I only nodded. This whole meeting with my mate wasn’t quite what I expected it to be. I thought it would’ve been more exciting, filled with passion and intensity.However, it has turned out to be quite awkward and cold.“well ill first have to pack my stuff,” I said.“no need. You can get new stuff,” he responded dismissively.“ok well, I can’t leave my mother alone,” I replied in the same tone.“I’m sure she can handle herself,” he said.His whole commanding and complete unsympathetic attitude was annoying me.“so what? I just leave my whole life behind and run off into the sunset with you?” I said coldly.His eyes met mine and I could see I was busy testing his patience.A grin formed on my lips, taunting him.He grabbed my wrist, fury that he was trying to control flooding his eyes.“we can do this the easy way or the hard way … mate,” he spat and I ripped my wrist from his grip.“I’m doing this my way.” I turned on my heel and walked down the sidewalk, heading towards home. I coul
We were driving for what felt like eons.I was still seated on his lap, as he had refused to let me get off.Growling and tightening his grip around my waist possessively, the road was very bumpy, making me move every now and again, causing a bulge to form just below me.And although I liked it. I wanted to create a space between us. I needed to look after my mother and be there by her side.She had gotten worse with each passing day. And I wouldn’t be able to juggle the royal duties and my mate and his needs along with that. My mother had no one else.It was always us against the world and here I am, trying to figure out how to get my mate to reject me.Suddenly, the car bounced as it went over a big hump in the road, making me bounce along with it.A growl of satisfaction escaped my mate’s lips and the bulge below me suddenly doubled in size, making me blush.“were here my king” the driver of the car said ripping me away from my thoughts.As I looked out the window, I saw the massiv
Andrew pov:The word that left her beautiful and succulent lips had stung me. I hated the effect she had on me. This little mate was my biggest weakness. I wished she felt the same way that I felt about her.The need for her.The want for her.The absolute craving for her.Her skin felt so warm and soft under my lips, making me want to explore more. Making me want to kiss every inch of her skin.Making her beg for me as my body begged for her. It took everything in me to break my lips away from her. To not just devour her now. But I needed her trust. I wanted her trust.As I smiled and waves at all the shifters that stood within the massive crowd that formed just below the steps of the castle. My loyal subjects, my own little pack.And although the entire kingdom was technically my pack, these were the ones in my inner circle.My true pack. The ones who would always see me as their alpha, no matter who ruled the kingdom. Just then, my beta mind linked me.“Andrew... Alpha henry is here
Alina’s Pov:I walked around the room in awe of its beauty. I then went to open up the closet door. And a smell hit me. It was that of another woman. Was I just another woman in his book? Was I just another conquest?As I looked around at the pieces of clothing hanging on either side of the walk-in closet.I came to realize that whichever woman was here before me had an expensive taste for clothing. I also saw that at least half the clothing still had their price tags on.I grabbed a dress that was absolutely beautiful. The Versace medusa draped dress in white. I held it in front of me as I looked in the mirror that hung at the end of the closet. Imagining myself in it.“I see you’ve made yourself at home.” Andrew’s voice broke my trance. I looked at him in the mirror as he walked closer to me.His hands wrapping around my waist. Playing along, I laid my head back onto his chest. Partly also the mate bond. A sit had become harder with each passing second to not give myself over to him
I Picked out a pair of dangling diamond earrings. As I put them on, I watched myself in the mirror.Doubt rising with in me.Was this the right thing to do?Could I honestly trust my mate?“Its definitely worth a shot.” Althea said.“have you seen that man? He’s definitely something I wouldn’t mind sinking my teeth into. I can only imagine his wolf is even more handsome.” I giggled at her statement.“If that’s possible,” I retorted. My mind wandering back to the car ride.“if what’s possible” Andrew said behind me, making me get a fright. Ripping me back to the present.A warmth suddenly spread across my cheeks, letting me know I’m blushing again. Something that seemed to become a normal event around him.“ohhh nothing, just me and my wolf talking.” I said, looking down at my hands. His index finger landed below my chin, lifting my head up to lock eyes with him.A grin so handsome and inviting dancing across his lips. “was it about me?” he asked, his eyes filled with lust and mischief
The restaurant was bathed in a cozy, soft light, giving off an air of refined sophistication with a warm, golden hue.The ceiling is adorned with gold leaf-shaped designs that create intricate moving patterns over velvet seats and dark walls.The soft jazz blends with whispered conversations. It all creating an intimate and almost secretive atmosphere.A subtle blend of smoke and spices filled the air, complemented by dim lighting that creates an aura of mystery. A spot where it feels like time stands still.At the front there was a massive frameless window that looked over the beautiful waterfall and lake that laid just below the cliff that the castle stood on.Andrew led me to a corner table right by the glass so i could have a better look. He sat on the side where the bookshelf was against the wall.“its beautiful” the words escaped my lips. “It is”Andrew pov:I watched as she fixed her dress that had ridden up during our kiss.The slit had ridden up dangerously high. Making me li
Alina’s pov:“I built this place after my father’s death,” he said, looking down at his hands, breaking eye contact.This was the first piece of information I got from him.To get to know him. He was opening up to me and I liked it. His father being dead was something everyone knew.He died six years ago when Andrew was sixteen due to a rogue attack at a mate ball.“I’m sorry,” I said, giving my condolences. He shook his head and chuckled.“My father was a d*ck, anyway”“I’m sorry,” I said again, and he my took my hands in his.“Please Alina, don’t pity me.” He said as softly as he could. Looking at me with begging eyes.I nodded, but it was hard. I knew his mother had passed away when he was very young.The reason for her death was hidden from the public.Many rumors began, but most believed that she died because of birth.“I built this place as my brief escape. And for a long time it was only mine. After a couple of years, I opened it up to the public. Since then. It has become the
We walked down many stairs. And although I was tired, adrenaline was pushing me forward.When we got to the bottom, we were right next to the waterfall. The sounds of the Forrest and the water falling were freeing.Andrew undressed and shifted first, revealing a beautiful black wolf that easily stood at 6 feet tall. And although the shifting was a painful process, he did it gracefully.“yummy” Althea said, looking through my eyes.I couldn’t help but giggle at her.“let me out,” she begged whilst I was still undressing.I could still see Andrew’s eyes locked on me, so I gestured for him to turn around.He rolled his eyes, but did as I asked. After I was undressed, I too shifted.When I was completely in my wolf's form, I howled for the first time in my life, not fearing to be spotted or hunted, and it felt sooo good. I could see that Andrew was in shock. Like he couldn’t get his eyes off me.Like I was one of the wonders of the world. I guess my wolf's form was something very few saw
The drive was suffocating.Alina sat across from me in the limo, staring out the window, avoiding my gaze. The air between us was thick with tension, the kind that settled deep in your bones and made it impossible to breathe.My mind was racing.She has a son.The thought was like a storm, relentless and impossible to ignore.My wolf had gone eerily silent. Something that rarely happened. Shadow was always growling, pacing, demanding I act. But now, he was just… waiting.That was never a good sign.I studied her from the corner of my eye. She looked small, fragile even, as she traced her fingers over the raindrops running down the glass. I knew that look. I had worn it once. The look of someone who had lost too much and was still expected to keep moving.I swallowed hard, then finally broke the silence.“So, you have a son?”I didn’t mean for it to come out the way it did. Rough. Pained. Like, something in my chest was twisting so tight it might snap.She flinched, barely, but enough
The second my lips met her skin, I felt her surrender all control.It was subtle. The smallest shift in her breath, the way her body melted into mine for a fraction of a second. But it was enough. Enough to tell me she wanted this just as much as I wanted her.And damn, did I want her.The club, the noise, the people it all faded into nothing. There was only Alina. Only the way she felt against me, the way her scent wrapped around me. Drowning me in something I had been deprived of for too long.My grip tightened on her waist, pulling her back against me, pressing her curves flush against my body. Her fingers trailed over my chest, hesitating for just a moment before they splayed out, claiming me the way I wanted to claim her.I didn’t stop her.I let her touch me, let her feel exactly who she was pressed against.Because this wasn’t just some random man on the dance floor.It was me.Her mate.Her past.Her future.Her hands swept down, tracing the hard lines of my abdomen, and my co
The VIP lounge was dimly lit, the air thick with alcohol, perfume, and sweat. Laughter and conversation hummed in the background, but I wasn’t listening to any of it.Because the moment I stepped inside, I felt her.Alina.Shadow stirred inside me, restless, his growl vibrating through my bones. “And she’s ours.”he rumbled“Not yet,” I reminded him.I kept my movements casual, masking the way my eyes searched for her.“Mind if I join you?” I asked smoothly as i stood in the door of the vip suit.Alex smirked up at me, eyes glinting with mischief. “How could I say no to that face?” she purred, running a hand along my cheek.I kept my expression neutral. I knew we making it look natural, as if we had never met before, but her sudden fliting threw me off my game ever so slightly.I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at her theatrics.“What are you doing?” I murmured low enough for only her to hear.Alex chuckled, tilting her head. “I’m helping you, Alpha,” she teased. “You want Alina, ri
The bass thrummed through the walls, the pulse of the club alive with heat, bodies, and alcohol. I could barely tolerate places like this. Too many scents mixing, too much distraction. But tonight, I had a reason to be here.I had a spy to meet.For two years, I had relied on a single informant. A ghost in Alina’s life, keeping her safe from the dangers she never knew existed. A shadow who fed me every threat, every whisper of danger, every move that could bring harm to her.And tonight, I was finally meeting them.I stood in the dim VIP lounge, my fingers curling into fists as I watched the figure approach.Then I blinked.A woman.Not just any woman.Alex.Alina’s best friend.The realization struck like a slap. I had expected some hardened rogue, some faceless mercenary who knew how to stay out of sight. Instead, it was her.She smirked at my silence, raising an eyebrow as she took the seat across from me. “Not what you were expecting?”I exhaled through my nose, my expression unre
The moment I saw her car pull onto the street, my chest tightened. Two years. Two years of distance, of silence, of pretending I could let her go. But here I was, trailing behind her like some desperate fool, ensuring she was safe from the shadows.This wasn’t the plan. But i just couldnt help myself.I had told myself I would stay away. That keeping my distance was the only way to protect her. That she was better off without me, better off without the mess that came with my name, my world. But watching her now, knowing danger still lurked, I couldn’t convince myself of that lie any longer. I couldnt stay away much longer. I promised myself i would wait untill the time and place my spy had organized. But i couldnt wait that long. Anything could happen at any time.She had no idea how many threats I had handled without her knowing. Shadow stirred inside me, restless, his frustration bleeding into mine."You should never have let her go," he snarled, his voice low and brimming with fur
Two years since I last saw Alina.Two years of watching from the shadows, keeping her safe without her ever knowing. The threats had dwindled, the attacks stopped. I had almost thought those who wanted her gone had given up.I should have known better.My burner phone buzzed in my pocket, the vibration a low hum against the silence of my office. I grabbed it instantly, pressing it to my ear as I leaned forward, my muscles coiling. Only one person had this number.“Talk.”The voice on the other end was distorted, masked by a digital filter that made it sound mechanical. Calm and measured.“There was an attack tonight.”My grip on the phone tightened, my knuckles white. “What?”The voice remained steady. “It was stopped before she even knew what was happening and shes perfectly fine. However a man was going to shoot her in the back tonight. I took care of it before he got the chance.”I exhaled sharply. “Who?”“Malvin a hired gun. He was disposable who refused to talk so i shut his mout
Two weeks had passed since that confrontation with Jonathan. Two weeks of carefully unraveling the web of deceit that had been spun around Alina. Two weeks of planning, strategizing, waiting.I had suspected That Alpha henry and eve had a finger in this filthy pie. My question was, were they only tasting or had they baked it themselves? They had every motive to do this. It sure would make things easier for them had Alina just disappeared. However, I had no evidence to support my claim. Around every little corner, they were completely clean. I sat at the table as I waited for the alphas to take their seats. All the alphas within my kingdom were gathered here today. I called on them, as I needed to discuss something of great importance.I sat at the head of the massive stone table, my expression impassive as I observed the gathered leaders. Some had pledged loyalty to me without question. Others had aligned themselves with the so-called movement Jonathan had warned me about. And then th
The air in the council chamber was heavy with tension, the kind that wrapped around my spine like a snake ready to strike. My fingers tapped against the armrest of my chair as I looked across the long table at the man opposite me—Jonathan.My fourth cousin. A man who had always hovered at the edges of power, watching, waiting, coveting. His jealousy of me had never been a secret. Though we shared the same bloodline, the throne was never his to claim. Too far removed, too many obstacles. Yet it had never stopped him from dreaming. From scheming.He looked at me with a smirk, his sharp face giving away nothing but amusement. As if this were a game, a social visit rather than an inquisition.“I hope there’s a good reason for this, cousin?” he drawled, leaning back in his chair, his condescension as annoying as ever.I didn’t waste time on small talk. “Why did you cut off the aid to Alina’s mother?”His lips twitched. “Right to the point, as always.” He shrugged, tilting his head as if th
After weeks of watching Alina from afar. Observing the quiet strength in her every movement. I realized just how much I had lost.She had changed. The light that once danced in her eyes filled with innocence had dimmed, replaced by something deeper.Wiser, but wearier one that I caused all those years ago. Yet my love for her hadn’t waned. If anything, it had only grown stronger, especially now as I watched her so closely.I watched her smile that was small but genuinein every way. when ever she was with her close friends. The way she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear when she was deep in thought.The way she cradled her child with infinite tenderness. She was a mother, a protector, a provider. Not only for her child, but for her mother as well.It didn’t sit right with me that she was struggling alone. Years ago, I had ensured that her mother would be cared for.That she would never have to worry about medical expenses or comfort. But now, that aid was gone. She had eithe