Renna couldn't get Isaldora's words out of her head, before she left moments ago. They kept circling in her mind over and over again as she walked, lost in thought, back to her room.
"Renna I have a task for you. I want you to find new girls."
For the past few weeks, she'd started to see a different side of Isla Aether. She'd begun to think there was a real person under all that ice—someone who might actually care. But twistedly, she was wrong. The request or should she say the commnad had come so easily, so coldly, without hesitation, asking her to do the very thing that made her hate Isla Aether. The one task that made her feel sick to her stomach.
And now she had to do it again. Even after doing it countless times it still makes her sick.
She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. Because every time she did this, she knew she was helping to ruin lives. The first time she had done that, she hadn't known the truth. Now she did, and that made her just as guilty.
Two years ago, she hadn't questioned it. When Isaldora told her to find "promising girls," Renna actually felt good about it. She thought she was helping—finding jobs for girls who had nothing just like her. She pictured herself giving them a fresh start.
So, she diligently found them—young, pretty, and completely desperate. Girls from shelters and streets, their eyes empty but still holding a little hope. She offered them a room, a job, stability. They looked at her like she was their savior.
But Renna was no savior. She was leading them into a trap she didn't even know existed.
Now, whenever she walked past their rooms or heard their hollow laughter, the guilt ate away at her.
She stopped walking, the memory hitting her so hard she had to lean against the wall for support.
—Two Years Ago—
"Ms. Aether, I brought them… just like you asked."
The girls stood nervously behind Renna in the lavish office. They were young and beautiful, their eyes wide with a mix of fear and hope as they looked around the expensive room.
Isaldora stood by the large windows, dressed all in black. A storm raged outside, lightning flashing behind her like a dramatic backdrop.
When she finally turned, her eyes moved slowly over the line of girls, studying each one carefully. Then she gave a slight nod.
"They'll do," she said, her voice completely empty of feeling. A sly smirk played on her lips.
She motioned for the girls to sit on the couch and as they did Renna placed a piece of contract in front of each girl.
Renna knew very well how signing contracts worked with her boss but the girls didn't. They looked confused but stayed quiet. To Renna's horror, Isaldora gave a subtle nod, telling her to explain the process.
She looked at Isaldora and saw her giving her a cold smirk with a raised brow. She swallowed the lump in her throat and started explaining, her voice barely above a whisper. She could see the fear growing in the girls' eyes.
Nobody spoke up—until the last girl, her voice trembling, finally asked after everyone had signed.
"W-What exactly… will we be doing, Ma'am?"
Isaldora didn't even blink. Her answer was flat and chilling.
"Nothing difficult. Just go to parties and... make yourselves useful."
For a brief moment there was only a stunned, breathless silence.
Renna stared, her own confusion mirroring the girls'. "What does that mean?" another girl asked, her voice trembling.
Isaldora tilted her head slightly. She was still calm, still smiling, but it wasn't warm or comforting, it was cold, dangerous that made everyone uncomfortable.
"Hmmmm. You'll go to the clubs. Seduce men. Use your charms. Make them feel in control." Her voice was a soft, deadly purr. "Men talk when they're relaxed and distracted. Let them talk. Then, you bring me whatever they reveal. That's all."
That's all. Renna let out a choked sound, a mix of disbelief and horror, her eyes wide, looking at Isaldora sitting with her head held high.
Renna couldn't believe how she had said that so easily as if it were nothing. As if these girls' bodies and dignity were just tools to be picked up and used.
Renna dared to look at the girls and her heart shattered. They were staring back at her, their eyes filled with betrayal and hurt. They had just signed away their freedom in blood. Their bodies. Their purity. Their choice. Their very selves. Gone, just like that. Like they were just objects.
Back in the present, Renna squeezed her eyes shut, a tear escaping down her cheek. She took a shaky breath, trying to push the memory away. Feeling guilty wouldn't help her now, it didn't before. She had to compete the task anyway.
"Hey, my beautiful mate."
Renna opened her eyes, blurry with unshed tears, as she heard Xavier's voice to see him standing before her. The moment he saw her glistening cheeks and pained expression, his playful demeanor vanished, replaced by instant concern. He rushed to her side.
"Renna, baby, what's wrong? Talk to me. Did someone hurt you?" he asked, his voice thick with urgency, cupping her face.
The raw care in his voice made her eyes sting, welling a fresh wave of tears. She wanted to sob, to scream, to confess the heavy secret crushing her soul. But she couldn't. The words were trapped. So, instead she channeled the storm inside her ber into action. She leaned forward, crashing her lips against his in a desperate, searing kiss, pouring all her fear, her guilt, and her need for escape into the connection. Her fingers tangling in his hair.
Xavier was slightly taken aback. This was the first time she had initiated a kiss since discovering he was a werewolf. But his surprise lasted only a second before he synched with her. He held her tighter, his arms wrapping firmly around her, deepening the kiss. And damn, he could taste her tears, could feel it—the raw, tremor of emotions coursing through her, the urgency, vulnerability, need for solace.
So, he gave it to her. He poured all his love and reassurance back into the kiss, his hands roaming her back as he gently backed her against the nearby wall, lifting her to better meet his height. When they finally broke apart, breathless, he opened his eyes and saw the tears still streaming down her face.
"What happened, Renna?" he whispered, his voice gentle with emotion, desperate to comfort her, to fix whatever was broken. He leaned in, gently kissing the tears from her cheeks. "Talk to me. Tell me who I need to hurt."
Renna shook her head, avoiding his searching gaze. "It's nothing," she whispered, the lie tasting bitter on her tongue. "I was just feeling emotional... sad. I was missing my brother." She clutched at the easiest excuse, the one he couldn't verify.
Xavier remembered her mentioning a brother who was ill, though he'd never met him. She always said the man was receiving specialized treatment abroad, and she'd gently but firmly deflect any suggestion of a visit.
"How about you call him? Or we can go see him. Whatever you need," he offered, wanting to erase her pain.
"No," she said, a little too quickly, making him frown. "I'd just worry him besides," She cupped his face, her touch both tender and desperate. "I just want to be with you." she murmured, her hands moving to the back of his neck, pulling him closer.
"I need to feel you so deep I can't think about anything." She needed to lose herself completely. "Xavier, please make love to me. Over and over." She begged pressing her body into his.
Xavier let out a low groan and his grip tightened on her hips, his eyes darkening with pure, unadulterated desire. He captured her lips into a more desired and dominant kiss.
He then lowered his head, kissing a hot trail down her neck to the swell of her breasts. He took one hardened peak into his mouth through her shirt, sucking lightly, and she gasped, her back arching against the wall.
"Mark me..." she panted, digging her nails in his shoulder, the words barely audible. "I want to be yours completely."
Xavier froze, pulling back to look at her, his eyes wide with shock. Did she just—?
He hadn't marked her because she had always been hesitant, fearful of the permanent, supernatural bond. And now she was asking for it. Was he happy? Hell, damning yes.
Marking your mate was what every wolf longed for—the ultimate completion of their bond.
He searched her eyes for any hint of uncertainty, but found only a determined fire. That was all the confirmation he needed.
He slammed his lips back onto hers, the kiss now filled with a new, primal intensity. In one swift motion, he began rushing towards their room, their mouths never parting. Tonight, they would truly become one.
—
Isaldora stepped out of her car, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction. The site inspection was complete, and she had to admit, Kaelith had found her the perfect location. It had taken two hours to officially launch the construction process, but with all her pre-arranged plans now in motion, her engineers could handle the rest.
Great. One major thing checked off the list, she thought, allowing herself a small, private smile.
She was just about to walk through the grand palace doors when a shrill, panicked scream ripped through the air, stopping her in her tracks.
She frowned but shrugged, deciding not to get involved. This pack always has some drama going on, she thought, stepping past the doors.
Just then, she saw the pack doctor being frantically led by an omega toward the officials' wing— where the beta, gamma, and high-ranking warriors' families lived. As she passed a group of servants, she caught fragments of their worried conversation.
"I don't know what happened to Beta Xavier's mate. She was just fine a little while ago," one omega whispered to another.
Huh? Renna? Isaldora's steps slowed.
"What happened to Renna?" she asked aloud, turning around.
The two omegas jumped, looking nervous. "Um, Luna, we don't know. She's been screaming and clawing at herself, and no one can calm her down—"
Isaldora didn't wait for her to finish. She turned and hurried toward the beta's quarters. Renna screaming could only mean one thing—she'd either tried to break the contract's rules, or it was happening. Isaldora's jaw tightened, her eyes narrowing in frustration.
What the hell? Does my life ever get a single moment of peace?
She entered the room and roughly pushed past the small crowd gathered inside, ignoring their shocked looks. The scene before her was chaotic.