Equality? What a fucking delusion.
In the werewolf world, it was almost an abomination to speak of it. In fact, contemplating the possibility of it was completely futile.
Why?
Because it simply could never exist.
There were only two factors that governed the system they called life: the superiority of the powerful beings, and the oppression of the weaklings.
Only that in this world, there was only one superior. One ruler. One sovereign.
And every other entity was meant to bow flat at his feet. Lest, they taste his fiery wrath.
The only one called the most powerful.
The only one called the most mighty.
The only one called the most ruthless.
He was known as the 'Veil Of The Shadow Moon'
He wasn't just any ordinary alpha; he was Ragnar Alaric Dreadmore, the king of all kings, the ruler of all rulers, the alpha of all alphas.
A name that commanded respect. A name that prompted every knee to fall to the floor and reverence his authority. A name that pulsed dread in the veins of foes.
He was the Supreme Lycan King.
A powerful man who did not only rule the Grimhowl Moon Pack, but the entire werewolf world.
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PROLOGUE
He scrubbed and scrubbed, yet, he couldn't seem to get the bloodstain off his white shirt.
It seemed to be permanently embedded in the fabric. Just as the image of her lifeless body sprawled on the floor, gutted and torn open, was etched into his memory.
And despite how much vodka he had consumed in the past two hours, despite how many of the empty bottles he had smashed on the wall, he had not been able to wipe her bloodied face away from his mind.
His wife was dead.
Cold, breathless and kept in the morgue.
It was hard to erase such a gruesome sight—especially when he was the one who had found her dead body in a pool of blood.
Literally.
…
She had been murdered in their bathtub, naked, and she bled out into the water. Her body had already begun to stiffen when he had found her, meaning it's been a while since the scoundrels had struck.
He himself had taken her out of the bathtub, laying her mutilated body on the floor. The splashes of blood had stained his white T–shirt, and it had also stained the pristine, white tiles with crimson.
He remembered that he had changed the tiles just last week—his wife had wanted white ones as opposed to the browner ones that were there.
Now, the tiles mocked him.
His jaw had tightened as he saw the extent of her injuries, those bastards had cut open her body like she was a pound of slaughter meat. And despite how hard he had tried to remain expressionless, a flicker of anguish passed in his eyes as he stared down at her corpse.
He had taken a step back, away from the body, hoping to distance himself from the emotions he was feeling in his heart. But no. They were there.
Ragnar desperately wished not to feel them. He hated to feel. But he couldn't help it, the emotions were coming from a source he couldn't stop. A source so great that even he couldn't control.
For a cold–hearted and ruthless man like Alpha Ragnar, one would expect that he would be incapable of expressing emotions.
But Francia was his mate—his fated mate—and the mate bond was the only force potent enough to bring Ragnar to his knees.
It was his weakness.
And, the severing of the mate bond due to her death was going to drive him to madness.
He was on the verge of leaving the bathroom to inform his Beta about the unfortunate incident, when his attention was arrested by an unusual sight.
His gaze moved upwards, focusing on the foreign object he had spotted on the bathroom ledge.
A cigarette stick.
It bore marks of the bloody water, most likely pulled up as he had moved her body out of the tub. It was not the brand that he smoked, but an unfamiliar brand.
Certainly, it wasn't his.
His gaze fell to his bloody shirt, then to his bloody palms spread before him, before returning to the cigarette stick. Ragnar's brow furrowed as he stared, his nostrils flaring in anger.
The fucker who had killed his wife even had the guts to taunt him, leaving behind their cigarette stick.
It was done on purpose, just to agitate him even further. He knew this—those bloody rogues were fond of taunting him.
Now, was he supposed to blame himself for her death?
Well, one could say that he was responsible for her death—
After all, it was his fault for leaving her unprotected and all alone. It was his fault for leaving her defenseless, not even bothering to have some guards stationed by her.
She was his Luna. She was an asset to the feared and envied Alpha Ragnar, who had enemies as uncountable as the stars in the night sky.
Of course, she would be targeted.
And leaving his pregnant wife alone was completely dumb.
Stupid, he knew.
Careless, Damn right.
Reckless, definitely.
But regardless, he wasn't responsible.
In fact, he won't blame himself for it.
It was those fucking rogues. Those god-damned menances who had murdered his wife.
The only set of people who seemed to not be terrified by him.
And it seemed as though he had given them too much liberty – that was why they had the effrontery to evade his private abode and murder his wife.
Ragnar's veins pulsated on his forehead in rage as his fists balled at his side. The mere thought of those delinquents was infuriating. Each and every one of the Viper Rogues would pay in spades for killing his pregnant wife.
Starting with the very one who had struck the knife into her.
Whoever that person was—be it male or female—he would find the bastard, and make sure they suffered a thousand times for what they had done.
He would make sure they were subjected through the exact same pain they had caused Francia, but in a hundred–folds.
He would make sure that they gritted their teeth in pain and taste the bitterness of remourse.
So that in their next fucked–up, miserable life, they wouldn't dare touch the anything or anyone that belonged to him, Alpha Ragnar Dreadmore.
Be it male or female, he was going to find them. And the unlucky bastard was going to fucking pay.
Mark his words.
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
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 watched as Lilith gracefully approached him, her hips swaying with every movement. She had nice child–bearing hips and his heir would have the best maternal genes, that's for sure. It pleased him, and a slow, pleased smile spread across his face."Lilith," he rumbled, a hint of satisfaction in his voice, "come closer."Lilith obeyed, nodding, moving with a sensual grace until she stood before Ragnar."My Lord," the doctor began, bowing slightly. He had not even noticed that a doctor had escorted Lilith in. "I've conducted a thorough examination, and Lilith is in her prime childbearing years, twenty-one years old. She has successfully passed all the fertility tests and is deemed fit for the task.""Very well," he declared, his voice resonating through the throne room. Ragnar turned to a guard stationed at his side and gestured for him to approach. He stepped closer and bowed."Take Lady Lilith to her quarters. Ensure she is provided with a suite befitting her stature in the man
Ragnar casually picked up a towel, draping it around his waist with a nonchalant ease. The smirk on his face didn't waver as Astrid hastily averted her gaze, a flush of embarrassment still coloring her cheeks."I apologize I didn't mean to intrude," she stammered, her tone carrying an unexpected humility that surprised even herself.Ragnar chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that seemed to reverberate through the room. "You were late and I had to prepare my bath myself." he said. "Be prompt next time, or I might double up on your duties. Never be late again."Astrid's jaw clenched, irritation replacing embarrassment and whatever momentary butterflies that were in her stomach. She gathered her materials in a swift motion, refusing to dignify his comment with a response. Without sparing him another glance, she exited the room, the heavy door closing behind her with a definitive thud.Once safely outside, the cool air of the corridor helped quell the lingering heat on her cheeks. Astrid
Fucking Ragnar. Imagine what that bastard man reduced her too? A fucking cleaner.Every moment of the three days she's been here have been nothing but hell. She missed every bit of her previous life—her father, her people and the thrill from smoking a blunt.She hadn't had a good smoke in three days. Three whole days.She wondered how she was able to stay this long without losing her shit. Or maybe it was because she had already lost her shit—Ragnar was driving her fucking insane.She paused, realizing that she got too carried away with her anger and was scrubbing the top of the tables way too hard. She had already started to bruise herself. She tossed the damn rag aside and let out a frustrated groan. Hate was an understatement for what she felt towards Ragnar and what her life had been reduced to.But as much as she hated to say it and admit it, she had no choice. She sighed, picking up the cleaning rag and proceeding to go over to the bedside tables. She began to wipe them
CHAPTER SIXRagnar paced about angrily in his room. Why on earth was the mate bond not severed? The gods were playing games with him. He didn't want to be Astrid's mate, end of discussion. Would his wife in her grave be happy if he mates with their sworn enemy, the woman that killed her?Or was this some sort of punishment for killing off the rogues? Well, he had no regrets. The rogues were a group of rebellious people who opposed his leadership. They claimed that he was a tyrant, a wicked ruler, all because of his strict laws and the fact thay he ruled with an iron fist.But he was only doing what he felt was of best interest to his people. However, Astrid's father and the rest of the rebels didn't like his leadership and tried to challenge it. He punished them severely and banished them, but ever since then, they had not given up and had been attacking his Kingdom. He was sick and tired of their shenanigans and he reacted, wiping them off. And now, the gods wanted to punish h
Astrid, her face burning with embarrassment, hastily withdrew her hand and scrambled to her feet as Ragnar entered the bathroom unexpectedly. She stammered, she managed, "I-I...I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were here."Ragnar's expression remained unreadable, but a hint of amusement glinted in his eyes. "I—I'll take my leave now…" Astrid stuttered. She made a hasty move towards the door, hoping to slip past Ragnar without further interaction.However, Ragnar, with a sly grin, intercepted her path, blocking her way. Astrid avoided meeting his gaze, attempting to skirt around him, but he seemed to relish in her unease."Rushing off too soon, Astrid? What about my bath?" he teased, his voice carrying a playful note."Then you leave, so I can prepare it." she muttered, frustration evident in her tone.Ragnar, enjoying her discomfort, maintained his position. "You didn't look like you were ready to do it thirty seconds ago," he quipped, crossing his arms. Astrid shot him an irritated
"Pregnant?" The word left her mouth before she could even think it through. Someone else was carrying a child for her mate?Fact, granted, already established—this man killed her people, captured her, killed her father and had the guts to show her his head. Yes, she hated him more than words could tell but the mate bond…you see, that damn mate bond…it made her feel emotions that could temporarily overshadow the hate. And the jealousy she felt at that moment was one of those emotions. Her eyes darted toward Ragnar, seeking some reaction, but his blank stare offered no insight into his emotions. Was he not excited about the impending baby? Why wasn't he smiling or happy about it?Well, at least he wasn't. The fact that maybe he wasn't happy about having a baby with Lilith provided some semblance of comfort. Ragnar's face remained stoic. Why should he show emotion now? After all, this wasn't the first time he was hearing this. Twenty five times. Twenty-five times, the doctor had
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