Vance's POV



It hurts when I think about how things are now. The constant gaslighting myself into believing that with Nadia and Landon, it was just business. It really just means two things at this point, it's either she's playing us all, or actually doing her job well. According to her, her visit to him yesterday was just an attempt at warming him up, and I could agree. Landon is not daft, he definitely would know something was up.

'Hey." I said when she entered. I'm never going to admit that I've been nervous the whole while. Immediately she left, without telling me that is, I almost started regretting ever telling her to do that. It was my intrusive thoughts winning at that point. I felt bad, a little, for putting her in that kind of situation, but at that point, I could not think of any other way I could have gone about it.

'He says we'd meet again some other time." She tore her clothes off. Her hair looked like it had just undergone some desperate attempt to straighten it out. It's either they got in a scuffle, or… don't think about that Vance.


‘you just sent her back to the dick she used to suck, what did you expect?' Alex, my wolf, said to me in my head.

‘could you just shut up, or better still say something that could help the situation.' I was so damn pissed at everyone, including me. I might just have set my pack on fire. Why did one person have this effect on me?


'How did it go generally?" I wanted to add that I saw her hair was disarranged under a few hand straightened strands, and maybe if I felt petty enough, I'd have added that the underwear she had on was just for me.

'Fine." Her answers were brisk and monotonous. She definitely doesn't feel good about something. Was it that the whole arrangement did not sit well with her? It couldn't have. What the hell was I thinking?!

'You don't have to continue if you don't want to." it was all I could say after short deliberation. I didn't want her feeling this way after every interaction with him. I agree it wasn't the smartest of ideas in the first place. I just wanted to show her that Landon was a bastard and I was going to take him down with everything he's got.

'Your highness, I don't think it'd be smart to pull out now. Not when we have a next meeting planned. If I happened to bump into him here in the palace, I'd be lost for what to tell him." Nadia sounded so defensive. At least I got a statement out of her.

'Sorry I said that." Why the fuck was I apologising to her. This whole shit situation was already getting the best of me. 'I'll be outside." I said to her before walking out and jamming the door behind me. I had the urge to stay by the door and listen for if she would say anything, maybe even mutter something that could be a lead, but I know Nadia too was listening for retreating footsteps, inside was as quiet as a graveyard.

I walked away, leaving it all. It really was a dumb decision. I had to go somewhere away from here.

I hopped into my car and turned the engine running before deciding where I was supposed to go. I had nowhere else, but my safe space. It would be such a shame if Nadia ever got to know in whose company I had been spending my days. I could not help it. All the emotions I feel now were gone when I was with her. My head was much clearer, I was more at peace, with myself and the world, and even my not so smart decisions.

I drove with mad rage, scared to think about how I'd cope without her. I technically was living it already, but clearly not doing well. I hated my life. I was supposed to feel like an Alpha, but it just did not feel that way. I was burdened, heavily burdened, and I hated it all. Sometimes, I really just want to leave it all behind and run far far away from it all.

‘Take it slow bro.' Alex said to me. He definitely was even rougher than I was, but this Vance was definitely new to him.

‘Does it really have to be like this?' For the first time since the night I buried Talia, I felt tears well up in my eyes.

‘We both know I was never the rational one between us both, but you need to take it easy.' if my mood was lighter, I would have laughed at his desperate attempt at motivation.

‘Alright, bro.' I said, putting him out of his misery. ‘I'll be fine.' I added.

‘What about me?' He asked playfully.

‘What goes for me goes for you, don't be silly.' I did not have the time for his tease.

‘Alright, alright.' He said and went quiet. Selfish bastard he was.

Everything was going on so fast I didn't even get the chance to process anything. It was a matter of minutes before I got there. She was planted in the most beautiful place. The flowers I brought previously were still in place, just wilted, like my will to continue life.

As I rushed over madly, my feet got caught in multiple thorns almost making me topple over a number of times.

‘Here Lies Luna Talia'

Every single time my eyes caught her tombstone, it shattered my heart in a million pieces. In my frenzy, I started wiping every single dirt away from it with my hands, taking off my clothes to scrub off tough stains.

I couldn't care less if anyone was near or looking even though I knew the possibility of that was almost non-existent. It was a royal gravesite. Circumstances surrounding Talia's demise stated that she should not be buried among royals, but as far as I was concerned, I wouldn't have had her anywhere else, over my own dead body.

When it was as clean as I could get it, I collapsed right above it, spreading myself under the hot afternoon sun. It felt more home than home did.

Memories of life with Talia began to flood my already clouded head. We used to have a lot of fun, and businesses too. Making love at the back of my car, shaded by the tinted glasses in public parking lots when we went for celebrity gatherings. I remember how I used to love the look on her face when I surprised her. If things did not go as they did, we would have bought a basketball club, cause she preferred basketball to football. And maybe a ballet house too or whatever she called those things she always fell into my arms while imitating. Life with Talia was… life