"Are you okay?" Thane asks"Why are you here?" I questioned randomly."You kept on screaming out my name and crying; Axel had to call my attention.""I'm so sorry I woke you up.""Riley, that is the least of my worries. What was the dream about?""It was about you and these elders... you were being stripped of your wolf with the cursed weapon, and then he said he was coming for me next. It was so scary.""I am fine, Riley.""You don't understand; it felt so real. Promise me that you will keep me out of danger," I pleaded."I would try," he says, and I knew he was only saying that to keep me calm, but still I took the false reassurance.Now that I was back to my senses, I felt so embarrassed, I wondered how Axel would feel being woken up by the weirdo who cries in her sleep."Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, where is Axel?""He went to call for a healer.""I'm fine!" I said, eyes wide. That would be very embarrassing if he did call the healer. "I can see that now, and he would be back soon. You
“I am surprised,” Axel says to me when he finds me still in his room.“What?”“From Thane’s emotions, I didn’t think you would still be here, I’d have thought you were back in his room being... banged.”I gasped. "Axel!” I call out, reddening.“He usually has no restraints, but I guess he is indeed trying,” Axel went on with a wide smile.Something piqued my curiosity.“So Thane was like... turned on?” I asked, trying to hide my smile and failing.“Yeah, I guess you did play him.”"I did,” I admitted, “and I enjoyed every bit of it.”“Tsk. That was a dangerous thing to do. He would be back.”“He would be back for me?”“You keep repeating what I’ve already said.” Axel’s say, clearly enjoying this more than he should.“He won’t get me, I would be here in your room; he wouldn’t get to me in here, right?”Axel’s smile wasn’t very innocent. “And who is going to stop him?”“I thought you were on my side.”“He is my Alpha; there is only little I can do and you started it.”“So... what do I d
I had been on my way back to Axel’s room when I suddenly felt firm hands clamped around my mouth, restraining me from screaming.“Got you,” Thane whispered into my ears.The shiver had nothing to do with the cold.He led me into the closest room that turned out to be ‘unoccupied’. This was, of course, planned by him.Finally, he let me go.“What are you doing?” I asked, planning to act clueless. I was panicking in here.“What does it look like?” he asks, and I could see his fangs; the glow of his eyes seems too otherworldly to be natural.“It looks like you are kidnapping me; would you let me go?” I asked."Well, the door is right there.”“So you would actually let me go?” I questioned, not really trusting his words.“Only if you could get there faster than me,” he says.Maybe I could do that if I caught him unaware. I zipped off, heading for the door. I was so close, and just then, Thane who had been leaning against the wall a good distance behind me, was right before the door and me
Thane watched me as if etching every feature into memory.“That is very creepy you know” I say“I didn't realize how much I missed you. So… What do you say bout' returning back to our room?” Thane asked. “I don't know if I am ready for that yet,” I said to him, yet my heart and body yearned to be close to him. I missed having him so close; I hated the distance between us."Well, maybe we could make a... deal.”“I'm listening,” I say with a smile. I was giving in; it shouldn't be this easy, but after what he had done earlier today, I doubt I would be able to stay away from him any longer.“You would get to see me completely naked on my knees once more.”“Leave it up to you to create very enticing offers, but unfortunately I selfishly want more.”"Anything,” he promises. “I would only agree to your deal if there would be more touching involved... I want to be in control this time,” I say, already aroused by the thought of Thane naked, on his knees, and me in charge.“You are not very
“Do you need some help getting up?” Axel asked me with a falsely innocent smile.“I think I can manage that myself, thank you,” I said, rising to my feet. I did feel a dull ache between my legs.“Are you sure?”“Maybe a little help.” I finally admitted.He chuckled, sweeping me off my feet. He placed me gently on the couch, and he took a seat beside me.“I did warn you, but you are so stubborn.”“I didn't want him to have me back so easily,” I murmured silently to myself."Well, he did have you,” Axel said in a 'matter of fact’ tone.“Okay, you were right, I was wrong... and stubborn, are you happy now?”“He didn't hurt you badly though, right?” Axel inquired, and I knew deep down he cared about my safety.“No, he didn't, but even if he did, it would be all on me; I mean, I had been the one begging and pleading for it.” “He feels guilt, and he is worried too; that's why he sent me here.”“I'm not really as soft and breakable as you both imagine me to be.”“Oh, really?”“I mean, I am
The door burst open, and Bailey strode in, just as I had anticipated.“Are you familiar with the concept of knocking?” Axel questioned her.“Seeing as I am so ancient, it must have skipped my mind a century ago or there about.”“You shouldn’t be here, Elder, not after that little stunt you pulled,” Axel said, and I knew what he was referring to. Bailey had known I was on my way here, so she made sure I discovered what she and Thane had been doing while I was away. I didn’t want to think about it; the thought made me feel so angry.“Apologies Beta, if the Luna had responded to my message, I wouldn’t see the need of coming here unannounced.”Axel gaze met mine.“You didn’t actually think you could send me a crappy note and I’ll run along to find you, did you?”“I see, the Luna finally acting as the queen; there is so much you don’t know,” she says with a sinister smile, but what she doesn’t know is that Thane had told me the deal he made with her. He wasn’t planning on keeping to his pa
"What makes you think I am less driven than you are? What makes you think that I would be satisfied with being the 'other woman' or the 'mistress''?""Please spare me; I know about your relationship with the beta; anyone with an eye can figure it out. It is only a matter of time, and you would have to choose one of the two men, but that wouldn't be necessary if you were only seen as the 'other woman'," she says, using my term, "You would always get a taste of both.""You might be ancient, but that doesn't make everyone else fools, Bailey. As much as you are ready to do anything to claim my title, I am willing to fight twice harder to keep it. So good luck trying to claim what does not belong to you."She snorted. "I was giving you an easy way out; this would have been very convenient for us all, but of course you choose to be a hussy.”"Convenient for us all or just for you?""You do have a lot to gain here, child.""Just by the side, Elder, the term 'hussy' is a bit old-fashioned; we
“What had Bailey wanted to talk to you about?” Axel asked.“I really don’t know who she thinks she is,” I responded, taking a seat at the edge of the bed.“Is common with the elders to feel entitled to things; pay her no mind,” Axel advised.“Do you think Thane did the right thing when he made a deal with her?” I questioned“No. Not really, but that was the only way we could get her to agree with our arrangements; she is indeed stubborn but also very calculative.”“How exactly does Thane plan to sidestep her? I mean, she had gone through her part of the deal.”“Are you sympathizing with her?”“No, I just feel like Thane is playing a dangerous game, but again, when is he not?”“Don’t waste your time worrying about Thane; he knows what he is doing.”“Bailey does not love Thane; all she wants is the title,” I revealed. Axel didn’t look surprised to hear that. “You knew?” I questioned.“It isn’t exactly surprising; the elders crave for power, and you would think all the power they have a
DAEMON’S POVMaybe it was just my mind preparing me for the worst scenario, but I couldn’t feel her presence.Staring at the castle, I sensed nothing—yet I hoped I was wrong. If she wasn’t inside, it could only mean one thing: I was too late.I hated being out here; it made me feel powerless. I needed to get in, find her, see what was happening.Seconds dragged on like minutes, and minutes felt like hours. Restlessness gnawed at me, drawing more unwanted attention, but I didn’t care. A soldier stepped forward, and I felt my patience thin. If he came any closer, I wasn’t sure I could hold back from ripping his head off.And then, I heard it. The sharp sound of breaking glass.Fragments rained down as people scattered, shielding themselves from the sharp shards. But I stood still.I watched the body hit the ground.Cynthia.The soldiers came forward, but I raised a hand, stopping them. I walked to her.If she had been human, a fall from that height would have meant instant death. But of
ALEXANDER’S POV“I have to say, you’re far better looking than I remember.” Empress Julia says, walking forward.Of course, it hadn’t taken long for me to realize that our arrival was no longer a secret.“You’ve gotten more wrinkled. Perhaps you need another dip in the Lake of Youth?”Her smile faltered. The Empresses were obsessed with remaining youthful, and that comment had hit its mark.“I know why you’re here.”“Good, because I won’t be leaving till I get what I came for.”“Brave as always. You don’t even mind the fact that you’ve just called an all-out war.”“We’ve been fighting wars ever since I took over from my father. If it comes to that, then so be it.”Julia chuckled. “You seem so confident in your pack.”“That, I am.”“You won’t find her here.” She said, I didn’t know if she was referring to the empress or…“Aliyah. You won’t find her here. She had escaped.”I studied her. Of course, it could be a lie, but something told me she was being truthful. Now, I could see the bag
The soldiers let us in without issue—they’d seen us arrive with the ‘High Regent.’ I kept my scarf on, and so did Alexander. Despite everything, I couldn’t help but marvel at how he made everything look good.“We’ll have to split up,” I told him. That had been the plan—he’d go find Cynthia, and I’d go for Aliyah. Daemon had detailed exactly where her room was, so I didn’t think it would be hard to find.“We don’t have to split. We could find the Empress together, then the girl,” Alexander said.I knew he was worried about me, but we both understood it wasn’t a practical decision. By the time we captured the Empress, the alarm—or whatever system they used here—would’ve alerted everyone in the castle, and the Chosen would be heavily guarded against the intruders: us.“We’d get caught easily if we stayed together,” I told him, then paused when I noticed him watching me. “I’ll be fine.”“Be careful,” he said, and I nodded.“You too.”“I’ll find you. Go.”I took off, tracing the path throu
Phil and Austin had been left in charge of the pack.Alexander had tried convincing me to stay behind, but if Cynthia was going down, it would be my blade that stopped her heart. No one would take that away from me.“Hold on to me,” Daemon said. Alexander hesitated, then moved closer, pulling me to his side. His hands wrapped around me, keeping some distance between me and the Demon Overlord. In the blink of an eye, we were no longer in the room.Darkness engulfed us—so thick I couldn’t even see my own hand. The only thing keeping me from panicking was Alexander’s hold on me. And then, it was over. We stood in a wide, vast land. There wasn’t a single soul in sight, not even meters away.“Where are we?” I asked.“A short distance from Aureonna City. We’ll have to travel the rest of the way,” Daemon responded.“You couldn’t just spirit us into the city?” Alexander asked his half-brother.“I would have, if I hadn’t been given rodents to feed on. As you must have guessed, their blood isn’
KADIA’S POVAlexander walked in with Daemon, and I had to push aside the fact that he was in our room, invading our personal space. Daemon made himself comfortable on our bed.I'd never seen two people who looked so alike and yet so different. I remembered how the Demon Overlord had stood there, imposing, wings sprouting from his back—something I'd never seen before. They shared the same piercing blue eyes. Looking at Daemon felt like looking at a darker version of Alexander. Both were dangerous and powerful, but while Alexander had been born a leader, Daemon had made himself one. There was a glint of madness in Daemon’s eyes, reminding me to stay alert whenever he was near.As if sensing my gaze, Daemon turned to me and threw a wink—clearly aimed at irritating Alexander.“How did it go?” I asked Alexander.“He picked up quite a lot,” Daemon replied, then turned to his half-brother. “You should try getting into her mind,” he suggested.“No,” Alexander growled.“I don’t mind,” I added.
ALEXANDER’S POVI watched Daemon as he walked around the hall, spacious enough to contain at least a hundred people.“It’s soundproof, so this should do.”Daemon turned to me. “I’m sure Thane and Riley would be proud of you and what you’ve done with the pack. You know, I did rule for a short while—back when I pretended to be your father, Thane,” he said, a smirk spreading across his face. “It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.”I had forgotten that—Daemon had the ability to take on different forms. My first instinct was to demand what had happened, but something told me Daemon had brought it up hoping I’d take the bait. So I held back my curiosity.“I find it strange. Most of the abilities the Empress possesses are similar to those of a demon. They can shift—move from one place to another in matter of minutes. They can take on different forms, like Cynthia did… control minds, wield fire…”“Come to think of it, that’s true,” Daemon replied. “Maybe their so-called ‘god of light
PRESENT.I pulled my wings back, making them vanish as I stepped out of the circle."Hello, Brother," I said to the Alpha King, my half-brother.He saw me as a threat, of course, and he was right to. My gaze shifted to the second figure in the room—Jade."An old bat who just refuses to die. You're tough, I'll give you that."Jade's eyes shot daggers at him. “I haven’t forgotten you stole from me.”“It was never yours to keep.” I responded. Many years ago, I had taken the amulet from her possession, cementing my place as the Demon Overlord."This is not over," she said, pointing a crooked hand at me before turning to Ethan—or as he preferred to be called, Alexander."I've done as you asked. Just so you know, I might not be available if you reach out again," she added, then turned and walked toward the balcony. She pushed open the windows and leaped down.The werewolf queen gasped, walking to the railing to look below, and a bird flew up, its eyes the same color as Jade’s. It was no su
DAEMON’S POVEarlier…I stood before the house I had set ablaze, watching as it burned to the ground.I was a fool to believe I could ever have a silent life. Part of me had craved that kind of peace, while another part longed for more—wanting to rule and, at the same time, have the girl I loved by my side. I wanted both, and that was the problem: I could only choose one.I picked wrong.I stared at the amulet, the only thing I had retrieved from the house I had set on fire.I had promised to protect her; I had promised to keep her safe and away from harm’s way, and I failed. The moment she was taken, I returned to the castle to find her, but the empresses weren’t as unwise as they had been before. They had found the strongest witches and sorceresses to cast a spell on the castle, preventing my entry. The spell was strong enough to serve its purpose, but it must’ve drained those who had cast it. They would need months to recover.But like every spell, it would fade eventually, and tha
KADIA’S POVIt was already late at night. I’d spent the hours patrolling alongside Alexander. Well, we’d done a little more than just patrolling.A slow smile curled my lips at the memory of Alexander taking me right there on the hard forest ground."We’re supposed to be watching over the pack borders," I’d reminded him as he kissed me."I’m still very much alert. I think I can do both at a time," he’d replied.I now had dirt, crumpled leaves, and a few stubborn twigs tangled in my hair. Alexander didn’t look much better, but he still managed to pull off that rough, roguish charm that made my stomach flutter.We walked to our apartment together, stopping in front of the door.“Keep looking at me like that,” he said with a grin, “and we won’t be sleeping much tonight.”“I’m not staring,” I lied, immediately looking away with a blush creeping on my cheeks.He smiled. “You can stare all you want, baby. I’m all yours.”His words stirred butterflies in my stomach. Maybe it really was going