TWO 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 ti
Ember’s POV Living in Alpha Thorne’s territory has its advantages. It was so big that I rarely had to worry about crossing paths with him, and It was my intention to keep it that way. The last thing I needed was for him to discover I was the daughter of his old rival. If he ever figured that out, I had no doubt my days would end in misery, or worse. My duties here are simple, cleaning the servants quarters and attending to the decorative flowers and trees scattered across the estate. The gardens were beautiful, a harsh contrast to the tough reality of life in this place. They reminded me of home, though that memory was fading faster than I cared to admit to myself. Kaya, of course, never left my side and I suspected her loyalty wasn’t entirely selfless. As a human among wolves, she counted on me for protection. The other werewolves in the servants camp could be brutal, and my presence kept them at bay. Not that I minded though, having someone to talk to kept the loneliness from swal
Thorne’s POV Being Alpha sure has its perks, but to ensure my lifespan in the game, I’ve had to master the art of discipline. Sometimes, that means ignoring sweet temptations that are dangled just within my reach. My latest temptation? Luna Serene, the mate to Alpha Matteo, who was my long time business rival. Matteo hated me, It wasn’t personal, not at first anyway. He despised how I kept expanding all my businesses, swallowing territories, and, unintentionally, his dreams and aspirations. The man was ambitious but clueless when it came to strategies. His wife, however, was the real mastermind, Serene’s sharp mind and sharp tongue often compensated for Matteo’s shortcomings, which was why he had begun sending her to negotiate with me instead of showing up himself. But I wasn’t fooled, Matteo might be the Alpha of his pack, but Serene secretly ran the show. The first time Serene walked into my office, she was all poised and professional. Her dark hair pinned back in a tight bun, h
Ember‘s POV The young wolf at my feet lay still, his breaths shallow but steady, and i nudged him with my nose, taking in his scent. He wasn’t from the outsiders, at least, that much I was sure of. His fur was warm, soft, and smelled faintly of the earth, like he’d been hiding in the woods for hours. I bit down gently on the base of his neck, trying to lift him, but he was heavier than I expected. Too heavy for me to carry far. With no other choice, I began dragging him. My jaws ached from the effort, but I refused to let go. He was defenseless, and i needed to help him. Maybe it was the way he seemed so small, even in wolf form, or the quiet trust in the way he let me handle him. The snap of a twig froze me mid step. I dropped the young wolf and spun toward the sound, every muscle in my body tensed. The forest around us had gone unnaturally quiet. My ears twitched, searching for any hint of movement. Paws crunching leaves, faint but deliberate, my heart hammered in my chest, the i
Thorne’s POV As I ran through the woods by the northern border of my estate, the cold wind slicing through the trees, my thoughts raced faster than my paws. Matteo’s sudden interest in the borders of my land made little sense. Why now? And what role did Serene play in his schemes? She was cunning, far too cunning to be reduced to Matteo’s pawn, but her loyalties were as slippery as a rogue’s. Darius was close behind me, his gait steady despite the uneven terrain. I knew he had questions, he always did. But before I could focus on his unspoken concerns, something hit me, a scent so potent it froze me mid stride. I slowed, coming to an abrupt stop, my chest heaving. Darius caught up, looking confused. ‘What is it?’ he asked, but I barely heard him. The scent wrapped itself around me like a command, primal and impossible to ignore. My wolf surged forward, clawing at my restraint, driving me toward it. Electricity prickled under my skin, and before I knew it, I bolted, leaving Darius w
Third person pov Thorne staggered back into the mansion, the wound on his side still raw and bloody, the pain sharp enough to make him hiss with each step. His body was healing, but exhaustion slowed the process. His wolf was strong, but even he had limits, and tonight had pushed him close to breaking point. He grabbed a coat near the entrance, throwing it over his naked body as he shifted back to human, his movements stiff from the lingering pain. Darius followed closely behind, his expression grim as he took in Thorne’s state. “Alpha, let me summon the healers. You’re…” “No.” Thorne’s voice was sharp, cutting off any argument. “I’ll handle it. Leave me.” “But, Alpha…” “I don’t need to repeat myself, Darius,” Thorne growled, his tone leaving no room for argument. He pressed a hand to his side, feeling the sticky warmth of blood against his fingers. Darius hesitated, and tilted his head. “The guards lost the prisoner,” he said. “Overpowered by rogues. But we’re already sweeping
The hard point of her nipple in his mouth stiffened him, sending sparks of desire from his groin all over his body. The weight of her whole breast pressed against his face, blocking his nose and forcing him to attempt to breathe with his mouth, which was filled with saliva. Serene threw her head back and moaned as Thorne sucked and bit into her nipple viciously, grinding her hips in taunting motions on his growing member. His eyes burned red with excitement as he grunted and grabbed her hair with his left hand, pulling her closer to him, he couldn’t have enough. Her sweet coy scent invaded his brain, and he grabbed her soft ass and met her grinding with his own upward thrusts. He was naked under the coat, and he swiftly pushed it to the side, exposing his cock. Serene gasped as he pushed upwards and into her roughly, encountering no resistance as her pussy was already soaking wet from anticipation. His hot pulsing cock invaded her insides, making her exclaim; “Mmhmmh! Oh my god…
In the chill dark of the night, the servants lit spaced, controlled fires and sat around them in cliques, speaking in hushed tones. Kaya, Raphael, and Ember sat around a small fire of their own. Ember stared off into the night, deep in thought, conflicted about the turn of events. Finding a mate had once been the least of her worries, now it was at the forefront. And of all people, it had to be Alpha Thorne, a ruthless, evil man. She knew little about his connection to her family, only that her father had died by his hands during an altercation over pack territory. Her mother never spoke much about it, but the resentment she harbored for Thorne ran deep. She had planned her revenge through her children, Caden and Ember. Except Ember didn’t care for revenge, she just wanted to live far away from all the politics and power plays. Caden was still too young, but she saw how their mother groomed him, feeding him stories to stoke and increase his hatred for Thorne. What would she think no
Ember was taken aback.Did he just say… mate? To who?Her wolf snarled violently at the silver wolf as he took a tentative step toward her. Her sneer meant ‘watch it.’But the silver wolf did not stop, he kept moving forward in slow, deliberate steps, sniffing the air like it intoxicated him. When he came within biting distance, Ember snapped her jaws at him in warning, but with lightning fast speed, he struck her muzzle with his huge paw. Ember recovered immediately and latched onto his leg, biting down with force until she tasted blood.Anger flashed in the silver wolf’s red eyes, and he barked, swiping at her again, this time with more force, sending her rolling away from the carriage.As Ember stood up, she saw him sniffing the back of the carriage where Kaya and her mother lay unconscious. The moment she rushed at him, his voice came into her head again, assertive, with a hint of warning.‘Mate.’Ember approached the carriage cautiously, her wolf still bristling. The silver wol
The night wind was cold, biting into Ember’s skin as she rode in the back of the carriage with Kaya, Luna Zyrah, and Raphael, while Caden sat at the front. They had taken blankets along, draping them over the sleeping women to protect them from the harsh cold.Ember was silent, trying her best to ignore the ache of the mate bond. It took every bit of her self-control not to shift into her wolf form and run back into Thorne’s arms. She had thought she was ready to leave him, but her wolf wanted otherwise. She whined and pawed at the edges of Ember’s mind, resurfacing every time Ember pushed her back into her subconscious.Raphael noticed. He contemplated asking her about it but wasn’t sure she would want to talk, especially with her brother at the front, who was obviously annoyed with the arrangement. Then, seeing her discomfort, he asked anyway.“Are you okay?” Raphael peered at her with concern.“Yeah,” Ember responded softly, her eyes never leaving the direction of Thorne’s mansio
Ember stared at Thorne defiantly, her chest rising and falling with pemt up rage. She had already checked out mentally, and being forced to stay in a place she didn’t want to be in was going to be hell.Thorne met her gaze with the same intensity, then he said something that stunned her.“If you leave this territory, make sure you never come back. My guards will tear you apart if you so much as step a foot in.” His voice was icy. He meant it.Ember was at a loss for words. She had been ready to fight for her right to leave, not for him to cut her off completely. Before she could respond, Thorne waved a hand at his guards. They released Caden immediately, the chains clattering to the floor as he stood up, glaring at Thorne.“Let’s go get our mother, Ember,” Caden said, grabbing her arm and leading her out the door. Her gaze locked with Thorne’s until they stepped into the hallway, the mate bond thumping in her chest.Caden walked briskly, like he already knew where their mother was, he
Ember sat on her vanity, running a brush through her hair when she felt it, a sudden feeling of high alert. She peered around the room as though someone was hiding in the shadows, watching her.Before she could react to the sinking feeling in her chest, she heard a loud crash. It sounded like it came from Thorne’s wing. Maybe he was having a tantrum, who knew what had angered him this time. She was about to continue preparing for bed when she heard muffled snarls and more crashing.She stood up immediately, moving to her window. Some guards in the courtyard were racing into the mansion amidst the growling and crashing coming from Thorne’s room.The mate bond tugged at her, and before she knew it, she found herself running out of her room toward Thorne’s wing, her heart pounding, different scenarios playing in her head. What if they were under attack?Before she reached his door, more than five guards rushed ahead of her, storming inside to the sounds of shifting bodies, more growlin
Caden stealthily moved through the darkness, his footsteps light against the damp earth. The towering walls of Thorne’s estate loomed ahead, but he didn’t slow down. He had one goal, to put an end to the monster who had taken his mother captive.Matteo’s words rang in his head, “Thorne has her. If you want to save her, you know what to do.”His fingers curled into fists as he lept, gripping the rough stone of the wall. It wasn’t easy, but years of training made it possible. He scaled it swiftly, dropping onto the other side without a sound. The mansion was ahead, bathed in soft moonlight, and he could see the large balcony that led straight to Thorne’s bedroom.Caden took his time getting there, making sure no guards were in sight. When he reached the balcony, he tested the glass door. It was locked.No problem.He pulled a small blade from his pocket, he wedged it into the gap between the door and the frame, twisting until he heard a soft click. The lock gave wa
Ember sat by Kaya’s side in the pack clinic, running her fingers through her short blond hair. Kaya had never spoken about it outright, but Ember knew how attached she had been to her hair. It was the one thing that made Kaya feel unique in a world of fantasy and powerful beings, it had made her feel special and distinguished. Long and thick enough to turn heads, it shone in the sun like it had a life of its own.And Darius had ruthlessly taken it from her. Ember scowled at the thought of him, barely containing her anger. She couldn’t wait to witness his end. He was going to pay for his crimes against her family, people like him always got their karma in the end.Kaya’s fingers twitched slightly, drawing Ember closer to the bed.“I’m here. You’re okay,” Ember whispered, tracing the side of her face. “Wake up soon so you can recover and become a wolf like your parents always wanted.”Ember thought about what the nurse had said and couldn’t understand why Kaya, or anyone, for that matte
Caden walked into Alpha Matteo’s office. The space was grand, filled with sculptures and plaques, reflecting Matteo’s obsession with making an impression. He had been training relentlessly every day, honing his stealth and fighting skills, waiting for the day Matteo would summon him with the news he so desperately wanted to hear, the mission on Thorne. Although he itched to march down to Thorne’s territory and engage him in battle to avenge his father, he respected Matteo’s decision to observe the coast first. Matteo was seated in his black, plush office chair, a thick, lit cigar in hand. As he heard Caden enter, he turned his head to regard him but burst into a coughing fit, the smoke evidently getting into his lungs. “Alpha,” Caden said, bowing in respect. “Caden, boy,” Matteo rasped in the middle of his coughing fit. Caden waited patiently as Matteo grabbed his cup of whiskey, downing it in one loud gulp to soothe his throat. “I’ve seen you training tirelessly, boy,” Matteo sai
Warning: This content contains mature themes and material intended for adult audiences. Viewer/reader discretion is advised. “Where the hell have you been?” Serene asked, her voice barely containing her anger. “You left me all alone in this wretched place for three days!” Darius didn’t respond. He walked into the inn room, brushing past Serene, who was holding the door open. “Well?!” she yelled again, following him with her arms crossed over her chest. “You’re disgusted by me, aren’t you? So I thought to give you some space. And I needed the air,” Darius said flatly. He took off his shirt, the fabric soiled with grime and mud. “You were taking air for three days?!” Darius ignored her. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Serene stomped over and tried to open it, but he had bolted it from inside. “Open the damned door, Darius!” she screamed, pounding her fists against the wood. “Ugh!” she yelled in frustration. Inside the bathroom, Darius sighed as he washed himself. W
Thorne drafted out the notice in his office. It was to be delivered to the soldiers quarters concerning his need for a new beta. A date would be set, and all the interested wolves would attend, sparring against each other until the winners from each group competed for a chance to be trained personally by him. Then he would choose a beta from them within a month after judging their skills in combat and delegated leadership. After penning down the last sentence and stamping the document, he sighed, having accomplished that task. “Jameson,” he called, and his office door opened as one of his guards answered. The guard marched toward his outstretched hand and bowed sharply before taking the envelope. “Deliver this to the Captain of the Guard. I expect the preparations to commence as soon as possible.” “Yes, Alpha,” Jameson said, bowing again before leaving the office. Thorne sighed again. There was only one name on his mind. Ember. But he wasn’t ready. Not yet. He wasn’t ready for