LUXURIA'S POV
It's been five days now, and I have been living a normal life... Or, so I had forced myself to believe.
Although the memories of the monstrous Alpha kept plaguing me. His touch, his scent, the overwhelming intensity with which he made love to me—it all made my core quake with a terrifying mixture of dread and desire each time I thought about it. Just like now.
My center still ached sorely after my encounter with him. He wasn't exactly the kind I'd pick for a girl like me who was still a virgin.
I had been using some herbs to help me heal, but I still felt sore. I could hardly walk properly.
Even though the whole night was almost a blur, I still remember fragments of it.
As I scrubbed the floor of the fortress for the second time today, a task my stepmother seemed to find endlessly amusing to assign me, I bit my bottom lip to stifle the moan that threatened to escape at the mere memory of him.
My stepmother had made sure I never had a moment of rest. I never knew what rest felt like.
I had been hiding away from Kahel since I returned from my forbidden night with the monster. My guilt wouldn't let me face him. I couldn't bear to face him, to look into his eyes and see the trust I was betraying.
Not a soul knew anything about my encounter. Not even my friend, Niksha.
As I pushed the bucket forward, a familiar scent struck me. It was so potent, so overwhelmingly familiar, that it stopped me in my tracks.
No... What's happening? I panicked internally, clutching the locket on my neck. The one the man I love had gifted me. But instead of the usual comfort it had always offered me, it made me feel utterly guilty.
Do I actually deserve to wear this locket anymore? When I had hurt the man who gave it to me.
From the second floor of the fortress, I could swear the familiar scent came from outside. It hit me so hard that it was so overwhelming.
"No... This can't be happening..." I said inwardly as I hurried to the window to get a glimpse of what was going on.
I didn't want to believe that it was... No. My heart sank. It couldn't be. He couldn't have found me.
My breath hitched as my eyes fell on a small group of men strolling into the pack.
My eyes scanned the small group of men, and my worst fears materialized before me.
There, leading the group with a dark, intimidating presence that none could ignore, was Alpha Parthe, the cursed Alpha from the North. The very monster I had thought I'd escaped.
Yes. His name was Alpha Parthe. When I returned home after that forbidden night with him, I had done some research about the monster of the North and the curse that had plagued him.
I found out so many terrifying reveals that threatened me to my core and made me pray to the Moon Goddess every day that he never found me.
But it seemed the Moon Goddess was too busy attending to others that she couldn't answer my prayers.
I trembled, my hands gripping the window until my knuckles turned white. I fidgeted, my heart racing as terror gripped me. I shouldn't have been surprised. He had warned me, hadn't he? He had warned me through every touch and every look that night... He had touched and looked at me so intently, almost as if imprinting every detail of me in his memory. I couldn't escape him.
And there he was as if drawn by my thoughts.
As if on cue, he lifted his gaze, his eyes piercing across the distance straight to where I stood, almost as if he knew I was standing there.
Our eyes met, and the world seemed to stop spinning. His coal-black eyes locked onto mine, and at that moment, I knew he had seen me.
In a blind panic, I ducked away from the window, my breaths coming in short, ragged gasps. It was too late. He had seen me. My mind raced. There was no escaping him anymore.
I had to find a solution. Perhaps an escape. I didn't want to die. I heard no woman ever mated to the Alphas from the Wild Wolf pack ever lived for more than two years. They disappear mysteriously.
Despite my plight in my father's pack, I wouldn't want to end up mysteriously gone in two years.
I turned around immediately and tried to flee, but I bumped into the last person I wished to see. Kahel.
His sudden appearance made me flinch, tears springing to my eyes, my emotions a tangled mess of fear, guilt, and desperation.
"Luxuria, what's wrong?" Kahel's voice was filled with concern, his brow furrowed as he reached out to steady me.
I couldn't speak, couldn't form the words to explain the terror that gripped me. All I wanted was to run, to escape the nightmare that had followed me home.
"Nothing, Kahel. I just... I need some time to myself. I am feeling unwell," I lied, the lie tasting like ash in my mouth.
"Is everything alright? You've been avoiding me for days now. Have I done anything wrong?" He asked me, stirring up more emotions within me.
How do I tell him it's not him but me? How do I tell him that I cheated on him with my monster of a mate? How do I tell him I had lost my virginity to another man? How do I explain the strange darkness that was beginning to seep into me since my encounter with my mate?
"Nothing. I've been busy. I have to go now," I said to him, unable to look him in the face as I ran past him. His next words stopped me abruptly, and I could swear he heard the loud thud my heart gave.
"Your father has asked to see you."
***
Terror clenched my heart as I followed Kahel to my father's courtroom.
Inside, the room was suffused with a tension so thick it nearly choked me.
My father, Alpha Odren, sat on his high seat with an expression of anger and disdain. But he dared not utter a word about his disdain as his eyes darted nervously toward the figure seated across from him. Alpha Parthe.
Alpha Parthe's coal-black eyes were fixed on me the moment I entered, burning with an intensity that made my knees weaken. Seven men stood beside him as he sat opposite my father's table.
The court members looked at me with disgust. I was the subject of their scorn, the cursed one who had brought this feared Alpha to our doorstep.
At that point, I knew everyone already knew the reason they were gathered.
As I and Kahel approached the room, I saw the burning rage flickering in Alpha Parthe's eyes at our closeness.
A possessive, dangerous gleam that made my blood run cold. I flinched visibly, my heart pounding so fiercely I feared it might burst from my chest.
We stopped a few feet away from Alpha Parthe, and Kahel gave me a concerned glance, his hand lightly touching my arm as if to offer some comfort. But his touch only served to stoke the fire in Alpha Parthe's eyes, and I quickly stepped away, my skin crawling with fear.
My father finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, tainted with fear and resignation. "Luxuria, you already know why you are here. There is no need to say the obvious."
The glare in my father's eyes held the question HAVEN'T I TOLD YOU NEVER TO GO OUT AT NIGHT?
And this was the only time I wished I had listened to my father.
"You will leave with Alpha Parthe," my father continued, his words slicing through me like a knife. "This... arrangement has been settled. He claims you as his mate."
My father's words felt like a tear in Kahel's poor heart.
I felt his body tremble subtly beside me. I heard the rapid beating of his fragile heart. I felt his pain and hurt.
Oh, how I wish things hadn't happened this way.
He took a step back, his eyes averted, hiding the hurt I knew shook him to his core.
I saw the possessive pride in Alpha Parthe's eyes. My gaze darted to the window, and I saw Kaya and Rella, my half-siblings, giggling with delight, trying not to get noticed by our father.
They seemed overly excited that I'd finally leave the pack to a place of no return. Especially Rella, who had always had an eye for Kahel since we were little. With me out of the way, she would surely leverage on it and try to sneak into his life.
The thought enraged me. I couldn't let the man I loved so much slip out of my fingers. Just for a monster who is most likely to kill me.
I didn't know when the words I might live to regret left my lips.
"I do not wish to go with him, father."
Those were the very words that would change my fate and lead me into a life of misery.
ALPHA PARTHE'S POVI stared at the disturbing sight before me. That dimwit was standing close to my mate.The nerves.But I'd let it slide. I'll count it as ignorance on his part.If he had known whose possession he was in close proximity, he wouldn't have dared to stand even a breath close to her.I never expected to have a mate. I am thirty-one already, without a mate. Not that any sane woman would agree to be mated to me. Who would want to be mated to a death god?The idea of being mated to Luxuria didn't particularly thrill me. I had seen a lot of women. She doesn't come close to what I'd like to have, but that didn't change the fact that whatever is mine is mine. It doesn't matter what I think about it... Her.I had imagined what use she would be in my pack. The Wild Wolf pack wasn't known to have idle members. Even the women who have been gifted me by numerous Alphas who sought favor had their duties aside pleasing me.Luxuria was overly beautiful, and I couldn't deny that. And s
LUXURIA'S POVThe chill wind whipped through the stone archways of the Ash Mountain pack, filtering into the large chamber where I sat.The chilling wind was nothing compared to the icy dread in my heart.Outside, in the courtyard, the ceremony was prepared. Not a marriage ceremony, as my lineage demanded, but a mating ceremony, as requested by Alpha Parthe.I would be the first in my lineage to be mated without a proper marriage ceremony. That is how ashamed my people were of me.Tonight, I am to be joined, not to a man of my choosing. Not to the man I have always loved. Not even to the man close to my dream man. But to the beast who ruled the neighboring lands with an iron paw.The Alpha Of The North.Tonight was the night of the full moon. The day Alpha Parthe had picked.Didn't they say the full moon was when his demons were unleashed? What is his plan?Although the full moon isn't until a few more hours, I hope, above everything earthly, that the ceremony will be concluded before
ALPHA PARTHE'S POVMy gaze remained fixed on the entrance to the large hall where a few people gathered. I'm not offended. I am not one who appreciates crowds.The Ash Mountain pack isn't particularly excited about sending their daughter off with me. I understand that perfectly, also.I didn't care about all that. One can call me selfish.The hall was quiet. Everyone eating and drinking as quietly as possible. Who cares? I'm a sadist, after all.I was losing my patience. What's taking so long? It was almost time for the full moon. I had only come with my Beta, Tarven, and three trained warriors.I didn't need a crowd to escort my new mate to our territory.I had come out with just a few people who could handle whatever came up if the full moon arose before we reached the Wild Wolf pack.To the best of her ability, Shita made sure we had partial control of the situation. I did not like straining my powers for such trivial matters. I reserved them for more pressing issues. So, I let her
LUXURIA'S POV.I never imagined a mating ceremony could be over in the blink of an eye. It ended so fast that I barely had time to catch my breath, let alone my thoughts.We were already halfway across the Ash Mountain borders. Realization slowly crept in. I was leaving everything behind. Including Kahel.A tear trickled down my cheek, but I wiped it off.The ride was quiet. I straddled a beautiful white horse. As if that was meant to make me feel any special.It was so close to the full moon already. Why weren't they in a hurry? Why didn't they straddle faster? Was I the only one worried about it? Or, were the rumors about the Wild Wolf pack lies? Or does his AshBlood powers help keep him in check?This fact is something I also dread. Not only is this man cursed. He is one of the most deadly kinds of dark witch ever to live.What did I ever do to the goddess to deserve such cruelty?Alpha Parthe remained silent, not a word spared for his men, and I knew better than to speak first. Hi
ALPHA PARTHE.The searing pain hit me like a storm, an electric shock that coursed through every muscle, every bone, twisting them, breaking them, reforming them.The moon's silver light felt like daggers on my skin, sharp and unforgiving. I could hear the curse whispering, slithering through my mind like a venomous snake, taking control piece by piece.Shita was beside me, chanting her incantations in a desperate attempt to subdue the beast rising inside me.The herbs she had laid around me, their sharp scent of crushed sage and rosemary, did nothing to quell the fire that roared beneath my skin."It's not working," I growled, my voice distorted, barely recognizable, as though it came from a place deeper than my own chest. The beast was taking over.Shita didn't flinch. She moved quickly, laying her hands on my chest, speaking words I couldn't understand, her magic weaving around us like a shield.Sweat poured down her face, but her brow still furrowed in concentration. She had stopp
LUXURIA.I felt as if my body had been drained of every ounce of strength. Even the simple act of fluttering my eyes open felt like a huge task. My joints ached, and my head spun.My joints ached, each movement sending a jolt of pain through my limbs. My head spun, making it difficult to focus. I blinked, trying to make sense of my surroundings.The cold, hard surface beneath me didn't feel right. I sluggishly opened my eyes and saw the familiar walls of my new chamber. But something was horribly wrong.I wasn't in my bed.I was on the floor.Naked.I scrambled to my feet, confusion building a web around me.Panic swelled inside me, my heart racing. I scrambled to my feet, my body trembling, confusion threading through my mind like a thick fog.How had I ended up here? I had fallen asleep on the bed—of that, I was sure. So why was I on the cold stone floor, stripped bare? I wrapped my arms around myself, my heart thundering in my chest.And then, I saw it.My hands.They were covered
ALPHA PARTHE.I couldn't stand the sight of her anymore. Guilt twisted my guts. What if I was the one who hurt her?The Wilf Wolf pack is the most secure pack one can ever think of. No one dared trespass unless they had a death wish.This was from within. And to the best of my knowledge, I have no spies, no traitors, no enemy within... So, what the fuck happened to her?The only plausible explanation is ME. I happened to her.The curse's effect was different yesterday; it was almost as if something triggered a dangerous part of the curse. But I don't know what that is.Nevertheless, no matter what happened, this was the first time I am unknowingly attacking someone from within my pack."Alpha. We could look further into this. The cattle, Luxuria," Beta Tervan spoke, pulling me out of my deep thoughts.I adjusted on my seat, tossing away the scroll I had in hand, "There is no need. I think I did it," I said to him."This would be the first time, Alpha. You've never had any record of su
"Does this imply that I attacked her using a stake?" I asked, leaning back on my chair."That is highly impossible, Alpha. And you know it," Shikta said. She was trying to prove a point, and I could smell it."Tell me what you think," I asked her, studying her expression.I know she doesn't like Luxuria. No woman should like her. Not when she was a threat to them.Luxuria's beauty is the kind that women would kill for, a beauty that runs deeper than skin, etched into her very soul.She carries the same allure that once had me falling heads-over-heels for Rashina. Alpha Modred was lucky to have claimed her in time before she fell into my grasp. Otherwise, there would have been no Luxuria.I know Shikta feels insecure. I have over a hundred women who attend to my sexual needs, and she had never had the need to be jealous of them or to feel insecure. But this was different.Shikta shifted uncomfortably on her seat, leaning forward, "Alpha, Luxuria is bad luck. There is no arguing that. N
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