LUXURIA.The woods were colder than I ever expected it to be, but that won't deter me from my mission tonight.For a moment, I got scared when Alpha Parthe watched me silently in my chamber. What was running through his mind? Was he planning on killing me?The thought of that man being in close proximity to me scares me to death. I guess I'll have to avoid him throughout my stay in his pack.Thankfully, he has other women who satisfy him. He won't even have the time to want me around him.The thoughts of Kahel plagued me for days. He might think I have forsaken or forgotten him. I had planned on going to see him after I arrived at the Wild Wolf pack before I got into the situation that kept me bedridden for days.I sincerely pray he understands.I navigated through the pack border.The security at the Wild Wolf pack was tight. Little wonder no rogue can sneak past them. But not me. I had my way.Being the Alpha's daughter of the Mountain Ash Pack, I've had the privilege of learning ab
Kahel watched as Luxuria disappeared into the darkness.His chest tightened, panic and regret clawing at his insides, but his legs felt like they were rooted to the ground. He couldn't move.He had destroyed her. And he had lost her."Luxuria!" Kahel called out one last time, his voice desperate and hoarse, but the sound was swallowed by the night, his words lost in the cold wind that whipped through the trees.She didn't stop. Not even a glance at him.Rella appeared at the door, her arms wrapped loosely around her waist, a smirk curling her lips as she watched Luxuria fade into the distance. "Well, that went well," she said, her voice dripping with amusement.Kahel's fists clenched at his sides as he turned to face her, his heart pounding with a mixture of fury and self-loathing. "Shut up, Rella."Her smirk only widened as she stepped closer, her gaze flickering toward the direction Luxuria had run. "I told you this would happen, Kahel. You knew she'd find out eventually. Nothing st
SHIKTA."She is in the squalid keep," I said with so much amusement that it felt so wrong.I've never been so proud of my Alpha as I am today."That serves her right. I am certain she would enjoy the company of those monstrous rats in there," Zendaya, a young girl I can call my confidant, said with a laugh while applying oil to my hair.I and Zendaya have been close for years now, since the day she and her mother came into the pack, seeking refuge. I protected her from bullies as I was older than her.She takes me as a big sister and I see her as a little sister, even though we both satisfy the Alpha in bed.One of the reasons I chose her is because she does not intend to fight over the Luna position with me. Unlike the other mistresses.She acknowledges the fact that I am her superior, and she keeps it that way.With that, she can keep on enjoying favors from me."But do you think it's enough to guarantee my position with the Alpha?" I asked, hoping for reassurance."I think the Alph
LUXURIA.I can't tell how long I've been here. Days have blended into a haze of cold, damp darkness. My body trembles from the chill seeping through the stone walls, but it's the severe hunger that's worse.They only bring food in long, excruciating intervals—once every day, if that. My stomach growls in protest, but the fear that clutches at me is louder.I've been here for three days. Three endless, torturous days. At least, that's what I think. Time feels warped in this dungeon—this cursed place that stinks of decay and rot. The smell makes me gag every time I breathe, but what really drives me mad is the rats.They're everywhere.Monstrous, oversized rats scurrying across the filthy floor. Their large bodies brush against my legs as they dart by, their sharp claws scraping the stone.I shudder every time they come near, my heart racing in panic. I can feel them, crawling, watching, waiting for me to break.I hate them with a passion I never knew I had. My body tenses at the sound
ALPHA PARTHE.It's been days, and I haven't seen her yet. I made sure to keep myself in check in order to be able to tame whatever feelings were growing in me.I know she's been suffering. That Squalid dungeon is a place no one will ever pray to end up in. Thankfully, those stupid feelings were dying off already. All thanks to Shikta, who has been there to make sure I forget all about Luxuria, even though a fragment of her still lingers in me."Alpha," Vixtin, one of my loyal guards, called from the mindlink, "You have a guest," he said."Who is it?" I asked, hating to be disturbed at this time. I was having my alone time. If it isn't someone important, I'll just have to dismiss them."It's Alpha Nelfas," Vixtin said, and I frowned.I hesitated. What is he doing here?Alpha Nelfas has always wanted to be close to me as a friend, but I do not keep friends. I only keep allies.Nelfas is from a lineage the Moon Witch warned my lineage never to have anything intimate to do with. This was
ALPHA PARTHE.No matter what happens, I don't think I want Luxuria to die in the dungeon. It's been a week now, and she still languished in that cold, suffocating darkness.I had sent the maids to retrieve her—ordered them to bathe her, cleanse her of the grime and damp. She was to be brought to my chamber. There are rules she must follow if she seeks to survive peacefully here in my pack, under my protection.The heavy oak doors to my chamber creaked open, and I turned, expecting Luxuria.But it was Shikta.I stiffened. She wasn't who I was meant to see tonight.She strode in with a practiced grace, her figure draped in fabric that clung to her curves, deliberately dressed to steal my attention.Her lips were painted dark, matching the lustrous black silk that clung to her... Just as I liked it. The flicker of candlelight caught the sheen of her skin, a thin layer of sweat glistening along her collarbone.I knew what she wanted. But I was in no mood for that."Parthe," she purred, he
LUXURIA.I had been knocking on the door but got no answer. I was nervous to death. I was angry at him. At my mate. For putting me through such hell.That dark, cold dungeon had nearly shattered my spirit, molding me into something else. It broke me.I hated him for it. For everything. For tearing me down, breaking me piece by piece until the rebellion inside me died a natural death.I had no will to be rebellious or disobedient anymore. I wouldn't want to go back in there.He'd turned me into a version of myself I barely recognized, too afraid to resist. Yet, no matter the rage burning through my veins, I couldn't avoid him forever.Thanks to Zendaya for her intervention. She seemed to have delivered my message to the Alpha.I had sent her to tell him that I'd like to see him. And instead of coming to see me, he had released me instead. She must have put in a good word for me.The knot in my stomach twisted tighter with each passing second as I waited outside his door.I knocked once
LUXURIA.His words ripped me out of my treacherous thoughts, and I snapped my gaze back to his face, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Tears stung the corners of my eyes, a flood of emotions swirling inside me—anger, humiliation, betrayal, and a twisted desire that I couldn't control.But the tears came anyway, unbidden and shameful. I blinked them back, but I couldn't stop the trembling of my lips, the weakness in my knees.How could I feel this way about him after everything? After what I'd just witnessed?His cold, coal-black eyes bored into mine. The command in his words wasn't lost on me, and I had to fight against the wave of heat pooling between my legs.His threat wasn't idle. The atmosphere between us crackled with tension, charged with something dark, something dangerous."I… I didn't mean to—" I stammered, trying to form words, but my voice faltered, the weight of his presence too much to bear."You barged in," he said, his voice a soft but lethal growl. "Uninvited.""
SHIKTA.I was done for. The tears refused to stop flowing as I kept begging him to stop. But he didn't care. This felt more intentional than just mere pleasure."Tervan. Please," I cried as he slammed into me with a force that left me dizzy and breathless.He pulled me closer, parting my legs even wider with his strong hands, holding them firmly apart to give him better access. His erection was harder than ever, his monstrous size suddenly seeming a bit too much for me.I was helpless. He had secured my wrists against the headboard of his bed, leaving me completely at his mercy."Didn't I tell you to stay quiet and take what I have to offer? Huh?" He slammed into me, "Can't take what you asked for?" His hand grabbed my throat, stealing the air from my lungs.Since I started cheating on Parthe with Tervan, we never had the opportunity to fuck in such a secluded space without the fear of anyone - his mate - interrupting. Hence, I'd never seen this side of him. We always met in the woods
SHIKTA."Aren't you even ashamed? What manner of a man are you?" I asked the fool sitting before me, totally unmoved by what I had just told him.He sat at his desk, his broad back to me, head bent over a scroll that seemed far more deserving of his attention than I ever was. My heart twisted at the indifference he displayed and the casual way he dismissed my very existence without a glance."Tervan," I called, my voice laced with frustration as I approached him. He didn't flinch, didn't even lift his head."Tervan!" I repeated, slamming a hand down on the table. Finally, he leaned back in his chair, the wooden frame creaking under his weight. He tilted his head to look at me, his expression unreadable, his eyes lazily dragging over my face."What is it now, Shikta?" he drawled, the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Come to cry about something again?"My nails bit into my palms as I clenched my fists. "The Alpha tried to pry into my memories today," I snapp
LUXURIA.I barged into the chamber where I stay - I forbid to ever call it my chamber because I don't belong here.The door slammed shut behind me, and I leaned heavily against it, my chest rising and falling with frantic, uneven breaths. The air in the room was thick, suffocating, as if the walls themselves had conspired to close in on me.How could he? Why would he go to such lengths?My hands trembled as I pushed myself off the door and moved toward the window. My gaze drifted to the familiar stretch of thick, green foliage outside, the trees swaying ever so slightly in the breeze. It was the same lifeless view I had grown sick of.Nobody walked there. Nobody dared to. Rorden had made sure of that.It was almost sundown. I had to prepare for my escape tonight. I couldn't stay here anymore.On my way out of Nevada's chamber, I took note of the escape route I had seen, just to be sure I etched it in my memory.It was worth the risk, even though I didn't know where that door led. The
LUXURIA."Nevada?" I called, wishing someone would wake me up from this dream."Surprised, Luxuria? I thought you'd help to see a familiar face," Rorden said with smug satisfaction, lacing his tone.My fists clenched at my side as I fought to ignore him.What was she doing here? Did this mean she was working with Rorden? Even while at the pack? My thoughts raced like wildfire, desperate to piece together an explanation.Her face softened as her teary eyes found mine. "Luxuria," she whispered, her voice trembling with an emotion I couldn't quite place. "My child."Her words hit me like a thunderclap. My child? I froze as she reached for me, her arms outstretched. My muscles tensed, every fiber of my being telling me to step back, but I stayed rooted. When her arms wrapped around me in a warm embrace, I felt a foreign comfort, like stepping into sunlight after years of shadow.It was jarring. Disorienting.I didn't know exactly how to respond to this. Nevada had never been nice to me si
RORDEN.Her palm cracked against my cheek in a stinging slap."I never chose you, and I never will! Parthe is my mate—the only man I will ever love! There is no room in my heart for a monster like you!"Her words cut deeper than they should have."You never should have done that, Luxuria," I growled, my eyes shining a bright shade of red. My wolf, Ryker, was partly in charge. My wolf, as unforgiving as I was, detested defiance with everything in him. And so did I.I let myself loose as I seized her arm, dragging her roughly back onto the bed. Her soft cries filled my ears as I pressed her down."No! Rorden!" she gasped, struggling against me, but her strength was no match for mine.Before she could process what I was trying to do, I was already on top of her, my fingers wrapping around her delicate neck as I squeezed.Her wide, tear-filled eyes locked onto mine, a blend of fear and fury swirling within them."Listen carefully, Luxuria," I hissed through clenched teeth. "The next time y
RORDEN.It was almost time.The moment I had been waiting for—the culmination of every plan, every move, every drop of blood spilled—was finally upon me. The end was here.For all my power, for all I had achieved as an AshBlood wizard, nothing compared to this. Nothing compared to the thought of Parthe kneeling before me, stripped of his pride, his strength, his so-called invincibility, begging for mercy he would never receive.I could almost taste it.He always fancied himself untouchable—powerful, fearless, the unbeatable Alpha of the North. But he had yet to meet me. Truly meet me. I was everything he was not and could never hope to be.Growing up alone in the wilds, surrounded by predators—both human and beast—had forged me into the man I am.In the brutal law of survival, I thrived. Kill or be killed, dominate or be destroyed. There was no middle ground. Everyone who had ever crossed paths with Alpha Rorden, the Blood Alpha, had come to understand this truth. They feared me, and r
ALPHA PARTHE.It was the hardest thing to do. Pretending to care when, in the real sense, I don't. Even though I had no mate anymore, I still felt like I was betraying the bond that I once had with my mate by allowing this woman to lay on my bed... The bed which I had promised my mate never to let any other woman lay on.I stared down at the woman in my arms, who was sleeping like she didn't have any care in the world.It looked like she was actually in need of this attention so much that as soon as I held her in my arms, it only took a few pats on her back to get her to fall into a deep slumber."Shikta?" I called softly, but her soft mumble was incoherent, a slurred response from a mind far too deep in slumber to process my call. I glanced at her face, slack and unguarded in sleep. The vulnerability of it—the complete lack of awareness—was almost laughable. This woman, who so boldly challenged my patience earlier, now rested in my arms as though she belonged there.But she didn't.I
ALPHA PARTHE."You should count yourself lucky we've come a long way, Urik," I growled, my anger simmering, barely contained, as I stared him down. "You've disappointed me more than I thought possible. I feel like I've betrayed my friend because of your paranoia."Urik stood before me, his lips parted, but no sound came out at first. He was scrambling for an argument, something to redeem himself.Finally, he found his voice. "You need to look beyond all this, Alpha," he urged, "What if he knew you were following him? What if he diverted his path just to throw you off?"He wasn't going to give up on this, was he?My glare darkened, and I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration, shaking my head in disbelief as I tried to shake off the obvious doubt his words stirred. "I was as careful as a hunter stalking prey, Urik. You should know better than anyone—there's no chance he saw me."There was silence. He knew the truth of my words. I was the shadow in the dark, the predator no one h
ALPHA PARTHE.Urik's words had refused to fade away since I had that triggering conversation with him. I wanted to dismiss it, but I couldn't.Just as much as I know he and Tervan hated each other, I never thought Urik would stoop so low as to make up such stories about Tervan.How could he ever suggest that Tervan might be up to something fishy against the pack? He also suggested, although without proof or enough conviction, that Tervan might know Luxuria's whereabouts.It made me laugh so hard, even though a tiny part of me was trying to betray the friendship I had shared with Tervan to believe what Urik was trying to say.Wearing this black cloak on this cold night, preparing to secretly follow Tervan, my trusted friend and Beta, to see if he was trying to betray me, seemed like a betrayal in itself. But Urik had insisted, and in order to prove him and a part of myself wrong, I agreed to trail Tervan tonight."Alpha, he's on the move." Urik mind-linked me, and I straightened up imm