LUXURIA."I'll never be yours, Rorden! Not even in your wildest dream!" I summoned up the courage and spat in his face, "You are despicable. You made me trust you and ended up stabbing me in the back. How do you feel? Didn't you feel even a shred of guilt while at it?""No. I never felt guilty. I knew all I was doing was for the greater good." He turned around and walked toward the throne, "And, sorry, I killed your father. I know you won't think much about it because he was a coward, but just so you know... I was the one who killed him." He added before sitting.I stood with my fists clenched by my sides. I had stopped sobbing. All I felt for the man sitting in front of me was pure hatred. I felt like strangling him to death.Yes, I didn't think much about my father's death. I could say he deserved whatever death came his way, but Rorden? Why was it he who had to kill Odren?I took slow, cautious steps toward him, my fists still clenched tightly by my side.Suddenly, the door opened u
ALPHA PARTHE.I was losing my mind. It's been two days now, and my warriors still haven't found a clue as to where my mate - Luxuria - has gone.Rorden was also nowhere to be found.Right from childhood, Rorden always left the pack and came back at will. I never saw the need to find out where he'd been going or where he had made his second home. It was never my concern.But right now, I wish I had paid attention to those details.Perhaps she had gone to be with Rorden to continue their forbidden love story.Fuck!I punched the wall behind me, and it cracked, bringing out dust and stone particles.My heart felt so empty, even though I had rejected her, and she was no longer a part of me.A knock sounded on my door, and it took everything in me not to yell at whoever was at the door, "Who is it?""It is I, Alpha," I heard Shikta from the other side of the door."What do you want?" I asked but didn't let her respond, "Leave. I'm busy," I said.It went still for a while, but I knew she ha
ALPHA PARTHE.Urik finally got my attention. Any topic that had to do with my mate was a welcomed one.He insisted on speaking with me alone, even after I told him to speak freely with Tervan here.I reluctantly dismissed Tervan, promising to see him as soon as I was done with Urik.The feud between these two keeps piling up, and I can't tell what is happening between them. I knew they were never best of friends, but I never expected it to turn into a full-blown hatred for each other.These were my Beta and Gamma, for Selene's sake!"This had better be good," I said, gesturing for him to sit, but he declined."I prefer to stand, Alpha. You aren't sitting either," He said with a small shrug."So. What about her? You finally have information about her whereabouts?" I asked, resting both my hands on the edge of the table. The tension in my muscles was becoming unbearable. I needed something to hold on to."Before I begin, please secure the place. I want your ears to be the only ones that'
LUXURIA.I had lost count of how long I'd been in this lonely hell. I hated myself. I felt like ending it all.Rorden had made me remember every single thing he made me forget, including the two times he made me betray my mate.I had cried out my eyes each time the memories came crawling in... The way he made me comply without a choice while he fucked me the way he pleased... It all made me hate myself even more for ever trusting him.All through my stay in his pack, he had refused to give me potions to take. In his words, he said, "I am preparing you for the big day ahead."What big day was he talking about? And why did I need to stay away from the potions that should help me feel better?The curse was coming back in full swing - the red flashes, the ache in my head, the uncontrollable anger, the hunger for blood and chaos... It was becoming overwhelming."Oh, Selene, please save me," I whispered as I curled myself on the bed, trying to shield myself from the pain I was feeling.My d
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
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.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
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."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
ALPHA PARTHE.Rorden's body trembled around my claws, his life ebbing from him in slow, uneven breaths. His blood coated my hand, and it was slick and hot, its coppery scent filling my nostrils.His trembling fingers still clung to my wrist as if he wanted to hold on.His lips parted, with the blood pooling there, spilling over, trailing down his chin in dark rivulets."Parthe…" His voice was weak and fractured. His body convulsed against mine, the last vestiges of strength slipping from him. But his eyes… his eyes burned, filled with something I had never seen in him before. Something… broken.I clenched my jaw, willing myself to finish this and end it. But my fingers hesitated around the fragile organ still beating weakly in my palm."Say it," I rasped, my voice thick and my jaw locked. "Say you regret it."A faint, blood-tinged smile touched his lips. "I don't," he whispered. "I never… regretted… trying to take back… what should have been mine."I exhaled sharply, my grip tightenin
ALPHA PARTHE.I snarled and took a step forward, but he stepped back, pressing the sword even harder on her delicate throat."You fucking coward," I growled, a scoff escaping my lips."We both know I am not a coward, Parthe. I am more of a man than you'd ever be. Everything I have had to endure only made me stronger and carved me into the man I am now," he said.The girl made a choked noise, but Rorden didn't react.He wasn't really here.His mind—his soul—was somewhere else."Do you even know what it's like, Parthe? To survive on your own like a real man should?""To be the unwanted son?" His voice cracked. "To know that no matter what you do, no matter how hard you fight—your own father will never fucking look at you the way you want him to?"I clenched my fists, my claws biting into my palms. "Our father was..." I was saying when he cut me off."No." His smile was thin. "Your father. Not mine. Never mine."His grip on the girl tightened."You were the golden child, Parthe. The heir
ALPHA PARTHE.Rorden's men fell. Like dead flies, their bodies littered my land, soaking the earth with their blood.And there was nothing more satisfying than that.Rorden was bleeding from every wound I had given him.So was I.But mine were worse. Especially the cuts my mate had inflicted on me. I wasn't healing.I had lost too much blood. And the only remedy I had was deep inside my chamber. I couldn't leave the war zone to go get it.I had to hold on a little longer."You're losing, brother," I taunted, my voice rough with exhaustion.Rorden barely had time to react before my fist collided with his jaw.Bone cracked. His head snapped to the side.And still, the bastard grinned."Never learned to give up?" I asked, driving my fist into his face in yet another punch. The impact sent blood flying from his lips. But he only laughed before spitting a mouthful of red onto the ground."Today is the day you'd breathe your last, Rorden," I recited a spell under my breath. My fingers burne