet held my face. He lifted my chin, making me look into his eyes. Up close, his light gray eyes were even more predatory. And my heart ran wild, just like a prey. An unsettling dread ran down my spine, breathing in the same air as him. His gaze dropped to me. Sucking in a quick breath, I lowered my gaze. He let go of my chin and stepped back, standing in the middle of the other two. I stood in front of them, clutching my hands near my belly even tighter. “We are here to witness the soul pact being formed between the Infernal Triplets and the Earthly princess of the Virgo pack, princess Xanthea Virgo,” the sorcerer said. “A wedding.” I knew a wedding with the demon lords would be anything but normal. But a pact? It wasn’t just my body they’d claim in this marriage. They’d imprison and imprint my soul with theirs. My nails dug into my skin as tears stung my eyes. Is this really how my life will end? A soul trapped for eternity in the shadows with no escape, no light, no salvation? “Alpha Raven Xipher step forth and create the first soul pact with your bride,” the sorcerer said. The Alpha standing left to the gray-eyed Alpha stepped closer to me until he stood right in front of me. His eyes contemplated me. He had long hair tied in a ponytail, his hair styled in a wolf cut. “Look into my eyes,” his deep voice cut through my heart. His words were impassive and colder were his scrutiny. The sorcerer walked close to us and lifted a double-ended dagger between us. I peered at the dagger that hung in the air, levitating between us. I gasped at the sight of the sharp blades. “Princess Xanthea Virgo and Alpha Raven Xipher, I will request you to stab your hand at the ends of the pact dagger,” the sorcerer said. The handle in the middle of the pact dagger had a huge gem that looked as if glowing blood was constantly flowing in it. I stepped back, curling my hand into fists. Raven held my gaze, and my body stiffened. My body wasn’t under my control. I involuntarily stepped closer to the pact dagger and stabbed my hand at one edge of the dagger while Raven stabbed his at the other end. The double-ended dagger absorbed our blood and the gem in the middle hilt glowed even redder. A sharp pain ran through my body as, for a few seconds, it felt like I was having a heart attack. I struggled to breathe. Holding back my tears, I clenched my arm. I glanced at Alpha Valdimir, pleading for help, but all he did was lower his gaze. Everyone in the ballroom stood with their heads low. My head snapped back towards Raven. It seemed as if invisible hands were controlling my body. I looked into his eyes as the sorcerer read. “Do you, Xanthea Virgo, entrust your body, blood and soul to Raven Xipher, your lord, your owner and your first husband?” I sobbed. I wanted to run away and hide somewhere far away. A grave seemed like a safer place to belong than with the triplets. I wish I had an option to leave. But I chose this destiny for myself. I had to take the responsibility. “I-I… do,” I said, through the pain. “Do you swear your eternal loyalty, obedience, and submission to him and his will?” the sorcerer asked. “I… do…” I said, breathing heavily as a feverish sensation ran up my spine. “Do you promise to accept the punishment if you breach the first two vows?” I knit my brows as tears trailed down my cheeks. “I… do!” My words came out as a sob. “And do you, Raven Xipher, tie your soul to hers?” “I do,” he said, stoically. I stumbled back as I got back the control over my body and I instantly withdrew my hand from the dagger’s pointed end. “Alpha Ezra Xipher step forth and create the second soul pact with your bride,” the sorcerer said. This time, the eyes that forcefully locked with mine were deep blue. He had short, frivolously styled hair. A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes when he saw my tears. My body was under Ezra’s control. I was losing control, even over my tears. I stabbed my hand again at one end of the dagger while Ezra stabbed his on the other end. “Do you, Xanthea Virgo, entrust your body, blood and soul to Ezra Xipher, your lord, your owner and your second husband?” the sorcerer said. I accepted the same vows with him as I had with Raven. “And do you, Ezra Xipher, tie your soul to hers?” “I do,” he said in an amused tone as he took me in. “Alpha Asher Xipher step forth and create the third soul pact with your bride,” the sorcerer said. Ezra stood back while the gray-eyed man with ruffled shoulder length hair. With him, my body was more under my control and he waited for me to stab my hand with the dagger’s end instead of forcing me to do it. “Do you, Xanthea Virgo, entrust your body, blood and soul to Asher Xipher, your lord, your owner and your third husband?” The pain during the vowing process was no less excruciating, but at least I was ready for that pain now. “I do…” my voice was weak. “And do you, Asher Xipher, tie your soul to hers?” “I do,” he said, holding my teary gaze. “I pronounce their souls pacted. In the words of the earthly realm, I pronounce them married!” The sorcerer said, and polite claps filled the ballroom. The double-edged dagger in the sorcerer’s hands turned and twisted itself until it took the form of a pointed thorny crown with glowing blood adorning it as gems. “Alphas, I request you to place this crown on your bride’s head and seal the pact for eternity,” the sorcerer said. The triplets held the crown and placed it on my head together. Its thorns and pointed ends pierced through my skin and hair. I could feel blood trail down my forehead, over my face. I shut my eyes, feeling my blood leave behind its fleeting warmth on the cold skin of my eyelids. The crown got heavier and heavier on my head. It felt like I would be buried right under its pressure. Every inch of my body was throbbing with pain like I had never felt before. It was worse than having a broken hand. My soul was tearing apart, and I could feel it in my veins. The ballroom spun before my eyes. My vision faltered and so did my struggle to fight the pain and stand strong when I was breaking from inside. My heart heaved faster. Before my failing body hit the ground, Raven grabbed my upper arms. Ezra held my shoulder while Asher’s firm arm wrapped around my waist as my back rested against his body. “You can’t be weak, wife. You now have three husbands to please. Tonight’s the night we claim you. You can’t let a simple wedding tire you, for our nuptial night holds trials far more demanding.” Ezra whispered huskily, tucking my hair behind my ear. My heart pounded with its left over strength as I shook my head slightly. “Please…” I succumbed to the darkness before my words could find their voice. Chapter 7 [Xanthea] * A caressing, hypnotic fragrance slowly enveloped my senses. It was a sophisticated blend of jasmine, patchouli, and hints of exotic spices. With every breath, the scent seemed to suffuse deeper and deeper in my body. My pulse quickened, and I could feel the heat crawl up my cheeks. With the fragrance that dazed my mind and relaxed my body mixed three prominent scents that I could never mistake. They were there in the room with me. The demon lords. I could feel the silk bedsheet and the bed beneath my palms. But I couldn’t open my eyes because of the blindfold. I panicked subtly from the inside, but I was too scared to show it. My breaths hitched as the silk blanket that had been covering my body until now slid down with every intention of tracing every inch of my skin. I could still feel a thin fabric around my body. One of them tried to hold my wrist but in an impulse I pulled it from his grip. The air crackled with their dominance and I knew I had displeased them. Maybe if I just lie down and let them do what they want with me, at least I wouldn’t upset them. My heart ravaged as I held my trembling hands close to my arms. I reached out my blindfold when I felt the air around me flush with their maddening pheromones. My hands limply fell to my side. They didn’t want me to take off the blindfold. But why? Not being able to see them only added to my nervousness. My whole body was burning. The fever felt as if it were breaking every bone in my body. I instantly grabbed my broken right hand to feel the pain, but there was none. Even my ankle was healed. Still, something in my body didn’t feel right. It felt like I was in heat but a heat that was ten times stronger than all the heats I had had in my life. “Little toy.” My head followed the direction of the amused, deep voice that held a dark tease behind every word. That was probably Ezra. “Why don't you let us know how much you want us?" Ezra asked.” “You heard him. Didn’t you?” A stoic voice came from my left. Raven. There was a harshness in his voice. Hatred in his tone, as if I disgusted him. I hugged myself. Knitting my brows, I shook my head. “Please…” I don’t know why I begged them, even when I knew it was useless. “Hey! Hey! Don’t tell me you are first time, little toy!” Ezra’s tone lit up with a dangerous excitement. “I—I am…” My words shivered. Ezra broke into laughter. The next second, I flopped, my wrist pinned over my head. My heart raced. “Ah! Wait! Please…” I spoke through broken breaths. “You made us wait enough, my innocent toy. How dare you hide this from us? You deserve to be punished.” I thought I had prepared myself enough for this, but now that it was about to happen, I was trembling. My tears disappeared somewhere within my blindfold. My heart pulsated against my ribs as I clenched my fists. “Back off, Ezra. Not now.” A husky, authoritative growl came from my right. Out of all the voices, hearing Asher’s voice settled down my heartbeats. And I don’t know why. With a disappointed grunt, Ezra backed away from me, leaving me disheveled and open to all their gazes. I sat up again, burning with shame. Now I was grateful to the blindfold. At least I couldn’t see them looking at me. “Take off your clothes, omega,” Raven commanded. I clenched my dress. “If you make me repeat, I will tear them off you and defile that lowly body of yours. This is already a waste of time, anyway,” Raven said. Shivers ran down my spine at his raw threat. I knew he hated me, and deep down, I knew it was because I was an omega. I slowly did what he instructed. Now I completely wore nothing to their burning gaze that I could feel on my skin. I gulped hard, trying to hide, but two hands seized me at the same time. I bit down a sob at their bruising grips. … I couldn’t understand what was happening to me or why it felt so sinfully right. Now that it was going to happen, a dark desire took over me. “You are such a masterpiece, omega.” Raven scoffed. The pain rushed through my body, making me feel a hunger I never knew existed inside me. “We are going to take turns with you. Let’s play a guessing-who game. If your answers are right, we will do it like you want and if they are wrong, we will do it like we want,” Asher said. “I hope you are ready, Xanthea.”	LEARN_MORE	https://befant.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10865&u	266477589889684	Novel reading	https://facebook.com/61558396135596	0	0	0	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	0	Learn More	Novel reading	120211097771400735	befant.com		NONE	dco		https://befant.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10865&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}	2024-04-16 22:56	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438874789_1505457963649841_1746636976003465727_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=hDELMXm1IjoAb6xL5rF&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfC9qTz2d9VWcnc693kQ8_YuJbWqhS8Ld4tVhX8xS-2tNA&oe=6628E20C	person_profile	Novel reading	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437661526_957701389321300_1399881581422505888_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=URlKQrbjyXAAb66p3fL&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfBZY1_oMosxHdPy2acG66RIaPf4PMXkv-e4Smwwr5mMnw&oe=6628C939	3	Novel reading	2024-04-19 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,313,726	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1313809}'	No	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	977138794411332	❤️😍What happens next👉Click Here to read on👉	I am so excited. It is the prom night of my last year in high school. "You grow up so fast, my baby is 18." Mom said as she took pictures of me in my prom dress. "Mom enough with the pictures, please," I begged her. Mom laid down the camera and came to hug me. “Even though I was so proud of you for achieving this scholarship I always worried about how they would treat you in that private school.” She said as she brushed my curls. "Well I didn't really care about fitting in, I was there to learn, to get opportunities for college. But I managed to make a friend or two."And that friend that's taking you to prom, is there any chance he will become a boyfriend in the future?" As close as I am with Mom I never really talked to her about Domenic. "Don't you need to go to work now Mom?" I try to turn the conversation. "Uhh the old change the topic scheme, fine fine I'm leaving but I will want a lot of pictures and a lot of details." She kissed me on the cheek before leaving my bedroom. I looked at myself in the mirror before sitting on my bed. Domenic will be here any minute, this will be the first time he will come to my house, normally we always hang out at the park or the library. At first, I couldn't even believe that one of the hottest and richest guys at the school had taken an interest in me. And I could have never imagined just how kind and gentle he was. As the doorbell rang I rushed to open the door. Domenic was there wearing a suit. His dark blondish hair was nicely styled, and when he smiled you could see the dimples in his cheeks. His full li-ps in a crooked smile and his eyes had a mix of hazel green with a touch of blue. In his hands a box with an orchid corsage. "Wow, you look ... beautiful Autumn." He said as he walked in. "This is for you. I remembered orchids were your favorite." "Thank you, and you look very handsome yourself." I smiled trying to cover up my nervousness. "So this is your house," Domenic said. "Yes, compared to your house this must seem like nothing to you." I pointed to my surroundings. "No not at all, it seems very warm, homey." Yes, I really was. "So are we going?" I asked. "There is no hurry, why don't you show me your room." My room. "My room?" My thoughts came out of my mouth. "If that's ok with you." He said as he caressed my cheeks. "No, sure. It's upstairs." I led the way and he followed me. Once inside my room, Domenic spun me around against my door and kissed me as his hands came around my waist. As always he took my breath away, heat permeated my body and I clung to him like my life depended on it. His kiss left my mouth and continued down my neck as I tried to muffle your moans. It wasn't until his hand tugged at the zipper of my dress that my eyes opened in surprise. He backed up and looked me in the eyes. "Do you trust me, Autumn?" I knew what he was asking me. And the answer was yes, I trust him. So much that I'm ready to give myself to him, for the first time in my life, because I love him. I wasn't able to speak so I simply nodded my head as I looked him in the eyes. He took my hand and led me to my bed. Domenic brushed my hair aside as he went to unzip my dress. I could feel his thumb sliding down my spine as he kissed my neck. At the sound of my dress falling to the floor my eyes instantly shut as my hands went to cover my front body. No guy has ever seen me like this. "Shhh, open your eyes gorgeous. Let me look at your eyes." And so I did, he gave me one more kiss before laying me down on the bed. I watched him take his clothes off revealing his strong shoulders and hard shoulder. He came over my body like a lion preying on his prey, his weight crushed on me while his warmth and smell surrounded me. I never imagined making love for the first time would be so intense and pass-ionate. At first, it hurt, and when I saw his eyes fly open I knew he understood it. His response was to bury himself in my skin as we both came soon to the glory. As he rolled over I tried to lay my head on his arm but Domenic sat up and rested on my headboard. "You never told me it was your first time." He said with a weird look on his face. "I didn't think it matters, do you?" I asked him when all of a sudden I heard voices coming from downstairs. I jumped off the bed and put my underwear on, Domenic however was calm and slowly putting his clothes on when the door of my room opened and a bunch of guys barged in. "I guess Nick won the bet after all." Said one of the guys as I tried to cover myself with my dress. "Domenic, what are they doing here, what is he talking about?" "Ohh tell her Nick." Said the guy as they were all laughing. Domenic simply put on his pants and his shirt before walking closer to me with a look in his eyes I never saw before. "No hard feelings gorgeous, but this thing between us is not going to work." My brain was having a hard time processing what was happening. "Look at her face, I think we are gonna have to spell it out for her." The guy as he came closer to me. "We made a bet he couldn't pop your cherry, but he proved us wrong." I looked at Domenic, waiting for him to tell me this was just a joke. "Why?" I asked as tears filled my eyes. "Don't ask me that, gorgeous. You could have said no, really you have yourself to blame." Domenic said before grabbing his suit and leaving my room as the rest followed him. I just dropped on the floor like an apple fell from the tree. Never in my whole life have I felt a pain so big that prevented me from breathing. I barely managed to come to the bathroom where I sat under hot water for hours frantically rubbing my body as the running water muffled my cries. Chapter 2 All of a sudden I was woken up by the sound of my alarm clock. I can't believe that nightmare is back, I was doing so good. Why was it back now? I rushed to the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, it's been more than ten years since that night yet I still can't forget about it. The nightmare always seems to find me. I got dressed quickly and got ready for work. Luckily I don't live far away, living above where you work has some privileges. The first two floors are my library cafe, I have to say I'm proud of myself for what I created. It's a perfect place to enjoy a good book or work on paper while the aroma of freshly brewed coffee accompanies you while sharing a conversation with a friend. The third floor I made into my apartment, I still own my mother's house but since her passing, I just kind of stay here.I got downstairs just as Jess, the girl who works for me opened the cafe. "Morning boss." She said as she put her apron on. "Morning Jess, can you please prepare the last night takings I'm gonna need it to finish the accounts. End of the month and all, you know." I say as I grab my yoga mat. "Sure, you are starting yoga?" She asked pointing to the mat. "Yep. Please put the reserved sign on the table with the couch for Joshua." As the first customers showed up I left for the yoga studio. I got there just as the rest of the woman were putting down their mats and chatting. I went to my corner and put my mat down. "It's a bit uncomfortable when you come here without a friend, feels like the first day of school all over again."A blond woman said to me as she came closer. "Yes, it is." I say as she puts her mat next to mine. She appeared to be somewhere between twenty-four and twenty-six more or less, and there was something about her eyes that seemed familiar. "I hope you don't mind." "Ohh no, go ahead at least I'll have someone to chat with. I'm Autumn." I say as I extend my hand. "This union has to be the work of the universe, I'm Summer." She said as she shook my hand. I don't know why but I have a feeling we will great friends. For the last three weeks, me and Summer hung out a lot, she is funny and very cheerful. The business is going great the only thing always ruining my mood is a persistent man trying to purchase my building. He comes back every time with a better offer but the answer is always the same. One big NO. I got this building from my mother, and she got it from her father. For years it was abandoned until I decided to do something with it. With my business degree, I could have worked for someone but this place was calling for me. "I love this place, Autumn. Can I post it on my i*a?" Summer said as she drank her coffee latte. "I'm surprised you already didn't." We laughed as I watched a man in a suit come into the cafe. I thought that the shark had returned but the man took a seat at the table with another man. "Thank God." I say. "What?" Summer asked. "There is this man that comes here lately, he wants this place and obviously doesn't understand no for an answer.” "If you have any problem just tell me, I can ask my dad for a favor." You would think Summer is just another rich daddy girl but she is really sweet. "Thank you, Summer but I have it under control." "Hey did you get me that book we talked about?" Summer asked. "Oh yes, let me run upstairs and grab it." I ran upstairs to get the book and as I was returning I saw from the stairs a man talking with Summer. Something about him was so familiar to me so I slowly descended the stairs and listened to their conversation. "What are you doing here brother?" Summer asked surprised, I couldn't see his face his back was turned to me. "Well, my assistant couldn't close a simple contract with the old lady who owns this building so I had to come myself." His voice, I know that voice. It can't be. Chapter 3 That voice, it cant be him. "What old lady?" Summer asked him. He opened a file he had in his hands. "Sarah James." My mother. "My brother, you are very misinformed. I know the owner of this place." Summer looked in my direction. "Autumn come to meet my brother, Domenic this is Autumn." When he turned around, I... I thought my world shattered all over again. At least he looked as shocked as me while Summer just stared at us. "Autumn, are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost." Summer asked me. "Autumn." Domenic said my name. He looked older yes, but more handsome than ever. "As it turned out my brother is the shark that wants to purchase this place." Summer smacked him on the shoulder. "Your brother? You are a Davis Jones?" I asked shocked, she said she was Summer Danes. "Yes, wait you two know each other?" Do we know each other? No, we don't. The man that I knew never existed. I'm going to be sick. "We went to the same high school." Domenic said. His voice made me more sick by the minute. I tried to dismiss him as much as possible, not wanting to look at him I concentrated on Summer. "So how we met, how we became friends was just a ruse so I would easily accept to se-ll to your brother?" She looked as if I just slapped her. "No, of course not. How could you think that?" Summer said as she looked between Domenic and me again as if she suspected there was bad blood between us. "Autumn." Domenic said again, he even went so far as to try to touch me. I flinched back so hard I almost fell over. "Get out. Both of you, out." I say as I fought so hard to not let tears fill my eyes. "Hey let's talk it out." Summer said. "There is nothing to talk about, I will never give this place to you. So I would suggest you forget this address and me altogether." I'm starting to shake. No Autumn, hang in there just a minute longer. "Autumn please..." "Out." Domenic tried to talk to me but I cut him off. I can't listen to his voice, it torments me. Summer grabbed Dominic's hand and nudged him back, but he looked stuck in place. I can't take it anymore, I can't look or listen to him. I turned around and practically went flying up the stairs, I bearly made it to the toilet where my stomach betrayed me. The memories started to flood me, every smell, every touch, the spoken words and promises. The betrail and broken trust. I never went to my prom, that night I spent washing myself over and over again trying to erase his touch on my skin. I never slept on that bed again. For the first time in my life, I lied to my mother. I told her I felt sick to my stomach last minute and that's why I didn't go. I hoped I would never see him again. A few days passed and just as I was starting to glue myself back together from the shock Summer appeared at my door. I tried to dismiss her but she got into my face. "I don't know what kind of history you have with my brother and I don't care. I just came to tell you I think what you are doing to me is unjust. First of all, we meet by accident ok. Second, when did I ever talk to you about you salling this place? You throw me out, do you know how that made me feel..." "I..." I tried to interrupt her. "No, I'm talking. As you see I don't have many friends, and in the brief time we got to know each other I grew very fond of you. Whatever Nicky did to you in the past was not my fault, so don't take it out on me. Because I really miss you." I stayed silent, not sure if she was finished. She did have a point. "Well say something." She tells me. As much as I hate it she is right, and I kind of missed her too. So instead of saying anything I gave her a hug which she returned. "I'm sorry, I missed you too." "That's more like it." She said. We went upstairs from the cafe to talk more privately. I made us some coffee and we sat in my living room. "I said to myself I wouldn't ask but... what is the dea-l with you and Nicky?" I find it funny she calls him Nicky. "Did you ask him?" I say. "Well that night he didn't come home, but I asked him the next day and he didn't want to talk about it. Not a word." No surprise there. "Did you guys date?" Summer asked and my eyes must of give the jackpot alarm. "Oh, you did. And judging from your reaction it ended badly." I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. "Sorry Summer but I don't want to talk about it. Now or ever." "Sure, and just so you know I told him to give up on this place." Of course she did. "Thank you Summer." I say, for a second there we stay in an awkward situation. Not really sure what to say. "I don't want things to be weird between us Autumn, we will continue our friendship as it was. And if you do not want to see my brother I will always respect that." She reassured me, and honestly, I did believe her. "You are right, and I am sorry for how I treated you. The situation caught me off guard but I was in no right to take it out on you." She smiled as she tapped my hand. "No worries, hey I need to run now but how about we have dinner later?" Summer said as she got up. "Sure, just text me the time and address, and I'll meet you there.” Chapter 4 We said goodbye and I went the rest of my day feeling a lot better about the situation between me and Summer. Later she sent me a text about where we were gonna meet up, It's a good thing I looked at the restaurant before going otherwise I would have come in jeans. I put on my green dress that suited my eyes and looked lovely with my chocolate brown curly hair. I got there a bit early and while I waiting I scrolled on my phone until I sensed Summer sat down at the table. "Took you long enough." I said as I set my phone down, but when I looked up I saw Domenic sitting in front of me. "First of all Summer has nothing to do with this, she is coming I just told her driver to take a few wrong turns. She wouldn't corner you like this." Stay calm Autumn, you already gave him the satisfaction of seeing you affected by his presence. "She wouldn't, but obviously you would." I said as I took a sip of water, my throat suddenly felt as dry as a desert. He scratched his beard and tugged at his ear, it was a habit he had when we were dating. He always did that when he was overthinking. "You look gorgeous Autumn, the years have suited you." Gorgeous, he always referred to me as gorgeous. "What do you want Mr.Davis?" His eyes slightly widened in shock. "Mr.Davis? I think we know each other enough to leave such formalities aside." The audacity of this man. Just breathe Autumn, stay calm and drink wine. Crap I don't have any wine yet. "I don't know you, Mr.Davis. I never did, the man I thought I knew never existed he was simply an illusion. One that was shattered in the most painful way. You Mr. Davis are simply a man who wants to get my property, one I already made clear I had no intention of se-lling." Huhh water, water I need water. I gracefully emptied my glass. Domenic's eyes never left mine as he took a sip of water himself. "I gave up on owning it the second I saw you, and besides Summer threatened to destroy my collectibles if I tried." I laughed, I didn't mean to, but I did. And he smiled. I imagined that from afar we looked like two normal people about to have dinner when the truth was so far from it. "I wanted to thank you... for not telling Summer about... about what I did." He can't even say it. "What makes you think I didn't?" I arched my eyebrow at him. "Because Summer has no filter, and she does not lie. When she talked to me she did it like she always does, meaning she does not know." I can see it matters a lot to him what Summer thinks of him. "I have to be honest with you. Since I saw you I haven't been able to stop thinking about you Autumn." I roll my eyes at him. "I feel we have a lot to talk about, please have lunch with me tomorrow." "You really have the audacity to ask me to have lunch with you? Like we are old friends catching up, you have no shame." I grabbed my bag and got up just as Summer walked in, she looked mad. "I'm so sorry I had nothing to do with this." She rushed to explain. "It's ok, I know," I say as Domenic gets up. "What is the matter with you Nicky?" Summer asked him. "I'm leaving now, we'll talk tomorrow." He said it in a way it was unsure who he said it to. But it better not be me. The rest of the night Summer kept apologizing for her brother's intrusion while I reassured her it was fine as long it didn't happen again. But something I saw in Domenic's eyes told me that wouldn't be the case. The next day Summer and I went to yoga as usual, and then we had brunch before I had to return to the cafe. When I got there he was already waiting. Sitting in the back corner drinking coffee. When our eyes met he slowly put down the mug and then started to walk towards me. My silly legs didn't listen when the brain said to run. "What are you doing here Mr.Davis? I thought I made myself clear." I say as I mark the distance between us. "I just want to talk to you Autumn." God, dig a hole and bury him in it. "We have nothing to talk about Mr.Davis." I say as I make my way to the other side of the bar. "Can you stop calling me Mr.Davis?" It irritates him, I like it. "Will you just go have lunch with me?" He asked as he leaned over the bar. With the cafe door open and the wind blowing, the smell of his cologne traveled all the way to me. "No, I won't Mr.Davis, now please leave my cafe. Don't make me call your sister." He smiled at that. "I don't know how much you remember about me but I can be very persistent when I want something." Meaning??? "Meaning?" I say as calmly as possible. He leaned over the bar and looked me straight in the eyes with determination. "Meaning I won't give up. Meaning you will have me here every day until you say yes." And with that, Domenic grabbed his briefcase and left, but this was far from over. And so he came back the next day, and he asked me to lunch and I said no. He came the day after that, his question the same as was my answer. The third day he came Summer was here and he had a bump on his forehead. Apparently, she threw the TV remote at him. Today he didn't come, instead, he sent flowers. Orcuieds. The note said "Gorgeous! Lunch?" A man of few words. "I know I promised I wouldn't interfere, but maybe if you say yes he will leave you alone. Besides it's a lunch, not a dinner date." Said Summer as she flipped the pages of the magazine. "You are right." I say and she immediately looks up. "You promised you'd stay out of it." I smiled at her. "I know I just can't stand him anymore, he is driving me crazy." She says as a message comes to my phone. "Did you like the flowers? Domenic." "You gave him my phone number?" I say as I put the phone in her face. "No, he took it out of my phone. I swear." I text him back. "NO." Too subtle, maybe I needed to put an exclamation point. Chapter 5 I tried to go by my days not thinking about him. But it wasn't easy. All of a sudden I even dreamed about him. The tipping point for me was when I came home to find a basket full of sweets I used to love, records of the music I used to listen to, a copy of my favorite book, and my old perfume. The rage suddenly grew inside my body, my heart was beating like crazy while I took my phone and called Summer. "Where the hel is your brother?" "At this time he is at work, why?" She asked intrigued. "Just send me the address, I'll explain later. And don't tell him I'm coming." I grabbed the basket and made my way to his workplace. Apparently, Summer called and let the security know I was coming so they let me in. His secretary on the other hand wasn't so welcoming, but I pushed past her into his office. "I'm so sorry Mr.Davis I tried to stop her." She apologized. "It's alright Melody, you can leave." He said as he got up from his chair. Danm, why does he have to look so hot in that gray three-piece suit? "What is this?" I asked him as I pointed to the basket. "Autumn, I just wanted to show you I still think about you." He said as he came closer. "The truth is I was never able to forget about you." Domenic stood in front of me, his eyes searching mine. "I forgot about you a long time ago and I have no desire for a rehash." I say as stand strong. "You are lying Autumn, you still get that wrinkle on your nose when you lie," He pointed to my nose. He annoyed me so much I grabbed the perfume from the basket and threw it at him. He dodged it and it shattered into a million pieces on the floor spreading the smell all over his office. "You don't know me Mr.Davis, and I demand you stop this nonsense." My hands started shaking and my heart began to rise to my throat. "I do know you, gorgeous, and because I know you I also know that earning your forgiveness is going to be a big task." My forgiveness. He wanted my forgiveness?!! "You want my forgiveness, why? So you can ease your conscience, Mr.Davis." That made him take his eyes off mine and give me the strength I needed. "No, you can't have my forgiveness, Domenic. I'd rather you take that burden with you on your way to hel." I say as I drop the basket by his feet before turning around ready to leave. I was almost at the door when I was suddenly pulled back and crushed between the wall and his body. "What are you doing? Let me go." I told him as I tried to get myself from his hands. His response was to kiss me, Kiss me like he used to, maybe even better. My body relaxed into his like it was muscle memory because my body knew how he hugged me, how he touched me, the way he kissed me. But my brain knew the pain he caused, so I found it in my self to push him back and tried to make my way to the door. He pulled me back one more time, his face inches from mine. His hands were on my cheeks as he looked me in the eyes and said. "You loved me once, you will love me again." And I knew this was only the beginning. "What is going on here?" We both turned to face the door where Summer was standing looking at us. I backed up as Domenic dropped his hands from me. "And what is this smell, you really need to open a window." She said as she strolled into the office. "Are you ok?" She asked me. "I'm fine, I just came here to make some things clear with Mr.Davis. I'm leaving now." I say as I share one last look with Domenic. "Wait for me downstairs, I'll drive you," Summer offered. "Yeah, sure." When I got outside I took a sit at the bench while I tried to process what just happened upstairs. A moment of weakness I can't repeat. I need my life to go back to how it was before he came back. But Summer, I can't be unjust to Summer. Speaking of which, here she comes. "Hey, you could have waited in the car." She said as her driver opened the door. "It's fine, I needed the fresh air." "Fresh air by the New Yorks sidewalk? Honey, I need to take you to the Hamptons ASAP." She said as we got into the car. "Are you ok? I mean Nicky didn't say anything but it was obvious there was tension there." No Im not ok. "I'm fine Summer, don't worry about it." Let me worry about it. I think to myself as I smile at her. "Uhh, the fact that I do not know what happened between the two of you will drive me crazy." Summer said as she tossed her phone by her side. "I won't put you in the middle of this Summer. You are my friend and I'll leave you out of this drama. I can handle it." I reassured her. "I don't know what's worse, not knowing and wondering. Or the fear that the truth is too horrible to bear." And that is exactly why I will never tell you. Chapter 6 Two weeks have passed and sure enough, Domenic has kept insisting on talking to me. He didn't come in person every time but the flowers have kept coming in every day. "Dinner?" was the only thing written on the card today. The card I threw away and the flowers I gave to Ms, Robin, it would be a shame to throw them into the trash. "Do you wanna do something tonight? See a movie or something?" I asked Summer. "Ohh I can't tonight. I have a date?" She said happily. "With whom?" I asked as I put down a cup and threw a rag on the counter. "A guy I meet online." "Why are you meeting people online? You are Summer Davis Jones for God's sake, men are literally chasing you." I say in disbelief. "That is because they are after the Davis Jones part, not the Summer part." I can't relate to that problem but I can understand. "And this guy isn't?" "Well, he is meeting Summer Danes, so…” Ohh I almost forgot about the last name trick she uses. "Right, that word game you play with your last name. I have to say very clever on your part." I say as a big group of people come into the cafe. "If business keeps up like this soon I'll have to expand," I say as Summer smiles suspiciously. "What did you do?" I ask her. "I may have tweeted and shared on my I*a that this is the it place to be, and I may have said that Sophie Chapelle will be signing her new book here." What? "Summer but that is a lie, I don't know Sophie Chapelle." I say as more people come in. "But I do, and she agreed to do this as a little favor for me. She will be here at five. I told Jess to reserve the sofa for her." Oh my God. "I can't believe you did that. Thank you so much Summer, it means the world to me." "Hey don't mention it, friends should support friends. You would do the same for me." I don't have the resources or the connections she has but yes I would do the same. "Well if you ever need me to do something for you just say the word." To that, she looked at me with a soft look on her face. "I would love it if you and my brother could coexist in the same place so that I could have two people I love always by my side." I think my face said it all. "Ok I'm off now, you will tell me all about it, and don't forget to take pictures." She said as she hopped off the chair and left. Man, you got to love her. Sure enough by five pm, this place was so full a toothpick wouldn't even fit it. Summer even sent cases of vine to the cafe, and personnel with glasses and everything. I mean fcking Sophie Chapelle was here, at my cafe. Signing her new book. I devoured her every book, they were my therapy. The fact that Summer wasn't here was a shame. By eight pm the cafe still very much resembled a club, I had an urgent need to restock everything. It was crazy. I managed to get my signed copy of the book and when I went to take a picture of it with my phone I had a call from Summer. I went outside so I would be able to hear her from all the noise outside. As soon as I answered I heard her panicked voice. "Autumn." Something was off. "Summer are you ok?" I asked frantically "Something is not right with this guy Autumn. We met at the restaurant and everything was fine then he asked me if I wanted to go see this new art exhibit and I said yes. But this place is strange Autumn, I just left at the back door... Aaaaaahh!!!" My blood froze as I heard Summer scream. "Summer! Summer can you hear me? Summer." The call ended I was left standing. What do I do? Before I even realized my legs led me to a street corner where I fetched a taxi. If there was someone who had resources and people in the right places to find Summer, it was Domenic. I had to go to his office, Summer said once he had a habit of working late so this is where he should be.I got to his building at the same time he was coming out with a man walking behind him. He looked so surprised to see me running towards him. "Autumn." Domenic said with a smile on his face. He really needs to read people's facial expressions better. "Domenic, Summer... Something happened to Summer." I managed to say as I caught my breath. "What are you talking about Autumn? Where is Summer?" He instantly went into panic mode. "She had a date tonight but she called me saying something was off about the guy and that she was leaving but then I heard her scream and the call ended. You have to find her Domenic." I tried to explain the best I could. "Call the head of security, I want them to locate Summer now!" Domenic said to the man behind him. "Can I have your phone miss, it was the last one to have contact with." The man said to me. "Of course, take it. Just find her." He took the phone out of my hand and they walked back into the building and I followed them. We walked into a big room filled with computers and devices where they connected my phone to their software. Domenic was understandably upset, his body was shaking while his eyes traveled from one monitor to another. I felt an urge to touch him, to comfort him but no. I can't. I have to resist, this isn't about him. It's about Summer. "What is happening, did you find her?" They looked at the screen until a red dot appeared on the map. "We have her." The man yelled and they ran outside where a group of armed men were waiting. "You take her home." Domenic said to one of his men. "I'm coming with you, I'm not going anywhere until I see Summer." I say as I push past him and get in his car. Without wasting any more time Domenic got in the car and we started driving.	LEARN_MORE	https://redtgb.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10878&u	250753834794512	Read freely	https://facebook.com/61557986570531	8	0	0	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	0	Learn More	Read freely	120210928904510196	redtgb.com		NONE	dco		https://redtgb.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10878&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}	2024-04-17 06:22	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438895468_3759544964369074_1770150281164567537_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=DSkQQhE9SecAb5aBSkK&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfCd-zmF1O0tvhmtqyufW1DOVk16kiB2TuKGvsQMuueW9g&oe=6628BCAE	person_profile	Read freely	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438899826_391768063725322_5934851450395785892_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YO5iXwLXrl4Ab5K1oZ4&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDyh8UE1ZqHlIkGsl_rpRYfTxqXkF3X2Ay92Saz1OooRA&oe=6628E6FC	3	Read freely	2024-04-19 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,627	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1312643}'	No	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	3714882405410777	Free local news at your fingertips	Community news and information for Dixon, Rock Falls and Sterling. Always local. Always free.	LEARN_MORE	https://theradar.online/	131798776694248	TheRadar.online	https://facebook.com/radarfreepress	115	1	416,559,211,131,341	2024-04-19 02:00	regular_page	eligible	NONE	0	1	1	Learn More	TheRadar.online	120207698053690351	theradar.online		NONE	dco	No subscription required	https://theradar.online/	2024-04-19 15:11	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436577036_1099441844668240_7526770469171050390_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9IisBMj3phcAb4RBA2v&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBcDwnmIRFB6LGl3WWGahzMhjT1-3_6cM8VeM0GqoGMrQ&oe=6628BE90	person_profile	The Radar Free Press	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436483451_801091925265612_1145310007128149962_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1ZxVvj0fsCEAb4-9l96&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBhQ8JiJ959dQdkk9P335qV-tN_E0qYpbYVe2bd75xE0g&oe=6628F353	3	TheRadar.online	2024-04-19 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,776	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1312727}'	No	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	408391812088126	Get Started	Are you ready to ditch your slow, expensive Internet? Try FreeConnect and get matched with the most affordable Home Wi-Fi options in just ten minutes. Click below to apply today!	MESSAGE_PAGE		111268308424089	FreeConnect	https://facebook.com/FreeConnectOG	3,464	1	1,169,288,173,966,137	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Send Message	FreeConnect	120209394162960392			NONE	dco	{{product.description}}		2024-04-19 15:06	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437140258_419793657670595_6145175943117956435_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1z18sJ8b0YAAb5UYEHM&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCkPV3mPqcNX4XDFiCTAo2847KyuH5wwDSE0f304zQ40Q&oe=6628CE19	person_profile	FreeConnect	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437983000_1455316075357435_1657580857923870024_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=AFCQvxQHemUAb4ujk9U&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAOox4YJNnbwCsff54ZSLmW3MGVPwqKXOJAKTLhIKBuZg&oe=6628D195	3	FreeConnect	2024-04-19 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,565	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1312485}'	Yes	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	442019808359984	Italo Purple Love Design Titanium Steel Couple Rings	👉Love your mom and give her special gift😘 ✅Any order 10%off & more promotions enjoy now Shop Now🛒:http://italojewelry.io/Cwo Free shipping & 60-day return🛩	SHOP_NOW	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-purple-love-des	1452918118133977	Italo Jewelry	https://facebook.com/italojewelry	68,175	0	0	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Shop Now	Italo Jewelry	120209557650920608	italojewelry.com	3219	NONE	dpa	✅One Year Warranty & 60-day Return	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-purple-love-design-titanium-steel-couple-rings-251001.html	2024-04-10 01:54	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/422559513_437726755399101_6906671586530212580_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=u_stwcm9kukAb6QewkN&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfDIGJ9cCITpkmW2LUNmkwJxQ4lre2-wRpDg8Mcx3dYEXQ&oe=6628DD5F	person_profile	Italo Jewelry	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435285939_333311723094809_5542286066957905399_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HmFgw1F5EqgAb7H73a1&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBONnsB4LyKXlvmd6jMmUrHJSKLvMHg96RLYpt2ZOLCqQ&oe=6628D2BB	3	Italo Jewelry	2024-04-18 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,643	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	No	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	1460108351255605	Free local news at your fingertips	Community news and information for Dixon, Rock Falls and Sterling. Always local. Always free.	LEARN_MORE	https://theradar.online/	131798776694248	TheRadar.online	https://facebook.com/radarfreepress	115	1	3,535,900,076,648,361	2024-04-19 02:00	regular_page	eligible	NONE	0	1	1	Learn More	TheRadar.online	120207698052340351	theradar.online		NONE	dco	No subscription required	https://theradar.online/	2024-04-19 15:11	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438871185_798939448815609_7378991547901734190_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=bW8q8OR-anAAb583Y2J&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCtSoX4nKthNqiG14OKSbHrxMilUvvIzuNYRnlANMmt9w&oe=6628D10E	person_profile	The Radar Free Press	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437941893_1209444240021854_3392083237261400009_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XbwWl2SO1tMAb7CH4N-&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfC35ycj-XNltoQQLhmlOOszN6dmePbkD3xfGt2M62CD3g&oe=6628E7B7	3	TheRadar.online	2024-04-19 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,313,910	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1313861}'	No	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	809145963962625	❤️😍What happens next👉Click Here to read on👉	“Now comes the bride with Alpha Valdimir,” a voice echoed from within the ballroom. Raising my hand over my head, I pulled down the veil over my face. Lifting my right hand as high as I could, I placed my hand over my Alpha father’s arm. I had nothing to lose, and my death would be no one’s loss. I never had a real family. No one would cry at my death. If I was lucky, I might meet my mother. Maybe then I could apologise properly for disappointing her. In the end, I couldn’t fulfil her dreams. The very day I had already lost everything that meant something to me. My stepsister, who should have been the bride, stumbled to me, proffering the bouquet of Forget-me-nots in my hand with her trembling hands. She dropped her gaze when I looked at her through the veil as I took the bouquet from her hand. My steps faltered halfway to the altar. A dark stain crawled from the hem of my gown all the way up to the fabric, turning the white wedding gown into a black gown. Even the veil over my face had turned black. A shudder ran down my spine as the Forget-me-nots in my hands turned into a bouquet of red spider lilies. I almost dropped the bouquet, my heart heaving faster. Steeling my heart and tightening my grip around the bouquet of spider lilies, I made my way to the altar. Three figures stood on the altar. Squalls gushed into the ballroom, announcing the arrival of a storm. I stood near the foot of the altar as they swirled around me. A quiet gasp escaped out when a swift wind fluttered my veil off my face. Entangling with a strands of hair, the winds tucked them behind my ear. My breaths shivered when I realized it wasn’t the air that brushed past my cheeks. Goosebumps ran all over my body as another zephyr caressed my neck. I let out a silent, shaking breath. ‘Sweet.’ A whisper kissed my ear. I gulped hard. Seconds felt like an eternity as I lifted my eyelids. There was no escaping them, but I wasn’t sure how long I would survive them. Or maybe there was no survival in this marriage at all. There was only surrendering. Surrendering my life, my fate and my destiny to them. As long as I surrendered to the three of them, I might survive. “Requesting the bride on the altar.”	LEARN_MORE	https://befant.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10865&u	266477589889684	Novel reading	https://facebook.com/61558396135596	0	0	0	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Learn More	Novel reading	120211097770960735	befant.com		NONE	dco		https://befant.com/market/buenovela/3?lpid=10865&utm_campaign={{campaign.name}}&utm_content={{campaign.id}}&adset_name={{adset.name}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&ad_name={{ad.name}}	2024-04-16 22:56	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437754933_25580968954834894_7501381536108084589_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=6nhNdqyZMNgAb65--gv&_nc_oc=Adg-5gxlQQbXt1VNdkQmBkwkaPF75zX-zRrpBIl-2gma-uRwWwqcDqh4WU3_GiQFOG0&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfCEEnkFAwKZ0ajNHg860S6nv4L1OdGL5FLF-nwAZQ2MCw&oe=6628DB8F	person_profile	Novel reading	https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437773743_1447414056188887_4030896199377220031_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YuCEmpE8UD4Ab7oDiW6&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfCiM7asRcatopXWxQfQODSyYA17qGPSNPK5FVZm2oeGLQ&oe=6628CC28	3	Novel reading	2024-04-19 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,018	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"is_bh_simple_request":false,"simple_request_ratio":1,"is_bh_selenium":false,"selenium_ratio":1,"ratio_threshold":0.8}'	No	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	7346732472070340	1 + 1 FREE (STOCK CLEARANCE) 🚨	RECEIVE A FREE PAIR OF BAREFOOT SHOES! 😍<br /> <br /> ✅ Barefoot shoes for a natural gait<br /> ✅ Suitable for all feet<br /> ✅ Immediate pain relief<br /> <br /> 🇺🇸 Free shipping in the US<br /> ➡️ <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.barekick.com%2Fproducts%2Fexplorer-offer&h=AT2qWnKkiJ5XJknJ0zZcuMKWDS76r6DWXJFPecj2ROYyJ_Xv8ASYWaudVr4xOqqtXSOMxiRvCvZgXAxM1AEXIVmqvDpwnBZmZacL0-XfoZc0burx78FnICAoVkYpOiSgi70pv6ehZThEMxCZXzYmFfenV_1URgvXjvDyVmX0a7M" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="origin">www.barekick.com/products/explorer-offer</a>	SHOP_NOW	https://www.barekick.com/products/explorer-offer	198403916683652	Barekick	https://facebook.com/barekick	1,602	1	1,094,138,431,877,029	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Shop now	Barekick	120210421451900230	barekick.com		NONE	image	37,252+ Happy Customers!	https://www.barekick.com/products/explorer-offer	2024-04-11 07:15	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434423968_7342085682574738_6245997706494449377_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=owbG524YK_QAb6LeeJ1&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCu7h1zq9jlrvs009tagxDS_jHRIGLHQ3ZSrdP0RzluEQ&oe=6628CAEC	person_profile	Barekick	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434465394_1092084861881680_2424124477263033238_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=2XIHOSrXKIMAb5X0j0Y&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCrgqiGytCOKYQJrgLvgTjIU7SuYTwLuqov9OR259z2pw&oe=6628E166	3	Barekick	2024-04-11 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,312,818	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1312816}'	Yes	2024-04-19 19:18	active	567	795528382461933	Two Tone Interwine Titanium Steel Couple Rings	Let us be your guide for the mother's day.✨ ✅Any order 10%off & more promotions enjoy now Shop Now👉:http://italojewelry.io/Cwo Free shipping & 60-day return🛩	SHOP_NOW	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-two-tone-interw	1452918118133977	Italo Jewelry	https://facebook.com/italojewelry	68,175	0	0	2024-04-19 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	0	Shop Now	Italo Jewelry	120209917851810608	italojewelry.com	3236	NONE	dpa	✅One Year Warranty & 60-day Return	https://www.italojewelry.com/italo-two-tone-interwine-created-white-sapphire-titanium-steel-couple-rings-251002.html	2024-04-17 21:55	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436119414_1477281799545980_5393853694171280747_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7J0pqfYOGegAb5m_5By&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfCajr4oFVCGl4GCVvCgK0EGvsgvoT3UwRLjkXDsu2ITmw&oe=6628E810	person_profile	Italo Jewelry	https://scontent.fosu2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436268173_1080606923009338_3909113949951894257_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=sW_onoY8I74Ab7C1moD&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-1.fna&oh=00_AfDxh8jAH0ZyoKzPKHfB7G7mVIICGRo2o5W1wewN_VuwyQ&oe=6628CA84	3	Italo Jewelry	2024-04-18 02:00	View Edit Delete

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