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
LUXURIA.I could barely sleep all night. I was terrified. However, Rorden had told me not to worry about Shikta. He sounded so certain that she wasn't going to tell the Alpha what she had seen the previous night.I desperately wanted to believe him, but I couldn't. Shikta would do anything to get rid of me, and I knew it.Now, I am scared of facing the Alpha. What if she had already told him?Panic took over me, but I had to take the risk. I had to ask for his permission to step out of the pack. Hopefully, I might be fortunate and Shikta might not have told him anything yet.I wrapped my hair loosely and headed toward the Alpha's chamber. It was still very early, and he should still be in his chamber.Despite my fears, the memory of yesterday still lingered in my mind as I walked through the quiet hall.My feet moved silently over the floor, but my thoughts were loud—too loud. I shouldn't be thinking about it, about him.His touch was still fresh on my skin, the way he had claimed me,
LUXURIA.I stepped out of the bathroom, drying myself up, when my hands touched the familiar locket on my neck. I paused, caressing it.My mind drifted to how much time had gone since the day Kahel gifted me the locket and sang about his undying love for me.I had been a fool to have believed him.A lone tear slid down my cheeks at the thought of seeing him being intimate with Rella.I pulled the locket roughly, and it came off my neck with a snap. I tossed it into the trash, willing for the ache in my heart to go away.I heard a knock on my door, and I rushed to answer it. I hoped it was Rorden. Even though he said he'd see me later tonight, I hoped he had already come up with a solution.Seeing Amelia as soon as possible was paramount. The full moon is in a few days, and I know I have been trying to control the curse, but I can't tell what happens on the full moon. I am not the Alpha. I do not know how he manages his, and I wouldn't want to find out by the nature of destruction I mi
ALPHA PARTHE.I have been having this nagging feeling since Luxuria left my chamber this morning. Something tells me she wants to sneak out of the pack deliberately. Perhaps to see Kahel.The mere thought of it made me mad with rage. What was she thinking?"You are overreacting," Ravorn, my wolf, said with a hiss."Not now, Ravorn." I dismissed him.He's been this way ever since our passionate encounter with our mate. He was upset that we didn't get to mark her. I had my reasons for not marking her just yet. I'll do that when the time is right."If you had just marked her, you wouldn't be this insecure, you know?" He mocked me."What is your point, Rav?" I asked frustratedly."You are already falling in love with her. Why hide it?" He asked."You know the answer to that already. She doesn't feel the same way for us. Her heart still belongs to someone else," I replied."You are wrong. I feel it. She feels something for you, but she is scared. You've always wanted this... A fated mate.
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