CHAPTER ELEVENAstrid's jaw dropped. Ragnar not only mated her but wanted to have sex with her as well? Something about this didn't seem right, but also, everything felt right; it felt needed, it felt wanted, it felt desired. All of her fantasies were about to come to pass, why should she delay the process with boring questions? However, as much as she wanted Ragnar's dick to be buried in her immediately, she felt as though there was something she had to let him know. "I—I want to have sex with you, to get this insane sexual frustration out of my head and I—"He let out a frustrated groan, "Astrid, are you going to get on the fucking bed or not?' "I will. I will." She quickly replied, salvaging his anger before he lost interest in pleasuring her. "It's just that, there is something I have to tell you…" she began, looking away from him shly, her arms crossing over her exposed boobs. "Tell me? You want to tell me that you hate me and that you're only agreeing to this because you h
"You have to find this person before the tragedy strikes. Or else…it will be far too late." The prophetess warned. Ragnar, frustrated and agitated, retorted, "If this person is so crucial, why don't the gods just tell you who they are? Why do I have to go through the trouble of finding them?"The prophetess sighed, "The gods work in mysterious ways, Ragnar. It's not for us to question their methods. They guide, but they also test."Ragnar, unwilling to relent, crossed his arms defiantly. "I don't need guidance, and I certainly don't need tests. My pack is strong, and I can handle whatever comes our way.""I've heard tales of your infamous stubbornness, Ragnar, but experiencing it is another matter." She remakrd. Ragnar, maintaining his defiant stance, challenged her, "Stubborn or not, I don't see why I should go searching for someone without a clear direction. If the gods have a plan, they should make it known.""Pride blinds even the mightiest, Ragnar. Disregard this warning, and y
Astrid, feeling Lilith's gaze on the mark, instinctively touched the spot on her neck. "Answer me, bitch! Who mated you!" Lilith thundered. Astrid looked at Lilith, her expression defiant."And who do you think mated me?" Astrid questioned, her tone challenging.Lilith, bewildered and perplexed, stuttered, "I... I didn't know."Astrid's eyes narrowed as she continued, a smirk on her face "Oh no, I think you do."The realization hit Lilith like a tidal wave. No wonder Ragnar had refused her advances, no wonder he seemed distant. He was already mated to Astrid. The pieces fell into place, and Lilith's thoughts raced."Why didn't he tell me?" Lilith muttered to herself, her mind whirling with confusion.Astrid, sensing Lilith's inner turmoil, replied, "Maybe you should ask him."As Lilith grappled with the new information, she couldn't help but wonder why Ragnar hadn't disclosed Astrid's status as his mate. And the questions multiplied in her mind—why impregnate Lilith if Astrid was h
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Ragnar's expression remained stoic, but the undercurrent of concern surged beneath the surface. Two deaths in one night? Strange ones at that. He started to pace about the room as he tried to make sense out of what was happening. Deaths of this magnitude haven't been recorded in his kingdom, never. So Ragnar knew that this wasn't ordinary, however, he didn't want to link it to anything that the old prophetess had told jim. Ryan knew that the topic of the Prophetess seemed to aggravate Ragnar, so he chose his words carefully. "The Prophetess mentioned impending suffering, my Lord. I cannot ignore the possibility that this is connected."Ragnar's jaw tightened. The mention of the Prophetess roused a dormant skepticism within him — just as Ryan had envisioned. "Keep a close eye on things, Beta Ryan," Ragnar commanded. "But do not let superstition cloud your judgment. We deal with tangible threats, not the whims of soothsayers."Ryan opened his mouth to speak, "But
"Are you deaf? Take off your fucking clothes." he thundered the command again. Her resistance and stubborness threathened to come up to the surface — the principle that no one could tell her what to do. But, her resolve to be fucked by Ragnar was even stronger. So, she gave a simple nod and did as he said. She reached for her top first, taking off the straps and gently pulling the fabric off her body. The shirt slid down, revealing her breasts and those pink nipples that Ragnar couldn't get his eyes off. She reached for her skirt next, pulling it down as well and next, her underwear. She stepped out of the pool of fabric, pushing her hair away from her face and her towards her back. So he could see her. All of her. Again, logical reasoning tried to voice out from the back of her mind, telling her to put on her fucking clothes, resist the temptation and leave. But the desire was irresistible at this point, and the cravings delivered by the full moon had to be satisfied. "Arch."
Astrid's world shattered as an unbearable pain surged through her, gripping her heart with an iron vice. She clutched her chest, a guttural cry escaping her lips as the mate bond between her and Ragnar was abruptly severed. The pain was indescribable — like something that far much transcended above physical adjectives. She had wanted to be the one to reject him…she desperately had wanted to be the one to put an end to it. But he had done it before she did…Fuck. She crumbled to the ground, her hand clutched to her heart as the pain spread all over…nearly driving her insane.Simultaneously, Ragnar, too, was overcome with the same pain — no way he was going to escape it. His eyes widened, a grimace of pain contorting his features, however, he had more resistance than Astrid. His guards rushed to his aid, helping him to a nearby seat as he struggled to regain composure.Another set of guards moved to restrain Astrid, ropes in their hands as they bound her limbs. Wait? What was happe
Ragnar paced furiously in his throne room. His three elders were seated, Ryan was present as well. And all four of them combined were telling him a bunch of bullshit. "My Lord," Beta Ryan spoke with measured concern, "what I'm simply trying to say is that we should consider the possibility that the prophecy is unfolding before us." The first elder — Elder Jorred spoke up, "Exactly, my King. The appearance of the golden wolf with the mark of the moon—Astrid's wolf—aligns with what the prophetess foretold."Ragnar, however, dismissed the notion with a vehement wave of his hand. "Bullshit! That mark could mean anything and you all know that. Do you think the gods would be callous to make my enemy my Savior? How does that sound to you?" Beta Ryan persisted, "I understand your point, my Lord. But the are signs — the red fog returned the moment Astrid shifted. That cannot be mere coincidence."Elder Kobben nodded in affirmation, "Perhaps the gods are trying to communicate with us throu
Ragnar shot her a glare. "Don't push your luck, Astrid." He replied, turning around and resuming walking to his throne. She smirked, keeping pace with him. "Or what? You'll throw me back in that suffocating room?" He rolled his eyes, quickening his pace. Astrid caught up with him again. "I'll say it again and again. I know you never had the guts to kill me," she remarked.He halted, facing her with a challenging expression. "Excuse me?"How dare she repeat it? He wanted to kill her, in the same merciless manner she had killed Francia. He wanted revenge, he wanted to see her dead, to see blood oozing out of her, he wanted her gone.But then, she was right to ask…why didn't he do it?He clenched his fists, retorting, "I don't owe you an explanation."She folded her arms, her eyes narrowing at him. But deep down, she enjoyed the way her words were bringing out a reaction from him. "Afraid you'll reveal some deep, dark secret? Or perhaps a soft spot for the rogue you once called an enem
Huncho absolutely hated the smell of cigarettes. But as the second–in–command to Astrid, the leader of the Viper Rogues, he was around her most of the time and had to endure through it. The woman loved a good smoke. His tattoo gun paused mid action as he met Astrid's gaze with a faint smirk on his lips, "You're stoned as fuck—you would most likely not feel anything even if your chest was split open." he quipped. "You might even laugh." She flashed a brief, amused grin. The irony in Kai's statement wasn't lost to her— especially considering the fact that she had only just slit a woman's chest open yesterday. And indeed, she did laugh. How could she not? Her sworn enemy's wife was bleeding to death in front of her. It had filled her with delight. Next, she was going to go for Ragnar himself. But her father kept telling her she wasn't ready to take on Ragnar, and then he would go on to tell her how immeasurably powerful he was and how she needed more training to defeat him. She w
CHAPTER SEVENA few weeks after the captured blood rogues were killed, a heavy fog filled the land. This got the people talking, but the fog cleared away in a few days. Astrid tried to warn Ragnar to return the Moon Stone to her people. She didn't care if he planned on killing her, but he should return what belonged to her people. Ragnar tells her the stone doesn't belong to her people, but with his. He tells her it was stolen from them many years ago, just then they are interrupted by Ragnar's Beta, Ryan Holster—who was the only one that treated Astrid like a human in the pack. When Ryan arrives, Ragnar accused himself and walked away, leaving the two. Here, Ryan offers Astrid food and they talk. Astrid finds herself smiling again due to Ryan's conversation even with everything going on, she begins to see him in another light. When Ragnar returned back to the room, he notices the chemistry between Astrid and Ryan and he gets jealous. He orders that Astrid be sent back to the dung
Ragnar looked ahead, seeing that Astrid was closing up on him fast. He couldn't do anything—she was already too close for him to evade, the only option left was to fight back.And he just couldn't.Despite how revolting it was that she was his mate, he couldn't hurt her—hurting her would mean hurting himself, the pain of a hurt mate would leave the other with an immeasurable pain. With a growl, Astrid’s claw landed a powerful swipe on Ragnar's face. The force of the blow left a searing mark, and blood dripped from the fresh wound."I'm going to kill you for what you've done, Ragnar." Astrid seethed. However, as Astrid readied herself for the next strike, a sudden and unexpected change seized her.Astrid froze mid-motion, her eyes widening in astonishment.It was the scent of a mate.The realization hit Astrid like a thunderbolt, and she hesitated, her predatory instincts immediately subdued. Her gaze locked with Ragnar's again, and in that charged moment, they both felt the undeni
Ragnar looked ahead, seeing that Astrid was closing up on him fast. He couldn't do anything—she was already too close for him to evade, the only option left was to fight back.And he just couldn't.Despite how revolting it was that she was his mate, he couldn't hurt her—hurting her would mean hurting himself, the pain of a hurt mate would leave the other with an immeasurable pain. With a growl, Astrid’s claw landed a powerful swipe on Ragnar's face. The force of the blow left a searing mark, and blood dripped from the fresh wound."I'm going to kill you for what you've done, Ragnar." Astrid seethed. However, as Astrid readied herself for the next strike, a sudden and unexpected change seized her.Astrid froze mid-motion, her eyes widening in astonishment.It was the scent of a mate.The realization hit Astrid like a thunderbolt, and she hesitated, her predatory instincts immediately subdued. Her gaze locked with Ragnar's again, and in that charged moment, they both felt the undeni
CHAPTER TWENTY–FOURREID'S POINT OF VIEW My heart raced as I watched Kiara emerge from Nyla's bedroom, stomping out angrily. Dread washed over me as I wondered what Kiara had said to her. Without a second thought, I hurried to Nyla's room, my pulse pounding in my ears.I honestly don't understand what was going through her head, why was she being insecure? And projecting her insecurity on Nyla? As I reached the doorway, my eyes widened in shock at the sight before me—Nyla stood amidst her bags, her movements hurried and frantic. Panic surged through me as I realized what she was doing.She was packing out. Again, what on earth had she told Nyla? "Nyla, what's going on?" I blurted out, my voice coming out more urgent than I intended as I stepped into the room.She paused, dropping the clothes in her hands and turning to face me. "Nyla, please," I pleaded as I took a step closer to her. "You can't let Kiara's words dictate your actions. You have to ignore her. Don't let her get to y
CHAPTER SEVENA few weeks after the captured blood rogues were killed, a heavy fog filled the land. This got the people talking, but the fog cleared away in a few days. Astrid tried to warn Ragnar to return the Moon Stone to her people. She didn't care if he planned on killing her, but he should return what belonged to her people. Ragnar tells her the stone doesn't belong to her people, but with his. He tells her it was stolen from them many years ago, just then they are interrupted by Ragnar's Beta, Ryan Holster—who was the only one that treated Astrid like a human in the pack. When Ryan arrives, Ragnar accused himself and walked away, leaving the two. Here, Ryan offers Astrid food and they talk. Astrid finds herself smiling again due to Ryan's conversation even with everything going on, she begins to see him in another light. When Ragnar returned back to the room, he notices the chemistry between Astrid and Ryan and he gets jealous. He orders that Astrid be sent back to the dung
NYLA'S POINT OF VIEW Sometime during the drive, I stirred from my sleep, my eyes fluttering open to find Reid beside me, his features softened in slumber. I took a moment to study him, my gaze tracing the contours of his face as he leaned against the window glass. He looked so peaceful, his usually stern expression relaxed in sleep. A lock of dark hair fell across his forehead, adding to his rugged charm. Despite the circumstances that had brought us together, I couldn't deny the undeniable allure of his presence.I found myself wondering, almost idly, what it would have been like if things had been different between us. What if we had been under different circumstances? What if we had been married, sharing our lives together?The thought was both tantalizing and terrifying. On one hand, I couldn't deny the undeniable attraction I felt towards him, the pull of his magnetic presence drawing me to him.But on the other hand, it was sour to harbor such thoughts. In fact, it felt as th
CHAPTER SEVENA few weeks after the captured blood rogues were killed, a heavy fog filled the land. This got the people talking, but the fog cleared away in a few days. Astrid tried to warn Ragnar to return the Moon Stone to her people. She didn't care if he planned on killing her, but he should return what belonged to her people. Ragnar tells her the stone doesn't belong to her people, but with his. He tells her it was stolen from them many years ago, just then they are interrupted by Ragnar's Beta, Ryan Holster—who was the only one that treated Astrid like a human in the pack. When Ryan arrives, Ragnar accused himself and walked away, leaving the two. Here, Ryan offers Astrid food and they talk. Astrid finds herself smiling again due to Ryan's conversation even with everything going on, she begins to see him in another light. When Ragnar returned back to the room, he notices the chemistry between Astrid and Ryan and he gets jealous. He orders that Astrid be sent back to the dung
Ragnar looked ahead, seeing that Astrid was closing up on him fast. He couldn't do anything—she was already too close for him to evade, the only option left was to fight back.And he just couldn't.Despite how revolting it was that she was his mate, he couldn't hurt her—hurting her would mean hurting himself, the pain of a hurt mate would leave the other with an immeasurable pain. With a growl, Astrid’s claw landed a powerful swipe on Ragnar's face. The force of the blow left a searing mark, and blood dripped from the fresh wound."I'm going to kill you for what you've done, Ragnar." Astrid seethed. However, as Astrid readied herself for the next strike, a sudden and unexpected change seized her.Astrid froze mid-motion, her eyes widening in astonishment.It was the scent of a mate.The realization hit Astrid like a thunderbolt, and she hesitated, her predatory instincts immediately subdued. Her gaze locked with Ragnar's again, and in that charged moment, they both felt the undeni