THIRD PERSON'S POV.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 eve
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.""
LUXURIA.The tension in the room was stifling.Shikta sat across from me at the long dining table, her fingers delicately tracing the rim of her goblet.The morning sun rays caught her smug expression, and I could feel the weight of her gaze on me like a snake poised to strike.It was strange. This is my first time sitting in the dining hall of the Wild Wolf pack. If I were to choose, I'd prefer to eat alone in the confines of my chamber.Besides, of all his mistresses, why had he chosen me to eat with them?The dining seemed to be for high-ranking pack members alone - The Beta, Gamma, Shikta, three other men who I have never seen, and of course, the Alpha.Alpha Parthe wasn't there for breakfast yet, and I sincerely wished he wouldn't be joining us.I haven't recovered from last night's experience. The shame. Desire. Torment. And dismissal.He left me craving more. And I hated it.He didn't even care to ask how I was faring after locking me up in that unforgiving dungeon.Although a
LUXURIA.TWELVE YEARS LATER.I jumped down from my horse, my warriors trailing behind me as I handed my sheath to Jaiya, my Beta."Take the day off, Jaiya. You need it," I said and smiled but didn't give her the chance to protest as usual.Between Jaiya and Niksha, I couldn't tell who was more stubborn than the other.Niksha, my best friend since girlhood, had insisted on joining my warriors the moment I took leadership. And I'd let her. After what I'd been through, it was clear—women needed to fight. To defend. To never be helpless again. I was living proof of that. So, I trained them myself.Since I became Alpha of the Ash Mountain pack after the death of Kahel – my mate handed the pack over to me, as it was one out of the numerous packs he had taken from the Alphas he killed in battle – I felt a better sense of responsibility, and I couldn't be more grateful for it. Like the world finally made sense. It felt like I had been born to lead."Luna! Welcome back," Rella called, jogging b
LUXURIA.It felt like a dream.No—not a dream. A fracture in reality. A soft, trembling pause in the fabric of the world where time stilled and all I could do was watch my curse being lifted.Tervan lay on the altar with no iota of fight in him. He didn't even as much as struggle when my curse began to sip into him.Kalaril was the one who also carried out my own extraction, speaking in the Old Tongue—the language of root and fire, of night and blood. His hands had moved over me and then over Tervan, forming sigils in the air that shimmered briefly before sinking like glowing brands into our skin."Luxuria of Ash Mountain," Kalaril intoned, standing before me with a staff carved from ashwood and bone. "Do you come freely?""I do," I had whispered."And you offer your curse to another?""Yes.""Then let the exchange begin."And then I felt the curse rising in me like a serpent uncoiling from bone and blood. Cold and ancient and furious. It didn't want to leave. It clawed at my ribs. Sc
ALPHA PARTHE.Tervan was forced to his knees before me, chains clinking around his wrists like the music of retribution.The crowd fell deathly silent, the atmosphere filled with anticipation.He dared not lift his head.The coward couldn't even meet my gaze.I took a slow step forward, the earth seeming to still beneath my feet. My voice curled out like the edge of a blade."Tervan… my beloved Beta," I sneered, each word I spoke dipped in venom. "Look at you."I circled him, taking in the gaunt hollows of his cheeks, the grime clinging to his skin, and the tattered remains of the arrogance he used to wear like a crown."You look… ruined." I crouched before him, my face just inches from his. "What happened, old friend? Where did all that fire go? What went wrong?"I reached out, my fingers brushing his bruised cheek with mockery. He flinched and turned his face away."Ah," I breathed, a dark smile tugging at my lips. "That's right. You only know how to face someone when they're unarme
ALPHA PARTHE."How do you feel?" I asked my wolf, but he was too weak to reply.We had been bound to the beast for so long that, in many ways, we had become one. And now, with that darkness torn from us, the absence felt unsettling.I exhaled slowly, feeling the exhaustion settle into my bones. I felt uncharacteristically weak. My limbs were heavier than I had ever known them to be, my mind sluggish, but I couldn't linger in weakness. I had to see this through. Luxuria's ritual was meant to happen immediately.There was no time. Mine had taken up to half an hour.I raised my hand to stop the cheering crowd."Bring him," I said to Urik who stood beside me and he bowed slightly before walking toward the dungeon.I watched him go, a strange emotion settling in my chest.I'd been thinking of ways to thank him but none seemed enough to show how thankful I truly am to have him by my side.Apart from Luxuria, Urik was the one person I doubted a lot for years. I always picked Tervan's side ov
ALPHA PARTHE."Let's begin," Kalaril said before leading the way to the large chamber that had been prepared for the rituals.The chamber was a vast, dimly lit expanse with air so thick with the scent of burning herbs and potent ancient power.The witches stood in a circle, their dark robes pooling around them like ink seeping into the floor. They hummed low chants that resonated through the chamber, carrying a tide of old magic.Kalaril stood in the middle of the circle, and for the first time since I had known him, he looked entirely in his element—an AshBlood wizard in his full, terrifying glory.The crowd waited outside.They weren't meant to witness what was about to happen. This moment belonged to the witches, to Kalaril, to Luxuria, to Sibile—and to me.Sibile lay on the cold altar, barely breathing, her face waxy and drenched in sweat. The gaping wound on her neck had turned an ugly shade, the blood flowing sluggishly. Her body was losing its battle against time.Too much time
LUXURIA.I ran breathlessly into our chamber and couldn't hold back the torrent of emotions threatening to consume me.He was still the same selfish man I had known. The same ruthless creature who saw lives as mere tools for his own survival.Why should I trust all he had said to me earlier? He only thinks about himself and no one else.I clawed at my arms as if trying to hold myself together, but the anger, the grief, and the sheer disbelief were too much.How could he even consider this?Why would he even think of using the poor girl for this purpose?Sibile had lived her entire life running, fighting to survive, and carrying a burden she never asked for. And now, at the very end, she was to be nothing more than a sacrifice?A broken sob burned my throat, but I forced it down. My hands trembled as I wiped at the tears that streaked my cheeks, furious at myself for even shedding them.Then the door creaked open behind me.I stiffened, knowing exactly who it was before I even turned.
LUXURIA.I woke up feeling better than I felt when I regained consciousness yesterday.I had woken to warmth. A steady, familiar heat pressed against my back, the feel of a strong arm draped over my waist, holding me close. The scent of cinnamon and musk surrounded me—Parthe.For a moment, I simply breathed him in, relishing the security of his embrace. It felt surreal, almost fragile, as if one wrong move would shatter the moment like delicate glass. But this was real. He was real.A soft clatter had drawn my attention to the bedside table. A tray of steaming food awaited me, the rich aroma wafting through the air. My stomach twisted with the overwhelming realization of how much had changed within the last few hours.I was here. Safe.But not everyone had been so fortunate.My heart ached for Rorden, I must say... The good side of Rorden.He was my friend and confidant at one of the most crucial points in my life. And I couldn't take that for granted.A single tear slipped down my ch
LUXURIA.The world felt unsteady. My head was light, my body weightless, as though I were drifting between reality and something far less tangible.My eyes fluttered open, struggling to adjust to the soft glow of the room. Everything around me was familiar—the scent of embers and musk, the dark tapestries, the heavy warmth of the space.Parthe's chamber.Our chamber.A tremor ran through my chest. I was home.And if the figure sitting in front of me was truly who I thought he was…My throat tightened, my vision blurring as I stared at him.My heart leaped, but not out of fear. I was finally safe. Away from Rorden. Because, if this was truly Parthe sitting in front of me, it meant one thing – He had saved me from Rorden.I couldn't remember anything about how I ended up in Parthe's pack or chamber, but I was grateful I did."Luxuria..." Parthe called in that voice I had been longing to hear for so long now.It seemed like a dream to me.A sob slipped past my lips. My chest ached with t
ALPHA PARTHE.I stood over her, afraid to breathe. Afraid to even move.Luxuria lay motionless on the bed, her body so still that for a terrifying moment, I thought I had already lost her. The weak rise and fall of her chest was the only thing tethering her to this world.It felt as though the air had been sucked from the room. As if the gods themselves were holding their breath, waiting for me to break.It seemed like the life she was holding onto would slip away if I even as much as shifted.Gods. How did I ever let myself be this blinded by the ones around me?The people I had called my confidants—the ones I had believed would never betray me—had been the very ones who tormented her. And I had let them.I had believed their lies over the truth that was in front of me.I had doubted her every single time.And now, she was caught in some silent battle between life and death while I could do nothing but watch.I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palm.Fuck.I didn't deserve L