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
ALPHA PARTHE.The moment I stepped into that dining hall, something in me snapped.How dare she dress in that manner for other men to see? She was too exposed for my liking.This wasn't just a mistress but my mate. I couldn't tolerate that. I had to ask her to leave.I saw the disappointment and embarrassment in her eyes, but who cares? As long as she is shielded from the hungry eyes of other men, then I am fine. Call me selfish."Alpha," Tervan's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I lifted my gaze from the scrolls I was meant to be reading before my thoughts drifted away."Tervan," I gave him my attention, "sit."I and Tervan have been friends since childhood. His father was the Beta of our pack, but something tragic happened to him when I became Alpha, and Tervan has been my Beta since then."You wanted to see me. What's the matter?" I asked him. He is the one person I can feel free with."I have been bothered about something, Parthe." He began, addressing me less formally. "An
LUXURIA.I desperately scanned through the large books on my table. My hands were trembling. My fear was getting the best of me.The glow in my eyes was becoming difficult to keep in check. It appears and disappears at will.What is wrong with me? Who can I talk to? What if I am truly a cursed one? Otherwise, how do I explain this?Everyone called me CURSED. I think I am beginning to agree with them.I couldn't tell the Alpha about this. What if he kills me because it is evident I am cursed? My curse is spreading faster now.I had to hide this as much as I could.For days now, I still haven't found a possible explanation as to what exactly triggered the curse in me. I was only able to find some herbs in a medicine book that treat acute anxiety problems.I might as well start with that first.As I feverishly flipped through the pages of an old tome, I stumbled upon a chapter titled "The Cure of Hera." The name made my heart race as it caught my attention.I skimmed through it, searchin
LUXURIA.I had scanned through every single page of the book, but the part I was interested in was nowhere to be found.I was going insane with worry.I do not have anyone to talk to about this. I felt so alone in this world. If only my mother were alive...I wiped off a tear from my eye.Whatever it was that happened to my mother was unfair to me. I was raised to suffer alone in this wicked world where no one cared.My hands trembled. I had to get hold of myself in order not to snap. I don't know what would happen if I truly allowed the full extent of this strange illness to take over me.I know I am just sick. Nothing more. I just had to find a solution to it. I only chose to call it a curse because it has tormented me even more than I could bear.I am sick. That's all it is. I had to remind myself every day.I wouldn't want to see what happens the day I let myself snap and reach the peak of whatever feeling this illness always tries to push me to.It was getting late already, and I
LUXURIA.His eyes narrowed slightly as if he was reading my thoughts. Then he broke the silence. "What do you think of becoming allies with your father's pack?"The question hit me like a blow. My stomach twisted into knots, and for a moment, I wasn't sure if I had heard him correctly. My father's pack?I blinked, trying to mask the flood of emotions that surged through me.Anger. Resentment. Pain.My father had cast me aside as if I were nothing more than a worthless burden. He hadn't cared for me, hadn't protected me. The memories of his cruelty were still raw, burning like a wound that refused to heal.My father's pack? He wanted Parthe as an ally?My breath caught in my throat. This was my chance to ruin them. To finally take revenge for all the hurt and betrayal they had inflicted upon me.I could ruin them. I could tell Parthe anything—expose their weaknesses, twist the truth, make them seem unworthy of an alliance. The words were there, just waiting to be spoken, ready to tear
ALPHA PARTHE.Fuck...The Gods...What was she doing to me?Despite the iron walls I had meticulously built around my damned heart, I found her creeping in—like a slow-burning fire that I couldn't put out, no matter how hard I tried. She was everywhere, consuming me with an intensity I hadn't anticipated, seeping into the cracks I hadn't even known existed.I was not a man made for feelings. They had no place in me, and I never thought the mate bond could tear through the cold armor I had worn my entire life. I'd overcome so much—loss, blood, betrayal—but this? This was the one battle I wasn't sure I could win. It was maddening.This was going to be my undoing.Her skin, the softness of it, was like silk beneath my fingers. Her scent—a heady mix of innocence and desire, weaving itself into my every breath. It drove me to the edge every damn time I got near her. And right now, standing before her, with that thin excuse of a dress clinging to her delicate frame, I was so close to losing
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
ALPHA PARTHE.Rage. Desperation. Fear. It all crashed into me like a wave.I shook, my vision blurring with red – the kind of red that wanted me to spill the blood of just one man... Rorden.My hands clenched into fists so tight my claws punctured my palms when he strode lazily toward me with a smug smile on his face.Like this was all some cruel fucking joke.Like this wasn't the end of my fucking world.I snapped my head up, my vision tunneling to where he stood, amusement dripping from every inch of his face."I will kill you." I gritted out."You should be thankful I didn't kill them, Parthe. I had the chance to." He shrugged, his voice dripping with arrogance. "But at least I got a taste of her so many times that my cock still juices up at the thought of it…"My breath hitched. My vision blurred."Well, even if it was without her consent…" A slow smirk twisted his lips as he lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You know how we, AshBloods, are… We take even the things p
ALPHA PARTHE.Rorden had seen it, too, because the smugness on his face slipped. His head snapped towards the gates, his eyes narrowing as he took in the approaching army.For the first time since this bloodbath started, panic flickered across his features.Good.Because he hadn't seen this coming either. And if Urik was also here to betray me, I sure as hell knew that he'd be attacking Rorden's warriors, too.A battle horn sounded from the gates, and Urik raised his sword high and muttered, "Finish them all!"And his warriors crashed into the enemy like a hurricane.These weren't just any soldiers.They knew exactly where to strike. How to strike.And their weapons—they were designed to kill Rorden's men.How?I barely had time to process it before Urik reached me. His horse skidded to a halt, kicking up dust and blood-soaked dirt.I waited and braced myself for the betraying words he would drop to my face, but to my surprise, he jumped down and hurried in my direction with his sword
ALPHA PARTHE.The battlefield was chaos.A brutal, blood-soaked chaos that should have fueled me, should have ignited the monster within and sent me storming through the carnage like the wrath of the gods themselves.But my mind—my fucking mind—was splintering.Rorden was cutting down my warriors, hacking through them like they were nothing. The bastard was laughing, reveling in the destruction he was causing.And I was stuck.Torn between the bitter truth he had shoved down my throat and the beast snarling before me—my mate.Luxuria.I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that my mate was actually the cure to my curse, as well as that of Rorden's.If I didn't act—if I kept standing here like a fucking fool, trying to grasp what had already unraveled before my eyes—she would rip me apart.And the worst part?I wouldn't even fight back.Not against her.Not against my own damnation.She moved too fast.One second, she was snarling, her monstrous form rippling with barely contained fur