ElitaAfter spending a week lingering in the vampire territory, I have learned everything I needed to know.Gratefully, I have not come across anyone who would make things unpleasant because Levian kept me inside the cottage, and no vampire or human was allowed inside.Levian was being a gentleman to a girl he knew was taking a potion and impersonating his mate while he mostly ignored the real me in the future as if I would give him a disease someday.I don’t know what’s going through his head, but I know he finds me interesting because the Moon Goddess visited me in my dreams.He is trying to understand why the Goddess would care about someone like me—someone ordinary. That’s why I must sit at the dinner table with him every night and let him stare at me as I eat.My eyes twitch as I focus on the steak that’s on the menu tonight and ignore his gaze that’s fixed on my face. He dissects every expression, every single movement. It makes me want to stab him with a fork and knife in my h
ElitaA lump forms in my throat, but I swallow it down and continue cutting into the steak, pretending his words didn’t affect me at all. I don’t want to give him a weakness, or he will prey on it, twist it, and manipulate me again.But…who am I kidding?A man who has lived for so long can read people like open books.“ I can keep you alive. ” Levian rests his chin over his fist and watches me intently. “ I can make sure you survive in this dead body. You can live a long life, Elita. How does that sound to you? Do you want to live? ”I don’t realize when the fork slips from between my fingers and the knife slices across my middle finger. I pause and glance at the blood on my fingers.It’s not warm anymore. It’s cold and dark. I stare at the drops pooling on the plate, and my mind goes numb. Do you want to live? Levian’s question echoes in my head on a repeat mode—It’s haunting.“ You must… ” I whisper, my voice barely audible to me. “ …want something in return. ”“ Not really. I am m
ElitaThe seat in front of me shakes as he moves at an impressive speed and appears beside me. I stiffen but don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me scared.He grabs the back of my chair and turns it around. I suppress a gasp and look at his still chest, hidden under a black button-down shirt.“ How can you say that for sure? Even a dog becomes loyal when he is cared for. The Lycan Princes won’t be different. ” He leans down, his cold breath hitting my forehead.I crane my neck and meet his gaze, my nose brushing against his slightly. It takes some triggers to get him angry, and right now, he is fuming.I want to laugh and sneer. You wanted to manipulate me by offering me life. How does it feel to fail now?“ You keep forgetting one important detail. ” I smile, my eyes crinkling slightly. “ Dogs and wolves are not the same, Levian. You can not control Lycans by showing them a little care. They need a lot more than that. They have an innate desire for power and connection and mate
DustinI glance towards the dark forest before resting my back against the tree again. I don’t feel the need to go deeper into Levian’s territory.He will sense my presence from this far. And he will come to hunt me down.Conveniently, the curious girl will follow suit. She can’t stay put—I know for sure by now.So, all I have to do is wait for them to come to me.And even then, I don’t have to wait long.Because I can sense the dangerous aura closing in. I don’t move or leave my lazy spot as he appears a few feet away.Slowly, I turn my head in his direction and exhale a breath. He stops there and stares at me. But his eyes don’t have a usual dead look in them.His eyes keep switching to a bright red color. I must be really good to catch the emotions in his eyes—the most prominent being rage.“ Who made you angry, I wonder? ” I smirk, watching his jaw grit.Why do I even bother asking? Of course, it’s that infuriating girl. She has a knack for driving a knife into other’s hearts and
Dustin“ Levian… ” I raise my hands, and the water lifts in the air, forming a shield in front of me. The energy collides with it, and it shatters. “ …you need to stop underestimating me. ”He smiles, and the chaos erupts. It’s one attack after another, but it doesn't push me back. Every blow brings us closer, and it gives me the chance to sharpen the ice into little stakes, sending them in his direction.My veins bulge as the energy leaves my body quickly. The more we use these powers and hold off on shifting into wolves, the weaker I will grow. But it doesn’t stop me. Levian sees the sharp ice headed towards him and counters with the little waves of energy that shatter them in midair. “ What was the point of hiding yourself until now? ” He asks, his voice light as if he finds all this funny.“ If I didn’t do that… ” I send another wave of sharpened ice his way, and he counters it. “ how would I get to do this? ”The bigger ice stakes fall, but a small, sharp piece grazes his cheek.
ElitaLevian has taught me many valuable lessons in life. Everything I have learned, and have become is because of him. And right now, I am using his most important lesson…Against him.Hit someone where it hurts the most.If you know someone’s weakness, strike it until they become a crumbling mess, until they writhe and feel pain so intense that they forget about the rest of the world.And that’s what I have done. Just when I got to know that he was in no mood to let Dustin off the hook, I knew what I had to do to divert his attention.My luck is that he left me in his cottage—the place he has cherished for centuries because it’s his home, the place he refuses to leave because it will make him believe the world is a much lonelier place for him.It feels like a ruthless move to hit him below the belt. But he has brought me to the point of no return.That’s why, I grab a bottle of oil from the kitchen, stroll out of the cabin, and dump the oil in the flower field outside.The matchbo
Elita“ It’s a long way back to the Wolveshire Citadel. Are you sure you can walk back on your half-dead feet? ” Dustin asks, his tone tinged with a hint of amusement. I scoff under my breath, not even sparing him a glance. Just as he picked me up and got us back to our territory, using his exceptional speed, I found a small group of warriors awaiting us. He had brought them as a backup. He would have fought Levian while I had to retreat and get to the warriors who would take me back to the Wolveshire Citadel safely.What was he planning on doing after I was gone? I have no idea.Was he planning on dying at the hands of Levian? That thought is making me furious at him.Of course, he doesn’t give a damn about what I have to go through to keep him safe. Why would he even care? He is the same man who abandoned me into the lair of a demon to save his half-brother he doesn’t even give a damn about.He is all about duty, and his plans. He doesn’t care how it affects others, or how it hur
Elita“ How do you… ” My jaw hangs low. “ How do you know? ”My head snaps up, at last. Our eyes meet, and my heartbeat slows down. From up close, he is always so tempting, so…irresistible.And the fact that I can’t think of him as a statue anymore, the fact that his warm breaths ghost my lips, and eyes are staring back into mine…doesn’t help my cause.“ I am beginning to understand how your mind works. ” His voice is low, a dangerous edge to it.My heartbeat falls in my stomach before pulsing between my legs. “ Oh really? So you must know what I am thinking right now? ”“ For that… ” The corners of his lips curl, just slightly, and that little tilt sets fire in my veins. “ …I don’t need to know what’s going on in your head. I can just…smell it. ”“ What? ” Heat rises to my neck, my cheeks.“ Your arousal. ” He shrugs, averting his gaze to the path ahead. “ In your dreams, Dustin Landric. Right now, I want to squeeze your throat until you can’t breathe and send you to hell. ” I hiss,
ElitaMy gaze switches between Avery, who is glaring at Dustin, and Aleister, whose jaw is clenched even more.This is bad. My nose scrunches. “ Alpha King Aleister does have that ability, or else, how would he have looked after his Kingdom for so long? With a place as treacherous as the South, he wouldn’t have remained a King if he was not absolutely the best of them. And Princess Avery—I mean Queen Avery only brings out the best in her mate because she is also the best! ”There there.This will save them the trouble of trying to strangle Dustin Landric.I smile as all eyes turn to me. Avery’s eyes narrow a little, but there is no anger in them while the rest look at me like I have grown two heads again.Sighing, I shift my focus on the troublemaker Northern King, only to find him shooting daggers at me. I blink rapidly.Am I seeing things?Is he glaring at me? In front of everyone? Why? What did I do? I open my mouth and close it, trying to understand why he looks so pissed off.
Elita“ We can’t leave the Kingdoms without their Kings for long. ” Alpha King Tyson voices out the concern.I lean back on the couch and glance around the room. Alpha King Aleister said he would leave today, but apparently, he is still around.By the dark look on his face, it’s clear that he didn’t want to stay, but the woman beside him made him anyway. That’s why she is caressing his hand now—it’s a subtle gesture, one that many don’t even notice, but it’s keeping the King grounded here, making it impossible for him to refuse her. If someone had told me Alpha King Aleister was a simp for a Princess, I wouldn’t have believed it. But seeing it from my eyes is different.He does what she wants even when he doesn’t want it. The other two Kings are not different either. Their mates heavily influence them, and they act as one instead of two separate people.I wonder…How that happens…“ How long will it take? ” Alpha King Striker asks, his gaze flickering towards me, then moving back to
ElitaMy jaw hangs low. He did not just say that! But he did. What is wrong with him?!“ You are a pervert, Dustin Landric! The biggest pervert to ever walk in this world. ” I blurt, wrapping the sheet around me tighter.It’s like I am scared he will stroll over and snatch it away before having his way with me. Dustin’s smirk grows wider. “ And here I thought nothing could fluster you, Elita. But now I know your weakness. ” “ What weakness? ” I narrow my eyes on him.He steps closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “ praises get you flustered. I am going to have so much fun exploiting that specific weakness. ”I gape at him, feeling my pulse quicken. “ Go have fun with someone else! I will never be in a mood to have fun with you. Never ever. Do you understand? NEVER! ”“ We will see. ” He shrugs, still smug and confident.“ Oh, I see. The mate bond is making you lose your mind. And you are all needy after last night. But you know what? You won’t get me into your bed no matter what y
ElitaThe first thing I notice as I stir awake is the warm weight of the blanket covering me, the soft sheets brushing against my skin. A strange sensation prickles along my spine, and I shift slightly, realizing just how sore my body feels. All that tiredness and the feeling of his fingers inside me still lingers. The memories from last night flash in my mind, and my cheeks heat. Dustin's touch, his words, the way he made me—No. Stop it, Elita.I attempt to sit up, but a strange sensation of being watched holds me back. Blinking against the golden light streaming through the windows, I glance towards the wing chair tucked in the corner of the room. My breath catches.Dustin.He is there, his large frame sprawled out, his head tilted to the side as he sleeps. The faint sunlight kisses his sharp features—the defined jaw, the slightly tousled dark hair, the relaxed curve of his lips. My heart stutters for reasons I don’t understand.Why is he sleeping there? I frown, pulling the she
DustinThe room is quiet, save for the soft rhythm of Elita’s breathing. Her chest rises and falls beneath the sheets, her hair fanning out over my pillow like a halo, and I can’t look away.I sit at the edge of the bed, my elbows resting on my knees as I watch her. The moonlight filters through the window, casting a silvery glow over her face. Her lashes are shadows against her cheeks, her lips slightly parted, tempting in ways I can barely comprehend.She is too still, too peaceful, and I hate how much I want to ruin that peace.I lean forward, my hand gripping the edge of the bed as I watch her. Her lips are slightly parted, soft, and tempting. They have been driving me insane all night, and the craving to taste them burns hotter than ever.Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on the bed, the ache inside me intensifying with every second that passes. The urge to touch her is maddening, clawing at the edges of my self-control. I want to run my fingers along the curve of her jaw, down
ElitaHe pulls the sheets down from my body and hovers above me, right between my parted legs. Why did I freaking spread my legs for him?! Is something wrong with me?His hand lowers to my stomach, making me gasp and stare at his face. The moonlight illuminates his features, making him appear glowing and so tempting. “ Still want it? ” His voice is cold now, almost frosty. “ Y—Yes. ” I stammer, heat pooling between my legs. “ Think about it. ” He offers, his nose brushing against my cheek and inhaling my scent. “ I will do anything for you to trust me! ” I snap, knowing he will pull away any moment. But he proves me wrong as he tilts his head and stares at my face, his lips feathering the corner of my mouth. His fingers slide lower, carrying an electric current with them. Lower, lower, lower until— My back arches. His fingers slide between my panties. My head spins as heat spreads to my toes, making them curl. Dustin presses his lips to my ear and rasps. “ You know I won’t
Elita“ You really will do anything for me, won’t you? ” He strokes my cheek, his fingers cold against my skin. “ Yes. ” I nod eagerly, even if I have a bad feeling about this. I am pressed against the door, stuck between his heated body and the cold surface. I know there is nowhere to run or hide, but that’s not what I need either. I need him to trust me by whatever means necessary. If doing something ensures it, then it means I must do it.“ I trust people who follow my every command. ” His eyes shine with a strange glint. Slowly, Dustin leans in. My breath catches as the memories of kissing him flash before my eyes. My heartbeat quickens, and my hands clench in an attempt to hide my jittery response. “ So think again. Are you sure about this? ” He whispers, leans so close that his lips brush against my cheek with each word. “ Yes. ” I breathe and shift closer. He is irresistible, so impossible to ignore. He makes it so hard for me not to ache for him. Think about all your ba
Dustin“ If they didn’t come out for so long, what makes you think they will be convinced now? ” I interrupt, my voice turning cold again.She pauses to breathe and glances my way, her eyes narrowing. “ we can try. If they hear that destruction is close, they will do something. They won’t sit still and watch it. That’s not the way of wolves. ”“ That’s what you think. What if they don’t think like this, Elita? ” Aleister says what I would have said in much harsher words.I watch the hurt swimming through her eyes as she turns to face him. She wanted me to defend her, to tell everyone that they needed to believe whatever she was saying.She is expecting too much from me, and I still have too little to offer her.“ Your Highness, if we try, we will know for sure. We need to try. ”“ She is right. If we can get more trained people on our side, what’s the harm? ” Striker suggests.“ Yes, there is no harm in it. Besides, if we don’t reach them soon, maybe Levian will. ” She suggests, and t
Dustin“ It’s true. ” Elita nods, agreeing with me. “ he came for me solely because he wanted information from me. Or else, why would the Great King of the North come for someone who is just a fling to him? ”The attention shifts to her. Now, she is the bigger idiot in their eyes. But I don’t like it when they think of her as an idiot, either.So, I narrow my eyes and give them a warning look. This time, they don’t bother letting the girl beside me know that I have been glaring at them.“ I am just glad nothing bad happened. ” Amelia says, trying to diffuse the tension. “ They both are fine, and it’s all that matters. ”Ever the peacemaker. I like this one a little. Lenora nods. “ You are right, Amelia. Levian could have killed them both, but they are fine, so it’s a win, I guess. ”The women have settled down, but my friends are still glaring back at me. I shrug, throwing them a nonchalant look. They can sulk for some time. It’s perfectly understandable. “ What was the important t