LUXURIA.The herbs lay neatly crushed and blended in the small bowl before me, their scent earthy and bitter as I carefully poured the final mixture into a glass vial. It was dark already, and I felt the illness taking a new height.I had to hurry up.My hands trembled as I worked, though I wasn't sure why—anxiety had crept into my bones since earlier today after speaking with Dashi.This potion was supposed to help me. Supposed to give me strength. Whatever was brewing inside me, this would fix it.I sat down in front of the small mirror in the dimly lit room with the vial in my trembling hand.I took a deep breath, my reflection staring back at me. Then, without thinking further, I tipped the vial back and swallowed it.For a moment, nothing happened. The taste was bitter, burning as it slid down my throat. I watched myself in the mirror, half-expecting to see something... Maybe a physical reaction that would make me know it was going to work.My eyes brightened, an eerie blinding,
ALPHA PARTHE.I scanned through the reports on my table, but my attention was divided.I'd need these reports for the upcoming regional meeting, which is in a few days, and I have to get my head straight. But not with Luxuria constantly plaguing my thoughts.I was still mad at her for letting another man touch her. The feeling was maddening. I lost every ounce of control I ever had.She hadn't even come to apologize to me yet. She surely was the stubborn type.I craved her presence like an addiction, but I couldn't bring myself to go to her. Whenever I think about her, all I see is that filthy rat kissing her.It got to me more than I will ever be willing to admit.I had intentionally stayed away from her for a lot of reasons, anger and caution taking the lead.It was still very early in the morning, and I already felt the need to see her.Fuck.A knock on the door brought me out of my thoughts. "Come in," I said, knowing who was at the door.Nevada walked in, closing the door behind
LUXURIA.I felt extremely weak.A dull ache coursed through my body, my limbs heavy as though I'd been drained of every ounce of strength. I blinked slowly, the dim light of the room swimming before my eyes. The knock echoed again, sharp and impatient, pulling me from my haze.Groaning softly, I attempted to push myself up. That's when I felt it—slick warmth across my skin. My eyes darted down to my hands, and I froze. Blood. Crimson stained my palms, smeared over my arms, and streaked across my bare skin.A chill raced down my spine as I quickly scanned my body, searching for any cuts or wounds. But there were none. Not even a scratch.My heart pounded against my ribs as panic surged within me. How did this happen? How did I end up on the floor, naked, bathed in blood that wasn't mine?The last thing I remembered was taking the potion I had prepared and feeling restless and uneasy. Every other thing went blank after that. I had slid into unconsciousness.So... What was happening?My
LUXURIA.It's all happening so fast. My friendship with Dashi. She had come to take me to the local market, as promised.I wasn't comfortable since I was still trying to figure out what my life was turning into.She had come just minutes after I had taken my bath and cleaned up every trace of blood from the floor.I tried to recall anything... Just something to help me understand what was going on. But I was in the dark. There was a blank void in my head that I couldn't fill.I was going crazy. The kind of craze that would make you want to confide in the closest person to you, even though that person is an enemy.I needed someone to talk to.Dashi was still admiring all we got from the market. She had good taste, I just say. She had gone to buy more clothes for herself.Although she intended to buy more fancy underwear like the Alpha liked, but she respected the fact that I was his mate. She bought them for me instead.I was touched by her actions. She seemed really nice."Can I confi
ALPHA PARTHE.The silence stretched for so long. I stared at their faces. They were all curious and nervous as they waited for me to speak.I hated being summoned. I detested it. But when it had to do with the council, I didn't have much of a choice."I haven't made a decision yet," I spoke, hoping the meeting ends soon. They were prying into my personal life, and I didn't like it."You don't have much of a choice here, Parthe," A voice sounded, and I turned to see who it was.Only one person had the right to speak to me in that manner. Elder Geth. My late mother's father… My grandfather.Funny how people might think we'd be so close since he was my grandfather, but no. We had our grievances against each other. Some hatchets just can't be buried easily. Especially not when those hatchets had a lot to do with his son, Rorden."Why would you say that, Elder Geth?" I asked with every ounce of respect I could muster."You have found your fated mate. What else do you want? You haven't reje
LUXURIA.I halted when the strange man spoke to me. I had never seen him in the pack before, and I knew I had to be careful.He was young, probably in his late twenties.I should have kept walking, but his striking resemblance to Alpha Parthe stopped me in my tracks. There was something almost familiar about him—something I couldn't quite place. His sharp jawline, the intensity in his eyes. But the resemblance only went so far. His energy was different.He was gorgeous, I must say. But that shouldn't concern me. All that was important to me was getting to the garden and getting the new recipe I just came across from my research."How are you doing, beautiful?" he asked, adjusting his short brown locks that fell loosely around his eyes. I couldn't help but smile, though something about the way he spoke set me on edge.I felt the warmth of his compliment, though I wasn't used to being approached so boldly. There was something about him that drew me in—his confidence, the easy way he spo
LUXURIA.Rorden's gaze flickered past me, and I watched as his posture shifted—straightening, shoulders squaring, his easy demeanor sharpening in an instant. I slowly turned, my heart hammering in my chest as I came face-to-face with the storm that was Alpha Parthe.His dark eyes burned with an intensity I hadn't seen before. His lips were pressed into a tight line, his entire frame rigid with barely contained fury."Alpha," I breathed, trying to keep my voice steady, though I could feel the crackling anger radiating off him like wildfire.He said nothing at first, his gaze flicking from me to Rorden, who still stood a few paces behind.I sensed an underlying war raging between both of them. It seemed they knew each other so well... This was beyond just an Alpha and a prodigal pack member."Parthe..." Rorden called so casually that I feared for him. "It's been a long time, brother." He said, the playfulness in his tone was gone.Brother?Was this Alpha Parthe's brother? Oh, Goddess...
ALPHA PARTHE.Fuck.Did she just say those words to me? She was surely playing with flames. And it would burn her whole.I looked down at her plump lips, which were slightly parted, and, gods, the temptation was killing."Luxuria..." I whispered into her ear, "Don't mistake this for love. It's only an obsession, a hunger, a need to consume you whole. Don't be deceived." I said, trying all I could to hide how I truly felt."Please... Alpha. Touch me." She said to me. I gazed into her pleading eyes, and my cock twitched painfully."Your innocence is fragile, and I will shatter it with every breath you take near me. That's not what I want for you right now." I said, letting go of her and walking toward the open window.I hoped the air would calm my burning nerves."You've already taken my innocence... On the first night we met. I am your mate, Alpha. You've only teased me since you brought me here. Why do that if you do not have plans of touching me?"I could sense a little bit of anger
LUXURIA.My eyes felt heavy and sore. My whole body hurt with a strange kind of ache. I winced, forcing my heavy eyes open."Ah..." A small cry left my lips when a splitting headache tore through my head.I jolted up immediately when I recalled all that had happened that led to the way I was feeling. The entire room spun with the force, and I held my forehead at the impact I felt."Easy, child," I heard a familiar voice from beside me, hands wrapping around me.I turned to see Nevada with a small cloth in her hands and a bowl of something that looked like herbs on the floor beside her. My body felt wet. She must have been cleaning me up with the herbs."What... What are you doing?" I asked, searching around frantically, "Where is Rorden? What about my child? What happened to my child?" My breathing became erratic at once.I looked down at my stomach, shifting and trying to stand up to see if I'd be able to tell whether or not my child was okay, but Nevada held me by my shoulders."Rel
RORDEN.No.The word pulsed in my skull, violent and deafening.No. No. No.It couldn't be.She couldn't be.My breathing turned ragged, my entire body locking up, the truth solidifying in my mind as my magic confirmed what my soul refused to accept. Luxuria was pregnant. And not with my child.A guttural sound ripped from my throat. My magic surged violently, reacting to my fury, to my devastation. The air around us crackled. The walls trembled.Luxuria's eyes widened in terror. "Rorden—! What are you doing?" She shrieked.But I was already moving.My hand clamped around her wrist, yanking her up so fast she cried out; her other hand flew instinctively to her stomach, cradling the life growing inside her.His child.Parthe.That cursed bastard.The realization sliced through me deeper than any blade ever could. It burned.My fingers dug into her skin, my entire body trembling as I stared at her, at this woman who had dared to do this to me."Why?" My voice cracked, something jagged a
LUXURIA."I knew you were going to try something crafty," Rorden seethed as he pulled me, "Didn't you think it was a little too convenient?" His breath was hot against my face. "No guards, No barrier. Did you really think you were that Iucky, Luxuria?"Before I could answer, his hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my throat as he slammed me against the wall. The impact sent a sharp shock of pain rattling down my spine, and I gasped, clawing at his wrist.His eyes, wild and seething, locked onto me, and I Knew. I knew I had pushed him too far.I couldn't look into his eyes, not when they burned with something darker than fury – something that made my stomach twist violently. My silence only seemed to fuel him further. His fingers tightened just slightly, forcing my chin up and me to meet his gaze.We were all alone in the chamber he called mine, and I was scared for my life.I'd always known Rorden to be a man of little temper but experiencing it was on a whole new level. Since he a
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