“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and perhaps it’s best I invite my grandparents to the pack, right my wrongs.” Alexander said.“I agree, but how would you get to them?”“Now that I know for sure they’re both alive and exactly what they look like, the odds are in my favor.” He said and then walked to me. “Thank you, Kaida, for what you did back there, and just so you would know, I’ll never hurt you—that threat, I didn’t mean it.”“I understand, Alex. You were mad and angry, and you should be. It’s alright.”He placed a kiss on my forehead and then on my lips, and our eyes locked in an intense gaze. “You make me feel sane, Kaida.”“You make me feel more…alive.”He was the first to look away. “I need a shower.” He says.“I need one too.”He smiled—a genuine smile. I stripped off my clothes, but before I could step into the bathroom, he picked me up and carried me to the shower enclosure.He finally set me down. Turning on the shower, he took the bottle of shampoo and applied it to my
I stared at the letter, tears streaming down my face. I read it over and over until every word was etched into my memory. My gaze fell to the date—it was written just weeks before his death. A sob escaped my lips, and I let it all out. I cried, my tears soaking the paper. Why hadn’t he told me? I would have understood, but he had kept it to himself.‘I forgive you, Father. For everything.’ I muttered.I stared at the paper one last time, unable to shake the feeling that the final line didn’t belong. The words ‘Avenge me.’ didn’t sound like my father’s, yet the handwriting was his. And maybe, just maybe, he truly believed I could do it."Kaida." Aric's familiar voice called. I had been too caught up in the letter to notice him approaching. Despite myself, a flicker of embarrassment crept in at how easy I had been snuck up on—I should have sensed his scent or heard his footsteps.I had my back to him, and I quickly shoved the letter into my pocket, but there was no need; he had already
ALIYA’S POV“I should have known; gods forgive me for being so stupid. Of course, you will fall in love with him; of course, you will break every rule and destroy everything we’ve spent years building just for one man.” Empress Julia said to me, her eyes filled with clear disgust and disappointment.I was in her chambers, naked and on my knees, awaiting my punishment.I had never seen her look so furious before, but I couldn’t even bring myself to care about how she or the other Empresses and High Regents felt.“You let him into your bed, didn’t you? I imagine he must have been quite the man.” I said, and her whip lashed across my skin; it took every will in me to hold back the cry threatening to escape my lips.“I wasn’t the one the gods chose; she chose you, and now you’ve shamed her. Did he defy you?”“What I did with him is none of your business, Julia.” I sneered at her.The whip landed against my chest this time, harder than before. “Oh, I will find out; I will dig my hands int
Five days. That’s how long I had stayed without food or water. My stomach rumbled for the one thousandth time; I was sore to my bones, I couldn’t even stand properly on my feet. I looked through the tiny window, watching the birds fly. I envied them. At least they were free. Maybe I might die of thirst and the god of light could find another ‘Chosen’. The door was unlocked, and Julia walked in, a tray of food in her hands. My mouth watered instantly. “Hungry?” she asked, and despite myself, I nodded. “I brought you some food. But you will have to earn it. The last time we met, you said so many blasphemous things. I know you didn’t mean them. The deal is simple; all you have to do is stand before the other empresses and confess your crimes.” She said with a smile. “Confess my crime? I committed no crime.” I said my voice sounded dry. “You condemn an innocent man to death; YOU are the problem, you and the other twisted empresses. To hell with you all.” The smile on her face disap
“How did you get out of there? It’s impossible…”He placed a finger over my lips. “No questions; I can’t answer them now.” He said and then rose to his feet.“Where are you going?”He picked up the tray of food; I hadn’t even noticed it, even if the scent filled the room; all my attention had been on him. My mouth watered instantly. “You remember the first time I snuck in some food for you?” he asked.“I’ll never forget.”He passed me the tray, and I accepted it with shaky hands. I emptied the bottle of water before emptying the plate of food. When I was done, I looked up to see he was watching me.His eyes trailed down my body, taking in the bruises, and I couldn’t help but try to hide them. I looked my worst, and I wonder if it irritated him.“Sorry I wasn’t here to protect you from that.” He said it, and I knew what he was referring to.“I deserve it.”“No, you don’t,” he said, taking a seat beside me on the bed. “If there’s a way to get you out of here, forever, would you take it?
So many questions clouded my mind—questions about Trian. I always thought he was mysterious, but perhaps I underexaggerated it all. He left me with so many unanswered questions. How had he escaped the Pit? How had he gotten into my room? And how in the hell did he disappear into thin air?He had asked if I trusted him. I did—more than anyone in my life, though there weren’t many to begin with. He said he would come back for me; he also told me what I would have to do. I didn’t know his plans, but I had no choice but to trust him blindly.Two days passed. I knew Julia would be visiting anytime from now, but this time I was ready.The door was pulled open, and she walked in with the biggest smile on her face and a tray of food in her hands. I wasn’t very hungry; two days without food was no big deal to me, and Trian had made sure I was well fed. I knew what I had to do.“I brought you some food. But as I have told you before, it all comes with a price.” She said, “It’s just one simple t
“Don’t be afraid; you’ve come to confess your sins and plead for mercy from the god of light; you have nothing to fear.” Julia said to me, and I nodded, but my eyes remained on the ground.High Regent Gregold rose to his feet and walked to my side.“Together, we are gathered here with the god of light’s Chosen; she has made a mistake and is here to atone for her mistakes.”“Go on.” Julia encouraged, and I finally looked up.“I had disgraced myself, this house, and everything sacred. I had brought shame and reproach; all the while I thought I was right; I thought I was missing something, but I was wrong. Everything I had ever needed was in here, but I failed to see it. I had been blinded by my own selfishness. Empress Julia helped me see my mistakes and…” I broke down, sobbing. Crying wasn’t a hard task for me; it was easy to let a few tears slide down my cheeks. “I feel so ashamed of myself; I was weak. I do not deserve the god of light’s mercy, but I plead for it. I promise to never
ALEXANDER POV**NINE YEARS AGO**My mother, Riley, stared at me from a distance. I could see the longing in her eyes—the need to be close to her son. I saw her almost every single day—except for the times she locked herself away in her room, and yet, there seemed to be this distance between us; we could never have a normal mother-to-son relationship. I knew that. The bruise on my neck still stung, a wound inflicted by her—but I knew she hadn’t been in her right mind. I could tell the moment the switch flipped and her demon took control. I was strong enough to fight her now, but I’d rather die than hurt my own mother. The pain from each bite was bearable, but the thought of raising a hand against the woman who gave me life—that, I couldn’t endure.I waved awkwardly at her, and she smiled, teary-eyed.I walked towards her; her eyes widened in panic, and she turned around returning to her room, fleeing down the passageways, but I followed after her, and before she could shut the door on
“You look younger,” I remarked.“I get that a lot.” She responded.I glanced around the house, taking in the pictures. It seemed Selene was an only child—just like I was. In one of the photos, her mother had her arms around a man with curly blonde hair. I assumed he was Selene’s father.Older photographs crowded the walls. Her voice drew my attention away from my inspection.“I’m sorry about… last time.”“What?”“The rings and all black must have scared you off.”While I thought she looked better without all those, that hadn’t been the reason I walked away.“No, it’s not that. I just hadn’t expected you to be so … young.”“Oh.” She said, and at that moment, Rebecca Ashford walked in.“If you need anything else, all you have to do is say,” she said with a smile.“Actually, I’d like to speak to you. Alone,” I replied. I didn’t miss the brief flicker of disappointment that crossed Selene’s face. “It’ll just be a few minutes,” I added.“Of course.” Rebecca said and nodded to Selene, who r
**BETA PHIL’S POV**EARLIER… (MATE BALL)I wasn’t born into any of the ‘noble’ bloodlines. None of my ancestors had ever been part of the Alpha, Beta, or Gamma clans, so I never thought I could ascend to such a position. But if my mother were alive today, she would wear that same warm smile—the one that said, ‘I told you so.’ She had believed in me, even in times when I didn’t share that belief. Pack members stepped forward to congratulate me. I couldn’t recall the last time I had felt this happy.Then, I caught the scent.Many years ago, I would have been overjoyed; many years ago, the thought of finding my mate—my other half—consumed me. But those prime years were gone, and now I saw how people were overly obsessed with the ideology of having mates. We didn’t need mates to be complete; it was all a matter of the mind. I never needed one.So why now?Why now when everything was finally falling into place?Abandoning my half-drunk glass of champagne, I rose and followed the scent. Th
Phil and I joined the pack patrollers.“We’ve got it covered here.” Phil assured them, and they spread out, giving us some privacy. "You’re very observant," he says, and I assumed he was referring to my earlier suspicion."It’s actually written all over your face. You look stressed.""Well, you’re the only one who noticed.""Maybe I do have a knack for picking up on things."I knew he wasn’t the type to share his personal problems, so I couldn’t push him; he’d talk when he felt ready. At least he had admitted to my suspicion that something was indeed wrong.“It all started back at the mate ball. Right after the ‘big announcement.’I had gone to grab some champagne when I caught the scent. That’s when I finally understood what everyone had been going on about. The scent was heavenly. She must have arrived late, I’m sure I would’ve noticed if she’d been at the ball earlier.”I didn’t bother admitting that all this time, I had assumed he was mated. I realized I knew so little about thos
KADIA’S POVMy session with the soldiers had ended for the day. I needed a hot bath and enough food to feed a small village—preferably before I collapsed from starvation.I was heading to the pack house when I spotted Phil. I’d been meaning to see him. For the past few days, he’d been a bit… absent, and that was—well, weird.Ignoring my stomach’s protests, I walked up to him, but he was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice me until I tapped him. He turned, looking a little startled before quickly masking it.“Luna, sorry, I was just… caught up in my thoughts,” he said.I nodded, offering a small smile.“That, I can understand.” I paused, studying him. There were faint bags underneath his eyes, like he hadn’t been sleeping well. His facial hair was a little overgrown. He looked exhausted—he’d been like this since the… announcement. Was it all too much for him?“Phil, are you alright?” I asked.“Yes, of course. Why?”“Nothing. It’s just—you’ve been distant these past few days.”
The knock on the door cut our moment short.Normally, when a door’s locked, it’s a clear sign that the person inside doesn’t want visitors. But I guess the heads outside couldn’t take the hint.Kaida got back in her dress, and I helped adjust her hair.“How do I look?”“Beautiful.”“Thanks, but not that. Do I look like someone who just had sex?” She asked, and I shook my head.“No, you look fine.”Well, sometimes a little lie was necessary. Her hair, smudged lipstick, and rumpled clothes would surely give her out, but she didn’t need to know that.I pulled the door open to find two teenage girls with wide smiles—smiles that dropped the moment they saw us.Their eyes quickly raked over both of us, immediately figuring out what we'd been up to, and their cheeks flushed deep red."Sorry, we didn’t mean to interrupt. We came to pick up our rented dresses, but we can — just come back… later," one of them stammered, and they both hurried off without waiting for a reply."Hey?" Kaida called,
I found her jealousy amusing.“You’re jealous, aren’t you?”“Why wouldn’t I be? Sure, she might be a good person, but let’s not forget that you two used to have sex. I have every right to feel insecure, especially with the way she kept looking at you…” Kaida trailed off.I watched her, feeling unworthy. She had been faithful to me, even when we had broken things up, but I was stupid enough to think being with other women could take my mind off her.“I was apologizing for what I did to her earlier, and then she found her mate—she hesitated to go to him at first, but changed her mind in the end. That’s about it.”Kaida ran her hands through her thick black hair. “I feel like an insecure fool. I’m really sorry.”“You have nothing to apologize for.”She was staring at something, and I followed her gaze to Lara, who was kissing a dark-skinned guy. I figured that had to be her mate.“Wow. This mate ball turned out to be far more fun than I anticipated.” She said, I lingered on her expressi
I couldn’t take my eyes off her."Care for a dance?” I asked her and she nodded. It didn't seem like she enjoyed parties much.I took her hand and led her to the dance floor, aware of how people kept their distance. Seriously, what did they think? That I’d take their heads off just for bumping into me on the dance floor?This was getting ridiculous. But I couldn’t dwell on that thought any longer—Kaida was staring.“We match,” she said, motioning to my black tuxedo with its dark blue vest and tie. Maybe that wasn’t entirely a coincidence. “And you look really hot in that tuxedo, but then again, when do you not?” Her cheeks reddened. Kaida could be a badass fighter, but she wasn’t always as confident when it came to... well, other things.I stepped closer, letting her feel the subtle shift of my arousal. “Giving me compliments like that in public is dangerous.”She let out a breathy laugh, her cheeks still flushed. I saw the need flash in her eyes. I had been contemplating leaving wit
The dark blue dress would look beautiful on Kaida. That was the first thought on my mind when I saw it in the store. I knew I had to get it for her..Kaida was on the training field, she’d taken up Aric’s position. I believed it was another way to honor his memory. She trained the soldiers just as he had done… before everything went downhill. I had to admit, she was very good at it. Even the soldiers seemed to be enjoying the session with her."Your weight on this leg," she instructed, adjusting the soldier’s stance. I didn’t miss the way his gaze flickered to her ass for a split second before he quickly looked away, likely fearing he’d be caught staring. The possessive part of me wanted to pry out his eyes for even looking, then drag her into our room and fuck her all day long for looking so damn sexy.The longer I watched, the more something dark stirred inside me. She was too damn close to that guy, and those leathers—hell, they were so tight, her ass was practically on display. I
The Rogue leaders had waited. When the two days were over, I invited them into the meeting room.A maid brought over bottles of beer, and Edna was the first to take a deep gulp, the others following soon after. The maid excused herself.“Edna, Skale, Kev, Gal, and of course, Timothy. Welcome to the Nightshade Pack.”“I didn’t remember keeping you waiting this long when you paid us a visit.” Edna said to me."I’d hoped you’d get impatient enough to leave."Edna chuckled; it was silent and humorless. “Unfortunately, we’ve come to speak on an important matter.”“I assumed as much.”"We allowed a peace treaty with you once, and now we’ve come to discuss the terms.""I made you a promise, Edna. I told you that if you couldn’t keep the rogues under control, there would be war. This time, something tells me you were the brains behind the earlier attack.""Yes. I was. Like the rest, we believed you were gone, and we did what anyone would do—we attacked.""But I guess you were wrong.""Sorely.