Hi Lovelies, Enjoy the double updates today ❤️ P.S. Next chapter will be Dustin's POV :)
DustinI have never faltered during an act. When I know I must convince someone of something, I lie to myself first—That’s how…I have always been successful.But right now…I don’t know what I am doing anymore.I glance at the girl who is peacefully sleeping under the blanket. I told her to get lost, and without even moving an inch, she told me I would have to drag her out if I wanted her gone.I was in no mood for more dramatics. That’s why I let her be. Now, I am regretting it.I lean back in the chair, and my gaze drops to her parted lips. People who call Lana Redley the most beautiful girl in the North just don’t know Elita Folke. She has this kind of beauty that appears ordinary among the faces of other gorgeous girls at first, but the longer you look at her, the more you realize…She is different from others—different in a way I can’t quite understand. When others have this innocent, naive look in their eyes…she has a sharp calculative glint that swims in the depths of those
ElitaI run my finger across the dull blue eyes in the drawings and sigh. Dustin said what I wanted to hear, that I just looked like Levian’s mate.But it’s…making me uneasy.Many things Levian told me in my past are starting to revolve in my mind.‘ I could take anyone’s memories, but not my mate’s. That’s why I prayed to the Moon Goddess to help me, to take away her memories. She heard too late, and now that prayer has turned into a curse. ’ He said to me once, so randomly that I couldn’t make sense of it. I had asked him what he meant, and he never answered. But he stared at me for a long time before he left, not to return for days to come.He did it often. Whenever he talked about something I couldn’t understand, and I needed him to help me understand, he would just disappear. Until he returned, I knew he would disappear again if I repeated my questions.And I didn’t want him gone. Vampires, behind his back, were crueler. And it felt like I had no one but him, even when I grew t
Elita" I am Levian's mate?" I lift my brows and direct my wide eyes at him.Dustin stares back, waiting for me to throw a tantrum or act recklessly or maybe, he knows I won't. That's why he said what he did.I swallow a bitter pill under the penetrating stares from everyone. I am dying soon anyway. Why did it matter how people remembered me after I was gone?" Of course." I smile, my eyes crinkling with the forced effort. " I discovered this secret last night."" How does this make sense? If she is Levian's mate, how do you know that?" Alpha King Striker questions and becomes the first person to look away from me, and at Dustin again." I might have an answer to that." Tyson follows suit, and pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger." What do you mean?" Alpha King Striker faces him.I awkwardly stand in the doorway, wondering if it's still a good idea to be here when I am being called the enemy's mate. I look to my left, then to my right." I have seen this gi
ElitaHow can I forget who he is?I sigh, as the wine hangs in the air, so close to his face. Slowly, it freezes, and the red crystals rain down to the table and floor.Dustin’s face comes into view again. The corners of his eyes twitch and darken. I swallow, sensing the looming danger. It’s like the air thickens with a silent threat, and pricks my skin with every second.“ Are you sure nothing is going on between you two? ” Avery’s smug voice shatters the eerie silence.Lenora chimes. “ She threw wine in his face. Of course, something is going on. ”A few giggles follow. I swallow again, unease gnawing at my throat.He deserved it. He knows that. Yet, he looks at me like he is going to smother me with his gaze. Heat slithers down my skin, as his eyes lower to my still chest.“ Step out. ” Dustin says, silencing the commotion.“ Are you talking to us? ” Tyson asks with a hint of playfulness in his voice.“ We will discuss this later. Go now. ” He nods in reply, so stiffly that my bac
Elita“ You should have told me sooner, Ms. Folke. It’s far better than pretending to want you and playing house with you. ” Dustin says, without hesitation, without even a hint of any insincerity in his eyes.“ Oh. ” My lips form an O. “ So you were pretending? ”I feel like laughing. It’s nothing new, anyway. Many people have pretended to be something else just to use me. By now…I am used to it.Because how can anyone want someone like me? A girl is supposed to be sweet, innocent, and naive. I am anything but that. I am filled with darkness inside out, and perhaps people can spot that darkness when they look at me. That’s when they decide—she is not worth it.Or maybe it’s not about how I am unladylike. It must be the desperation to be wanted by someone. It must be leaking from every pore of my body and surrounding me like a visible layer. She is desperate. Let’s use her. That must be what always goes through everyone’s mind.He starts again, just on the verge of saying more hurt
Elita“ Someone will know we are trespassing before we reach our destination. ” I blurt, panic bubbling in my throat.I can feel my body beginning to vibrate, my pupils dilating, and my mind racing with thoughts again.This is a bad idea. A very bad idea.So, to make this idea a not-so-bad idea, I want to believe he has a plan.I glance at his face from over my shoulder and unconsciously lean back into his chest.“ What is our plan? Why won’t you tell me? ” I hum, feeling his chest rumble against my back.I silently memorize every sensation he makes me feel when we are pressed together.“ Drink this, and when we reach there, hide. ” Dustin pushes his hand forth and offers me a small bottle filled with a colorless potion.I sigh. “ Dustin— ”“ And don’t ask any questions. ” He interrupts.I want to lash out and continue asking questions even when he said I shouldn’t. But…Given that we will be fighting with an enemy later, fighting with him right now doesn’t feel like a good idea to me
ElitaThe fog wraps around me, curling like cold fingers against my skin. Every step I take feels muffled, swallowed by the eerie silence of the woods. It’s unsettling. No rustle of leaves, no crack of a branch. Just me, the fog, and this unbearable quiet. Something feels…wrong. I pause, my breath hitching. I should have encountered some vampires by now, or at least some sign of them. But the forest is empty—too empty. My senses tingle, my pulse hammering against my ribs. But then I glance up at the moon, shining bright and full.Right. Full moons are for their parties. The so-called “festival” where vampires and humans come together for deals, bargains, and blood. It seems Dustin knew this, too. But how does he always know the inside information?My feet move faster now, guided by an urgency I can’t explain. The trees thin out, and that’s when I see it. The cottage. It’s exactly how I remember it—small, tucked into the clearing like it’s hiding from the world. But I know
ElitaLevian lets out a quiet laugh, the sound dripping with mockery. “ Your courage is almost amusing. I thought you were the clever one among the Kings, Dustin. But maybe you are pretending to be more cunning than you are. Sending someone important like him on missions when you know how dangerous it is. Purely reckless…foolish. ”I grip the bark harder, my nails biting into it. My breath feels too loud, too fast, like it’s betraying me. This is not good. My stomach clenches into knots. Dustin’s calm voice cuts through the rising tension. “ what can I say? I was distracted by a little bird. ”Levian tilts his head, his piercing gaze sharpening as it flicks to Dustin’s warriors. “ You must still be enchanted to think you can come here with a few of your warriors and get him back. ” The weight of his words feels suffocating, but Dustin doesn’t flinch. Instead, he glances at his men, a silent command passing between them. “ I know what I am doing. ” Dustin looks ahead.“ Do you?
ElitaI thought as the water would fill my lungs and I would struggle to breathe, I would think about how normal it was.I had died once before. And the pain would be nothing new.In fact, I would recall everything I suffered. The dark nights. The bloody days. The empty world. I would remember every time I woke up to find that I had fallen one level below from yesterday. I would remember how I slowly forgot what I had destroyed everything for. I would remember my desperate attempts to save my life.Anger. Agony. Fear. But I didn’t feel any of that. I didn’t think of the dark nights or the bloody days.Instead, it felt like my life started the day I woke up in that dungeon with wrists slit, and head smashed. There was something different about occupying the body of someone who had died miserably—something like an emptiness nothing could fill, a void so vast it could devour me whole.But I was too cold, too dead inside to acknowledge it. Now, I could relive every emotion I felt for L
ElitaI don’t know how much time passes after I get tired of slamming my aching palms against the door. When no one hears my screams or comes to open the door, I move to sit on the floor beside the bed and stare at the wall opposite me.I can’t believe it.I thought we had made progress.But that stupid, ruthless King just locked me inside this room. He knows I can’t break it down. He used my weakness against me. I snort in frustration, glaring at the door as if I can burn a hole through it. Then, I look away and focus on the floor. I hate that he has done this. I hate that I am here, trapped like this.He should have listened to me instead of acting the way he did—like he is so scared of losing me until he is forced to resort to these foolish methods. Suddenly, the lock turns and the door opens. I don’t look up. I don’t care who's coming. Whoever comes will only come to deliver food, and they will make sure that I remain trapped.“ Having fun? ” Tyson says, his voice low and casua
Dustin“ The voice in the water told you that? ” Moon Goddess laughs, and it’s the first time I have heard her laugh so lightly as if she finds this unbelievable, or maybe…amusing.“ She did. ” I nod. “ She told me your reign depends on the survival of our powers. If Levian is gone, the other four Lycan can still hold onto that power because you paired the women to the Lycan men so carefully…but take out one more Lycan power, and…everything will come crumbling down. The reason why you wanted me gone when I was a child was because…you chose Levian over me…like you did in my past life. You thought Elita could bring him to the side of the other Kings, and you will still have your power. ”“ You are…angry about that. You said before that you did not care. ” She chuckles again, like she finds my anger and resentment funny.I continue in a low voice. “ You changed your mind even after you made her my mate because you know you can control Levian better, because once his child-driven haze is
DustinI was surprised and even pretended to be oblivious when she talked about the prophecy. But it was not so surprising anymore when she didn’t know what it meant.Instead, it was relieving.What you don’t know can never hurt you. That’s what I believe in and that’s why I am against letting everyone know everything. I refuse to let every secret spill out not because I like having all the knowledge in the world and keeping others in the dark but because…when people around me grasp the truth, they do stupid things or turn into people with dead eyes.I don’t like either of those options.And I have figured out that I hate it even more when it’s about…Elita.“ Were you hoping she would kill herself, and save you from the misery of following one man for such a long time? ” My hold over Kalix's throat tightens until his eyes bulge out and go red.I let him have the upper hand when we sparred because I didn’t want him to feel embarrassed in front of his people. Now, I believe he is too d
ElitaSunlight hits my face, warming the side. I groan, shifting to my other side to avoid getting burned. The corners of my mouth sting and feel dry. My lips sting, and feel dry.And my throat…It feels like something is still stuck in it. I blink away the heaviness clouding my thoughts. It takes me a moment to remember where I am, and when I do, my heart jumps straight into my throat.I squeal, rolling onto my side and burying my face into the pillows. Memories of last night flash through my mind. Heat rushes to my cheeks as I recall how bold I was with him—how I touched him, sucked him, and how he…took my mouth…I squeeze my eyes shut. How did I even find the courage? I could never have imagined him like that. I could never have imagined myself like that either.We both must have lost our minds. I squeal again, kicking my feet up, because now, I just can’t believe how I let him have his way with me. Suddenly, the door creaks open.I freeze, gripping the blanket tighter around me
DustinHer wrists feel fragile in my grasp, but I will be damned if I think that for long. She is not fragile or a damsel in distress. She is the fire that will burn everything if I take my eyes off her for a moment.My mouth brushes over her pulse again, and I inhale deeply. Her scent is maddening—Sweet, fierce, and entirely hers. When I pull back and look into her eyes, I find her still glaring at me. She liked what I did to her, but she doesn’t like the fact that she liked it. Now, she is sulking.I feel the need to push her more, but I press a last kiss on her other wrist and let her go.It’s enough for tonight. Or I might lose my mind completely. I push myself off her and out of the bed. The sounds of my heavy breaths fill the room. I want to get into bed again and do more with her…but…After what she told me, I don’t want to take her when I am angry and jealous like a fool. My desires can wait. I can’t risk her zoning out when we are doing it.Without looking at her naked bod
Elita“ Do you know… ” Dustin’s hand lowers to my cheek before he rubs his thumb across my bottom lip. “ …women in the North call me a gentleman. I am gentle with women, and I never do or say dirty things. ”The sense of doom crashes over me. I try to move, but he is still above me, caging me between his thighs this time, making sure I can not move an inch without his permission.This should send my mind into a state of panic, but instead…it drives me crazy with need. With him, I have truly become someone I don’t recognize.“ What do you want? ” I whisper, my tongue flicking out and brushing his thumb.I notice the way his eyes watch my mouth as if he is in deep thought. The hunger in his eyes intensifies, burning so hard that it almost steals all air from my lungs.“ What— ”“ Your smart mouth. ” Dustin interrupts. I gasp, my face flushing. My chest heaves heavily, my nipples tightening as his words sink in.“ You— ”“ I have never used my mouth on a woman before. But I did it for y
Elita“ Did you just— ” My back arches off the bed, as Dustin’s warm breaths hit my moist core. “ did you just hit me there? ”My head rolls back, my eyes threatening to close against the sharp pleasure. But his voice keeps me in the moment, forcing me to focus on every breath, every movement.“ I can kiss it better if you are that offended. ” Dustin murmurs, his voice dropping.“ W—What— ” I gasp loudly as he plants an open mouth kiss on my clit. It’s like everything inside me is tuned to that one, throbbing, drenched spot. His breaths are still warming me.“ Say my name. The moment you stop saying it, I will stop too… ” His lips brush my clit with each raspy word. “ Wha— ”His tongue sticks out, licking a path up. My head goes blank, and the energy in my limbs disappears. It’s like someone snatches my soul and then slams it back into my body. My toes curl, my heels lifting off the bed but his hands wrap around my thighs and push my body down again.“ My name, Elita. ” He nibbles
ElitaWhen the Kings told me that Dustin beat that poor Elf up, I didn’t really take it serious. I told myself secretly that Dustin was more angry about Tyson than jealous about me.But tonight, he has proved me wrong.The way he moved, using the extent of his power, to become a blur and grab Kalix before any of us could see him coming…The way he choked him…And the way he looked so ready to murder him…It cements a strange thought. Dustin Landric was tolerant of men before, but now when he thinks we have gotten too close to be comfortable with each other, he can’t stand it when I am close to another man.It drives him crazy. And crazy is not a good look on him.I don’t know if he noticed, but the temperature in Kalix’s house dropped and it felt like everything was going to freeze to death. But the moment I wrapped myself around Dustin as a last resort, the temperature went down again.And then, he just started dragging me away.Now, we are here, inside the cottage but he is not stop