(Riley's POV)
There was a lot running through my mind, but I couldn't stop myself as I let my lips move against his, his hands raked through my hair, and I let him touch me in more intimate ways. His kiss was unlike anything I had ever felt; it was like a breath of fresh air and, at the same time suffocating. I felt everything and nothing; the electricity rolling down my frame had nothing to do with a mate bond; it did have everything to do with the fallen angel standing before me. No, he was no angel, maybe quite the opposite, but he did have the looks of a Greek god.
Finally he pulled away, and I was left panting, wanting more, my lips all swollen. What the hell just happened, and why is Alpha Thane calling me his mate when I was sure I wasn't his? From the look he gave me, he knew that too. "Pretend," he whispered in my ear, low enough for only me to hear. Pretend?. He meant I should go along with this. Why would I do that? , why... My trail of thoughts was cut off. "She is not your mate." A voice from behind us called out, and Thane turned as if finally noticing the Alpha for the first time. It was Ryker. "And why would you say that?" Alpha Thane asked with his arms around me, pulling me closer. Of course Ryker couldn't say it out; he had deceived the whole pack into believing that Zara was his true mate; he couldn't tell them the truth—that I was his mate, and he had done something forbidden, rejecting me in secret. "She is a low rank here, an Alpha as you can never be mated to a she-wolf like her," Ryker said, looking furious, and I wondered why he was so bothered about this. I didn't know what this was either. "Why should that bother you?" Thane asked very calmly, even if I felt the exact opposite. "She wouldn't be good enough; she is nothing." There was a deep growl from Thane; the sound weakened my knees, and the other wolves bowed their heads in submission. Ryker could never challenge that. "I apologize, Alpha," Ryker said, but I noticed the vein in his neck popping. He hated the fact that he had to acknowledge the greater presence here. "I believe the wolf besides you is your mate and Luna, right?" Thane asked, and Ryker only seemed to notice an unhappy-looking Zara by his side. He inhaled and gave me a single glance. He was contemplating, and then finally he spoke. "Yes, this is my mate and my Luna." "Then I would warn you: do not ever speak in such a manner to my mate. Else..." Thane left the silent threat, and Ryker gave a nod, giving way. I had always imagined what it would be like for Ryker to be put in his place; never did I think it would be this interesting to watch. A part of me wanted to give him a small smirk, but I shoved aside the want; I wasn't Thane's mate. Maybe he mixed me up with the wrong person... but then he had told me to pretend and had also called me by my name. How did he know my name? I was sure we had never met before; of course, if I had met Alpha Thane of the Nightshade Pack, it wouldn't be an incident easily forgotten; then how did he know my name? I still felt dizzy from the kiss; from having him so close to me and everything going on was almost too much to take in. "Come with me, mate," Thane said, holding my hands. I hesitated, and then he turned to me. The look in his eyes told me that disobeying wouldn't be an option, and so I followed him. Every single gaze was on me, but then I saw my mother in the crowd, staring at me. I had always believed that my mother was the strongest person, and she was; she had proved that to me time and again, but there she stood, horror-stuck, watching me walk away with Alpha Thane. She was yet again shoved backwards by the crowd of watchers.Alpha Thane led me out of the balling hall.
His Beta Axel followed a very good distance behind us. "Where are you taking me to?" I asked, and the fear I felt made my voice sound so small and unsteady. "Where we can be alone" . All the stories I had heard about the Alpha resurfaced. He was one of the most feared Alphas in the world; his pack had the wealth, the connections, and the numbers. The pack's soldiers and members were well trained, but that wasn't the only reason for their reputation; they were also killers, they lusted after blood. Alpha Thane was less tolerant, and so was his whole pack. I had heard stories of a whole pack being wiped out because of a broken agreement. No one crossed the Nightshade pack and those who did were used as an example for the rest. Yet here he was, and he wanted us 'alone'.My heart raced faster. No one was close by, but even if they were, no one would come to my aid. I was not exactly one of the most loved wolves in my pack, and no one would ever cross Alpha Thane to come to my aid. I was doomed.
"What is wrong?" he asked, as if reading my thoughts.
"What do you want from me?" I asked. "To talk" Alpha Thane wanted to have a conversation with me. I found that very hard to believe. I had nothing to do with him; there was nothing to talk about. Maybe I was going to be used to send a message to the pack; maybe this would finally be my end, yet the sick twisted me was grateful that I atleast got to watch Ryker put in his place, even if that was the last thing I witnessed. "Do you want to kill me, Alpha Thane?" I asked And he didn't seem surprised by the question, not one bit, and that didn't help my condition. "No," he says. "No?" I questioned. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already, I don't have to bring you here to do just that."(Riley's POV) Everything about Alpha Thane screamed sexuality: the way he walked, his height, his look, his lips- oh, those very beautiful lips, and the way those lips had formed out my name. Never had I thought my name could sound that sexy and enticing... Also the last thing I should be thinking about right now was how sexy he was. . He was right though; if he wanted me dead, he wouldn't need to go through all that stress to get it done; he only needed to do it right there in the mating ball. After all, they were known for just that, so it wouldn't exactly be a surprise, and not many would care about the fact that I was killed; my mother would, though. "Then what do you want?" "I want you to come with me, as my mate," he answered, as if that were the simplest and most obvious thing. "What?" "I guess you heard me clearly, and you need a while to process it." "No, I do not need a while; I am not your mate; I know that; you know that; and I cannot leave my pack a
(Riley's POV) It didn't make sense. That Alpha Thain of the Nightshade pack had chosen me; I had so much to gain—my mother's freedom, 'my freedom', and wealth—lots of it. It felt almost too good to be true. He had told me that he never made any deals in which he had nothing to gain, but I can't imagine what he had to gain from being mated to me. Yet, his promises had been mouth-watering, every single word, and I knew he was right. I knew I would agree to his terms, whatever they might be, as long as my mother was free. He was not a gentleman; he had told me just that, and that was the one thing I believed. After the little conversation, he had left me here all alone, to think about his proposal. No, he didn't bother escorting me back to the ball where he had taken me; he was letting me know, even from the little gestures, what kind of a man he was. When he meant he wanted me as a mate for a period of time, did that involve intimacy? Maybe it didn't; maybe I just had to play
(Riley's POV) I didn't know what my mother had against Alpha Thane and his father, but she had agreed to come with me after I had persuaded her. I had to tell her what Ryker had wanted me to be—a little pet for him—and that was all she needed to finally change her mind. Though she didn't like this idea and I knew it, we both knew we had no other choices, and I would rather die than leave my mother here. She helped me pack up. I had only a few things; I picked out only the important things, and a single bag was enough to contain my stuff. . Alpha Ryker walked into my room, not bothering to knock. "You know it is very unappropriate to walk into a lady's room without knocking, right?" I questioned, and my mother gave me a questioning look, but this time I didn't listen. "Now the true Riley shows herself; I knew you had all that pent-up anger in you for a long time; I actually expected you to slip in the mating ball last night, and I am totally surprised you didn't." "That's
(Riley's POV) I hadn't realized I stood there, staring at him. Finally recovering from the momentarily drool, I walked into Ryker's office. "I believe you are ready and packed, Riley." "Yes, Alpha," I said, a moment too late. "Call me Thane," he says, his burning gaze on me, and in that moment, I forgot about Ryker in the office with us. "Just as I had promised you, your mother is free, and she will come with us," he says. My mouth fell open in surprise. That quickly? Ten years of slavery had ended in just minutes. He was right; there was only a little he could not do, and I couldn't help but wonder what he had done to make Ryker give in. "I would be waiting in the car; pick up your things and join me; your mother would be transported to my pack tomorrow; and not to worry, she is already a free woman," Thane said, his eyes slipping from mine to Ryker's. I wasn't the only one affected by Thane's piercing gaze; I noticed how uncomfortable it made Ryker too, and I know he
I stared at the document in my hands. Slowly, I opened it—I hadn’t even realized I was holding in a breath.I skipped the introduction and began:“This is an agreement between the ‘contractee’ (Thane Blackwood) and the ‘contractor’ (Riley Kaidon).”I paused, about to ask how he knew my full name, but after one look at those cold eyes, I continued. “The duration of this contract is a year (twelve months), if agreed by both parties." I paused again. “A year is more than I can handle,” I whispered. A lot could happen in a year. The thought that he would have control over me for a whole year sent a chill down my spine. I never really considered what would happen if this went all wrong and things could easily 'very wrong’. “Three months,” I say, and I hated how shaky my voice sounded.His jaw tightened; it was such a small movement, but I noticed it. Thane didn’t like the fact that I was bargaining; I knew what was written down was only there to make me feel like I had a choice—a say in thi
I passed the signed document back to him, but his eyes, they never left me.“Do you know the severity of the contract you just signed?” he asked, the smirk stretching along his lips again. I could hear Ryker’s words in my head ‘you wouldn’t last two weeks with him’, I could remember the panicked look in my mother’s eyes when he proclaimed me as his mate, never had she looked so afraid, not even when I was mated to Ryker – that should be enough to tell me that something was very wrong with this alpha sitting before me, and maybe his whole pack too, but no, I was willing to do anything – to escape my past, even if it meant running head first into danger.“Yes, I know” I answered but I lied, I was yet to understand the severity of what I had just done.Alpha Thane rose to his feet and it took everything in me to sit there and not bolt out of the ‘office’, he walked towards me.“What are you doing?”“Afraid?” he asked and I wanted to say ‘no’, I opened my mouth but no reply came forth. He
‘The contractor consents to satisfying the contractee’s sexual need whenever and wherever it is requested...’I should have given more thought to this; how foolish I was to ignore it. Yet deep down, I knew it wouldn’t change a thing; there was just too much on the line. He might have forgiven me for my little slip, but this was another test, and if I failed... I couldn’t afford to fail.I pulled down the handle of my dress, taking it off very slowly.My stomach churned, but it wasn’t butterflies. No, it was panic. It was happening, and it was all too soon. I didn’t dare look in their eyes. I had remembered Thane’s words in the car: ‘I would fuck you, Riley, anywhere I see fit, and I do not give a damn if the whole pack is watching.’ – He had meant it then.Some wolves were very possessive, and some... a few twisted ones were very free—in the sense that they liked to share—this was what ‘turned them on’. I wouldn’t last two weeks if Thane was one of them.I finally let my dress fall to
"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 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.
ALEXANDER’S POVIt was almost unnerving how similar she had looked to Kaida. Her voice sounded so much like hers—I had hesitated, and in that moment of weakness, Cynthia escaped.It all made sense now. I could recall that incident. When Kaida had walked into the room, looking all seductive, I had given in so easily. And then—she ‘d lifted the dagger to my chest. I hadn’t realized it wasn’t her. For a fleeting moment, I had even thought the weapon was just another tease.But then she’d stabbed me, and too late I realized something different about her—something I hadn’t picked up on earlier. Her eyes. They were different, not because they weren’t the same grey I knew, but because it felt like they belonged to a stranger, not the woman I had known and fallen for.Kaida had taken the blame, but of course, she could never have done such a thing. She’d never have gone through with it, and I couldn’t believe I was just realizing that now."It’s not your fault. Cynthia excels at those kinds o
"I know the truth," I said to Julia, finally speaking up.“What truth? Don’t tell me you still fall for his falsehoods—you should have learned your lessons by now.”"He tried to protect me. He kept me safe. That’s more than you’ve ever done?"“Protect you—you really think you are safe here with him?”“Safer than I ever was back in the castle.”“I taught you better than this, Aliya. I taught you about bad people who would want to taint you, but you were always the curious type; I should have known.” She said, I didn’t miss the fact that she addressed me by my name."I remember everything you taught me, Julia. Thanks to you, I know more languages than I’ll ever have the chance to use in my lifetime. You spoke endlessly about good and evil—you painted yourselves as saints, but you all are far from that. I know the truth now. Your plan was to sacrifice me. That encounter—all of it—was a lie. I was nothing but a vessel to you.""And do you think you mean anything to him?" she asked, her g
My thoughts drifted to Ash. Could he have been stupid enough to come back here with Daemon present?Something told me Daemon wouldn’t be pleased about me seeing him behind his back.A small sense of relief washed over me when I realized the footsteps approaching weren’t from a man. There was something feminine, something familiar about them.It was Empress Julia.Of course, I would recognize the sound of her footsteps; I had spent over a decade of my life listening to them.Daemon seemed genuinely surprised. “How did you find this place?” he asked."I can't say. You see, it's a small secret, Trian—I guess that's the name you stole."Daemon’s eyes drifted from her face to the object she held in her hand: the Nexus Amulet. She had somehow gotten it out of the transparent glass container—perhaps that explained the noise that had alerted us we weren’t alone."Give it to me," Daemon all but growled."Tsk, tsk. Not so fast."Daemon looked like he was about to lunge for her."You won’t get t
I shouldn’t be thinking about Ash’s words, but I was. No matter how many times I tried to shove them out of my mind, they always found their way back."Dinner is served. Come eat," Daemon announced. Staring at him, I could almost forget that he was a demon; he just seemed so… human. But when you looked deeper into those dark blue eyes, that’s when you noticed something off—something that screamed predator.“I’m not hungry.”“That’s a lie. Come with me,” he said. I might be hungry, but I was in no mood to eat, yet I followed him. He had already dished out the food for me and, as usual, none for himself.“Thank you.” I muttered, taking a seat. The smoky scent of spiced grilled meat filled the air. On any other day, it would be enough to make my mouth water and my stomach rumble, but this time, I could barely force myself to eat more than a few small pieces.“Aliyah,” Daemon called, and I looked up at him. “I can make something else if you don’t like this.”“It’s not that. I’m just not h
ALIYAH’S POVI stared at the empty room, once occupied by the human girls. Now, the chains that had been used to bind them were the only sign that they had ever been here.After the incident with Tasha, Daemon wasn’t willing to take any chances. He had let the two cousins return to their homes.When Daemon wasn’t home, I had the whole house to myself.I returned to my room to take a quick shower before his return. I peeled off my clothes and walked into the shower. I was done in less than twenty minutes. I was about to step out of the bathroom when my reflection caught my eye. I paused, staring at the figure in the mirror that was mine.My eyes were the only thing alive; every other part of my body seemed to be fading away. My silver hair didn’t look as healthy, and my pale skin was even paler. I spotted the bite marks marring my skin. I didn’t mind them at all; maybe I was getting just as crazy as Tasha, but I liked seeing those marks on my skin; they reminded me of him, and so I ha
I watched as Aric’s casket was lowered into the ground.All the memories were buried along with him. Guilt ate at me, knowing he shouldn’t be down there.Many who knew Aric were also present. He had once been a beta to the Dawn pack, then a commander to the Nightshade Pack. He was loved by many, but the strangest thing about life was how fast people tend to move on.Two hours later, everyone was gone, back to their lives. A few months from now, some would forget him. In a few years, others wouldn’t even remember that a man named Aric had once lived among us. He’d be just another tombstone like the rest. No one was ever truly too important—life always moved on.I stood before Aric's grave, eyes puffy and red, tears rolling down my cheeks, and Alexander stood beside me. His eyes were on me.“You know, he had a sister. I had no clue about her; she was the reason he betrayed me; he wanted to save her.” I paused when I realized who I was talking to. “Sorry, I know you’d always hated him.”