"What was the cause of this miscarriage?" he asked.Laying naked while he asked questions was not at all a comfortable position, but what was more puzzling was this anticipation in me. He had said he was not planning to go ‘soft’, and this treacherous part of me wondered what would have happened if I never brought up the issue of the miscarriage—"I cannot tell you that.""I will find out either way.""Well, good luck with that," I said. I couldn't imagine Ryker telling the truth to anyone that he was the cause of the loss of our child."Then maybe a little fun," he says as he loosens his tie, taking it off, and then his suit.I inhaled sharply. He had broad shoulders, and even through the black long-sleeve shirt he wore, I could see his thick build—the flex of his muscle—with each movement he made, and my eyes trailed down. I looked away quickly, blushing red.He walked forward, taking both my hands."What are you doing?" I asked, but to this he gave no response. He held my hands aga
I couldn't believe what I had just done. No. What I allowed him to do. I couldn't believe the fact that I wanted more, but I wouldn't let him know that."Could you untie me now?""No""What?""No""I heard that. Why ‘no’?""I think I like you naked and tied to the bed. It's a turn-on," he said, and my eyes attempted to travel down there again, but I caught myself.Alpha Thane was so many things, but the control he could have over a person was one of his most intimidating skill.He kissed my collarbone, and his fangs grazed my neck. Was he planning to mark me?. I panicked, struggling against the hold. "You are a very strange being, Riley Kaidon. A moment ago, I could swear you enjoyed it all, but now you seem afraid and desperate to be free. Why?""You won't mark me." I said, it wasn’t a question.This was another part of the deal I hadn't talked about, another part that wasn't included in the contract, and I doubt that had been due to the fact that he 'forgot'."You were afraid I was
I lay on the bed, unable to sleep. How could I sleep when Thane was beside me? I couldn't make myself so vulnerable. Even if I knew if he did try to do anything crazy, I didn't have the power to stop him.I turned over to stare at him. No, he didn't look peaceful in sleep; he looked just as dangerous as he would if awake. He seemed tense, and I knew a little movement would be all that was needed to wake him, but...Was he really sleeping?I stretched, reaching out for him. I waved my hand over his eyes, just to make sure he was actually sleeping. He didn't blink, but I couldn't help the nerves I felt. I quickly withdrew my hands."You should be sleeping," a voice said, and it startled the hell out of me. I had been about to roll off the bed. It was Thane—of course he hadn't been asleep."What was that for?""I'm not the one behaving all creepy," he responded, a smirk forming on his lips. "You should go to sleep.""I can't""Why?""Isn't it obvious? I can't sleep with you beside me.""
I swallowed. No underwear had been picked out by him, and a part of me knew it was no mistake; he wanted me bare beneath this dress. I let the robe fall to the floor; his intense gaze remained on me, but he made no move. I quickly put on the gown. It was pretty—pretty wasn't the word; sexy was the right word, and it was the most revealing thing I had ever worn my whole life. I might as well walk around naked. The silk dress was strapless, revealing a whole lot of cleavages, and it had a deep slit by the side, exposing my thighs. "I can't wear this." "It is beautiful." "Isn't it too revealing? What kind of impression would I make on your parents, wearing this?" "One they would never forget. You are a true beauty, I would love to show you off to the world." "I am not a trophy, and I am also 'not' wearing this Thane." His eyes settled on me, but before he could speak, there was a distraction. "Where is my daughter? Take me to her this instant!" A voice I recognized called out; h
I wished I could take back the words I had said; it had only been a slip. I had been so angry at her; couldn't she see the sacrifice I was making? Couldn't she see that this was our only chance at being free?It would only be six months, and then it would be all over, but she didn't know that."I'm sorry," she says. "You are right; I don't know what I was thinking. I think I should leave now and go settle in my new space," she says, turning away and heading for the door."Mom, no, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry""No. No you're not, but when he breaks you, don't come running to me; I might not be able to help you.".With that, she walks away, and I couldn't help the shock I felt. My mother was loving and kind; when did she become so cold?The answer to that question had everything to do with the nightshade pack, with Thane, and whatever secret my mother held to herself.Yet I had this strange feeling like I was losing the only person who truly cared for me. The emptiness in her eyes when
"This was once called the Alpha's chamber, but Thane never did like the place," Axel informed me, but I couldn't make up a response, not when the nerves were eating me up. I was meeting his 'parents', the Alpha King and Queen. I walked in, but Axel didn't follow. The first person I noticed was Thane; he leaned against the wall looking very imposing. They seemed to have been in the middle of a conversation, which quickly ended the moment I arrived. Thane's eyes assessed me, and I could see the disapproval in his eyes—those eyes that seemed to darken the moment he realized I wasn't in the blue dress he picked out. I hadn't imagined it; his eyes did change colour according to his mood. I gave a low bow, my eyes down. I had seen Ryker's mother do this before. "Rise," the deep, cold voice called out, and I finally dared to stare into the eyes of Alpha Slade Blackwood of the New Blood Pack. Now I knew where Thane got those eyes from, though his father's were a different shade. Alpha Sla
I felt Freya’s grip on my arm the moment we were out of sight.“Come with me,” she says, her voice was raspy and barely audible, almost like she spent so much of her days in silence; she had forgotten how to speak right. I let her lead me into an empty room, and she locked the door.My heart pounded. Should I be afraid of her? There was something about her that was indeed different.“Why are we here?” I questioned“I want to talk to you,” she said, her voice a little bolder now. “There are a few things you need to know about being the Alpha’s mate." She said, and I nodded, ready to do anything to be in her good books. Her mate didn’t seem to like me, maybe things could change if I gave her the right impression.She lifted her veil and let it fall over her hair. I held in a gasp. Her face was scarred; that was why she was in a veil, why she had left no skin exposed; she was hiding the scars. I should have suspected this when I saw her standing behind Alpha Slade, her head down, but of c
I followed after him, a sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. He led me back into our room and shut the door. I inhaled. “Things went rough with your mother, right?” He asked, this question I did not expect. “She doesn’t like you very much.” “That’s understandable,” he says. “You know, you did well today—with my father, I mean.” “I did?” “Yes. Though I didn’t miss the fact that you had again disobeyed me, You took off the clothes—was it because of your mother?” “Yes... No. I couldn’t walk around looking like a whore.” He walked closer, and it took everything in me to stand still. His fingers traced the fabric of the brown gown I had chosen—without asking for permission, of course. “You liked being well covered?” He asked “Yes” “Just like my mother, Freya?” I think my heart skipped a bit right there. I remembered the scars all over her body, they had been the reason she left no skin uncovered. "How could you allow that to happen to her?"
Kaida’s POVI paused at the door when I noticed the brunette whore—the same one I had helped get to the healers—sitting on one of the couches with her legs crossed and a bright smile on her face. She was dressed in a very revealing black gown.I might have thought that saving her life would bring about a change, but I was wrong.“Did Alexander ask you to come here?” I questioned.“No.”“So why are you here?”“I wanted to see you… alone. He cannot know about my visit.”I chuckled. “You don’t want the Alpha King to know you’ve been here, and yet you come to the very room he spent his nights in.”“I’m not stupid, I know I shouldn't be here; but this is the only place I could meet you without having prying eyes on us.”“So, why do you need to see me?”She rose to her feet. “I want to thank you for what you did for me. I would have died if not for you.” She said,I was tempted to ask how she had gotten poisoned with wolfbane, but perhaps it was better I didn’t know. I didn’t like to pry in
The one in the middle approached us, and I backed away.Vera didn’t; she held the knife in her hands, ready to fight. He took out his handgun, and before she could make a move, he shot.She fell to the ground, a bullet embedded in her forehead.“So tell me, Chosen. Have you ever been… fucked?”“I did you all no wrong.”“You didn’t, but the Empress did. It’s our brother she sent out there to be killed.”“My condolences. But these men swore oaths; they swore to serve and protect; they weren’t forced.”All three burst into laughter. “My condolences.” One of the men mimicked. “Your condolences don’t bring back the dead, do they?”“Why don't we leave the Empress a message, one she would never forget? Let’s find out how pure the Chosen One is, shall we?”“When we are done with you, you will wish you had never been born, but don’t worry, we won’t kill you. You are too pretty to die.” said the third man.One of the men pushed me to the ground; before I could rise, his weight upon me held me d
ALIYA’S POVI didn’t think Empress Julia liked the way things had gone with the Alpha King. No pack had disregarded us like the Nightshade pack did. I had reasons to believe the other packs were afraid of us, but I couldn’t say the same for the Nightshade pack.My maid, Vera, brushed through my hair.King Alexander was an intriguing man, but I had my focus on the woman seated by his side. There was something about her—something fierce, something I hadn’t seen in other Lunas—and she kept on staring at me; it was like she knew exactly what I was thinking.The Chosen One. That’s what they called me; they say I was a gift from the god of light’s,and that I would lead the people of Aureonna into victory.One would think of me as a powerful person, but I was nothing more than a mortal woman. Empress Julia believes everything would change on my nineteenth birthday, when the god of light herself would pay me a visit. Julia refers to it as ‘The Encounter.’.For the past thirteen years of my li
One of the council members, who I believed was named Austin, was the first to speak up.The Alpha is as alone as he can be,” he said, eyeing their soldiers.“Leave us.” Alexander said, and for a moment no one made a move. “Now!”“Are—are you sure?” another of the advisors asked.“They are my guests; it will be rude of me not to hear them out.” Alexander said, and the woman smiled. The smile might have seemed a little flirty, but she was old enough to be my mother, so maybe that was just me looking too deep into things.Our soldiers left first, followed by the council of advisors, who seemed to be everywhere Alexander was.The woman's eyes turned to me.“She is my Luna; she stays.” Alexander says, and the woman only nods.One of the men in blue passed the woman a wooden box, she took out a key and unlocked it.“May I?” she asked, and Alexander nodded.She walked forward, up the stairs, until she was only a few feet away from where we sat. She placed the wooden box before his feet.Insi
I had never heard of them before, and for some reason, I felt… ‘humbled’ by that knowledge. If they were such a large community, why had they never been mentioned in all the conversations I had with Aric and my father? I was going to have to speak to Aric about this. “What do they want from us?” I asked.“I am yet to find out; perhaps they just want an alliance or a pact.”“Don’t you think it’s dangerous making pacts with them? What if they have other plans?“Like what? Ending the werewolf’s cycle?” Alexander asked, a smirk playing on his face.“They aren’t werewolves; they are different, and no doubt they would only grow stronger; it’s all a matter of time.”“You don’t have to worry about that. They will never be able to beat the werewolves—not in numbers. So would you please put on a dress?” he asked.I would have liked to argue some more, but I was very curious to meet these people. I picked out a purple, long-sleeved dress that stopped a little above my knee; it was just perfect.
“Where have you been?” Alexander asked the moment I entered the room.“Not your business.”“You must keep me informed about your whereabouts.”I turned to him. “I must not. I don’t try keeping up with your whereabouts now, do I?”“You are mad at me. I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier.”“Oh, an apology from the high and mighty Alpha king; that should solve everything.” I said, rolling my eyes.“Usually, it does solve everything most of the time.” He said with a smirk. “And I do like the term ‘high and mighty.’.” He added.“Unfortunately, pretty boy, your words don’t mean shit—not to me.”“I expected my Luna to be less profane”I flipped him the middle finger.“I spent the day with my Beta. I plan to be out there more often; I get sick of this place and also—you.”“Come on, let’s not lie to ourselves. I don’t infuriate you—I scare you, and that’s what’s got you all riled up.”“You would have liked it, wouldn’t you? If I was afraid of you?”“I mean, I’m liking it now. But that’s
I hadn’t spoken a word to Alexander in days, and I wasn’t planning to. I shouldn’t have let him touch me; I should have endured the pain longer, but once again, he won..“So you could come visit me, but I can’t do the same?” Aric asked the moment he saw me by his door.I pushed past him and walked into the room.“Not bad.” I say, looking around. It was smaller than the one I shared with the Alpha King, but elegant and nicely furnished.“Why are you here, Kaida?”“Do I need a reason to visit my beta and friend?”“I’m not the Beta anymore; I am a Commander and Chief.”“You will always be the Dawn’s pack Beta.” “Well the Dawn’s pack is no more; you are a Luna now…”“Okay, what the hell is wrong with you? If you don’t want me here, all you have to do is tell me.”“I’m a man who had just been rejected by the woman he had been in love with for years; how do you expect me to react?”“Aric… It can’t work.”“I know that—at least now I do. I’m not a fool; I know when to draw back, and you wer
Slowly and gently, he slipped a finger into me, going in and out. A moan escaped my lips. He added in a second finger and this time he went a bit faster, I moaned out, the pleasure was unlike anything I had ever felt and then… he pulled out.I wanted more and this time I let him take me to the bed. I took off my clothes, stripping naked, but he didn’t take his off.He kissed my collarbone, and then he took my nipple in his mouth; my back ached as I gripped his neck. With his other hand, he caressed my hardened nipple. He proceeded to kiss down my stomach, my belly button, and… lower.I stilled. “No.” I tried rising, but he forced me down. At this point, I wanted him so bad and yet… I didn’t like being so exposed to him.Then I felt his tongue.I couldn’t hold back the sensual sound that escaped my lips. He nibbled at my clit, and I spread my legs even wider. His tongue slipped into me, I gripped onto the slick sheets; he went in and out with his tongue, and slowly I began matching pac
A day passed, and I hadn’t cracked—that’s what I made him believe. The few hours of sleep I managed to get were the only escape from the pain, and even then, I dreamt about him.Now I couldn’t help but wonder how people were so in love with the idea of finding their mates if this was what they had to bear. But I guess many of them won’t see this as torture; they would give in easily.I had an idea, quite a crazy one.I had never touched myself before, but perhaps… I could try.I slowly lowered my fingers, watching as my hands slipped beneath the waistband of my panties. I rubbed my finger around my clit.I groaned, frustrated; it wasn’t working either.The knock on the door drew my attention. Aric. I just knew it had to be him.I didn’t make a move to go to the door but he didn’t go away either, he knocked once more.I managed to rise to my feet, stagger to the door and pull it open.“Kaida, are you alright?” he asked, alarmed.“I do remember telling you to send a maid, if there is an