A week later, 1500 citizens from the three other kingdoms arrived in Noctis Vhaelor. I stood by the window, watching them flood the streets as they were ushered in, their heads down, movements slow. I didn’t know why I was looking so closely. It wasn’t like I was going to recognize anyone. I’d grown up surrounded by Alphas, warriors, and councilmen. The ones sent here? Likely omegas, nameless and discarded by their own people. Still, I couldn’t stop watching. Maybe some foolish part of me hoped to see a familiar face. A glimpse of home—whatever that meant now. Behind me, Calix was still asleep. Sharing a room with him was a nightmare dressed as luxury. The bed was massive, the sheets like velvet, and the view divine—but I was trapped. Caged in a golden chamber I couldn’t leave. He slept during the day, like now, sprawled out with his hair a mess, face calm, runes glowing faintly along his arms and collarbone. And then at night, he disappeared. Duties, he said. Royal business. No
“Come down, little wolf,” Calix said, eyes never leaving mine as I struggled to get my magic under control. Reluctantly, I began to descend the stairs. My fingers were still tingling, shadows still retreating beneath my skin like ink pulled back into a quill. Each step felt heavier than the last. At the foot of the stairs, I stopped. “Come closer,” he said. I did. Step by step. Until I stood in front of both princes. No one spoke. Lorcan stared openly, his eyes gleaming as they traced the faint glow of runes flashing along my collarbone and arms. “I’m very sure that decades from now, they’ll write a song about you, Lyric,” Lorcan said. “A wolf with magical powers.” Calix hissed a spell under his breath, and immediately, the glow vanished. He stood slowly, body taut with tension. “We’re all going to agree right now that this never happened,” he said, glaring at Lorcan. “What part?” Lorcan asked innocently. “That your mate didn’t try to kill our father, or that she has magical
[[The Northern Kingdom of Velmira. Home of Wolf Shifters]]***~~PRINCESS LYRIC VAELGOR~~***The happiest day of my life was supposed to be my wedding day.Or so I thought.I was glowing with joy, counting down the minutes until I became Jorath Dainvale's wife—the Beta's son, my perfect match. I couldn't wait one more second, couldn't wait to stand before the world and vow myself to him forever.What I didn't know, however, was that I’d be walking into a trap, that I’d be betrayed by everyone I loved that day."Where are we going, Uncle?" I asked.My uncle, Alpha Tiberan Vaelgor, the Alpha Regent of our pack, was leading me away from the castle gates and into the woods. “To meet your groom, Lyric,” he replied."Do we have to walk this far? I'm tired, and these shoes are killing me.”"Be patient, Lyric. You'll be with him soon enough."I'd been awake since dawn, enduring hours of preparation—servants scrubbing my skin until it gleamed, arranging my hair with moonstone beads, paintin
Jorath stared at me as if I were a stranger, his eyes cold and distant. "Don't beg," Mae sneered. "It makes you look pathetic." Tears burned in my eyes. "You're my blood. How could you do this to me? How could you betray me like this? I trusted you all." No one answered. At that moment, the clearing began to grow colder. Much colder. A sound filled the air—like the beating of a thousand wings. "They're here, Alpha," one of the guards announced, his voice tight with fear. I forced my head up, looking to the sky, and what I saw made my blood freeze in my veins. Descending through the canopy were about ten winged figures, their massive wings blotting out the moonlight. Everyone around me was backing away. Of course they were. You'd be a fool not to fear the Khra'gixx, tribrid creatures born from the unholy union of vampires, shadow wraiths, and demons. They ruled over all four kingdoms of the world. They'd built their kingdom, Noctis Vhaelor, offshore on the
*** ~~PRINCE CALIX MALZARETH~~ *** I thought werewolves were supposed to be a lot tougher than this. The red-haired princess lay sprawled in the dirt, her wedding gown torn and filthy, begging me to take her life. “Please, Lord Calix. Kill me.” My men stood in a loose formation behind me, silent, waiting. I stared at her. I could smell her. It wasn’t just the usual earthy, musky scent of wolves. No, this was different. Warmer. Spiced. Like smoked honey and crushed oranges. A scent that shouldn’t exist. I knew what it was, but I’d be damned if I admitted it to myself. It was impossible. Khra'gixxes didn't mate with werewolves. I should probably just snap her neck, leave her in this forest to rot. It was kinder. Better than whatever awaited her in my court. But I wasn’t kind. And I was weirdly fascinated by her. I sighed, standing up. “Bring the wolf to her feet and take off her collar,” I commanded. Two of my men stepped forward, gripping her arms,
***~~LYRIC VAELGOR~~***Prince Calix wasn't kidding when he said I couldn't escape from this place.I’d wondered why none of his guards moved a muscle to stop me when I took off a few minutes after he left.But I got it now.They'd enchanted the place. I’d been running around in circles and getting nowhere. Every time I reached a certain distance, it was like I hit a wall. Until I finally found the river.Calix was staring in my direction, naked from the waist up. His bottom half was submerged in the water. His wings were nowhere in sight.“Come out, little wolf,” he said.Oryx, my wolf, let out a deep growl inside my head. ‘Mate.’Not this again. ‘Shut up, Oryx.’It had to be the aftereffects of the wolfsbane messing with Oryx’s head. There was no other explanation. No way was this creature my mate. My kind had legends about the Khra’gixx, and not a single one ended well for a wolf.I stepped out from behind the tree, my bare feet making no sound against the damp earth.“You foll
*** ~~CALIX MALZARETH~~ *** The little wolf's blood ignited something inside me that had been dead for years now, my ability to fully shift into Tai, my inner demon. A lot of people in the other kingdoms didn't know this, but the Khra'gixxes were getting weaker. Our shadow magic, our shifting ability, they were no longer what they used to be. And then there was the infertility issue. Pregnant Khra'gixxian women were becoming a rarity. I hadn't had an erection in months. But now, just one taste of Lyric's blood, and Tai was seconds away from ripping my skin apart just to get more of the wolf. ‘Let me out,’ he said. ‘No. You'll tear her apart.’ ‘Let me have her, Calix. Let me mark her.’ ‘No way.’ The words I said to Tai were more for myself than for Tai. After all, I was the one feeding him my emotions, my hunger, my lust. If I let myself go, I’d not stop feeding from her until I drained her. “What do you mean I’m not just a wolf?” Lyric said. “I grew up in Velmira
*** ~~LYRIC VAELGOR~~ *** “Aren’t you supposed to know everything your inner self does?” I said to Prince Calix, watching him through narrowed eyes. “You’re one, aren’t you? You and Tai. Same soul, same body.” He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he unfolded those ridiculous wings from around us, and the second they slipped off my body, I hated how cold I felt. My traitorous body missed the warmth. The security. The illusion of something safe even though I knew damn well there was nothing safe about Calix Malzareth. He rose from the bed, and only then did I get a good look at what had been poking into my thighs for the better part of the day. Oh. Well. My gaze was locked on the prominent organ hanging stiffly in between his legs. Calix caught me looking and immediately turned away, muttering something profane under his breath as he stomped toward a leather bag in the corner. I didn’t look away. Not immediately. He dug through the bag, pulling out fresh clothes. Tai had abso
“Come down, little wolf,” Calix said, eyes never leaving mine as I struggled to get my magic under control. Reluctantly, I began to descend the stairs. My fingers were still tingling, shadows still retreating beneath my skin like ink pulled back into a quill. Each step felt heavier than the last. At the foot of the stairs, I stopped. “Come closer,” he said. I did. Step by step. Until I stood in front of both princes. No one spoke. Lorcan stared openly, his eyes gleaming as they traced the faint glow of runes flashing along my collarbone and arms. “I’m very sure that decades from now, they’ll write a song about you, Lyric,” Lorcan said. “A wolf with magical powers.” Calix hissed a spell under his breath, and immediately, the glow vanished. He stood slowly, body taut with tension. “We’re all going to agree right now that this never happened,” he said, glaring at Lorcan. “What part?” Lorcan asked innocently. “That your mate didn’t try to kill our father, or that she has magical
A week later, 1500 citizens from the three other kingdoms arrived in Noctis Vhaelor. I stood by the window, watching them flood the streets as they were ushered in, their heads down, movements slow. I didn’t know why I was looking so closely. It wasn’t like I was going to recognize anyone. I’d grown up surrounded by Alphas, warriors, and councilmen. The ones sent here? Likely omegas, nameless and discarded by their own people. Still, I couldn’t stop watching. Maybe some foolish part of me hoped to see a familiar face. A glimpse of home—whatever that meant now. Behind me, Calix was still asleep. Sharing a room with him was a nightmare dressed as luxury. The bed was massive, the sheets like velvet, and the view divine—but I was trapped. Caged in a golden chamber I couldn’t leave. He slept during the day, like now, sprawled out with his hair a mess, face calm, runes glowing faintly along his arms and collarbone. And then at night, he disappeared. Duties, he said. Royal business. No
The king's stare bored into me. "You’re telling me," he said, voice like ice breaking under pressure, "that she is the child of the monster who killed my wife." Was he forgetting the part where he killed my parents? My throat tightened. Not with fear. With rage. His wife? What about my mother? What about my father? The thousands of soldiers who died on that field? The people who lost their mates, their siblings, their children? All because King Draekor couldn’t accept that the other kingdoms wanted independence. All because the Khra’gixx believed they were owed everything. The kingdoms were never meant to bow to one throne. Each was meant to be independent. That was the point of the division. But the Khra’gixx… they hardly produced anything. They had very few farmlands, fishing waters, and mines. Just magic. Power. And the arrogance that came with both. So they leached from the rest of us. They didn’t ask. That wasn’t their custom. They demanded. Took. Enforced monthly tribute
*** ~~LYRIC VAELGOR~~ *** After catching my breath and looking presentable enough to leave the room—or as presentable as a lady could look in a guard's cloak—we were finally heading out. Calix helped tie the cloak tighter around my waist, his fingers brushing my skin with every knot. He didn’t look at me much while doing it, but I knew his attention was on me the entire time. Every time our eyes did meet, something passed between us. I had no idea what awaited us outside this room. But I braced myself for it. Calix moved toward the door and opened it. Two figures stood behind it. Revka, lounging against the stone wall like she’d been waiting forever, a sly grin twisting her mouth. And beside her— King Draekor. He looked different. Younger. His hair, though still silvering at the temples, was thicker. His skin less sallow. He looked rested, powerful. Calix stepped in front of me immediately, blocking me from view. "Father." The king stared at us for a moment. His eyes w
I started removing my clothes. Her eyes followed every piece of fabric I peeled away. She swallowed when my cock sprang free—hard and waiting. “The bond makes you mine,” I said. “And it makes me want to fuck you every time I see you.” “It would be in both our interests if you resisted that urge. We have other things to worry about.” I climbed onto the bed. She jumped off the other side. “What other things?” “Your father, probably in the next room?” “Good,” I said. “Let him hear me reclaim what’s mine.” She ran. I jumped down and caught her in three steps. Lifted her off the floor like she weighed nothing. “Why do you run from me when you want this?” I growled. “I don’t—” I shoved her against the wall. My fingers found her slick heat. “Then why are you moist?” “Sometimes women just are.” I grinned. “Here’s what you’re going to do for me, Princess. You’re going to scream when I fuck you. I want the entire palace to hear my name on your lips. Let them know who you belong t
*** ~~CALIX MALZARETH~~ *** I wasn’t sure what my father’s plan entailed, but it definitely didn't involve keeping me away from Lyric. From the moment I stepped into the palace, the guards had been oddly compliant—open with their words, clear in their directions. They told me exactly where she was. No stalling. No resistance. Just a quick escort to the room right beside the king’s. That alone made me suspicious. My father never gave anything away so easily. And when things were too easy, it usually meant something was deeply, violently wrong. I had braced myself for a fight. Had imagined breaking down doors, threatening whoever I had to in order to get her back. Lyta, Snaky, and Tundra had flown into my quarters breathless and wild-eyed, yelling about how the guards had taken Lyric. That was all I needed to hear. I didn’t trust my father. Not with her. Not with anything. The guards opened the door to the room beside the king’s chambers, and there she was—sitting on a low bed
My fists clenched under the table. I willed myself not to react. This man—this king—was dangerous. And not just in title. His presence alone felt like a suffocating blanket of pressure, like being trapped beneath a thick layer of shadow. He’d just threatened to turn me into a whore. And the terrifying part was—he could. The law said a royal’s mate couldn’t be executed. It didn’t say anything about everything else. I had to stay smart. I had to play the game. I forced my pulse to slow. Tried to remember everything I’d learned in those negotiation classes growing up. Back when I was being groomed for leadership. Back when I still had a name I could wear out loud. The king hadn’t stopped frowning. His eyes were sharp and cold. They watched everything—the tension in my shoulders, the way I breathed, even the twitch of my fingers. He was reading me. I sat up straighter. Let my voice drop. “Your Majesty,” I said, “I do not want to die.” “The options I gave you were sever the bond o
“They weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow,” Lyta said. “What changed?” Snaky, who was now sitting on a tree root, replied, “Because the king tricked the prince. He knew he’d try to hide her.” At least two dozen royal guards descended in a tight formation, their faces masked. Tundra leaned close to Lyta. “How the hell did they find us anyway?” “Think they followed us,” Lyta replied through gritted teeth. “They knew we’d lead them to Lyric.” The wind rustled across my bare skin. I was still naked from my shift. The ground was cold. My limbs ached. And yet, I stood tall, letting the guards currently landing on their feet take in the sight of me. One of them—older, broader, meaner—the one who landed first, was eyeing me curiously. His armor shimmered with rank. Captain, maybe. His eyes swept over me, pausing right below my bellybutton. I saw it in his jaw. The twitch. The hunger. The hate. I walked toward him slowly. “Are you the prince’s mate?” he asked. I cocked my head.
The silence after my outburst was deafening. Twelve of the most powerful beings in Noctis Vhaelor sat frozen in their seats. Every eye turned toward me—and none of them looked amused. And yet, I didn’t regret it. I’d do it again. Every word, every threat, every warning that had slipped past my lips, I meant. No one would feed from her. No one would touch her. I could still feel Lyric’s pulse under my tongue. Still smell her sweat. Her blood. Her pleasure. It coated me. It marked me. And the thought of someone else experiencing that was making me and Tai murderous. “What did you say?” Councilman Yai asked, breaking the silence. “I believe the words were clear, councilman.” “Your mate,” someone repeated. “He said she’s his mate.” “You can’t bind yourself to a wolf,” another councilman snapped. “It’s not possible.” “That’s unnatural,” one of the healers muttered. “Wrong.” More voices rose. “Madness—” “Sacrilege—” I didn’t move. I didn’t flinch. I just k