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Chapter 12

Penulis: Steph Starry
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-02-09 03:14:23
Throughout the afternoon in his office, Ember never left his mind as he sifted through his accounts. His thoughts kept drifting, recalling the softness of her hair beneath all the grime, her defiant spirit, and the way she stood her ground against him without a hint of fear.

When he told her he hit women, he hadn’t meant it, he only wanted to scare her into submission. But instead of breaking her, it had only fueled her anger. He sighed. The last thing he needed right now was this kind of distraction, not with Matteo breathing down his neck and moving sneakily within his territory.

The last time he had seen Matteo was during the ‘cleansing’. That’s what he called it, the night he annihilated the rogue packs that had betrayed their cause.

Ten years ago, he and three other alphas; Matteo of Silvercrest, Hale of Bloodveil, and the leader of Ashen Pack, had agreed to form a union, merging their resources while maintaining their independence. Together, they flourished for six years, thei
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  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 13

    Serene paced the room, her fists tightening with each step. She thought she had gotten to Thorne after their passionate night, yet he still didn’t trust her. She couldn’t blame him though. Who would trust a cheating Luna? She stormed over to the bed and collapsed onto it, muffling a scream into the mattress as she hit the foam with her fists in frustration. When the fit passed, she sat up, smoothing down her hair while collecting herself. Thorne’s new mate lingered in her mind. Who was she? Was she here, in the mansion, right now? What kind of woman had fate dared to pair him with? Her carefully formed plans would unravel if she didn’t take care of this huge problem. But why had Thorne slept with her if he already had a mate? Could it be that he didn’t want his mate? If that was the case, then fate was on her side. She smiled. Returning to Matteo was out of the question as she had siphoned a generous portion of his wealth for herself, ensuring she could leave him when the time was r

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-10
  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 14

    Thorne stood on the rooftop of his mansion with a drink in hand, his gaze sweeping over the horizon where his territory stretched. He had summoned Darius, his chief enforcer, and sentinel, to take a direct approach to the issue of Matteo’s encroachment on his territory. The door to the terrace opened, and Darius stepped forward. “The men are in the boardroom, awaiting your arrival, Alpha,” Darius announced, looking at Thorne’s back. “Thank you. I proposed this meeting because I have an idea, one that can solve two problems with one stone,” Thorne said, taking a sip of his drink. He stepped off the edge of the terrace and turned to face Darius. “Aren’t you curious? You haven’t asked me what the plan is,” he remarked. Darius met his eyes and said, “Of course I am. Tensions have been brewing long enough, but I gave you your space because I know you like to think.” “You’re right about that,” Thorne said. “I’m going to invite Matteo over, to smooth things out and make him take Seren

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-11
  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 15

    Ember walked briskly toward the towering gates that led out of the mansion, holding her long dress up with her hands. Her heart pounding with anxiety and urgency. She needed to check on Kaya and Raphael, they had to be worried sick. Ever since she was taken from the servants quarters, she hadn’t heard from them, not a single word. She couldn’t hear from them. The servants who lived outside the mansion in the camps and lower quarters, were forbidden from entering the estate. Thorne’s rule, punishable by death. Only a few, who were deemed exemplary in both conduct and duties, were sometimes promoted to serve within the mansion. But it took years, and the chances were slim unless they had connections or a direct pardon from the Alpha himself. The only reason she had been allowed within these walls was because of the mate bond, that bitter truth sat heavy in her chest. As Ember reached the massive iron gates, two guards immediately stepped forward toward her, blocking her path. “Where

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-12
  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 16

    Thorne was torn, his mind a raging battlefield. He cursed his wolf under his breath for distracting him so much. Her scent was overwhelming, amplified by the mate bond, it saturated his office, tickling his chest like the fingers of a seductive wraith. Her beauty took him aback, it was the first time he had seen her cleaned up and dressed up properly. But that didn’t change the fact that she was a mere servant, and an insolent one at that. ’Mark her‘, his wolf insisted. But this was not the time. He needed to address her ridiculous request first. “How do you think that would make me look?” he asked, sitting up in his chair, rubbing his hands together. “The Alpha’s mate, frolicking with servants?” Ember straightened, no doubt trying to look taller, hiding her nerves with false confidence. “I don’t intend to frolic,” she countered. “I just want to see my friends. Ever since I was rudely taken from the camps, they don’t know my state of being so they must be worried…” “Then let the

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-13
  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 17

    What just happened? Ember asked herself, her wolf whining and whimpering in her head, just as shocked as she was. She felt so dirty and used. Still on the floor, tears streamed down her face as she stared at the door in disbelief. She raised her trembling hand to her throat, rubbing it tenderly. It hurt so much from his assault. She couldn’t believe fate had mated her to such an evil creature. He hadn’t cared that he hurt her, he had only wanted his own pleasure at her expense. Shame burned through her as she choked back heavy sobs, sniffing and dabbing at her face with her dress. After a while, she pushed herself up from the floor, her gaze sweeping across the office. She could trash it. Or better still, burn it all to the ground. The thought of setting the whole mansion on fire made her heart beat with excitement, but she forced a deep breath and quelled her arsonous urge. Maybe something in this office could help her. She walked to the towering shelves lined with neatly arrang

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-14
  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 18

    “Thorne, knowing me, would I ever orchestrate such a foolish errand?” Matteo asked with confusion. “I only found out a day after it happened. The ringleader informed me they had received an anonymous tip claiming you were holding my wife… my Luna… hostage.” Thorne cocked a brow, unimpressed. “See? I was just as surprised,” Matteo continued. “I knew you would never do that, so I reprimanded all involved, but I couldn’t get to the bottom of it.” He tapped his leg absentmindedly. “Serene and I had a little lover’s argument, so I wasn’t surprised when she stormed off on ‘business’ and didn’t return. I knew she was doing it to spite me, and out of pride I didn’t care to reach out.” Thorne leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. “Are you saying you never sent her to negotiate a land lease with me?” “Land lease?!” Matteo snorted. “She asked me for ten acres to farm psychedelics and wolfsbane, which I refused. She likes to dabble in dangerous things, that was the cause of our fight

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15
  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 19

    That night, Ember woke from her evening nap, her face still damp from crying herself to sleep. The moonlight shone through the open window, casting a soft glow over her prone form. She looked at it and marveled. It’s so beautiful, she thought. Suddenly, she got the urge to run with her wolf. It had been a while since she’d freed her wolf. She still wanted to check on her friends in the camp, and she’d be damned if she let Thorne and his lackeys stand in her way. She refused to be held prisoner. Slipping quietly out of bed, she pulled on a thick, hooded dark coat. The house was quiet and almost empty, except for a few staff members still moving around. She stealthily avoided their path, keeping attention away from herself, and moved toward the back door. At the back door, she found a pile of concrete blocks left over from a formerly completed structure. She took off her coat and hid it behind the pile, so she could put it back on when she returned from her run. She stood in the back

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15
  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 20

    Ember bounded through the woods, her paws barely touching the ground. Being a wolf was the best thing ever! She felt free and unburdened, open and in sync with the moon. She took short breaks to sniff around, enjoying the full experience. Once she got to the edge of the clearing that lead to the servant camp, she crouched in the bushes, watching the guards who now carried weapons after the last breach. The breach when she met Thorne. She shook her head, expelling any thoughts of him. He was a sick, evil man unworthy of her attention. She stalked the length of the clearing, waiting to see either Kaya or Raphael. Her patience was rewarded when she spotted Kaya coming out of the opposite end of the woods, with Raphael in his wolf form. Just as Ember was about to step out of the clearing, she heard a deep, low growl behind her. ***** Thorne had immediately known Ember had found a way to sneak out of the mansion’s premises. The look in her eyes when he refused her request was one of

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-15

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  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 87

    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

  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 86

    “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

  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 85

    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

  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 84

    The night was silent, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of crickets. Moonlight slipped through the dense canopy of the trees above, casting shadows over the forest floor where the eight men moved like ghosts, silently and focused.Darius kept his eyes ahead and his senses sharp. Every step brought them closer to the edge of Thorne’s estate. The tall walls of stone loomed in the distance, partially covered by wild vines and the mist.Collin crouched ahead of them, and raised one hand as a signal.Darius stepped forward and joined him, crouching beside him in the bushes. Collin’s breath steamed slightly in the cool night as he leaned in towards him.“We can get in without much trouble,” he whispered. “Security is even more lighter than we expected.”Darius gave him a curt nod that confirmed that he’d heard. Bloodveil had drawn Thorne’s attention and he had left his home vulnerable.Collin looked over his shoulder at the men behind them, then turned back

  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 83

    Darius watched as Collin spat out a thick glob of blood, then he laughed… actually laughed, and slapped his thighs like it was all a joke.“I can’t believe she escaped before I ever got a taste,” Collin said like it was nothing. Stella had nearly died.Disgust crawled under Darius’s skin, but he kept his expression flat. He reminded himself for the hundredth time that he needed Collin. At least until Thorne was dead. After that, they’d never have to cross paths again.The air still smelled like blood, and the clearing was eerily silent now that the chaos had ended. Ragnar had fought like a possessed man, pummeling Collin to the edge of death before scooping his unconscious sister into his arms and walking away without a word. Back to Bloodveil, no doubt.Collin spat again then rolled his shoulders as his body continued the process of healing. Flesh stitched itself together where Ragnar’s claws had torn into his ribs.He’d taken damage, but he’d given it too. It had been a dirty fight

  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 82

    Luna Zyrah stood from her bed, her robe brushing against the stone floor as she walked over to Kaya’s corner. Kaya sat curled up by the window, staring blankly at the wall like it held all the answers to her pain.“How long do you plan to sulk?” Luna Zyrah asked with her arms crossed. “Shouldn’t you be preparing to meet your mate? The one who saved your life?”Kaya didn’t move or blink. “I asked you a question,” Zyrah said, her voice tight. “When I speak to you, you answer.”“I’m not one of your wolves,” Kaya said flatly. “You’re not my Luna. I don’t belong to anyone.”Luna Zyrah’s hand lifted like she meant to slap her across the face.“Mother,” Ember’s voice cut through the air, sharp and calm all at the same time.Zyrah froze mid-motion. She didn’t look back at Ember, she just exhaled sharply through her nose and stormed out of the room, robes flaring behind her.Ember crossed the room with slow, careful steps, like she wasn’t sure Kaya would even tolerate her presence.“You shoul

  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 81

    Raphael opened his eyes slowly, blinking up at the sky above. His vision was blurry at first, but when it cleared, all he could see were branches leaning over the edge of a pit. Cold air brushed against his skin, and his whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck.He tried to sit up and winced. His back ached, and his legs hurt even more. He glanced down and realized one ankle was swollen. Definitely twisted, maybe worse. The dirt beneath him was damp and cold, clinging to his clothes. He must’ve been lying there for a while.Right. The fall. He had been running. Everything came back in a slow, bitter wave.He had been running through the forest like a man with nowhere to go and everything to lose. Leaving Bloodveil, leaving Kaya, and Ember.Raphael let out a shaky breath and leaned his head back against the wall behind him. His heart didn’t ache like it had when he first saw Ragnar with Kaya, it burned. He hadn’t expected it. He’d always thought there was a chance, no matter how

  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 80

    Collin tilted his head towards Stella who was standing by the fire with her arms crossed, the glow danced across her soft features. “Have you ever seen anything finer than that?” he muttered, nudging Darius with his elbow, his eyes locked on her like he hadn’t eaten in days and she was the main course. “Sexy as hell, isn’t she?”Darius smiled but he didn’t say a word.Collin scoffed. “What a waste though. Mated to a scrawny teenage boy who has probably never even seen a woman naked.”Darius gave a lazy shrug and let his gaze wander to the trees. “When are you making your move?”Collin blinked. “On?”“Thorne,” Darius said plainly, his tone shifting. “Before he picks a beta. Once he does, his perimeter and security is going to get tighter. I’m running out of time.”That wiped the grin off Collin’s face. He straightened up, his shoulders rolling as his whole vibe turned serious. “What’s this really about? Why the obsession?”Darius didn’t answer right away. He rubbed the back of his nec

  • Alpha’s thirst for Ember    Chapter 79

    The room was quiet as Raphael, Ragnar, Caden, and Luna Zyrah all watched her, like the fate of the world depended on the words sitting heavy on her tongue. Ember swallowed, her throat was tight but she already knew the answer. She’d known it the second Ragnar helped them that night in the woods and from how he treated and protected his sister. But knowing didn’t make it easier.She didn’t want to hurt Raphael, not with the way his eyes were pleading and desperate and full of history she still didn’t understand. He was with Kaya when she had being taken to Thorne’s mansion and he no doubt protected her too.But this wasn’t about comfort or friendship, or even who came first. This was about who Kaya needed now.Ember shifted her gaze slowly, locking eyes with Raphael calmly despite the weight in her chest.“She’ll need someone strong,” she said quietly. “Someone who won’t hesitate in making decisions that’s best for her.”Then she turned to Ragnar.“It should be you. I’m trusting you to

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