ESMERAYNothing prepared me for the crowd gathered in front of the castle as I made my way to meet the other royals. Afterwards, I was to go to the Lycaon office building where an office was being set up for me. People gathered in their numbers, some with cameras, and some just hoping for an opportunity to get a close view of their next Luna. Draven’s arms wrapped around mine protectively as he led me past the crowd with Smythe and two others clearing the way.“Are you going to mark her?” Someone shouted from the crowd. “Is she an omega?” Another voice screamed above the others.“Tell us when the mating ceremony will be,” Another lady screamed.But Draven didn’t act like he was aware of their presence or that he heard any of their questions. He was used to this kind of things, but for me, it feels surreal, like a movie. We finally got into the vehicle in one piece and when Draven’s arms wrapped around my waist in the back seat, I drew close to him like he’d instructed. I was his to
“Come here,” he stretched his hands to me as he settled on a sofa in his office. I hesitated but all he had to do was give me one stern look and I scurried towards him and took his outstretched arm. A yelp escaped my lips when he pulled me to sit on his laps, his hands narrowing around my waist and his head settling between my neck.I held my breath as he breathed me in, wondering what the hell had come over him. One minute he was boiling like a volcano ready to erupt, and the next he had me straddled against his laps, breathing me in. When he pulled back to look into my eyes, I noticed his eyes were not their usual blue but had now taken a deeper shade, and his next words threw me off guard.“Kiss me,” he commanded with an unbelievably deep voice. His command washed over me like a tide, my heart slamming heavily against my chest. I moistened my dry lips with my tongue as my eyes settled on his waiting lips.“What?” I blinked, my heart rate picking up.“You did it once, don’t act
“Wait,” I sprang up from my seat and rushed to him, grabbing his hand just before he opened the door. His brows shut up, his eyes hard as a rock as they bored holes into me. What gave me the courage to stop him, I’ll never understand, but I had a bad feeling about the call he’d just received – call it a premonition.He dropped his eyes to where mine rested on his, narrowing his gaze to show his displeasure for stopping him. My hands on his quivered but I didn’t pull them away.“I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think you should go,” I swallowed as the words left my mouth. His eyes had now grown completely black, a vein twitched in his jaw, and for a minute I was so sure he was going to strike me. “Do you know what you are doing?” his gaze did not waver from my hands as he spoke, his voice a deadly whisper. His powerful aura filled the room, making me want to surrender to him, bare my neck to him, and apologize for my insolence.Truth is, I didn’t know what I was doing or what came
“Do you think Donovan has a hand in this?” I heard Vadirr ask as I gently pushed open the door to the room Draven was in, with Duron behind me. The two men turned to face me, Draven’s eyes darkening as they met mine. He was seated with nothing but his trousers on. His chest was bare, and his left arm bandaged, but asides from that, there was nothing else to indicate that he’d just suffered a gun injury. In fact, he looked even more handsome with his hair falling over his face. “What is she doing here?” He looked angrily at Duron who shoved his hands into his pockets and pursed his lips. “She insisted she needed to see you,” he answered. It was evening already, and I’d spent all day worrying about him, yet he took one look at me and acted like I’d been the one to pull the trigger. “I told you that you mustn’t let her out no matter the situation,” he started to rise from his sitting position “After what happened today, you should know better,” “She’s your mate. If anyone should be
DRAVEN “I don’t have a hand in this,” with one hand shoved in his pockets, Donovan leaned against the door Esme just departed. I wish I believed him, but I didn’t. I love my youngest brother because he’s the only thing left that reminds me of my mother. He took all her good traits, but his character was questionable. I tried to make sure he didn’t have the life I and Duron had while growing up, but he always took it the wrong way, and we fell out occasionally. He wanted so bad to please our late father, to be like him at all cost, but father never liked him, simply because he was the only child that took after our mother and not him. Donovan never passed any opportunity to tell me how much he envied me, and I’d never forget how many times he went out of his way to please the late King. While I and Duron had a hatred for my father, my youngest brother adored him and worshiped the ground he walked on. Going after women at an early age was his way of showing his father that he was man
ESMERAYHow do I stop the hammering in my chest or avoid meeting thousands of people especially when I know they were converging for my sake? Today is the introduction ceremony. I’ll be officially welcomed into the Lycaon place and introduced as the next Luna. The first for many years. I like to think I’m very much introverted. Not like I had many opportunities to attend parties while growing up, but I dread the excitement and pressure of meeting a lot of people for the first time. I have somehow lost the courage I had the first time when Draven made that announcement. I didn’t have to say much that day, but today will be different. I wish he didn’t have to rush it but after what happened, I understood his need to. This party wasn’t supposed to hold until the next two weeks and that would have given me time to prepare for it, but no matter how much time I was given, I knew I’d never be ready . The party was already underway, and I had spent the last minute giving myself a pep ta
Everything happened in a flash. One minute, Zayden was shifting into his wolf, advancing towards me, and the next minute, his wolf lay lifeless on the ground as Draven pounced on him still in his human form and without breaking a sweat. Apart from his elongated claws, Draven’s beast did not make an appearance. The whole party stopped and everyone stood on standstill as Draven attacked Zayden’s wolf with his claws until he was bleeding on the expensive floor, but Draven didn’t stop. I watched in horror as he handled an alpha wolf, going at him until Zayden lost all power and his wolf was bleeding profusely. Even then, he didn’t stop.I never saw a man battle a wolf before because naturally, werewolves are stronger in their wolf form than in their human form, and it would only be considered a fair fight if both parties shifted, but Draven was a Lycan, not just any Lycan but the most powerful. He didn’t need to let his beast out to fight a wolf, even an alpha wolf.The crowd gasped and
This cell reminds me of the last one I’d been in at Silver Moon before Ailana helped me escape. It was cold and dark and without any form of ventilation. I wasn’t sure how many hours passed and if it was morning yet because it was hard to tell since the cell is always dark. I’d cried till there were no tears left and stayed awake all through the night, wondering what will become of me now. Many times, I wished for a miracle. For someone to come save me the same way Aila had saved me when I’d lost all hope at Silver Moon. But this isn’t Silver Moon and Ailana isn’t here. Even if she were, it’ll be impossible to break out of any cell in the Lycaon place. I cursed Zayden, and then I cursed myself too. How did I ever forget that I was the most ill-fated and luckless person on earth? How did I think I’ll pull this off without him finding out? I let myself get carried away by his beautiful face, the attraction I felt towards him, and the life of affluence that I started to believe this one
“Mommy, Darren says I’m not going to be king,” three-year-old Dayton told me teary-eyed “I want to be king like Daddy,” I glanced at Draven for help. He smiled and picked Dayton up, pecking him on the cheeks first “Oh but you are a king my little man, even better than your daddy,” “But I’m older,” Darren argued. The twin boys were exactly like their father and it made me jealous sometimes. They had his hair color, same eye color, same facial structure and they were already starting to sound like him at this tender age. I carried them for seven months! And I pushed both of them out of my vagina! Yet they didn’t look anything like me. A normal lycan or werewolf pregnancy lasts about six months but these two took their time before deciding it was time to face the world. “Yes you are, by ten minutes,” Draven told Darren. Though the twins were identical, it was not hard for me to tell them apart. I was gifted you see. Draven sometimes struggled to know who is who. “Can there be two king
My face was covered with Draven’s kisses by the time we made it to his former chambers and my stomach hurt from too much laughing. Our things had been moved to the King’s chambers and I didn’t realize how much I’ll miss this place until we got there. The King’s chambers were many miles away, so it was easier to come here. He dropped me gently once we were inside, and I moved round, noticing how lonely it felt.“Why can’t we just stay here?” I asked.“Because it is no longer befitting for a King and his Luna,” Draven pulled my hands and hauled me against his chest “I bet you will like the King’s suite better,” he assured me.“It holds a lot of memories,” I turned back to where a huge portrait of Draven used to be to find the wall empty.“We will make more memories in the King’s quarters,” he winked at me and my heart fluttered again. “Besides, you can always come here to spend some time if you please. There’s going to be a routine maintenance every year until our first son is of age to
ESMERAYIt’s happening! Hard as it is to believe, it is actually happening! If I had the power to, I would have loved to freeze this moment and bask in the joy I feel for just a little bit longer. I wonder why the goddess didn’t give me that gift. My beast howled in my head in excitement as I said my vows and took my oath, swearing my allegiance to the entire kingdom and my loyalty to the people, and my new role.A cut was made on I and Dravens right hands, and we shook hands, making sure there was exchange of blood. A charge of electricity flowed from my head to toe as we did, and this wasn’t the usual electric current I feel whenever Draven as much as touched me, it was different, making me feel even more powerful. Draven occasionally reached me through the mind link to make sure that I was okay, and I assured him I never felt better which was true. My beast felt more powerful, and my senses more alert.Soon after, we were crowned and pronounced king and Queen, and the crowd went on
DRAVEN“Where is Duron?” I asked Vadirr who was hovering behind me.“Right here,” Duron answered, casually walking into the room where I was getting ready to join the waiting guests. I have waited for this day for a long time, worked hard for it. My father had told me several stories about what to expect during the coronation and what and what not to do. Ever since I was born, I was groomed for this day. But with just a few minutes left before I am finally crowned king, I didn’t feel the joy that I thought I would.I knew why I felt the way that I did, but I convinced myself that I could live with it. Esmeray Grayson, the woman that would be my Luna Queen didn’t love me. The sparks between us had intensified more than ever. In the last two days, we have made love even more than the way we had in the past. She still reacted to me the way she usually would. I only had to look at her to get her blushing really hard. She squirms in delight whenever I called her beautiful. I heard the soun
By the next day, I had made up my mind on what to do. I took a fresh shower, washed my hair and put on a particular lingerie he’d complimented once. I covered myself in a robe and waited for him. I was not sure if he was going to come home or not, and I was not going to call his office phone to find out. But I made up my mind that if he didn’t get home by nightfall, I’d go to his office with hopes to find him there.I was feeling unusually nervous, so I picked up a book and started to flip through it. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes to hours, and frustration started to kick in. I lost the courage I had mustered and put the book away. There was no point, maybe I should just give up this ridiculous act. I’d just started to untie my robe when I started to feel his presence. Shortly after, I heard the front door open and my heart pounded loudly in my chest.I tightened the robe around me when he entered. As usual, he didn’t spare me a glance or acknowledge my presence in the room. He w
I’d tried to talk to Ailana after that, but she decided to hide in her room again and wouldn’t let me in, so I thought it best to give her some time to come to terms with it. She wasn’t the only one hiding apparently. Duron too did not show face for dinner and when I asked about him, I was told he’d left the palace unannounced.After my first shift, I found out that my visions were much more clearer and didn’t come with their usual headaches. That night, I decided to visit the oracle as I’d intended to do so a long time now but the events of the last days had not allowed me the time to.Smythe took me to her and I found Cordelia seated at her usual spot on the floor. She looked up as soon as I entered, a wide smile plastered on her face.“Luna,” she greeted cheerfully, quickly rising to her feet. I smiled back at her and looked around her room. There had been a few changes since the last time I came here, and I told her. She nodded her agreement and pointed a chair for me to sit but I
ESMERAYOn the seventh day, we laid the departed to rest. Draven had fully recovered and immersed himself in repairing the damages and compensating the families of the bereaved. He also made sure that those who had invaded his territory were apprehended. None of them went away scot free. Even those that fled, he’d sent trackers to find them and judgment was passed on them.The members of Silver Moon pack were sold off as slaves to other packs. I didn’t interfere with Draven’s decision when he passed it or try to plead on their behalf because I knew most of them probably deserved it. There were a few innocent ones though, but I could only hope that the goddess herself brings them goodwill in their new journey in life. If they were indeed good people, their innocence would vindicate them.Draven, however, avoided me like a plague since he left the hospital bed the same day that he awoke. I watched him from a distance in deep conversation with the new kingmaker and Vadirr by his side. No
DRAVENI cupped my erection as my mate did a little striptease for me. She looked absolutely beautiful and dangerously sexy in her underwear. She was shy, but with every second that passed came a little bit of confidence. She smiled at me, and her smile grew into laughter, but she stopped suddenly and started to get into her clothes hastily. Her smile was suddenly replaced by a look of fear, of worry. I watched her get into her clothes, wishing she would not stop her little show, but I started to get alarmed too at the worry on her face.My heart broke into a thousand many pieces when she started to cry, weeping like a bride who just got jilted at the alter. She was uncontrollable. A woman in distress. I reached for her hands and tried to touch her, but the more I tried to reach her, the farther away she drifted. My heart was pounding in my chest as I watched her drift away from me. “Esmeray,” I gasped, my eyes fluttering open immediately. I tried to sit up, but my whole body felt
“Drop it,” Ailana ordered her father whose gun dropped noisily to the floor immediately she said those words. Her face had a seriousness I’d not seen in them before. This isn’t exactly the type of reunion one would wish to have with ones father.“You are not going to kill your father, are you, child?” Thane’s eyes were on his daughter’s fierce ones.“You are not my father,” Ailana argued “You were never my father, never have, and never will be. I know you never wanted a girl child. The only reason you tried to like me was because you started to realize your perfect son wasn’t so perfect after all,”“What are you talking about Aila? You know you were my favorite. Zayden was a fool, which is why I was going to put you up against him for the alpha seat. You were better than him in every aspect,” Thane reached to touch Aila’s arm but she flinched and pressed the gun tighter into his forehead.“Aila-“ I stopped when a lone tear dropped from Aila’s eye. Her lips were clasped tightly. I didn