ElitaThey did ask where I had to return. But I didn’t have to answer. Dustin understood it was time for my exit and dragged me away before they could investigate my final destination.“ We will leave tonight. ” He told me just that and then left too outside my room.I was supposed to get Felicity to pack everything I would take with me, but that felt like a meaningless task. That’s why I chose the better option. I wandered the Wolfshire Citadel and admired the carved ceilings, the high chandeliers, and the beauty that had remained even in my memory of ruins. Since I came here, this was the first time I explored the castle alone and roamed until I got lost in the maze-like corridors. And as I found myself in a high tower overlooking the calm sea, I realized one thing that I had never cared to think about before.The Moon Goddess said that she gave us all that we wished for. She did that for me, too. For years, without fail, I had wanted to see these castles in their full glory…I wan
Elita“ Shouldn’t you be discussing things with your friends? ” I walk closer to the man standing close to the shore, looking at the sea.I think if I look for him, I will always find him near water. Another thing to be noted about him.“ Shouldn’t you be doing more women things like packing instead of exploring the Wolveshire Citadel? ” Dustin shoots back without glancing my way.I come to a stop beside him and huff. The strong breeze sways my hair, making me grab the strands falling into my eyes to hold them still.“ Who told you that I was exploring the castle? ” I wonder, and look at his side profile.He glances at me from the corner of his eyes. His brows lift as he notices me standing there, still gripping the strands of my hair. “ I don’t need anyone to tell me what happens in the castle. ” Dustin turns to face me and reaches up.Surprised, I almost stumble back but catch myself at the last moment. His eyes narrow as he grips my hands and pulls them away from my wild hair.“ O
ElitaThe evening air carries a gentle chill, brushing against my face as I lean slightly forward on the horse. The forest around us is dark but alive, each rustle of leaves whispering secrets I am too tired to decipher. Dustin’s warmth presses against my back and his arms around my waist steady me as we travel on the same Stallion again.“ Did you see her too? ” I ask curiously, turning my head just enough to catch a glimpse of his sharp profile. His gaze doesn’t falter from the path ahead, his jaw tightening at my question. “ It’s personal. ” I let out a dramatic sigh and roll my eyes. “ Seriously? Personal? We have shared things way more personal than dreams about the Goddess, Dustin. You know…I see her in my dreams, too, so I am wondering if she comes into your dreams and tells you things. ”I wait for him to be curious or surprised or anything, but Dustin remains as calm as ever. And he doesn’t respond.The silence stretches, filling the space between us with something heavy,
ElitaWe stayed there until a warrior from the Pack came to get them. When they left, a strange calm befell my heart. For some time, it felt like I could finally breathe without feeling a weight pressing down on my chest.It was because I believed what Dustin said. As long as he lived, no harm would ever come to my brother and sister. Even after I am gone, he will make sure that they are happy.I am finally leaving my siblings with someone who will not disappoint us. And with their sister, who will wake up after I leave, I am sure they will grow up into good adults. Those thoughts keep revolving in my head as we make our way back in silence. When we reach the Wolveshire Citadel, the night falls, and thick clouds hang in the sky.I crane my neck, my head pressing against his chest. Tonight, even with the stormy weather and no stars in sight, everything appears so beautiful and wholesome.“ I… ” I didn’t know you would count me as someone you had to make happy. I want to say, but I can
ElitaDustin stands beside me, his usual unreadable expression in place, while the Kings—Aleister, Striker, and Tyson—say their dramatic farewells to their mates. The scene feels like something out of an old tale, with tears, lingering embraces, and whispered promises of safe return.It’s not like the Kings are going to get lost on their way. But the women are over-emotional. Must be due to their pregnancy hormones, I reason. I watch silently, letting the moment stretch, knowing that no one bids me farewell. There is a strange comfort in that—it makes leaving simpler.Finally, the goodbyes are over, and we set off. My horse moves ahead of the group, and I can feel their eyes on my back as I guide them toward the Northern border. When we arrive, the forest looms tall and silent before us. Striker pulls his horse to a stop and gestures at the boundary.“ This line marks the start of the vampire lands. ” He says. “ You are not leading us there, are you? ”“No. ” I reply firmly. “ The
ElitaI bolt upright, heart pounding as if it’s trying to break free from my chest. Dustin’s words echo in my mind, clearing out every other thought. Tyson is gone.I glance at Dustin, expecting him to offer an explanation, but he just leans back, his expression unreadable. The calm mask he wears doesn’t fool me. There is a storm brewing beneath his surface—one I am not sure I want to see unleashed.Before I can tell him to calm down, a loud thud shakes the ground. My head jerks up as a figure descends from the sky, landing with an eerie grace. I recognize him immediately—King Aleister. His piercing eyes scan the area with laser-like focus, their intensity making me feel small.And then, like a shadow summoned by Aleister’s presence, King Striker appears. His aura radiates heat, his fingertips glowing with a strange flame—purplish and orange, flickering in the cool night air. The sight sends a chill down my spine.Aleister’s gaze shifts to Dustin, completely bypassing me as if I am
ElitaThe man’s footsteps are silent as he leads me deeper into the woods. He moves with a kind of grace that makes my skin crawl, each step so fluid it’s as though he is floating. I follow, even though every instinct in me screams to turn back. There is no sound except the faint whisper of leaves under our feet and my own uneven breaths.I keep glancing over my shoulder. The shadows stretch long and twisted behind me, but nothing is there. At least, nothing I can see. They are making sure to hide well. Just like I instructed. “ We are almost there. ” The man says, his voice soft and melodic, like a lullaby drifting through a darkened room. I hesitate, shooting another look over my shoulder. Now, I really do need a sign that they are around. Hiding so well doesn’t seem that great of an idea to me. The man’s words send a cold prickle down my spine. “ Will more of your friends be coming? ”My heart leaps painfully into my throat. I force myself to swallow, to steady my voice. “ Ma
Elita“ She told you not to look the Elves in the eyes. Why did you have to do that, Striker? ” I hear a familiar, dark voice hiss. It has to be Alpha King Aleister, and he sounds angry. “ No supernatural powers work directly on the Lycans. ” Striker snaps back. “ I just looked up before setting everything on fire, and then…just…stopped. The surroundings changed, and I couldn’t see him anymore. It’s not my fault. I didn’t know the magic won’t work on me but will work on the surroundings instead. ”I shudder, pressing myself agaisnt the hard surface under me. It’s warm and so…electrically soothing.My muscles stiffen when I register my thoughts. Instinctively, I touch the surface with my cold fingers and sigh under my breath.Dustin.My eyes crack open, and I crane my neck back to look at his face. He lowers his gaze to mine and blinks calmly.Aleister and Striker are still bickering in the background. But their voices sound muffled in my ears now.I am lying on Dustin’s chest, the si
ElitaOnce again in life, I am forced to realize that waiting is the hardest thing to do.Waiting for someone is like dragging your body over a bed of nails. It is slow. It is painful. It does not kill, but it leaves me writhing. Time stretches, moving too slow, making every breath feel heavy, every heartbeat feel too slow.The worst part of it?Not knowing if they are even coming back, or if I am waiting for nothing, or if I should do something instead of just…sitting around and waiting. I pace around in the throne room, occasionally watching the vacant throne, then turning to the window that overlooks the sea. The water has been too calm, for too long. It’s unnatural. It’s been…four days now. Four days since Dustin Landric forced me into returning to the North! And he is not back!I keep thinking…If I could get ahold of him right now...I would curse at him. I would strangle him. I would kiss him. And tell him if he ever did this again, I would hate him forever. It might be a l
LevianSometimes, I do wonder. What’s the point of everything they do to fight back? The pride they hold onto, the dignity they so cherish, the trust they have in their Goddess…It’s childish. So naive, as if holding onto those ideals will protect them from the harsh truths of the world. They fight and fight, convinced that their strength and their loyalty to some higher cause will save them, but all I see is a cycle of failure repeating itself. They believe in their righteousness, their purity, their connections to forces they cannot fully understand. But it is all an illusion.The Gods or the world does not care about pride. It does not care about dignity. It does not recognize the strength they claim to possess. No, the world and the Gods respect only power—the kind that bends others to your will, the kind that ensures survival by any means. They are too wrapped up in their fantasies to see the reality. Survival is not about pride. It is about doing what they must, without in
DustinI stare back as Aleister glares at me. “ the distance was— ”“ Bigger than you expected? ” I shrug and turn to walk towards my horse.“ You already knew, didn’t you? ” He masks his anger behind a cold smirk.“ What? That you wouldn’t be able to teleport all of us? ” I look towards Striker, then Tyson. They are glaring at me just like Aleister. “ You knew. ” Aleister lets out a breath, his voice tinged with disbelief.“ This teleportation? It’s not the power of the South. It’s just some added perk from your submissive witch blood. Of course, I knew you could only teleport one or perhaps two of us before it stopped working for some time. ” I tell him honestly, not wanting to drag this out longer than needed. “ But I was hoping…you could send two back. Tyson would have been a good option. He knows Levian better than us. ”“ You knew he could only send one or two of us back, and you still chose her? ” Striker lifts his brows.“ You would have done the same if it was Lenora. She is
ElitaI am back here again. The fire is consuming me, licking at my skin, searing through my lungs. And water seeps from the statue’s cold stone eyes, inching toward me as if trying to free me from the flames.Why do I always end up here? What does this even mean?Before I can make sense of anything, I jolt awake. My heart pounds against my ribcages as my wide eyes land on the plain, dirty ceiling. My breathing is uneven, and my body is still caught somewhere between the dream and reality.“ Did I scare you? ” Dustin’s soft voice sounds from beside me. I stiffen, and turn my head in his direction. He is standing beside the bed, his warm hand placed over my shoulder. His dark eyes hold something unreadable, but his face remains impassive.I blink, once, twice. Trying to gather my thoughts.“ I would have let you rest longer, but it’s urgent… ” Dustin says, straightening to his height. “ Get up and get ready. We need to leave. Now. ”Dread tightens a knot in my stomach. “ What happene
ElitaIt will always remain this way. I will never register sex. I try to claw at his shoulder to ground my mind to this moment, to continue to look into his beautiful eyes, but everything is already blank before my gaze.Just when I think I am going to slip away from him, my body is flipped again. My heart misses a beat in my chest as everything clears in my view.I am above him, straddling his hips, with his length still inside me, filling me deeper now. My hands drop to his stomach, and my back arches when I register the burn in my core. He is stretching me so good.“ You are not…forgetting about this again. ” His deep, restrained voice echoes in my ears as he commands. Confused, I look down at our joined bodies, and then up at his clenched jaw, dark eyes, and hands that are clasped together, raised above his head. It takes me a moment to register what’s happening. But when I do, everything inside me turns warm and melts into a puddle.Dustin Landric, the man who can’t bear to l
Elita“ I got a little taste of you, Ms. Folke… ” Dustin says, his voice low, husky. “ I need more now. ”My breath catches in my throat, the tension between us thick and suffocating.“ Still need more? ” I ask, my voice barely a whisper. “ Even after I acted like an ungrateful bitch and hurt you every time I opened my mouth? ”His hands slide down my sides with a precision that sends shivers down my spine. There is no hesitation in his touch, only certainty as if every move is part of a calculated plan. He grips my thighs firmly, lifting me with ease and wrapping my legs around his torso. His body feels like steel against mine—so hard, yet so warm. “ Those words meant nothing to me. I knew you were trying to push me away… ” He says, his tone devoid of softness. His eyes trail to my parted lips before snapping back to meet my gaze. “ You can try to push me away, but it won’t work. Because I always get what I want. And what I want right now is to have this… ”He leans down, so close
Elita“You destroyed me, Dustin! Don't you understand?! ”Dustin’s jaw tightens. He watches as I storm to the door and step outside. The cold mountain air bites into my skin, but I do not care. I need space. I need air that does not smell like him. Just as I take a few steps forth and pick up my head, I see similar small huts surrounding me.Several warriors turn towards me and watch me standing there like a dummy. I take in a deep breath and start walking towards the right.Did Alpha King Striker have to trick me like this? What was he even hoping to achieve?I scoff, stomping forward to find a silent, lonely corner. I stop only when I reach the ditch again.It’s so visible even in the night. Why did I miss earlier then? I narrow my eyes on it, glaring at if I can blame it for everything going wrong. I don’t know how long I do it, but I know that my legs start feeling heavy.I crouch down and wrap my arms around my knees. I always knew what to do, but now, I feel like a fool.May
ElitaThe quiet of the night almost stings my ears as I see myself back in that place—the first time I saw the Lycan King up close, a decade ago.His hand wraps around my wrist just as I try to turn and retreat. My heart races, a drumbeat of panic. I have already lured him into the trap. Death looms close, waiting to claim him in the form of a vampire king—the same monster who made me into this.It feels surreal. The memory had turned foggy after so many years among vampires and humans. I could no longer remember the sharpness of his features, the exact look in his eyes. But now, it is painfully clear.He is not glaring at me. There is no hatred in his gaze, not even blame.Maybe he already knew it was a trap. Dustin always knows everything.And still, he came.I pull, trying to wrench free, but it is no use. Levian stalks closer from behind. Yet Dustin does not shift his focus. His eyes never leave mine.“You will regret it.” His thumb brushes my pulse point, lingering just long enoug
ElitaI lie awake, staring at the ceiling above my head, my mind too full to let sleep take me. Tonight, it feels so cold in here. I feel this itch under my skin to go find that Lycan King and snuggle into his arms but I hold still. He is warm when his limbs are entangled with mine, but I am still angry at him.That’s not all. There is an ache between my legs, a constant, needy ache that demands his touch. It’s driving me crazy. Suddenly, someone knocks at the door. My heart misses a beat.Dustin. It has to be him. He knocked on my door hours ago and I just pretended to be asleep.The thought of him sends a rush through me—anger, longing, something that twists low in my belly—but I force myself to stay put. I won’t answer. I won’t let him in.“ Elita. ” The voice from the other side of the door calls out, and it’s not him. It’s Striker. “ Come out. ”I sigh and move my legs over the side of the bed, bare feet touching the cold floor. When I open the door, he stands there in the dim