Thane returned late. He paused at the door, his eyes trailing down me.“You are hurt, aren’t you?” he questioned"No,” I lied, but one look at him told me he saw through that, “yes,” I admitted.“I’m sorry,” he apologized, but there was no promise that he would go gentle next time. He had warned me, just so I could prepare myself. Yes, it was more than I could ever prepare for, but at least I knew what I was getting myself into.“I liked it a lot,” I say to him, and his eyes brighten up.“You did?”“Yes, I thought you could tell.”“You are a mystery, Riley,” he says, and I couldn’t agree to that; he was the mysterious one, and I, on the other hand, was nothing but an open book. .“Axel did take good care of me,” I said, gorging his expression.There was nothing but a smirk on his face. “Of course he did,” and that confirmed a lot.Thane was in his briefs now, and I couldn’t help but marvel at his size. I looked away quickly; I couldn’t bear any more awkwardness.“You could look as lo
I had wanted Axel there with me, and it was strange that I'd seek comfort from a man I had only met, just to face my own mother. I walked into her room, and she shut the door.I gasped. The room was beautiful. It was almost as wide as our own room."Beautiful, isn’t it?” She asked, pouring a glass of juice into two glass cups. She passed me one.“Thank you, and yes, this is a lovely space.”“You know what I hear? This was one of the previous Luna’s rooms. And my pay is way more than a person even in my position should earn.”“I am happy to see you are being treated well." I said genuinely.My mother scoffed. “I think it’s weird, all the things he does... Alpha Thane would never do anything if he wasn’t getting something in return.”“So what are you trying to say, mother? You are the mother to the Luna of this pack; how is this questionable?”“I know you more than you think, daughter. He wouldn’t have taken you if he didn’t have something to get in exchange.”“Because I am weak? Becaus
"I think we should talk somewhere more private; what do you say?""I am quite in a hurry at the moment," I replied."Where are you heading to? Maybe I could walk with you," she asks, a small smile on her lips. She hadn’t been rude and maybe we both could play whatever game this was."I was heading for my mate's room.""Is that so?, Strange that you are going in the opposite direction.""The pack house could get confusing at times.""So you are lost?" she questioned."I'll admit it, I am lost," I said with a shrug, trying to act unbothered by the fact that I was alone here with this Beatrix. I had seen her fight; she was good; there was no doubt she could take me down easily. Being alone with her was dangerous, but letting her know I was lost was even more dangerous."Let's make a deal, Luna. I'll help you on your way back if you could only give me a few minutes of your time.""And if I refuse?" I ask with a cocked eyebrow. I had to look calm and settled, and I really hoped it worked.
I didn’t think she was leading me the right way. But I didn’t let her know that. I tried keeping track of every route we followed, but there were just too many turns.“Riley”. I turned to see Axel. I couldn’t deny the relief I felt the moment I saw him. “I told you to stay there; where did you go...” His words trailed off as he only seemed to notice Beatrix at my side, and he gave me a questioning look.“Beta. Not to worry, she is safe with me; we were only having a little chat, and I was going to escort her back to her room; she’s not very familiar with this place yet.”“Thank you, but I will be taking over now,” Axel said, taking my arms and leading me away.Beatrix had actually been leading me the right way.When we were a good distance away, Axel stopped.“What?”“I told you to wait there. Why didn’t you” Axel questioned“I got overwhelmed; I’m sorry.”“No, don’t be. I had been worried.”“Why? Wait, did you think I was going to run away?”“I thought of that, but of course, you wou
“Does whatever you have to tell me endanger you?”I thought about it. “Not really, why?”“Then I can promise you, Thane wouldn’t know.”“Beatrix suspects something.”"Well, she’s a fool; nothing to bother about,” Axel said. He didn’t seem to like her very much, and that brought a smile to my lips.“This is something to bother about. She had seen me when we both visited the training grounds. And she had pointed out the fact that I had no visible marks due to the...” I trailed off, but Axel understood where I was heading. “She has these theories; she thinks this might be a mistake, and I hadn’t actually been mated to Thane, or there is some kind of agreement, she also suspects that I blackmailed him into this.”“Blackmail?” Axel scoffed. “You don’t have to worry. I bet she is hoping this is an agreement too.”.There was a knock on the door.“I’m not expecting anyone,” I said to Axel.“That must be the maid. It’s lunch time.....Thane should be back by now, and I was getting worried. A
No matter how I struggled, I couldn't win and I knew it, I just couldn’t outsmart ten of them.“Help!, somebody help!..” I screamed out of desperation, hoping someone would hear me.I felt a hand around my mouth, muffling my screams. "You speak again, and I promise you that will be the last time you ever speak," the man with his hands around my mouth warned. I also noticed the wickedly sharp dagger in his hands. I felt the panic rising. Could this be my end?He slowly withdrew his hand from my mouth and took off his hood. I didn't know many people here, but I recognized him almost instantly. He was one of the men Beatrix had fought on the training grounds."She's supposed to be an omega," the man said to the other cloaked figure standing to the side, the only one who hadn't bothered holding me down or participating in this."She had been marked by him; that should be the reason," he says, and I did not understand a single word of what they were saying. All I could think about was how
I felt no pain, and it was strange; I had just been shot, right?There was a loud thud as a body fell right beside me.During their little arguments, someone had walked in; they hadn't been quick enough to notice it. But it was the last person I expected to see.Beatrix.Behind her, Thane and Axel walked in; their eyes were coal black, and their gaze never met mine, but I could see the anger and fury in them."Axel, take her away," Thane ordered, and Axel finally turned to me; he picked me up easily and led me away from our room.I couldn't believe it; I was safe.~~Axel walked into a very unfamiliar room, and there was a maid there tidying up the space."You. Get out," he says. I had never heard Axel sound so furious, and I had to remind myself that Axel couldn't hurt me.The maid scurried away as he placed me on the bed.His gaze swept down my body, he slightly lifted my gown, and his hands grazed down my body, checking for injuries."What did they do to you? Are you hurt?""No, I
Where was he? Where was Thane.The whole hall grew silent, and I noticed why, he just walked in. He was shirtless, only in a pair of torn-up jeans; he hadn’t bothered about washing off the blood of the men he had beaten up and killed; his body was covered in blood, and a cold shiver walked it way down my spine. His eyes were cold and empty; he didn’t look up to me once.“Let it be known to everyone that disobeys me; let it be known to the few rebellious amongst you, that if anyone goes against my Luna, then be ready to face death,” he says, his voice harsh and low, but it could be heard clearly even from where I sat.One of the soldiers walked forward, handing him a sword. It seemed heavy, I could tell, but the blade was so sharp it reflected.“That’s silver steel,” Axel said to me, and I gasped.Thane held it, and the crowd watched in anticipation; some even had smiles on their faces. How could they find joy in a thing like this? My question goes unanswered, maybe because I already k
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.
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