Chapter 1

Lilith

“In my office, now!”

Rage flashed in my manager's eyes as he gritted his teeth menacingly, storming into his office, leaving me trembling as fear blasted me.

“Seems you are in big trouble,” my colleague whispered in my ear in a sing-song manner that made me even more terrified.

The manager's office was like a lion's den. Everyone dreaded it.

Dragging my feet reluctantly in the direction of his office, I wiped my sweaty palms on my skirt before turning the knobs.

Pushing the door open, I felt my soul flew out of my body as my heart pounded hard against my ribs.

“You…sent for me, Sir,” I stammered, swallowing the bile of fear in my throat as my eyes were pinned on the floor.

My eyes remained on the tiled floor for a few minutes as weird sounds flew past my ears.

I jolted in fear the moment I heard the chair move noisily.

It wasn't until I lifted my head out of curiosity that a horrid look descended on my face, making my jaws drop to the floor.

Biting my lips hard, I fought against the urge to puke as the image of my manager standing pants down with his erect junk pulsating angrily at my face kept replaying in my head.

I tore my eyes away instantly, retreating toward the door slowly until my back was against it.

“Like what you see?”

I remained motionless like a statue, struggling to keep calm as his eyes undressed me.

“You are gonna ride me, or you are just gonna stare like a dummy?” He flared, anger oozing out of him

“This is disgusting, manager!” I fired, unable to keep up with his irritating act.

For months, he had been trying to get into my pants, just like he did to the other female colleagues.

A burst of wicked laughter tore off his throat as he banged his fist hard against the table.

“Your life is about to be disgusting!”

I remained mute, snaking my hands to the doorknob to flee in case he tried something nasty.

“If you walk away from this office, forget about your job and salary, but most importantly, don't forget the long unending list of your sister and mother's medical bills. You won't survive without this job, Lilith,” he paused briefly, his eyes gawking at me.

“If you know what is best for you, you better get on this chair and ride your way into your promotion, or else, I will make your life disgusting!”

Shutting my eyes as his cruel words crashed on me like a bulldozer, I felt my heart squeeze in pain.

“I am sorry, Sir, I can't.” I didn't wait for his reaction before dashing out of his office as fast as my weak legs could carry me.

There was no doubt he was going to push hard for my termination, but the decision lies with the boss.

Maybe I would be given a second chance. Goddess knows how much I needed my salary and incentives badly, especially when I had to take care of my mother and my sister's chemotherapy.

It's another week, and the doctor will be expecting tons of cash for their treatment.

It was like the bills were never going to end.

Clutching my bag tightly, I hugged my small frame as a heavy whoosh of wind flew in my direction.

Cold seeped into my skin, and before I could get under cover, the cloud grew dark and lightning scattered all over the sky. Thunder clapped noisily, and it didn't take long before droplets of rain descended on me.

Could today be any better?!

The shilling of my phone caught my attention. Pulling it out of my bag, I unlocked it and clicked on the message icon.

I froze on a spot as my heart shattered into a billion pieces when I read the message across the screen.

I had been fired.

As if it was not enough, the rain intensified, soaking my dress and making me a trembling mess.

Tears slipped down my eyes, staining my cheeks.

I couldn't believe that after working my ass off in the company for years, I would get fired just like that!

My life was a mess with a series of unending and unfortunate events.

I was a disaster. I hated my life.

Pocketing my phone, as I sighted a car fast approaching, a nervous smile crept on my face as an idea popped into my head.

There was nothing to live for anymore. I have tried everything, but nothing seemed to work for me.

It was like all the forces in the universe ganged up to make my life extremely miserable.

I hope my mother and my sister forgive me for the drastic decision I was about to take.

Walking up to the unsuspecting driver, I stood rooted on his path, shutting my eyes and waiting for his car to knock me down and crash me.

I was better off dead than alive.

*****

Casper.

Pain clung to me like a second skin, and tears fell freely from my eyes as my fingers glided over a picture of my mate and my twins, whom I lost in a fire incident.

A fire orchestrated by my father's sworn enemy, Alec Black, to avenge his fiance.

He and my father were best friends until my father recognized his fiance as his mate when his wolf surfaced. They got married and ruled over the Blackwood pack.

Angered, he plotted ways of eliminating my father to get his fiance back, but since it failed, he waited until I was grown, and I had chosen a mate to unveil his evil intentions.

I was young and foolish, blinded by his extended arm of friendship, despite my mate, Marina's disapproval.

Everyone knew Alec was a scheming bastard, but since he proposed a peace offering to quench the tension and erase the enmity and hatred between his family and mine, I jumped on the offer. I was newly appointed as an Alpha, and the last thing I wanted was enemies.

Instead of sticking to his promise, he attacked me, unaware of the night I prepared a ceremony to introduce Marina as my Luna.

Dragging me out after inducing me with a huge amount of wolfsbane that sapped all my energy, his men surrounded the arena, locking up the entrance door, trapping everyone inside, including Marina and my twins, setting everything ablaze while making me watch.

It wasn't until my Beta, Raphael, screamed in horror that I dropped the picture to focus on the road, but it was too late as I already knocked over a figure.

“I swerved, right?” I asked Raphael, terrified at my actions.

“I think you've killed someone!”

Rushing out of the car, I ran towards a motionless body on the floor as my heartbeat accelerated at an unusual pace.

Was she dead?!