“Bow to me, Ember.” Alpha Thorne commanded, his voice low and sharp. She glared up at him. “I’d rather die.” His wolf demanded he take her, but she refused to kneel. The pull between them was dangerous and impossible to ignore. Taken from her pack and forced into servitude, Ember knows exactly who Alpha Thorne is, and she swore to hate him. But as the bond between them grows, one choice could destroy everything.
Lihat lebih banyakTWO YEARS AGO
Ember’s POV I held my brother tightly against my chest, his fifteen year old body trembling against my eighteen year old one. “I’m so cold, Ember,” Caden said to me, his teeth were chattering violently. “I know,” I whispered, even though my voice trembled more than I wanted it to. “Mum will be back soon, okay? Just hold on.” I ruffled his hair and rubbed his back, hoping the small gestures would bring him comfort, or at least distract him. The truth was, I was worried. Mum had left us to hunt hours ago, long before the rain started pouring. She had no hat, no umbrella, nothing to shield her from this storm. My eyes kept darting to the tent’s entrance, half expecting her to appear, soaked but safe. The tent flapped wildly in the wind, its thin fabric offering us little protection. Every so often, the entrance slit would fly open, letting in cold rain and streaks of mud. I had tried to secure it, but the pin was too weak against the force of the wind. Caden’s arms tightened around me suddenly, and I felt his body stiffen. “Do you hear that?” he whispered, his voice shaking in fear. I froze and strained to listen. That’s when I heard it, the distant pounding of hooves. My stomach clenched. “Who are they?” Caden asked, his voice barely audible. “Shhh,” I said, holding him closer. “They’ll pass by. Just close your eyes.” I tried to sound calm, but my chest was already tight with fear. The hoofbeats grew louder, and then, to my horror, they stopped right outside our tent. Men’s voices broke through the rain, laughing and jeering. “No,” I whispered as I pulled Caden closer, as though I could make us both disappear. The tent flap was torn open with a sudden violent rip, and the icy air flooded in. Three men stood there, their faces shadowed but unmistakably cruel and wicked. One of them stepped forward and grabbed Caden, yanking him out of my arms. “Leave him alone!” I screamed, lunging after him. A heavy boot struck my leg, and I went down hard, my hands sinking into the mud. The wet earth stung my eyes, leaving my vision blurred with a murky brown haze. “Well, well, well,” one of the men said, his tone mockingly cheerful. “What do we have here?” I tried to scramble to my feet, but a large hand grabbed my hair and yanked me upright. Pain shot through my scalp as the man dragged me forward, his grip unrelenting. “Look at this one,” he said, his lips curling into a grin. “What a sweet little thing. Don’t you think, Sirius?” “Sweet enough,” another man replied, his voice laced with amusement. “Bring her here, Draven. Let’s have a closer look.” “Leave her alone!” Caden screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. He stomped hard on the foot of the man holding him and the man cursed loudly, releasing Caden for just a moment. But before my brother could reach me, a massive fist swung through the air, striking him across the head. “No!” I screamed as Caden crumpled to the ground. “Caden!” Tears blurred my vision, but I couldn’t look away from him as he lay face down in the mud, motionless. “Stop it! He’s just a boy!” I yelled, my voice breaking as I twisted in the man’s grasp. The man holding me chuckled, a deep guttural sound. “The girl’s right, Sirius,” he said to the other man. “You’ll break him.” “Please,” I begged, choking on a sob. “We don’t have anything. We didn’t do anything. Just let us go.” “Oh, but you do have something of value, love,” the man said, his tone dripping with malice. “You can work. You can dance. And you’re a woman.” The other men laughed, their amusement cutting through the storm like sharp knives. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head as my knees gave away. “Please…” The ropes bit into my wrists and ankles as Draven tied me up, his movements rough and careless. I couldn’t stop him. I could only watch as the other men spread through our small clan, ripping open the tents and dragging people out into the mud. Screams echoed all around me, but they didn’t care. They didn’t stop. I was hoisted onto the back of a horse like a sack of grain, my body limp with exhaustion and fear. Draven mounted behind me, his hand holding me in place as the horse began to move. I twisted my head, straining for one last glimpse of Caden. He was still lying in the mud, his small body was curled in on itself. One of the men kicked him, and I saw him clutch his stomach weakly in response. Tears spilled down my cheeks as the distance grew, and soon, the only thing I could see was the rain. I lost consciousness with his name on my lips, wondering what mum would do when she came back and found us gone. ***** TWO YEARS LATER It’s been two years since I last saw my mother and brother. After the attack, I woke up in what resembled a concentration camp. Humans and werewolves from different raided places were crammed together in horrible conditions, their faces painted with despair. Fortunately for me, I didn’t stay there long. The very next day, I was dragged out of the camp and shoved into a filthy old van. From snippets of conversation among the traffickers, I learned that a hundred of us had been sold to Alpha Thorne, the most feared and revered Alpha in the plains. “They say he’s so cruel and evil, no other Alpha dares to challenge him,” whispered Kaya, a wiry human girl I’d met at the camp. Her bright blond hair was so long it nearly dragged on the ground. So I’d braided it into one thick plait for her to keep it out of the way. “I’d kill him if I had the chance,” I muttered in a flat tone, glaring at the men outside. “Shhh! Keep your voice down,” Kaya hissed as she glanced around nervously. “You don’t want that kind of attention.” “I don’t care,” I snapped, although my voice was low. “I don’t know where my brother is. I’ve watched everyone here, and he’s not among them. He’s my only priority.” Kaya’s green eyes softened, but her voice was stern. “Then don’t die. How will you find him if you make the traffickers angry and get yourself killed?” She was right. As much as I hated admitting it, I couldn’t afford to let my anger get the best of me. I had to stay alive, for my brother, for my mother. Worry stung my chest but I kept my face blank, locking my emotions away. “Stop right there!” a trafficker’s bark cut through the air suddenly. Everyone turned in the direction of the commotion. A young man had bolted from the group, sprinting toward the tree line in a desperate attempt to escape. The tall man perched on top of our cage jumped down without a word. As he gave chase, his body began to twist and contort. His bones snapped and realigned, fur sprouting from his skin. Within seconds, he had transformed into a massive brown werewolf. Gasps erupted from the humans around me. For many of them, this was the first time they’d witnessed a shift up close. The werewolf’s strides were impossibly fast, and in mere moments, he was upon the fleeing man. With a bone crunching bite to the neck, the escapee fell limp on the ground. Kaya gripped my arm, her nails digging into my skin. I turned to her and saw tears streaming down her face. “That’s what happens when you try to run,” one of the traffickers sneered, his laughter cutting through the group’s silence. “Each of you is worth a hefty sum,” he continued, pacing slowly in front of us. “Don’t think you can escape so easily. That boy? He was sold to Alpha Thorne. And trust me, the Alpha doesn’t take kindly to disobedience.” The werewolf trotted back to the van, blood still dripping from his jaws. He was enormous, his head was level with our knees even as we sat caged. He growled low, then rammed his massive shoulder into the side of the cage as a threat. The impact sent most of the group scrambling to the opposite side, huddled around each other and trembling. But I didn’t move. The truck came to life, and we began our journey. The werewolf ran alongside us, his pace steady and relentless. Hours passed, and he never slowed. “He’s so strong,” Kaya whispered, with awe in her voice. She tilted her head up to look at me. “Can you run like that?” “I don’t know,” I admitted quietly. “I’ve never turned.” Her eyebrows shot up. “Never? Are you… a runt?” The word hit me like a slap, and I snapped my head toward her, my eyes narrowing in offense. Kaya’s face turned pale. “I’m so sorry. That was rude… I shouldn’t have, sorry.” She stammered, shrinking away from me. The rest of the ride was silent. By evening, the road signs began to change, the simple black squares with “THORNE” printed in bold letters made my stomach twisted with unease. When the truck finally stopped, we were greeted by the sight of Alpha Thorne’s massive estate. The towering iron gates loomed like monster teeth, daring anyone to enter. My skin prickled as a chill crept over me, this was his territory. The man who killed my father. And I had no idea what awaited me next.Serene stepped out onto the patio in a skimpy dress and a cup of beer in her hand. She took a slow sip, sighing in satisfaction. But when she turned around, she jumped, Raphael was standing there like a ghost.She narrowed her eyes. “You know, you could at least pretend to be useful. Weren’t you supposed to deliver Thorne’s weaknesses to Matteo by now?”Raphael didn’t respond.Serene clicked her tongue. “Don’t tell me you’re still mooning over that girl who belongs to someone else.”That got his attention and his eyes flashed, startled.She laughed, slinking toward him, her hips swaying deliberately. “I knew a man like that once,” she purred, taking another sip of her beer, “Madly in love with someone else’s mate. Thought he could change fate, rewrite the stars. You know where he is now?”Raphael stared at her silently.“In a shitty little inn on the edge of nowhere,” she said with a smirk. “Drinks himself to sleep every night. No pack. No purpose. No mate. Just regret.”She stepped i
Ragnar stood in the middle of the scorched fire pit where Collin’s group used to stay, the ash was cold beneath his boots. The place looked dead and abandoned, with not even the echo of a recent breath. They were gone.Of course they were, Collin wouldn’t have been stupid enough to stay after abducting his mother. Still, a part of him had hoped that maybe the bastard had lingered, that maybe he’d be foolish enough to gloat to his face. Ragnar exhaled through clenched teeth, trying to steady the storm boiling under his skin. He sharpened his senses, sniffing for any scent or trail left behind. Someone had to have slipped and left a sign to point in the direction they headed. Wolves or not, no group ever moved without leaving a trace.The scent was muddled with multiple trails. Like they’d scattered in different directions deliberately. One of the guards Thorne had sent with him stepped closer, disrupting his concentration.“We’ve checked the entire place,” the guard said. “There’s not
Ember stepped into Thorne’s room, her heart pounding, fingers twisting the hem of her short, thin dress. Thorne stood with his back to her, halfway through undressing, his muscles shifting under his skin as he pulled his shirt over his head.Without turning, he asked quietly, “Will you stay?”Ember said nothing.The last time she’d been here, he’d banished her, warning her never to return. Yet here she was, standing in his doorway dressed for him, aching for him. She didn’t want to talk or fight, she just wanted him.Finally, Thorne turned. His searing gaze landed on her, and he froze. His eyes dragged down her body once, then again, slower, like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.“Will you stay?” he asked again, his voice rougher now.Ember stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and wrapped her arms around his bare waist, pressing her body firmly into his. She tilted her head up and whispered, “Touch me first. Talk later.”Thorne inhaled sharply, his hands com
Kaya opened her eyes to find herself stuffed inside some kind of rough bag and slung over a shoulder like cargo. Panic gripped her instantly. She thrashed and tried to scream, but a knot of fabric tied tightly over her mouth choked her sound. Her arms were bound tightly too. Her mind raced, why was she gagged? Where were they taking her?She wriggled harder, desperate, until a gruff voice growled, “Settle down, or I’ll drown you in the river with that sack still on your head.”Frozen by fear, kaya stopped moving. Tears spilled hot and fast down her cheeks.The rough jostling continued until, finally, the man carrying her stopped. She could hear voices, several of them, talking over each other, but they went quiet as they approached.“You got her? You really got her?” a voice said, giddy with excitement. Strong arms grabbed her, hauling her off the man’s shoulder and dropping her roughly to the ground. Kaya whimpered at the sharp pain shooting up her side.A moment later, the bag was p
Alpha Thorne, on approaching the border of his territory, smelled smoke and ran faster, bursting through the unmanned gates and straight towards the servants of camp.Ember hopped down from his back just as he and Ragnar skidded to a stop in front of the chaos, several of the living quarters were up in flames, and panicked servants and guards were trying to put them out with buckets of water and sand.‘What the hell happened here?’ Thorne snapped through the mind link to the nearest guard.The guard, breathless and covered in soot, rushed over to him. “Someone torched the buildings, Alpha. No one’s hurt, but it all happened so fast. We were caught off guard.”Ragnar shifted quickly and immediately started calling out, “Gertrude! Mom! Does anyone know Gertrude Fern?” But no one answered him. The only replies were frightened shakes of the head and tearful confusion.Thorne growled under his breath, his eyes scanning the burning mess. His security was too thin and sloppy. Even though th
Raphael sat on the cold floor of the cell beneath Matteo’s mansion with his back against the wall and his eyes half-closed. His body still ached and the wounds on his side were raw and slow to heal thanks to the wolfsbane in the pit. The pain had dulled, but it was still there, throbbing, steady and annoying.“Hey,” the rough-looking man in the next cell said as he leaned against the bars in a cocky voice. “They say you’re the next Alpha of Ashen Pack. Put in a good word for me with Matteo, yeah? I’ll join your pack, follow you anywhere, the works.”Raphael didn’t respond. He barely looked up as he wasn’t in the mood.The man scowled when he got no response. Too good to talk to me, huh?” he muttered. “Actin’ like a prince when you’re locked in a dungeon.” He spat, the glob of spit landing just inches away from Raphael’s boot.Still, Raphael didn’t move. His focus stayed on his side, watching the wound throb slightly with every breath he took.He started to doubt if coming to Alpha Mat
Thorne’s massive black wolf clashed with the white one, their growls shaking the quiet woods as they snapped and scraped at each other. They broke apart, circling each other, both ready to kill.Before either of them could lunge again, a voice yelled out. “Ragnar!” Kaya shouted as she burst into the clearing with panic all over her face.Ember’s heart skipped and her eyes darted to the white wolf... realizing…“Wait…” she murmured, “That’s Ragnar…”She didn’t stop to think and she rushed toward them, throwing her arms out. “Stop! Both of you!”The black wolf that was Thorne skidded to a halt, baring his teeth. The white wolf growled, his chest rising and falling in heavy breaths.“He’s with us,” Ember said quickly, her eyes on Thorne. “Ragnar’s one of us. He’s not the enemy.”Ragnar growled through the mind-link, his voice rough and angry in her head.“He’s always been the enemy. I came here to kill him.”Thorne responded just as coldly.“You can try. Everyone who’s ever wanted a pie
“I’m going outside to get some air,” Ember muttered.Caden just nodded, already sinking back onto the edge of the bed, his eyes never leaving Stella’s face.Ember made her way down the stairs as the house buzzed with activity all around her. Hammers tapped, brushes sweeping, voices murmuring all around the house. She passed the workers, each one pausing to bow slightly or nod at her.The hallway no longer looked like abandonment. The cobwebs were gone, the heavy smell of dust had been replaced with clean air and the faint scent of polish. The faded wallpapers had been stripped and replaced with colors that glowed warmly under the light streaming through the lamps. It was becoming a home again. She was the Luna of Thorne Maddox’s pack. That truth echoed in her head with a weight she could finally carry, and she was carrying his child. And despite all his scars and all their disagreements, Thorne had ordered this house to be rebuilt and had stationed guards to protect her, he had exten
Ember watched from the far side of the room as Caden pressed his palm to Stella’s forehead. His expression was grim, and his shoulders dropped in sadness.“She’s not burning up,” he said, “she’s healing fine… just still out cold.”Probably from the trauma, Ember thought, but she didn’t say it out loud. Stella’s lashes twitched a little but her face was slack. Ragnar sat on one of the narrow beds with his legs spread and his hands clenched. The big room was starting to feel like a den, her mother’s corner armchair, Caden kneeling beside Stella sleeping, Ragnar barely holding it together, and her, watching it all. The builders hadn’t finished the left wing they started with so for now, the master bedroom was all they had.Ragnar’s voice broke the silence. “Where’s Kaya?”“She’s okay,” Ember said. “She’s healed completely. But she wasn’t here when we brought you two in. She probably went out for a run or something.”He didn’t say anything, he just gave her a stiff nod and stared down at
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Komen