Rowan was obsessed with me.Madly,irrevocably. It almost made me regret the day I decided to drag his injured body back to my hideout.He had been bloodied and weak,shifted into his wolf form as he lay on the floor.It took me a lot of effort to take him back,but I couldn't just leave an injured fellow wolf out in the woods to die. Little did I know that one act would change the direction of my entire life. According to him,the moment he opened my eyes to see me,he decided:“No one else.Only you.” And he was serious.He took me away from he Alpha I was to be mated to.And to win me over,he imprisoned me for three years in a private,warded villa hidden deep in his territory—far from his pack,far from anyone.Every day,he tried to court me with gifts,attention,even tenderness. But I never loved him.He was my abductor and there was no way I would ever want him. But now...he had a substitute.A she-wolf named Maria.She was from his pack and from the videos I received from Rowan,she looked frighteningly similar to me. They had been flaunting their bond for months—running through the forest together,curling up in front of the hearth in the Alpha’s den.The rumours were everywhere. To provoke me,Rowan would sometimes forward me mind-linked visions—flashes of him and Maria nestled together,laughing,kissing. Today was one of those days. I sat in the courtyard trying to focus on the peace and quiet,but faint mental echoes of his latest memory with Maria flashed through the mind-link. Until,I heard noise from outside the villa. I frowned.Rowan wasn’t due to visit for another few days.But I wasn’t hallucinating.There were voices and footsteps. "Didn’t Alpha Rowan say this place is off-limits?" "He did.I heard the last wolf who peeked through the fence got his paws shattered and his eyes clawed out." "Then why the hell are we here,Maria?" "Because he loves me.He won’t mind.I want to see what he's hiding in here so badly." I froze.My chest tightened.Someone was heading this way. They had no idea what they were walking into. I knew better than anyone:Rowan didn’t just guard me.He hoarded me.I wasn’t allowed to go outside and no one was allowed inside. At first,he was only jealous of other males—ranked wolves or not. Once,a curious omega caught a glimpse of me through the curtains.The next day,Rowan crippled him and wiped his memory clean before sending him into exile. Later,when Rowan saw me smile—just a casual smile at one of the housemaids,he dismissed every servant in a jealous rage.Since then,he’d done everything himself—bringing food,changing bedding,brushing the dust from the windows. No one was allowed to lay eyes on me but him.If they came in,they wouldn’t just be in danger.They’d die and he'd see to it himself. I jumped to my feet,rushing to the door,hoping—foolishly—to warn them before it was too late. But the moment I opened it,I saw someone who looked almost the same as me.It surprised me. Before I could speak,her hand struck me hard across the face. “Who the hell are you?”she snarled.“How dare a rogue like you pretend to be me and hide in Rowan’s villa?You think you can seduce my Alpha?I’ll rip you apart!”
My face burned red with pain from the small. “You cheap bitch who used a witch to change your face!”Maria snarled,her claws twitching as she stepped closer.“Do you even know where you are?You dared to sneak into the Alpha’s restricted territory without permission?” Her voice echoed through the courtyard,sharp and venomous. "You forced your way in here to tempt Rowan,didn’t you?Changed your scent.Altered your face.Anything to crawl into his arms." That’s when it finally clicked. The woman who had slapped me across the face—the one who looked disturbingly like me—was Maria Berg.The substitute. The one Rowan had found after I rejected him.Because of his obsession with control,I had kept my distance—even though we were forced into a bond. I never let him touch me and I never gave in.Maybe out of resentment,or to soothe his bruised pride,Rowan searched everywhere for someone who could replace me.And Maria was the one who came closest. Now she stood in front of me,seething,her eyes full of twisted rage. “You slut,”Maria spat.“You knew Rowan is madly in love with me,so you made yourself look like me!Are you trying to replace me as his Luna?!: She was arrogant and flamboyant,completely blind to the truth.I didn’t care about her rude behaviour,but she had to leave. I said kindly,“You shouldn’t be here.Before Rowan shows up,you need to leave.Or you’ll regret it.” But Maria didn’t back down.Not even close. With a snarl,she lunged and grabbed my hair,yanking me down violently. “How dare you call the Alpha's name,you slut?!”she screamed.“I have every right to walk through Alpha Rowan’s territory.You,on the other hand,are terrified of being exposed.Afraid I’ll destroy your little fantasy and show everyone that you're nothing but a copy.” Suddenly,she kicked me viciously.It knocked the breath from me and sent me crashing into the jagged rocks by the courtyard wall. My head hit hard,blood trickling down my forehead. I raised my hand to the wound,but my voice stayed calm.“Aren’t you afraid Rowan will find out what you’ve done?” Maria scoffed.“I am the woman he’s been searching for.His fated.If I scratch my face,he literally panics.If I cry,he loses his mind.Do you think he’d care about you?” Her entourage of she-wolves laughed behind her,just as cruel. “Exactly.Alpha Rowan imprinted on Maria the moment he saw her.” “This bitch is just some desperate rogue who paid to look like her.” “Let’s give her a lesson so the next tramp knows what happens when she tries to take what belongs to the future Luna.” Their eyes gleamed with malice as they closed in.But I stood tall,blood streaking down my face. “You better ask the Alpha who I am,”I said evenly. Maria sneered.“You?A fake-faced nobody?You really think I’d ask about you?My family is Alpha Rowan’s Pack’s strongest ally.Rowan is mine.Who the hell do you think you are to challenge that?” She gave a sharp nod to her friends."Strip her!” I froze at her words,but she continued.“Let’s see if she changed her body to match mine too.” My heart beat furiously and others pounced—grabbing at my clothes,claws out,laughter loud. I struggled,fury bubbling in my chest. "STOP!"I roared."I am Rowan’s WIFE!”
Hearing what I said,they immediately stopped what they were doing. Maria stood aside,squinting at me. "You said you were Rowan's wife?" I said seriously,"Yes.You are the substitute he found.If he knows you hurt me like this…he won’t let it go." Her expression blanked and I felt relieved.I thought that telling the truth would make her retreat.That maybe,she'd finally understand the mistake she was making. But unexpectedly,they all burst into laughter. “This bitch!Is she that desperate to take the Luna's place?”one sneered. “Just because she looks somewhat like Maria,she thinks she can claim to be his wife?”“Everyone knows the Alpha takes Maria everywhere.She's his Luna in all but name.He is just busy with pack work.” "And you,"one of them hissed,"a sneaky rogue,how dare you call yourself the wife of the Alpha Rowan?" Maria smiled viciously."Seriously,I expected more from you.You had the nerve to disguise yourself as me just to seduce Rowan.But now I see you're nothing but a brainless fraud." She stepped closer."I've been by Rowan's side for so long…and I never even heard of a wife.Are you really that bold?Or just that stupid?" "If you were his true mate,his Luna,would you really be rotting alone in this forgotten villa with no one to protect you?"She scoffed. "Strip her.Leave nothing behind." Her friends didn’t hesitate.They grabbed me,their claws tearing at my clothes like rabid animals and their claws sinking into my flesh. They didn't know the truth—why this villa was so deserted. Rowan bought this entire stretch of land.No one could enter without his permission. At first,there were bodyguards,servants.But because of Rowan’s jealousy,he drove them all away.He didn’t want anyone looking at me,even thinking about me.He refused to announce my existence.He didn’t want anyone to even whisper my name. And now,all of that—the very things he did out of obsession—was now proof to them that I was a liar. Seeing my clothes torn to shreds,I panicked and shouted:"I really am Rowan's wife!If you don't believe me,call him!" But they just became more vicious. “Liar!”one spat,slapping me across the face. “Let’s see how long you can keep up the act!” Pain exploded across my skin.My face was burning.My body was bruised and exposed. Maria narrowed her eyes.“This bitch’s hair is getting in the way.She wants to show off her body so badly?” Her lips curled into a cruel smile as she pulled out a lighter. "Let’s help her out,then." The flame flickered once—then caught my hair. The fire spread fast.I screamed,the burning pain searing through my scalp.My cheeks,ears,everything felt like it was melting. I tried to slap the flames out,but they held me down.Held me there—while the fire consumed me. By the time it died out,my hair was gone.My scalp was scorched and raw. Maria looked at me and laughed.“Look at you now.Bald and pathetic.Who’s going to fall for you like this?A stinky old male?” Her friends clapped and giggled behind her. I stared at them,trembling.And then I shouted,through clenched teeth:“You will regret this.” Rowan had threatened me before—used my family's lives to bind me to this prison.He kept me hidden,locked away in this silent villa for years. The more I dwelled on it,that grief and despair turned into something sharper.Darker.Hotter. Maria stepped forward and pressed her heel down on my cheek. “How dare you challenge me?Since everything you say annoys me….Let’s make sure you never speak again.” She turned to her girls. "Cut out her tongue.”
Watch? https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619W4XaSkWq49 ? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "Novelix" app ? search for "ni602772", and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix