ALPHA PARTHE.I just rounded up a hectic day, and all I desired was a hot bath and some sleep. The Harlem brothers almost made me lose control over their dispute.Sometimes, I wonder why I still let them stay in my pack. They always brought more trouble than peace to those around them.Thankfully, I was able to settle the dispute without having to rip their heads off.A knock sounded on my door, and I grunted before answering it."Shikta," I called when she walked into my chamber, "what do you want?" I asked in displeasure. I was too exhausted to entertain anyone right now."Alpha. Sorry to barge into you at this time. I know you must be very exhausted," She said, hurrying over to where I stood as she helped me undress.She always knew what to do at every point. One of the reasons I liked her alot."Yes. And I want to have some rest," I replied tiredly."Of course. How about a massage to help you rest better?" She asked, pulling me into the bathroom.Knowing that she intended to help
SHIKTA.I eagerly walked into my chamber, my curiosity getting the best of me. I lifted my dress and brought out the small vial I had taken from the Alpha's chamber.I had been able to put him to sleep, and just as I was about to leave, the vial caught my attention. It was lying carelessly under his study table.Something told me this was the answer to my questions regarding why I had been unable to bear him an heir.The vial looked unfamiliar. I had never prepared any potion for the Alpha that looked like this one.I had to study it properly to know what potion it contained and what to do if it was what I was thinking.And if this potion was what I suspected, if this was the reason I hadn't borne Alpha Parthe an heir, then everything was about to change.As soon as I finish my research, bearing an heir for the Alpha will be inevitable."Shikta?" I heard someone call me, and my wolf almost leaped out of my body."Selene! Zendaya! Why would you sneak up on me in that manner?" I asked,
LUXURIA.It was dawn. Thankfully.No strange occurrences through the night. I woke up on my bed and not on the floor. No blood on my body.Ha! What a relief!Recently, I go to bed scared because I really can't tell what happens when I black out. But now that I know what is at play, it scared me even more. I hope I wasn't killing people just like the Alpha.I still pondered over why I had seen Nevada in my memory. That memory has haunted me since that night. It was a younger version of herself I saw and... I don't know what to make of it, but it has sincerely bothered me.She had a smile on her face in that memory... Was I beginning to see visions? But I wasn't a witch.I contemplated telling Rorden about it since he has decided to be of help to me.Some might call me foolish or desperate for confiding in someone I just met a few days ago but I had no choice. I had been dying in silence for so long, and he seemed to understand what was wrong with me.Without him, I probably would have
ALPHA PARTHE.My fury knew no bounds. My knuckles cracked as they collided countlessly with the stone wall of my chamber, the sharp sting grounding me in my hot fury.My hand bled profusely, but I welcomed the pain. It was nothing compared to the rage burning inside me—nothing compared to the jealousy that ate away at my insides, tearing at the hollow pit where my heart should have been.I willed it all to go away. The anger. The jealousy. The hurt I felt inside.She thought I didn't know?I sensed her the very moment she crouched behind that window, listening to our conversation, caring about that pathetic excuse of a Beta.Every breath she took, every beat of her heart... I felt it all.I felt her every emotion. She still cared about that rat. She was hurt knowing that he was dying.I heard her soft sniffles. I could almost taste her tears, and it made me mad with rage.She was suffering, but not for me. For him.That thought... the very notion of her shedding even a single tear for
LUXURIAMy back pressed hard against the cold stone wall, my wrists pinned above my head. Alpha Parthe's touch was bruising, his body a storm of tension and anger.I felt his fury like a living thing—surging, consuming. His eyes blazed with a darkness that stole my breath.I had expected this. I knew he would punish me for what I'd come to ask. I had prepared for the roughness, the pain.I had come ready to sacrifice anything to save Kahel. But as I stared into those dark, storm-filled eyes, something twisted inside me—a desperate need to appease him, to soothe the rage I had caused. I wanted him to stop hating me.But as his lips claimed mine again, hard and demanding, I felt it—his anger... softening. His kiss was brutal, yes, but beneath that, something else was simmering.I gasped into his mouth, expecting more cruelty, but then something changed. It was as if a storm had suddenly passed, leaving behind a quiet calm.His touch began to shift. His hands, which had once held me with
UNKNOWN POV.It was getting late, and I was becoming impatient. She was always like this. Keeping me waiting. I wonder what joy she derived from doing this.The rustling of dried leaves caught my attention, and I knew she was the one. No one else knew this spot except both of us."It took you long enough," I said with a deep frown. She knew I was displeased."I'm sorry. I had to make sure no one was watching. You wouldn't want us to get caught, would you?" She asked with a familiar smile."What have you found out about the vial?" I asked, and she heaved a sigh."Nothing yet. I'll tell you as soon as I do." She replied."Shikta. There isn't much time to waste. There is every possibility that he'd crown Luxuria the Luna. I feel it in my guts. We have to act fast." I said in an urgent tone, and I saw the shift in her demeanor.She detested bitter truths."Don't say that. I'm already taking care of Luxuria, and you know that. She'd be dead even before she has the opportunity to wear that
ALPHA PARTHE.I became interested. But I had to keep my expression neutral. I won't give him the opportunity to think he was doing me a favor."What about the curse?" I asked, leaning back in my seat."From my time as a traveler, I was able to gather some vital knowledge about the deal Alpha Xanda made with the Moon Witch," He began, and I became even more interested, "there is a solution. One that might seem a bit difficult. But if you wish to live above your designated death time, you might want to consider it."My gaze darted to Urik before resting on Rorden again.Urik shifted beside me, curiosity sparking in his eyes, but I remained cautious."What solution do you speak of? And why should I trust you?" I asked with a smirk. "You must think me a fool."Rorden's jaw tightened. "You don't have to trust me, Alpha. But I wouldn't risk my life telling you this if it wasn't important."I scoffed, pinching the bridge of my nose, irritation bubbling beneath my skin. "Important? More like
UNKNOWN POV.I couldn't believe this was happening. This ruins it all. It changes it all."What's wrong? Why the urgency?" Shikta asked when she approached me. It was dark, but not everyone had gone to bed yet. But it was urgent, and we had to meet at our usual meeting point."We have a little bit of a problem, Shikta." I said, "A little bird told me something just a few moments ago.""Stop with the riddles. I am curious." She snapped impatiently."The Alpha is set to make Luxuria the next Luna of our pack. Our plans are falling apart." I said, frustration lacing my tone."You have to stay calm. We still have a hundred other options to make things work in our favor." Shikta said with a wry smile."What other options? Your poison seems to be taking longer than necessary to take effect." I said mockingly, and she gave me a glare."We eliminate her." She said, and I scoffed."Eliminate her?" I repeated, the words sour on my tongue. "You make it sound simple. But have you forgotten who we
ALPHA PARTHE.Two thousand warriors drew their swords for a battle they knew they'd lose either way.Fools. Lesser men always are so foolish.The battleground was charged with the kind of energy I liked. Fear. Panic. Terror. It poured from Lucius's men like a pungent stench, feeding the darker corners of my soul.Even though Lucius was too much of a coward to admit his wrong and decided to keep up with his pride, his men were obviously aware of what they were up against.I watched them with detached emotion. They looked pathetic.The image of my sleeping mate kept replaying in my head. She was so beautiful when she slept. Especially when in a deep slumber like the one I had just put her in.She'd thought I'd abandon this war? She thought wrong. I had to use my powers to put her in a slumber to be able to leave."You're sure about this?" I heard Urik ask from beside me."What? You think you need to leave?" I asked in a menacing tone without even looking at him.Urik had been against th
LUXURIA.Parthe has been too adamant about this war, and I have a bad feeling about it. That's why I did what I had to do."The men are ready, Alpha," Vixtin said, adjusting his armor. His pregnant mate was almost due for delivery. Why would Parthe put him in harm's way just at the peak of his life?"Tell the warriors securing the entrances of the pack to get more weapons if need be. We wouldn't want any surprises while we are out there," Parthe said, not lifting his head from the map he was studying.I gathered the courage I needed and entered his courtroom, "Parthe?" I called while approaching him."How much longer did you intend to stand there?" He asked so casually.Of course, what did I expect? He'd smelt me from where I was hiding and contemplating if I should talk to him or not.I cleared my throat, "Please don't go for this war. I have a bad feeling about it and... And..." I trailed off, my voice choking with restrained sobs.Even though we've both not been the best of mates,
LUXURIA.Of all people, I never thought I’d ever do anything to save the one woman who had always been my greatest problem in life. I was done sulking and feeling dejected when I decided to take an evening stroll—something I rarely do. I had gone to see Rorden but he was nowhere to be found. Just as I was making my way back to my chamber, I saw the commotion unfolding right in front of me. I didn’t hesitate to think twice before swinging into action and knocking the intruder off of Shikta. This might not be for Shikta. This might be for the greater good. I just want to believe so. Otherwise, this was a perfect opportunity to get rid of one of my problems on a platter of gold. “Speak!” The Beta’s fist collided with the man’s already bleeding jaw.The man knelt in the center of the dimly lit chamber, blood dripping from his nose, his face swollen and battered.He wasn’t healing. He’d been beaten with wolf’s bane long enough to weaken his healing ability.“Who sent you? What were yo
SHIKTA.I lay back on the bed, my hands resting on the swell of my belly, but the ache in my lower back made it impossible to find a comfortable position. Every shift of my body brought a sharp, jabbing pain, and my feet throbbed from swelling.I wanted to cry, but tears wouldn’t solve anything.I tried to talk with Parthe but he was enraged for reasons best known to him. I also went to spend some time with Tervan but he pushed me away. His words played over in my mind, his usual excuse for keeping me at arm’s length. “I need more time.” Time for what? I wasn’t asking him to love me. I wasn’t even asking for much—just his presence, his support, someone to lean on. I wasn’t the one who decided this pup would exist, yet here I was, facing the brunt of it alone.A lot of times, I need the father of my pup around… Or, at least, a man around. But I was mostly alone. The troubles of pregnancy weren’t something I ever envisaged bearing alone.It was a cool night, and taking my usual walk
LUXURIA.All eyes were on me expectantly. Every gaze felt like a weight pressing down on me, and the intensity of their expectations made my throat tighten.The hall was quiet. So quiet that the footsteps of a tiptoeing ant would be heard if there was any around.I swallowed hard, feeling the tremble in my hands. “I…” I began, my voice shaking slightly. My palms were damp against the smooth wood of the podium. My eyes darted to Parthe, his jaw clenched tight, his gaze like coal-black fire boring into me. I could feel his displeasure.Urik was disgusted. Tervan had a neutral expression.My eyes stung with tears. What’s going on? The last thing I remembered was standing outside with Rorden, wondering if I had actually seen Sibille or if it was just a figment of my imagination. How did I get on the stage? The speech I had diligently prepared and rehearsed for hours, all jumbled up in my head. I couldn’t even remember a line from it. “What is going on?” Parthe asked through the mind
LUXURIA.I was already coming to a decision. I had to. As painful as it seemed, I had to start accepting my fate—the cruel fate Selene had subjected me to.Perhaps I could swallow my pain and hatred and seek refuge with my father, Nelfas. Would he cast me away? I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. He never cared about my birth mother until she died at the hands of Odren. Odren’s pack was never an option. I’ll be more of a laughingstock now than ever. And Rella? She’d make sure to make my life hell than she used to, now that she finally had the one thing she could kill me for. Although the last time Niksha visited me, she told me Rella and Kahel’s union wasn’t as blossoming as it should be, but that they were getting better by the day and Kahel was learning to love and accept Rella really fast. My heart ached. Rella was finally having the last laugh. I thought I would find peace with my mate, instead, I lost the man I loved with my life, and now, my mate too. I wiped the tear that sl
ALPHA PARTHE“She needs you around, Alpha. It is a critical time for her. She’s weak and the unborn pup needs its father close always,” Dalia explained.She had found out. She fucking had.I wanted this to be a secret until I could figure out what to do but right now, more people were getting to know about it.I looked at Shikta’s almost unconscious form and I didn’t know what to feel—anger, hate, disgust?“Dalia. Not a word about this to anyone. Not even a soul,” I said and I saw the look of surprise that crossed her face.“As you wish, Alpha.” She bowed, “But she could grow weaker by the day and the pup is at risk of being unhealthy without the presence of its father. Please, make time out of your very busy schedule and spend around her. It will be beneficial to you both in the future.” She added.I only nodded casually and walked out without saying another word.I stood in front of Luxuria’s chamber, unsure if she’d want to see me. The realization of how I had spoken to her in the
ALPHA PARTHE."Search everywhere! Send spies to every other pack. She couldn't have vanished from the face of the earth without any trace!" I yelled at my warriors who had returned with nothing but bad news.I'd put in every effort necessary to find Eldora but all to no avail. It was eating me up rapidly. I needed closure. I needed to know if Zendaya was truly the one.A part of me refused to believe that I had ruined my chances of living with my own hands. I just... I just needed something... Anything! Fuck it! I just needed to see Eldora!Nelfas' daughter was out of the question. She was underage and without her wolf. I couldn't even take her as a substitute. There has to be another way!I slammed my fist on the table before me, shattering it to pieces. My rage has been almost out of control lately.My body trembled and I needed a release. I needed to take out this anger. Perhaps, I could go for a hunt tonight.The full moon was just yesterday and the hunt was less satisfying. It w
LUXURIA.I tried to steady the tremors in my hands and the rapid beating of my heart as I washed off the dirt on my body.I felt better after having a warm bath.I had been training with Vixtin all morning, and it was a great way of letting out some of the anxiety that was constantly plaguing me for no reason.Sometimes, when I let out some steam in the training process, it keeps me sane and tames the chaos that the voices in my head keep whispering to me.On several occasions, I've had to fight the urge to rip Vixtin into pieces for no reason. The urge to hurt people around me was becoming unbearable, but I didn't intend to give in to it.Not now. I wouldn't want to be executed.Last night was the night of the full moon, and I barely found any prey, save for a young rogue whom I regretted killing.The more I killed, the more I wanted to kill. It was intoxicating and it bothered me.I almost didn't need the full moon to crave blood anymore. I am totally scared because anyone could be